North State Journal Vol. 10, Issue 42

Manny of the hour

this week

Zelenskyy: Ukraine won’t cede land to Russia

Rome Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rea rmed his strong refusal to cede any territory, resisting U.S. pressure for painful concessions to Russia as he moved ahead Tuesday to rally more European support for his country. In an interview with Politico released Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump pressed Zelenskyy to accept the U.S. proposal that Ukraine cede territory to Russia, arguing Moscow has the “upper hand” in its nearly 4-year-old invasion, and that Zelenskyy’s government must “play ball.”

Fed committee split on possible rate cut

Washington, D.C.

The Federal Reserve faces an unusually contentious meeting this week that will test Chair Jerome Powell’s ability to corral the necessary support from fellow policymakers for a third straight interest rate cut. The Fed’s 19-member rate-setting committee is sharply divided over whether to lower borrowing costs again. The divisions have been exacerbated by the convoluted nature of the economy: In ation remains elevated, which would typically lead the Fed to keep its key rate unchanged, while hiring is weak and the unemployment rate has risen, which often leads to rate cuts. Some economists expect three Fed o cials could vote against the quarter-point cut that Powell is likely to support at the Dec. 9-10 meeting, which would be the most dissenting votes in six years. Just 12 of the 19 members vote on rate decisions.

Honduran arrested after latest Charlotte train stabbing

Oscar Solarzano is being held without bond and is charged with attempted rst-degree murder

By Erik Verduzco and Allen G. Breed The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — A North Carolina judge on Monday ordered a Honduran man to be held without bond in a

non-fatal stabbing on a Charlotte commuter train.

Oscar Solarzano, 33, wearing an orange jumpsuit and appearing via video link, listened impassively as a translator read charges of attempted rst-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon and others. Mecklenburg County District Judge Keith Smith scheduled his next hearing for Dec. 30.

See STABBING, page A2

Davis seeking reelection in 1st District

Redistricting made the congressman’s district favorable to Republicans

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina Congressman Don Davis (D-Snow Hill) made it ofcial last week that he will be seeking reelection to his current 1st Congressional District seat.

“Many feel Washington, D.C., isn’t serving their needs, and the redistricting battle clearly proves it,” Davis wrote in an X post. “I’m running in NC-01 to ensure everyone, from the northeast to

Stein, Jackson push back on proposed Duke rate hike

“With costs rising everywhere, it’s important we take a close look at Duke Energy’s proposed rate increase to ensure it is necessary.”

Je Jackson, North Carolina attorney general

The power company is requesting a 15% increase over the next two years

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Duke Energy’s proposed 15% rate increase over the next two years has drawn criticism from Gov. Josh Stein and Attorney General Je Jackson.

“With costs rising everywhere, it’s important we take a close look at Duke Energy’s proposed rate increase to ensure it is necessary,” said Jackson in a Dec. 2 press release. “My o ce is intervening to make sure we nd the right

balance between investing in our energy infrastructure and protecting North Carolinians’ wallets.”

The proposal is currently under consideration by the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC). If approved, the increase could mean customers paying an additional $20 to $30 per month by 2028.

Stein also opposes the increase and issued a statement applauding Jackson’s intervention.

“I am pleased that the North Carolina Department of Justice is ghting for the people of North Carolina,” Stein said in a statement. “Duke Energy’s proposed rate hike

See DAVIS, page A3

See DUKE, page A3

Duke coach Manny Diaz holds up the ACC Championship Game trophy after the Blue Devils defeated Virginia 27-20 on Saturday in Charlotte. Despite winning the conference title, Duke was overlooked for a College Football Playo bid in favor of Miami. See more in Sports.

DAVID YEAZELL / AP PHOTO

Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.), pictured during a 2024 campaign event in Greenville, announced we will seek reelection next year despite redistricting aimed at ipping his seat to a Republican.

JACOB KUPFERMAN / AP PHOTO

the word | A Christmas prayer for the lonely

My Father, I miss the gladness which many of your other children are enjoying today. They have their homes and friends and happy fellowships, while I am alone. Yet may I have a joyous Christmas even without these bright things. Let me not envy those who have the blessings which I do not have. Save me from all bitter feeling, all complaining, all homesickness, and all unhappiness because of my circumstances. Help me to remember the loneliness of Jesus, who was born in poverty and found no welcome in this world, and to be as contented in my condition, as he was in his.

I pray for others who are lonely like myself, away from their homes; for the very poor to whom the day will bring but little gladness; for the children whose dream of Christmas has been disappointed; for the sick, the sorrowing, and the weary. In the great wave of good feeling which spreads everywhere today, may some touch of human kindness reach every one of these heart-hungry ones.

Grant me the privilege of carrying a little Christmas gladness to some who but for me, would go unblessed. Lead me to one, at least, to whom a kindly word will be a blessing. Let me give cheer to one who is discouraged. Give me the privilege of making real to someone, the sweetness and warmth of the love of Christ.

So I pray, my Father, that this wondrous day may not pass without leaving something of its glad, loving spirit in my heart — and something of its quickening in my life. May I get a new vision of your divine love. May I be cleansed of the sin which has left its sad blots, on all my old year’s pages. May I from today live more beautifully, less sel shly, less willfully, more helpfully — than ever before. May I nd comfort hereafter for my loneliness, in closer companionship with Christ and in a life of love and service.

Grant these blessings, I beseech you, in his precious name. Amen. “Goodwill toward men.” Goodwill means kindness, sympathy, love. It means that we shall have no bitter feeling toward anyone, no

unkind thought, no dislike. This man who jostled against me today — is my bother. Perhaps it was as much my fault — as his. I may have put myself obstinately in his way. Most likely at least he did it unintentionally. Let me then forgive him — or even ask his pardon for being in the way when he stumbled.

We may read the Gospels to see how Jesus showed goodwill to men, for he gave us the pattern for every beautiful thing he would have us do. A frown never came upon his face — when someone had been rude or unkind to him. Nothing ever caused him to show annoyance, however many things you were to disturb and vex him. The people were sel sh and ill-mannered in pressing about him. They gave him no time to rest or to eat. They even broke in upon him — when he was at his private devotions. But his patience and kindness never failed. Nothing ever ru ed or interrupted his composure or irritated him in the slightest way. They told him that the woman at his feet was evil, that her character was stained, and that he should not let her touch him. But he continued his gracious kindness to her — as if she had been the best woman in the land. They hated and persecuted him,

“The Rest on The Flight into Egypt” by Rembrandt (1647) is a painting in the collection of

hurt and insulted him, spitting in his face, at last nailing him on the cross; but he went on loving, never complaining, never resisting, showing no resentment!

That is what goodwill to men means. Can we learn the lesson? That is part of what our Christmas-making means. On Christmas Day, we feel “kindly a ectioned” toward all the world. We would not do harm to anyone. We let nothing annoy or vex us. We try to keep our spirit sweet, even amid the most irritating experiences. We forgive those who have wronged us. We give up grudges and resentments. We are glad of any opportunity to be kind to those who have been unkind to us. The problem is to keep up this goodwill tomorrow, to take it out with us into the life of the days after Christmas, and to keep on making Christmas wherever we go all the days of the new year. If we do all this — it will not take long to bring in the reign of love.

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.

Briner discusses State Health Plan, pension

The state treasurer held his rst “Open Access” call with the media

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Caroli-

na Treasurer Brett Briner discussed the State Health Plan and the status of the pension fund during his rst “Open Access” call with media on Nov. 27.

The treasurer said the State Health Plan (SHP) is facing a $507 million de cit in 2026 and will “require belt tightening” that may include increased premiums.

When asked if an increase could mean $15 or $20 monthly, Briner said a $20 premium increase was “not far o from” what’s been communicated publicly already. He added that increase would be “at the bottom end of the income distribution,” and a premium increase would be more for those with higher incomes. He added that the SHP board would be looking at its options at an upcoming meeting.

The health plan board is considering the ability to charge di erential premiums based on income, allowing for a more equitable distribution of costs among SHP members, and Briner said he thinks the idea

The public defender in the courtroom declined to comment.

Solarzano, also known as Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia, is charged with stabbing 24-year-old Kenyon Kareem Dobie in the chest during a ght Friday on the city’s Blue Line.

It was revealed in court that Solarzano had been banned from Charlotte Area Transit Service property in October.

CATS spokesman Brett Baldeck con rmed the ban but did not have further details. “Our security team is looking into this now,” Baldeck said. The Department of Homeland Security says Solarzano had been deported twice and has previous convictions for robbery and illegal reentry, but details were not immediately available.

DHS, which recently conduct-

“enjoys substantial support across the entire board.”

“We aspire to make this health plan better for all the members over time,” Briner said.

Briner also indicated he was open to revisiting GLP-1 weight loss drugs being covered under the SHP in 2026.

Briner also highlighted issues

ed an immigration crackdown in Charlotte and around the state capital of Raleigh, has lodged a detainer with local authorities.

Dobie told WRAL that he confronted Solarzano for yelling at an older woman.

“I guess it’s better o that it

with the pension fund’s performance and its $16 billion de cit.

“On the investment management side, if you look at the Boston College Center for Retirement Research, they provide this data that North Carolina is either 49th or 50th in investment performance over any period,” said Briner. “That challenge manifests the inability to

happened to me and not an older person,” Dobie told the station.

“I wasn’t trying to be a macho man,” Dobie said in a TikTok post from his hospital room.

“But what I won’t allow is you to attack random people for no reason, especially the elderly.”

The incident comes just a few months after a Ukrainian refugee riding one of the city’s trains was killed in an unrelated knife attack.

Iryna Zarutska, 23, had been living in a bomb shelter in Ukraine before coming to the U.S. to escape the war, her relatives said. Decarlos Brown Jr., has been charged with rst-degree murder in state court, and was also indicted in federal court on a charge of causing death on a mass transportation system.

As with the Aug. 22 attack, President Donald Trump and others in his administration point to the incident as proof

provide cost of living adjustments to our retirees over time.

That is something that we are actively seeking to change.”

Briner indicated he plans to adjust the pension’s asset allocation from its current 48% equity / 52% cash and xed income split closer to the national average of 70/30. He said he’s also hired four new Investment

“I

that Democratic-led cities are soft on crime.

“Another stabbing by an Illegal Migrant in Charlotte, North Carolina,” Trump commented Saturday about the latest stabbing on his Truth Social site. “What’s going on in Charlotte? Democrats are destroying it, like everything else, piece by piece!!!”

Although they have not responded directly to Trump, city o cials have defended their efforts to keep the public safe.

“We have invested heavily in increasing security on

“We aspire to make this health plan better for all the members over

Brett Briner, state treasurer

Advisory Committee members to work on the issues.

Briner, who chairs the Local Government Commission, said he’d like to address restrictions municipalities face in seeking funding by modernizing bond-selling practices and making the process more exible.

Addressing the SHP’s Clear Pricing Project (CPP), Briner noted the program was up for review in 2026 and that while there were multiple deadlines for providers to enroll, many failed to comply.

The CPP was created in 2018 under former Treasurer Dale Folwell with the aim of getting health providers to be transparent in their pricing and billing. SHP members enjoyed no or low copays for providers who joined the CPP. The CPP was voluntary and had no enforcement functions.

“We have to work with all stakeholders,” Briner said of pricing transparency and nding a better long-term solution.

our transit system and CMPD has been proactive in increasing its presence across our city, including announcing a new multi-agency e ort this week,” Mayor Vi Lyles said on Saturday. “There are several aspects of public safety that are outside of the city’s jurisdiction, including immigration policy and enforcement, but we will continue to focus on public safety and ensuring a safe and vibrant community.”

Brent Cagle, CATS interim CEO, said the transit system has taken a “proactive and robust” safety approach since Zarutska’s stabbing, with extra o -duty police o cers, private security and new technology.

“We will continue to work with our partners at CMPD as well as our private security team to ensure everyone rides appropriately on public transit,” he said. “We will not compromise on the safety of our customers and employees.”

Stein names Smythe as new Public Safety chief

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Gov. Josh Stein named Je rey Smythe as the new secretary for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety last Monday.

“I am excited to announce the appointment of Je rey Smythe as the new Secretary of Public Safety,” Stein said in a press release. “With his extensive record in public safety as the former police chief in Burlington and the current director of the Criminal Justice Standards Division at the Department of Justice, Je is the right person for the job.

“I’ve seen rsthand what a great leader and dedicated public servant Je is, and I look forward to continuing to partner with him to create a safer North Carolina because that work always continues.”

Smythe has been the director of the North Carolina Department of Justice’s Criminal Justice Education and Training

NCDMV

Standards Division of the Department of Justice since August 2021 and will take over for Secretary Eddie Bu aloe, who is retiring from the post Dec. 31.

Smythe was previously the chief of the Burlington Police Department (2013). Prior to that role, he was chief of police for the Show Low Police Department in Arizona (2008). His career in law enforcement

build on his work to keep people safe across North Carolina,” said Smythe. “I’ll work closely with Governor Stein and law enforcement to make sure they have the training and resources they need as we partner to keep our neighbors safe from the mountains to the coast.”

Originally from Philadelphia, Smythe received his undergraduate degree from Arizona State and holds a master’s degree from Northern Arizona University. Additionally, he is a graduate of the School of Police Sta and Command at Northwestern University and the FBI National Academy.

began as an o cer with the Arizona State University Police Department in Tempe (1986) before transferring to the Scottsdale Police Department (1989) where he served for almost two decades.

Smythe also ran unsuccessfully for a spot on the Burlington City Council in 2024.

“Secretary Bu aloe is leaving big shoes to ll, and I’m ready to

agrees to actions to catch noncitizen voter

The department has not yet responded to the State Board of Elections regarding its data request

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles has agreed to take actions to protect voter registration integrity, according to a Dec. 2 press release from Western District of North Carolina’s U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.

“It is vitally important that our elections in North Carolina are accurate, fair, and irreproachable — and that the public has con dence in them — to protect the foundation of our democracy,” said Ferguson. “We must ensure that our voter rolls are precise and do not include minors, felons, or illegal aliens.

“The DMV, which accounts for as much as 80 percent of voter registrations in a given year, plays a central role in that pro-

the coast, has a powerful voice in Congress. We’re in this ght together!”

Punch Bowl News broke the story Dec. 1, noting redistricting by the state legislature that resulted in a new congressional map being drawn and passed by legislators in October. Only two districts were altered: Davis’ district and the 3rd District

is simply too high and comes as the company is also retreating on more a ordable clean energy. At a time when families are struggling to make ends meet, we should be doing everything we can to make life more a ordable, not less. I will continue to ght on behalf of every North Carolinian to lower costs and grow the economy.” North State Journal reached out to Duke Energy for comment.

“We do not take any request to increase rates lightly, knowing that our investments to meet North Carolina’s growing energy needs will be carefully evaluated by the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the Public Sta , and intervenors such as customer advocates and the Attorney General,” Duke Energy Spokesperson Bill Norton said.

“We look forward to continuing a constructive dialogue with all parties as the review moves forward next year.”

Stein’s statement in part

registrations

cess. We appreciate the agency’s cooperation to improve processes so that only eligible voters are added to the rolls.”

Ferguson had engaged the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) in July after a Department of Homeland Security investigations report indicated illegal aliens were being registered to vote, sometimes without the individual’s knowledge. The NCDMV initially blamed a “system glitch,” and an investigation found the registrations occurred due to errors by NCDMV examiners.

During a legislative oversight hearing in 2024, former NCDMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin also claimed a glitch as the cause for improper license renewals for more than 2,100 customers.

According to Ferguson’s press release, the NCDMV has agreed to make several changes to its processes, including reminding NCDMV examiners of proper protocols for voter registration through the agency, new training

seat currently held by Rep. Greg Murphy’s (R-Greenville).

George Papastrat and Christopher Schulte, both Onslow County Democrats, have said they will le to challenge Murphy, as well as Austin Ayers, an independent.

Following several legal challenges, the new map was approved in late November by a federal three-judge panel.

Punch Bowl News also noted

modules for examiners, modernizing NCDMV technology to reduce errors and hiring additional sta to bolster data accuracy.

Additionally, the NCDMV has agreed to “actively pursuing a technical solution” to use citizenship checks in the agency’s online and kiosk voter registration systems.

Ferguson’s statement also said the NCDMV is “coordinating with the State Board of Elections to ensure that any ineligible individuals identi ed by the federal government have been removed from voter rolls.”

That coordination appears to still be ongoing based on a recent press release from State Board of Elections (NCSBE) and letter from Executive Director Sam Hayes to NCDMV Commissioner Paul Tine.

“The State Board of Elections continues to seek a strengthened data-sharing program between our agencies, including access to full Social Security numbers for registered voters who are also NCDMV customers,”

that under the new map, President Donald Trump “carried the district by 11 points,” whereas the previous map he won the district by three points. The 1st District seat was already considered vulnerable prior to the 2025 map changes.

“Career politician Don Davis will lose because eastern North Carolina is sick of his self-serving, two-faced politics,” National Republican Congressional

blamed The Power Bill Reduction Act (Senate Bill 266) a bill enacted after lawmakers overrode his veto in July. The bill removed the 70% emissions reduction by 2030 and replaced it with a goal of 2050 that

was part of a 2021 law. The bill also aimed at cutting costs of new power generation by 2035 in half.

Stein’s press release cites a Duke University study and claims the bill would “increase

Bu aloe was appointed as secretary of the Department of Public Safety in November 2021 by former Gov. Roy Cooper. Upon taking o ce in January 2025, Stein kept him in the role. Bu aloe had been the chief of police at the Elizabeth City Police Department before being tapped by Cooper.

“Eddie Bu aloe has dedicated his career to keeping North Carolinians safe,” said Stein, thanking Bu aloe for his service. “As Secretary of Public Safety and

“We appreciate the agency’s cooperation to improve processes so that only eligible voters are added to the rolls.”

Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina

wrote Hayes. “This information is essential for precise matching against other government databases and for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of our voter lists.”

Hayes’ Dec. 4 letter to Tine says NCDMV still has yet to respond to Hayes’ Sept. 29 request for access to Social Security data to identify noncitizen voter registrations.

“We understand that the data-sharing request is undergoing legal review within NCDMV,” Hayes wrote. “However, two months have now passed since my initial request. As we approach the 2026 midterm elections, timely cooperation is critical.

“Full Social Security numbers would signi cantly improve our ability to remove

Committee Spokesman Reilly Richardson said in a statement.

Davis was reelected for a second time in a tight race against Republican Laurie Buckhout in 2024. He was rst elected to the seat in 2022 after being backed by the seat’s former occupant, Democrat G.K. Butter eld, who was retiring. Republicans planning to run for Davis’ seat include Carteret County Sheri Asa Buck,

costs to North Carolina ratepayers by $23 billion in the coming years.” Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) claimed the measure would save taxpayers an estimated $15 billion. The same study was cited by Stein in his veto.

The Duke University study of the bill addresses the theoretical costs of carbon emission reduction schedule removals and not the proposed rate increases. Also, The Power Bill Reduction Act does not include language giving utilities new powers to make rate increases but does expand existing regulatory mechanisms for rate adjustments. The law, however, does point out that any rate changes must be approved by the NCUC.

North State Journal requested a comment about Stein’s press release from General Assembly leaders but did not receive a response by publication time. Duke Energy’s proposed increase was announced in a Nov. 20 press release. The press release says the proposed 15% rate increase for Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke En-

“With his extensive record in public safety … Je is the right person for the job.”

Gov. Josh Stein

Homeland Security Advisor, he has led our state through moments of tragedy and disaster and kept us xed on our mission of building safer communities.”

Bu aloe ‘s next role will be deputy chief for the Administrative Services Division of the Raleigh Police Department. He starts that position on Jan. 5.

“Serving the people of North Carolina as Secretary of Public Safety has been the honor of a lifetime, and I remain grateful for my team, my fellow Cabinet secretaries, and the leadership of Governor Cooper and Governor Stein,” Bu aloe said. “Je Smythe has done great work within the Justice Department and the City of Burlington, and I look forward to seeing his work keeping North Carolinians safe.”

deceased voters and individuals with disqualifying felony convictions, identify duplicate registrations, and determine whether any non-U.S. citizens have been added, mistakenly or otherwise, to the rolls.”

Hayes’ second letter to Tine also mentions the NCSBE approved using the SAVE system at its Nov. 25 meeting and the concerns raised by Ferguson, as well as reminding Tine of federal voting law.

“Federal law is clear. Section 303 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 requires election ofcials and motor vehicle agencies to enter into data-sharing agreements as needed to verify the accuracy of voter registration information,” Hayes stated in the letter. “Our request aligns with these requirements and reects longstanding best practices across the country.”

In response to a request for comment, NCDMV Communications Director Marty Homan wrote in an email, “We’re aware of the letter and will respond in the near term.”

“We take our role in the voter registration process seriously and will continue to assist the State Board of Elections in fullling its mission to administer fair and accurate elections in North Carolina,” wrote Homan.

statehouse Sen. Bobby Hanig (R-Currituck), Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson, Lenoir County Board of Commissioners Vice Chair Eric Rouse and eastern North Carolina attorney Ashley-Nicole Russell. Candidate ling began on Dec. 1 and runs through Dec. 19. Candidate lists are updated regularly and can be accessed at ncsbe.gov/results-data/candidate-lists.

ergy Progress translates to annual revenue increases of $1 billion and $729 million, respectively. The release says Duke’s request is “based on a 10.95% return on equity and 53% equity capital structure.”

If approved, a typical Duke Energy Carolinas customer bill would go up about $17 in January 2027, then another $6 in January 2028. A typical household bill would go from $145 to $162 in 2027, then rise again to $168 in 2028. Rising in ation and increased energy demands were also cited by Duke.

Duke Energy Progress customer bills would increase by around $23 in January 2027, then another $7 in January 2028. A typical customer household bill would go from $164 to $187 in 2027 and increase to $193 in 2028.

Business customers are not immune from the request and would also see rate increases ranging from 4% to 9%. Those increases would be dependent on business size and usage amounts.

DAVIS from page A1

Current Secretary Eddie Bu aloe retiring Dec. 31

DUKE

JEFF AMY / AP PHOTO

Contractors for Duke Energy rebuild destroyed electrical lines near the Swannanoa River in Asheville last October.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Je Smythe will replace Eddie Bu aloe, who announced he is retiring at the end of the year, as the head of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Meditations on the divine will

It is quite possible that God’s purpose is something di erent from the purpose of either party.

As we enter the fullness of the Christmas holiday season, it is perhaps the best time of the year to contemplate the impact of our religious belief on our daily lives. Abraham Lincoln provides us with a template to follow in some thoughts he wrote down on a piece of paper in September 1862. He kept these thoughts hidden in the front drawer of his desk in the White House, never intending for it to become public but to be used for his own ruminations and meditations while the horrible ravages of the Civil War continued all around him.

The basic question he struggled with was on whose side is God with anyway in any confrontation. After all, he reasoned that there were Bible-believing Christians on both sides of the war between the states, and God couldn’t deliver both to victory.

Perhaps, Lincoln surmised, God had bigger and more complex reasons to allow the Civil War to begin and continue for so long.

“The will of God prevails,” he wrote. “In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be, wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time. In the present civil war, it is quite possible that God’s purpose is something di erent from the purpose of either party — and yet the human instrumentalities, working just as they do, are of the

best adaptation to e ect His purpose.

“I am almost ready to say that this is probably true — that God wills this contest, and wills that it shall not end yet. By his mere great power, on the minds of the now contestants, He could have either saved or destroyed the Union without a human contest. Yet the contest began. And, having begun He could give the nal victory to either side any day. Yet the contest proceeds.”

Don’t these ruminations by Abraham Lincoln ring true with us each and every day? We have contests and con icts in our work life, family life, religious and civic life, and most de nitely in our political life. “And yet, it is quite possible God’s purpose is something di erent from the purpose of either party” in each situation. Do we yet know what that purpose is for us individually and for us collectively?

Perhaps this Christmas season and then the upcoming year, 2026, will provide more clarity to that question for each of us individually and to us as a nation, state or local community.

Sadly, Lincoln did not live long enough to see any of God’s purpose beyond the end of the war, which resulted in the Union victory and the United States remaining intact, for which we can be thankful today.

Perhaps there is a combination of surrender and reconstruction each of us can do in our own life and with our family, friends, business associates and

local communities in the coming year, as well as with our political enemies and opposition.

Lincoln incorporated a lot of his private thoughts into his sublime Second Inaugural Address in the spring of 1965 when he said: “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with rmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to nish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan — to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and a lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

None of us are righteous enough to cast judgment on anyone else. But each of us are human enough to realize that what Lincoln said and thought is as true today as it was 160 years ago.

Instead of asking what side God is on, perhaps the more appropriate question for each of us is, “Are we on God’s side on a daily basis?” It is a little disingenuous for us to ask God to pick a side to help any of us win any particular contest or political ght unless we are believers and on His side to start with.

Amazing things can happen if we believe God is still active and alive in our lives and that his purposes may be far di erent from and far exceed the purposes of any particular political party or any individual’s personal self-interest.

Let 2026 be such a year of revelation.

War of words between NC Supreme Court

Justices Anita Earls and Phil Berger

“(Earls) seems to want to be a rule maker instead of follow the rules.”

NOT THAT SHE HASN’T done this before, but recent comments from North Carolina Senior Associate Justice Anita Earls have given us quite the preview of how the 2026 race for the seat she holds is likely to play out.

Charlotte’s Web, the federal immigration enforcement operation that started in the Charlotte area in midNovember and involves members of ICE and the border patrol has netted more than 400 arrests so far. Some of those taken into custody have been violent criminal o enders with long rap sheets.

Democrats in Congress and here in North Carolina have opposed the sweeps, and Charlotte City Council Democrats acted quickly in response to the arrests made by allocating nancial resources to help the illegal immigrant families that have been impacted so far.

About a week into the operation, Earls, a Democrat, decided to share her two cents on X, calling Charlotte’s Web a “violation of constitutional rights” and one that has supposedly taken federal agents away from solving crimes like sex tra cking and child abuse (as if those types of criminal illegal immigrants are not among the over 400 arrests made).

Earls also accused the Trump administration, without evidence, of using “immigrants” as “scapegoats.”

“This type of political stunt further erodes the public’s trust in the already

broken justice system,” Earls also declared, apparently not realizing that the political stunt she was engaging in with her wildly partisan statement on an issue that could one day soon play out before the North Carolina Supreme Court did far more to erode public trust in the judicial system than the operation she was condemning. Her conservative colleague on the state’s highest court, Associate Justice Phil Berger Jr., responded accordingly on X.

“What undermines public con dence is not lawful enforcement activity, but the growing trend of judges asserting their personal opinions and positions without facts, without parties before them, and without the neutrality their o ce demands,” Berger wrote. “Judges are not political commentators, and we are not supposed to be advocates. When we speak as if we are, we blur boundaries.”

Two weeks later, Berger’s point was proven by Earls herself on the day she led to run for reelection. Responding to a question about Berger’s remarks, Earls stated, “I believe he’s confused about the di erence between what we do when we’re ruling on issues that come before us in the court … versus what we do as political candidates.”

Trust me, no one is “confused” as to what’s actually going on here. Not

Jr.

Earls, not Berger and certainly not any voters who remember Earls’ history of partisan statements and actions while on the bench, some of which prompted an ethics investigation from the state Judicial Standards Commission.

Earls’ likely general election opponent next year, state Rep. Sarah Stevens (R-Surry), also isn’t confused. “(Earls) seems to want to be a rule maker instead of follow the rules,” Stevens said after she led to run in the state Supreme Court race.

Last week, Charlotte was hit with yet another stabbing on the light rail system. Not only is the suspect, Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia, a repeat o ender, but he is also (surprise, surprise) a twice-deported illegal immigrant. ICE “has lodged an arrest detainer” against him.

In light of that news, Berger asked the following question on X: “I wonder if any member of the NC judiciary has thoughts on this?” So far, there has been no comment from Earls, which, when one takes into consideration what she said about Charlotte’s Web, is a statement in and of itself.

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.

The house’s budget roadmap: responsible tax cuts for a secure future

That requires a budget that funds essentials, provides fair raises for state employees, and protects core services

NORTH CAROLINA didn’t become America’s top state for business by accident. When voters gave Republicans control of the General Assembly 15 years ago, we took our state on a new path. We ended the old taxand-spend cycle, cut taxes responsibly across the board and focused on steady, long-term growth.

Today, the results show: a booming economy, a pristine AAA bond rating and billions in reserve accounts, including a $3.6 billion rainy day fund ready for emergencies.

That strength has drawn major employers like Toyota, Amazon, Johnson & Johnson and others to invest billions and create tens of thousands of jobs here. It also meant that when Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, we could respond quickly. Lawmakers passed ve recovery bills and invested around $2 billion to rebuild schools, repair infrastructure, restore homes and farms, and help local businesses recover. By restraining spending and growing our economy, we had the resources available for our citizens when disaster struck.

Our formula for success still works, but maintaining that success requires a responsible, conservative budget that attracts job creators while making North Carolina more a ordable. That’s why, in the ongoing budget debate, the House is drawing a rm line — we won’t risk our record of success with reckless scal policy. State tax cuts must be structured to protect our economy and our citizens.

North Carolina families do need tax relief.

This year, we’re ghting to ensure workers don’t pay income tax on their rst $5,000 in tips. We’re also working to reinstate the back-to-school sales tax holiday and raise the standard deduction, so your family can keep more of their hard-earned pay.

But tax relief must be grounded in reality. Otherwise, there are very real consequences for education, public safety, health care and infrastructure investments. That’s where the divide with the Senate begins. Their plan locks in new rate cuts based on revenue triggers written in 2023, when Joe Biden (and his disastrous in ationary policies) still had 15 months left in o ce. Their proposal ignores today’s scal realities and strays from the grounded, steady record of reform that has guided North Carolina’s success since 2011. The House wants tax relief as quickly as we can responsibly deliver it, but not at the cost of tomorrow’s nancial stability.

The House relies on nonpartisan scal experts, the same professionals who have guided North Carolina through stable budgets for years. Their projections are clear: leaving the 2023 triggers unchanged will push North Carolina into structural de cits starting in 2027. Experts agree de cits would occur; the only debate is how large they would be. Ignoring these warnings won’t make the problem go away; it will make the eventual x more painful and costly.

In the words of the experts at the conservative Tax Foundation, “While revenue-based triggers promote scal discipline by tying tax cuts to available resources, North Carolina’s current design is overly rigid. The xed revenue targets … fail to account for critical economic variables such as in ation, population growth, or macroeconomic shifts.”

The House isn’t abandoning income tax cuts. Our budget keeps the scheduled decrease from 4.25 percent to 3.99 percent in 2026. What we propose is updating the formula for future cuts so they only happen when revenue actually supports them, adjusted for in ation and population growth. It’s a simple, commonsense adjustment with a big payo — preventing North Carolina from sliding into multibillion-dollar shortfalls.

And that matters. North Carolina can’t grow its workforce or keep living costs manageable if we can’t fund the basics that make our state competitive. We didn’t become the No. 1 state for business by cutting taxes alone. We paired them with world-class universities, a strong community college system, safe communities and steady, predictable budgeting. That balance has made North Carolina a magnet for jobs and innovation. Upset that balance, and we risk our greatest advantages.

A ordability isn’t just a tax-rate conversation. It’s about whether teachers can stay in the classroom, law enforcement o cers can stay on the beat and families can a ord to live near where they work. That requires a budget that funds essentials, provides fair raises for state employees and protects core services. With outdated triggers, future revenue barely covers essentials, let alone competitive pay.

If de cits hit, the choices are grim, forcing us to drain reserves, cut crucial programs or raise taxes. Some may point to gambling or marijuana legalization as budget saviors, but in addition to being controversial among conservatives, these ideas are not stable enough sources of revenue to balance a state budget or even dent the de cits we’re facing. North Carolina conservatives shouldn’t be forced to select from that menu of options.

The House’s stance is simple: protect taxpayers, our workforce and the pro-growth economy we’ve built. Keep tax cuts in place but only trigger new ones when the numbers make sense. This is a scally conservative tax policy worth ghting for.

North Carolina’s long-term nancial health is at stake. We’re ready to negotiate. The Senate just needs to come to the table.

Until then, the House is holding the line for all North Carolinians.

Rep. Julia Howard (R-Davie) is N.C. House Finance Chair and Rep. Dean Arp (R-Union) is N.C. House Appropriations Chair.

How Trump can help accelerate Argentina’s economic comeback

If investors believe that their legal rights aren’t secure, capital investment will stay out.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP and Argentine President Javier Milei have a special relationship. Each is engaged in a crusade to make his respective country’s economy great again. Trump was all in on helping Milei win his elections earlier this year, and he has also o ered the Argentines a $20 billion “lifeline” as they adjust to the bumpy path to needed free-market reforms.

The stakes are gigantic because the whole world is watching Milei’s embrace of free-market “shock capitalism,” which so far is working. He has restored sound money (by linking to the dollar) and taken a chainsaw to the bloated state bureaucracy as he privatizes rather than nationalizes government assets. Argentina’s tragic detour into the dead end of socialism drove the nation into a halfcentury-long economic ditch, with poverty rates skyrocketing.

But for Milei’s capitalist comeback plan to succeed, he must uphold the rule of law and fairly compensate injured parties who lost tens of billions of dollars when the Peronista government stole/con scated their property. If that fair compensation isn’t secured, the international investment that Milei needs to attract to rebuild the economy is more likely to be repelled.

A case in point is the closely watched dispute involving the 2012 nationalization of YPF, the Argentine energy giant that had raised more than a billion dollars from American investors. The company was traded on the New York Stock Exchange. When leftist Cristina Kirchner was elected president of Argentina in 2007, her government seized a controlling stake of the company and ripped up YPF’s contractual bylaws that required a buyout of minority shareholders. This nationalization scheme was straight out of Fidel Castro’s playbook in Cuba.

The investors in YPF won a $16 billion legal judgment in Petersen v. Argentina. The courts ruled that Argentina violated commercial contracts governed by U.S. securities law. Now YPF and the government in Buenos Aires are threatening to ignore the court’s ruling.

That’s highly inadvisable. To walk away from nancial obligations will make it much more di cult for Argentines to attract new capital. The Wall Street Journal recently noted that investment banks are skittish about pouring new money into Buenos Aires as a result of unresolved disputes like this.

If investors believe that their legal rights aren’t secure, capital investment will stay out. That outcome would be a lose-lose situation for everyone: the Argentines who need jobs, the American investors who were cheated, and all of South America and the Third World, which is looking to see whether Milei’s experiment in freemarket capitalism is the path to economic prosperity.

On the other hand, the mostly American banks and investors placed a risky multibillion dollar bet on YPF at a time of political turbulence in the country.

The best outcome for all parties is fairly obvious: Investors will need to agree to take a haircut on their compensation, and the Trump administration — or some other neutral arbitrator — should negotiate a fair deal to build con dence that the rule of law has been restored in Argentina.

The big winners will be the Argentine people, the Trump administration and the future of free-market economics around the world.

Stephen Moore is a former Trump senior economic adviser and a co-founder of Unleash Prosperity.

On liberating the inmates of Wokelahoma

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S plan to replace the East Wing of the White House with a big, beautiful ballroom has California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former President Joe Biden dubbing Trump “the wrecking ball president.” Newsom calls the Trump design a “metaphor” for an administration that’s “ripping apart the Constitution,” while Biden sees it as the “perfect symbol” for the threat Trump poses to “our very democracy.”

The left’s sudden interest in preserving our landmarks marks a lapse in their mission to dismantle all reminders of our “racist” past. To prevent further breaches of their newfound sensibilities, on Nov. 18, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced the “Stop Bribery Ballroom Act,” which would ban so-called “pay-to-play” schemers from donating to projects that involve federal buildings.

Warren will not admit that Trump’s ballroom benefactors know exactly what they’re nancing — a venue where presidents can host events that do not require porta potties and makeshift tents. Nor will Warren admit that, until recently, donors who have poured billions into American universities did not know they were nancing professors who would take a wrecking ball to our Western traditions — to our pride in our founders and to our faith in free markets, ironically, the very system that has bankrolled the hard left’s takeover of higher education.

While it’s tempting to argue that the gambit professors use to recruit students for left-wing causes is an American invention, history tells us otherwise. Recalling his former allegiance to “theoretical socialism,” 19th-century Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky notes that few educated elites can “resist that well-known cycle of ideas and concepts that had taken such a rm hold on young society,” so much so that “not even murder would have stopped us … surrounded by doctrines that had captured our souls.”

Dostoevsky’s appraisal of Russia’s young radicals matches the image of American university students chanting “death to Zionists” and “death to Israel” in the wake of Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israeli citizens. The good news is that those images have prompted donors to withdraw their support for universities that breed contempt for America and contempt for both Israeli and American Jews.

Billionaire donor and Harvard alum Bill Ackman was the rst to bolt, citing Harvard’s “discriminatory practices,” but Harvard alum Ken Gri n was more speci c in his reasons for halting donations to his alma mater. Gri n contends that the $500 million he has already contributed has fostered “whiny snow akes” who are “caught up in the rhetoric of oppressor and oppressee.” No doubt Gri n speaks for former donors nationwide when he asks, “Will America’s elite universities get back to the roots of educating American children — young adults — to be the future leader of our country or are they going to maintain being lost in the wilderness of microaggressions and a DEI agenda?”

Harvard Law School grad and leftist rebrand Elie Mystal is a well-known byproduct of Harvard’s anti-American bias, still insisting that Americans are “the bad guys on the world stage.” But if Trump reaches an agreement with Harvard to invest $500 million in AI instruction and a series of trade schools, we just might see a loosening of the hard left’s grip on higher education and on American culture writ large — what playwright David Mamet has dubbed “Wokelahoma.”

Another reason for optimism can be found in liberal George Packer’s September column for the Atlantic, where Packer argues that American schools have failed in their mission to educate “democratic citizens.” Packer decries the money schools spend developing programs “so opaque and politicized that they seemed irrelevant, if not hostile, to the larger society,” then, remarkably, Packer admits that “Some things are true even though the Trump administration says they’re true — the academy has become inhospitable to conservative views.”

Despite The New York Times’ pledge to do “much, much better” in its e ort to “understand the country” that reelected Donald Trump, the Times has overlooked recent polls showing a large majority of Americans — 70% — calling for reform in higher education. So it’s no surprise that the Gray Lady has taken a dim view of Trump’s “escalating war” on academe.

If Trump decides to build a Hall of Fame for Doomsday Prophets, the Times’ David Brooks would be its rst inductee. Brooks predicts that Trump’s “assault on democracy” will leave us all su ering from a “slow moral, emotional, and intellectual degradation,” and “What worries (Brooks) most is the rot creeping into your mind, and into my own.”

My fervent hope is that elected o cials, university donors and university alums will join forces to remove the rot that, for decades, has been creeping into our universities.

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

COLUMN | STEPHEN MOORE

Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

2025 North Carolina Book Award Winners

PIEDMONT

Altercation at youth detention center leaves youth, sta injured

Teen girl shot by teen boy Gaston County A teenage girl was shot in a Gaston County neighborhood on Sunday afternoon, police said. The Dec. 7 shooting happened at a house on Bryant Street in Gastonia, o Linwood Road. Gastonia Police said when o cers got to the house, they found the 13-year-old girl shot in the abdomen. They said a 16-year-old boy red the shot but did not say what preceded the shooting, although detectives were continuing to investigate. The teenage boy was charged with attempted rst-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and possession of a handgun by a minor. O cials did not publicly release the names of the girl or the boy, nor did they say how severe the girl’s injuries were. A police spokesperson said details were limited because the case involved people under 18 years old.

WBTV

major grading, drainage, paving and structures needed to transform the congested and accident-prone highway into a modern “superstreet” con guration. The project is slated to begin in April.

WWNC

Rockingham County The Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has released a statement after an altercation between two groups of juveniles at Rockingham Youth Development Center on Saturday left two youths and two sta members injured. On Saturday at around 2:15 p.m., two groups of juveniles were involved in an altercation when DJJDP employees intervened and attempted to separate and protect the juveniles involved, prompting medical treatment for those involved, according to the Rockingham County Sheri ’s O ce.

WFMY

Incident sends UNC School of Arts student to hospital Forsyth County Authorities are investigating an incident near the UNC School of the Arts campus that sent one person to the hospital Saturday night. Forsyth County EMS con rmed they responded to the area and transported the victim to a hospital. The condition of that victim has not been released. It’s not yet clear what led up to the incident, and no suspect information has been released.

Winston-Salem police are leading the investigation.

NSJ

New data center faces local opposition, decision not nalized

Stokes County The approval process for building a data center in Stokes County is still in limbo as of last week. Even though the Stokes County Planning Board denied a rezoning request for it last Thursday night, county commissioners will ultimately make the nal decision about its future. The Stokes County Planning Board recommended that the 1,845 acres of land along Coon Joyce Road in Walnut Cove not be rezoned from agricultural to industrial, in line with many public comments against the development. County commissioners, however, have the nal say and are expected to decide at their Jan. 12 meeting. According to the data center developers, “This project is expected to generate roughly 20 million dollars per year in new tax revenue, that will signi cantly boost the local economy. It will also create over one thousand construction jobs and up 500 highpaying permanent jobs. The project is designed to be low-impact.”

EAST

Convict caught after escape from detention center

Chowan County

The Edenton Police Department and Chowan County Sheri ’s O ce say an intensive overnight search ended after an escaped inmate was taken back into custody Monday morning. Authorities had been searching for 23-year-old Charles Edward Babb, who broke out of the Chowan County Detention Center around 8:10 p.m. Sunday evening. Investigators say Babb used a small hand-held edged weapon to force his way out of the facility, then ed into the surrounding community.

NSJ

Teen organizes toy drive for children’s hospital

New Bern man arrested for embezzling $30K from local business

Craven County A New Bern man has been arrested and charged in connection with an embezzlement case involving more than $30,000 reported at a local business earlier this year, according to the Craven County Sheri ’s O ce. Deputies said they received a report of a larceny this fall from a business on Trent Boulevard in New Bern. The Sheri ’s O ce Criminal Investigation Bureau launched an investigation, which identi ed 50-year-old Michael Thomas Trowbridge of New Bern as the suspect. WCTI

Pitt County A 14-year-old put together a toy drive to bring Christmas cheer to James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital. Damon Prezell, a freshman at Pitt Community Early College, organized the drive that saw success with dozens of donations and over owing bags and boxes. Sunday marked the nale of the drive, and Prezell accepted the last donations at Buck Wild Tavern and Billiards in Winterville. “I just wanna help as many people as I can, and the fact that I can even do something this small,” Prezell said. The idea to donate to James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital came from Prezell’s health and sciences program for volunteer hours. But Prezell also wanted to make as big of an impact as possible and bring smiles to kids who need it. “Hopefully, when they get the toys, it’ll take their mind o of things, you know, instead of focusing on what could be happening,” Prezell said.

WITN

NATION & WORLD

Judge: DOJ can unseal Maxwell sex tra cking case records

Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said the materials don’t implicate any Je rey Esptein associates

By Michael R. Sisak

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — A federal judge on Tuesday granted the Justice Department’s request to publicly release grand jury transcripts and other material from Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex tra cking case, citing a new law that requires the government to open its les on Je rey Epstein and his longtime con dant, but he cautioned that people shouldn’t expect to learn much new information from them.

Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, who along with other judges had previously rejected Justice Department unsealing requests before the transparency law was passed, said the materials “do not identify any person other than Epstein and Maxwell as having had sexual contact with a minor.”

“They do not discuss or identify any client of Epstein’s or Maxwell’s,” Engelmayer wrote. “They do not reveal any heretofore unknown means or methods of Epstein’s or Maxwell’s crimes.”

Engelmayer, in Manhattan, ruled Tuesday after the Justice Department had asked judges in the wake of the law’s passage last month to lift secrecy orders in Maxwell’s and Epstein’s cases that had kept some records under wraps. A request to unseal records from Epstein’s 2019 sex tra cking case is pending.

Engelmayer is the second judge to act after the Epstein Files Transparency Act created a narrow exception to rules that normally keep grand jury proceedings secret. Last week, a Florida federal judge ordered the release of transcripts from an abandoned Epstein federal grand jury investigation in the 2000s.

The law, signed by President Donald Trump after months of public and political pressure, requires the Justice Department to provide the public with Epstein-related records by Dec. 19.

The fate of the government’s Epstein les has dominated the rst year of Trump’s second term in o ce. The Republican campaigned for reelection last year on a promise to release the les, and his administration did disclose some records earlier this year — almost all of them already public — but suddenly stopped in July after promising a “truckload” more.

Forced to act by the new transparency law, the Justice Department says it plans to release 18 categories of investigative materials gathered in the massive sex tra cking probe, including search warrants,nancial records, notes from interviews with victims and data from electronic devices.

Epstein, a millionaire nancier, was arrested in July 2019 on sex tra cking charges and killed himself in jail a month

later. Maxwell, a British socialite, was convicted of sex trafcking in December 2021. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence. After giving an interview to the Justice Department’s second-in-command in July, she was moved from a federal prison in Florida to a prison camp in Texas.

The Justice Department said it was conferring with victims and their lawyers and planned to redact or black out portions of records to protect victims’ identities and prevent dissemination of sexualized images. Engelmayer said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton must personally certify that records have been “rigorously reviewed” to avoid an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.

Maxwell’s lawyer told Engelmayer last week that unsealing records from her case could spoil her plans to le a habeas petition, a legal ling seeking to overturn her conviction. The release “would create undue prejudice so severe that it would foreclose the possibility of a fair

Netanyahu: Israel, Hamas to enter cease re’s second phase soon

The next stage could begin before the end of the year

By Melanie Lidman and Kirsten Grieshaber

The Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel and Hamas are “very shortly expected to move into the second phase of the cease re” after Hamas returns the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza. Netanyahu spoke during a news conference with visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and stressed that the second phase, which addresses the disarming of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, could begin as soon as the end of the month.

Hamas has yet to hand over the remains of Ran Gvili, a 24-year-old police o cer who was killed in the Hamasled Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war. His body was taken to Gaza.

The cease re’s second stage also includes the deployment of an international force to secure Gaza and forming a temporary Palestinian government to run day-to-day a airs under the supervision of an international board led by U.S. President Donald Trump.

A senior Hamas o cial on Sunday told The Associated Press the group is ready to discuss “freezing or storing or laying down” its weapons as part

of the cease re in a possible approach to one of the most dicult issues ahead.

Netanyahu said few people believed the cease re’s rst stage could be achieved, and the second phase is just as challenging.

“As I mentioned to the chancellor, there’s a third phase, and that is to deradicalize Gaza, something that also people believed was impossible. But it was done in Germany, it was done in Japan, it was done in the Gulf States. It can be done in Gaza, too, but of course Hamas has to be dismantled,” he said.

“We cannot advance to the next phase before Ran Gvili

Statement from families of hostages

The return of Gvili’s remains — and Israel’s return of 15 bodies of Palestinians in exchange — would complete the rst phase of Trump’s 20-point cease re plan.

Hamas says it has not been able to reach all remains because they are buried under

D.C. police chief stepping down

Washington, D.C. Pamela Smith, who was catapulted into national attention after President Donald Trump moved to federalize Washington, D.C.’s police force and worked to confront rising violence in the nation’s capital, is stepping down as the city’s police chief, Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday. Smith, appointed in 2023, had been brought in to stabilize a department facing sta ng shortages and a city shaken by post-pandemic crime. But her tenure unfolded amid a erce battle over authority, as Trump asserted federal control over the Metropolitan Police Department and deployed National Guard troops and federal agents alongside the city’s o cers.

7.0 earthquake hits Alaska- Canada border

retrial,” Maxwell lawyer David Markus wrote. The Supreme Court in October declined to hear Maxwell’s appeal. Annie Farmer, a vocal Epstein and Maxwell accuser, fought for the transparency act’s passage and supports the release of court records. She said through her lawyer, Sigrid S. McCawley, that she “is wary of the possibility that any denial of the motions may be used by others as a pretext or excuse for continuing to withhold crucial information concerning Epstein’s crimes.”

Tens of thousands of pages of records pertaining to Epstein and Maxwell have already been released through lawsuits, public disclosures and Freedom of Information Act requests.

Many of the materials the Justice Department plans to release stem from reports, photographs, videos and other materials gathered by police in Palm Beach, Florida, and the U.S. attorney’s o ce there, both of which investigated Epstein in the mid-2000s.

rubble left by Israel’s two-year o ensive in Gaza. Israel has accused the militants of stalling and threatened to resume military operations or withhold humanitarian aid if all remains are not returned.

A group of families of hostages said in a statement that “we cannot advance to the next phase before Ran Gvili returns home.”

Meanwhile, Israeli military Chief of Sta Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Sunday called the socalled Yellow Line that divides the Israeli-controlled majority of Gaza from the rest of the territory a “new border.”

“We have operational control over extensive parts of the Gaza Strip and we will remain on those defense lines,” Zamir said. “The Yellow Line is a new border line, serving as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity.”

Merz said Germany, one of Israel’s closest allies, is assisting with the implementation of the second phase by sending ocers and diplomats to a U.S.-led civilian and military coordination center in southern Israel, and by sending humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The chancellor also said Germany still believes that a twostate-solution is the best possible option but that “the German federal government remains of the opinion that recognition of a Palestinian state can only come at the end of such a process, not at the beginning.”

The U.S.-drafted plan for Gaza leaves the door open to Palestinian independence. Netanyahu has long asserted that creating a Palestinian state would reward Hamas and eventually lead to an even larger Hamas-run state on Israel’s borders.

Juneau, Alaska

A powerful, magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck in a remote area near the border between Alaska and the Canadian territory of Yukon on Saturday. There was no tsunami warning, and o cials said there were no immediate reports of damage or injury. The U.S. Geological Survey said it struck about 230 northwest of Juneau, Alaska, and 155 miles west of Whitehorse, Yukon. The Canadian community nearest to the epicenter is Haines Junction, about 80 miles away. The Yukon Bureau of Statistics lists its population count for 2022 as 1,018. The quake was also about 56 miles from Yakutat, Alaska, which the USGS said has 662 residents.

At least 18 migrants dead after boat sinks south Crete Athens, Greece

At least 18 migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in an in atable boat died when it capsized south of the island of Crete, Greek authorities said Saturday. The half-sunken boat was located Saturday by a passing Turkish merchant vessel, authorities said. Two survivors were rescued and a rescue operation to nd more was ongoing. Authorities have not yet determined where the boat came from. A ship and a plane from European border agency Frontex, a Greek Coast Guard helicopter and three merchant vessels are taking part in the search operation.

100 abducted Nigerian schoolchildren released, some still held Minna, Nigeria

A total of 100 of the schoolchildren abducted from a Nigerian Catholic school last month have been released, the Christian Association of Nigeria said Monday, adding that more than 100 students remain in captivity. At least 303 schoolchildren were seized at the Niger state school together with 12 of their teachers when gunmen attacked the St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri community on Nov. 21. Fifty escaped in the hours that followed. A spokesman for the association in Niger said the church learned the children were released during the weekend and that they will be transported to the capital of Minna to meet with o cials.

JOHN WESSELS / AP PHOTO

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz lays a wreath at the Hall of Remembrance during his visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem on Sunday.

returns home.”

JOHN MINCHILLO / AP PHOTO

Audrey Strauss, acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks during a news conference to announce charges against Ghislaine Maxwell for her alleged role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of multiple minor girls by Je rey Epstein in 2020.

catastrophe

questions about when normal

How China will pay for this COVID-19

we begin to get back to normal

The 3 big questions

The comfort

China lied about the origin of the tried to tell the world there were only worldwide panic, economic collapse and needlessly being thrown out of work.

shelter-in-place or stay-at-home majority of Americans “new normal.” end of this month.

taxpayer at least $2.4 trillion in added Federal Reserve backup liquidity to the the U.S. dollar were not the reserve to fund any of these emergency fear of rampant in ation and currency

Cooper stated during don’t know yet” if the be asked as to the vague ones like “we people of this state who undetermined of thousands of cases asked and then had questions about get asked, there is people to treat those can start getting back or are people who others sick. levels become a bad society were supposed course, is my family. I’m worried I will. After the 2009 pandemic, all of this brings up prefer not to repeat. most everyone has

WALTER E. WILLIAMS

WITH MOST STATES under either shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders thanks to local or state governments, a majority of Americans are having to adjust to what is being called the “new normal.”

ONE THING IS CERTAIN; after this COVID-19 virus dissipates around the globe and in the United States, China will pay for this catastrophe one way or another.

fallen into place. I understand the seriousness of the virus and the need to take precautions, but I’m uneasy with how people who simply ask questions about the data, and when things can start getting back to normal are treated in some circles with contempt.

They’re treated as though we as a society simply must accept without question what the government tells us about when it’s safe to begin the process of returning back to normalcy.

aberrant ways and decisions through Diplomacy has obviously not worked world of 21st century health, hygiene communist regimes never take the blame remorse, because that is not what They take advantage of every weakness keep pushing until they win or the event happens such as the Chernobyl experts believe that event, not the Star Wars to the dissolution of the Soviet Union Chernobyl. already talking about the possibility in debt we owe them as one way to get they have caused the US. Don’t hold your “Jubilee” to happen but ask your elected accountable in tangible nancial ways for expected to operate as responsible citizens of nation.

Perhaps COVID-19 is China’s Chernobyl.

Fixing college corruption

n.c. FAST FACTS

AMERICA’S COLLEGES are rife with corruption. The nancial squeeze resulting from COVID-19 o ers opportunities for a bit of remediation. Let’s rst examine what might be the root of academic corruption, suggested by the title of a recent study, “Academic Grievance Studies and the Corruption of Scholarship.” The study was done by Areo, an opinion and analysis digital magazine. By the way, Areo is short for Areopagitica, a speech delivered by John Milton in defense of free speech.

In order to put the crisis caused by China in perspective, zero worldwide pandemics can trace their source to the United States over our 231-year history. At least four in the 20th century alone can be directly traced to China: 1957 “Asian u,” 1968 “Hong Kong u,” 1977 “Russian u” and the 2002 SARS outbreak. There is evidence that the massive 1918 “Spanish u” pandemic also had its origins in China.

No. The government works for us, and we have the right to ask those questions. And the longer stay-at-home orders are in place all over the country, and the stricter some of them get in states, such as Michigan, the more people, sitting at home feeling isolated and/or anxious about when they can get back to providing for their families, will demand answers.

Leaders at the local and state levels should be as forthcoming as they can be with those answers — and again, not vague answers, but answer with details that give their statements believability.

IBM buys data streaming platform

business & economy

We should all continue to do what we can to keep our families, ourselves, and our communities safe. But we should also still continue to ask questions about the data, because while reasonable stay-at-home measures are understandable, they should also have an expiration date.

Not one little bit.

Con uent in $11B deal

Authors Helen Pluckrose, James A. Lindsay and Peter Boghossian say that something has gone drastically wrong in academia, especially within certain elds within the humanities. They call these elds “grievance studies,” where scholarship is not so much based upon nding truth but upon attending to social grievances. Grievance scholars bully students, administrators and other departments into adhering to their worldview. The worldview they promote is neither scienti c nor rigorous. Grievance studies consist of disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, gender studies, queer studies, sexuality and critical race studies.

Since when did questioning government at all levels become a bad thing? That is what free citizens living in a free society were supposed to do, last I checked.

This is all new to Americans, and it is not normal. Not in any way, shape, or form. So while we should remain vigilant and stay safe, at the same time we shouldn’t get comfortable with this so-called “new normal.”

IBM said Monday it is buying data streaming platform Con uent in a deal worth $11 billion that will help bolster the technology company’s arti cial intelligence strategy.

The two companies said they signed a “de nitive agreement” for IBM to acquire all of Con uent Inc.’s issued and outstanding common stock for $31 per share in cash, which represents an enterprise value of $11 billion.

the seriousness of the virus and the need uneasy with how people who simply ask when things can start getting back to circles with contempt. as a society simply must accept without tells us about when it’s safe to begin the normalcy. for us, and we have the right to ask those stay-at-home orders are in place all over the them get in states, such as Michigan, feeling isolated and/or anxious about providing for their families, will demand levels should be as forthcoming as they and again, not vague answers, but answer statements believability. what we can to keep our families, safe. But we should also still continue because while reasonable stay-at-home they should also have an expiration date. and it is not normal. Not in any way, should remain vigilant and stay safe, at comfortable with this so-called “new

In 2017 and 2018, authors Pluckrose, Lindsay and Boghossian started submitting bogus academic papers to academic journals in cultural, queer, race, gender, fat and sexuality studies to determine if they would pass peer review and be accepted for publication. Acceptance of dubious research that journal editors found sympathetic to their intersectional or postmodern leftist vision of the world would prove the problem of low academic standards.

Con uent, based in Mountain View, California, is an open-source data streaming platform that “connects, processes and governs” data and events in real time, the companies said in a joint statement. It specializes in preparing data for AI and keeping it “clean and connected across systems and applications,” they said.

written under the pseudonym Sister Toldjah RedState and Legal Insurrection.

The cavalier manner virus, covered up its spread 3,341 related deaths has millions of Americans

Some of these orders extend at least through the end of this month. Virginia’s stay-at-home orders go into June.

THIS WEEK, according to members and state and local governments, Americans the curve in the novel coronavirus outbreak. muted — after all, trends can easily reverse have abided by recommendations and orders. to stay at home; they’ve practiced social they’ve donned masks.

Here in North Carolina, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper stated during a recent coronavirus press brie ng that “we just don’t know yet” state’s stay-at-home orders will extend into May.

There is 100% agreement, outside of China, that COVID-19 originated in Wuhan Province probably from the completely unregulated and unsanitary wet markets. Some believe it came out of a biowarfare lab run by the communist Chinese army.

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

Several of the fake research papers were accepted for publication. The Fat Studies journal published a hoax paper that argued the term bodybuilding was exclusionary and should be replaced with “fat bodybuilding, as a fat-inclusive politicized performance.” One reviewer said, “I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article and believe it has an important contribution to make to the eld and this journal.”

The deal means IBM’s client companies can deploy arti cial intelligence services better and faster “by providing trusted communication and data ow between environments, applications and APIs,” IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said in the statement. “Data is spread across public and private clouds, data centers and countless technology providers.”

The transaction is expected to close in mid-2026. It still needs approval from Con uent shareholders as well as clearance from regulators.

Con uent shares, which closed at $23.14 Friday, surged 29% in premarket trading. Shares of IBM ticked down less than 1%.

IBM became one of the founding corporate anchors of Research Triangle Park in 1965, helping establish the region as a national technology hub. At its peak, IBM employed more than 11,000 workers in the Triangle, with operations that ranged from manufacturing to software development and research.

Until China adopts rigorous veri able policing and regulation of their food safety and health protocols, American business has no other choice than to build redundant manufacturing plants elsewhere purely for national security and safety reasons as well as supply and delivery reliability concerns.

“THIS IS in it” (Psalm I know working from be glad” as and dad, the have to be pandemic.

We need transparency and honesty from our scienti c experts — we need to know what they know, what they don’t and when they hope to know what they don’t.

The result: a reduction in expected hospitalization

If he does decide to extend it, questions should be asked as to justi cation for it. And the answers should not be vague ones like must do this out of an abundance of caution.”

The most direct way to make China “pay” for this disaster is to o er U.S. tax credits to companies who will source at least half of their production back in the United States. There is approximately $120 billion worth of American direct investment in plants and equipment in China. Chinese direct investment in the U.S. is about $65 billion by comparison.

Nor

EDITORIAL | STACEY

Some argue automation should supplement assessments, not replace them

By Josh Funk The Associated Press

“Our Struggle Is My Struggle: Solidarity Feminism as an Intersectional Reply to Neoliberal and Choice Feminism,” was accepted for publication by A lia, a feminist journal for social workers. The paper consisted in part of a rewritten passage from Mein Kampf. Two other hoax papers were published, including “Rape Culture and Queer Performativity at Urban Dog Parks.” This paper’s subject was dog-on-dog rape. But the dog rape paper eventually forced Boghossian, Pluckrose and Lindsay to prematurely out themselves. A Wall Street Journal writer had gured out what they were doing.

Some papers accepted for publication in academic journals advocated training men like dogs and punishing white male college students for historical slavery by asking them to sit in silence on the oor in chains during class and to be expected to learn from the discomfort. Other papers celebrated morbid obesity as a healthy life choice and advocated treating privately conducted masturbation as a form of sexual violence against women. Typically, academic journal editors send submitted papers out to referees for review. In recommending acceptance for publication, many reviewers gave these papers glowing praise.

Over the decades, IBM’s North Carolina footprint shifted toward cloud computing and enterprise services. In 2010, the company opened a $360 million cloud data center in the Triangle to support global operations. More recently, IBM consolidated many of its local employees into its RTP 500 campus as the company repositions itself for the next generation of hybrid cloud, arti cial intelligence and data-driven computing.

The nation’s freight railroads are going to be able to try relying more on technology and inspect their tracks in person less often after the federal government approved their waiver request on Friday. The Association of American Railroads trade group asked for the relief from inspection requirements that were written

Since when did questioning government at all levels become a bad thing? That is what free citizens living in a free society were supposed to do, last I checked.

The software giant expects revenue to reach $60 billion for its scal year ending in 2030

By Michael Liedtke The Associated Press

Political scientist Zach Goldberg ran certain grievance studies concepts through the Lexis/Nexis database, to see how often they appeared in our press over the years. He found huge increases in the usages of “white privilege,” “unconscious bias,” “critical race theory” and “whiteness.” All of this is being taught to college students, many of whom become primary and secondary school teachers who then indoctrinate our young people.

I doubt whether the coronaviruscaused nancial crunch will give college and university administrators, who are a crossbreed between a parrot and jelly sh, the guts and backbone to restore academic respectability. Far too often, they get much of their political support from campus grievance people who are members of the faculty and diversity and multicultural administrative o ces.

The best hope lies with boards of trustees, though many serve as yes-men for the university president. I think that a good start would be to nd 1950s or 1960s catalogs. Look at the course o erings at a time when college graduates knew how to read, write and compute, and make them today’s curricula. Another helpful tool would be to give careful consideration to eliminating all classes/majors/minors containing the word “studies,” such as women, Asian, black or queer studies. I’d bet that by restoring the traditional academic mission to colleges, they would put a serious dent into the COVID-19 budget shortfall.

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University.

SAN FRANCISCO — After riding the arti cial intelligence craze to new heights, business software maker Salesforce has been pummeled by a wave of investor skepticism that’s intensi ed the pressure on its persuasive CEO Marc Benio to reverse the tide. Benio , who helped spearhead the transition to cloud computing after founding Salesforce in 1999, got a chance to try to change the AI narrative last Wednesday with the release of his company’s latest quarterly results. The key numbers covering August through October eclipsed the analyst projections that help steer the stock market, providing Benio with some material to support his contention that Salesforce’s big bets on AI will yield a jackpot. The San Francisco-based company earned $2.1 billion, or $2.19 per share, a 37% increase from the same time last year, while revenue rose 9% to nearly $10.9 billion. Salesforce also provided an outlook for the current quarter ending in January that exceeded analysts’ predictions. “We’re uniquely positioned

It will need to be explained in detail to the people of this state are being told to remain jobless and at home for an undetermined amount of time why models predicting hundreds of thousands of are reliable.

According to the University of Washington Metrics and Evaluation model most oft Trump administration, the expected need peak outbreak was revised down by over ventilators by nearly 13,000 and the number August by nearly 12,000.

To date, I’ve gone along with what the state has asked and then mandated that we do, but along the way I’ve also had questions about the data. State Republican leaders have, too.

Unfortunately, when certain types of questions get asked, there sometimes a disturbing tendency among some people to treat those simply questioning the data and asking when we can start getting to normal as though they are conspiracy theorists or are people who otherwise don’t care if they get themselves or others sick.

An investment tax credit of 30% on half of U.S. investment in China today, or $60 billion, applied to repatriated American manufacturing investment to the U.S. would cost the U.S. Treasury $18 billion in tax revenue spread over a few years. $18 billion in lost revenue is decimal dust compared to the $6 trillion+ Marshall Plan we are now undertaking to save our own economy, not of defeated enemies as in the past.

MATTHEWS

Here’s the problem: We still don’t know questions that will allow the economy to First, what is the true coronavirus fatality important because it determines whether be open or closed, whether we ought to more liberalized society that presumes ought to lock down further.

Lenten and Easter seasons provide a message of hope that we will once again enjoy sporting events, concerts, family gatherings, church services and many more after our own temporary sacri ces are over.

north STA

For me, making. As Corinthians a iction, a iction, God.” If you are re ect on God’s example this di cult con dent In this same neighbors In Concord, money to buy health care

Since when did questioning government at all levels become a thing? That is what free citizens living in a free society were supposed to do, last I checked.

State Journal for Wednesday, Apr il 15,

My rst concern as we go along in all this, of course, is my family. worried about them catching the virus, and I’m worried I will. After su ering from the H1N1 virus (swine u) during the 2009 pandemic, I’ve been trying to take extra precautions, because all of this brings way too many memories of a painful experience I’d prefer not to

We’ve seen case fatality rates — the number the number of identi ed COVID-19 cases and the denominator are likely wrong. We people have actually died of coronavirus. number has been overestimated, given of death, particularly among elderly patients, sources suggest the number is dramatically many people are dying at home.

China has been cheating, stealing, pirating and pillaging American business now for the past 30 years. They have made no secret that they intend to replace the U.S. as the premier superpower in the world and replace the dollar as the reserve currency with their renminbi.

VISUAL VOICE S

The crisis has cost the debt plus trillions more markets and nancial outlets. currency, we would not measures without immediate depreciation. China has to pay for economic and nancial to bring China into the and fair trade. Totalitarian or express sincere regret totalitarian governments they nd in adversaries adversaries push back. That is, unless an exogenous meltdown in 1986. Some program of Reagan, led in 1989. Perhaps COVID-19 is Senators in Washington of China forgiving $1.2 China to “pay” for the damage breath waiting for a Chinese representatives to hold this disaster. It is about time they the world like any other

Even more importantly, we have no clue actually have coronavirus. Some scientists of identi ed cases could be an order of magnitude number of people who have had coronavirus

But what also makes me lose sleep is how easily most everyone

It’s okay to ask questions about when we begin to get back to normal

The comfort and hope

Railroads to reduce inspections, rely on technology to spot

WITH MOST STATES under either shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders thanks to local or state governments, a majority of Americans are having to adjust to what is being called the “new normal.”

back in 1971 because railroads believe the automated track inspection technology they use today is so good at spotting problems early that human inspections aren’t needed as frequently. They say that extended tests that BNSF and Norfolk Southern ran show that safety actually improved even when human inspections were reduced from twice a week to twice a month.

“THIS IS THE DAY the lord has made, in it” (Psalm 118:24).

Some of these orders extend at least through the end of this month. Virginia’s stay-at-home orders go into June.

track problems

Here in North Carolina, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper stated during a recent coronavirus press brie ng that “we just don’t know yet” if the state’s stay-at-home orders will extend into May.

If he does decide to extend it, questions should be asked as to the justi cation for it. And the answers should not be vague ones like “we must do this out of an abundance of caution.”

The Federal Railroad Administration didn’t go quite that far in its decision, but the agency said railroads will be able to cut inspections down to only once a week under the approved waiver. The railroads

had also asked for permission to have up to three days to repair defects identi ed by the automated inspections. But the Federal Railroad Administration said any serious defects in the tracks must be repaired immediately and all defects should be addressed within 24 hours.

Union says technology can miss problems

I know that during this challenging time working from home or losing a job, it may be glad” as the Bible tells us to do. However, and dad, the Easter holiday has reminded have to be thankful and hopeful for, even pandemic.

It will need to be explained in detail to the people of this state who are being told to remain jobless and at home for an undetermined amount of time why models predicting hundreds of thousands of cases are reliable.

fallen into place. I understand to take precautions, but questions about the data, normal are treated in some They’re treated as though question what the government process of returning back No. The government questions. And the longer country, and the stricter the more people, sitting when they can get back answers.

For me, my faith is an important part making. As I celebrated Easter with my Corinthians 1:4, which reminds us our a iction, so that we may be able to comfort a iction, with the comfort which we ourselves God.”

To date, I’ve gone along with what the state has asked and then mandated that we do, but along the way I’ve also had questions about the data. State Republican leaders have, too.

are moving out of alignment or shifting. But the union that represents track inspectors says the technology can’t detect things like the rock underneath the track shifting, vegetation growing into the path of the trains, a crack in the rail or railroad ties rotting out. Plus, inspectors can spot a combination of small defects that might together derail a train where the machine might not register a problem, the union says.

Unfortunately, when certain types of questions get asked, there is sometimes a disturbing tendency among some people to treat those simply questioning the data and asking when we can start getting back to normal as though they are conspiracy theorists or are people who otherwise don’t care if they get themselves or others sick.

Lenten and Easter seasons provide a message of hope that we will once again enjoy sporting events, concerts, family gatherings, church services and many more after our own temporary sacri ces are over.

The automated inspection systems use an array of cameras and lasers installed either on a locomotive or on a railcar that can be pulled as part of a train to assess whether the tracks

“This is everyday defects across the entire country that we nd through visual inspections that cannot be detected

Since when did questioning government at all levels become a bad thing? That is what free citizens living in a free society were supposed to do, last I checked.

My rst concern as we go along in all this, of course, is my family. I’m worried about them catching the virus, and I’m worried I will. After su ering from the H1N1 virus (swine u) during the 2009 pandemic, I’ve been trying to take extra precautions, because all of this brings up way too many memories of a painful experience I’d prefer not to repeat.

But what also makes me lose sleep is how easily most everyone has

Salesforce CEO Marc

delivers the keynote address at the start of the Dreamforce conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on Oct. 14.

for this new era,” Benio boasted during a 25-minute address on an analyst conference call that sometimes sounded like an AI sermon that also featured comments about “wow” moments that customers experience when seeing the company’s technology. Salesforce’s shares initially surged by more than 5% after the results came out but backtracked to a gain of 2% following Benio ’s presentation.

It’s unclear if that modest momentum will be sustained in last Thursday’s regular trading session because making more money than analysts anticipated isn’t necessarily enough to keep propelling a technology

stock amid persisting doubts about whether the hundreds of billions of dollars being poured into the much-hyped technology will pay o . Nvidia, the dominant maker of the chips needed to power AI, put a dent in the wall of worry a couple of weeks ago with a quarterly earnings report that soared far beyond analyst estimates and initially eased fears about a Big Tech bubble bursting. But the tranquility quickly evaporated, leaving Nvidia’s stock price slightly below where it was trading before the company’s stellar earnings report and 15% below its peak price reached in late October

If you are celebrating the Easter season, re ect on this message and be comforted, God’s example and comfort all those in this di cult time. Through faith and by con dent we will emerge out of this pandemic In this same spirit, I continue to be inspired neighbors helping neighbors. In Concord, a high school senior named money to buy a 3-D printer and plastic health care workers out of his own home.

Leaders at the local and can be with those answers with details that give their We should all continue ourselves, and our communities to ask questions about measures are understandable, This is all new to Americans, shape, or form. So while the same time we shouldn’t normal.”

Not one little bit.

Stacey Matthews has also and is a regular contributor

Salesforce CEO vies to overcome investors’ AI skepticism, touts quarterly numbers

“We all know that the speed of innovation has exceeded the speed of customer adoption.”

Marc

Benio , Salesforce CEO

when the chipmaker became the rst company to be valued at $5 trillion.

The AI jitters have punished Salesforce even more severely. Before the earnings report was released, Salesforce’s market value had plunged by 35%, wiping out about $125 billion in shareholder wealth, since Salesforce’s stock price peaked at $369 a year ago.

The downturn has happened even as Benio has been doing his best to highlight AI’s potential bene ts while calling upon the air for salesmanship that he developed while become the become a chief evangelist behind the rise of software subscription services amid the ruins of the dot-com bust a quarter-century ago. Benio , who owns Time magazine in addition to his Salesforce job, is among the Big Tech leaders who have forged ties with President Donald Trump this year while trying to persuade the administration to adopt AI-friendly policies to protect U.S. interests as

JESSICA CHRISTIAN / SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE VIA AP

Benio

COLUMN | REP. RICHARD HUDSON

Jason

th

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senio

Boeing nalizes $4.7B Spirit AeroSystems acquisition

Boeing has completed its $4.7 billion purchase of Spirit AeroSystems, a key supplier that builds fuselages for its 737 Max jetliners. The deal announced on Monday brings Boeing’s largest supplier of spare parts in-house. CEO Kelly Ortberg calls it a “pivotal moment” for the company’s future. Boeing previously owned Spirit but spun it o in 2005. Reacquiring the company reverses Boeing’s strategy of outsourcing major work on its planes. Boeing has positioned the move as a step toward improving quality and safety, especially after a door-panel ew o a 737 Max jetliner that Spirit built.

FAA investigating U.S.

airlines

over ight cuts during shutdown

The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into whether U.S. airlines complied with an emergency order to cut ights at 40 major airports during the recent government shutdown. The FAA warned airlines on Monday that they could face nes of up to $75,000 for each ight over the mandated reductions, which varied between 3% and 6%. The 43day shutdown that began Oct. 1 led to long delays as unpaid air tra c controllers missed work. The FAA has said it required the ight cuts to ensure safety. More than 10,000 ights were canceled.

U.S. Steel to resume production at Illinois plant shut 2 years ago

Harrisburg, Pa.

U.S. Steel says it’ll resume making steel slabs at its Granite City Works plant in Illinois amid strengthening demand. The company made the announcement last Thursday. It shut down the last blast furnace there in 2023. However, U.S. Steel says it can pro tably operate the blast furnace to meet 2026 demand. The American Iron and Steel Institute reports that shipments from domestic steel mills are up this year. The move by Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel comes months after Japanbased Nippon Steel sealed a deal with President Donald Trump to buy the American steelmaker for $14.9 billion. Granite City Works makes rolls of sheet steel for the construction, container, pipe and automotive industries.

EU hits Musk’s X with 120 million euro ne

London European Union regulators have ned Elon Musk’s social media platform X 120 million euros for failing to comply with digital regulations. The European Commission issued the decision after a two-year investigation under the Digital Services Act. This rulebook requires platforms to protect European users and clean up harmful content. Regulators said X, formerly known as Twitter, breached transparency requirements. They cited issues with X’s blue checkmarks, which they called “deceptive,” and failures in its ad database and data access for researchers. The decision could upset President Donald Trump.

Mass. court hears arguments in lawsuit alleging Meta designed apps to be addictive to kids

The social media giant’s functions came into question

By Michael Casey The Associated Press

BOSTON — Massachusetts’ highest court heard oral arguments Friday in the state’s lawsuit arguing that Meta designed features on Facebook and Instagram to make them addictive to young users.

The lawsuit, led in 2024 by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, alleges that Meta did this to make a pro t and that its actions a ected hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Massachusetts who use the social media platforms.

“We are making claims based only on the tools that Meta has developed because its own research shows they encourage addiction to the platform in a variety of ways,” said State Solicitor David Kravitz, adding that the state’s claim has nothing to do the company’s algorithms or failure to moderate content.

Meta said Friday that it strongly disagrees with the allegations and is “con dent the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.” Its attorney, Mark Mosier, argued in court that the lawsuit “would impose liabilities for performing traditional publishing functions” and that its actions are protected by the First Amendment.

“The Commonwealth would have a better chance of getting around the First Amendment

if they alleged that the speech was false or fraudulent,” Mosier said. “But when they acknowledge that it’s truthful that brings it in the heart of the First Amendment.”

Several of the judges, though, seem more concerned about Meta’s functions such as notications than the content on its platforms.

“I didn’t understand the claims to be that Meta is relaying false information vis-a-vis the noti cations but that it has created an algorithm of incessant noti cations ... designed so as to feed into the fear of missing out, fomo, that teenagers generally have,” Justice

“We are making claims based only on the tools that Meta has developed because its own research shows they encourage addiction to the platform in a variety of ways.”

David Kravitz, Massachusetts state solicitor

Dalila Wendlandt said. “That is the basis of the claim.” Justice Scott Kafker challenged the notion that this was

all about a choose to publish certain information by Meta.

“It’s not how to publish but how to attract you to the information,” he said. “It’s about how to attract the eyeballs. It’s indi erent, the content, right? It doesn’t care if it’s Thomas Paine’s ‘Common Sense’ or nonsense. It’s totally focused on getting you to look at it.”

Meta is facing federal and state lawsuits claiming it knowingly designed features — such as constant noti cations and the ability to scroll endlessly — that addict children.

In 2023, 33 states led a joint lawsuit against the Menlo Park, California-based tech giant claiming that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent, in violation of federal law. In addition, states including Massachusetts led their own lawsuits in state courts over addictive features and other harms to children.

Newspaper reports, rst by The Wall Street Journal in the fall of 2021, found that the company knew about the harms Instagram can cause teenagers — especially teen girls — when it comes to mental health and body image issues. One internal study cited 13.5% of teen girls saying Instagram makes thoughts of suicide worse and 17% of teen girls saying it makes eating disorders worse.

Critics say Meta hasn’t done enough to address concerns about teen safety and mental health on its platforms. A report from former employee and whistleblower Arturo Bejar and four nonpro t groups this year said Meta has chosen not to take “real steps” to address safety concerns, “opting instead for splashy headlines about new tools for parents and Instagram Teen Accounts for underage users.”

Meta said the report misrepresented its e orts on teen safety.

Paramount goes hostile in bid for Warner Bros., challenging $72B Net ix

o er

NCDOT CASH REPORT FOR THE WEEK ENDING DEC. 5

Beginning Cash

$2,612,574,000

Receipts (income)

$207,645,171

Disbursements

$215,811,160

Cash Balance

$2,604,408,011

The tender o er is set to expire Jan. 8 unless it’s extended

By Michelle Chapman The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Paramount on Monday launched a hostile takeover o er for Warner Bros. Discovery, initiating a potentially bruising battle with rival bidder Net ix to buy the company behind HBO, CNN and DC Studios, and the right to reshape much of the nation’s entertainment landscape.

Emerging just days after top Warner managers agreed to Net ix’s $72 billion purchase, Paramount’s bid seeks to go over the heads of those leaders by appealing directly to Warner shareholders with more money — $74.4 billion — and a plan to buy all of Warner’s business, including the cable business that Net ix does not want.

Paramount said its decision to go hostile came after it made several earlier bids that Warner management “never engaged meaningfully” with following the company’s October announcement that it was open to selling itself.

In its appeal to shareholders, Paramount noted its offer also contains more cash than Net ix’s bid — $18 billion more — and argued that it’s more likely to pass antitrust scrutiny from the Trump administration.

Net ix on Monday said it had no comment about Paramount’s challenge. But on Friday, Net ix downplayed concerns that regulators would oppose a combination of Netix and Warner’s HBO Max streaming business.

The ght for Warner drew strong reaction in Washington, with politicians from both major parties picking sides and citing the likely impact on streaming prices, movie theater employment, and the diversity of entertainment choices and political views.

Over the weekend, President Donald Trump weighed in, too, saying a Net ix-Warner combo “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share.

Paramount, run by David Ellison, whose family is closely allied with Trump, said it had submitted six proposals to Warner over a 12-week period before the latest o er.

“We believe our o er will create a stronger Hollywood. It is in the best interests of the creative community, consumers and the movie theater industry,” Paramount Chairman and CEO David Ellison said in a statement. He added that his deal would lead to more competition in the industry, not less, and more movies in theaters.

Adding to the political intrigue in the dueling bids, a regulatory document released Monday stated that an investment rm run by Trump’s sonin-law Jared Kushner would be investing in the Paramount deal, too.

On Friday, Net ix struck its deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, the Hollywood giant behind “Harry Potter” and HBO Max. The cash and stock proposal is valued at $27.75 per Warner share, giving it a total enterprise value of $82.7 billion, including debt. The transaction is expected to close in the next 12 to 18 months, after Warner completes its previously announced separation of its cable operations. Not included in the deal are networks such as CNN and Discovery.

The federal government has authority to kill any big media deals if it has antitrust concerns. Trump has said he will be personally involved in the decision regarding Warner Bros.

Usha Haley, a Wichita State University professor who specializes in international business strategy, said Paramount’s ties to Trump are notable. Ellison is the son of longtime Trump supporter

Larry Ellison, the world’s second-richest person.

“He said he’s going to be involved in the decision. We should take him at face value,” Haley said of Trump. “For him, it’s just greater control over the media.”

The bid for Warner Bros. comes on the heels of Paramount’s October purchase of the news and commentary website The Free Press. Paramount then installed the site’s founder, Bari Weiss, as the editor-in-chief of CBS News, saying it believes the country longs for news that is balanced and fact-based.

It was a bold step for the television network of Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather and “60 Minutes,” long viewed by many conservatives as the personi cation of a liberal media establishment. The network placed someone in a leadership role who has a reputation for resisting orthodoxy and ghting “woke” culture.

JEFF CHIU / AP PHOTO

A Massachusetts lawsuit is one of a growing number led in federal and state courts against Meta, which says it has taken multiple steps to protect children online.

JAE C. HONG / AP PHOTO

Paramount has moved past Net ix with a $74.4 billion hostile o er for Warner Bros. Discovery, taking its case directly to shareholders.

Trump giving $12B in aid to farmers hit hard by trade war with China

Relief payments are set to arrive by late February as tari s continue to pressure crop markets

By Seung Min Kim, Josh Funk and Didi Tang The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced a $12 billion farm aid package Monday — a boost to farmers who have struggled to sell their crops while getting hit by rising costs after the president raised tari s on China as part of a broader trade war.

He unveiled the plan Monday afternoon at a White House roundtable with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, lawmakers from farm states, and farmers who thanked him for the help.

“With this bridge payment, we’ll be able to farm another year,” Iowa farmer Cordt Holub told Trump during the event.

Rollins put the immediate value of the program at $11 billion — money that the White House said will o er one-time payments to row-crop farmers. Another $1 billion will be put aside for specialty crops as the administration works to better understand the circumstances for those farmers, Rollins said. The aid will move by the end of February, she said.

“We looked at how they were hurt, to what extent they were hurt,” Trump said, explaining how the administration came up with the size of the package. Trump said the money for the program will come from tari revenue.

Later this month, the USDA will use a formula that estimates production costs to come up with a per-acre payment for each type of crop. Payments will be capped at $155,000 per farm or person, and only entities that make less than $900,000 a year will be eligible for aid. That will limit payments to large farms, which was a criticism of farm

aid Trump delivered in his rst term.

Farmers have backed Trump politically, but his aggressive trade policies and frequently changing tari rates have come under increasing scrutiny because of the impact on the agricultural sector and because of broader consumer worries. The aid is the administration’s latest e ort to defend Trump’s economic stewardship and answer voter angst about rising costs. Trump has been dismissive of the a ordability issue at times, but on Tuesday, he is set to travel to Pennsylvania to talk about how his administration is trying to address a concern that is important for voters.

China purchases have been slow

Soybeans and sorghum were hit the hardest by Trump’s trade dispute with China because

more than half those crops are exported each year with most of the harvest going to China.

In October, after Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, the White House said Beijing had promised to buy at least 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans by the end of the calendar year, plus 25 million metric tons a year in each of the next three years. China is the world’s largest buyer of soybeans, but in recent years it has increasingly been shifting its purchases over to Brazil and other South American nations.

China has purchased more than 2.8 million metric tons of soybeans since Trump announced the agreement at the end of October. That’s only about one quarter of what administration o cials said China had promised, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said China is on track to meet its goal

by the end of February, which is two months later than the White House originally promised.

The size of the $12 billion aid package is roughly the value of total U.S. soybean exports to China in 2024 and half the total exports of U.S. farm goods to China in 2024.

Farmers say their costs have surged

Farmers appreciate the aid package, but they say it’s likely only a down payment on what’s needed and government aid doesn’t solve the fundamental problems of soaring costs and uncertain markets.

During Trump’s rst term, he gave farmers more than $22 billion in aid payments in 2019 at the start of his trade war with China and nearly $46 billion in 2020, although that year also included aid related to the COVID pandemic.

Farmers say want to make a pro t o selling their crops -not rely on government aid to survive.

“That’s a start, but I think we need to be looking for some avenues to nd other funding opportunities, and we need to get our markets going. That’s where we want to be able to make a living from,” said Caleb Ragland, a Kentucky farmer who serves as president of the American Soybean Association.

Most at risk are younger farmers and those who rent -instead of own -- their land because they don’t have much ability to borrow against the equity in their farms. If farmers can’t make ends meet this year, there could be additional consolidation in the industry with giant industrial farms getting bigger and the number of smaller family farmers continuing to shrink.

Iowa farmer Robb Ewoldt is in a di cult position because he only owns 160 of the 2,000 acres he farms. So he says he’s selling some of his equipment that’s not essential and looking into whether he can pick up some overnight trucking jobs to help raise some cash.

“It is to the point where I don’t want to saddle my kid with the kind of stress that my wife and I are under right now,” Ewoldt said.

But fourth-generation Minnesota farmer Darin Johnson said he’s more optimistic that most farmers will be able to endure this latest trade war.

“A lot of farms are pretty well-established, and they have the equity to be able to still keep borrowing money to get through tougher times like this,” Johnson said.

Trump has also been under pressure to address soaring beef prices. Trump has asked the Department of Justice to investigate foreign-owned meat packers he accused of driving up the price of beef, although he has not provided evidence to back his claims.

On Saturday, Trump signed an executive order directing the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission to look at “anti-competitive behavior” in food supply chains — including seed, fertilizer and equipment — and consider taking enforcement actions or developing new regulations.

from page A1

by this machinery,” Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division union President Tony Cardwell said. “And that technology is not there. It has been here for 30 years. It hasn’t really advanced much at all. It’s a glori ed tape measure.”

The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division union that represents track inspectors acknowledges that the technology does help spot problems. But the union says the automated inspection equipment should supplement — not replace — human inspections because reducing track inspections would increase the risk of derailments.

The railroads counter that even if these systems can’t see

“This is everyday defects across the entire country that we nd through visual inspections that cannot be detected by this machinery.”

Tony Cardwell, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division president

the ballast shifting under the tracks or the ties starting to rot, the system will notice the symptoms of those problems because the track geometry.

“What it is looking at is the ultimate performance,” said Mike Rush, the Association of American Railroads’ senior vice president of safety and operations.

“If those components are doing their job, then the track geometry is being maintained.

If they’re not doing their job, the track geometry is not being maintained.”

Companies say technology more e ective

BNSF railroad said when it was arguing with the Federal Railroad Administration about whether their test should be extended that the “technology has proven to be far more sensitive

and e ective at detecting geometry defects on BNSF’s network than the regime of manual visual inspections mandated by the historic regulations.”

Over two years of testing, manual inspections detected only 0.01 defects per 100 miles, compared with the section of the railroad where the test was being run where the combination of the technology and reduced inspections found 4.54 defects per 100 miles.

Cardwell and the union’s safety director, Roy Morrison, think that’s a bad idea. They said that one of the bene ts of frequent inspections is that the inspectors become intimately familiar with their territories, which helps them spot subtle changes. If they aren’t out on the tracks as often, it may be hard-

er to spot problems, they said.

“A track inspector who’s out on his mainline track twice a week, he knows that track inside out, and a lot of times he’ll spot a defect without even knowing what he’s looking at yet,” Morrison said.

But the railroads say that freeing up inspectors from some of these mandated track inspections will allow them to focus more on switches and other equipment that must be inspected manually. Plus, Norfolk Southern noted in its comments on the request that even if regular inspections aren’t being done as often, special inspections will still be done regularly anytime there is a major storm or ooding in a certain area to make sure the tracks weren’t a ected.

RAILROADS

ALEX BRANDON / AP PHOTO

President Donald Trump listens as Cordt Holub of Dysart, Iowa, speaks during a roundtable on farm subsidies in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Monday. Trump announced a $12 billion farm aid package at the event.

ALEX BRANDON / AP PHOTO

President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable on farm subsidies in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Monday.

More crowdfunding for essential needs like food, housing this year, says GoFundMe

The fundraising platform says more people are seeking help — and more donors are stepping up

By James Pollard

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — More and more people are turning to GoFundMe for help covering the cost of housing, food and other basic needs.

The for-pro t crowdfunding platform’s annual “Year in Help” report, released Tuesday, underscored ongoing concerns around a ordability. The number of fundraisers started to help cover essential expenses such as rent, utilities and groceries jumped 20%, according to the company’s 2025 review, after already quadrupling last year. “Monthly bills” were the second fastest-growing category behind individual support for nonpro ts.

The number of “essentials” fundraisers has increased over the last three years in all of the company’s major English-speaking markets, according to GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan. That includes the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia.

In the United States, the self-published report comes at the end of a year that has seen weakened wage growth for lower-income workers, sluggish hiring, a rise in the unemployment rate and low consumer condence in the economy.

GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan attends an event at the gymnasium of Pasadena City College where The Change Reaction will be handing out about 1,000 checks of between $2,500-$5,000 to people impacted by the Eaton Fire this year in Pasadena, California.

Cadogan said GoFundMe can see that people are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living.

“Someone may be behind on rent or needs a little bit of extra help to get through the next month,” Cadogan said. “That’s a function of what’s going on in these economies. And what is interesting is that people do step up and support folks in those situations.”

Among campaigns aimed at addressing broader community needs, food banks were the most common recipient on GoFundMe this year. The platform

experienced a nearly sixfold spike in food-related fundraisers between the end of October and rst weeks of November, according to Cadogan, as many Americans’ monthly SNAP bene ts got suddenly cut o during the government shutdown.

These uses suggest that online crowdfunding has come a long way from its roots as a way for entrepreneurs to raise money for their artistic or business endeavors, according to University of Toronto postdoctoral researcher Martin Lukk. Lukk, who studies economic inequality and co-au-

“Taking that action opens the door to what can be incredible goodness.”

Tim Cadogan, GoFundMe CEO

thored a book about the “unful lled promise of digital crowdfunding,” said the ndings act somewhat as a “barometer of where things are at in terms of desperation.”

“When there’s no other net to catch people, I think GoFundMe is where they often end up,” Lukk said.

Lukk cautioned that GoFundMe data doesn’t show the “full extent of the desperation” because not everyone in need participates and many users don’t end up reaching their goals. Organizers must have internet access and technological know-how, he said, and a successful campaign often requires savvy storytelling and strong social networks.

Iesha Shepard, 34, was initially embarrassed to ask for help.

The New Orleans native said she’s dealt with chronic heart failure ever since she was shot multiple times four years ago. A single mother of two daughters, she said she fell sick last month and hasn’t been able to work her part-time hotel job for the past three weeks.

Then came the eviction notice. As someone who “barely

Takeover bid of parent company means limbo for CNN, fellow cable networks

The news outlet faces months of uncertainty as Paramount’s takeover bid clouds its future

By David Bauder The Associated Press

PARAMOUNT Skydance’s hostile takeover bid of Warner Bros. Discovery places CNN and its sister cable networks squarely back into what is likely to be an extended period of management limbo.

There was some relief at CNN with last Friday’s announcement that Net ix was buying Warner’s studio and streaming businesses, since the cable network would not be a part of that deal. But that quickly changed on Monday with Paramount’s announced bid, which includes the cable assets that Net ix doesn’t want and, if successful, opens the possibility of a combined CNN and CBS News.

The management uncertainty adds to what is already a challenging time at CNN, where there was no doubt who was in charge before swashbuckling founder Ted Turner sold his company in 1996. “That era might as well be the roaring ‘20s for how long ago it feels,” said Ross Benes, senior analyst at Unlock digital opportunities with the world’s most trusted forecasts, analysis, and benchmarks.

The dueling bids between Paramount and Net ix now “lead to more uncertainty and greater anxiety among the current CNN sta and among those of us who served for many years as leaders of CNN under Ted,” said Tom Johnson, former CNN president in the 1990s.

SALESFORCE from page A1

China also works feverishly on the technology. Salesforce has been primarily focused on creating AI agents that can automate more customer sales agents while spawning a digital labor force that will take over jobs that have traditionally been lled by people.

Skydance Media CEO David Ellison attends the premiere of “Fountain of Youth” at the American Museum of Natural History in 2025 in New York.

Paramount’s bid, which must be approved by shareholders and regulators, could be seen favorably by President Donald Trump, who is closely allied with Paramount Skydance chairman and CEO David Ellison as well as his father, Oracle founder Larry Ellison. But Trump has already expressed anger at the company on social media for Sunday’s “60 Minutes” report on former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Prior to Friday’s announcement, Warner Bros. Discovery had said it planned to spin o its cable television networks in-

In a sign that Benio intends to practice what he preaches, Salesforce laid o 4,000 of its own customer support workers as its “Agentforce” technology took over more of the responsibilities. But the corporate customers that buy Salesforce’s services haven’t been embracing AI agents as quickly as investors initially thought, turning the company into a “poster child” for the

cluding CNN, Discovery, HGTV, the Food Network and TLC, into a separate company. The growth of streaming has made cable networks an unattractive business.

CNN’s television ratings have tumbled to the extent that it is rmly the third-rated cable news network behind Fox News Channel and MS NOW, formerly MSNBC. Its CEO, Mark Thompson, has aggressively moved into digital with a new subscription service and said that management of Discovery Global, the spino company, has already approved a 2026

doubts hanging over the technology, said Jay Woods, chief market strategist for investment banking rm Freedom Capital Markets.

The second-guessing hasn’t dimmed Benio ’s AI exuberance — a passion that recently displayed in a resounding endorsement of Google’s latest version of the Gemini technology powering its AI suite.

can make a living,” Shepard said she has struggled to keep up with the rising cost of rent and groceries. When her social security application got denied for the second time, she said she felt especially discouraged.

She turned to crowdfunding because, as she said, “I don’t want to be homeless with my children around the holiday time.”

“That was my last option,” Shepard said. “I prayed and I did a GoFundMe.”

She never expected the response she’s gotten. Her fundraiser has collected more than $1,000 of her $1,800 goal. Setting up the campaign was easy, she said, and the donations really ramped up after she uploaded TikTok videos about her situation. A Nov. 29 post has been viewed more than 10,000 times.

Cadogan said his team always hopes that countries have strong government programs around health, housing or seniors’ well-being, for example. But GoFundMe recognizes that no country’s systems address everything, he added.

At the end of a year that began with the Los Angeles wild res that struck Cadogan’s community of Altadena, the GoFundMe CEO said he is “blown away” by the power of help. While asking for help can be a “di cult step,” he said, it is a “courageous act” that is worth taking.

“Taking that action opens the door to what can be incredible goodness,” Cadogan said.

of CBS News this past summer, the network has taken steps to appeal to more conservative viewers with the installation of Free Press founder Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief. Weiss is moderating a prime-time discussion this weekend with Erika Kirk, widow of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

During an appearance on CNBC Monday, Ellison answered, “yeah,” when asked if he would combine CNN’s newsgathering operation with CBS News. What exactly that means is unclear.

“We want to build a scaled news service that is basically, fundamentally, in the trust business, that is in the truth business, and that speaks to the 70% of Americans that are in the middle,” Ellison said.

Trump has spoken highly of both Ellison and his billionaire father. But he was clearly angry about Lesley Stahl’s “60 Minutes” interview with former MAGA supporter Greene, who broke with him and recently resigned from Congress. Trump said on Truth Social that his real problem with the show is that the new corporate ownership allowed it to air.

CNN is not likely to nd out soon who its new owners would be. Even before the Paramount bid, experts had predicted the Net ix deal would face more than a year of regulatory hurdles.

budget investing in the plan.

“I know this strategic review has been a period of inevitable uncertainty across CNN and indeed the whole of WBD,” Thompson told sta in a memo Friday. “Of course, I can’t promise you that the media attention and noise around the sale of our parent will die down overnight. But I do think the path to the successful transformation of this great news enterprise remains open.” Thompson had no additional comment on Monday, a spokeswoman said. Since Paramount’s takeover

“We all know that the speed of innovation has exceeded the speed of customer adoption,” Benio conceded while condently predicting that dynamic is about to change dramatically as more companies and government agencies build AI services into their operations.

“There is such a need for independent, unbiased news services,” Johnson said. “I so hope that the new CNN owners will see that as their fundamental mission.”

If Net ix eventually wins, Unlock digital opportunities with the world’s most trusted forecasts, analysis, and benchmarks. ‘s Benes predicted it would be likely that the spino company, Discovery Global, would be shopped around to other buyers.

“CNN will be in limbo for a while no matter which bidder purchases CNN,” he said.

Salesforce is projecting $60 billion in revenue for its scal year ending in January 2030 — a target that would require average annual increases of 10% from its forecasted sales of $41.5 billion for its current scal year. The company also just completed an $8 billion acquisition of another software maker, Informatica, that is building AI tools to manage corporate data.

“We’re continuing to execute on the path to our $60 billion dream” Benio said.

ETIENNE LAURENT / AP PHOTO

EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Wake, ECU, App are bowl bound, B3

the Thursday SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA FOOTBALL

Notre Dame, left out of playo s, opts out of bowl consideration

South Bend, Ind. Notre Dame has announced it will not participate in a bowl game this season after being left out of the College Football Playo . The team posted the decision on X. Despite a strong winning streak, Notre Dame was excluded from the 12team playo bracket. Miami edged the Fighting Irish out for the No. 10 seed due to the Hurricanes’ head-to -head victory. Alabama, with three losses, made the playo and sparked further debate.

F1 RACING

McLaren driver Norris clinches his rst F1 title

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

McLaren driver Lando Norris clinched his rst Formula 1 title at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Defending champion Max Verstappen won the race with Norris placing third behind his teammate Oscar Piastri in second. It allowed Norris to nish two points ahead of Verstappen. Piastri nished third in the standings, 13 points behind Norris. The 26-year-old Norris denied Verstappen a fth straight title.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Ex-SEC commissioner Kramer, whose paved way for college football playo s, dead at 96

Roy Kramer, who as commissioner of the Southeastern Conference helped transform the league into a national power, died at 96. Kramer served as SEC commissioner from 1990 through 2002. He was the rst to imagine a conference title game, which divided a newly expanded 12-team league into divisions. That led to the Bowl Championship Series that paved the way for the current playo system.

Duke wins ACC title, gets snubbed by playo s

The Blue Devils are headed to the Sun Bowl

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

THE SUN BOWL is sponsored by Tony the Tiger, who became famous for a line the Duke Blue Devils haven’t heard much lately.

“They’re grrrrreat.”

The Blue Devils have heard plenty about their lllllosses and how they don’t belllllong — in the ACC Championship Game or the College Football Playo . It’s enough to spoil even the most well-balanced breakfast.

That’s ne with Duke, though. The Blue Devils are ne with their rst ACC title since 1989 and their rst outright crown since JFK was alive.

As for the playo s — every team needs some motivation.

“We play our best with a

chip on our shoulder and when things are personal to us,” said coach Manny Diaz. “That’s ultimately our job, as a sta and as a head football coach, to always make sure you nd

an edge for your football team.”

Last week, the edge came from complaints that Duke ruined the ACC by tying for second place. At 7-5, Duke took a spot in the title game that could

Wolfpack to face Memphis Tigers in Gasparilla Bowl

The game will kick o at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 19 in Tampa Bay

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

BOWL SEASON is upon us and the NC State Wolfpack have been dealt their fate.

After a strong nish, the Wolfpack quali ed for a sixth straight bowl game and have accepted an invitation to face the Memphis Tigers on Dec. 19 in the Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay.

This will be the 36th bowl game for NC State (17-18-1) and the 11th under coach Dave Doeren (3-6).

“Our sta and team are very excited about playing in a great bowl in the beautiful city of Tampa,” said Doeren in a press release. “We appreciate the opportunity and are looking forward to a great game.”

NC State has never faced Memphis on the gridiron before, but they have however played in Raymond James Stadium back in 2014 when they defeated USF 49-17.

In fact, that game was the St. Petersburg Bowl — also Do-

eren’s rst bowl game at NC State — the original name for the Gasparilla Bowl, so there’s some positive history associated with this bowl for the Wolfpack.

And if you’re NC State, you’ll take any positive vibes they

have gone to Miami, a sexier playo hopeful.

“They’re competitors and so the pain of being told last week that somehow we had to rely on some bogus tiebreaker to get to Charlotte,” Diaz said. “That wasn’t a bogus tiebreaker. We were objectively deserving of being in Charlotte and, in their opinion, we were objectively deserving of being in the College Football Playo s. There’s real data that proves that we should have been one of the 12.”

Not to get ahead of ourselves: Before they could make a case they’d been done wrong, the Blue Devils had to prove themselves snub-worthy.

They did just that in the ACC title game against a UVA team that had dominated Duke three weeks earlier.

In the rematch, Duke never trailed and set records for the two longest drives in ACC title game history. Duke led for 42 minutes of regulation, before a last-minute Virginia touchdown forced overtime.

The Blue Devils responded, scoring on their rst OT possession with Darian Mensah’s second touchdown pass of the See DUKE, page B3

can get when it comes to bowl games, as it’s been a bit of a tough stretch with ve straight losses and a cancelled bowl (2021 Holiday Bowl vs UCLA) in the middle of that mix as well.

The Wolfpack nished the season winning three of theirnal four games for a 7-5 overall record and a 4-4 ACC record.

NC State was very hot and cold this season, with their offense looking worldbeaters at times, but also nding themselves in ruts far too often.

Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey continued to take steps in his development, throwing for 2,884 yards and 23 touchdowns, but his nine interceptions and 20 taken sacks came at fairly inopportune moments too.

The Wolfpack did well by committee o ensively though with six receivers picking up 250-plus yards and four di erent players combining for 24 touchdowns on the ground.

Sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers led the ACC in rushing yards with 939 on 160 carries and freshman quarterback Will Wilson led the team in touchdowns with nine rushing scores as part of NC

KARL DEBLAKER / AP PHOTO

NC State’s Hollywood Smothers (3) and the rest of the Wolfpack are headed to the Gasparilla Bowl.

JACOB KUPFERMAN / AP PHOTO

Duke wide receiver Jayden Moore (8) reacts after the Blue Devils won the ACC championship over Virginia in Charlotte.

JACOB KUPFERMAN / AP PHOTO

Duke defensive tackle David Anderson (44) reacts after defeating Virginia in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday in Charlotte.

THURSDAY 12.12.25

TRENDING

Michael Annett:

The former driver who made 436 combined starts in NASCAR’s three national touring series died at 39 No cause of death was announced JR Motorsports said “Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 ” Annett made 321

Series, 158 of which came with JRM In 2019 Annett won the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway

Terr y Rozier:

The former Hornets and current Heat player pleaded not guilty to charges he helped gamblers betting on his performance The 31-year-old point guard formally entered the plea during his arraignment in Brooklyn federal court on federal wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges Prosecutors say Rozier conspired with friends to help them win bets in a March 2023 game for the Hornets

Lionel Messi:

The soccer legend and Inter Miami Cup, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 Messi who joined the last-place team up the winning goal with an assist Inter Miami is the 16th franchise to win an MLS title in the league s 30-year history The win also adds to Messi’s impressive record making it his 47th trophy for club and country

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

“I ta ke it Mr. Jordan is the nex t w itness.”

U S District Judge Kenneth Bell when the cour troom was packed prior to Michael Jordan’s testimony at his team’s lawsuit against NASCAR

“ Thank you for ma k ing my 9 -year- old think I’m cool today.”

Defense attorney Lawrence Buterman questioning Jordan (pictured).

NFL

Former NC State pass rusher Bradley Chubb was selected as the Miami Dolphins’ representative for the Walter Pay ton Man of the Year Award. Each team nominates someone for the award for charitable work Austin Corbett represents the Panthers Greensboro/Grimsley High’s DJ Reader represents the Lions Wilming ton/Charlotte 49ers A lex Highsmith represents the Steelers Former Panthers DJ

Long time NHL player-turned-coach Kev in Dineen says he has been diagnosed w ith pancreatic cancer Dineen, who played more than 1,200

relocation He played from 1984 -2002, then spent two decades in coaching

The ACC women lost its annual series w ith the Southeastern Conference by a 13-3 marg in That comes as the leag ue currently has no top-10 teams in The A ssociated since December 2001 Leag ue teams are a combined 2-31 in Quadrant 1 games so far

Number of laps added to the 2026 NA SCA R Cup Ser ies event at Nor th Wilkesboro Speedway The race, now k now n as the Window World 450, w ill be held July 19 and w ill be the Cup Ser ies’ 1974.

NC State and Virg inia w ill open nex t season in Brazil, becoming the game played in South A merica The game w ill be played Aug 29, 2026, in R io de Janeiro It w ill count as a leag ue game The teams had agreed to a home-and-home nonconference series, but it w ill now be integrated into the leag ue ’ s new nine-game schedule

Bowl matchups determined for Demon Deacons, ECU

The pair of eight-win teams will face Mississippi State and Pittsburgh

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

CHARLOTTE — The Wake Forest and East Carolina football teams both had their bowl destinations revealed on Sunday afternoon.

The former will have a short 11⁄2-hour commute to the Queen City for its postseason game, while the latter will be returning to the same bowl site it played at last year. Both matchups will be televised nationally on ESPN.

In a twist, Appalachian State was a late invite for a Birmingham Bowl matchup on Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. After several bowl eligible teams opted out, the Mountaineers (5-7) got a call despite not winning six games this season. They’ll play the Georgia Southern Eagles (6-6) in a Sun Belt rematch from a 25-23 GSU win in Boone on Nov. 6.

Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State

his sta for the invitation. We’re ready to represent Wake Forest, and we can’t wait to see Demon Deacon Nation in Charlotte.”

Wake will play in its eighth bowl game in the last 10 seasons as the Demon Deacons compete in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl for the second time in program history. The Deacs are no strangers to playing in Charlotte — four of their last 11 bowl games have been inside Bank of America Stadium.

Wake’s season was spotlighted by wins over No. 19 Virginia and SMU. Following back-toback losses in September, the Demon Deacons went on to win six of seven games before they lost 49-32 in their regular-season nale at Duke.

They nished with a 4-4 record against ACC opponents.

Mississippi State was granted a bowl game invitation for the rst time since the 2022 season after other programs opted out of the postseason. The NCAA allows 5-7 teams to play in bowl if there are not enough bowl eligible teams at the end of the regular season.

The Bulldogs were 1-7 in the SEC this year, falling to their 11th consecutive season with a losing record against their conference opponents.

East Carolina vs. Pittsburgh

tween ECU and Pitt in 33 years, marking the fth meeting between the two programs as the series sits tied at 2-2.

The Pirates, who defeated NC State 26-21 in the 2024 Military Bowl, are making their fourth bowl appearance in the last ve years, as well as the program’s fourth appearance in the Military Bowl.

“Thank you to the Go Bowling Military Bowl — it’s good to be back,” ECU coach Blake Harrell said. “We’ll always celebrate winning around here, and we’ll always be grateful that we’re going to a bowl game. That’s something that East Carolina needs to get back to doing on a regular basis. We’ve been able to do it in back-to-back years, and now we get to go back to Annapolis to do it again. I know our players are excited about the opportunity to play a very good Pitt team.”

ECU nished fth in the American this season with a 6-2 conference record, racking up four consecutive league wins before a 58-24 loss at UTSA derailed the Pirates’ hopes of a conference title game appearance.

The two teams have only met once, with the Bulldogs defeating the Demon Deacons 23-17 in the 2011 Music City Bowl.

“Earning the opportunity to compete in the Duke’s Mayo

Capping o their rst season led by coach Jake Dickert, the ACC’s Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-4) will play against the SEC’s Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-7) in the 2026 Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte on Friday, Jan. 2. Kicko is scheduled for 8 p.m. in Bank of America Stadium.

Bowl is a tremendous honor for our football program,” Dickert said. “Bowl games are a reward for commitment and consistency, and our players and sta have earned every bit of this moment. We are excited for the challenge against a talented Mississippi State program, and I’m grateful to Will Pitts and

NCHSAA football title games set

Eight champions will be crowned this weekend

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

THE NORTH CAROLINA High School Athletic Association football state championships will get underway this week. Kenan Stadium at UNC-Chapel Hill will host the 1A, 8A, 6A and 7A games on Thursday and Friday. Moretz Stadium on the campus of Lenoir Rhyne will host the 4A, 2A games on Saturday. Durham County Memorial Stadium will host the 3A and 5A games Saturday. Here’s a quick preview of each matchup.

1A: Wilson Prep vs. Robbinsville (Thursday at 4 p.m.)

Records: Wilson Prep (East): 8-5, 3-0 Eastern Carolina 1A; Robbinsville (West): 103, 5-1 Smoky Mountain 1A/2A Championship history: Wilson Prep: rst championship appearance; Robbinsville: 17th appearance, looking for its 15th title (last won the 2019 1A state championship) Path to the championship: Robbinsville has scored at least 41 points and allowed no more than seven points in each game. Wilson Prep went on the road and beat both KIPP Pride and Northside-Pinetown by double digits in its last two games.

2A: Tarboro vs. Murphy (Saturday at 5 p.m.)

Records: Tarboro (East): 14-

DUKE from page B1

night to Jeremiah Hasley.

Linebacker Luke Mergott got an interception on Virgina’s rst play to end things.

“Tose are the moments I live for,” said Mensah. “I love winning, and we knew this game was going to come down to the last play. We knew it was going to go to overtime. I’m just trying to get my guys excited. We all live for these moments, and there’s no better feeling than winning a championship, so why not go full face into adversity and challenge the dang thing.”

0, 5-0 Eastern Plains 2A/3A; Murphy (West): 12-2, 6-0 Smoky Mountain 1A/2A Championship histo -

ry: Tarboro: 17th championship appearance, looking for its 11th title (won 2024 1A state title); Murphy: 13th appearance, looking for 10th title (last won in 2020-21).

Path to the championship: Tarboro has scored at least 40 points and posted two shutouts in its four playo wins. Murphy handled Albemarle and Community School of Davidson by double digits but found itself in close games with Corvian Community and Starmount in the last two rounds.

3A: Kinston vs. Shelby (Saturday at 2 p.m.)

Records: Kinston (East): 114, 3-2 Eastern Plains 2A/3A; Shelby (West): 12-3, 7-1 Southern Piedmont 2A/3A/4A Championship history: Kinston: fourth appearance, last won 1955 2A title; Shelby:18th appearance, looking for its 13th championship win (last won 2021 2A title). Shelby beat Kinston in the 2015 2A state championship.

Path to the championship: Kinston escaped Northeastern 28-24 in the fourth round and bounced back with a 30-7 win over James Kenan in the regional nal. After squeaking by Eastern Randolph, Shelby shut out Lincolnton 30-0 in the regional nal.

4A: Reidsville vs. Brevard (Saturday at 11 a.m.)

Records: Reidsville (East): 12-2, 6-0 Mid-State 3A/4A/5A;

The next challenge was o the eld and in a conference room, however, and Duke ended up on the wrong side of the selection committee’s decision. Miami got a playo bid. So did the Dukes of James Madison. But Duke and its ACC trophy were on the outside, looking in.

“The edge of this football team is to recognize that when the guys in that room heard the announcement that it was JMU in the playo s, there was a real pain that came with that,” said Diaz.

Instead Duke heads to West Texas, to face Arizona State in the Sun Bowl. It’s the sec-

4

Schools making their rst championship appearance

Brevard (West): 14-0, 7-0 Mountain Eight 4A/5A Championship history: Reidsville: 29th appearance, looking for its 21st title (last won the 2A title in 2023); Brevard; third appearance, looking for its third win (last won 1982 3A title). Reidsville and Brevard tied 0-0 in the 1963 3A Region 2 state title game. Path to the championship: Reidsville edged West Craven 23-21 in the regional nal. Brevard defeated three of its four playo opponents by double digits, including its last two games.

5A: J.B. Hunt vs. Crest (Saturday at 8 p.m.)

Records: Hunt (East): 122, 5-1 Big East 5A/6A; Crest (West); 12-1, 5-1 Big South 5A/6A

Championship history: Hunt: second appearance, looking for rst win; Crest: 11th appearance, last won 2015 3AA state title, looking for seventh win Path to the championship: Hunt won three games decided by two possessions or less (two one-possession games) in the playo s. Crest won on the road at South Point and Hickory in its last two games.

6A: Middle Creek vs. Watauga (Friday at 4 p.m.)

“We play our best with a chip on our shoulder and when things are personal to us.”

Manny Diaz, Duke coach

ond oldest bowl game in football and will be a rematch of the 2014 game, won by the Sun Devils. The game kicks o in El Paso at 2:00 on New Year’s Eve.

The Sun Devils were 8-4, 6-3 in the Big 12, and have had

For the second straight year, the East Carolina Pirates will be playing their bowl game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. ECU (8-4) is scheduled to square o with the Pittsburgh Panthers (8-4) in the 2025 Go Bowling Military Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 27 at 11 a.m. It will be the rst contest be-

Despite the lopsided loss to the Roadrunners late in the season, ECU was still able to stack together the most conference wins it’s had during its 12 seasons as an American member; a potential ninth overall win for the Pirates from a bowl win would be the most they’ve had in a season since 2013.

With a 6-2 record in the ACC, Pitt landed fourth in the league as the Panthers surged with a midseason ve-game winning streak that ended as they lost two of three against ranked opponents.

Records: Middle Creek (East): 11-2, 3-1 Triangle Six 6A/7A; Watauga (West): 14-0, 5-0 Northwestern 6A/7A) Championship history: Middle Creek: rst appearance; Watauga: second appearance (last won the 1978 3A title) Path to the championship: Middle Creek went on the road to beat Northern Nash and Jacksonville in its last two games. Watauga won its last two games over Sun Valley and Northern Guilford by no more than three points.

7A: Clayton vs. Grimsley (Friday at 8 p.m.)

Records: Clayton (East): 12-2, 5-1 Greater Neuse River 7A; Grimsley (West): 14-0, 6-0 Metro 6A/7A Championship history: Clayton: fourth appearance (last won 1989 2A title); Grimsley: fth appearance as Grimsley (13 appearances as Greensboro

some post-regular season drama, with injured quarterback Sam Leavitt skipping the team banquet and reportedly planning to transfer. Left Josh Atkins, a two-year starter, is also reportedly leaving. Duke will need to move its focus away from the big tournament. “You don’t want to feel like you’re a team that’s hurt and that you were wronged and deserved it more,” Diaz said. “You want to feel like a team that has an edge to show. We’ve seen victims before. If you feel victimized, those teams don’t normally play very well in bowl games.

High School), looking for third win (last won 2024 4A title) Path to the championship: Clayton dominated at home and earned a berth with a 35-32 road win at Cardinal Gibbons in the regionalnal. Grimsley dominated the rst three rounds and escaped Weddington 13-7 in the regional nal.

8A: Millbrook vs. Hough (Thursday at 8 p.m.)

Records: Millbrook (East): 13-0, 7-0 CAP 8A; Hough (West): 13-0, 5-0 Greater Charlotte 7A/8A Championship history: Millbrook: rst appearance; Hough: rst appearance Path to the championship: Millbrook went on the road and defeated Hoggard 14-7 in the regional nal. Hough gave up 17 points in three playo games (shutout against West Charlotte in the regional nal).

It’s not a victim thing for us. It’s obviously that we haven’t done enough to prove to the country of where we belong and we have one more chance for this version of Duke football in 2025 to get it right.”

“I think it’s easy in this playo era to think that everything is solely about the playo ,” Diaz continued. “Certainly we’re disappointed in the committee’s decision today but that’s not going to take away from the fact that this football team, who is so close and so connected, get to be together again and get to ght another day in El Paso in the Sun Bowl.”

ROBERT SIMMONS / AP PHOTO

Wake Forest quarterback Robby Ashford throws the ball down eld against Virginia Tech during their Oct. 4 in Blacksburg, Virginia.

EDWARDO PUAC FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL Kinston receiver Brennan Chambers (5) makes a move during a November game.

Top NC players headed out of state on signing day

Tennessee lands the state’s top prospect for the second straight year

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

THERE WASN’T much signing day drama for the top recruit in North Carolina.

Grimsley quarterback Faizon Brandon, the No. 2 prospect in the nation, made up his mind early in the process and never wavered.

Brandon chose Tennessee the August before his junior season. Sixteen months later, he signed with the Vols. The ve-star prospect is the centerpiece of the nation’s No. 7 rated signing class. Brandon is also credited by the Tennessee coaching sta with helping to recruit many of the other o ensive skill players to sign with the Vols.

“Any time you’re able to get a quarterback at that level and is made of the right things, he’s able to develop relationships with guys and help attract them, and he certainly did that in this recruiting class, really on both sides of the football,” said Tennessee coach Josh Heupel. Brandon, who missed much of his senior season with injury, returned to lead Grimsley to the state title game. He also gives

Tennessee the state’s top player for the second signing day in a row. A year ago, the Volunteers actually inked the top two North Carolina prospects in Providence Day o ensive tackle David Sanders Jr. and Southern Durham defensive lineman Isaiah Campbell.

Brandon is expected to enroll early at Tennessee and participate in bowl practices with the team.

Tennessee was far from the only school outside of North Carolina to lure players across state

14

Ranking of the highest rated player to stay in NC

borders. Here’s where other top prospects in this year’s class are headed (all rankings based on the 247 composite index):

Notre Dame: The Irish signed four of the state’s

top defensive prospects. Myers Park edge rusher Rodney Dunham was rated second in the state, eighth in the nation. South Garner’s Ebenezer Ewetade was No. 12 in NC, No. 11 in the U.S. at edge rusher. A familiar name to Panthers fans — Thomas Davis Jr., also a linebacker, was No. 15 in the state out of Weddington. Independence safety Nick Reddish was No. 30 in NC.

Oregon: The Ducks only signed one NC player, but he was the state’s No. 3 player and landed No. 2 in the ESPN rankings. Reidsville’s Kendre Harrison was the second-best tight end in the country.

Georgia: The Dawgs landed three players in the state’s top 16. South Garner’s Ekene Ogboko is No. 4 in NC, No. 8 at offensive tackle. West Forsyth’s Pierre Dean is No. 6 in NC, No. 14 at edge rusher. West Charlotte’s Elijah Littlejohn is No. 16 in NC, No. 20 at linebacker.

Miami: The Canes came away with three players: Clayton defensive end Keshawn Stancil (5 in NC, 5 at position), Myers Park corner Camdin Portis (8, 12) and Hough wide receiver Tyran Evans (33, 123). Portis is the son of former Miami and NFL running back Clinton Portis.

South Carolina: The Gamecocks landed four North Carolinians, including a family package. Twin brothers Aiden (9, 16 at defensive line) and Andrew (21, 43 at edge rusher) Harris both signed with SC. The Weddington duo are nephews of former Panther Thomas Davis and high school teammates of Notre Dame-bound Thomas Jr. The other two signees are Durham

Colts bringing Rivers for workout with top quarterbacks Jones and Leonard hurt

The 44-year-old is under consideration for this year’s Hall of Fame class

By Michael Marot The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts are considering going old school with their top two quarterbacks injured.

Just hours after coach Shane Steichen con rmed Monday that Daniel Jones would miss the rest of this season with a torn right Achilles tendon and that backup Riley Leonard injured his right knee in Sunday’s loss at Jacksonville, a person with knowledge of the details told The Associated Press that 44-year-old Philip Rivers is heading to Indy for a tryout Tuesday. The person requested anonymity because an o cial announcement had not been made.

Rivers has not taken a snap since 2020 when he played his nal NFL season with the Colts. He led Indy to the playo s that season and they’ve returned to the postseason since. Rivers announced his retirement in January 2021 and has spent the past ve seasons coaching St. Michael High School in Fairhope, Alabama.

Strangely, Leonard also played high school football in Fairhope.

While it’s unclear how much time Rivers would need to learn the playbook or get in game shape, he did work with Steichen when they were both with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. He also worked with Indiana Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti when they were both at North Carolina State.

It’s a desperate move for a

NC STATE from page B1

State’s short yardage situation. Defensively though, the Wolfpack really struggled, allowing 421 total yards of o ense per game (115th in the NCAA).

Passing coverage was especially a sore spot for a very injured secondary that allowed the third most passing yards in DI football (3,397).

On the other side of the eld, Memphis nished the year 8-4 and with a 4-4 record in the American Athletic Conference. They were ranked as high as

Quarterback Philip Rivers (17) reacts during the an Indianapolis Colts wild-card playo game following the 2020 season.

team that doesn’t have many options after losing three straight games and four of their last ve, their playo hopes rapidly fading away. Jones was injured in the rst half of Sunday’s 36-19 loss in rainy Jacksonville. He crumpled to the ground, reaching toward his calf despite not being hit on the play. Jones then slammed his helmet into the ground before limping o the eld and into the locker room. He returned to the sideline in the second half with a walking boot protecting his lower right leg.

Following the game, Steichen acknowledged the initial diagnosis was not good and that it could be season-ending.

22 midway through the season, but ended the year on a threegame losing streak.

However, three of those four total losses were by just a single possession, so they’re perhaps better than their record suggests.

The Tigers were 34th in the entire NCAA in yards per game with 420.7 and their 50 total o ensive touchdowns ranked 24th overall.

Memphis was led on offense by senior quarterback Brendon Lewis, who threw for 2,567 yards with nearly a

Less than 24 hours later, Steichen gave updates about both injuries.

“He’ll have surgery within the week,” Steichen said, referring to Jones. “Obviously, just really feel for him, just an unfortunate situation. The work he puts in, the grind, a team captain for us. One of the toughest guys I’ve ever been around. Just praying for a speedy recovery for him.”

It’s a major blow for Jones, who resuscitated his career with an incredibly strong rst eight games in his rst season with Indy. Jones played so well, his name entered MVP discussion as his price tag in free agency continued to climb.

Losing Jones may prove more

70% completion percentage along with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions.

The Nevada transfer is a dual-threat QB too, as he ran for 618 yards and nine touchdowns as well for the Tigers.

His top target for the year was senior Cortez Braham Jr., a 6-foot-2 receiver who transferred from Nevada with Lewis and racked up 889 yards and eight touchdowns on 63 receptions. Overall though, the run game is the biggest part of Memphis’ o ense as three di erent backs each ran for over 250 yards and

Jordan’s Noah Clark (10, 18 at DL) and Grimsley’s Kosci Barnes (11, 15 at corner).

Clemson: The Tigers lured two players south: Providence Day’s Gordon Sellars (13, 26 at wide receiver) and teammate Leo Delaney (18, 27 at interior o ensive line). While the top of the class is leaving North Carolina, the state’s top college programs kept some prospects near home. UNC: (39 total signees, class ranks 17 in the nation) Top 30 NC signees were North Duplin’s Trashawn Ru n (14, 35 at DL), Rolesville’s Zavion Grifn-Haynes (17, 39 at edge), East Forsyth’s J.B. Shabazz (28, 54 at OT).

• Wake Forest (30 signees, 45 in nation) East Lincoln’s Grant Lawless (23, 26 at QB).

• NC State (27 signees, 49 in nation) Kinston’s Tyreek Copper (24, 79 at WR), Crest’s D’Various Surratt (29, 71 at safety)

• App State (27 signees, 56 in nation) Marvin Ridge’s Manny Lewis (25, 59 at edge)

• Duke (15 signees, 63 in nation), no top 30 NC signees. Top-rated in state was Crest’s Lyrik Pettis (31, 78 at safety)

• Charlotte (28 signees, 90 in nation) no top 30 NC signees. Top-rated in state was Myers Park’s Josh Hines (59, 180 at safety)

• ECU (18 signees, 92 in nation) Richmond’s Terande Spencer (26, 64 at edge)

jury) this morning so we’re working through that right now. That’s what I’ve got right now,” Steichen said before addressing Leonard’s playing status. “Hopefully, that’s the hope. We’ll see how it goes.”

If Leonard can’t play, veteran Brett Rypien could be next in line even though he was signed to the practice squad in mid-October but is not yet on the active roster.

Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall draft pick in 2023, lost the quarterback competition to Jones in training camp and has not practiced since going on injured reserve with a fractured orbital bone in mid-October.

“He’s not ready yet,” Steichen said when asked about Richardson’s potential return.

As for Jones, he was having a career year.

He went 8-5, going 261 of 348 for 3,101 yards, 19 TDs and eight interceptions while rushing for 164 yards and ve more scores.

Jones established a new career high in completion percentage, 68.0%, and fell two wins, 105 yards and ve TD passes short of posting new career bests in those categories, too. He also made 13 starts, his most since starting 16 games while leading the New York Giants to the 2022 playo s.

problematic for the Colts (85), who visit Seattle (10-3) next weekend before closing out the season with home games against San Francisco (9-4) and Jacksonville (9-4) and a visit to Houston (8-5).

Then came the surprise news — Leonard arrived at the team complex Monday with his own injury. He replaced Jones on Sunday, going 18 of 29 for 145 yards and one interception in his most extensive action since Notre Dame lost last year’s national championship game. Steichen couldn’t say yet if Leonard would play at Seattle, but the Colts have limited options in the building.

“He came in with a knee (in-

seven touchdowns a piece (2,233 yards and 34 rushing TDs in total for the Tigers on the season).

That perhaps could bode well for the Wolfpack as not only did their overall defensive game improve as the season went on, but denying the ground game was their biggest strength.

Defensively, Memphis was pretty good too, allowing just 361.1 yards per game and forcing 19 turnovers (seven fumbles and 12 interceptions) and their plusnine turnover margin was the 12th best mark in DI football. The Tigers also have played

But he played hurt again this year. Jones used an extra pad on his injured lower left leg in his last three starts. The Colts never con rmed reports Jones played with a broken bula.

Steichen couldn’t say whether the injured bula had any impact on Jones’ Achilles tendon.

“I don’t know that,” Steichen said. “I think it’s just a very, very unfortunate situation.”

Rivers was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection who nished ranks the NFL’s career leaders in yards passing with 63,440, 421 touchdown passes and 12 4,000-yard seasons. He made it to the semi nal stage in his rst year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame last month.

in the Gasparilla Bowl once, and much like NC State, it came back when it used to be the St. Petersburg Bowl.

The Tigers lost to USF 41-14 in the 2008 iteration, but have had a strong bowl history otherwise, with a 9-8 overall record and having won each of their last four berths.

The Wolfpack will need to be on their A-game if they want to snap their bowl game skid and nish out the season on a positive note.

The game will kick o at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN.

EDWARDO PUAC FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

UNC recruit Trashawn Ru n was the highest-ranked senior to sign with an in-state school.

ADRIAN KRAUS / AP PHOTO

features

A plate full of memories: The enduring legacy of K&W Cafeteria

The Winston-Salem-based institution has closed all its locations

By Dan Reeves North State Journal

FOR GENERATIONS the clatter of trays sliding along stainless-steel rails signaled something comforting and familiar.

At K&W Cafeteria, fried chicken, baked sh, yeast rolls and banana pudding weren’t just menu items — they were traditions. It was where many, including myself, went after church, a baseball game or no special reason at all. K&W was a place of comfort that served comfort food.

Founded in Winston-Salem in 1937, K&W grew from a modest downtown restaurant into one of the Southeast’s most recognizable cafeteria brands. The name came from the surnames of the original partners, but it was Grady T. Allred Sr., who bought out the founders in the early 1940s, who truly built K&W into a Southern institution. Under Allred’s steady leadership, the cafeteria model ourished: Customers choose their food as they moved down the line, keeping meals a ordable and portions generous.

The formula worked. For decades, K&W expanded steadily across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virgina, anchoring shopping centers, downtown blocks and hospital districts. Unlike trend-driven restaurant chains, K&W rarely chased the moment. The menu barely budged. Meatloaf stayed meatloaf. Liver and onions never disappeared. Mac and cheese was always there. That consistency became the brand’s calling card.

“K&W was where you took your parents when they didn’t want anything fancy,” said Matt Healy of Greensboro. “I still took my kids there regularly.”

Behind the scenes, K&W ran with quiet precision. Portions were standardized. Waste

was tightly controlled. Long before “e ciency” became a business buzzword, K&W had mastered it. The company remained family-owned for decades, operating with a conservatism that matched its unchanging menu. But the world outside the cafeteria line changed. Fast-casual concepts reshaped dining. Drive-thru culture surged. Younger diners gravitated toward food trucks, global avors and app-based delivery. Then COVID-19 arrived — and with it, the most severe challenge in K&W’s history. The pandemic struck directly at the brand’s core customer base: older diners who favored indoor, sit-down meals.

In 2020, K&W led for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The chain emerged under new ownership after being acquired by

Piccadilly Restaurants in 2022, but the momentum never fully returned. By late 2025, only a handful of locations remained.

On Dec. 1, K&W Cafeterias abruptly announced it was closing all remaining locations effective immediately, ending an 88-year run. There were no long goodbyes. No farewell tour. Just locked doors.

“We have a large family group text spanning the entire state mourning this,” said Seth Ashburn of Raleigh.

Social media quickly lled with photos of nal meals — baked sh plates, cornbread, banana pudding — and stories of rst jobs behind the steam tables and lifelong routines built around weekly visits. Families returned one last time to slide trays down the line.

Because K&W was never just about food. It was about routine. About knowing what Tuesday lunch looked like. About greeting the same cashier. About choosing one meat, two vegetables and a roll without thinking too hard about it. In a brief farewell statement, the company summed up what so many felt.

“K&W has always been more than a restaurant — it has been a gathering place, a home for Sunday traditions and a warm table for millions of families across generations. We are truly sorry to bring this chapter to an end, but profoundly thankful for the love you’ve shown us for nearly nine decades.” Today, many former K&W buildings are being repurposed — turned into medical o ces,

A brief timeline of K&W Cafeteria

1935 — The Carolinian Co ee Shop opens in Winston-Salem. Future owner Grady T. Allred Sr. begins working there.

1937 — The restaurant is rebranded as K&W.

Early 1940s — Allred buys out the original partners and converts the concept into a full cafeteria.

1950s–1980s — K&W expands across North Carolina and neighboring states, becoming a Southern dining xture.

1988 — Founder Grady Allred Sr. dies; the chain remains family-operated.

1991 — K&W introduces takeout service.

2020 — The company les for Chapter 11 bankruptcy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2022 — K&W is acquired by Piccadilly Restaurants.

Dec. 1, 2025 — All remaining locations close permanently.

spaces or sitting vacant, waiting for what comes next. But the legacy of K&W doesn’t live in bricks and mortar. It lives in the muscle memory of sliding trays. In the taste of country-fried steak and gravy. In the quiet relief of a meal that didn’t need explaining. In an era obsessed with reinvention, K&W stood for something increasingly rare: continuity. For nearly nine decades, it fed communities the same way, year after year, generation after generation. And now, even as the lights have gone dark, that legacy remains plated neatly in memory — warm, familiar and impossi-

Months after temporary suspension ABC signs late night’s Kimmel to 1-year contract extension

The show was taken o the air for remarks about the death of Charlie Kirk

By David Bauder The Associated Press

PRESIDENT DONALD Trump won’t be getting his wish. ABC said Monday it has signed late-night comic Jimmy Kimmel to a one-year contract extension.

Kimmel’s previous, multiyear contract had been set to expire next May, so the extension will keep him on the air until at least May 2027.

Kimmel’s future looked questionable in September, when ABC suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for remarks made following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Following a public outcry, ABC lifted the suspension, and Kimmel returned to the air with much stronger ratings than he had before.

He continued his relentless joking at the president’s expense, leading Trump to urge the network to “get the bum o the air” in a social media post last month. The post followed Kimmel’s nearly 10-minute monologue on Trump and the Je rey Epstein les. Kimmel was even on Trump’s mind Sunday as the president hosted the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington.

“I’ve watched some of the people that host,” Trump said.

“I’ve watched some of the people that host. Jimmy Kimmel was horrible, and some of these people, if I can’t beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don’t think I should be president.” Kimmel has hosted the Oscars four times, but he’s never hosted the Kennedy Center show. Just last week, Kimmel was

needling Trump on the president’s approval ratings. “There are gas stations on Yelp with higher approval ratings than Trump right now,” he said. Kimmel will be staying longer than late-night colleague Stephen Colbert at CBS. The network announced this summer it was ending Colbert’s show next May for economic reasons, even though it is the top-rated network show in latenight television. ABC has aired Kimmel’s late-night show since 2003, during a time of upheaval in the industry. Like much of broadcast television, late-night ratings are down. Viewers increasingly turn to watching monologues online the day after they appear. Most of Kimmel’s recent re-

newals have been multiyear extensions. There was no immediate word on whose choice it was to extend his current contract by one year.

Bill Carter, author of “The Late Shift” and veteran chronicler of late-night TV, cautioned against reading too much into the length of the extension. Kimmel, at age 58, knows he’s getting close to the end of the line, Carter said, but when he leaves, he doesn’t want it to appear under pressure from Trump or anyone.

“He wants to make sure that it’s on his terms,” Carter said. Kimmel has become one of the leading voices resisting Trump. “I think it’s important for him and for ABC that they are standing up for him,” Carter said.

Following Kirk’s killing, Kimmel was criticized for saying that “the MAGA gang” was “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” The Nexstar and Sinclair television ownership groups said it would take Kimmel o the air, leading to ABC’s suspension.

When he returned to the air, Kimmel did not apologize for his remarks, but he said he did not intend to blame any speci c group for Kirk’s assassination. He said, “it was never my intention to make the light of the murder of a young man.”

PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

Customers choose from a variety o ering, including fried chicken, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, at K&W Cafeteria in Fayetteville.

RICHARD SHOTWELL / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Jimmy Kimmel, pictured at a bene t event earlier this year, received a one-year extension from ABC despite being suspended in September for remarks in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder.

‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ attempts horror comedy, fails at every turn

Redundant scares, bad pacing and subpar acting make it a hard watch

By Bob Garver The Sun

FROM ITS ridiculous opening scene, there is little denying that “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” is one of the stupidest movies of 2025. Its only real competition comes from Disney’s live action “Snow White” remake thinking that its dwarfs were t for human eyesight. And it’s not even the fun kind of stupid horror movie. It was never really on the table for this to be a “good” horror movie like “Sinners,” but it could have at least been an interesting avor of stupid. The potential for such avor is at least present in the opening scene, but the movie squanders

Golden

even that prospect fairly quickly. In the opening scene, set in 1982, morose young Charlotte (Audrey Lynn Marie) eschews every other entertaining aspect of children’s pizza emporium Freddy Fazbear’s to wait for her favorite animatronic character. She turns her attention long enough to notice a boy being abducted (as would later become common at Freddy’s) and tries to alert parents at nearby tables, but none will listen to her. If her warnings had caused a deadly panic, then maybe that could have been a plausible foundation for a horror movie, but no, the movie seriously has all the adults just blow o a girl who is screaming about witnessing a child abduction. She has no choice but to try to rescue the boy herself, which costs her life. She dies onstage as her aforementioned favorite animatron-

ic, the Marionette – a character not in the rst movie because it did not carry over to the subsequent Freddy’s franchise location where that movie was set — appears to take her soul.

In the present day, rst-movie protagonist Mike (Josh Hutcherson) is trying to move on with his life. He’s got a good thing going, now with uncontested custody of his younger sister Abby (Piper Rubio) and a budding relationship with cop friend Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail). But Vanessa is still haunted by dreams of her villainous father, William (Matthew Lillard, only used for a cameo for the sake of a cameo), and Abby is being bullied by her loathsome science teacher (Wayne Knight). Plus, Abby just has to be obsessed with her old “friends” at Freddy’s, which leads to Mike giving her a radio that lets her talk to the

possessed robots. It turns out that the radio lets her talk to the “wrong” possessed robots, as in the ones at the old Freddy’s location, which includes The Marionette, now possessed by Charlotte. Charlotte — who can possess the Marionette animatronic, but also humans, including a viral ghost chaser (McKenna Grace, actually quite scary on the few occasions that the movie lets her be) — is on a mission to rid the world of adults. Not just the adults that ignored her in 1982 — all adults. Some manipulation of Abby and boom, Charlotte now has a whole eet of Freddy’s robots at her disposal. Characters jockey for control of the robots, who are descending on a town-wide celebration of the Freddy’s legacy. The movie looks like it’s ready for a big festival showdown around crowds of

Globe snubs, surprises: ‘Wicked,’ Julia Roberts, Sydney Sweeney, more

KPop Demon Hunters” earned the nomination for box o ce achievement

By Lindsey Bahr

The Associated Press

PERHAPS THE “Wicked” team should have called on Madame Morrible to enact some dark magic on Golden Globe voters before nominations were announced Monday. “Wicked: For Good” wasn’t nominated for best picture or best director, one of several surprising exclusions.

Snubs at the Golden Globes seem even more shocking considering how many people do get nominated. With six nominees in most categories, separate nominations for comedy/ musical and drama, television and podcast buckets too, it seems there would be enough to go around. And yet that’s hardly ever the case. Others left out include Joe Rogan, Sydney Sweeney and Gwyneth Paltrow, leaving room for plenty of surprise inclusions. Here are some of the biggest snubs and surprises of the morning.

SNUB: “Wicked: For Good” and Jon M. Chu

Yes, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande got in (although Grande’s inclusion in the supporting category is really stretching the limits of the word “supporting”), but this was supposed to be “Wicked’s” year at the Golden Globes. Not only was Jon M. Chu looked over (again) for best director, but the lm itself didn’t even get into the Musical/Come -

dy category for best picture — and this after they so graciously accepted the weird conciliatory box o ce achievement prize last year. Was it because “Wicked: For Good” wasn’t as well-received as the rst? Either way, it teaches awards bodies a lesson about “waiting” to honor two -parters until the second (see also: “Dune”).

SURPRISE: Julia Roberts Roberts’ turn as a Yale philosophy professor embroiled in a moral conundrum in Luca Guadagnino’s “After the Hunt” was widely praised as a return to form for the star. But the lm itself pretty much died on the vine — a critical and box ofce op that seemed to indicate that it was out of the awards conversation entirely. And yet, same as it ever was, the Globes

can’t resist a high wattage star like Roberts in their midst.

SNUB: Sydney Sweeney

By the same skewed Golden Globes logic, it’s actually kind of shocking that Sweeney didn’t get a best actress, drama nod. Her transformative turn as a boxer in “Christy” was well-received at the Toronto International Film Festival and had awards prognosticators buzzing. It opped at the box o ce, but in the most cynical sense, you’d think the show would want Sweeney, who seemingly can’t help going viral, gracing the red carpet.

SURPRISE: “KPop Demon Hunters” for box o ce achievement

This one is more than a little

confounding considering Netix doesn’t report box o ce results as a company policy. Yes, “KPop Demon Hunters” unocially topped the domestic box o ce charts two months after hitting Net ix, but its theatrical footprint was truly limited. There was an awards qualifying run, a weekend sing-along release at the end of August and another over Halloween weekend that did not spark quite as much enthusiasm.

SNUB: “Ne Zha II”

And then there is the Chinese animated epic “Ne Zha II” which is actually the biggest movie of the year with more than $2 billion earned worldwide, but because it wasn’t a Motion Picture Association movie, it’s left o most charts. The movie wasn’tamong the box

people for its climax and then … it ends.

Is it an unwelcome spoiler to say that the movie ends with only one robot at the festival and more on the way? Maybe so, but it was an unwelcome spoiling of my moviegoing experience for the movie to end where it did. And the sequel-bait ending is only one of the movie’s problems. The pacing is horrendous, the acting is sti , cheap jump scares are way overused, the robots can supposedly sneak up on people despite being giant metal monstrosities, we’re expected to keep track of which robots are under whose control despite there being multiple versions of the same robots, and Lillard doesn’t share any screen time with fellow “Scream” killer Skeet Ulrich (as Charlotte’s father) despite the movie’s advertising heavily implying a reunion. With very little time left to lose its lead, “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” is the worst movie of 2025.

Grade: D

“Five Nights at Freddy’s 2” is rated PG-13 for violent content, terror and some language. Its running time is 104 minutes.

o ce or the animated feature nominees.

SNUB: Gwyneth Paltrow

This one stings. Here we have an A-lister making a grand return to prestige movies, and somehow there’s no room for Paltrow in the supporting actress category for her ercely intelligent performance as a faded movie star in “Marty Supreme.” This would have been a winwin for the show — both for the sake of its own legitimacy and red-carpet prospects.

SNUB: Joe Rogan and all political podcasts

“The Joe Rogan Experience” is the most popular podcast of the year and yet somehow was not nominated in the new podcast category. Not only that, but shortlisted political shows including “The Ben Shapiro Show,” “Pod Save America,” “The Megyn Kelly Show,” “The Tucker Carlson Show” and Candace Owens’ podcast were also left o the list.

SURPRISE: Emily Blunt

“The Smashing Machine’s” prospects also seemed to wither with mixed reviews, but Blunt and, less surprisingly, Dwayne Johnson both got through. Blunt is exceedingly well-liked, but the character of Dawn Staples was perhaps not the best showcase for her talents. Also, maybe this should have been Paltrow’s spot?

SNUB: “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery”

We need to get Benoit Blanc on this very silly mystery. Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out movie got zero nominations.

SNUB: “The Gilded Age”

The lush HBO period series was completely looked over. Mrs. Russell would not stand for such a slight.

Elizabeth Lail, from left, Piper Rubio and Josh Hutcherson star in “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.”

AMAZON MGM STUDIOS VIA AP

Julia Roberts and Andrew Gar eld star in “After the Hunt.”

“Sinners” is among the highest-earning movies of the year

Best movies of 2025, ranked 9

By Lindsey Bahr and Jake Coyle The Associated Press

HERE ARE The Associated Press’ Film Writers Lindsey Bahr and Jake Coyle’s picks for the best movies of 2025.

LINDSEY BAHR’S TOP MOVIES OF 2025

1. “One Battle After Another”

Paul Thomas Anderson took us on ride of the year with “One Battle After Another,” which is so many things — a clever farce, a frenetic thrill ride, a poignant drama about single parenting, a buddy comedy — it’s nearly impossible to describe compellingly or coherently. (In theaters)

2. “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”

Mary Bronstein turned her own domestic nightmare into a raw and surreal cinematic expression of maternal exhaustion and madness in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.” Anchored by an utterly fearless performance from Rose Byrne, Bronstein’s lm is an exposed nerve come to life. (Available for digital rental)

3. “Marty Supreme”

Great lmmakers can make anything exciting, like, say, the adventures of a broke table tennis player, and true SOB Marty Mauser, in mid-century New York. Josh Safdie and his cowriter and editor, Ronald Bronstein, built an enormously entertaining, white-knuckle spectacle of ambition and ego giving us the de ning Timothée Chalamet performance we’ve been waiting for. (In theaters Dec. 25)

4. “Sentimental Value”

The ghosts of the past and things unsaid linger in cracks and oorboards of the quiet home at the heart of Joachim Trier’s latest, a textured and mature portrait of family, grief, forgiveness and the loneliness of a life in the arts. With a moving turn from Stellan Skarsgård as an acclaimed lmmaker trying to reconnect with the daughters he cast aside for his career. (In theaters)

5. “The Naked Gun”

Finally, a great studio comedy and in the most unlikely of packages: A self-consciously shameless reboot/sequel/remake that stands on its own through Akiva Scha er’s total commit-

ment to absolute silliness. Only “Hamnet” elicited more tears. (Streaming on Paramount+)

6. “Sinners”

Another deeply personal, go-for-broke lm that only Ryan Coogler could have made, “Sinners” is the bluesy, vampire, gangster musical we never knew we needed. Vibrantly lmed and told, with an extraordinary ensemble cast (and two Michael B. Jordans), its surface pleasures alone are worth celebrating. (Streaming on HBO Max)

7. “Sound of Falling”

Past and present also blur in Mascha Schilinski’s haunting and ethereal second feature. It’s both disorienting and trans xing in telling the stories of four young women, in four di erent times on the same North German farm, somehow both coming-of-age and ghost story at once. (Wide release in theaters Jan. 16)

8. “It Was Just an Accident”

Tense, devastating and even a darkly funny, Iranian lmmaker Jafar Panahi sets up an enthralling moral conundrum in his rst lm since his own imprisonment. What does justice look like after imprisonment and torture? (In theaters)

9. “The Voice of Hind Rajab”

Kaouther Ben Hania also confronted modern atrocities using the language of cinematic storytelling, and the real audio of a young girl’s call for help, in “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” a shattering document of the Israel-Hamas war. (In theaters Dec. 17)

10. “Urchin,” “The Chronology of Water” and “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight”

Three wonderful lms this year came from familiar faces, all making their feature debuts. Harris Dickinson channeled the social realism of Ken Loach and Mike Leigh to tell a compassionate but clear-eyed story about the cycles of homelessness in “Urchin.” Kristen Stewart proved to be as bold behind the camera as she is in front of it with “The Chronology of Water.” (“Urchin” is available to rent or

buy. “The Chronology of Water” is in select theaters this week, expanding in January. “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight” is available to rent or buy.)

JAKE COYLE’S TOP MOVIES OF 2025

1. “One Battle After Another”

For a movie that feels so enthrallingly of the moment, Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest is curiously out of time. The echoes of the Black Panther and Weather Underground movements seem to belong to another era. Yet Anderson’s scru y opus makes its own history and its own resistance. (In theaters)

2. “No Other Choice”

In Park Chan-wook’s masterful, midnight-black comedy, a newly out-of-work man (Lee Byung-hun) decides his best option to get a leg up on similarly quali ed job applicants is to kill them, one by one. It’s an ingenious narrative that Park extrapolates in increasingly profound ways. (In theaters Dec. 25)

3. “It Was Just an Accident”

Jafar Panahi has made a lot of great lms, many of them in extraordinary circumstances. All of them, despite the hardships they document and exist in, are also playful and en-

tertaining. So see his latest not just because it’s an important Iranian lm, shot through with pain and fury. (In theaters)

4. “Marty Supreme”

The annals of great New York movies have a new one. Josh Safdie’s picaresque pingpong epic, starring Timothée Chalamet as a tireless striver, is the giddiest, most breathless movie of the year. And I’m not just saying that in the hope that a Chalamet-induced table tennis resurgence displaces pickleball. (In theaters Dec. 25)

5. “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery”

Underestimate Rian Johnson’s whodunits at your peril. The latest chapter in the endlessly entertaining adventures of Benoit Blanc may be the best of the bunch. It’s certainly the most moving one. (In theaters; on Net ix Dec. 12)

6.”April”

Easily the most haunting movie of the year. Georgian lmmaker Dea Kulumbegashvili’s second lm is about a solitary obstetrician, Nina (an extraordinary Ia Sukhitashvili), who traverses the country’s dark countryside serving women while enduring oppressive vili cation. (Not yet available for digital rental)

7. “Sinners”

Swaggering big-screen genre mashups like this don’t come along too often. Hollywood is desperate for more of them. It should start with whatever Ryan Coogler wants. (Streaming on HBO Max)

8. “Secret Mall Apartment”

The hook of this gem of a documentary is a goofy one: In 2003, eight young Rhode Islanders built and often lived in a hidden space within a Providence mall for years. But when director Jeremy Workman digs into the stranger-than- ction story, he reveals much more than a prank, uncovering something thoughtful and inspiring. (Available for digital rental)

9. “Blue Moon”

What extraordinarily good company Ethan Hawke’s Lorenz Hart is in Richard Linklater’s delightful and melancholy chamber drama, one of two excellent lms in 2025 from the director. (In theaters)

10. “Afternoons of Solitude”

Albert Serra’s documentary close-up of bull ghting makes no overt judgment of the Spanish corridas. Instead, it stays rigorously trained on one bull ghter, Andrés Roca Rey, and the bulls he faces in the ring. (Available for digital rental)

Number of Golden Globe nominations scored by “One Battle After Another”

WARNER BROS. PICTURES VIA AP

Michael B. Jordan, left and center, pulls double duty with Omar Benson Miller, right, in Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners.”

FRANK MASI / PARAMOUNT PICTURES VIA AP

Left, Teyana Taylor is part of a star-studded cast in “One Battle After Another.” Right, Liam Neeson plays Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. in “The Naked Gun,” an applauded reboot of the 1988 comedy that starred Leslie Nielsen as the screwball detective.

WARNER BROS. PICTURES VIA AP

WARNER BROS. PICTURES VIA AP

NEON VIA AP

Clockwise from top left:

Lee Byung-hun stars in “No Other Choice.”

From left, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr as Hamid, Majid Panahi as Ali and Hadis Pakbaten as Goli star in “It Was Just An Accident.”

Leonardo DiCaprio stars in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another.”

NEON VIA AP

How Spotify built your 2025 wrapped

The streaming giant’s annual recap returns with new features

By Wyatte Grantham-Philips The Associated Press

NEW YORK — The end of 2025 is almost upon us. And it’s time to unpack Spotify Wrapped.

Last Wednesday, the music streaming giant delivered its annual recap — giving its hundreds of millions of users worldwide a look at the top songs, artists, podcasts and other audio that lled their ears over the past year (give or take a month and some change).

Spotify isn’t the only platform — or music streamer — to roll out a yearly glimpse of data collected from consumers’ online lives. But since its launch about a decade ago, Wrapped has become one of the most anticipated. And Spotify is billing the 2025 edition to be its biggest yet, with a host of new features it hopes may address some disappointments users had last year. So what goes into pulling together Wrapped, and what’s new this year? Here’s what to know.

How much of the year does Spotify Wrapped cover?

To compile Wrapped, Spotify collects listening data from Jan. 1 through around mid-November. That gives the company time to solidify nishing touches and deliver its recap to users by early December. But it also means your late November and December streaming habits won’t be included, which may be why your favorite holiday songs aren’t on the list, or other year- end hits.

What goes into getting top songs, artists and more?

For top songs, artists and — for the rst time this year — albums to show up on Spotify Wrapped, the platform looks at a mix of what you stream and how long you listen for.

Spotify’s

highly anticipated 2025 Wrapped arrives with fresh tools and a year-in-review of listening habits.

“It’s a full year production that touches, without question, every function within Spotify.”

Marc Hazan, Spotify senior VP of marketing and partnerships

According to Spotify, users must listen to at least 30 tracks for over 30 seconds each to get top songs. For artists, users need to listen to at least ve unique artists for over 30 seconds. And for top album, users need to have listened to at least 70% of the tracks on one album.

The company con rmed that data is collected evenly across all platforms — and that streaming in “o ine” mode

will also be counted, as long as the device connects back to the internet a few weeks before Wrapped’s launch. Listening using Spotify’s “private mode” features, meanwhile, won’t contribute to any rankings but will still count toward total time spent on the platform. And Spotify says, “background sounds,” like white noise, are ltered out.

When does Spotify start building Wrapped each year? What’s new in 2025?

Marc Hazan, senior vice president of marketing and partnerships at Spotify, said his team started thinking about 2025 Wrapped the day last year’s recap was launched.

“It’s a full year production that touches, without question, every function within Spotify,” Hazan

Court Division Before the Clerk STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Ruth Mae (Penny) Bryan, 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 20th day of February, 2026 (which date is three months after the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 20th day of November, 2025. Please send correspondence to: Estate of Ruth Bryan, 3113 Braddock Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28301. To run 11/20, 11/27, 12/4, 12/11 Administrator of the Estate of Ruth Mae (Penny) Bryan

NOTICE

In the General Court of Justice of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File #25E001083-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY

ADMINISTRATION NOTICE

The undersigned having Quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Denny Davis, Deceased, late of Cumberland County, This is to notify all persons Having claims against said Estate to present them to the Undersigned on or before the 4h day of March 2026, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 24th day of November, 2025. Administrator of the Estate of Denny Davis. Sandra Davis 651 Wood Church Rd. Louisburg, NC 27549

NOTICE

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court

Division Before the Clerk Estate le #25E001671-250

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE

The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Doris Ann Maxwell English, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 11th day of March, 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.

told The Associated Press. On day one, he noted, that includes looking at what users think of the Wrapped that just dropped.

Many Spotify subscribers were quick to share disappointments about 2024’s recap — with some complaining that Wrapped was too minimalist last year. Others took to social media with memes mocking features that didn’t seem to hit the mark.

The look and feel of Wrapped evolves each year, and Hazan noted the development of the 2025 edition was largely driven by last year’s feedback.

“We’ve really taken the feedback to heart — and fueled what we think is the freshest, most action-packed Wrapped experience we’ve ever done,” he added.

That includes returning music genres, which were missing in 2024’s Wrapped. The

indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Dated this 12th day of November, 2025.

NOTICE

State of North Carolina County of Cumberland In The General Court Of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File # 25E001785-250 Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having quali ed as executor of the Estate of Mrs. Hattie Mace Fowler, 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 11 day of March, 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 December, 2025. Executor 1019 Hillsboro Street Fayetteville, NC 28301 Of The Estate of Hattie Mace Fowler, Deceased.

NOTICE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Gregory

platform is also introducing top albums and audiobooks, as well as play counts for each song that makes your annual playlist. How is AI used?

Among other backlashes Spotify received last year was speculation over how much arti cial intelligence played a role in compiling Wrapped.

The most visible use of AI in Spotify’s 2024 Wrapped was an accompanying podcast powered by generative AI. Spotify didn’t repeat the podcast this year but is introducing another feature, Archive, which uses a large language model to break down your listening on specific days.

That’s the most AI-focused part of 2025’s Wrapped, Hazan said. But the technology is still more broadly supplemented across Spotify’s technical operations today, including in scaling the reach of its annual recap.

“Rooted into Wrapped is human creativity,” Hazan said, stressing that hundreds of people work on pulling together the recap each year.

What does Wrapped say about data tracking more broadly?

Streaming rival Apple Music rolled out its annual “Replay” on Tuesday, and YouTube this week unveiled its new “Recap,” which similarly breaks down its listeners’ music habits. Social media platforms, Google search and even dictionaries also o er their own year-end re ections. These recaps may signal more transparency for users because they can see some data in their hands. And products like Wrapped have become particularly popular because they’re personalized and now designed to share online — leaving many to look forward to it as an “annual ritual” of sorts, notes Yakov Bart, a marketing professor at Northeastern University.

“What Spotify Wrapped is able to do is essentially package this tracked data into the form of entertainment,” Bart said. “It reframes all this digital tracking that’s constantly happening behind the scenes into something that’s fun … And so, instead of kind of feeling under surveillance, users (are) basically feeling seen.”

PATRICK SEMANSKY / AP PHOTO

Smith, Jr. a/k/a Robert L. Smith Mailing address: P. O. Box 53606 Fayetteville, NC 28305 Physical address: 235 Green Street Fayetteville, NC 28301 Executor’s Notice IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION

of

of

CREDITORS

Executor of the

of

aka Elizabeth Autry Spell,

County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms or corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at 5420 Thompson Circle, Hope Mills, North Carolina 28348, on or before February 27, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate

53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305 11/27/2025, 12/04/2025, 12/11/2025 and 12/18/2025

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND AND IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE: 24E002856250 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF : DEALTON THAGGARD. Administrator’s Notice The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Dealton Thaggard, 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 11th day of March, 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 recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 11th day of December, 2025. Charisma McKoy, 2300 Cumberland Gap Drive, Apt. 106, Fayetteville, NC 28306Administrator of the Estate of Dealton Thaggard; Deceased; September 3, 2024, December 11, 2025.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF DENNIS CURTIS VANDEVENDER CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 001788-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Dennis Curtis Vandevender, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Linda Walker Vandevender, Administrator, at 738 Southview Cir., Fayetteville, NC 28311, on or before the 5th day of March, 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 1st day of December, 2025. Linda Walker Vandevender Administrator of the Estate of Dennis Curtis Vandevender Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: December 4, December 11, December 18 and December 25, 2025

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE UNDERSIGNED, Franklin Fussell, having quali ed on the 14th day of November 2025, as Limited Personal Representative of the Estate of Sarah Page Fussell Cochrane (17E001585640), deceased, does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said Estate that they must present them to the undersigned at DAVID E. ANDERSON, PLLC, 9111 Market Street, Suite A, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28411, on or before the 23rd day of February, 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 20th day of November 2025. Franklin Fussell Limited Personal Representative ESTATE OF SARAH PAGE FUSSELL COCHRANE David Anderson Attorney at Law 9111 Market St, Ste A Wilmington, NC 28411 Publish: November 20, 2025 November 27, 2025 December 4, 2025 December 11, 2025

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, ROBIN D. EDMONDS, having quali ed as the Executor of the Ancillary Estate of RICHARD DOMINIAK, Deceased, hereby noti es all persons, rms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said ROBIN D. EDMONDS, at the address set out below, on or before February 26, 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 20TH day of November, 2025. ROBIN D. EDMONDS Executor OF THE ANCILLARY ESTATE OF RICHARD DOMINIAK c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE UNDERSIGNED, Eileen Marie Hillicke, having quali ed on the 25th day of September 2025, as Limited Personal Representative of the Estate of Charles P. Hillicke, Jr. (25E002162-640), deceased, does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said Estate that they must present them to the undersigned at DAVID E. ANDERSON, PLLC, 9111 Market Street, Suite A, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28411, on or before the 9th day of March, 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 4th day of December 2025. Eileen Marie Hillicke Limited Personal Representative ESTATE OF CHARLES P. HILLICKE, JR. David Anderson Attorney at Law 9111 Market St, Ste A Wilmington, NC 28411

Publish: December 4, 2025 December 11, 2025 December 18, 2025 December 25, 2025

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE UNDERSIGNED, David E. Anderson, having quali ed on the 3rd day of November 2025, as Administrator of the Estate of Stefan Linscheid (25E002482640), deceased, does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said Estate that they must present them to the undersigned at DAVID E. ANDERSON, PLLC, 9111 Market Street, Suite A, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28411, on or before the 16th day of March, 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 11th day of December 2025. David E. Anderson Administrator ESTATE OF STEFAN LINSCHEID

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

Publish: December 11, 2025 December 18, 2025 December 25, 2025 January 1, 2026

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE UNDERSIGNED, Amy M. Perry, having quali ed on the 1st day of December 2025, as Administrator of the Estate of Neil William Perry (25E002598640), deceased,

that

present

to the undersigned at DAVID E. ANDERSON, PLLC, 9111 Market Street, Suite A, Wilmington,

Carolina, 28411, on or before the 16th day of March, 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 11th day of December 2025. Amy M. Perry Administrator ESTATE OF NEIL WILLIAM PERRY David Anderson

1, 2026

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA WAKE COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE UNDERSIGNED, Christa Ritchie, having quali ed on the 25th day of November 2025, as Executor of the Estate of Stephen Joseph Veno (24E003678-910), deceased, does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said Estate that they must present them to the undersigned at DAVID E. ANDERSON, PLLC, 9111 Market Street, Suite A, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28411, on or before the 16th day of March, 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 11th day of December 2025. Christa Ritchie Executor ESTATE OF STEPHEN JOSEPH VENO

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

Publish: December 11, 2025 December 18, 2025 December 25, 2025 January 1, 2026

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE UNDERSIGNED, Charles J. Sumner, having quali ed on the 21st day of November 2025, as Ancillary Executor of the Estate of Nancy Peters Vermilyea (25E002410-640), deceased, does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said Estate that they must present them to the undersigned at DAVID E. ANDERSON, PLLC, 9111 Market Street, Suite A, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28411, on or before the 9th day of March, 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 4th day of December 2025. Charles J. Sumner Ancillary Executor ESTATE OF NANCY PETERS VERMILYEA David Anderson Attorney at Law 9111 Market St, Ste A Wilmington, NC 28411 Publish: December 4, 2025 December 11, 2025 December 18, 2025 December 25, 2025

This

RANDOLPLH

Dianna L. Clise Edgar

Clise a/k/a Edgar D. Clise, 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 Larry Allen Kearns, 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 23, 2026,

Kearns Marion “Beth” McQuaid, Attorney IVEY & EGGLESTON, ATTORNEYS AT LAW 111 Worth Street Asheboro, NC 27203 (336) 625-3043 PUBL/DATES: 11/20/25 11/27/25 12/04/25 12/11/25

NOTICE

of December 2025. Victoria Alicia Miller Thomas David Malone, Estate Andrew J. Weiner, Attorney Gavin & Cox 113 Worth Street Asheboro, NC 27203 Telephone: 336-629-2600

NOTICE

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of RONALD GENE SMITH, late of Randolph County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of the decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ce of TAYLOR B. CALLICUTT, ATTORNEY AT LAW, PO Box 2445, Asheboro, North Carolina 27204, on or before February 20, 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 20th day of November, 2025 NAME VICKY GILKERSON SMITH Administrator of the Estate of Ronald Gene Smith, deceased TAYLOR B. CALLICUTT ATTORNEY AT LAW PO Box 2445 Asheboro, NC 27204 (336) 953-4661 PUBL/DATES: 11/20/25 11/27/25 12/4/25 12/11/25

NOTICE

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of LILLIE L. SUGG aka LILLIE MAE LINEBERRY SUGGS, late of Randolph County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of the decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ce of TAYLOR B. CALLICUTT, ATTORNEY AT LAW, PO Box 2445, Asheboro, North Carolina 27204, on or before March 2, 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 27th day of November, 2025 Charles H. Lineberry, Executor of the Estate of Lillie L. Sugg ska Lillie Mae Lineberry Suggs TAYLOR B. CALLICUTT ATTORNEY AT LAW PO Box 2445 Asheboro, NC 27204 (336) 953-4661 PUBL/DATES: 11/27/25 12/04/25 12/11/25

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY

25 SP 000363-250

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Cash Flowing, LLC, Mortgagor(s), in the original amount of $113,750.00, to Vontive, Inc., Mortgagee, dated May 17th, 2024 and recorded on May 24th, 2024 in Book 11979, Page 0292, 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 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 December 16th, 2025, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: The land referred to herein below is situated in the County of Cumberland, State of North Carolina, and is described as follows: Being all of Lots 149, 150 and 151, as shown on a plat entitled “Gallup Property” dated July 1951, as prepared by Sol C. Rose, Registered Surveyor and recorded in Book 13, Page 61, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Parcel ID: 0406-99-1982 Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 5313 Dairy Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28304 Tax ID: 0406-99-1982 Third party purchasers must pay the recording costs of the trustee’s deed, any land transfer taxes, the excise tax, pursuant North Carolina General Statutes §105-228.30, in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00) per each Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof, and the Clerk of Courts fee, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §7A308, in the amount of Forty- ve Cents (0.45) per each

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 24SP000313-250 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Lace Collins and Chalyce Collins (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Chalyce Collins) to Chris Salyer, Trustee(s), dated February 5, 2021, and recorded in Book No. 11017, at Page 0579 and re-recorded in Book No. 11017, at Page 0589 in Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds Cumberland County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 24 SP 89 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Curtis Lee Britton (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Curtis Lee Britton) to John B. Third, Trustee(s), dated February 14, 2022, and recorded in Book No. 11392, at Page 0233 in Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds Cumberland County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on December 15, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Fayetteville in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot Six (6) and the southern

designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on December 15, 2025 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Fayetteville in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Parcel Number 9497-94-4161

BEING all of Lot 34 in a subdivision known as Oakridge Estates, plat of the same duly recorded in Plat Book 142, Page 172, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 3529 Canby Oak Lane, Fayetteville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to three hours as provided in N.C.G.S. 45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. 7A-308(a)(1). The property to be o ered

one-half of Lot Five (5) of Block B of Sunnyside Acres in accordance with survey and plat of same duly recorded in Book of Plats 33, Page 80, Cumberland County Registry, and being more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at an iron stake in the western right of way margin of Cecil Street (having a right of way of 60 feet), that is located South 17 degrees 00 minutes 378.0 feet from the p.c. in the western right of way margin of Cecil Street as same curves to the left to intersect with southern right of way margin of the old Clinton Road ( State Road 2000 and having a right of way of 60 feet), and runs thence South 17 degrees 00 minutes East 150.0 feet to an iron stake, the southeast corner of Lot 6, Block B; and runs thence along the dividing line between Lots 6 and 7, Block B, South 73 degrees West 150.0 feet to an iron stake; and runs thence along the western line of Lots 6 and 5, Block B, North 17 degrees 00 minutes West 150.0 feet to an iron stake; and runs thence along the southern line of the lot conveyed to Liston Spell and wife, by deed dated July 21, 1967, North 73 degrees East 150.0 feet to an iron stake in the western right of way margin of Cecil Street, the point of beginning. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 508 Cecil Street, Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Parcel ID: 0456-94-9785

will place for sale, at public auction, to the highest bidder for cash at the usual place of sale at the Durham County Courthouse, 510 South Dillard St, Durham, North Carolina on DECEMBER 16, 2025 AT 3:00 O’CLOCK P.M., all of Borrowers’ right, title and interest in and to the real property described hereinbelow, together with any improvements and xtures existing or hereafter placed on or attached to the tracts of real property, and all other appurtenant rights and privileges, situated, lying and being in Durham County, State of North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows:

All that certain lot or parcel of land and more particularly described as follows:

All of Lot 7, Stillwood Subdivision, as shown on a map thereof in Plat Book 171, pages 102-107 (Lot being speci cally shown on Page 105), Durham County Registry, to which map reference is hereby made for a more particular description.

The Real Property or its address is commonly known as 3706 Mountain

6824-50-6094 ADDRESS: 1636 OLD SALISBURY RD WINSTON SALEM, NC 27127 PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): CATHERINE PLEASANTS FULP THE LAND DESCRIBED HEREIN IS SITUATED IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, COUNTY OF FORSYTH, AND IS DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK RE 3605, PAGE 668, AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT A NEW IRON PIPE IN THE EASTERN RIGHT OF WAY LINE OF OLD SALISBURY ROAD (SR NO. 3011), SAID IRON PIPE BEING ALSO THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE PROPERTY OF R.M. KIMEL AND WIFE, CLEVE KIMEL, BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK 311 AT PAGE 200 OF THE FORSYTH COUNTY REGISTRY; RUNNING THENCE NORTH 87 DEGREES 55’ 24”

LLC. 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,

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.

Property Address: 508 Cecil Street, Fayetteville, NC 28312

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

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

The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance

“AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being o ered for sale, and 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

Brook Circle, Durham, NC 27704.

Address of property: 3706 Mountain Brook Circle, Durham, North Carolina Tax Parcel ID: 203019

Present Record Owners: Leonard Paul Cook and Sri Priyam

The terms of the sale are that the real property hereinbefore described will be sold for cash to the highest bidder. The Substitute Trustee reserves the right to require a cash deposit or a certi ed check not to exceed the greater of ve percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00). In the event that the note holder or its intended assignee is exempt from paying the same, the successful bidder will also be required to pay revenue stamps on the Trustee’s Deed, any Land Transfer Tax, and the tax required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

The real property hereinabove described is being o ered for sale “AS IS, WHERE IS” and will be sold subject to all superior liens, unpaid taxes, and special assessments. Other conditions will be announced at the sale. The sale will be held open for ten (10) days for upset bids as by law required.

DEED BOOK 1619 AT PAGE 3048 OF THE FORSYTH COUNTY REGISTRY. A MAP SHOWING THE ABOVE DESCRIBED

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. 4521.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property

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 sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the Trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the Trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice Where the Real Property is Residential With Less Than 15 Rental Units:

An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. §45-

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 Forsyth County, North Carolina, in Book RE 3881, Page 3136, 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 Forsyth County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, on December 17, 2025 at 1:00 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Forsyth, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER(S):

EAST A DISTANCE OF 139.70 FEET TO AN EXISTING IRON PIPE; RUNNING THENCE SOUTH 02 DEGREES 49’ 39” WEST A DISTANCE OF 75.0 FEET TO AN EXISTING IRON PIPE; RUNNING THENCE SOUTH 86 DEGREES 02’ 51” WEST A DISTANCE OF 142.96 FEET TO A REBAR; RUNNING THENCE ALONG THE EASTERN RIGHT OF WAY OF OLD SALISBURY ROAD (SR NO. 3011) NORTH 04 DEGREES 49’00” EAST A DISTANCE OF 79.98 FEET TO THE POINT AND PLACE OF THE BEGINNING.

SAID TRACT BEING A PORTION OF LOTS 12 AND 13 OF PATTERSON KNOLL AS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 3, PAGE 70A OF THE FORSYTH COUNTY REGISTRY AND ALSO KNOWN AS TAX LOTS 12A AND 13A OF TAX BLOCK 2287 OF WINSTON TOWNSHIP, DATED MAY 18, 1990. FOR FURTHER REFERENCE SEE

PROPERTY IS RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 3, PAGE 70A Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of FortyFive Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being o ered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fty

dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for 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

FORSYTH

DURHAM

Double teamed

Pittsboro swears in new commissioners

Jay Farrell was elected mayor pro tem

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

Supreme Court questions limits on political spending in≈federal elections

Washington, D.C.

Conservative Supreme Court justices appeared to back a Republicanled drive, supported by President Donald Trump’s administration, to overturn a quarter-century- old decision and erase limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president. A day after the justices indicated they would overturn a 90-year- old decision limiting the president’s power to re independent agency heads, the court on Tuesday took up a 2001 decision that upheld a provision of federal election law that is more than 50 years old. The Republican committees for House and Senate candidates led the lawsuit in Ohio in 2022.

SCOTUS seems likely to back Trump’s power to re independent agency members

Washington, D.C.

The Supreme Court seems likely to expand presidential control over independent federal agencies, signaling support for President Donald Trump’s ring of board members. The court’s conservative majority suggested in arguments Monday it would overturn a 90-year-old decision that has limited when presidents can re agencies’ board members, or leave it with only its shell intact. Lawyers for the administration are defending Trump’s decision to re a Federal Trade Commission member without cause and calling on the court to jettison the unanimous 1935 decision.

$2.00

PITTSBORO — The Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioners swore in the two newest members this week. At the board’s Dec. 8 meet-

ing, Mayor Kyle Shipp along with the new commissioners — Tiana Thurber and Candace Hunziker — took their oaths of o ce following their November election wins. Shipp ran unopposed for the mayoral seat and will be going into his second term in o ce. Before becoming mayor in 2023, he served one term as a town commissioner from 2019-23.

Hunziker and Thurber nished as the top two vote-getters in a tight, eight-participant race. Following the new oaths of o ce, the board also unanimously voted Commissioner Jay Farrell as mayor pro tem.

“I just appreciate the board for their con dence in myself, and I’ll do my best,” Farrell said.

The board also recognized its

two outgoing members in Pamela Baldwin and James Vole. Baldwin rst joined the board of commissioners in 2005 and served the town for 20 years. She has also served as mayor pro tem since 2011.

“Pamela Baldwin has sel essly dedicated countless hours, embraced personal sacri ces

Chapel Hill swears in mayor, town council

sion of a complete community.”

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

CHAPEL HILL — The Chap -

el Hill Town Council has sworn in a new batch of members.

At the council’s Dec. 3 meeting, Mayor Jessica Anderson and the four elected council members from the November election were sworn into o ce. Anderson has served as mayor since 2023. Before that, she served on the town council since 2015.

The two incumbents, Camille Berry and Paris Miller-Foushee, took their oaths, with each having been elected for a second term.

“When I rst ran for mayor two years ago, I made two promises that have guided every decision I’ve made and that will continue to guide my decisions for the future,” Anderson said. “First, to be a mayor for all. Second, to make real progress on Chapel Hill’s bold vi-

“I want to say thank you to everyone who participates in our democracy,” Berry said. “It is the eve of 2026, and we all need to encourage everyone to make sure they are eligible and have done everything they must to vote. It is the most precious gift that we were given by those before us who died for that priv-

Man who says religious group beat him wants prosecutor removed

The Rutherford County case has been ongoing for nearly a decade

By Je rey Collins

The Associated Press

A MAN WHO SAYS mem-

bers of a secretive North Carolina religious group held him down and beat him wants the prosecutor kicked o his case, accusing the district attorney of siding with a church that dozens of former congregants have said abused them.

Matthew Fenner said in court documents that he has waited more than eight years for a re-

trial in the kidnapping and assault case involving Word of Faith Fellowship only for McDowell and Rutherford County District Attorney Ted Bell to schedule the second trial for a church leader during the week Fenner had interviews for a medical residency. Fenner said Bell has refused to delay it.

In a sworn statement, Fenner said Bell wants to stay on Word of Faith’s good side because he supports the locally in uential church and its hundreds of members in the small county who could stay in his favor for his reelection bid in 2026.

“I remain committed to ful lling my duties with

Ted

ilege. I’m so honored to serve once again.”

“I want to congratulate all the candidates on a successful election to o ce, and I really want to share my feelings of gratitude,” said Miller-Foushee.

In addition, newly elected members Wes McMahon and Louie Rivers were also sworn in.

“It is an incredible honor and privilege to take this role,” McMahon said. “Not many times do you swear to do something on

Bell, district attorney

THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Mayor Jessica Anderson along with two new council members and two incumbents took the oaths of o ce

Sophomore Breylan Harris (10) puts up a shot as Chatham Charter beat Wheatmore 63-50 on Friday.

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

CRIME

Dec. 2

• Shane Doyle Osburn, 40, of Pittsboro, was arrested for indecent liberties with a child and sexual battery.

Dec. 3

• Mathew Ryan Brassington, 38, of Chapel Hill, was arrested for rst degree sexual exploitation of a minor and employing or permitting minor to assist in o ense under article.

• Irvin Uriel De La Rosa Rojas, 24, of Chapel Hill, was arrested for tra cking stolen identities and identity theft.

• Chasity Gayle Edwards, 41, of Hudson, was arrested for possession of controlled substance on prison/ jail premises, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

T

• eresa Ellen Wood, 36, of Siler City, was arrested for driving while impaired and open container after consuming alcohol.

Dec. 4

• Patricia Ann Moore, 58, of Chapel Hill, was arrested for contributing to delinquency of juvenile and resisting public o cer.

Dec. 5

• Christopher Franklin Gaddis, 31, of Siler City, was arrested for possession of stolen motor vehicle.

• Christopher Lee Hamilton, 36, of Siler City, was arrested for assault by strangulation and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Dec. 6

• Jessica Leann Allen, 36, of Dunn, was arrested for felony possession of stolen goods and felony conspiracy.

• Ana Yadira Canseco-Orocio, 24, of Durham, was arrested for driving while impaired.

Student dies after stabbing at Winston-Salem high school

The incident at North Forsyth High School left one dead and another injured

The Associated Press

WINSTON-SALEM — A stabbing at a central North Carolina high school Tuesday left one student dead and another injured, authorities said.

Forsyth County Sheri Bobby Kimbrough said o cers at North Forsyth High School in Winston-Salem sought assistance shortly after 11 a.m.

“We responded to an altercation between two students,” Kimbrough said at a news conference, adding that “there was a loss of life.”

In an email to families and sta , Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools superintendent Don Phipps said one student died and another was injured.

Kimbrough said he wouldn’t take questions at the news conference, citing the ongoing investigation. Sheri ’s o ce spokesperson Krista Karcher said later that a stabbing had occurred and that the injured person was treated at a hospital and released. No information about potential charges was discussed

Winston-Salem Police o cers and Forsyth County Sheri ’s deputies block the gate leading to North Forsyth High School after a fatal stabbing Tuesday in Winston-Salem.

at the news conference. Kimbrough said in a video posted later on social media that there was no threat to the community.

“There are no suspects that we’re looking for,” he said. “We have that part of the investigation under control.”

Gov. Josh Stein, in a message on the social media platform X, called what happened “shocking and horrible” and said he was praying for all

students and their loved ones.

Phipps, who started in his post just last week, said at the news conference that it was the “worst nightmare of any educator. We hurt when our students hurt, and this is the ultimate hurt that we can possibly feel.”

North Forsyth High School will be closed Wednesday, he said, and a crisis team will be in place for sta and when students return.

New Girl Scout cookie avor debuts for 2026 season

Rocky road-inspired Exploremores joins nationwide lineup next month

Chatham News & Record sta

GIRL SCOUTS will o er a new cookie avor when the 2026 cookie season begins next month.

Exploremores, a rocky road ice cream-inspired sandwich cookie, joins the nationwide lineup alongside favorites like Thin Mints and Caramel deLites. The cookie features chocolate, marshmallow and toasted almond- avored crème.

Girl Scout Cookie booths open across 40 counties in western and central North Carolina on Jan. 16. The cookies will be available both online and in person at local booths. Customers can visit girlscoutcookies.org to sign up for noti cations when cookies go on sale in their area. Through the cookie pro -

PITTSBORO from page A1 and showcased remarkable community spirit in her role, all while maintaining a collaborative and approachable manner that made engaging with her a frequently enjoyable experience,” Shipp said. “I consider it an honor and

COUNCIL from page A1

the Constitution of the United States and of North Carolina, and I think in this day and age, we are in short supply of swearing to the Constitution.

I also believe I am here to uphold the integrity of the process of the work we do in town.

I look forward to helping our town.”

“I just want to say thank you,” said Rivers. “I suspect that these will not be easy times for our community, considering what’s happening in the country, considering what’s happening with our climate, but I am sure that with town sta and with our colleagues, we can start making headway

for 2026.

gram, Girl Scouts earn skill-building badges and learn goal-setting, money management and business ethics. All proceeds from cookie sales stay with local councils and troops to fund

a privilege to have served the town of Pittsboro and the citizens of Pittsboro for the last 20 years,” Baldwin said. “It is remarkable how Pittsboro has changed. I’ve tried to do all that I could to help Pittsboro what it should be and what it can be.”

Vose served one year as a

“I want to congratulate all the candidates on a successful election to o ce.”

Paris Miller-Foushee, council member

to make sure Chapel Hill sees its way through these di cult times.”

Following the swear-ins, the council also unanimously elected Berry as mayor pro tem.

“It is a long standing practice in Chapel Hill for the council to appointment a coun-

CHATHAM happening

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

Dec. 12

Bobby Gales & New Direction Bluegrass – Coming Home for Christmas

6 p.m. Doors open

7 p.m. Concert starts

Prior to the concert, there will be a free potluck supper for all attendees. You are not required to bring anything, but extra dishes are always welcome.

Bynum General Store 950 Bynum Road Bynum

Holiday in the Park 5-8 p.m.

This free indoor/outdoor event o ers a variety of holiday festivities, including the opportunity for letters to and photos with Santa, a tree lighting, hayride, and a host of games and craft activities. Vendor applications are now being accepted; contact Leigh.Babcock@ chathamcountync.gov for information.

Northwest District Park 2413 Woody Store Road Siler City

Dec. 13

Chatham County Partnership for Children: Reindeer 5K

7-10 a.m.

This annual event raises money for a variety of physical tness projects across Chatham County, from school playgrounds to youth sports equipment. Contact 984-265-9172 for registration and more details.

Central Carolina Community College 764 West St. Pittsboro

Bluegrass Jam Circle

10 a.m. to noon

programs throughout the year. Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont serves more than 4,900 girls and 3,900 adult volunteers across the region. For more information, visit girlscoutsp2p.org.

town commissioner, rst joining the board in 2021.

“James Vose has devoted signi cant time and attention in his capacity for the good of the town of Pittsboro,” Shipp said. The Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioners will next meet Jan. 12.

cil member to this position who has the most seniority and has not served in this capacity before,” Anderson said.

The council also recognized outgoing member Adam Searing, who did not seek reelection following his one term.

“I want to thank all the 2023-2025 council members for their hard work,” Anderson said. “And of course, in particular, I want to give a special thank you to outgoing council member Adam Searing for his service.”

“Serving our constituents, that’s really been the best part for me about being an elected o cial here in Chapel Hill,” Searing said.

This free acoustic jam session is open to musicians and singers of all ages and skill levels. There is no admission fee, and the public is welcome to attend.

Front Porch

Bynum General Store 950 Bynum Road Bynum

Dec.16

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

ALLISON LEE ISLEY / THE WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL VIA AP

COURTESY GIRL SCOUTS

Exploremores, a rocky road ice cream-inspired sandwich cookie featuring chocolate, marshmallow and toasted almond- avored crème, joins the Girl Scout Cookie lineup

Lumbee Tribe poised to gain federal recognition through Defense bill

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on the issue earlier this year

By Graham Lee Brewer The Associated Press

AFTER DECADES of political maneuvering through Congress and government agencies, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina may nally achieve federal recognition through the National Defense Authorization Act the House plans to vote on this week.

If the legislation passes, the Senate could vote on nal passage as soon as next week.

The Lumbee’s e orts to gain federal recognition — which would come with federal funding, access to resources like the Indian Health Service and the ability to take land into trust — have been controversial for many years both in Indian Country and in Washington. But their cause has been championed by President Donald Trump, who promised on the campaign trail last year to acknowledge the Lumbee as a tribal nation.

The issue of federal recognition for the Lumbee Tribe has been batted around Congress for more than 30 years. But the political opportunity it represented in the last election could be what pushed it over the nish line, said Kevin Washburn, former assistant secretary of Indian A airs at the Interior Department and a professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.

“It comes up every four years because North Carolina is a battleground state and the Lumbee represent tens of thousands of people,” Washburn said.

The Lumbee Tribe has nearly 60,000 members, and both Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris promised the Lumbee federal recognition during the 2024 campaign. Trump won North Carolina by more than 3 points. Shortly after taking o ce, Trump issued an executive order directing the Interior Department to create a

FAITH from page A1

Bell said the allegations about how he has handled the case are all false and that he will respond to all of Fenner’s allegations in court.

“I remain committed to fullling my duties with integrity, professionalism, and an unwavering dedication to justice,” Bell said in a written statement.

Fenner alleges Bell stopped talking to him, refused to interview new witnesses and investigate new evidence, and asked him to drop the case.

“If the Court does not intervene and remove Bell from this case, the trial will be lost before it begins,” Fenner’s lawyer wrote in court papers. “And it will be lost not because of a fair adjudication of the merits; rather, it will be lost due to DA Bell’s actions that manufactured that result.”

A leader of Word of Faith, Brooke Covington, was scheduled to stand trial this week on second-degree kidnapping and simple assault charges, but that has been delayed to consider Fenner’s request. Covington’s previous trial on the same charges ended in a mistrial after the jury foreman brought his own research into deliberations. Covington has maintained she is innocent.

Fenner joined Word of Faith as a teenager in 2010 with his mother. He was at a service at the church’s compound in Spindale when members, including Covington, started what the church called a “blasting” session on him, according to Fenner. Members held him down and choked and beat him for two hours while others prayed to expel “homosexual demons,” Fenner said.

The judge at the 2017 trial wanted to retry the case in months. Initial delays were because a lawyer had health problems. The court record does not provide information about other delays. Other documents in

Church News

THE EBENEZER UMC CHOIR AND FRIENDS

The Ebenezer UMC Choir and Friends will present “Rhapsody in Bluegrass,” a Christmas jubilee by Joseph Martin on Saturday, Dec. 13 and Sunday, Dec. 14 at 5 p.m. The church is located in the Wilsonville community at 724 Beaver Creek Road in Apex. Please join us in this musical worship service.

OAKLEY BAPTIST CHURCH

2300 Siler City – Glendon Road Siler City

“It comes up every four years because North Carolina is a battleground state and the Lumbee represent tens of thousands of people.”

Kevin Washburn, former assistant secretary of Indian A airs

plan for federal recognition for the Lumbee.

It’s the rst time either the White House or the candidates for president have been so engaged in a federal recognition case, Washburn said.

Interior’s plan was sent to the White House in April. The administration has denied requests for its release but has said it advised the Lumbee to continue trying to gain federal recognition through Congress.

The Lumbee were recognized by Congress in 1956, but that legislation denied them access to the same federal resources as tribal nations. As a result, their application for recognition was denied for consideration in the 1980s, and the Lumbee Tribe has tried to get Congress to acknowledge them in the decades since. The O ce of Federal Acknowledgement is the federal agency that vets applications, although dozens of tribes have also gained recognition through legislation.

“Only Congress can for all time and for all purposes resolve this uncertainty,” Lum-

bee Tribal Chairman John Lowery testi ed last month before the Senate Committee for Indian A airs. “It is long past time to rectify the injustice it has in icted on our tribe and our people.”

But others, including several tribal leaders, argue that the Lumbee’s historic claims have shifted many times over the last century and that they have never been able to prove they descend from a tribal nation.

“A national defense bill is not the appropriate place to consider federal recognition, particularly for a group that has not met the historical and legal standards required of sovereign tribal nations,” said Michell Hicks, chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

The National Defense Authorization Act is usually a bipartisan bill that lays out the nation’s defense policies. But this year the vote has taken on a new political dynamic as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces mounting scrutiny over military strikes on boats o Venezuela’s coast.

Matthew

the court le are related to efforts to move the case from small, rural Rutherford County, where the Word of Faith is headquartered, to Buncombe County and more populous and urban Asheville.

A judge placed a gag order on Fenner, Covington, the lawyers and potential witnesses.

Fenner alleges in his sworn statement that the district attorney did not oppose the gag order because he wanted to weaken the case and put pressure on Fenner to give up.

An attorney for Covington had no comment on the delay or Fenner’s allegations.

Word of Faith is a nondenominational Protestant church that was founded in 1979 by Sam and Jane Whaley in the foothills of Blue Ridge Mountains between Charlotte and Asheville. Members consider Jane Whaley a prophet. In 2017, The Associated Press published a series of stories about Word of Faith that detailed former church members’ allegations of abuse. The AP spoke to dozens of former congregants around the world, lis-

tened to hours secretly recorded conversations with church leaders, and reviewed hundreds of pages of law enforcement, court and child welfare documents.

The AP reported that the church controlled almost every aspect of their members’ lives, including who they married, what subjects they studied in school and whether they could go to college. Members were regularly slapped, choked and thrown to the oor during high-decibel group prayer.

The AP investigation found that the church and its hundreds of followers controlled law enforcement and social services, preventing fair investigations.

Whaley has denied that she or other church leaders ever abused Word of Faith members. She has also said that any discipline would be protected by the Constitution’s freedom of religion tenet. The church said the allegations made to the AP were false and made by “certain former members” out to target the church and that it does not condone abuse.

Oakley Baptist Church Christmas Cantata Christmas: We Remember, Rejoice, Worship Saturday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. (snack supper to follow Sunday’s performance) ALL ARE WELCOME!

RIVES CHAPEL BAPTIST CHURCH

4338 Rives Chapel Church Road Siler City riveschapelbaptist.com

The Adult Choir will present their Christmas Cantata “Good News From Home” Sunday, Dec. 14 – 11 a.m.

BIBLE STUDY: Hebrews 6:4-12, Church of Living Water; Preacher: James Mitchell. We who have truly repented of our sins must keep faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Some self-called preachers or so-called ministers stand with demonic Democrats. Democrats have

woke nonsense, the green scam/climate change, is a waste of trillions of dollars. They are brainwashing our children in some schools, teaching that boys can be girls, girls can be boys, and men can have babies. Oh, praise Almighty God, the Sleeping Giant woke up, and the greatest President since Abraham Lincoln, President the border, has and is removing illegals and criminals, dismantled the narco-terrorists bringing in these deadly drugs, lowered the cost system. You rhino Republicans, better get in line with President Trump or you may be voted out. Also, he’s secured the biggest tax break, no tax on tips, and is working toward no income taxes on people earning $150,000 or less. President Trump stands with our not let these evil, demonic politicians scare us. We need to speak up and make a stand against evil, just as Jesus did when He walked on this earth. Heavenly Father, give us the power to stand against the evil that’s here today, in Jesus’ name!

ALLISON JOYCE / AP PHOTO

Members of the Lumbee Tribe bow their heads in prayer during the BraveNation Powwow and Gather at UNC Pembroke in March.

KATHY KMONICEK / AP PHOTO

Fenner stands outside Rutherford County Courthouse after a hearing on his case against Word of Faith Fellowship church in May 2017.

THE CONVERSATION

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

Questions at Christmas

Such a question about putting love into practice involves our moral imagination.

THE FIRST HUMAN response to the Christmas story was in the form of a question. When Mary was told by an angel that she would give birth to the son of God, she asked, “How can this be?”

When that child grew up, he had a habit of answering questions with more questions. A lawyer wanted to know, “How do I inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What do you read in the law?” His disciples wondered, “Are you the Messiah?” Jesus responded, “Who do you say that I am?” While there are some questions that require direct answers, Jesus understood that each person must wrestle with questions about life’s meaning. This “search for meaning,” as Victor Frankl put it, is a lifelong process. “When I was a child,” admits the Apostle Paul, “I thought like a child.” He knew that reaching maturity meant reaching for new insights and understanding. For Paul, as well as Jesus, the answer is always love. The question is, how will we love today?

Such a question about putting love into practice involves our moral imagination.

COLUMN | BOB WACHS

By the “moral imagination,” philosopher Edmund Burke meant, “The power of ethical perception that strides beyond the barriers of private experience and momentary events.”

Today’s weather has brought these thoughts to mind, as my children are home from school due to the forecast of snow. I don’t have any questions about whether or not they will have safe place to sleep tonight or miss their next meal. But that is not true for every resident in Chatham County. I imagine the plight of others “beyond the barriers of private experience and momentary events.” Who is unsheltered? Who is hungry? What am I called to do about it? Asking the question is the rst step toward answering with love.

Once, Jesus preached to a crowd of more than 5,000 people. His disciples asked, “Where will they nd enough bread to eat?” Jesus answered with a question, “How many loaves of bread do you have?” His question invites a response from his disciples, as well as from me.

Some last-minute gift suggestions

When I see one I want, if I can a ord it, I buy it. If I can’t, then I don’t.

IF YOU’RE LIKE ME — and hopefully, for your sake, you’re not — you may not be done with your Christmas gift shopping. Or, in my case — and that of probably a signi cant number of other men — your Christmas gift buying.

See, I’m pretty well convinced most men don’t shop. Men tend to buy. If I need a new cap, for instance, and can’t get a feed company or tractor dealer to give me one, then I’ll go to my favorite store and see what they’ve got.

Then when I see one I want, if I can a ord it, I buy it. If I can’t, then I don’t. Many women, on the other hand, go from one store to another, typically because they don’t want a hat with a feed company’s name on the front. They look rst at one head-covering and then another until they’ve about exhausted the town’s supply and the patience of the sales folks.

After that, they’ll go back to the rst store and purchase the rst one they saw, unless, of course, some other lady has made it her own, in which case our heroine will weep and wail and stu like that all the while chastising the store for not carrying what she wanted and never being willing to wear something someone else wears.

All of this reasoning, of course, results in two things: a generalization that doesn’t always come true and an observation that I may be in hot water sooner than later. Having said all that, however, I still stand behind — or beside or even in front of — the core of that belief that men tend to buy rather than shop.

We guys tend to do other things, as well. Things like getting lost but not admitting it while we’re driving in a new place and don’t want to stop to ask for directions. Why should you stop and ask for directions since there are Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) everywhere telling us to turn left at the next road?

The fact I don’t have one of those gizmos has no meaning for my sense of direction; I’d rather read a map. It also helps that most of the time I don’t want to venture too far from Chatham County, like to Baltimore or other points. Given that I can still get from Moncure to Bonlee means I don’t have to have a GPS — or a road map.

I might add here that it was pointed out to me a few days ago that the Wise Men who traveled to Bethlehem that rst Christmas also had a GPS — a Global Positioning Star — but that’s another story, although a good one.

Anyway, let me o er a few last-minute Christmas gift suggestions for your consideration. And I’m pretty sure everyone on your list could use and would want one or more and that there’s never a problem with size or color or anything like that.

One gift is the gift of encouragement. Speak to someone; tell them you appreciate them; tell them they are wonderfully gifted in some way because of the Spark of the Divine the Master Builder has built into them.

Another gift is the gift of the kind word. It’s been said a pat on the back is only a few inches removed from a kick in the seat of the pants but miles ahead in results.

I can clean out my closet for coats to donate. I can purchase extra food for the food pantry. I am able to o er a cup of co ee to the individual at the intersection holding a cardboard sign and to learn his name. I can smile back at every smiling child.

The weeks leading to Christmas are known as Advent in the church’s liturgical calendar. It is a time of waiting in preparation for the coming of the Christ child. Pastor Frederick Buechner wrote, “To wait for Christ to come in his fullness is above all else to act in Christ’s stead as fully as we know how.” Yet such waiting is active; waiting involves soul-searching questions: How can I help? Who am I called to love? I suggest that the meaning of Christmas is found in seeking to answer those questions “as fully as we know how.”

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.

Here’s another I’m working on: the gift of listening. It’s becoming painfully obvious to me that there is a very good reason we have two ears and only one mouth. More than likely, it was intended for us to listen twice as much as we talk. I think I’m getting better at that one; I needed to. A friend called me the other day and as we worked through our conversation, I thought he needed something, so I asked him if I could help him. All he said was, “I just wanted to talk with someone.”

Yet a fourth is to share what you have and not what you wish you had. I believe it’s written in a pretty good place, as Grantland Rice wrote, that “when the Master Scorer comes to write against your name, He’ll write not that you won or lost but how you played the game.”

I’m pretty sure that means we’ll be judged at the end of the game not on what we would have done if we’d had a million dollars but what we did with the $10 we did have.

Well, there are more, lots more, but that’s a good start. Thing of it is that you can put them and more in any number under your tree and still have room for other stu like ugly ties and sweaters and yucky perfume.

And besides, think of the money you’ll save not needing wrapping paper.

Happy shopping ...

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

What a wild ride

Hating is not a personal value I want lifted up in my obituary.

WHAT A WILD RIDE!

And, yes, I do plan to explain. Did your birthright designation of “being human” come with a guidebook? Mine did. Much of what I read (or was told) while growing up was should, should, should. Granted, some were mighty ne shoulds, but others left me struggling for breath. Those “struggling for breath” shoulds weren’t and never would be me. Ever. I react to unwelcome shoulds as I do to four-letter words tossed my way. The little kid who still ourishes in me feels like shouting “I hate shoulds!” (OK, yes, I am a tad oppositional at times.) Uh- oh, in need of a reframe. Hating is not a personal value I want lifted up in my obituary. “Jan was known for hating with a passion.” (I do make one exception — green peppers. I hate ’em! I don’t think that counts, however. Does it?) Back to those damn shoulds. Some of those should critters are vital and keep the peace in our lives. Other shoulds (cough, choke!) don’t in the least re ect our personal uniqueness. It’s those shoulds, the “not me” shoulds, that, like splinters, cause ongoing pain and de ect us from our wholeness. But creating our uniquely personal human guidebooks (replete with our chosen shoulds) can be messy, lined with mistakes and oh, wow, ongoing self-judgments. Ouch, ouch, ouch. I need a more forgiving way of reframing my often, mud-splattered journey toward wholeness.

| BRAD BRINER

You got it!

I do?

In your heart and mind, become an o -roader!

Uh, you’re losing me.

Wikipedia de nes “o -roading as the activity of driving on unsurfaced roads or tracks, such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, etc. Away from public roads.”

O -roading, in search of our wholeness, can be dirty, invigorating, painful and, you bet, creative. (That’s the part I live for.) Oh gosh, please keep a stash of self- compassion handy and, of course, towels for the accumulating mud. You’ll need it! Navigating those o -roading twists and turns — bump, bump, uh- oh, I’m falling — also replete with the shoulds we do want to claim, can be confounding, upsetting and exciting.

I’m being mean, putting you on the spot right now (but I’ll do it anyway.) Do you feel more alive in your life? More whole? Accessing your heart and mind is increasingly easier? You are now an o -roader. Ta- da! O -roading can be twisty, dangerous, often shrouded in fog. The dirt we’re often fearful of drowning in can also take the form of clay. Muddy, muddy, clay for continuing to sculpt our unique lives. Humans, just keep right on sculpting!

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

Financial health boils down to good habits being the central theme

“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”

Yogi Berra

THERE AREN’T MANY situations in life to which a good Yogi Berra quote doesn’t apply. As we head into the holiday season and 2026, it’s a great time to check in on where you are and where you are going.

Financial health boils down to good habits being the central theme. One other habit that is relevant to nancial literacy and health is the annual checkup. Just like going to the doctor each year, there are sources of potential dread in a nancial checkup — do I really want to know? Can it have gotten better with another year of age? It sure is easier to ignore problems!

So just like your annual physical, if you don’t already take an annual snapshot of your nancial picture, nd some time over the holidays to do that. What that entails is up to you, but at a basic level I would suggest building your own “balance sheet” and potentially a cash ow plan for next year.

When my wife and I were planning our wedding, one of the traditions in the Catholic Church is pre-cana classes. These classes go through many of the logical issues that you would imagine the church would focus on, but they also covered the basics of a nancial plan. As we went through the session on this, it was amazing to me how many other engaged couples had no clue that their future spouse had massive credit card debts, or, in one case, that they were the bene ciary of a large trust fund. Knowing these things is really important to having any kind of a

plan together, or even on your own. Making your balance sheet is straightforward — you are looking to comprehensively total up your assets and your liabilities (or debts). Making a simple spreadsheet that lists the things you own and the amounts you owe will not only give you a good snapshot of where you are, but it also makes planning much easier in the future. You’ll start next year’s check-in from last year’s balance sheet, and the updates can be incremental that way. Moreover, your balance sheet will greatly simplify things for your heirs in the event tragedy strikes. Starting with this snapshot, I would then suggest building a plan for next year. It can be simple — what are the big sources of funds that will come in next year, and what are the big uses of funds next year? I like to project mine monthly — I know what my paycheck should be, and what my mortgage payment and other monthly recurring expenses will be. Then I can see what I’ll have left over after the basics for more optional expenses.

As you do these over time, you will get a good picture of the progress you are making toward whatever goals you have. Progress won’t be linear — you’ll have some good years and some less good years — but by knowing where you are, you’ll have a much better chance of knowing where you are going … Happy Holidays to everyone!

Brad Briner is the treasurer of North Carolina.

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

Contact a writer or columnist: connect@northstatejournal.com

The melting pot is boiling over

IN ONE SENSE, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are the foundation of the country’s government. The Declaration laid out the principles we aspire toward. The Constitution established the three branches of government. It contains many brilliant mechanisms to check the government’s power. The Bill of Rights o ers another layer of protection.

But mere words — even some of the most brilliant and in uential words ever written — didn’t create America’s greatness. Americans did.

Imagine you could magically impose America’s system of government in Somalia, Afghanistan or the Gaza Strip. Same Declaration of Independence. Same Constitution. Same Bill of Rights. Would it turn those Third World nations into First World successes?

Of course not. Just look at the 260,000 people of Somali descent living in America. More than 100,000 of them live in Minnesota. In recent weeks, there have been numerous stories about how Somalis in Minnesota stole billions of dollars from the government. That led to millions of dollars going to Al- Shabaab, an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group.

In one scheme, Asha Farhan Hassan created Smart Therapy, which supposedly o ered services for children with autism. She and her partners recruited Somali parents and worked to get their children fake autism diagnoses. They used that to secure Medicaid funding. Hassan then cut the parents in on the scheme.

“Several larger families left Smart Therapy after being o ered larger kickbacks by other autism centers,” the U.S. Attorney’s O ce in Minnesota wrote in a release.

Importing Somalis to America didn’t give them American values. They brought their preexisting values to America and ripped o taxpayers for billions. They brought clan rivalries from Somalia along with them as well. Afghanistan provides another example of this. After 9/11, the United States took over the country. We spent more than $130 billion there. That’s more than America spent rebuilding Western Europe with the Marshall Plan, according to The Washington Post. The United States even held elections in Afghanistan. But as soon as former President Joe Biden decided to surrender, the country fell to the Taliban. Despite all the money and lives lost, we couldn’t export democracy to a society with a vastly di erent history and heritage.

These di erences were punctuated by an Afghan national allegedly murdering a National Guardsman in Washington, D.C., recently.

Even democracy isn’t a cure -all. In 2006, Gaza Strip residents elected Hamas to run the region. Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre initially boosted Hamas’ favorability ratings among Palestinians.

What the Founding Fathers understood — but many modern Americans don’t — is that our society’s foundation isn’t the government. It’s the shared values, culture and history that bind individuals into citizens of a nation. Those are the pillars that uphold the government.

This is why importing millions of people who have fundamentally di erent worldviews is a terrible idea — and not just in America. Look at England. Grooming gangs raped thousands of girls over decades. Most o cials ignored the problem because the rapists were largely from Pakistan. They feared being accused of racism.

Even immigrants who support Western civilization and have Judeo - Christian values need time to assimilate. People aren’t interchangeable units of economic activity. They have religious values, customs and worldviews. Our country has an interest in making sure new arrivals learn ours. Learning English should be nonnegotiable. Those living in the same country need to be able to communicate with each other. This makes it easier to build trust and cohesion.

As of June 2025, America had more than 50 million immigrants. More than 15% of the country’s population was born elsewhere. That includes a staggering 19% of the workforce.

It’s too much. At this point, the melting pot is boiling over.

Victor Joecks is a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and host of the “Sharpening Arrows” podcast.

COLUMN

obituaries

William Kenneth Freshwater

Nov. 28, 1947 – Dec. 3, 2025

William Kenneth Freshwater, 78, of Siler City, passed away at Hock Family Pavilion of Durham.

Kenneth was born on November 28th, 1947, in Alamance County to Joseph W. Freshwater, Jr and Beryl Barton Freshwater. He is preceded in death by his parents, and his

IN MEMORY

wife, Becky Freshwater. Kenneth graduated from Elon College with an Accounting Degree, and he held many positions throughout his life. He loved playing his guitar. Kenneth was a loving father, grandfather, and great grandfather and will be missed by many. Left to cherish his memory are his two daughters, Angela Michele Willett and her husband, Tim of Bonlee, and Kristin Gayle Freshwater of Durham; his two granddaughters, Morgan Blake Willett Brown and her husband, Colby, and Briana Willett Williams and her husband, Justin; his three great grandchildren, Layne and Coy Brown, and Fisher Williams; and his cousin, Kaye Chandler and her husband, Curtis of Mebane. There will be no services at this time.

Smith & Buckner Funeral Home is assisting the Freshwater family. Online condolences can be made at www.smithbucknerfh. com

DWIGHT MONAHUE RITTER OCT. 6, 1958 – DEC. 5, 2025

Dwight Monahue Ritter was born on October 06, 1958, in Moore County, N.C., to the late Rufus and Thelma Ritter. Our heavenly Father stretched out His gentle hand and beckoned him to his eternal rest on December 05, 2025. Dwight was preceded in death by his loving wife, Angelia Shamberger Ritter; two brothers, John Waylan Ritter and Allen Ray Ritter; three sisters, Emma Lorraine Ritter, Cynthia Ritter McLaughlin (Johnny), and Aloma Thompson (Juan). One niece, Angrial McLaughlin, and one nephew, Terrell McLaughlin. Dwight graduated from North Moore High School with the loving class of 1977. He attended Sandhills Community College and worked for over 40 years as a machine technician. Dwight was a proud brother of The Brothers of the Horizon M/C for over forty years. He was a faithful member of Bellview AME Zion Church, where he served on many boards, including Men’s Ministry, Men’s Boosters, Class Leader, Stewart Board, Male Chorus, and an honorary Church Choir member. To cherish his precious memory, his daughter Monica Ritter (Hilton) of the home, and a proud Paw Paw to one granddaughter, Nala Rose Bullock. He a ectionately called the two “my girls”; they were his heart. One sister, Linda McLaughlin of Robbins, N.C. Two brothers, Rufus Ritter Jr. (Cartha) of Carthage, N.C., and Gregory Ritter (Wanda) of Southern Pines. A host of nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.

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

Frank Gehry, most celebrated architect of his time, dead at 96

He designed the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain

By John Rogers

The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Frank Gehry, who designed some of the most imaginative buildings ever constructed and achieved a level of worldwide acclaim seldom a orded any architect, has died. He was 96.

Gehry died last Friday in his home in Santa Monica after a brief respiratory illness, said Meaghan Lloyd, chief of sta at Gehry Partners LLP.

Gehry’s fascination with modern pop art led to the creation of distinctive, striking buildings. Among his many masterpieces are the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and Berlin’s DZ Bank Building. He also designed an expansion of Facebook’s Northern California headquarters at the insistence of the company’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

Gehry was awarded every major prize architecture has to o er, including the eld’s top honor, the Pritzker Prize, for what has been described as “refreshingly original and totally American” work.

Other honors include the Royal Institute of British Architects gold medal, the Americans for the Arts lifetime achievement award, and his native country’s highest honor, the Companion of the Order of Canada.

Start of career in architecture

After earning a degree in architecture from the University of Southern California in 1954 and serving in the Army, Gehry studied urban planning at Harvard University. But his career got o to a slow start. He struggled for years to make ends meet, designing public housing projects, shopping centers and even driving a delivery truck for a time.

Eventually, he got the chance to design a modern shopping mall overlooking the Santa Monica Pier. He was determined to play it safe and came up with drawings for an enclosed shopping mall that looked similar to others in the United States in the 1980s.

To celebrate its completion, the mall’s developer dropped by Gehry’s house and was stunned by what he saw: The architect had transformed a modest 1920s-era bungalow into an inventive abode by remodeling it with chain-link fencing, exposed wood and corrugated metal.

Asked why he hadn’t proposed something similar for the mall, Gehry replied, “Because I have to make a living.”

it wanted a simple memorial and not the one Gehry had proposed, with its multiple statues and billowing metal tapestries depicting Eisenhower’s life, the architect declined to change his design signi cantly. If the words of his critics annoyed Gehry, he rarely let on. Indeed, he even sometimes played along. He appeared as himself in a 2005 episode of “The Simpsons” cartoon show, in which he agreed to design a concert hall that was later converted into a prison.

He came up with the idea for the design, which looked a lot like the Disney Hall, after crumpling Marge Simpson’s letter to him and throwing it on the ground. After taking a look at it, he declared, “Frank Gehry, you’ve done it again!”

If he really wanted to make a statement as an architect, he was told, he should drop that attitude and follow his creative vision.

Gehry would do just that for the rest of his life, working into his 90s to create buildings that doubled as stunning works of art.

As his acclaim grew, Gehry Partners LLP, the architectural rm he founded in 1962, grew with it, expanding to include more than 130 employees at one point. But as big as it got, Gehry insisted on personally overseeing every project it took on.

The headquarters of the InterActiveCorp, known as the IAC Building, took the shape of a shimmering beehive when it was completed in New York City’s Chelsea district in 2007.

The 76-story New York By Gehry building, once one of the world’s tallest residential structures, was a stunning addition to the lower Manhattan skyline when it opened in 2011.

That same year, Gehry joined the faculty of his alma mater, the University of Southern California, as a professor of architecture. He also taught at Yale and Columbia University.

Imaginative designs drew criticism along with praise

Not everyone was a fan of Gehry’s work. Some naysayers dismissed it as not much more than gigantic, lopsided reincarnations of the little scrap-wood cities he said he spent hours building when he was growing up in the mining town of Timmins, Ontario.

Princeton art critic Hal Foster dismissed many of his later e orts as “oppressive,” arguing they were designed primarily to be tourist attractions. Some denounced the Disney Hall as looking like a collection of cardboard boxes that had been left out in the rain.

Other critics included Dwight D. Eisenhower’s family, who objected to Gehry’s bold proposal for a memorial to honor the nation’s 34th president. Although the family said

“Some people think I actually do that,” he would later tell the AP.

Gehry’s lasting legacy around the world

Ephraim Owen Goldberg was born in Toronto on Feb. 28, 1929, and moved to Los Angeles with his family in 1947, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen. As an adult, he changed his name at the suggestion of his rst wife, who told him antisemitism might be holding back his career.

Although he had enjoyed drawing and building model cities as a child, Gehry said it wasn’t until he was 20 that he pondered the possibility of pursuing a career in architecture, after a college ceramics teacher recognized his talent.

“It was like the rst thing in my life that I’d done well in,” he said.

Gehry steadfastly denied being an artist though.

“Yes, architects in the past have been both sculptors and architects,” he declared in a 2006 interview with The Associated Press. “But I still think I’m doing buildings, and it’s different from what they do.”

His words re ected both a lifelong shyness and an insecurity that stayed with Gehry long after he’d been declared the greatest architect of his time.

“I’m totally abbergasted that I got to where I’ve gotten,” he told the AP in 2001. “Now it seems inevitable, but at the time it seemed very problematic.”

The Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi, rst proposed in 2006, is expected to nally be completed in 2026 after a series of construction delays and sporadic work. The 30,000-square-foot structure will be the world’s largest Guggenheim, leaving a lasting legacy in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates.

His survivors include his wife, Berta; daughter, Brina; sons Alejandro and Samuel; and the buildings he created.

Another daughter, Leslie Gehry Brenner, died of cancer in 2008.

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

Honoree and Walt Disney Concert Hall architect Frank Gehry poses for photos at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Gala in 2023.

ALVARO BARRIENTOS / AP PHOTO

Athletic Bilbao fans wait in front of the Guggenheim museum before team celebrations in Bilbao, Spain, in 2024.

European Union moves ahead with toughening its migration system

Countries would be able to reject asylum requests for migrants from “safe countries”

By Sam McNeil The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — European

Union o cials on Monday were nalizing a major overhaul of its migration system, including streamlined deportations and increased detentions, after years of erce debate on the issue has seen the rise of far-right political parties.

Since a surge in asylum-seekers and other migrants to Europe a decade ago, public views on the issue have shifted. EU migration policies have hardened, and the number of asylum-seekers is down from record levels. Still, U.S. President Donald Trump in recent days issued sharp criticism of the 27-nation bloc’s migration policies as part of a national security strategy painting European allies as weak.

Ministers meeting in Brussels agreed to a “safe third country” concept and a list of safe countries of origin, Danish minister Rasmus Stoklund said. That means EU nations can deny residency and deport migrants because they either hail from a safe country or could apply for asylum in one outside the EU.

“We will be able to reject peo-

ple that have no reason for asylum in Europe, and then it will be possible for us to make mechanisms and procedures that enable us to return them faster,” Stoklund said. “It should not be human smugglers that control the access to Europe.”

Ministers also agreed to the formation of a “solidarity pool” to share costs of hosting refugees among member nations. The pool is meant to collect 430 million euros to disburse to countries facing greater migratory pressure, including Cyprus,

Greece, Italy and Spain in southern Europe. Hungary and Poland have long opposed any obligation for countries to host migrants or pay for their upkeep.

“It is important to give the people also the feeling back that we have control over what is happening,” said Magnus Brunner, the EU’s commissioner for migration.

The European Council will now negotiate with the 720 lawmakers at the European Parliament to accept or modify the migration policy

changes. Right and far-right parties are largely uni ed in supporting the changes.

Amnesty International EU advocate on migration Olivia Sundberg Diez likened the EU’s migration changes to the Trump administration’s crackdown. She called on European lawmakers to block the new measures that “will in ict deep harm on migrants and the communities that welcome them.”

French Green lawmaker Mélissa Camara called the changes “a renunciation of our

fundamental values and human rights.”

In May, EU nations endorsed sweeping reforms to the bloc’s asylum system, with the European Commission issuing the new Pact on Migration and Asylum. The pact, among other things, called for increasing deportations and setting up “ return hubs,” a euphemism for deportation centers for rejected asylum-seekers.

The EU wouldn’t set up or manage such “return hubs,” which could be in Europe or elsewhere, but would create the legal framework to allow states to negotiate with non-EU countries willing to take rejected asylum-seekers.

Nations like Austria and Denmark likely will seek partners to host such costly and legally murky centers, said Camille Le Coz, director of the Migration Policy Institute Europe think tank, pointing to the deal the Netherlands struck in September with Uganda to host refugees.

Such centers di er from the existing but so far ine ective deal signed by Italy with Albania to o shore the asylum processing of migrants rescued at sea. At the time, the contentious plan was applauded by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as an “out-of-thebox” solution to manage irregular migration, but courts in Italy have repeatedly blocked it.

Mainstream political parties hope the pact on migration resolves the issues that have divided EU nations since well over 1 million migrants swept into Europe in 2015, most of them eeing war in Syria and Iraq.

PETROS GIANNAKOURIS / AP PHOTO

Migrants rescued south of Crete wait to be registered on their arrival at the the port of Lavrio, Greece, in July.

REAL ESTATE

LEARN ABOUT LAND - Chatham Land Experts, www.learnaboutland.com - 919-3626999. JY2,tfnc

FOR RENT

POWELL SPRINGS APTS. Evergreen Construction introduces its newest independent living community for adults 55 years or older, 1 and 2 bedroom applications now being accepted. O ce hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 919533-6319 for more information, TDD #1800-735-2962, Equal housing opportunity, Handicapped accessible. A2,tfnc

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS now for onebedroom apartments, adults 55 years or older. Water included, appliances furnished, on-site laundry, elevator, keyless entry. Section 8 accepted. No security deposit. Application fee $25 per adult. Call Braxton Manor, 919-663-1877. Handicap accessible. Equal Housing Opportunity.

J14,tfnc

AUCTIONS

RICKY ELLINGTON AUCTIONEERSEquipment, business, liquidation, estates, land, houses, antiques, personal property, coins, furniture, consignments, bene ts, etc., NCAL #7706, 919-548-3684, 919-663-3556. Jy6,tfnc

SERVICES

RAINBOW WATER FILTERED VACUUMS, Alice Cox, Cox’s Distributing - Rainbow - Cell: 919548-4314, Sales, Services, Supplies. Serving public for 35 years. Rada Cutlery is also available. A26,tfnc

JUNK CARS PICKED UP Free of charge. Due to many months of low steel prices and unstable steel markets, we cannot pay for cars at this time. Cars, trucks, and machinery will be transported and environmentally correctly recycled at no charge. 919-5422803. A2,tfnc

LETT’S TREE SERVICE - tree removal, stump grinding, lot clearing. Visa & Master Card accepted. Timber. Free estimates. 919-2583594. 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

Does anyone else wish to sue Brightspeed for non-delivery of services on internet? Call Tom Glendinning – 919-545-0880 4tp

FOR SALE

MOVING - EVERYTHING PRICED TO SELL - COUCH, HIDE A BED, QUEEN BED & MATTRESS, TABLES, LAMPS, CHAIRS, RUGS, BEDROOM SET, GAMES, ETC. FEARRINGTON VILLAGE, CALL JERRY 919637-7570

Pine Glade Apartments

TAKE NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF JENNIFER GODFREY SCOTT 25E000648-180

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000651-180

NOTICE

TOWN OF SILER CITY NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

CDBG – NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION (CDBGNR) ACTIVITIES

Notice is hereby given that the Town of Siler City is soliciting contractors and professional rms to perform housing rehabilitation to be completed with CDBG-NR program funds. The Town has received notice of a grant award from the NC Department of Commerce, Rural Economic Development Division, which the Town will utilize to undertake the abovementioned activities located in Siler City, North Carolina. The Town will require the following services and supplies during implementation of this project: Registered land surveyor.

Attorney. NC licensed general contractors. Residential building supplies. Asbestos assessment and abatement contractors.

Lead-Based Paint inspectors.

This publication is to notify interested parties that the Town of Siler City will utilize the following procedures, pertaining to equal opportunity employment and utilization of local businesses, during procurement of services and supplies necessary to complete these projects.

In accordance with Section 3 of the Housing and Community Development Act, the Town of Siler City will advertise locally for jobs, contracts, and supplies, and will encourage participation in these projects by businesses and workers located in Chatham County, to the greatest extent possible. The Town of Siler City will actively solicit minorityand female-owned businesses during procurement of supplies and contracts for these projects.

In order to encourage participation by Section 3, minority, and female individuals and business owners, the Town will list all jobs available through this program with the Chatham County o ce of the North Carolina Employment Security Commission; will maintain a list of job training and business development resources in the Town Planning Department; and will list all contracts and supplies to be procured with the O ce for Historically Underutilized Businesses, 1336 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1336, telephone number (919) 807-2330, or on the web at https://ncadmin.nc.gov/ businesses/hub/events, and on the NC Interactive Purchasing System. All individuals and/or historically underutilized businesses, including local, minority, and femaleowned rms, who are interested in providing the services listed above, may register with the Town of Siler City, PO Box 769, 311 North Second Avenue, Room 302, Siler City, NC 27344, telephone (919) 726-8628. This information is available in Spanish or any other language upon request. Please contact Timothy Garner, Planning Director, at 919-7268628 or at 311 N. Second Avenue, Siler City, NC for accommodations for this request. Esta informacion esta disponible en espa ol o en cualquier otro idioma bajo peticion. Par favor, pongase en contacto con Timothy Garnder, Planning Director, at 919-726-8628 or at 311 N. Second Avenue, Siler City, NC, de alojamiento para esta solicitud.

NOTICE

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA BEFORE THE CLERK CHATHAM COUNTY

25SP000165-180 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST:

Grantor: Cynthia G. Paulino

Dated: 2/14/2025 Book: 2454, Page 52 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

Date of Sale: 12/17/2025 Time of Sale: 10:30 am Place of Sale: Chatham County Courthouse 40 East Chatham Street Pittsboro, NC 27312

Record Owner(s) of Property: Cynthia Paulino Property Address: 4902 Devils Tramping Ground Road, Bear Creek, NC 27207

Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the date, time and location shown above, the real property identi ed above and in the Deed of Trust identi ed above (which description is fully incorporated herein by reference), together with all buildings, all xtures, all improvements, the hereditaments and appurtenances thereto and all other rights belonging or in any way appertaining to the above described property (“Property”) save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

TERMS OF SALE: The Property will be sold “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Substitute Trustee nor the holder of the debt secured by the Deed of Trust, nor their respective o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representatives, 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, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such conditions expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances, and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax and recording fees 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. Any successful bidder shall be required to tender the full balance of the purchase price so bid in cash or certi ed check at the time the Substitute Trustee tenders to him a deed for the Property or attempts to tender such deed, and should said successful bidder fail to pay the full balance of the purchase price so bid at that time, he shall remain liable on his bid as provided for in North Carolina General Statutes Sections 45-21.30(d)

is not subject to remote bidding pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes Section 45-21.25A. SPECIAL NOTICE FOR TENANTS RESIDING AT THE PROPERTY: Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute Section 45-21.16A, you are hereby given notice that an order

to vacate the Property. 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. Upon termination of the rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the e ective date of termination. Date: 11/18/2025 W. Eric Medlin, Substitute Trustee 5710 W. Gate City Blvd, Suite K-274 Greensboro, NC 27407

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

A public hearing will be held by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners on Monday, December 15, 2025, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The hearing will be held in the courtroom of the Historic Courthouse in Pittsboro, North Carolina at 9 Hillsboro Street, Pittsboro NC 27312. Additional information is available at the Chatham County Planning Department o ce. Speakers are requested to sign up at the meeting prior to the hearing. You may also sign up on the county website prior to the meeting at www.chathamcountync.gov by selecting the heading County Government, then Commissioner Meetings, then Public Comment. The public hearing may be continued to another date at the discretion of the Board of Commissioners. The purpose of the Public Hearing is to receive input, both written and oral, on the issues listed below: Legislative Request: A legislative public hearing requested by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners and Chatham County Fire Marshal to consider amendments to the Chatham County Subdivision Regulations; speci cally, section 7, Requirements and Minimum Standards For Improvements, Reservations, and Design adopting all standards of the North Carolina State Fire Code and Appendix D by reference.

Substantial changes may be made following the public hearing due to verbal or written comments received or based on the Board’s discussions.

Notice to people with special needs: If you have audio or visual impairment, unique accessibility requirements or need language assistance, please call the number listed below prior to the hearing and assistance may be provided. If you have any questions or comments concerning these issues, please call the Chatham County Planning Department at 919-542-8204 or write to P.O. Box 54, Pittsboro N.C. 27312. Please run in your paper: December 4th and 11th, 2025

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

24E000576-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

The undersigned, Jacelyn Schmid, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of John Wayne Hudson, 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 February 18, 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 20th day of November 2025.

Jacelyn Schmid Administrator

Marie H. Hopper Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post O ce Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS COUNTY OF CHATHAM File Number 25E000652-180 THE UNDERSIGNED, having quali ed on the 1st day of December 2025, as Executor of the ESTATE OF GRANT FRANKLIN KOHER, Deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 5th of March, 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 4th day of December, 2025.

Blanche Guay Koher

EXECUTOR ESTATE OF GRANT FRANKLIN KOHER c/o Shirley Diefenbach, Attorney Walker Lambe, PLLC Post O ce Box 51549 Durham, North Carolina 27717

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS COUNTY OF CHATHAM THE UNDERSIGNED, having quali ed on the 13th day of November 2025, as Executor of the ESTATE OF JAMES REID MORRISON, JR., Deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before February 21, 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 20th day of November, 2025.

CATHERINE BARNETT ALEXANDER

EXECUTOR ESTATE OF JAMES REID MORRISON, JR.

c/o Jennifer Dalman, Attorney Walker Lambe, PLLC Post O ce Box 51549 Durham, North Carolina 27717

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION 25E000484-180

Having quali ed as Co-Executors of the Estate of Kathy Thompson Whaley of Chatham County, NC, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before February 27, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. Ellen Thompson Jones, Co-Executor Rachel Elizabeth Whaley, Co-Executor Janice A. Walston, Attorney PO Box 279 Wilson, NC 27894-0279

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Mary R. Parks 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 19th day of February, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 12th day of November, 2025. Cheryl Ann Green, Executor of the Estate of Mary R. Parks 314 Pebble Beach Drive Mebane, North Carolina 27302 MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE ATTORNEYS AT LAW BOX 629 SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850 4tp

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Patricia Hennessy, Deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ce of Munson Law Firm PLLC, P.O. Box 1811 Pittsboro, NC 27312, on or before the 20th day of February 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment. This 20th day of November 2025.

RUSSELL BARKER, EXECUTOR ESTATE OF PATRICIA HENNESSY

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS

CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Harry F. Knepp, 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 the 27th day of February, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 20th day of November, 2025. Erin Knepp Warrick, Executor of the Estate of Harry F. Knepp, Jr. 149 Pike Drive NW Pikeville, North Carolina 27863

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 Administrator of the Estate of Chad Eric Sexton late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 12th day of March, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

This the 2nd day of December, 2025.

Yvonne Sexton Goldston, Administrator Of the Estate of Chad Eric Sexton 1102 N. Hampton Street Siler City, North Carolina 27344 MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE

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

4tp

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS

CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Co-Executors of the Estate of James Thomas Cotner late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 27th day of February, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

This the 20th day of November, 2025.

John Riley Culberson, Co-Executor of the Estate of James Thomas Cotner

902 Mt. Vernon Hickory Mountain Road Siler City, North Carolina 27344

Ricky Gordon Culberson, Co-Executor of the Estate of James Thomas Cotner

140 Lay N Low Way Goldston, North Carolina 27252 MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE

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

4tp

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Billy Hugh Elkins, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, noti es all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned at her address, P. O. Box 266, Goldston, North Carolina, 27252, on or before the 4th day of March, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment. This 26th day of November, 2025. Rebecca L. Elkins P. O. Box 266 Goldston, North Carolina 27252 GUNN & MESSICK, PLLC P. O. Box 880 Pittsboro, North Carolina 27312-0880 December 4, 11, 18, 25

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

25E000603-180

ALL persons having claims against Eric Charles Youmans, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Feb 27 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.

This the 27th day of November, 2025.

CHE BOYD YOUMANS, EXECUTOR C/O Howard Stallings Law Firm PO Box 12347 Raleigh, NC 27605 N27, 4, 11 and 18

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

25E000628-180 ALL persons having claims against Gisela Hilda Hecken, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Mar 04 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.

This the 4th day of December, 2025.

Margit H. Iwanowicz, Executor C/O Howard Stallings Law Firm PO Box 12347 Raleigh, NC 27605 D4, 11, 18 and 25

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#24E001626-180

The undersigned, DEREK RILE GREEN, having quali ed on the 20TH Day of OCTOBER 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of ANN BLANKENSHIP GREEN, 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 4th Day OF MARCH 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 4th DAY OF DECEMBER 2025.

DEREK RILE GREEN, EXECUTOR 4551 STALEY SNOW CAMP RD. STALEY, NC 27355 Run dates: D4,D11,18,25p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000644-180 The undersigned, LESLIE LEIGH LAFOSSE, having quali ed on the 24TH Day of NOVEMBER 2025 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of BETTY OLIVE FARLESS, 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 4th Day OF MARCH 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 4th DAY OF DECEMBER 2025. LESLIE LEIGH LAFOSSE, ADMINISTRATOR 6923 WILLIAMS COUNTRY ROAD STALEY, NC 27355 Run dates: D4,D11,18,25p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000586-180 The undersigned, KRISTINA DAVIS BOGART AND KIMBERLY DAVIS YARBOROUGH, having quali ed on the 23RD Day of OCTOBER 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of BOBBY GENE DAVIS, SR., 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 20th 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 20th DAY OF NOVEMBER 2025. KRISTINA DAVIS BOGART, EXECUTOR 906 TANGLEWOOD DR. EXT. SILER CITY, NC 27344 KIMBERLY DAVIS YARBOROUGH, EXECUTOR 407 CALLAWAY ST. SANFORD, NC 27330 Run dates: N20,27,D4,D11p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000619-180 The undersigned, NORMAN M HILL IV, having quali ed on the 10th Day of NOVEMBER 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of CRYSTAL F. LONG, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to

NORMAN M HILL IV, EXECUTOR 1715 BAEZ CT. VIRGINIA BEACH, VA 23464 Run dates: N20,27,D4,D11p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000653-180 The undersigned TATANISHEA AMINA BRANTLEY, having quali ed on the 26TH Day of NOVEMBER 2025 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of DALLAS IRVIN JACOBS, 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 11th Day OF MARCH 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 11th DAY OF DECEMBER 2025. TATANISHEA AMINA BRANTLEY, ADMINISTRATOR 302 LACE CAROL LANE ELGIN, SC 29045 Run dates: D11,18,25,J1p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25000649-180 The undersigned, LORETTA WHITEHEAD BATCHELOR, having quali ed on the 26TH Day of NOVEMBER 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of DIANE B. WHITEHEAD aka BARBARA DIANE BOWERS WHITEHEAD, 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 4th Day OF MARCH 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 4th DAY OF DECEMBER 2025. LORETTA WHITEHEAD BATCHELOR, EXECUTOR 2465 ROSSER ROAD BEAR CREEK, NC 27207 Run dates: D4,D11,18,25p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000629-180 The undersigned REBA THOMAS, having quali ed on the 25TH Day of NOVEMBER 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of LOUISE HARTON STULTZ, 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 11th Day OF MARCH 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 11th DAY OF DECEMBER 2025. REBA THOMAS, EXECUTOR 2459 WALTER BRIGHT RD. SANFORD, NC 27330 Run dates: D11,18,25,J1p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#25E000659-180 The undersigned DELTABLUE LEFLEUR CHEVALIER, having quali ed on the 2ND Day of DECEMBER 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of RICHARD MINTER

Trump proposes reducing fuel economy requirements to lower car prices

Next-generation cars could be somewhat cheaper as a result

By Matthew Daly and Alexa St. John The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump last Wednesday announced a proposal to weaken vehicle mileage rules for the auto industry, loosening regulatory pressure on automakers to control pollution from gasoline-powered cars and trucks.

The plan, if nalized next year, would signi cantly reduce fuel economy requirements, which set rules on how far new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of gasoline, through the 2031 model year. The administration and automakers say the rules will increase Americans’ access to the full range of gasoline vehicles they need and can a ord.

The National Highway Tra c Safety Administration projects that the new standards would set the industry eetwide average for light-duty vehicles at roughly 34.5 miles per gallon in the 2031 model year, down from a projected 50.4 miles per gallon in 2031 under the Biden-era rule.

The move is the latest action by the Trump administration to reverse Biden-era policies that encouraged cleaner-running cars and trucks, including electric vehicles, and it sparked criticism from environmental groups. Burning gasoline for vehicles is a major contributor to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

“From day one I’ve been taking action to make buying a car more a ordable.” Trump said at a White House event that included top executives from two of the largest U.S. automakers. The rule reverses a Biden-era policy that “forced automakers to build cars using expensive technologies that drove up costs, drove up prices and made the car much worse,” Trump said.

Automakers applaud, environmentalists decry rule change

The action is expected to save consumers about $1,000 o the price of a new car, Trump said. New cars sold for an average of $49,766 in October, according to Kelley Blue Book.

Automakers applauded the planned changes, which came amid industry complaints that the Biden-era rules were dicult to meet.

Ford CEO Jim Farley said the planned rollback was “a win for customers and common sense.”

“As America’s largest auto producer, we appreciate Pres-

ident Trump’s leadership in aligning fuel economy standards with market realities. We can make real progress on carbon emissions and energy eciency while still giving customers choice and a ordability,” he said.

Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said the automaker appreciates the administration’s actions to “realign” the mileage standards “with real world market conditions.”

Since taking o ce in January, Trump has relaxed auto tailpipe emissions rules, repealed nes for automakers that do not meet federal mileage standards and terminated consumer credits of up to $7,500 for EV purchases.

Environmentalists decried the rollback.

“In one stroke Trump is worsening three of our nation’s most vexing problems: the thirst for oil, high gas pump costs and global warming,” said Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Transport Campaign for the Center for Biological Diversity.

“Gutting the (gas-mileage) program will make cars burn more gas and American families burn more cash,’’ said Katherine García, director of the Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All program. “This rollback would move the auto industry backwards, keeping polluting cars on our roads for years to come and threatening

the health of millions of Americans, particularly children and the elderly.”

“People want the gasoline car”

Trump has repeatedly pledged to end what he calls an EV “mandate,” referring to Democratic President Joe Biden’s target that half of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030. EVs accounted for about 8% of new vehicle sales in the United States in 2024, according to Cox Automotive.

Trump called Democrats’ efforts to promote EVs “insane,” adding, “People want the gasoline car.”

No federal policy has required auto companies to sell EVs, although California and other states have imposed rules requiring that all new passenger vehicles sold in the state be zero-emission by 2035. Trump and congressional Republicans blocked the California law earlier this year.

Transportation Secretary Sean Du y urged his agency to reverse existing fuel economy requirements, known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, soon after taking o ce. In June, he said that standards set under Biden were illegal because they included use of electric vehicles in their calculation. EVs do not run on gasoline. After the June rule revision, the tra c safety administration was empowered to update the requirements.

Supreme Court hears Alabama’s appeal to execute a man found to be intellectually disabled

The execution of intellectually disabled people has been prohibited since 2002

By Mark Sherman and Kim Chandler

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a case that could make it harder for convicted murderers to show their lives should be spared because they are intellectually disabled.

The justices are taking up an appeal from Alabama, which wants to put to death a man who lower federal courts found is intellectually disabled and shielded from execution.

The Supreme Court prohibited execution of intellectually disabled people in a landmark ruling in 2002. Joseph Clifton Smith, 55, has been on death row roughly half his life after his conviction for beating a man to death in 1997.

The issue in Smith’s case

is what happens when a person has multiple IQ scores that are slightly above 70, which has been widely accepted as a marker of intellectual disability. Smith’s ve IQ tests produced scores ranging from 72 to 78. Smith had been placed in learning-disabled classes and dropped out of school after seventh grade, his lawyers said. At the time of the crime, he performed math at a kindergarten level, spelled at a third-grade level and read at a fourth-grade level.

The Supreme Court has held in cases in 2014 and 2017 that states should consider other evidence of disability in borderline cases because of the margin of error in IQ tests.

Alabama appealed to the Supreme Court after lower courts ruled that Smith is intellectually disabled. The justices had previously sent his case back to the federal appeals court in Atlanta, where the judges a rmed that they had taken a “holistic” approach to Smith’s case, seemingly in line with the high court ruling.

But the justices said in June they would take a new look at the case.

The Supreme Court is hearing a case about intellectual disabilities and the death penalty.

The new rules “are going to allow the automakers to make vehicles that Americans want to purchase, not vehicles that Joe Biden and (former Transportation Secretary Pete) Buttigieg want to build,” Du y said last Wednesday. Under Biden, automakers were required to average about 50 miles per gallon of gas for passenger cars by 2031, compared with about 39 miles per gallon today. The Biden administration also increased fuel-economy requirements by 2% each year for light-duty vehicles in every model year from 2027 to 2031, and 2% per year for SUVs and other light trucks from 2029 to 2031. At the same time, it called for stringent tailpipe rules meant to encourage EV adoption.

The 2024 standards would have saved 14 billion gallons of gasoline from being burned by 2050, according to the trafc safety administration’s 2024 calculations. Abandoning them means that in 2035, cars could produce 22,111 more tons of carbon dioxide per year than under the Biden-era rules. It also means an extra 90 tons a year of deadly soot particles and 4,870 additional tons a year of smog components such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds going into the air in coming years.

Mileage rules have been implemented since the 1970s energy crisis, and over time, automakers have gradually increased their vehicles’ average e ciency.

President Donald Trump’s administration and 20 states are supporting Alabama in the case. Smith “did not meet his burden of proving his IQ was likely 70 or below,” Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote on behalf of the Republican administration.

Smith’s lawyers argue the lower courts followed the law in conducting a “holistic assessment of all relevant evidence” in a case with borderline IQ scores.

Rights groups focused on disabilities wrote in a brief supporting Smith that “intellectual disability diagnoses based solely on IQ test scores are faulty and invalid.”

Smith was convicted and sentenced to death for the beating death of Durk Van Dam in Mobile County. Van Dam was found dead in his pickup truck. Prosecutors said he had been beaten to death with a hammer and robbed of $150, his boots and tools.

“He has multiple scores in the 70s,” Marshall said in a phone interview. He said the question is about how to address a continuum of scores. “I don’t think picking and choosing those at the bottom are the way that the court will ultimately go,” Marshall said.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said Smith hasn’t met his burden of showing an IQ of 70 or below, and the state wrote in its brief that the discussion of a holistic approach is an unjusti ed expansion of the Supreme Court rulings.

A federal judge in 2021 vacated Smith’s death sentence, though she acknowledged “this is a close case.” Alabama law de nes intellectual disability as an IQ of 70 or below, along with signi cant or substantial de cits in adaptive behavior and the onset of those issues before the age of 18.

EVAN VUCCI / AP PHOTO

President Donald Trump speaks during an event on fuel economy standards in the Oval O ce of the White House last Wednesday.

EVAN VUCCI / AP PHOTO

Ford President Jim Farley speaks as President Donald Trump looks on during an event on fuel economy standards in the Oval O ce of the White House last Wednesday.

JORDAN GOLSON / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

CHATHAM SPORTS

Morse re ects on career at Jordan-Matthews

The former basketball star got her jersey retired Friday

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

SILER CITY — The walls in and around Frank N. Justice Gymnasium serve as a sanctuary for Jordan-Matthews’ storied athletic history.

Team photos, banners and retired jerseys capture the greatest moments and individuals celebrated by the school. Many of the enshrined are still around as coaches, teach-

ers, parents or members of the community that visit and relive the glory days on occasion.

One day, a Jordan-Matthews history teacher noticed something was missing and made Jordan-Matthews athletic director Barry West aware.

“I did say to him one time, I said, ‘You know you’ve got three guys jerseys up there,’” Lisa Morse, the history teacher, said. “You don’t have a lady’s. Because there are a lot of good girls that have come through playing ball.”

Morse, a 1980 graduate and multisport star who went on to play basketball at Wake For -

est, was one of them. After a lifetime of on-court memories and o -the-court service at Jordan-Matthews, the school made Morse, formerly known as Lisa Brooks, and her No. 22 jersey the rst retired uniform of a female Jets basketball player Friday. “I think it’s just kind of the end product of lots of hard work and just the enjoyment of being at Jordan-Matthews, playing for Jordan-Matthews, representing Jordan-Matthews,” Morse said. “It sounds kind of like made for a Hallmark movie or something, but it’s just kind of like living the dream.”

Jordan-Matthews junior Zaeon Auguste scored 19 points in the win over Chatham Central on Dec. 5 .

Jordan-Matthews sweeps Chatham Central in varsity doubleheader

Both teams overcame early de cits to beat the Bears

By Asheebo Rojas

Chatham News & Record

Boys: Jordan-Matthews 52, Chatham Central 47

SILER CITY — Jordan-Matthews junior Zaeon

Auguste scored a team-high 19 points to help the Jets beat Chatham Central 52-47 Friday

and earn their rst win over their rivals since 2019.

Auguste scored nine points in a back-and-forth nal quarter, including ve free throws.

He nished the night 9 for 13 from the free-throw line and 5 for 8 from the eld. He said the key to his aggressiveness was to “not be scared.”

“Make contact, and keep going at them,” Auguste said. “And just hopefully get the call from the refs.”

Sophomore guard Nolan Mitchell scored 13 points, and

senior guard Kamarie Hadley contributed eight points. The Jets snapped a three-game losing streak with the win.

Chatham Central built an 11-4 lead in the rst four minutes of the game. Thanks to a ve-point spark o the bench from junior Omar Sanford, Jordan-Matthews responded with its own 15-2 run to close the rst quarter ahead 19-13. Both teams struggled o ensively in the second quarter,

See HOOPS, page B4

“If you’re going to play, then be as good as you can be at it.”

Before becoming one of the best women’s basketball players to ever come out of Siler City, Morse was a reserve on her Chatham Middle School basketball teams.

“I was on the team but really didn’t play,” Morse said. “One of my brothers said, ‘If you really want to play, you’re going to have to learn to shoot like a guy.’ And so I kind of spent the whole summer learning to shoot and working at it, and it wasn’t a job to me. It just ended up being something that I really enjoyed doing.”

In the summer leading

into her freshman season, late coach Phil Senter o ered Morse and a group of girls the opportunity to play summer ball with the high school team. Combined with the winter season, Morse said her freshman year motivated her to become “better and better,” especially with the talent she played alongside.

“I played with so many good athletes,” Morse said. “I think, at one time, there were ve of us on the oor at the same time that went on to play college ball. And so it was kind of like just keeping up with everybody else. I guess it was just being in the right place at the right time and good luck, good fortune for the opportunity to even present itself to me. I don’t know. I just always had the mentality, and a lot of it came from my dad, if you’re going to play, then

The Hawks move to 2-0 in their series against the Wolves

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

CHAPEL HILL — Clutch

late-game scores and hustle plays helped Seaforth’s boys hold o Woods Charter in a 42-36 thriller on Dec. 4. Woods Charter trailed 31-25 entering the fourth quarter and made a 7-3 run to come within two points. But from there, the Wolves couldn’t get any closer. With under four minutes left to play, Seaforth senior Campbell Meador spearheaded two crucial buckets, an assist to senior Davis Peebles and a missed oater rebounded by senior Declan Lindquist and put back for a 38-34 advantage. “We just kept attacking,” Meador said. “We found a play towards the end that was able to get us in the action to get into the paint and get a dish to the shooters. That worked a few times for us.”

Trailing by three with 35 seconds left, the Wolves moved the ball around until junior guard Grant Richardson, who had made three of his previous four 3-point attempts, got an open look from beyond the arc. Richardson missed the potential game-ty-

I just want to do whatever I can to help make the team win”

ing 3, and Lindquist, who nished the night with seven rebounds, came down with the game-clinching board with ve seconds remaining.

Seaforth outrebounded Woods Charter 34-24, with senior Patrick Miller grabbing a team-high 10 boards. Lindquist nished the night with a team-high 11 points. A gritty win for the Hawks began with a sloppy start. Turnovers (Seaforth committed 14 of them) and a 3-for-11 rst quarter shooting performance grounded Seaforth’s o ense. Meanwhile, Woods Charter knocked down three triples, including two from Richardson, to lead 10-9 at the end of the opening period.

Seaforth switched out of its zone and into man defense in the second quarter, which led to the Wolves scoring six points and also shooting 3 for 11 from the eld in the eight minutes before halftime. Shots began to fall for the Hawks, and Meador scored ve of their

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Lisa Morse, middle, celebrates her jersey retirement with family and the Jordan-Matthews community on Dec. 5.

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Lisa Morse

Patrick Miller

Ryder Murphy

Chatham Charter, boys’ basketball

Chatham Charter’s Ryder Murphy earns athlete of the week honors for the week of Dec. 1.

Murphy, a sophomore guard on the boys’ basketball team, recorded a team-high 19 points and a career-high 10 steals in the Knights’ 57-56 win over Cornerstone Charter on Dec. 3. He followed that with 16 points while shooting 50% from the eld in a 63-50 win over Wheatmore on Friday. Through 10 games, Murphy is second on the team in points per game (12.4), and he leads the Knights in average assists (3.3) and steals (3.7).

Winter athletes continue to grind through the season’s rst month

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

AS COLLEGIATE FALL

sports come to a close, former local athletes are earning post season honors.

Georgia Southern linebacker Brendan Harrington, a 2019 Northwood football alum, closed out his seventh year with his third career All-Sun Belt Conference Honorable Mention. Harrington recorded 77 tackles, two tackles for loss and an interception in 12 games with the Eagles.

Barton College center Robbie Delgado, another former Northwood football player, made the Conference Carolinas All-Conference o ensive second team.

Recent Seaforth graduate

Juana Silva Jimenez earned USA South Women’s Cross Country First Team All-Conference honors after nishing fth in the conference championship meet as a freshman.

Here’s what the former winter athletes are up to on the college level and where to nd them.

Men’s basketball

Jarin Stevenson (UNC, Seaforth)

Stevenson has been an all-around defender for the Tar Heels, sitting at second (tied with Kyan Evans) on the team in steals and third in blocks as of Sunday.

Kenan Parrish (Northwood, Harvard)

Parrish is averaging 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds for Harvard as of Sunday.

Max Frazier (Northwood, Central Connecticut State)

Frazier has started in every game this season and is averaging 11.8 points and 7.2 rebounds. He scored 24 points in a win over Sacred Heart on Nov. 24.

Brennen Oldham (Chatham Central, Catawba Valley CC)

Oldham has made one start and is averaging 3.8 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. He’s shooting 62.5% from the eld.

Reid Albright (Chatham Central, Central Carolina CC)

Albright has made seven starts this season and is averaging 4.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Jonah Ridgill (Chatham Charter, Guilford)

ve assists in a loss to Barton.

Hannah Ajayi (Guilford, Seaforth)

Local college athletes receive fall postseason awards 12

Ajayi has seen an increased role for the Quakers this season, averaging 3.7 points and 2.9 rebounds through seven games.

Sydney Ballard (North Greenville, Northwood)

Ridgill has appeared in two games for the Quakers, averaging 3.5 points and two rebounds.

Colby Burleson (Northwood, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts)

Burleson has made two starts and is averaging 4.6 points per game. In his rst career start against New England College on Saturday, Burleson scored a career-high 18 points on 6-for-8 shooting.

Women’s basketball

Gabby White (Virginia, Seaforth)

White is providing huge minutes o the bench, averaging 8.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. She’s scored in double digits four times, including a 12-point performance in Sunday’s win over Boston College.

Olivia Porter (Marquette, Northwood)

Porter has started every game and is averaging 6.9 points, three rebounds and 2.8 assists. She scored a season-high 11 points in a win over Butler on Sunday.

Skylar Adams (Shaw, Northwood)

Adams made her rst start of the season Saturday, recording season highs of six points and

Ballard has appeared in six games for North Greenville, averaging 1.6 points per game.

Swimming and Diving

Suzanne Earnshaw (Northwood, James Madison)

Bianca Perez (Northwood, Queens University)

William Sikes (Northwood, Trinity University)

Evan Hepburn (Seaforth, Bucknell)

Benjamin Lajoie (Seaforth, Ithaca)

Track and Field

Will Cuicchi (Seaforth, Charlotte)

Jack Anstrom (Seaforth, NC State)

Caroline Murrell (Northwood, NC State)

Sebastian Calderon (Seaforth, Campbell)

Juana Silva Jimenez (Seaforth, Meredith)

Lucas Smith (Chatham Charter, UNCW)

Rachael Woods (Jordan-Matthews, NC Central)

Anna Peeler (Woods Charter, Catawba College)

Fencing

Kaitlyn Zanga (Seaforth, UNC)

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Points for Gabby White in a win over Boston College

JOHN AMIS / AP PHOTO

Virginia guard Gabby White plays against Vanderbilt.

Northwood girls win big in Phenom 919 showcase

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

Boys’ basketball

Northwood closed the Phenom 919 Showcase with a 60-38 win over Chapel Hill on Saturday. Senior guard Cam Fowler led the way with 21 points, and junior guard Josiah Brown knocked down ve 3s in a 15-point night.

The Chargers lost their rst game of the showcase to Trinity Academy 61-51 Friday. Trinity Academy’s Wesley Hilldale recorded 25 points and eight rebounds. Northwood’s senior forward Chad Graves made his return to the Chargers’ rotation and scored 13 points after spending the start of his senior year at Chandler Park Academy near Detroit.

Seaforth picked up its second win in a row, and its largest win of the season, over Felton Grove 63-39 Friday. Senior Declan Lindquist scored a season-high 18 points and recorded a team-high eight rebounds.

Chatham Charter extended its win streak to ve with a 57-56 win over Cornerstone Charter on Dec. 3 and a 63-50 win over Wheatmore Friday.

Woods Charter junior Levi Haygood notched a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double to lead the Wolves over Eno River Academy 48-33 Friday.

Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference)

Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. North Moore (1-1, 0-0); 2. Northwood (3-3, 0-0); 3. Uwharrie Charter (2-3, 0-0); 4. Jordan-Matthews (2-4, 0-0); 5. Eastern Randolph (0-2, 0-0); 6. Southwestern Randolph (0-3, 0-0)

Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. Durham School of the Arts (4 -2, 0-0); 2. Seaforth (3-2, 0-0); 3. South Granville (2-2, 0-0); 4. Cedar Ridge (1-3, 0-0); 5. J.F. Webb (1-4, 0-0); 6. Orange (0-4, 0-0); 7. Carrboro (0-5, 0-0)

Power rankings (week of Dec. 1): 1. Chatham Charter; 2. Northwood; 3. Seaforth; 4. Woods Charter; 5. Jordan-Matthews; 6. Chatham Central Last week’s rankings: 1. Chatham Charter; 2. Chatham Central; 3. Woods Charter; 4. Northwood; 5. Seaforth; 6. Jordan-Matthews

Girls’ basketball

Northwood dominated at the Phenom 919 Showcase, defeating Sanderson 56-30 Friday and Thomasville 64-5 Saturday. Senior Alyia Roberts led the e ort over Sanderson with 17 points, while Mikaylah Glover came up big with 15 points and eight rebounds against Thomasville. Seaforth remained undefeated with a 49-47 win over Chapel Hill on Dec. 2 and a 60-20 blowout over Felton Grove on Friday. The Hawks outscored Chapel Hill 6-0 in the nal four minutes to win its rst game decided by one possession this season. Chatham Central took its rst loss to The Burlington School 65-43 on Dec. 2. The Bears bounced back with a 45-44 win over Eastern Randolph on Dec. 4 thanks to a career-high 15 points from junior Lizzy Murray. Sophomore Peyton York’s 12 points and six rebounds helped Chatham Charter defeat Cornerstone Charter 32-27 on Dec. 3. The Knights fell to Wheatmore 45-34 Friday. Woods Charter lost two of three during the week with losses to Wake Prep (67-46) and Eno River (37-30). Senior Wesley Oliver scored a season-high 21 points in a 49-31 win over Voyager Academy on Dec. 4. Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference)

Central Tar Heel 1A: 1. Chatham Charter (7-3, 0-0); 2. Woods Charter (3-2, 0-0); 3. Southern Wake Academy (4-3, 0-0); 4. Ascend Leadership (2-5, 0-0); 5. Clover Garden School (1-4, 0-0); 6. Central Carolina Academy (0-4, 0-0); 7. River Mill (0-8, 0-0) Greater Triad 1A/2A: 1. Bishop McGuinness (4-0, 0-0); 2. South Stokes (4-0, 0-0); 3. Chatham Central (4-2, 0-0); 4. Winston-Salem Prep (1-3, 0-0); 5. College Prep and Leadership (1-5, 0-0); 6. South Davidson (0-2, 0-0); 7. North Stokes (0-3, 0-0)

be as good as you can be at it.”

Morse averaged double- gure scoring for three seasons and collected three all-conference selections. As a senior, she led the Jets to a 22-3 record while averaging 17.8 points per game and shooting 48% from the oor.

“I think we were ranked pretty high,” Morse said about her senior season. “I know we

were sorely disappointed because we were upset by West Montgomery in the playo s, and that’s where the reality of sports hits you. You can be ranked and you can have a great record, and that other team out there can change all of that very quickly.”

Although she’ll always remember the sting of her nal high school game, Morse enjoyed the team camaraderie that developed from compet-

Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Uwharrie Charter (5-1, 0-0); 2. Southwestern Randolph (2-1, 0-0); 3. Northwood (3-2, 0-0); 4. Jordan-Matthews (1-5, 0-0); 5. North Moore (0-2, 0-0); 6. Eastern Randolph (0-3, 0-0) Central Tar Heel 1A: 1. Woods Charter (4-3, 0-0); 2. Southern Wake Academy (2-2, 0-0); 3. Chatham Charter (3-7, 0-0); 4. Clover Garden School (1-3, 0-0); 5. Central Carolina Academy (0-4, 0-0); 6. Ascend Leadership (0-5, 0-0); 7. River Mill (0-8, 0-0) Greater Triad 1A/2A: 1. College Prep and Leadership (4 - 0, 0-0); 2. Bishop McGuinness (41, 0-0); 3. Chatham Central (3-2, 0-0); 4. South Stokes (4-4, 0-0); 5. South Davidson (0-2, 0-0); 6. North Stokes (0-3, 0-0)

ing in high-stakes, high-intensity games.

“The Central game was always big for us because they were always really, really good,” Morse said. “Union Pines was always really, really good. We played in a really, really tough conference back then, and so you just knew every night was going to be kind of a dog ght.”

Morse decided to continue her basketball career at Wake Forest because of the academ-

Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. Orange (2-0, 0-0); 2. Seaforth (4 - 0, 0-0); 3. Durham School of the Arts (3-2, 0-0); 4. Carrboro (2- 4, 0-0); 5. South Granville (1-3, 0-0); 6. J.F. Webb (1-4, 0-0); 7. Cedar Ridge (0-4, 0-0) Power rankings (week of Dec. 1): 1. Seaforth; 2. Northwood; 3. Jordan-Matthews; 4. Chatham Central; 5. Woods Charter; 6. Chatham Charter Last week’s rankings: 1. Seaforth; 2. Chatham Central; 3. Woods Charter; 4. Chatham Charter; 5. Northwood; 6. Jordan-Matthews Wrestling

Top individual performances: Seaforth’s Jordan Miller won the 120-pound title after defeating Swansboro’s Levi Vetter by a 17-0 tech fall at the 2025 Swiss Bear Classic Saturday. Jordan-Matthews’ Jakari Blue won the 175-pound title at the Jim King Orange Invitational by pinning Millbrook’s Ephrem Rodts Saturday.

Girls: Numerous forfeits and a win from Johanna Carter over Leylyn Harrison in the 132-pound match helpled Jordan-Matthews defeat Northwood 42-6 on Dec. 3.

Top individual performances: Jordan-Matthews’ Alexandra Zumano Garcia (120 pounds) and Brianna Leandro Balderas (185 pounds) earned second place nishes at the Jim King Orange Invitational

Swimming

Top boys’ performances: Aden George (Seaforth, rst in 100 free at Hillsborough meet on Dec. 1, 58.85 seconds); Elijah Su (Northwood, rst in 500 free and 100 backstroke at Hillsborough meet); Derek White (Woods Charter, rst in 50 free at Chapel Hill meet on Dec. 4, 23.18); Drew White ( rst in 200 free and 100 backstroke at Chapel Hill meet)

Top girls’ performances: Sydney Haire (Seaforth, rst in 200 free, 100 backstroke and 400 freestyle relay at Hillsborough meet); Gillian Eriksen (Seaforth, rst in 100 free at Hillsborough meet, 1:03.26)

Boys: Northwood defeated Central Carolina Academy 54 -20 and Jordan-Matthews 47-36 on Dec. 3. Jordan-Matthews also fell to Central Carolina Academy 39-36. Chatham Central won its conference opener over Bishop McGuinness 36-24 on Dec. 3. Seaforth fell to Cedar Ridge 54-24 and beat Wake eld 51-29 at the second Cedar Ridge Quad on Dec. 3.

ic and post-grad opportunities the school presented, and she had an older brother that played golf there.

After graduating from Wake Forest, Morse worked as a teacher in Elkin for two years.

When her mother, a teacher at Jordan-Matthews, retired, Morse returned to her alma mater to teach for 39 years. She also coached basketball from 1986-96, tennis from 1986-95 and softball from 2015-18.

Morse’s competitive nature showed up in her teaching and how she motivated her students to do their best.

“I think that helped me in my classroom, as a teacher, to just have really high expectations of kids,” Morse said. “It doesn’t have to be picture perfect. You just have to keep working at it, and it was fun to watch kids grow in the classroom. So, yeah, sports has been good to me.”

JERSEY from page B1

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Northwood’s Mikaylah Glover secures the ball in a win over Carrboro on Dec. 3. She scored a season-high 15 points against Thomasville on Saturday.

Local wrestlers who took rst place at weekend tournaments

14 second quarter points. Seaforth led 23-16 at the break.

“I think the biggest thing with Woods is they have about two or three shooters on their perimeter,” Seaforth coach John Berry said. “So early on, instead of staying in that zone, we went ahead and went man so we could push up on them a little bit. I think that was one of the keys to the game.”

However, Woods Charter stuck around by outscoring Seaforth 9-8 in the third quarter. The Wolves held Seaforth scoreless for the rst four minutes of the second half while closing the de cit. Following a block on Seaforth junior Cole Davis, junior forward Paul Frazelle ran the oor and converted a hook shot to bring Woods Charter within two. Junior forward Levi Haygood, who nished the night with 12 points, matched his rst half scoring

total of four points in the period. Nevertheless, Miller facilitated a response to the run with an assist to sophomore Jackson Butcher and an o ensive rebound followed by a putback. On the following possession, another o ensive board tipped by Miller led to an and-one for Lindquist and a 27-23 lead.

“I like to play my role,” Miller said. “I’m not the best scorer on this team or best ball handler. I just want to do whatever I can to help make the team win, and rebounding is what I can do.”

With the win, Seaforth improved to 2-2 while Woods Charter fell to 3-2.

Last year, the two programs met for the rst time, and Seaforth won 46-24. There’s much respect shared between the two coaches as Berry coached Woods Charter coach Leonard McNair while McNair was a student athlete for the program he now leads.

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Seaforth’s Declan Lindquist takes a shot in a win over Woods Charter on Dec. 4.

HOOPS from page B1

combining for 13 points. The Jets shot 1 for 7 in the quarter, while the Bears made four of their 14 attempts to still trail 24-21 at halftime.

Chatham Central’s short leads and advantage in the o ensive rebounding column couldn’t overcome its shooting slump. The Bears made one 3 in the rst quarter and didn’t make another until the fourth. They nished the game shooting 2 for 26 from beyond the arc, and turnovers also limited their o ensive attack. Jordan-Matthews de ected numerous passes and notched multiple steals that led to points on the other end.

“That’s one of the things we talked about leading up to this game,” Jordan-Matthews coach Rodney Wiley said. “It’s being more aggressive on the defensive end, and I thought our guys did that.”

The Jets were ahead 41-40 halfway through the fourth quarter when Auguste converted two consecutive layups to extend their lead. Chatham Central couldn’t make enough shots to overcome the de cit, and its foul trouble helped Jordan-Matthews ice the game at the line.

Jordan-Matthews improved to 2-4 on the season while Chatham Central fell to 4-1.

Girls: Jordan-Matthews 44, Chatham Central 34

Jordan-Matthews overcame a 14-0 rst quarter de cit to defeat Chatham Central 44-34 and notch its rst win over the Bears since the 2014-15 season.

Chatham Central sophomore Addison Goldston dominated the paint and took advantage of a poor start from the Jets’ o ense with nine points in the opening quarter. Jordan-Matthews started the game 0 for 13 from the eld but closed the period with two straight buckets from senior Cassidy Graves, who nished the night with 12 points, and sophomore Zuri Nava, who

Another must-watch moment for Jordan as NBA great testi es at NASCAR trial

The NBA great attracts attention by taking the stand

By Jenna Fryer The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — Michael

Jordan has had a lifetime of big moments. His latest came on the witness stand in a federal courthouse.

The retired NBA great testi ed against NASCAR in an antitrust case he is pursuing against the stock car series on behalf of his race team, 23XI Racing, along with Front Row Motorsports. Both want to force NASCAR to change the way it does business with its teams, accusing it of monopolistic behavior.

“Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity,” the soft-spoken Jordan told the jury. “I felt I could challenge NASCAR as a whole.”

It was a di erent role for the 62-year-old Jordan, known best for the six NBA titles he won with the Chicago Bulls and his business interests in retirement, including his still relatively new role as a NASCAR team co-owner with three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin.

Dressed in a dark blue suit, Jordan slowly headed to the stand for the afternoon session, adjusted the seat for his 6-foot- 6 frame and settled in. Those in the packed courtroom hung on every word.

Jordan said he grew up a NASCAR fan, attending races at 11 or 12 with his family at tracks in Charlotte and Rockingham in his home state but also at Darlington in South Carolina and the Talladega superspeedway in Alabama.

“We called it a weekend vacation,” he said.

as an over ow room nearby. “I take it Mr. Jordan is the next witness,” Bell quipped. Outside the courthouse in downtown Charlotte, a crowd gathered for the rst time this week for a chance to see Jordan. One woman screamed “Oh my God, Mike! You are an icon, you the best, you the best to do it in the NBA!” Another claimed to have played golf and cards with Jordan acquaintances while asking Jordan to pose for a photo with his daughters.

Jordan said, “Man, it’s cold out here for you guys” before complimenting the two girls on their Nike-branded hoodies.

A spectator held a sign that read “NASCAR Your Fans Deserve Better” and Hamlin turned to him and said, “You’re right” as they tried to make their way through the throng to a caravan of waiting SUVs.

the Charlotte Hornets. Did he play anywhere else?

“I try to forget it but I did,” said Jordan, who played for the Washington Wizards in a mostly forgettable return to the NBA after his championship runs with the Bulls.

But Jordan spent most of his time making clear why he was in court suing the series he loves over the charters that guarantee teams revenue and access to Cup Series races. Among other things, the plainti s want the charters made permanent, which NASCAR has balked at.

“Look, we saw the economics wasn’t really bene cial to the teams,” Jordan testi ed, adding: “The thing I see in NASCAR that I think is absent is a shared responsibility of growth as well as loss.”

“We never gave up even though we were down in the rst quarter.”

Cassidy Graves

scored a team-high 14 points.

“We never gave up even though we were down in the rst quarter,” Graves said. “We wanted to beat Central so bad.”

Those two makes were the beginning of an 11-0 run that carried into the following quarter. Freshman guard Makayla Martin scored six of the Jets’ 10 second quarter points while turnovers slowed down the Bears’ o ense.

Trailing 18-15 at halftime, Jordan-Matthews started the second half with a full court press. The pressure forced numerous turnovers and resulted in Chatham Central in scoring three points in the third quarter. Jordan-Matthews nished the game with 24 steals, and sophomore Lizzie Alston led the way with seven.

“We started pressuring the ball, and we realized, ‘Hey, this is working for us, let’s stick with it,’” Jordan-Matthews coach Lamont Piggie said. “We just went not anything complicated. Regular full court man-to-man and just forced (Chatham Central) to play solid basketball.”

Meanwhile, fouls started piling up for the Bears in the second half. Jordan-Matthews took 12 foul shots in the third quarter, and Nava gave the Jets their rst lead of the game with a free throw late in the period. Three Bears fouled out in the fourth quarter. Tied at 34-34 with under two minutes left, Jordan-Matthews made a 10-0 run to clinch the win. Nava caused two turnovers and scored seven points in the closing run as she and Graves combined for 17 points in the fourth quarter. The Jets’ rst win of the season moved them to 1-5. Chatham Central fell to 3-2.

There were moments of levity on a dramatic day of testimony that also included Heather Gibbs, the daughter-in-law of team owner and NFL Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs. People were turned away from the courtroom and U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell couldn’t help but notice the high attendance in front of him as well

On the witness stand, Jordan noted he was an early fan of Richard Petty, like his dad. He later gravitated to Cale Yarborough, “the original No. 11. Sorry, Denny,” Jordan testi ed as Hamlin watched from the gallery.

Jordan was asked to outline his career, noting his time with the Bulls and adding he remains a minority owner of

As the session wound down, defense attorney Lawrence Buterman noted the novelty of cross-examining an icon like Jordan, closing with the comment: “Thank you for making my 9-year-old think I’m cool today.”

“You’re not wearing any Jordans today,” Jordan replied. When he was dismissed from the stand, he said “whew” and made his way back to the seat in the front row he’s occupied all week.

Just ask coaches: Every country in hardest group for 2026 World Cup

The tournament draw includes multiple groups of death

By Howard Fendrich The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — If you listened to the words spoken after the World Cup draw by the various coaches who were at the Kennedy Center, it would seem impossible for any of them to win next year’s tournament.

Everyone got thrown into the toughest group — or the “Group of Death,” in soccer parlance.

Everyone was burdened with talented foes for their rst three matches — even if a half-dozen participants are yet to be determined and the expanded eld means some lesser-quality teams will get in.

And everyone needs to avoid overlooking any other team and be ready for whatever is to come during the tournament from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico during the largest World Cup yet, the rst with 48 countries participating (there were 32 last time).

“We need to respect all of the opponents. It’s always going to be di cult,” said U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino, whose squad is in Group D and starts o against Paraguay on June 12, then also will

face Australia and a still-undetermined playo quali er.

“My message to the players is: We need to compete better than Paraguay; that is going to be di cult. Australia is going to be di cult,” Pochettino said. “And the team that is going to join us is going to be di cult.”

Hmmm. Sense a theme?

There is some version of what is often referred to as “coach speak” under nearly every circumstance and in nearly every sport. Just pay attention to what the men in charge of NFL clubs say day after day during that sport’s season.

It’s the classic playbook: Build up opponents. Don’t let your players get complacent. Don’t let your fans — or the people who hired you and can re you — think success is guaranteed.

Didier Deschamps, a player on France’s championship team in 1998 and the coach of its title winners in 2018 and runners-up to Argentina in 2022, sounded as worried as anyone else.

Doesn’t matter that the French are considered one of the favorites — not merely to get out of the round-robin stage but also to once more appear in the nal.

“We know this is a very tough group,” Deschamps said Friday. “We cannot rest.”

His country was dropped into Group I alongside Senegal, Norway and a playo

team (those won’t all be set until March).

A little later, Norway’s coach, Ståle Solbakken, for his part, praised the French team as “maybe the strongest in Europe,” and in the next breath — as though perhaps worried someone from another nation might take o ense — pointed out: “But there’s two other teams in the group.” One of which won’t even be known for another three months.

Luis de la Fuente, who led Spain to the 2024 European Championship, nds his team among the World Cup favorites but insisted there is parity in the sport these days.

Spain’s Group H includes Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde.

“People think there are easy groups, but it is a very similar level,” the coach said. “This will be a historic World Cup because there’s an exceptional level all-round. These games force you to play at your best.” Players can be just as liable to these sorts of pronouncements.

U.S. mid elder Tyler Adams, speaking to reporters on a video call Friday, said it plainly: “There’s no easy game in the World Cup.”

And then he pointed out that during the last World Cup, when the Americans were eliminated in the round of 16, their two hardest games came “against two of the lesser opponents.”

JENNA FRYER / AP PHOTO

Michael Jordan arrives in the Western District of North Carolina for the start of the antitrust trial between 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR, in Charlotte.

SIDELINE REPORT

BOXING

Golovkin, Tarver, Benn elected to Boxing Hall of Fame

Gennadiy Golovkin, the power puncher who made a record-tying 20 consecutive middleweight title defenses, was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Former champions Antonio Tarver and Nigel Benn are the other headline names in the class that will be enshrined in the museum in Canastota, New York, on June 14, 2026. Golovkin was elected in his rst year on the ballot in voting by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and a panel of international boxing historians. The native of Kazakhstan went 42-2-1 with 37 KOs.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Vanderbilt serious about scheduling 13th game to bolster CFP chances

Nashville, Tenn. Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea lobbied all week and o ered to add a 13th game to the schedule, “in the parking lot” if they had to, for one more shot at impressing the College Football Playo selection committee. He said Sunday the idea was no joke. His school’s chancellor and athletic director already were working behind the scenes trying to schedule a last-ditch e ort for Vanderbilt’s most successful football team in school history. Vanderbilt was one of multiple schools that were skipped over because of the CFP’s conference champion quali er rule.

NBA Paul’s return stint with Clippers over Los Angeles Chris Paul’s return to the Los Angeles Clippers has ended abruptly. The team parted ways with him in a late-night meeting last Wednesday in Atlanta. Clippers basketball operations president Lawrence Frank announced the decision, which he made on Sunday. Frank denied rumors of a clash between Paul and coach Tyronn Lue, saying the decision had multiple layers. Paul announced the news on social media early last Wednesday. The Clippers, who were 5-16 before a win in Atlanta, are not blaming Paul for their performance.

NBA

Former NBA champion, Clemson player Campbell dead at 57 Elden Campbell, a center who played 15 seasons in the NBA — including nine with the Los Angeles Lakers — and later won a championship with the Detroit Pistons, has died. He was 57. No cause was given. Campbell was born in Los Angeles and excelled at Morningside High before heading to Clemson. He was selected in the rst round of the 1990 NBA Draft by his hometown Lakers. He played nine seasons in Los Angeles, and won a championship ring in 2004 with the Pistons.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Multiplatinum rapper Toosii committed to playing football at Syracuse

Rap artist Toosii is taking time o from his multiplatinum music career by going forward with his dream to pursue football after saying he has committed to Syracuse University. The 25-year-old made the announcement in a message on social media. Toosii was born Nau’Jour Grainger and grew up in Syracuse. He played receiver in high school, and began exploring his return to football this summer.

Italian swimmer

Gregorio Paltrinieri carries the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics torch in Rome as it begins its journey through Italy, a journey that will conclude in Milan in February.

Nearly half the tickets for Milan Cortina Olympics still unsold with 2 months to go

Just over 850,000 of the 1.5 million tickets have been sold

By Andrew Dampf The Associated Press

ROME — Construction on the main hockey arena is still not nished. Spectator and media areas at the controversial sliding venue also need to be completed.

And with exactly two months to go to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, there is another major area that local organizers are concentrating on: only slightly more than half of the 1.5 million tickets for the games have been sold.

As the torch relay began in Rome on Saturday, just over 850,000 tickets had been sold.

While sales abroad are meeting expectations, interest among Italians remains low.

“That’s normal. The local fans get interested closer, and I think the beginning of the

torch relay will be a very important moment for people realizing that,” local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier told The Associated Press moments before the relay began.

A Black Friday promotion last week included three days of 20% discounts on tickets. And purchasers of both Olympics and Paralympics tickets have the chance to get lift passes for eight euros ($9) valid at every ski area in Lombardy between Dec. 9-22.

This week, more tickets for the Feb. 6 opening ceremony at the San Siro stadium and the men’s hockey gold medal game on Feb. 22 in Milan were put on sale.

“We had some tickets on the market a couple of days ago, and they were sold out in just a couple of hours,” Varnier said. “So there is interest.”

If past precedence is any indicator, the atmosphere was memorable at the 2006 Turin Winter Games — the last

Ex-SEC commissioner Kramer dead at 96

His ideas helped reshape college football

By Eddie Pells The Associated Press

PRETTY MUCH every debate over who should play for the national title, every argument about the staggering amounts of money, every tirade about how college football is nothing like what it used to be, traces back to a man who saw a lot of this coming, then made a lot of it happen — Roy Kramer.

Kramer, the onetime football coach who became an athletic director at Vanderbilt, then, eventually, commissioner of the Southeastern Conference where he set the template for the multibillion-dollar business college sports would become, died in Vonore, Tennessee, at 96.

The man who currently holds his former job, Greg Sankey, said Kramer “will be remembered for his resolve through challenging times, his willingness to innovate in an industry driven by tradition, and his unwavering belief in the value of student-athletes and education.”

Kramer helped transform his own conference from the home base for a regional pastime into the leader of a national movement during his tenure as commissioner from 1990 -2002.

It was during that time that he reshaped the entire sport of college football by dreaming up the precursor to today’s playo system — the Bowl Championship Series.

“He elevated this league and

“By any standard, Roy’s in uence has been mind-boggling.”

Mike Tranghese, former Big East commissioner

set the foundation,” former Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said. “Every decision he made was what he thought would elevate the SEC. It’s the thing that stands out most when I remember him: his passion and love for this league.”

Kramer was the rst to imagine a conference title game, which divided his newly expanded 12-team league into divisions, then pitted the two champs in a winner-take-all a air that generated millions in TV revenue.

The winner of the SEC title game often had an inside track to Kramer’s greatest creation, the BCS, which pivoted college football away from its long-held tradition of determining a champion via media and coaches’ polls.

The system in place from 1998 through 2013 relied on computerized formulas to determine which two teams should play in the top bowl game for the title.

That system, vestiges of which are still around today, produced its predictable share of heated debate and frustration for a large segment of the sport’s fans. Kramer, in an interview when he retired in 2002, said the BCS had been “blamed for everything from El Nino to the terrorist attacks.”

“That’s normal. The local fans get interested closer” Andrea Varnier, Local organizing committee CEO

time Italy hosted an Olympics. Still, organizers would have hoped for more demand after the last Winter Games in Beijing in 2022 were held mostly without fans because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Varnier pointed out that sales have been strong at the recently opened Milan Cortina store in front of the city’s cathedral, Piazza del Duomo.

“People are really going in and buying our merchandise, which is also a good sign,” he said.

As for the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena — the new, 16,000-seat venue on the outskirts of Milan — the scheduled test event for next week had

to be pushed back to January.

“We knew about the delays of the hockey arena, and we are working with it, but now we are following the right pace,” Varnier said. “It has to be ready.”

Next week, the secondary hockey venue that has been set up in the Rho Fiera convention center will be tested by hosting under-20 world championship games. These games will be held across a large swath of northern Italy, and athlete parades for the opening ceremony will also be held simultaneously in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Livigno and Predazzo besides Milan.

“It is quite an e ort, it’s the rst time ever,” Varnier said.

“It’s a very important message to have the athletes also staying in the mountain Villages to be able to participate in the ceremony. This was very well received by the NOCs (National Olympic Committees). … Also, the communities are very happy to have a piece of the ceremonies in their towns.”

But he didn’t apologize. The BCS got people talking about college football in a way they never had before, he said. And besides, was it so wrong to take a baby step toward the real tournament format that virtually every other major sport used?

A four-team playo replaced the BCS in 2014, and that was expanded to 12 teams starting last season. Before Kramer was named commissioner, the SEC was a mostly sleepy grouping of 10 teams headlined by Bear Bryant and Alabama whose provincial rivalries were punctuated by the Sugar Bowl every year where, often, the league’s best team would show what it could do against the guys up north. Kentucky was the basketball power. Not content with that role in the college landscape, one of Kramer’s rst moves was to bring Arkansas of the Southwestern Conference and independent South Carolina into the fold. That small expansion previewed a spasm of bigger reshu ings that continue to

overrun college sports some 35 years later.

Kramer sold the rights to televise his newly created league title game to ABC, then in 1996 added a deal with CBS worth a then-staggering sum of $100 million over ve years. A look at some numbers tells the story that Kramer saw before most people:

• In his rst year as commissioner, the SEC distributed $16.3 million to its member schools. In his last, in 2002, the amount rose to $95.7 million.

• In 2023-24, it was $808.4 million.

“By any standard,” former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said in 2002, “Roy’s in uence has been mind-boggling.” Archie Manning, the great Ole Miss quarterback who is now chair of the National Football Foundation, said Kramer’s “vision, integrity, and steady leadership helped shape college football into what we know today.”

DAVE MARTIN / AP PHOTO

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Roy Kramer talks with reporters during the opening session of the SEC football media days in 2000.

ANDREW MEDICHINI / AP PHOTO

Author-bookseller Patchett, lm producer Blum, to receive PEN America awards this spring

Other

literary

service

honorees include Toni Morrison, Lorne Michaels and Bob Woodward

By Hillel Italie

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Oscar-nominated producer Jason Blum is now getting some recognition from the literary world. PEN America will honor him at its fundraising gala next spring with the Business Visionary award. PEN, the century-old free expression organization, also will present author-bookseller Ann Patchett with the PEN/Audible Literary Service Award.

The gala is scheduled for May 14, and, as in previous years, will be held at the American Museum of Natural History.

Blum, the founder and CEO of Blumhouse, has helped oversee lms ranging from “BlacKkKlansman” and “Whiplash” to “Get Out,” along with such horror franchises as “Paranormal Activity” and “Halloween.” In announcing the awards last Tuesday, PEN praised the producer for “his daring and diverse lms that have transformed horror from a niche genre into a driving force of contemporary culture, often with social issues at the core.” Blum, 56, said in a statement

“The freedom to tell horror stories is vital to what we do every day at Blumhouse, so I’m grateful to PEN America for recognizing that, and thankful for this honor.”

Jason Blum

that “Horror is so much bigger and broader than people think” and that he was “very proud to have played a part in bringing it to an even wider audience.” He then cited an issue at the core of PEN’s mission, book bans, which he called the only thing “scarier than our movies.”

“A PEN America report from earlier this year found that Stephen King is the most banned author in American schools,” he said. “The freedom to tell horror stories is vital to what we do every day at Blumhouse, so I’m grateful to PEN America for recognizing that, and thankful for this honor.”

Previous recipients of the visionary award, given for “transformative contributions to the world of literature and storytelling,” include Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger, Dow Jones CEO Almar Latour and Macmillan Publishers CEO Jon Yaged.

Patchett, who turned 62 on Tuesday, is known for such acclaimed and popular novels as “Bel Canto,” “Commonwealth” and “The Dutch House.” PEN awards the literary service prize to “a writer or advocate who has served the literary community through their words or work,” and she has a legacy of both.

Patchett is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and winner of the PEN/ Faulkner award for “Bel Canto.” Besides her own writing, Patchett has been praised for her championing of fellow authors through Parnassus Books, the Nashville-based store she co-founded in 2011 around the same time two local booksellers had closed.

“I always used to think of myself as someone who should just be in a room, alone, writing books,” Patchett told The Associated Press. “But the bookstore really challenged that and changed me from a person who titled inwards to a person who titled outwards.”

Bookselling, she added with a laugh, “just gets me out of the house.”

PEN interim Co-CEO Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf said in a statement that Patchett’s ction “distills the essence of the human condition with humor and heart” and that Parnassus “has evolved into a refuge for readers and writers.”

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

Producer Jason Blum attends the premiere of “The Lost Bus” at the Princess of Wales Theatre during the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025 in Toronto.

this week in history

Colonists protest taxes with Boston Tea Party, Wright Brothers take ight in Kitty Hawk

The Associated Press DEC. 11

1816: Indiana was admitted to the Union as the 19th U.S. state.

1936: Britain’s King Edward VIII abdicated the throne so he could marry American divorcee Wallis War eld Simpson. 1978: Nearly $6 million in cash and jewelry was stolen from the Lufthansa cargo terminal at New York’s JFK Airport, a record-setting heist later immortalized in “Goodfellas.”

2008: Former Nasdaq chairman Bernie Mado was arrested, accused of running a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that wiped out the life savings of thousands of people and wrecked charities.

DEC. 12

1870: Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina became the rst black lawmaker sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives. 1963: The East African nation of Kenya declared inde-

‘Peter Hujar’s Day,’ ‘Train Dreams,’ ‘Sorry, Baby’ lead Spirit Award nominations

The program will take place on Feb. 15, nearly a month before the Oscars

By Lindsey Bahr

The Associated Press

IRA SACHS’ “Peter Hujar’s Day,” which recreates an interview with the 1970s photographer, led the Film Independent Spirit Awards nominations with ve nods, including best feature, director, as well as lead and supporting performances for Ben Whishaw and Rebecca Hall. The organization announced nominees for the 41st edition of the show last Wednesday.

Several lms followed with four nominations, including best feature and best director, like Clint Bentley’s lyrical Denis Johnson adaptation “Train Dreams,” and Eva Victor’s “Sorry, Baby,” about life after an assault. First features receiving four nods were “Blue Sun Palace,” “One of Them Days” and “Lurker.”

James Sweeney’s dark comedy “Twinless” and “The Plague,” which like “Train Dreams” also

The awards limit eligibility to productions with budgets less than $30 million.

stars Joel Edgerton, were also nominated for best feature. Edgerton was among the 10 best acting nominees, for “Train Dreams,” alongside the likes of Rose Byrne (“If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You”), Dylan O’Brien (“Twinless”), Keke Palmer (“One of Them Days”), Tessa Thompson (“Hedda”) and Whishaw, who was also nominated for the Net ix series “Black Doves.”

The organization switched to gender neutral acting categories in 2022.

Supporting performance nominees include Naomi Ackie (“Sorry, Baby”), Zoey Deutch ( “Nouvelle Vague” ), Kirsten Dunst (“Roofman”), Nina Hoss (“Hedda”), Jane Levy (“A Little Prayer”), Archie Madekwe (“Lurker”), Kali Reis (“Rebuilding”), Jacob Tremblay (“Sovereign”) and

pendence from Britain; it became a republic exactly a year later.

1985: An Arrow Air charter crashed after takeo from Gander, Newfoundland, killing 248 American soldiers and eight crew members.

DEC. 13

1862: Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside launched failed frontal assaults against entrenched Confederate troops at the Battle of Fredericksburg; the battered Northern army withdrew two days later after su ering heavy casualties.

1937: Japanese forces seized the Chinese city of Nanjing during the Second Sino-Japanese War and began a weekslong massacre that killed an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 civilians, prisoners of war and soldiers.

2003: Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. forces while hiding in a hole beneath a farmhouse in Adwar, Iraq, near his hometown of Tikrit.

DEC. 14

1799: The rst president of the United States, George Washington, died at his Mount Vernon, Virginia, home at age 67.

Former Nasdaq chairman Bernie Mado was arrested on Dec. 11, 2008, accused of running a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that wiped out the life savings of thousands of people and devastated numerous charities.

1903: Wilbur Wright attempted to y the Wright Flyer on North Carolina’s Outer Banks but climbed too steeply, stalled and crashed into the sand. Three days later, on Dec. 17, his brother Orville made history with the rst successful controlled, powered ight.

DEC. 15

1791: The Bill of Rights, the rst 10 amendments to the U.S.

Constitution, took e ect after being rati ed by Virginia.

1890: Hunkpapa Lakota Chief Sitting Bull and 11 other tribe members were killed in Grand River, South Dakota, during a confrontation with Indian agency police.

DEC. 16

1773: The Boston Tea Party took place as American colonists boarded British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped more than 300 chests of tea to protest tea taxes.

1907: Sixteen U.S. Navy battleships, later known as the “Great White Fleet,” departed Hampton Roads, Virginia, on a 14-month, round-the-world voyage to demonstrate American sea power.

DEC. 17

1903: Wilbur and Orville Wright made the rst successful manned, powered airplane ights near Kitty Hawk using their experimental craft, the Wright Flyer.

1777: France became one of the rst nations to o cially recognize the independence of the United States.

1989: “The Simpsons” debuted on Fox television; it remains the longest-running animated U.S. TV series.

Haipeng Xu (“Blue Sun Palace”).

The Robert Altman Award, for one lm’s directing, ensemble and casting, went to the Stephen King adaptation “The Long Walk,” with Mark Hamill, Cooper Ho man and David Jonsson. Among the international lm nominees were “Sirāt,””The Secret Agent” and “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl.” Documentaries recognized include “Come See Me in the Good Light,” “My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in

Moscow,” “The Perfect Neighbor,” “The Tale of Silyan” and “Endless Cookie.”

The Spirit Awards also honor television shows, where “Adolescence,” “Forever” and “Mr Loverman” led with four nominations each. The organization said its nominees hailed from 18 di erent countries, with 41% identifying as women.

Sometimes the Spirit Awards overlap signi cantly with major Oscar contenders and winners, as it did with “Anora,” and the “Everything

Everywhere All at Once” year, and sometimes not. The awards limit eligibility to productions with budgets less than $30 million, meaning more expensive productions like “One Battle After Another” were not in the running. The 41st edition of the Spirit Awards will be leaving its longtime home near the Santa Monica Pier for the Hollywood Palladium. The show, which serves as a fundraiser for Film Independent’s year-round programs, will be held Feb. 15.

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS VIA AP

Dylan O’Brien, left, and James Sweeney star in the dark comedy “Twinless,” which was announced as a nominee for best feature at the upcoming Spirit Awards.

KATHY WILLENS / AP PHOTO

famous birthdays this week

Dick Van Dyke hits 100, Steve Buscemi is 68, Taylor Swift turns 36, Eugene Levy is 79

THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

DEC. 11

Actor Rita Moreno is 94. Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is 82. Singer Brenda Lee is 81. Singer Jermaine Jackson is 71. Rock musician Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue) is 67. Hockey Hall of Famer Daniel Alfredsson is 53.

DEC. 12

Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Pettit is 93. Singer Dionne Warwick is 85. Hall of Fame race car driver Emerson Fittipaldi is 79. Actor Bill Nighy is 76. Gymnast-actor Cathy Rigby is 73. Singer-musician Sheila E. is 68. Actor Jennifer Connelly is 55. Actor Mayim Bialik is 50.

DEC. 13

Actor-comedian Dick Van Dyke is 100. Music/ lm producer Lou Adler is 92. Baseball Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins is 83. Rock musician Je “Skunk” Baxter is 77. Rock musician Ted Nugent is 77. Actor Steve Buscemi is 68. Actor-comedian Jamie Foxx is 58. Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is 36.

DEC. 14

Tennis Hall of Famer Stan Smith is 79. Actor Dee Wallace is 77. Rock musician Cli Williams (AC/DC) is 76. Baseball Hall of Famer Craig Biggio is 60. Actor and comedian Miranda Hart is 53. Actor Natascha McElhone is 54.

DEC. 15

Singer Cindy Birdsong (The Supremes) is 86. Rock musician Dave Clark (The Dave Clark Five) is 86. Baseball Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland is 81. Actor Don Johnson is 76. Rock musician Paul Simonon (The Clash) is 70.

DEC. 16

Artist Edward Ruscha is 88.

Dick Van Dyke poses with his Emmy for outstanding variety special for “Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic” at the 76th Creative Arts Emmy Awards in 2024 in Los Angeles. The actor-comedian turns 100 on Saturday.

Liv Ullmann is 87. CBS news correspondent Lesley Stahl is 84. Pop singer Benny Andersson (ABBA) is 79. Rock singer-musician Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) is 76. Actor Benjamin Bratt is 62.

DEC. 17

Actor Armin Mueller-Stahl is 95. Actor Ernie Hudson is 80. Political commentator Chris Matthews is 80. Comedian-actor Eugene Levy is 79. Actor Bill Pullman is 72. Filmmaker Peter Farrelly is 69. Rock musician Mike Mills (R.E.M.) is 67.

Actor

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP PHOTO Taylor Swift attends the 67th Grammy Awards in 2025 in Los Angeles. Swift turns 36 on Saturday.

MARK VON HOLDEN / INVISION FOR THE TELEVISION ACADEMY / AP CONTENT SERVICES

Brad Pitt, ‘Spinal Tap II,’ lots of Taylor Swift

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” returns for season 2

The Associated Press

A SIX-EPISODE, behindthe-scenes Disney+ docuseries about Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Rian Johnson’s third “Knives Out” movie, “Wake Up Dead Man,” 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: Chip and Joanna Gaines take on a big job revamping a small home in the mountains of Colorado, video gamers can skateboard through hell in Sam Eng’s Skate Story, and Rob Reiner gets the band back together for “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.”

MOVIES TO STREAM

Johnson’s third “Knives Out” movie, “Wake Up Dead Man” arrives on Net ix on Friday. Religion is at the heart of this installment, which nds Daniel Craig’s dapper detective Benoit Blanc trying to solve the “locked room” murder of Josh Brolin’s Monsignor Je erson Wicks, a charismatic and terrifying church leader with a devoted set of followers. The large ensemble cast includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Andrew Scott, Jeremy Renner and Kerry Washington. Some were less than delighted by this outing, however. In his review for The Associated Press, Mark Kennedy called it, “a gloomy and clunky outing that may test fans’ faith in the lmmaker.”

Brad Pitt plays a washed-up driver looking for glory on the racetrack in the Formula One movie “F1,” streaming on Apple TV Friday. Filmmaker Joseph Kosinski wanted to make it feel as exciting and authentic as possible: In many scenes, it really is Pitt and Damson Idris driving those cars at 180 mph. Film Writer Jake Coyle wrote in his review that it’s “a ne-tuned machine of a movie that, in its most riveting racing scenes, approaches a kind of high-speed splendor.”

Reiner got the band back together for “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” which begins streaming on HBO Max on Friday. Was it a mistake to revisit the great 1984 mockumen-

“‘F1’ is a ne-tuned machine of a movie that, in its most riveting racing scenes, approaches a kind of high-speed splendor.”

tary, though? Mark Kennedy wrote in his review that, “Despite some great starry cameos — Paul McCartney’s is easily the best — ‘Spinal Tap II’ leans into the old favorite bits too needily and is su ocated by the constantly looming presence of death, a downer. The improv-based comedy is forced, and the laughs barely register. This is a movie only for die-hard Tappers.”

MUSIC TO STREAM

It is Swift’s world, and we’re just living in it. Prepare yourself for two new projects at Disney+. That’s a six-episode, behind-the-scenes docuseries about her landmark “Eras Tour” titled “Taylor Swift ‘The Eras Tour’ The End of an Era” — the rst two episodes will premiere Friday. And that is not to be confused with the second, titled “Taylor Swift ‘The Eras Tour’ The Final Show,” a concert lm now with the inclusion of

“The Tortured Poets Department” section. The 2024 album was incorporated into her three-and-a-half-hour performance following its release. It was lmed in Vancouver. (That di ers from 2023’s “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” lm, which was compiled from several Swift shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, a suburb of Los Angeles, and arrived ahead of “The Tortured Poets Department.”) Swifties, rise! It has been a big year for col-

laborative rap records (looking at you, Clipse) and that continues into 2025’s 11th hour with “Light-Years,” a new release from rapper Nas and record producer DJ Premier. They’re greats for a reason. The Grammy-award winning producer, DJ and electronic musician Fred Again will release the next iteration of his USB series, the 16-track “USB002,” on Friday. Expect the unexpected: The rst song released from the collection is “you’re a

star,” which features Australian punky-pop band Amyl and The Sni ers. The club sounds a little di erent this time around.

SERIES TO STREAM

Chip and Joanna Gaines have long said they would not do any xer uppers outside of central Texas. Until now. The couple has taken on a big job revamping a small 1960s home in the mountains of Colorado. “Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House” is now streaming on HBO Max and Discovery+.

Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, returns to TV with Season 2 of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” The series, starring Walker Scobell in the title role, adapts “The Sea of Monsters,” the second novel in a book series by Rick Riordan. The two-hour season premiere is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

He helped to launch “American Idol” and created “America’s Got Talent” and the group One Direction. Now, cameras follow Simon Cowell as he seeks to form a new boy band in “Simon Cowell: The Next Act.” The docuseries, out now, is about both his search and Cowell himself. He prides himself on discovering an “it” factor. “When you’re putting a band together, it’s like mining for diamonds,” he said in the trailer. “If this goes wrong, it will be ‘Simon Cowell has lost it.’” Diane Kruger stars in a new drama for Paramount+ called “Little Disasters” as Jess, a mother who takes her son to the hospital for a head injury. The doctor, who is also a friend, becomes suspicious of Jess’ description of what happened and calls the authorities. It’s based on a novel of the same name. All six-episodes drop Thursday.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

I’ve skateboarded all over the world in various video games, but one location remains untouched by my deck: hell. Solo designer Sam Eng aims to correct that omission with Skate Story. You are a skateboarder made of glass in an underworld lled with demons who can only be defeated by unleashing your gnarliest tricks. The only way to escape is to swallow the moon. If you love classics like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater but wish they were more hallucinatory, this might be the ride for you. Kick o now on PlayStation 5, Switch 2 or PC.

JOHN WILSON / NETFLIX VIA AP

Josh O’Connor, left, and Daniel Craig star in “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.”

RICHARD SHOTWELL / INVISION / AP PHOTO

“Simon Cowell: The Next Act,” a new docuseries about the “America’s Got Talent” creator, is now streaming on Net ix.

LUCA BRUNO / AP PHOTO

Brad Pitt walks in the paddock at the Silverstone racetrack in Silverstone, England, in 2024. His lm “F1” premieres Friday on Apple TV+.

Jake Coyle, AP Film Writer

Duplin Journal

Abner Phillips Road closed for bridge maintenance

Warsaw The North Carolina Department of Transportation has temporarily closed a section of Abner Phillips Road for bridge maintenance over Grove Creek. The road is expected to reopen by 5 p.m. on Dec. 15, weather permitting. Local tra c may use a detour via Abner Phillips Road to West Ward’s Bridge Road and then to N.C. 50.

Special meeting to consider utility, tax rate cuts

Mount Olive The Town of Mount Olive will hold a Special Called Board Meeting on Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. to consider reducing recent increases to water bills and property taxes. The board will review a proposal to lower the current 8% water rate increase and the 7.5% property tax rate. The meeting will take place in the Town Board Meeting Room at 114 E. James St. in Mount Olive.

Employees appreciation lunch set for Dec. 19

Kenansville

Duplin County will host its annual employee appreciation lunch Dec. 19 from 1-5 p.m. at the Duplin Events Center, honoring the hard work and dedication of county employees. All county o ces will be closed during the event.

Economic Development Board meeting rescheduled

Kenansville

The Duplin County Economic Development Commission has rescheduled its January meeting. Originally scheduled for Jan. 2, the meeting will now be held on Jan. 9 at 7 a.m. in the Duplin County Airport conference room.

Filing for 2026

elections open

Duplin County People wishing to run for the county commissioners board and Board of Education can now le for the 2026 election. Candidates must be at least 21 years old and live in the district they wish to represent. Filing fees are $100 for county commissioner and $5 for the Board of Education. If a candidate is not a liated with a political party, they must submit a petition with signatures from 4% of registered voters — 256 for District 2 and 289 for District 3. Petitions are due by noon on the primary election, March 3.

$2.00

State and local leaders turn the rst shovels of dirt to celebrate the

Duplin breaks ground on new Forest Service Region One Headquarters

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — State and local dignitaries gathered at the Duplin County Airport

last week for the long-awaited groundbreaking of the new $13.1 million North Carolina Forest Service Region One Headquarters at the Airpark. The facility will sit on a

Airpark development delays continue, but work moves forward

Despite setbacks, county leaders remain optimistic about progress

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — “It would have been a nice Christmas present.”

With those words, Duplin County Economic Development Commission Executive Director Scotty Summerlin told the board at their Dec. 5 meeting

that hopes of completing infrastructure work this month at the Duplin Airpark have been delayed again, this time due to an additional change order and several punch list items that need to be completed by contractors involved in the project.

Despite the additional delay, Summerlin reported, “It’s been a very productive month.”

Development of the Airpark project has been delayed past its initial estimated completion date

12 - acre tract across from the existing N.C. Forest Service Eastern Aviation Hub, which houses firefighting and observation aircraft. Along with office space, the building will include a dedicated training facility.

“We are so excited to be here today to begin building

the Region One Headquarters,” North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler told Duplin Journal, explaining that the new facility will bring air operations and ground operations back together again. “We

State nes Duplin County over animal welfare violations

An inspection found documentation errors, incomplete euthanasia records and care issues

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

STATE INSPECTORS have cited the Duplin County Animal Services Animal Shelter for multiple violations of North Carolina’s Animal Welfare Act, including incomplete euthanasia records, inadequate supervision of dogs and failure to provide water to several kittens, one of which died, according to state documents. On Monday, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services issued a $1,700 civil penalty to Duplin County based on viola-

tions identi ed during a Nov. 17 inspection by the department’s Animal Welfare Section. The inspection followed a complaint received one week earlier alleging improper practices at the county-run shelter. According to the state, inspectors reviewed shelter operations, records and animal care practices for compliance with state animal welfare laws.

Inspectors found the shelter failed to properly document euthanasia procedures. Records for seven animals did not include the route of administration for euthanasia solutions, while computer records for six additional animals contained incorrect information about the method used.

“He was patient, loving, healthy and full of life.”

See HQ, page A5

Carolina Forest Service Region One Headquarters at the Duplin County Airport, marking

the making. ENA SELLERS / DUPLIN JOURNAL State, county and industry partners praise the teamwork behind the major project

MARK GRADY / FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

Members of the Duplin County Economic Development Board look at a screen displaying bid information for land clearing in preparation to build several short-term rental units at the new Duplin Airpark.

Duplin Journal www.duplinjournal.com

North State Media LLC

104 W Main Street

Wallace, NC 28466 Copyright 2025

Trip Ho end

Publisher

Jim Sills VP of Local Newspapers

Ena Sellers News Editor

Michael Jaenicke Sports Editor

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

We stand corrected

To report an error or a suspected error, please email: corrections@ nsjonline.com with “Correction request” in the subject line.

THURSDAY

Dec. 1

Nija Bethune, 29, was arrested by DCSO for felony larceny, possession of stolen automobile and failure to stop at stop sign or ashing red light.

Dec. 4

Ti any Renee Johnson, 35, was arrested by DCSO for larceny by employee.

• Aaron James Miller, 30, was arrested by DCSO for obtaining property by false pretense and larceny by employee.

Dec. 5

Johnathan Irizarry, 41, was arrested by DCSO for child support.

• Travis Scott, 37, was arrested by DCSO for assault on individual with disability and injury to personal property.

Dec. 8

Nydia Celina Perez, 49, was arrested by DCSO for felony possession of Schedule II controlled substance, maintaining a vehicle or dwelling place for controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while license revoked and secreting lien property.

Francisco Lizardi Vargas, 50, was arrested by DCSO for second-degree trespass, soliciting alms or begging for money, disorderly conduct and intoxicated and disruptive.

Anita Marie Savage, Duplin County Register of Deeds issued 21 marriage licenses for the month ending on Nov. 30, 2025.

• Maria Isabel Tinoco Zamora, Seven Springs, and Miguel Angel Campos Tapia Greensboro;

• Luis Alberto Silva, Kenansville, and Aiyanni Ivette Hernandez Kenansville;

Clifton Lamont Moore, Kenansville, and Jocelyn Bournes Kenansville;

• Keegan L.K. Whaley, Pink Hill, and Emily Jade Davis Pink Hill;

• Milana Carmian Michelle Merendino, Wallace, and Jonas Alexander Byrd, Beulaville;

Tito Bauista, Mount Olive, and Marta Yennelis Casquez Recancoj, Mount Olive;

Luther Thomas Register Jr, Magnolia, and Hilda Faye Sholar, Magnolia;

• Larry Mccoy Powers, Wallace, and Rachel De-Vore Stephens, Burgaw;

Cristopher Omar Mejia Rivera Warsaw, and Ingrid Yamileht Velasquez, Warsaw;

Lee Ray Collins, Albertson, and Lucretia David Whaley, Beulaville;

• Amilcar Abdeneo Zunun Perez Seven Springs, and Amadilia Simon Perez Seven Springs;

James David Borden, Wallace, and Amy Michelle Stanley, Wallace;

Ryan Michael Carder Louisville, and Justin Lourdes Fritsch, Louisville;

• Mason Benjamin Cottle, Rose Hill, and Raegan

Conley Smith, Turkey;

• Jalen Corez Baker, Warsaw, and Shannon Mona Cox, Warsaw;

Kaitlin Alexandria Segari, Rose Hill, and Cole Everett Smith, Rose Hill;

• Yolanda Pablo Perez, Mt. Olive, and Roberto Lopez Giron, Mt. Olive;

• Christopher Ray Sharp, Maysville, and Marina D Mejia, Beulaville;

Dana Monique Boykin, Warsaw, and Mike Jerome Bell, Faison;

• Jordyn Isaac Wilson Australia, and Briggitte Clarissa De La Cruz, Warsaw;

• Alma Berenise Roldan Padilla, Warsaw, and Luis Eduardo Landa Ibarra, Warsaw.

Dec. 12

Christmas Tree Lighting

6 p.m.

The Beulaville Area Chamber of Commerce and the town of Beulaville invite the public to the Christmas Tree Lighting on Friday to celebrate the season with the town’s Christmas tree, songs from the East Duplin Chorus and refreshments.

508 E Main St., Beulaville

Dec. 13

Annual Wallace Christmas Parade

10 a.m.

Experience the magic of the holiday season at the annual Wallace Christmas Parade in Wallace on Saturday. Festive oats, twinkling lights and joyful music bring the spirit of Christmas to life. Parade lineup begins at 9 a.m. Downtown Wallace

Beulaville Christmas Parade 2 p.m.

The Beulaville Area Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Christmas Parade Saturday, featuring festive oats, twinkling lights and a magical holiday atmosphere. The parade will begin in front of Carly C’s at Kennedy Street and proceed along Main Street East to Whaleys Super Market on Lyman Road.

Main Street, Beulaville

Dec. 15

Santa’s Mailbox open at Beulaville Town Hall

Children of all ages can drop o letters to Santa at Santa’s Mailbox, located just outside the main door of Beulaville Town Hall. Be sure to include a return address. The last day to drop o letters is Dec. 15, giving families a chance to be part of the holiday tradition.

508 E. Main St., Beulaville

Dec. 17

Beulaville Police Department Toy Drive

The Beulaville Police Department is collecting new, unwrapped toys and gift cards to support local children in need this holiday season. Donations will be accepted through Dec. 17 at Beulaville Town Hall.

508 E. Main St., Beulaville

CRIME LOG

Duplin County to save $1.2M through bond re nancing

The commissioners backed major bond re nancing and honored retiring deputies

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — The Duplin County Board of Commissioners held its annual organizational meeting this month, unanimously electing Commissioners Dexter Edwards as chairman and Elwood Garner as vice chair for 2026.

The board also unanimously approved re nancing of the county’s 2016 Limited Obligation Bonds after receiving updated interest rate information. The newly secured 3.41% xed rate, down from roughly 5%, will save Duplin County over $1.2 million during the remaining 10-year repayment period. A public hearing drew no objections.

According to meeting documents, these bonds were issued in the amount of $52.64 million to nance the cost of improvements to B.F. Grady Elementary School, Kenansville Elementary School, Rose Hill’s Magnolia Elementary School, Wallace Elementary School, Warsaw Elementary School and North Duplin Elementary School.

from page A1

primarily because of the complexity surrounding the project.

Turning the land around the Duplin County Airpark into an industrial complex has involved a series of separate projects, including new roads, water and sewer development, and power installation, all while building the rst of two 50,000-square-foot shell buildings on the property and preparing another area for the construction of several short-term rental houses.

During the meeting, the board approved the project’s 20th change order, which involves repairs and improvements to part

Sheri Statton Stokes presented retirement plaques to 1st Sgt. Benjamin Parrish, Sgt. Randy Forster, Chief Deputy Philip Humphrey and Janice McCallop, who was not present.

“I’d like to thank the board for allowing us to be here and passing out these awards,” said Stokes. “It means a lot for county employees and especially the Sheri ’s O ce to be able to highlight people who gave their blood, sweat and tears to the county and the citizens.”

Parrish was the rst o cer

recognized for his service to Duplin County. He also received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. In his remarks, Parrish re ected on more than three decades of service, beginning with the Coast Guard in 1987, followed by two deployments to Iraq with the North Carolina National Guard in 2003 and 2007. Alongside his military service, he worked in law enforcement across several agencies before settling in Duplin County.

“This is where my forever place is, and my boys are right here in the school system,” said Parrish.

of the wastewater infrastructure on West Best Road. The contract supplement totals $4,013.68.

Once the punch list items are taken care of, several involving the new sewage system around the Airpark, Summerlin said there is hope the infrastructure development will be completed by the rst or second week of January.

Another factor in the delay is that multiple contractors are involved in di erent aspects of the project, meaning some could not access their work sites until others had nished their tasks.

In other action, the board voted to accept a bid of $30,000 from Gainus Lawn Maintenance of Beulaville to clear land

Retired 1st Sgt. Benjamin Parrish stands next to Sheri Stratton Stokes. left, accompanied by his family, after being celebrated for more than 30 years of service. Parrish received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. In the background are Jesse Dowe, Justin Edwards, Dexter Edwards, Wayne Branch and Elwood Garner.

Forrester was honored next for his service from 2003 to 2024 and received the Old North State Award. In brief remarks, he expressed gratitude for the privilege of serving Duplin County residents and credited his faith and community for their support. Humphrey followed, receiving

in preparation for the construction of a rst phase of short-term rental units at the Airpark. Board members also discussed whether to use prefabricated modular units or stick-built homes for the units.

Several board members commented on the very broad range of bids submitted for the land clearing, which ranged in price from $30,000 to $220,000 from ve bidders.

There were also several compliments regarding the groundbreaking ceremony for the new North Carolina Forest Service headquarters at the airport. The ceremony was attended by N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.

recognition for his service from 1996 to 2025 and was presented with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Humphrey thanked God and the community for the opportunity to serve. He re ected on his military and law enforcement career.

“I’m thankful and I’m bless-

ed, and I’m so grateful that Georgia Garner gave me a chance to be right here to work with Jesse Dowe on the road,” said Humphrey.

Interim County Manager Lisa Hughes announced several upcoming county events and introduced an Eagle Scout project presented by the son of judges Henry and Melissa Stevens. According to Hughes, the proposed project would add QR-coded historical information to courthouse portraits, and it received the board’s support.

Hughes also noti ed the board that the U.S. Mint’s discontinuation of penny production may affect departments handling cash transactions. Commissioners authorized a temporary policy to round totals down to the nearest nickel in the event of a coin shortage.

In other business

The board adopted its 2026 meeting schedule. Meetings will be held on the rst Monday of each month at 6 p.m., and on the third Monday of May and June at 6 p.m. If county o ces are closed due to a holiday or adverse weather, the meeting will be held on the next business day.

New playground project and software upgrades remain on track

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — Newly elected Kenansville Board of Commissioners member Michael Maddox was sworn into o ce at the board’s Dec. 2 meeting. Maddox works for Duplin County Schools and is senior pastor of Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Wallace. He also serves as a volunteer with the Duplin County Sheri ’s Department Chaplain Program.

Town Clerk Madison Jones conducted the swearing-in ceremony for Maddox, as well as for Mayor Stephen Williamson and Commissioner Linda Tyson for their new terms. During department reports, Garry Benson said the state’s inspection of the town’s wastewater treatment system was complete and had passed.

Mayor pro tem Milta King asked Benson about the taste

of her water, saying it “wasn’t bad, just di erent.” Benson said the di erence in taste was likely the result of a small amount of additional chlorine being added to the water supply to meet specication requirements of ECU Health Duplin Hospital.

Town Manager Anna West told the board that sta members are still training on the new software purchased from Black Mountain Software. She said the training was challenging but that they were making progress. The town is in the process of inputting data from the old software into the new program.

West also reported that equipment for the new $500,000 playground at Kenan Park is still on schedule to begin arriving just after the rst of the year. The playground is being funded by grants and donations.

In a closing comment, Williamson recommended the town send a letter to the Kenansville Area Chamber of Commerce commending it for staging an exceptional Christmas parade on Nov. 29.

MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

Incoming Kenansville Board of Commissioners member Michael Maddox, right, takes the oath of o ces as his wife holds the Bible.

AIRPARK

PHOTOS COURTESY DUPLIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

Financial health boils down to good habits being the central theme

“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”

Yogi Berra

THERE AREN’T MANY situations in life to which a good Yogi Berra quote doesn’t apply. As we head into the holiday season and 2026, it’s a great time to check in on where you are and where you are going.

Financial health boils down to good habits being the central theme. One other habit that is relevant to nancial literacy and health is the annual checkup. Just like going to the doctor each year, there are sources of potential dread in a nancial checkup — do I really want to know? Can it have gotten better with another year of age? It sure is easier to ignore problems! So just like your annual physical, if you don’t already take an annual snapshot of your nancial picture, nd some time over the holidays to do that. What that entails is up to you, but at a basic level I would suggest building your own “balance sheet” and potentially a cash ow plan for next year.

When my wife and I were planning our wedding, one of the traditions in the Catholic Church is pre-cana classes. These classes go through many of the logical issues that you would imagine the church would focus on, but they also covered the basics of a nancial plan. As we went through the session on this, it was amazing to me how many other engaged couples had no clue that their future spouse had massive credit card debts, or, in one case, that they were the bene ciary of a large trust fund. Knowing these things is really important to having any kind of a plan together, or even on your own.

Making your balance sheet is straightforward — you are looking to comprehensively total up your assets and your liabilities (or debts). Making a simple spreadsheet that lists the things you own and the amounts you owe will not only give you a good snapshot of where you are, but it also makes planning much easier in the future. You’ll start next year’s check-in from last year’s balance sheet, and the updates can be incremental that way. Moreover, your balance sheet will greatly simplify things for your heirs in the event tragedy strikes.

Starting with this snapshot, I would then suggest building a plan for next year. It can be simple — what are the big sources of funds that will come in next year, and what are the big uses of funds next year? I like to project mine monthly — I know what my paycheck should be, and what my mortgage payment and other monthly recurring expenses will be. Then I can see what I’ll have left over after the basics for more optional expenses.

As you do these over time, you will get a good picture of the progress you are making toward whatever goals you have. Progress won’t be linear — you’ll have some good years and some less good years — but by knowing where you are, you’ll have a much better chance of knowing where you are going …

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Brad Briner is the treasurer of North Carolina.

The melting pot is boiling over

Our society’s foundation isn’t the government.

IN ONE SENSE, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are the foundation of the country’s government.

The Declaration laid out the principles we aspire toward. The Constitution established the three branches of government. It contains many brilliant mechanisms to check the government’s power. The Bill of Rights o ers another layer of protection.

But mere words — even some of the most brilliant and in uential words ever written — didn’t create America’s greatness. Americans did.

Imagine you could magically impose America’s system of government in Somalia, Afghanistan or the Gaza Strip. Same Declaration of Independence. Same Constitution. Same Bill of Rights. Would it turn those Third World nations into First World successes?

Of course not. Just look at the 260,000 people of Somali descent living in America. More than 100,000 of them live in Minnesota. In recent weeks, there have been numerous stories about how Somalis in Minnesota stole billions of dollars from the government. That led to millions of dollars going to Al-Shabaab, an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group.

In one scheme, Asha Farhan Hassan created Smart Therapy, which supposedly o ered services for children with autism. She and her partners recruited Somali parents and worked to get their children fake autism diagnoses. They used that to secure Medicaid funding. Hassan then cut the parents in on the scheme.

“Several larger families left Smart Therapy after being o ered larger kickbacks by other autism centers,” the U.S. Attorney’s O ce in Minnesota wrote in a release.

Importing Somalis to America didn’t give them American values. They brought their preexisting values to America and ripped o taxpayers for billions. They brought clan rivalries from Somalia along with them as well.

Afghanistan provides another example of this. After 9/11, the United States took over the country. We spent more than $130 billion there. That’s more than America spent rebuilding Western Europe with the Marshall Plan, according to The Washington Post. The United States

even held elections in Afghanistan. But as soon as former President Joe Biden decided to surrender, the country fell to the Taliban. Despite all the money and lives lost, we couldn’t export democracy to a society with a vastly di erent history and heritage.

These di erences were punctuated by an Afghan national allegedly murdering a National Guardsman in Washington, D.C., recently.

Even democracy isn’t a cure-all. In 2006, Gaza Strip residents elected Hamas to run the region. Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre initially boosted Hamas’ favorability ratings among Palestinians.

What the Founding Fathers understood — but many modern Americans don’t — is that our society’s foundation isn’t the government. It’s the shared values, culture and history that bind individuals into citizens of a nation. Those are the pillars that uphold the government.

This is why importing millions of people who have fundamentally di erent worldviews is a terrible idea — and not just in America. Look at England. Grooming gangs raped thousands of girls over decades. Most o cials ignored the problem because the rapists were largely from Pakistan. They feared being accused of racism.

Even immigrants who support Western civilization and have Judeo-Christian values need time to assimilate. People aren’t interchangeable units of economic activity. They have religious values, customs and worldviews. Our country has an interest in making sure new arrivals learn ours. Learning English should be nonnegotiable. Those living in the same country need to be able to communicate with each other. This makes it easier to build trust and cohesion.

As of June 2025, America had more than 50 million immigrants. More than 15% of the country’s population was born elsewhere. That includes a staggering 19% of the workforce.

It’s too much. At this point, the melting pot is boiling over.

Victor Joecks is a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and host of the “Sharpening Arrows” podcast.

COLUMN | BRAD BRINER

Festive lights, local talent highlight Christmas by the Tracks

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

A STEADY, cold Satur -

day rain challenged daytime events at the 150th Christmas by the Tracks celebration in downtown Rose Hill, but the skies cleared just in time for the evening parade. Crowds gathered along Church Street — some huddled near propane heaters, others rushing forward to grab the candy tossed by participants. Parade entrants shone brightly with festive lights as they rolled through the streets.

Before the parade, center-stage entertainment showcased local talent, including the Vessels of Worship, the Beatitudes, Sydney Casteen, Adam Quinn and Renee Hoxie. Afterward, attendees enjoyed performances by Harvey Arnold Jr. — this year’s grand marshal — along with the Exit 380 East Band and the Johnson Boys. Despite the earlier rain and cold, Christmas spirit filled Rose Hill for this milestone celebration.

Above, Kayden Wells, Little Miss N.C. Poultry Jubilee 2025, is one of several queens riding in the 2025 Christmas by the Tracks parade. Top right, Duplin County has its “Singing Senator,” Charlie Albertson, and Rose Hill can claim its “Singing Commissioner.” Adam Quinn of the Rose Hill Town Board performed shortly before the parade at this year’s Christmas by the Tracks. Bottom right, Cohen Quinn of Rose Hill dons Christmas lights and a smile as she anticipates the start of the Christmas by the Tracks parade on Church Street.

are proud to be here in Duplin County — the county has been so good to deal with. And they wanted us here badly. So we’re at home, and we appreciate it.”

Region One of the N.C. Forest Service serves 27 counties in eastern North Carolina and functions as a hub for wild re response, forest management and emergency coordination. The headquarters also provides economic bene ts to the region, supporting public-sector jobs, purchasing fuel and supplies locally, and attracting visiting crews during re seasons and training events.

Scotty Summerlin, executive director of the Duplin County Economic Development Commission, said the project is on a 500-day construction schedule, with completion expected in April 2027.

“We’re just so excited,” Summerlin told Duplin Journal, adding that the e ort has been years in the making. Summerlin emphasized that the groundwork was laid by his predecessors, making this a long-term e ort nally moving from planning to reality. He said they are eager to see construction begin and just as eager to see it completed.

“There’s a lot of us here that have looked forward to this day for a long time — not only those of us here, but I feel the spirits of those who have gone on before us,” Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin) said. “It’s always a pleasure to see something like this happen.”

During the ceremony, each of the special dignitaries expressed deep gratitude for those who contributed.

“Thank you for being here and working with us on this project and many others that bene t the great responsibility we have in North Carolina to continue producing the food and ber necessary to remain a free nation,” said Dixon as he thanked Troxler for his support.

Dexter Edwards, chairman of the Duplin County Board of

Commissioners, voiced strong support for the project and praised the personnel already working at the Airpark.

“We’re looking forward to this building,” he said, adding that success with the two existing hangars has made the county eager for what comes next. He described the aviation team as one the community should be proud of.

“We appreciate it here in Duplin, and we feel that this is an honor to all of Eastern North Carolina,” said Edwards. “We’re glad we can be the hub housing these folks.”

Paul Stewart of Willard Stewart Architects thanked Region One sta , including Andy Meyer and Greg Hicks, for their collaboration.

“This project is just as much their vision as ours,” Stewart said. “It’s been an honor to work on something so important, and we’re excited to help reunite aviation and ground operations here in Duplin County.”

Representatives from Daniels and Daniels Construction also praised the partnership behind the project, noting the strength of the team that includes architects, county leaders and the Forest Service.

“This is absolutely the right team for a project of this caliber,” the company said. “The county is an exceptional partner and neighbor, and the Forestry Service is fortunate to have such a strong home base here.”

The rm added that by the time the ribbon is cut, they expect even greater excitement, con dent the team will deliver a high-quality facility built through strong collaboration. The ceremony concluded with the traditional shovel-turning. Dixon noted the facility’s future impact.

“This is going to be a magni cent facility here in Duplin County for the training of the forestry o cers and the entire sta ,” he said. “All of the training in Eastern North Carolina will be located right here. We’re really looking forward to it.”

PHOTOS BY MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

HQ from page A1

Magnolia lights up season with tree ceremony, indoor festivities

A modest crowd braved cold, misting rain in Magnolia on Friday night for the town’s Christmas tree lighting. Mayor Dawn Ward welcomed attendees, sharing the stage with Santa before leading a 10-second countdown to illuminate the multicolored, star-topped tree. Afterward, the celebration moved inside the decorated gym, where families enjoyed cookie decorating, sel e stations, face painting and a cake walk. The back of the gym became the “North Pole,” where visitors of all ages lined up for photos with Santa and candy canes.

COURTESY

Shelter records for Jericho, a 10-month-old puppy, show he was euthanized before completing the state-mandated 72 -hour hold.

FINES from page A1

Animal care violations included unsupervised dogs in an exercise area lacking a separate perimeter fence and absence of doghouses for outdoor dogs. Inspectors also cited failures to clean litter boxes twice daily, sanitize water bowls with hot water and disinfectant, and document social interaction and enrichment for animals held long term.

In addition to the civil penalty, the shelter received a written warning for other violations, including a broken electrical outlet in the dog kennel room, improper storage of cat isolation bedding and missing thermometers in multiple cat areas.

Fines included $200 for euthanasia documentation errors, $200 for unsupervised dogs and $500 for the incident involving water deprivation of kittens. The agency also issued a written warning for sanitation, storage and record-keeping deciencies. The department noted that continued or repeated violations could lead to nes of up to $5,000 per violation and potential suspension or revocation of the shelter’s registration.

“Our animal welfare section is working with the county and shelter administration to improve compliance with the Animal Welfare Act and make things better for the future at the shelter,” said Patricia Norris, Animal Welfare Section director. “Our inspection sta will continue to follow up with shelter sta as they work on improvements.”

Interim County Manager Lisa Hughes con rmed to Duplin Journal that the county is reviewing the notice and has requested for the state to consider a settlement. She said protocols and procedures had already been revised before the notice was received. Hughes did not respond to questions regarding possible disciplinary action following the state’s ndings, citing she “cannot discuss personnel matters.”

An AWS spokesperson told Duplin Journal that Duplin County Animal Services requested Veterinary Assessment Training from the Animal Welfare Section.

“This request has been granted, and the training should be scheduled soon,” the spokesperson said.

The new ndings come as critics raised concerns about what they describe as a broad-

er pattern of irregularities at the shelter.

Former county employee Hope Tucker, who reported concerns to the state, told Duplin Journal that a shelter employee routinely mishandled euthanasia procedures and regularly used intracardiac injections without verifying full sedation. She alleges the employee does not know how to run an IV line properly but was protected by shelter management, which she said claimed they could not a ord to lose anyone because of sta ng limitations.

While those allegations have not been substantiated by state inspectors in the enforcement action issued this week, the department did note a failure to properly document euthanasia procedures.

Tucker alleged that in one instance ve dogs were sedated with ketamine and xylazine and left unattended long enough to begin regaining consciousness before being resedated and euthanized. Tucker also alleged that prior to her termination, at least two dogs were euthanized before completing the state-mandated 72-hour holding period.

One was a female dog named Nanisca, whom Tucker said was friendly, healthy and adoptable. She alleges that after an employee euthanized the wrong dog, Nanisca was labeled as aggressive to conceal the error.

Tucker also alleges that Jericho, a dog still within the legally required holding period, was euthanized for “time and space” reasons, adding that several dogs had been on the adoption oor for nearly a month past their time, in addition to a few aggressive dogs they had in the back.

“He was patient, loving, healthy and full of life,” Tucker described. Intake documents reviewed by Duplin Journal described Jericho as friendly and playful.

Gretchen Kozen of Duplin County Animal Advocates, also corroborated in an email sent to Duplin Journal, with shelter documents, that the 10-month-old mixed breed puppy, was euthanized without ever being made available for adoption.

“I would love to know why he was given shots, dog tested and approved for adoption, only to be killed in four days,” said Kozen. “The euthanasia of the wrong animals needs to stop. Duplin County deserves better than this.”

PHOTOS BY REBECCA WHITMAN COOKE FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

DUPLIN SPORTS

COLUMN

MICHAEL JAENICKE

Tiger seniors lay a solid foundation for the future

THE JOURNEY OF

the seemingly unstoppable machine known as James Kenan came to an end last Friday with a loss in the East Region nal to Kinston.

Last season, JK fell to Northeastern in the fourth round as the Tigers core of Cal and Eli Avent, Jeremiah Hall and David Zeleya went 24 - 4 during a two -year span.

The combo seasons put life back into a program that won two titles under Ken Avent Jr. (2007, 2013) and put to rest the dismal 26 -34 mark the Tigers had from 2016 to 2021.

That’s when Tim Grady, a longtime assistant and coach at Charity Middle, took over.

Kudos are in order for him and defensive coordinator John Bert Avent, Ken’s older brother and the only JK coach on the sta that didn’t graduate as a Tiger. He was a North Duplin Rebel, as was his father, Ken Sr., who coached the Rebels for more than a quarter- century (1975 -99).

“I’m very proud of our kids and how our community supported us,” Grady said.

“They fed us, cheered us, stood with us in tough times and made us feel so supported in all ways. But we came up short.

“And the biggest heartbreak is a talented team that brought it and did all the right things from the time we lost to Bedding eld.”

That was the nal game of the 2023 season when the Tigers fell apart late to nish 6 -5 after going 9 -3 in Grady’s rst campaign.

After the setback, Grady made an inventory of his players and thinned his troops. From that point forward, many players would play on both sides of the ball. His theory was less was more when more produced complacency and discord.

Winning became the by-product of work in the o season, practice and every routine before and after a game.

The biggest turning point was last season’s 14 -13 overtime win over Wallace Rose Hill in the third round of the 2A playo s. Two wins against its archrival this fall brought more electricity to JK than its pre - and postgame reworks on game days.

Old fans returned.

New ones came with loud voices, signs, chants and noisemakers.

Games became physical wars that drug the opposition into the turf.

Lopsided scores were as abundant as food trucks at Bill Taylor Field.

Vikings raid No. 1 Tigers’ compound

Kinston’s air attack and stingy defense slammed the lid on No. 1 JK’s state-title hopes

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

WARSAW — Kinston neutralized James Kenan’s Super Power o ense and showed everyone why its passing attack is feared during last Friday’s 30 -7 win over the top seed in the 3A East Region nal.

It was the rst loss in two years on Bill Taylor Field for the Tigers (12-2), who have had a revival as a power in the East.

The No. 14 Vikings face West champ and No. 10 Shelby for the title.

In a game of contrasting styles, Kinston’s defensive play was the most shocking development as no team has stopped JK’s running attack this fall.

“We knew we had to be very, very physical, and I think our guys answered the call,” said Kinston coach Ryan Gieselman.

The Vikings’ smaller defensive line manhandled the Tigers’ o ensive line, holding Jeremiah Hall and Taulil Pearsall to a season-low 209 yards.

“They had a great game plan with their No. 1 focus being physical on defense,” said JK coach Tim Grady, who is 45-16 (.738) in ve seasons. “I tip my hat to them. They did the job, and no matter what we did — zone block, gap block, whatever — we couldn’t move the ball and make plays. The line was excellent and No. 7 (inside linebacker Ex-Zavion Croom, who had 10 tackles).”

Fellow linebacker Christian Ham and strong safety JeMorris Poole each had 13 takedowns

Greenville native and quarterback Tyler Jones (18-28 for 184 yards) red touchdown passes to Genesis Wiggins, Reginald McNeil and NCSU recruit Tyreek Copper (6-58), while Mar-

shall-bound Brandon Chambers (6-68) made several key catches to keep drives alive. Wiggins (13-77) also scored via a run.

“We couldn’t get a lot of pressure on the quarterback, though really, we held them to some of their lowest numbers this season,” said JK defensive coordinator John Bert Avent. “We gave them the ball on some short elds. They have an outstanding o ense with a lot of weapons.”

Grady, who beat Kinston three times when the Vikings and Tigers were in the ECC 2A Conference, said it was a bitter loss, though he praised Kinston for its play and its players.

“I feel pretty con dent (Copper) is going to the NFL and another is going to Marshall, and the quarterback is as good as I’ve seen in a long time,” Grady said. “We made them make plays, and they did. They responded to everything we threw at them. Hat’s o to Kinston and coach Gieselman and his sta .” Close game in rst half

The Vikings made more little plays that led to scores than crowd-rousing plays. They did not have a turnover and held JK to just two plays for more than 10 yards.

Double teaming Cooper proved to be a mistake as other receivers made their presence known.

Neither team scored during its rst three possessions in the opening quarter.

McNeil capped an 8-play, 70 -yard drive with an 8-yard scoring reception for the rst score.

Chambers saved the march with a catch for 38 yards on third-and-20 from the JK 36, and Wiggins had an 11-yard romp to put the ball on the 15.

JK responded with a 65-yard drive

North Duplin’s smiling giant Ru n signs with Tar Heels

Trashawn Ru n was all set to play at Texas A&M until Bill Belichick took over at UNC

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CALYPSO — Trashawn Ru n has been a boy-man for a number of years. And while the 6-foot- 4, 315-pound defensive lineman will be remembered as a player the opposition had to double-team, he’s also got two other glowing attributes: his radiant smile and cordial way of engaging with teammates, players and the North Duplin community.

Ru n, who originally committed to play football at Texas A&M, will be a Tar Heel next fall.

The power player for his redirection was Bill Belichick, who led New England to a record eight Super Bowl titles and is third all-time among NFL coaches in wins. He trails only George Halas and Don Shula.

“Bill Belichick, you can’t turn that down,” Rufn said last week at during his o cial signing in the

’Dawgs’ Lamb leaves large legacy as he shifts energy to Lenoir-Rhyne

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

TEACHEY — Jamarae Lamb hit a wall during Wallace-Rose Hill’s opener against East Duplin. Playing behind a new o ensive line, the senior struggled for 60 yards, though he did average 5 yards per carry. That was the last time anyone suggested he was just another high school running back. Lamb, who last week signed a letter of intent to play at Division II Lenoir-Rhyne last week. The senior rambled for 2,426 yards and 30 touchdowns, garnering more than 200 yards ve times and 317 against Midway. His lowest total

See LAMB, page B4

See RUFFIN, page B4

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Zamarion Smith, Stedman McIver and Cal Avent work in unison to take down Kinston running back Genesis Wiggins.

Jamarae Lamb signed to play football at the Division II school after nishing third in the state in rushing

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

ND’s Trashawn Ru n switched from Texas

A&M to UNC when former Patriot coach Bill Belichick became the Tar Heels coach.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY BILL CARONE

WRH could be in line for its rst winning season since 2015 behind returnees, new additions and transfers

Jeremiah Hall

James

Kenan, football

Jeremiah Hall ran for 2,051 and 27 touchdowns this season and had the lone JK score in a 30-7 loss to Kinston in the 3A East Region nal.

Hall went for 1,150 as a junior and hit pay dirt 13 times.

He ran for more than 200 yards three times this fall and four times charted three touchdowns in a game for 12-2 JK.

He’s seventh among all runners in the state while playing spot duty on defense.

JK has won at least a share of a conference title the past two seasons.

“He’s had just a tremendous season,” said JK coach Tim Grady, whose running back passed all-time JK great Marcelias Sutton’s 1,804 total from 2002.

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

TEACHEY — First-year

coach Jermel Miller said his rst order of business for the Wallace-Rose Hill basketball team is to have his players jell o the court.

While that sounds a little strange, it’s not given the Bulldogs have a handful of returnees, several players with limited court time, newcomers and transfer players.

“We have to trust each other and pull for one another to work a new o ense and defense,” said Miller, who was the top assistant for the WRH boys’ team for six years. “When you see them pulling for each other, then you will see them together on the court. While all this doesn’t feel like basketball, it’s key to the success of this team.”

So are returnees Savannah Smith (13.9 points per game), backcourt mate Sophie Sloan (4.9) and post player Jansley Page (7.2).

“Sophie is a go-getter who is going to give you all she has and is a phenomenal defensive player,” Miller said. “Savannah shoots the ball well at times and is working on her ball-handling to get her shots o better.”

Page, an all-state 3A volleyball player, returned to basketball last season.

“She shoots the ball well from the line, from closeup and mid-range, and her handle (dribbling) is a lot better than people think,” Miller said.

Her fellow spiker and senior classmate, Angelina Cavallaro, will likewise be playing in the paint area.

“We’re getting up and down the court, and she’s very athletic and she likes challenges,” Mill-

man QouRyiona Vines give Miller backup at the guard position.

“Vines is very fast, and we’re super excited about her because the sky is the limit,” he said. “She’s just a freshman, but she understands the plays and can go.”

WRH started the week with a 1-2 mark, which included losses to 8A Laney and 4A Clinton and a win over 4A Pender.

The Bulldogs went 6-15 overall and 5-8 in 2A play when there were just four classi cations.

er said. “She’s wants one last go with her fellow seniors. She’s going to be a good rebounder and able to get back up the court and play tough defensively.”

Both players will get help in the middle via senior center Madison Francis, a 6-foot transfer from Pender, 5-10 sophomore Azee Monk, 6-3 junior Kira Murphy, 6-1 senior power forward Syara Fennel, 5-10 senior Alex Boney and Moniqua Pearsall, a 5-10 junior, who will play in a swing position for WRH.

“We should be at the free-throw line a lot,” Miller said. “Our frontcourt is starting to understand how to take advantage of situations. Madison handles the ball well, has a nice shooting touch and can dominate on the glass.

Point guard Zikiya Philyaw, a senior point guard who transferred from Kinston, will see extended minutes and is ready for the call to duty.

“She understands the game, is a good leader and takes to younger players when she’s not on the court,” Miller said.

Seniors Mahoganie Judge and Amana Newkirk and fresh-

This fall WRH plays in the Swine Valley 3A Conference (with Goldsboro, Princeton, Midway, James Kenan, Spring Creek 2A Rosewood) in the eight-classi cations setup. It keeps the Bulldogs away from solid programs at East Duplin, Kinston and Southwest Onslow, though Miller has scheduled the Panthers, Vikings and Stallions and 7A New Bern.

“I love us being the underdog,” Miller said. “Nobody will respect you until you win, and we need to change the concept of us being in the basement. I think we can compete for the conference championship. We have a real shot. We’ll de nitely be competitive and will hustle until the nal whistle.”

Miller has 15 varsity players and 12 more on the junior varsity squad.

Yet the Bulldogs won’t likely use the 1-3-1 or 2-3 schemes of former coach Will Je ers.

“We believe we are better with a man-to-man defense, though we’ll go to a zone sometimes,” Miller said. “We’re going to be pushing the ball much more.”

It’s been since 2015 that WRH had a winning record.

Expect Miller and his gang, which were 20-60 the last four seasons, to over the .500 hump this winter.

“We have a tough schedule leading up to league play, but that’s only going to help us,” he said. “It’s going to get us ready.”

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL Senior Jansley Page and new WRH players will give the Bulldogs a bigger presence in the paint.

New era as Rebels regroup behind a strong sophomore class

Key returnees Abby Rose, Lilly Fulghum and Maggie Brown lead North Duplin in post-Faison and Higginbotham era

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CALYPSO — The No. 9 has magical math properties. Multiply any number by 9, and the remaining digits will always add up to 9. (3 times 9 is 27, 2 plus 7 is 9).

The number is also a symbol of rebirth in some religious communities.

North Duplin head coach Jon Kornegay is looking for a bit of transformation from his nine basketball players after graduating two special players in June.

“Four of our girls played in very big games,” said second-year coach Kornegay, who is a physician dealing with the loss of guard Addy Higginbotham and Tateyawna Faison, staple stars for four years running.

Higginbotham (10.5 points., 5.0 assists, 4.4 steals) and Faison (16.0 points., 14.0 rebounds) are gone after leading ND to a 68-17 record the previous four seasons. Both scored more than 1,000 points during their careers, and Faison had more than 1,000 rebounds.

Faison was second among all players in the 1A East in rebounding, while Higginbotham was third in assists.

Both are irreplaceable, but Kornegay’s x for the Rebels is to develop a team around ve sophomores, a pair of juniors and senior Lilly Fulghum.

Fulghum averaged 6.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists and was a complementary player to Faison, who led 1A in scoring last season.

Fulghum, who was an all-Carolina Conference performer last winter, will need to score, rebound and be a bigger part of the team’s production department

before leaving to play softball at UNC Charlotte.

“She does a lot of things on both ends of the court, and we’ll lean on her experience and competitiveness,” Kornegay said.

Rose, a sophomore who will take Higginbotham’s place as point guard, had a good freshman season last winter when ND went 24-5 and advanced to the fourth round of the 1A playo s before falling to East Bladen (26-4), who lost to Cherokee in the nals.

“She’s a really good athlete working into a new role that isn’t an easy position,” Kornegay said.

Rose scored a game-high 18 in a 48-27 road win over Rosewood last week on the Rebels’ home court.

Brown, also a sophomore forward, chipped in with 12.

“She started as a freshman, and that’s a lot of pressure,” Kornegay said. “She will be big for us o ensively and defensively.”

Brown’s step-sister, Abigeal Norris, a junior, will provide a solid force in the paint.

“We’re looking for increased scoring as well as more rebounding from her,” Kornegay said.

Sophomores Camden Cox,

Natalie Carreon and Scarlet Dyer and freshman Reagan Herring will see plenty of minutes for Kornegay.

“The younger players must learn from the older ones,” Kornegay said. “Herring will contribute, so will Cox and Sophia, and Scarlet will have a learning curve. It’s a young group all the way around as even Maggie and Abby Rose are underclassmen.

“It’s a great group of girls who had a great o season and summer league in Clinton. It will take the patience of our sta with players adjusting and learning the game and what we want to do.” The new Carolina Conference includes ND, East Bladen, East Columbus, West Columbus, Lakewood, Hobbton and Union.

“A number of teams have really good returning players,” Kornegay said. “Our young girls need games to develop and to learn to play as a team.

“Our goals haven’t changed. We will be competitive, but this is a better conference than last season.”

COLUMN from page B1

And now it’s all over. Hardly.

“Last year, we wondered how we would replace Hassan Kornegay (the state’s leading tackler and Mr. Football in Duplin County),” Grady said. “And we did it. Now we must do the same Eli, Cal, David and Jeremiah.”

Grady stopped abruptly to add a bit of optimism to the surface.

“I was talking with Lee (assistant coach Sutton) on Friday, and we gured we have 13 potential starters for eight positions on both sides of the ball,” he said. “We’re going to be OK, especially if our younger players lead like this senior group has.”

After stopping for another thought, Grady mentioned that those who return could have been sprayed with a magic winning powder.

“You know, I think they believe, and that’s so much of the battle,” he said.

“Teams like Tarboro and Northeastern believe they can make it to the end.

“I think we do too.”

John Bert Avent realized Tiger pride had returned and the ripple e ect football had on a community that relishes and celebrates hard tackles and physical punishment on the gridiron.

“It’s huge for the community and our kids,” he said. “We have a small group of nine or so seniors that answered the call of duty and turned this around.”

And for the Tigers, keeping up or being ahead of Duplin rivals WRH and East Duplin is vital to the blood ow of sports in and around Warsaw.

Because in this county, football is a third-and-short behind family and God.

The road to the region and state nals continues to run through Duplin County.

ED won the 2A title in 2022 and WRH was in the 2A nals in 2021 and had a run of six titles in nine seasons that ended in 2017 after four consecutive titles.

This season, Duplin had three running backs among the leaders in all classi cations.

WRH’s Jamarae Lamb (279 -2,398 yard and 30 TDs) was third in the state in yards.

Hall (183 -2,051, 27 TDs) will likely end up at No. 7 and North Duplin’s Carell Phillips (22-2,049, 28 TDs) at No. 9 after Tarboro’s Kamerin McDowell-Moore plays one more time in the 2A nals.

Avent didn’t make a decision on returning to coach but did say Sutton would “be a great defensive coordinator.”

Grady will be back on the sidelines and in the future have many Tigers return to the den.

The lifelong bond between JK players, coaches and fans is the real treasure chest.

Nearly every program or team experiences a “down” period.

Ask the Kansas City Chiefs (6-7), Clemson Tigers (7- 5) or even the Havelock Rams (7- 6).

JK’s reentry into football royalty put a silence to such things as a 12 -game losing streak to WRH. It happened, but that’s now the distant past for the gridiron history books. The future is nothing but clear skies and sunshine. And the Tigers know how to keep out the clouds and rain.

Cal and Eli

David

guided JK to a 24-4 mark the past two seasons.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

David Zeleya and his Tiger teammates will share many memories from JK’s 12-2 season, which ended Friday with a loss to Kinston in the East Region nal.

Avent, Jeremiah Hall and

Zeleya

NORTH DUPLIN GIRLS’ BASKETBALL PREVIEW

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Senior Lilly Fulghum does a little bit of everything for ND.

was 140 yards against winless Spring Creek, and he averaged 8.8 yards per tote.

He was third in the state in rushing behind Dixon’s JJ Gulat (3,361) and Princeton’s Teo McPhatter (2,457).

Even so, he had to earn his keep as teams keyed on him as WRH’s other backs and its passing game grappled to move the yardsticks.

Lamb downplayed his do-it-all role.

“It was my senior year, and I wanted to go out with the best season I could have, and my teammates pushed me,” said the 5 -foot-11, 175 -pound speedster who was nearly impossible to bring down in open space.

“Lenoir-Rhyne is getting a true ’Dawg, a great young man, and another example of how awesome WRH is because of people like Jamarae “Bubba” Lamb,” said Bulldogs head coach Kevin Motsinger.

During his career, Lamb — who was nicknamed “Bubba” by his grandmother Ruth “Bay” Wiggins — ran for 4,686 yards and 47 scores, with 21 games over the 100 -yard mark.

He averaged more than 200 yards per game this season and 120 for his career.

His numbers might have been bigger had he not shared the ball his junior year with Irving Brown, who ran for 1,227 yards before signing to play for Division I Ohio University, while Lamb stretched for 1,261 yards.

Both were needed as WRH recovered from an upset by North Lenoir to capture the ECC title with ve straight wins.

school’s media center. “When UNC came into the picture with an NFL coach going to an ACC school, it changed everything.”

So did Ru n, who started as a freshman and then developed into an all-conference two-way player, leading the Rebels to a 29-5 mark the past three seasons and at least a share of three conference titles.

“His physical ability and talent as a football player are tremendous,” North Duplin coach Hugh Martin said. “He makes others around him better. He’s been a huge blessing for us, the big smile, st bump, hugs, the attitude, and the joy that he brings it to practice to the weight room and to everything he does. It adds to positive growth, and I think his teammates have fed o of that.”

hard and gotten bigger and faster at the same time,” Ru n said. “It’s happened since I was a freshman.”

Nearly every Power 5 school and many other smaller schools wanted Ru n on campus. Belichick and the Tar Heels need playmakers and defensive help after going 4 -8 this season. UNC ranked last in defense among ACC schools. The Tar Heels’ defense was also 10th in yards allowed per play, 11th in rushing defense, 12th in yards per game and 13th in passing yard allowed.

Yet there were positives for defensive coordinator Stephen Belichick, the coach’s son. UNC’s red zone defense was fourth, and Melkaart Abou Jaoude’s 10.5 sacks were tops in the league.

Brown had 1,696 yards that season and Lamb 839 yards during his 96 - carry debut. Lamb is also a shutdown defensive back and could end up playing defense at the next level.

“I want to stay for two years and transfer to another school,” said Lamb, who was heavily recruited by 10 Division I schools.

WRH has sent a string of running backs to colleges since 2017, which include Javonte Williams (UNC, Broncos, Cowboys), who ran for 3,151 yards; Kanye Roberts (Appalachian State), who ran for 7,318 yards; and Cameren Dalrymple (Navy), who ran for 3,076 yards.

Lenoir-Rhyne went 6-5 this season, which included a sea-

“I tried to follow the paths of Irving and Corbin (Kerr, who rushed for 2,252 yards in 2023), Brown said.

FOOTBALL from page B1

that saw Hall (29-119) score from the 5 to knot the game at 7-7.

Cooper then made a next-level catch on third-and-13 from the 16, going high between two Tigers defenders to snag the pass. He has a touchdown catch in every game this season.

JK jumped o sides on the PAT, and Kinston let Wiggins run for the conversion for a 15-7 halftime lead.

All downhill in second half for JK

Kinston (11- 4) stopped JK on its rst drive of the third quarter, a fourth-and-6 from the JK 39 in which Grady gambled on his offensive line.

But the Tigers held on fourth-and-6 from the 9.

A pair of three-and-out possessions allowed Kinston to score twice and take control.

McNeil scored from the 18 via a screen pass on a 4 -play march, and after a stop on third-and-7 from its own 15, JK hiked the ball out of the end zone for a safety.

The Vikings went 46 yards in seven plays to make it 30 -7, scoring a rugby scrum play that JK has used frequently this season.

That might have been the ultimate insult with 8:02 left to play.

The Tigers coughed up the ball twice via fumbles, both during drives in which they were marching toward a score.

Gridiron notebook

According to longtime sportswriter Bill Rollins, Grady (2021-25) is rst Tigers grad as a JK head football coach

son-ending win over Catawba and close losses to Wingate (38-36 in OT), Newberry (20-17) and Anderson College (35-30).

The Bears were 10 -3 in 2024 and advanced to the second round of the postseason.

The liberal arts school in Hickory recruits nationwide, but is heavy into prospects from both Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama.

“Bubba knows how I feel about him, and I would like to thank his family for blessing me with such an honor of working with you these past four years,” Motsinger said. “I am so proud and so happy for him. He is truly beyond deserving of this opportunity and blessing.”

Lamb begins his next journey in January.

since Billy Byrd (1978-94). He’s fourth all-time in wins in school history.

Hall had the most Tigers rushing yards at 2,051 yards in a season in at least this quarter- century.

Tops in that time had been JK Sports Hall of Fame member Marcelias Sutton, who had 1,804 yards in 16 games as a junior in 2012, with 8.9 carrries and 128.9 yards per game with 26 total touchdowns, including 19 rushing, ve on receptions and two on kicko returns.

This was the Tigers’ fourth trip to the fth round, now with a record of 2-2. The other three were state nals, with a loss to Thomasville in 2006 (13-7) and victories over West Montgomery in 2007 (13- 6) and 2013 (42-14). The Tigers’ state title in 1960 had its nal in the fourth round.

The son of Sean Ru n, the younger Ru n — an all-conference pick that last three seasons — thanked his family, coaches, teammates and the ND community for cheering his growth on and o the eld.

Ru n’s o -season workouts, particularly weight-lifting and speed training, were key to his development, as both his muscle and quickness morphed beyond the level of most high school players.

“I’m not sure how that happens, I just know I’ve worked

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

Posted By:________________ FILE NUMBER: 25SP001078-300 Date

UNC’s 2026 class includes about 40 players from 19 states and is ranked in the top 20 among nearly every recruiting service. The Tar Heels signed nine defensive backs, seven linemen, ve linebackers, two wide receivers, two tight ends, a quarterback and a punter.

Even so, the verdict is still out on UNC, which is 755-584-54 all-time with ve ACC trophies in Chapel Hill, the last of which came 45 years ago when there were eight league schools.

Today’s ACC features 17 schools, including the addition of former powers such as Florida State, Clemson and Miami.

Posted: ______________ Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust executed by JUAN HERVERT SOLARES dated August 17, 2022 in the amount of $191,958.00 and recorded in Book 2009, Page 184 of the Duplin 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 Duplin County, North Carolina, in Book 2087, Page 487, 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 Duplin County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, on December 23, 2025 at 11:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Duplin, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER(S): 03-1109-1 ADDRESS: 1779 SUMMERLINS CROSSROAD RD, MOUNT OLIVE, NC 28365 PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): JUAN HERVERT SOLARES THE LAND DESCRIBED HEREIN IS SITUATED IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, COUNTY OF DUPLIN, AND IS DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK 2009, PAGE 185, AS FOLLOWS: BEING THAT CERTAIN PARCEL CONTAINING 0.87 ACRES, MORE OR LESS, AS SHOWN ON THAT CERTAIN SURVEY ENTITLED “BOUNDARY SURVEY FOR JOHN DAVID HOWELL” RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 33, PAGE 301 OF THE DUPLIN COUNTY REGISTRY. BEING A PORTION OF THE PROPERTY CONVEYED BY DEED RECORDED IN BOOK 1086, PAGE 304 OF THE DUPLIN COUNTY REGISTRY. 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

below in the instance of bankruptcy protection. IF YOU ARE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF THE BANKRUPTCY COURT OR HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED AS A RESULT OF A BANK-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)

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Jamarae “Bubba” Lamb will play Division II football next fall at Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory.

obituaries

Patricia Anne Moses

Aug. 24, 1945 – Dec. 1, 2025

Clayton- Patricia Anne Leggett Moses, 80, transitioned peacefully on Monday, December 1, 2025, at SECU Hospice House of UNC Health Johnston in Smith eld, NC, surrounded by her family and friends. Patricia was born on Friday, August 24, 1945, in Goldsboro, NC, to the late Robert L. and Mozetta R. Leggett.

Patricia was a faithful and devoted woman of God who was a radiant example of grace, compassion, and unwavering faith. She lived a life rooted in service to the Lord and love for her family and community.

Patricia leaves to continue her legacy one aunt, Ossie Williams; four siblings: Noma Bradley, Donzella Richardson, Sherill (Edwina) Leggett, and Edward Leggett; ve daughters: Tornesia L. Moses, Ervette L. Moses, Odesha S. Moses, Markesha D. (Kevin) Matthews, and Shanelle L. Moses; six grandchildren: Nautica Moses, Shannon Moses, Satchel Needham, Kevin Pierce Jr., Dale Langley Jr., and Darnell Langley; one great-grandchild: Naudia Blu Moses and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. The Celebration of Life will be Saturday, December 20, 2025, at noon at J.B. Rhodes Jr. Memorial Chapel, 1701 Wayne Memorial Drive, Goldsboro, NC 27534. There will be a viewing from 10 a.m. to noon. She will be laid to rest at Wayne Memorial Park, 2925 US Hwy 117 South, Dudley, NC 28333.

Richard Ervin Brown

Feb. 5, 1932 – Dec. 3, 2025

Richard Ervin Brown, 93, passed away on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Mary Grace Brown, sons, Keith and Malcolm Brown, and a granddaughter, Constance Brown.

The funeral service is Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. at Hallsville Baptist Church at 1291 Hallsville Road in Beulaville, NC.

Visitation will take place one hour prior to the Service.

The burial will be at Hallsville Baptist Church Cemetery in Beulaville, NC.

He is survived by his son, Emery Brown (Becky) of Beulaville, NC; daughter-in-law Rhonda Brown of Beulaville, NC; and granddaughter Stephanie Brown.

Community Funeral Home of Beulaville is honored to serve the Brown family.

Betsy Horne Mitchell

Sept. 2, 1954 – Dec. 2, 2025

Betsy Horne Mitchell, 71, passed away on December 2, 2025.

The memorial service is Monday, December 8, 2025, at 6 p.m. Visitation will follow the service.

She is survived her her husband, Jimmie “Randolph” Mitchell of Beulaville, NC; daughters Viki Miller (David) of Beulaville, NC, and Brittany Smith (Adam), of Rockingham, NC; sister: Lisa Long (Gary) of Beulaville, NC; brother Timmy Horne (Ta y), of Richlands, NC; grandchildren J.D. Broome, Hailey Mitchell and Victoria Horne (Brandon); and great-grandchildren Paxton Horne and Levi Horne

The family asked for family and friends to wear bright colors instead of black.

Community Funeral Home of Beulaville is honored to serve the Mitchell family.

Bobby Glenn Westbrook

April 27, 1952 – Dec. 4, 2025

Bobby Glenn Westbrook, 71, passed away on Thursday, December 4, 2025. Arrangements are incomplete. He is survived by his sons, Bobby Glenn Westbrook Jr. of Texas and Fonezy Westbrook of Mount Olive, NC; daughter Bobbie W. Taylor of Wilmington, NC, sister Mary Low Westbrook of Kenansville, NC; brothers Warren Westbrook of Warsaw, NC, and Robert Allen Westbrook of Beulaville, NC; and six grandchildren. Community Funeral Home of Beulaville is honored to serve the Westbrook family.

Robena Payton

March 25, 1934 – Dec. 4, 2025

Goldsboro- Ms. Robena Payton, age 91, a remarkable woman of strength and resilience, passed away on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at her residence, surrounded by her family. There will be a Celebration of Life on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at New St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1307 S. Slocumb St., Goldsboro, NC 27534. The public church viewing will be from 10-10:50 a.m. The Sta of J.B. Rhodes Funeral Home & Cremation Inc. extend our deepest condolences to the family, and please keep the family in your prayers during their time of bereavement.

Karon Tee Stallings

May 1, 1978 – Dec. 2, 2025

Karon Tee Stallings, 47, of Beulaville, NC, passed away on December 2, 2025, at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, NC. Funeral service will be at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at Macedonia Holiness Church, 1630 S NC 41 111 Hwy, Beulaville, NC 28518. Public viewing will be noon – 1 p.m. (one hour prior to the service)— interment following the service at Hill and Whitehead Family Cemetery in Chinquapin, NC.

As requested by the family, in lieu of owers, please make a monetary donation towards the funeral service for Mr. Stallings.

Herbert Carroll Aycock

July 10, 1939 – Dec. 5, 2025

Herbert Carroll Aycock, 86, passed away on Friday, December 5, 2025, at his home.

The funeral service is Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at 2 p.m. at Community Funeral Home in Beulaville, NC

Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service.

The burial will be at Aycock Family Cemetery at 4545 South N.C. 50 Highway in Chinquapin, NC. He is survived by his wife, Linda Jones Aycock of Wallace, NC; daughters Denise A. English (Shelton) of Wallace, NC, Lynn McGee (J.T.) and Carolyn Hull (James), both of Lexington, SC; Pam Grimes of Willow Springs, NC, and Wendy Lanier of Chinquapin, NC; son Kirby Bolin (Suzanna) of Burgaw, NC; 11 grandchildren and ve great-grandchildren.

Baby girl Daylin Lizeth Matute

Dec. 3, 2025

Baby girl Daylin Lizeth Matute was born sleeping on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at ECU Health Wayne in Goldsboro, NC.

A service will be held on Sunday, December 7, 2025, from noon to 2 p.m. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Funeral Home Cemetery in Magnolia, NC.

Left to cherish her precious memories are her parents: Yeni Matute and Cesar Trejo Navarro; brother, Iam Yahir Trejo Matute and sister, Larissa Isabel Trejo Matute.

Alma Wilson Hu man

June 23, 1927 – Dec. 4, 2025

Alma Wilson Hu man, 98, passed away on Thursday, December 4, 2025.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Earl Hu man, Sr., son, Donald R, Hu man, grandson, Scott Knapp and a great-grandson, Cody Hu man.

The funeral service is Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 6 p.m. at Community Funeral Home in Beulaville, NC. Visitation will take place after the service.

The graveside service will be Monday, December 8, 2025 at 11 a.m. at Simpson Family Cemetery in Richlands, NC

She is survived by her sons, Earl Hu man (Sandra) and Preston Hu man (Sandra), both of Richlands, NC; daughter Judy H. Zepeda (Jim) of Richlands, NC; daughter-in-law Wanna Hu man of Richlands, NC; eight grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.

Jeaneth Kattan Rivenbark

Oct. 14, 1939 – Dec. 5, 2025

Jeaneth Kattan Rivenbark, 86, passed from her earthly life on Friday, December 5, 2025. She was born on October 14, 1939, in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, in Central America, one of thirteen children born to Abraham Kattan and Amada Martinez Kattan. In addition to her parents, Jeaneth was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Rivenbark; son, Joseph Abraham Avery; sister, Nery Kattan Fields; and son-in-law, Thurman Wirt Casey.

Jeaneth is survived by her daughter, Maria A. Casey; grandchildren, Mindy Hewitt, Elizabeth Casey Langdon (Brittany), Vanessa Starr Avery, and Julia Avery; great-grandson, Elijah; and by her remaining sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews in Honduras.

Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, 1303 US Hwy 117 S, Burgaw, NC. Father Steven DiMassimo will conduct the service.

A private family Rite of Committal will be in the church cemetery. In lieu of owers, please consider a memorial gift to St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church, 1303 US Hwy 117 S., Burgaw, NC 28425.

June 8, 1949 – Dec. 3, 2025

Glenn Robert Hopkins, 76, passed away on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.

He is preceded in death by a daughter, Mary Heather Hopkins

The graveside service is Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 2 p.m. at East Duplin Memorial Gardens in Beulaville, NC He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Piner Hopkins of Beulaville, NC; step-daughter Erica Futral Miller; step-son Jamie Futral; two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Community Funeral Home of Beulaville is honored to serve the Hopkins family.

July 20, 1935 – Dec. 6, 2025

Memorial Service

A celebration of Marie’s life will be held at a later date.

Wilmington, NC

Olive Marie Sloan, 90, passed away on December 6, surrounded by family.

Born in Richlands, North Carolina, to Lacey and Prudie Humphrey, she grew up in a large and lively family. She was preceded in death by her parents and six siblings: Ruth Stevens, Krissie Ramsey, Christine Williams, Cecil Humphrey, Katherine Matthews, and Billy Humphrey.

Marie was married for 66 years to her beloved husband, Gordon Levern Sloan, who passed away in 2020. True to form, she left this world just in time to join him again for what would have been their 71st wedding anniversary on Christmas Eve.

She was well-known throughout the Maple Hill community for her many years at Lanier’s Grocery, where her welcoming spirit brought warmth and life to a quiet corner of town. Sassy, funny, and full of heart, Marie loved her family ercely. If she ever called you “Sug,” you knew you had a special place in her life.

She is survived and celebrated by her children: Gary Levern Sloan and wife Ginger of Covington, TN, and Kimmie Sloan Moore and husband Gary of Wilmington; two sisters, Betty Mae Brinson and Linda Whaley; three grandchildren, Aaron Freeman (wife Jaci), Chip Moore (wife Fallon), and Adam Sloan (wife Teri); and ve greatgrandchildren: Suzanna, Banks, Walsh, Rhodes, and James.

Marie loved all children, and in her honor, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in lieu of owers. A celebration of Marie’s life will be planned at a later date; no service will be held at this time.

Glenn Robert Hopkins

Olive Marie Sloan

Stanly NewS Journal

THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Supreme Court questions limits on political party spending in federal elections

Washington, D.C.

Conservative Supreme Court justices appeared to back a Republican-led drive, supported by President Donald Trump’s administration, to overturn a quarter-century- old decision and erase limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president. A day after the justices indicated they would overturn a 90-year- old decision limiting the president’s power to re independent agency heads, the court on Tuesday took up a 2001 decision that upheld a provision of federal election law that is more than 50 years old. The Republican committees for House and Senate candidates led the lawsuit in Ohio in 2022. Democrats are calling on the court to uphold the law.

Supreme Court seems likely to back Trump’s power to re independent agency board members

Washington, D.C.

The Supreme Court seems likely to expand presidential control over independent federal agencies, signaling support for President Donald Trump’s ring of board members. The court’s conservative majority suggested in arguments Monday it would overturn a 90-year-old decision that has limited when presidents can re agencies’ board members, or leave it with only its shell intact. Lawyers for the administration are defending Trump’s decision to re Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter without cause and calling on the court to jettison the unanimous 1935 decision. The court already has allowed Slaughter and the board members of other agencies to be ousted from jobs even as their legal challenges continue.

U.S. job openings barely budged in October, coming in around 7.7M Washington, D.C.

U.S. job openings barely budged in October, coming in at 7.7 million amid uncertainty over the direction of the American economy. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 7.67 million vacancies in October, close to September’s 7.66 million.

State turns down Stanly Schools on needs-based capital fund grant

The school district will reapply in 2026

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — Stanly County Schools has released an update regarding an application it submitted in September for the state’s Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund grant.

After a competitive review process, SCS was not selected as a recipient for this year’s grant cycle.

“While this news is disappointing, we remain proud of the strong application we sub -

mitted and grateful for the tremendous support shown by our Board of Education, county partners, school leaders and community stakeholders throughout the process,” SCS

said in a statement on Dec. 4.

“Although we did not receive funding this year, our commitment to improving school facilities and providing safe, modern learning en-

Albemarle PD chief shares October crime report

Overall crime was down 17% compared to 2024

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — Albemarle Police Chief Ryan Manley recently reported a drop in citywide crime for the month of October alongside an uptick in o cer patrols aimed at prevention and community safety.

Ryan Manley, Albemarle police chief

In a public report from Dec. 3, Manley said the Albemarle Police Department responded to 2,800 calls for service in October, a 22% rise from 2,300 calls in September.

“The increased call volume is due in large part to an em-

phasis on o cers conducting preventive patrols,” Manley said. “We’re continuing to see encouraging trends in public safety.”

According to department statistics, overall crime declined by 17% — with violent crime down 14% — compared to October 2024. There were no homicides reported during the month; the city has recorded one homicide in 2025 in a case where an arrest was made.

In October, o cers responded to one robbery, which Manley emphasized was not a random act. The report also listed six cases of aggravated assault,

vironments for our students has not changed. We will continue exploring every available opportunity and funding source to support these important projects, including preparing to reapply for future grant cycles.”

According to Robin Whittaker, vice chair of the Stanly school board, the state received 92 applications from 48 counties for this round of funding. The total value of those requests exceeded $2 billion, while the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction had only $399 million available to award.

COURTESY EMELIA IRELAND

Pee Dee Health Clinic will o er primary and urgent care

Stanly News Journal sta

THE CITY of Albemarle has been awarded a $350,000 grant to support the reuse of a 17,000-square-foot building that has been vacant for more than ve years. The grant, announced last week by Gov. Josh Stein, was one of 15 approved by the Rural Infrastructure Authority totaling more than $5 million. In all, the grants are expected to create 316 new jobs and attract more than $104 million in private investment statewide.

Pee Dee Health Clinic, a new family medical facili-

LOG

Dec. 2

ty through Atrium Health, will occupy the Albemarle building. The clinic will provide primary and urgent care and train family physicians to meet community needs.

The project is expected to create 28 jobs with a private investment of more than $1.2 million.

“Every investment we make in rural North Carolina enhances our state’s eco

nomic competitiveness and people’s lives,” Stein said in a press release.

• Mindy Kathleen McGhee, 40, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.

Dec. 3

• David Brian Houck, 47, was arrested for domestic criminal trespass, domestic violence protective order violation, assault on a female, and misdemeanor domestic violence.

Dec. 4

• Amanda Rose Davis, 67, was arrested for felony larceny, possession of methamphetamine, larceny after breaking and entering, breaking and entering, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting a public o cer, and possession of controlled substance on prison/jail premises.

Dec. 5

• Kurtis Steven Barber, 40, was arrested for felony possession of schedule II controlled substance, shoplifting/concealment of goods, rst degree trespass, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The Albemarle grant was approved under the Building Reuse Program’s rural health building category. Other counties receiving similar grants included Rowan, where Complete Well-Care Source will establish its headquarters and new clinical space in Salisbury.

The Building Reuse Program provides grants to local governments to renovate vacant buildings, renovate and expand buildings occupied by existing North Carolina companies, and renovate, expand or construct health care facilities in Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties, as well as in rural census tracts of Tier 3 counties.

The RIA is supported by the rural economic development team at the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

• Tracy Warren Brigham, 35, was arrested for felony possession of schedule II controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving while license revoked.

Dec. 6

• Jeremy Ryan Ramsey, 33, was arrested for driving while impaired, reckless driving to endanger, driving while license revoked, and failure to maintain lane control.

Dec. 7

• Julius J Borden, 48, was arrested for eeing or eluding arrest with a motor vehicle, driving while license revoked impaired, possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting a public o cer, and driving while license revoked.

• Joshua Tilton Chabot, 35, was arrested for resisting a public o cer and misdemeanor larceny.

Dec. 11

CRIME

THE CONVERSATION

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

Financial

health boils down to good habits being the central theme

“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”

Yogi Berra

THERE AREN’T MANY situations in life to which a good Yogi Berra quote doesn’t apply. As we head into the holiday season and 2026, it’s a great time to check in on where you are and where you are going.

Financial health boils down to good habits being the central theme. One other habit that is relevant to nancial literacy and health is the annual checkup. Just like going to the doctor each year, there are sources of potential dread in a nancial checkup — do I really want to know? Can it have gotten better with another year of age? It sure is easier to ignore problems! So just like your annual physical, if you don’t already take an annual snapshot of your nancial picture, nd some time over the holidays to do that. What that entails is up to you, but at a basic level I would suggest building your own “balance sheet” and potentially a cash ow plan for next year.

When my wife and I were planning our wedding, one of the traditions in the Catholic Church is pre-cana classes. These classes go through many of the logical issues that you would imagine the church would focus on, but they also covered the basics of a nancial plan. As we went through the session on this, it was amazing to me how many other engaged couples had no clue that their future spouse had massive credit card debts, or, in one case, that they were the bene ciary of a large trust fund. Knowing these things is really important to having any kind of a plan together, or even on your own.

Making your balance sheet is straightforward — you are looking to comprehensively total up your assets and your liabilities (or debts). Making a simple spreadsheet that lists the things you own and the amounts you owe will not only give you a good snapshot of where you are, but it also makes planning much easier in the future. You’ll start next year’s check-in from last year’s balance sheet, and the updates can be incremental that way. Moreover, your balance sheet will greatly simplify things for your heirs in the event tragedy strikes.

Starting with this snapshot, I would then suggest building a plan for next year. It can be simple — what are the big sources of funds that will come in next year, and what are the big uses of funds next year? I like to project mine monthly — I know what my paycheck should be, and what my mortgage payment and other monthly recurring expenses will be. Then I can see what I’ll have left over after the basics for more optional expenses.

As you do these over time, you will get a good picture of the progress you are making toward whatever goals you have. Progress won’t be linear — you’ll have some good years and some less good years — but by knowing where you are, you’ll have a much better chance of knowing where you are going …

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Brad Briner is the treasurer of North Carolina.

The melting pot is boiling over

Our society’s foundation isn’t the government.

IN ONE SENSE, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are the foundation of the country’s government. The Declaration laid out the principles we aspire toward. The Constitution established the three branches of government. It contains many brilliant mechanisms to check the government’s power. The Bill of Rights o ers another layer of protection.

But mere words — even some of the most brilliant and in uential words ever written — didn’t create America’s greatness. Americans did.

Imagine you could magically impose America’s system of government in Somalia, Afghanistan or the Gaza Strip. Same Declaration of Independence. Same Constitution. Same Bill of Rights. Would it turn those Third World nations into First World successes?

Of course not. Just look at the 260,000 people of Somali descent living in America. More than 100,000 of them live in Minnesota. In recent weeks, there have been numerous stories about how Somalis in Minnesota stole billions of dollars from the government. That led to millions of dollars going to Al-Shabaab, an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group.

In one scheme, Asha Farhan Hassan created Smart Therapy, which supposedly o ered services for children with autism. She and her partners recruited Somali parents and worked to get their children fake autism diagnoses. They used that to secure Medicaid funding. Hassan then cut the parents in on the scheme.

“Several larger families left Smart Therapy after being o ered larger kickbacks by other autism centers,” the U.S. Attorney’s O ce in Minnesota wrote in a release.

Importing Somalis to America didn’t give them American values. They brought their preexisting values to America and ripped o taxpayers for billions. They brought clan rivalries from Somalia along with them as well.

Afghanistan provides another example of this. After 9/11, the United States took over the country. We spent more than $130 billion there. That’s more than America spent rebuilding Western Europe with the Marshall Plan, according to The Washington Post. The United States

even held elections in Afghanistan. But as soon as former President Joe Biden decided to surrender, the country fell to the Taliban. Despite all the money and lives lost, we couldn’t export democracy to a society with a vastly di erent history and heritage.

These di erences were punctuated by an Afghan national allegedly murdering a National Guardsman in Washington, D.C., recently.

Even democracy isn’t a cure-all. In 2006, Gaza Strip residents elected Hamas to run the region. Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre initially boosted Hamas’ favorability ratings among Palestinians.

What the Founding Fathers understood — but many modern Americans don’t — is that our society’s foundation isn’t the government. It’s the shared values, culture and history that bind individuals into citizens of a nation. Those are the pillars that uphold the government.

This is why importing millions of people who have fundamentally di erent worldviews is a terrible idea — and not just in America. Look at England. Grooming gangs raped thousands of girls over decades. Most o cials ignored the problem because the rapists were largely from Pakistan. They feared being accused of racism.

Even immigrants who support Western civilization and have Judeo-Christian values need time to assimilate. People aren’t interchangeable units of economic activity. They have religious values, customs and worldviews. Our country has an interest in making sure new arrivals learn ours. Learning English should be nonnegotiable. Those living in the same country need to be able to communicate with each other. This makes it easier to build trust and cohesion.

As of June 2025, America had more than 50 million immigrants. More than 15% of the country’s population was born elsewhere. That includes a staggering 19% of the workforce.

It’s too much. At this point, the melting pot is boiling over.

Victor Joecks is a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and host of the “Sharpening Arrows” podcast.

COLUMN | BRAD BRINER

Pfei er University institutes tuition, fee freeze for 2026-27 academic year

New program o erings and community support received credit

By Melinda Burris Stanly News Journal

MISENHEIMER — Pfei er

University has announced plans to begin the next academic school year without any increases in tuition and other standard student fees for 2026-27.

Like other liberal arts colleges and universities across the state and nation, Pfei er has faced challenging questions over the last few years. The school’s leadership has a goal of providing students a quality education without graduating with mounds of debt as higher education costs soar. The uncertainty surrounding the economy and the ongoing debate over the a ordability of student loan repayment options are signi cant factors in the decision to leave full-time tuition (12-19 semester hours) rates at $36,230 per academic year with a $25.62 book fee per credit hour at $674.38.

Room rates will range from $3,100 to $4,500 per semester or $6,200 to $9,000 per academic year, based on the number of roommates, building age and amenities. Meal plans will be held at $3,200-$3,490 per semester or $6,400-$6,980 annually.

“While we’re rural, we share a lot of the challenges that so many other institutions in the Carolinas are facing right now; we thought what was most important for our students is stability and predictability.”

Scott Bullard, Pfei er University president

In contrast, UNC Chapel Hill has already announced plans to raise student tuition and other general fees up to 3% for in- state students, and

out- of- state residents will face increases of up to 10%. NC State and UNC Greensboro have indicated they intend to follow suit. Since Pfei er is a small, private, liberal arts university that does not receive state funding, tuition and fees will remain the same for its

European Union moves ahead with toughening its migration system

Countries would be able to reject asylum requests for migrants from “safe countries”

By Sam McNeil The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — European Union o cials on Monday were nalizing a major overhaul of its migration system, including streamlined deportations and increased detentions, after years of erce debate on the issue has seen the rise of far-right political parties.

Since a surge in asylum-seekers and other migrants to Europe a decade ago, public views on the issue have shifted. EU migration policies have hardened, and the number of asylum-seekers is down from record levels. Still, U.S. President Donald Trump in recent days issued sharp criticism of the 27-nation bloc’s migration policies as part of a national security strategy painting European allies as weak.

Ministers meeting in Brussels agreed to a “safe third country” concept and a list of safe countries of origin, Danish minister Rasmus Stoklund

said. That means EU nations can deny residency and deport migrants because they either hail from a safe country or could apply for asylum in one outside the EU.

“We will be able to reject people that have no reason for asylum in Europe, and then it will be possible for us to make mechanisms and procedures that enable us to return them faster,” Stoklund said. “It should not be human smugglers that control the access to Europe.”

Ministers also agreed to

students across the board. The four UNC System schools that participate through NC Promise — Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, the UNC Pembroke, and Western Carolina — will continue to o er resident students tuition at a rate of $500 per semester. However, beginning in the fall of 2026, out-of-state rising freshmen will pay an additional $1,000 per semester in tuition.

Pfei er University President Scott Bullard credits forward thinking and innovation, targeted to the speci c needs and concerns of the student body, for enabling the school to avoid rising costs.

“Our freshman classes have grown in size for four consecutive years, and we are a bit unlike a lot of our peers in that regard,” said Bullard. “More than half of our students in our undergraduate program are rst-generation college students. More than half of our students on our undergraduate campus are eligible for the Pell Grant, which tells you a lot about their familial incomes.”

The key, according to Bullard, has been being in tune with the community’s needs.

“We have added a couple of high-margin graduate programs at the downtown Albemarle campus in physician assistant studies and in occupational therapy studies. And so that kind of forward thinking of having a couple of higher-margin graduate programs

happening,” said Magnus Brunner, the EU’s commissioner for migration.

The European Council will now negotiate with the 720 lawmakers at the European Parliament to accept or modify the migration policy changes. Right and far-right parties are largely uni ed in supporting the changes.

Amnesty International EU advocate on migration Olivia Sundberg Diez likened the EU’s migration changes to the Trump administration’s crackdown. She called on European lawmakers to block the new measures that “will in ict deep harm on migrants and the communities that welcome them.”

French Green lawmaker Mélissa Camara called the changes “a renunciation of our fundamental values and human rights.”

the formation of a “solidarity pool” to share costs of hosting refugees among member nations. The pool is meant to collect 430 million euros to disburse to countries facing greater migratory pressure, including Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain in southern Europe. Hungary and Poland have long opposed any obligation for countries to host migrants or pay for their upkeep.

“It is important to give the people also the feeling back that we have control over what is

In May, EU nations endorsed sweeping reforms to the bloc’s asylum system, with the European Commission issuing the new Pact on Migration and Asylum. The pact, among other things, called for increasing deportations and setting up “ return hubs,” a euphemism for deportation centers for rejected asylum-seekers.

The EU wouldn’t set up or manage such “return hubs,” which could be in Europe or elsewhere, but would create the legal framework to allow states to negotiate with non-EU countries willing to take rejected asylum-seekers.

has allowed us to focus on stability for our undergraduate students in terms of pricing.”

Student retention is a central focus for the university administration, evidenced by the Wick Sharp Student Success Center, located at the Misenheimer campus, which o ers academic and support services to help students succeed in college.

“We’re currently looking at and applying for grants related to a software addition here that would allow our student life sta , our professors and our athletic coaches to talk with one another more easily about students who look like they are at some risks related to retention,” said Bullard.

New academic programs in computer science have been made possible in large part by a grant the university was awarded from Google, which has helped innovation and new program o erings continue despite the commitment not to increase the cost of pursuing higher education.

Bullard also credited vendors who provide services such as dining and maintenance for working with the school to help keep costs low.

Local businesses have also shown their support. Bullard speci cally mentioned the $1 million scholarship the university has been awarded through the Dowd Foundation, the charitable branch of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry. The funds are set aside for students who are dependents of CP & F employees who reside in Stanly and Union counties.

According to Bullard, community support remains instrumental in enabling Pfei er to o er a ordable education without compromising quality.

“It is important to give the people also the feeling back that we have control over what is happening.”

Magnus Brunner, EU commissioner for migration

Nations like Austria and Denmark likely will seek partners to host such costly and legally murky centers, said Camille Le Coz, director of the Migration Policy Institute Europe think tank, pointing to the deal the Netherlands struck in September with Uganda to host refugees.

Such centers di er from the existing but so far ine ective deal signed by Italy with Albania to o shore the asylum processing of migrants rescued at sea. At the time, the contentious plan was applauded by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as an “out-of-the-box” solution to manage irregular migration, but courts in Italy have repeatedly blocked it.

Mainstream political parties hope the pact on migration resolves the issues that have divided EU nations since well over 1 million migrants swept into Europe in 2015, most of them eeing war in Syria and Iraq.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PFEIFFER UNIVERSITY Pfei er University is freezing tuition and fees for next year.

Scott Bullard

PETROS GIANNAKOURIS / AP PHOTO

Migrants rescued south of Crete wait to be registered on their arrival at the the port of Lavrio, Greece in July.

Man who says religious group beat him wants prosecutor removed after long wait for retrial

The Rutherford County case has been ongoing for nearly a decade

By Je rey Collins

The Associated Press

A MAN WHO SAYS mem-

bers of a secretive North Carolina religious group held him down and beat him wants the prosecutor kicked o his case, accusing the district attorney of siding with a church that dozens of former congregants have said abused them.

Matthew Fenner said in court documents that he has waited more than eight years for a retrial in the kidnapping and assault case involving Word of Faith Fellowship only for McDowell and Rutherford County District Attorney Ted Bell to schedule the second trial for a church leader during the week Fenner had interviews for a medical residency. Fenner said Bell has refused to delay it.

In a sworn statement, Fenner said Bell wants to stay on Word of Faith’s good side because he supports the locally in uential church and its hundreds of members in the small county who could stay in his favor for his reelection bid in 2026.

Bell said the allegations about how he has handled the case are all false and that he will respond to all of Fenner’s allegations in court.

“I remain committed to fullling my duties with integrity,

professionalism, and an unwavering dedication to justice,” Bell said in a written statement.

Fenner alleges Bell stopped talking to him, refused to interview new witnesses and investigate new evidence, and asked him to drop the case.

“If the Court does not intervene and remove Bell from this case, the trial will be lost before it begins,” Fenner’s lawyer wrote in court papers. “And it will be lost not because of a fair adjudication of the merits; rather, it will be lost due to DA Bell’s actions that manufactured that result.”

A leader of Word of Faith, Brooke Covington, was sched-

uled to stand trial this week on second-degree kidnapping and simple assault charges, but that has been delayed to consider Fenner’s request. Covington’s previous trial on the same charges ended in a mistrial after the jury foreman brought his own research into deliberations. Covington has maintained she is innocent.

Fenner joined Word of Faith as a teenager in 2010 with his mother. He was at a service at the church’s compound in Spindale when members, including Covington, started what the church called a “blasting” session on him, according to Fenner. Members held him down

“I remain committed to ful lling my duties with integrity, professionalism, and an unwavering dedication to justice.”

Ted Bell, district attorney

and choked and beat him for two hours while others prayed to expel “homosexual demons,” Fenner said.

The judge at the 2017 trial wanted to retry the case in months. Initial delays were because a lawyer had health problems. The court record does not provide information about other delays. Other documents in the court le are related to e orts to move the case from small, rural Rutherford County, where the Word of Faith is headquartered, to Buncombe County and more populous and urban Asheville.

A judge placed a gag order on Fenner, Covington, the lawyers and potential witnesses.

Fenner alleges in his sworn statement that the district attorney did not oppose the gag order because he wanted to weaken the case and put pressure on Fenner to give up.

An attorney for Covington had no comment on the delay or Fenner’s allegations.

Word of Faith is a nondenominational Protestant church that was founded in 1979 by Sam and Jane Whaley in the foothills

of Blue Ridge Mountains between Charlotte and Asheville. Members consider Jane Whaley a prophet.

In 2017, The Associated Press published a series of stories about Word of Faith that detailed former church members’ allegations of abuse. The AP spoke to dozens of former congregants around the world, listened to hours secretly recorded conversations with church leaders, and reviewed hundreds of pages of law enforcement, court and child welfare documents.

The AP reported that the church controlled almost every aspect of their members’ lives, including who they married, what subjects they studied in school and whether they could go to college. Members were regularly slapped, choked and thrown to the oor during high-decibel group prayer.

The AP investigation found that the church and its hundreds of followers controlled law enforcement and social services, preventing fair investigations.

Whaley has denied that she or other church leaders ever abused Word of Faith members. She has also said that any discipline would be protected by the Constitution’s freedom of religion tenet.

The church said the allegations made to the AP were false and made by “certain former members” out to target the church and that it does not condone abuse.

“Our county was not fortunate enough to be awarded any of the grants,” Whittaker said. “We were very disappointed, but we’ll go back to the drawing board and we’ll apply for those grants again next year. We’re just going to continue to pray that our numbers will come up.”

On Sept. 29, the school board unanimously voted to move forward with a $54.6 million grant plan that consisted of $52 million in state funding and $2.6 million from the county.

CRIME from page A1

SCHOOLS from page A1 four of which have resulted in arrests.

Drug enforcement e orts continued to play a major role in APD’s work. O cers made 14 felony arrests and 12 misdemeanor arrests related to narcotics, seizing 952 grams of marijuana, 21 grams of cocaine, 13 grams of crack cocaine, 42 grams of fentanyl, one gram of methamphetamine and $9,000 in currency connected to drug activity.

Additionally, the department collected 12,828 grams of unused medication through its Operation Medicine Drop initiative

The proposed funding would have supported two major facility improvement projects: the construction of a new elementary school to replace Oakboro Choice STEM School and an expansion of West Stanly Middle School to increase capacity. Under the proposal, Oakboro would have been rebuilt as a 600-student campus, while West Stanly Middle would have expanded to accommodate 950 students.

At last week’s meeting, Board Member Meghan Almond voiced concerns about

as part of an ongoing e ort to prevent prescription drugs from being misused.

With tra c enforcement remaining a focus, APD o cers issued 89 speeding citations, investigated two cases of reckless driving and made six DWI arrests as part of e orts to keep the city’s roads safe.

The police chief noted that community engagement and professional development remain priorities for the department. In October, APD o cers participated in several community events, including the city’s fall Trunk or Treat, Community Night Out and Food Truck Friday. O cers also attended addi-

“Our county was not fortunate enough to be awarded any of the

chair

Robin Whittaker, vice

the county’s changing economic classi cation and how that could a ect future eligibility for state assistance. “In 2026, 18 North Carolina counties change places, so

tional training programs, including speed radar certi cation and defensive tactics courses.

Manley closed his report by recognizing three department members for their career advancements.

“I would like to say congratulations to O cers Hartsell, Bunce and Edwards on their promotion to the rank of sergeant,” Manley said. “We are proud of the progress that we are making, and we are grateful for your continued support. As always, if you need the Albemarle Police Department, contact us on our nonemergency number at 704-984-9500. If it’s an emergency, call 911.”

Stanly County is getting ready to be Tier 3,” Almond said. “That’s concerning because, if I remember correctly from the architect, not many Tier 3 counties get grants. I hope as a board we can make sound decisions when we’re in that position, and we’re not throwing money into something that we don’t know what the future looks like.” Almond added that the district must remain strategic in its nancial planning.

“If we’re truly going to be a Tier 3 county, we’re going to have to really buckle down and make

sure that we’re spending money properly to be able to x our facilities. I would love to x our facilities and to get everybody the pay raises that they do deserve in an amount of time that is good for them, but also to where we are not throwing ourselves under the bus by spending so much money in one spot.”

Despite the setback, SCS ocials emphasized they will continue to pursue additional funding opportunities and keep the community informed as they prepare to reapply in the next grant cycle.

KATHY KMONICEK / AP PHOTO

Matthew Fenner stands outside Rutherford County Courthouse after a hearing on his case against Word of Faith Fellowship church in May 2017.

Matthew Harry Mabry

Feb. 11, 1944 – Dec. 4, 2025

Matthew Harry Mabry, 81, of New London, peacefully passed away on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at Novant Medical Center in Huntersville, surrounded by his loving family.

A memorial service to honor his life will be held at 2 PM on Monday, December 15, 2025, at Bethel Methodist Church in New London, NC, o ciated by Rev. Kevin McCormac. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6–8 PM on Sunday, December 14, 2025, at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care in Albemarle.

Born on February 11, 1944, in Stanly County, Matthew was the son of the late Q.C. and Helen Mabry. He is survived by his devoted wife of 39 years, Peggy Maners Mabry.

Matthew is also lovingly survived by his children, Deanna Mabry (Heather) of Ann Arbor, MI, Mandi Rogers (Steve) of New London, NC, and Tony Mabry (Wendy) of Charlotte, NC; grandchildren Olivia Phillips (Adam), Merrick Rogers, Jake Rogers, Ari Mabry, Hunter

OBITUARIES

Mabry, and Eliana Mabry. He was preceded in death by all of his siblings and by his son, Grover Harold “Rick” Rogers.

Raised on a dairy farm in Porter, NC, Matthew learned early the value of hard work; a quality that carried him throughout his life. A standout high school athlete, he excelled in both football and baseball. He proudly served his country in the United States Navy from 1962–1966, completing three tours in Vietnam aboard the USS Walke, USS Berkley, and USS Kyes. Stationed in Long Beach, California, he loved sharing stories from his service and the friendships he formed along the way.

Matthew later owned and operated a successful residential construction company, building homes across Myrtle Beach as well as Stanly and surrounding counties. His craftsmanship and integrity left a lasting mark on the communities he served.

Matthew was a longtime member of Bethel Methodist Church and First Baptist Church of Albemarle. He believed in giving back and was a committed advocate for blood donation and enjoyed helping with handicap entrance ramp construction.

Matthew will be remembered as a good man, a devoted husband, a proud father, and a loyal friend. Those who knew him will long remember his gentle nature, his strong work ethic, and the a ection with which he lovingly called Peggy “Peg”. In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to Project Paws (https:// projectpawzrescuenc.org/) or Stanly County Habitat for Humanity (https://stanlyhabitat. org/ ) Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle is serving the Mabry family.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Stanly News Journal at obits@stanlynewsjournal.com

BONNIE JEAN BUCK

JULY 1, 1941 – NOV. 13, 2025

On November 13, 2025, Bonnie Jean Buck of Mt Pleasant, NC, went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It was a day of angels rejoicing and a grand welcoming on the streets of gold. Our minds cannot fathom how glorious that day really was for Bonnie. Those of us left here nd comfort in this heavenly celebration. Even with saddened hearts, we re ect on God’s faithfulness and His love for us and our love for Bonnie. We will miss Bonnie dearly.

Bonnie was a believer and a follower of the Lord Jesus. He was the focus of her life and her best friend. She made her love for the Lord a testimony of her life. She always wanted to grow in her faith and learn more, especially in the last 5-6 years of her life. She had an increasing faith even throughout her illness. She declared healing and wholeness and knew the Lord had answered her prayers.

Bonnie had a very deep love for her family, too. She bragged about her three boys and was so proud of each of them. As a young mother, she was very involved in their lives. She was a little league coach and was quite pleased that her team won the local World Series in 1975.

Bonnie started working in the Clintondale Public Schools as a crossing guard when the boys were young. With great giftedness, professionalism and dedication, Bonnie worked her way up in the school system and retired as the Executive Secretary to the Superintendent of Schools.

She was a great teacher in life and had a way of doing things that brought out the best in people. She was a loyal friend and was also very generous, thoughtful and loving. She had a very keen sense of when others needed a word of encouragement and she was excellent at meeting that need. She loved to make others smile.

She loved her small size, although she joked about “someday” being tall enough to do ‘whatever’. Her petite frame was not a hindrance to her con dence nor her boldness. She was not timid to share her thoughts, sometimes with a little sass and spunk. This was part of her charm.

Bonnie had many interests, including reading, doing crossword puzzles, yard work, gardening, bike riding, camping, shing and traveling. She loved horses and watched horse jumping competitions on TV almost every day. Another of her favorite things to do was to play cards. Euchre was her favorite, and she was a bit ruthless in her playing. She liked to win and had a competitive nature. If you had the honor of knowing Bonnie, you did win! She was a blessing as a treasured mom, friend and family member. She was dearly loved by her family and others. Her greatest desires were to be with her family and with Jesus. She had both and now is forever in His glorious presence. What a blessing!

Psalm 23

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams…My cup over ows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”

Bonnie was born July 1, 1941, in Chester eld Township, Michigan. Her husband of 31 years, Bruce Buck, preceded her in death in 1991. She was the daughter of the late Frank Jolly and Mildred Pipe Jolly.

Bonnie leaves a legacy of love and faith that continues in the lives of her family. Her three sons, Je Buck and Janna of Livonia, MI; Kevin Buck and Julie of Mt Pleasant; and Joseph Buck and Dennae of Zionsville, IN. She is survived by her brother Dennis Jolly (Donna) of Gilbert, AZ, and her sister Marlene of Huntersville, NC. She also had 11 beloved grandchildren: Haley, Adam, April, Dustin, Aaron, Austin, Maria, Cameron, Peniel, Jayden, Isabella and Luke.

A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held on Monday, December 8, at 6 p.m. at Boomerang Church, 28594 Hwy 73, Albemarle, NC 28001.

“While owers are beautiful, living plants o er a lasting reminder of your love and are deeply appreciated. Because Bonnie’s heart was for others to know the love of Jesus, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to Nothing Missing, Nothing Broken Ministries or the Boomerang Church Missions Fund. One of Bonnie’s greatest desires was to help build the Kingdom of God. Thank you, most of all, for your love, prayers, and support for the family during this time. It is a true blessing.”

JOYCE EUDY BEATTY

NOV. 4, 1939 – DEC. 1, 2025

Joyce Ann Eudy Beatty, 86, of Midland, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, December 1, 2025, at her home in Midland.

Ms. Beatty was born on November 4, 1939, in North Carolina to the late Thermon Eli Eudy and the late Grace Elizabeth Eudy. She was also preceded in death by her husband, John Rufus Beatty, and her brother, Donald Ray Eudy.

Joyce and her husband, John, owned Beatty Fruit Company in Midland for many years.

Family is honoring Joyce’s wishes, and no formal services will be held.

Left to cherish her memory are her sister, Janice Mans eld, and brother, Ronald Eudy, many nieces and nephews, and a host of friends.

Memorial donations may be shared with a charity of your choice in memory of Joyce.

DENNIS MICHAEL UNDERWOOD

NOV. 17, 1945 – DEC. 7, 2025

Dennis Michael Underwood, 80, of Oakboro, peacefully passed away on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at Stanly Manor Nursing Facility.

A funeral service to honor his life will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, o ciated by Pastor Shad Hicks. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6–8 p.m. on Friday evening, December 12, 2025, at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle.

Born on November 17, 1945, in Stanly County, Dennis was the son of the late Marvin and Puah Underwood. He was devoted to his wife, Helen Yugonda Underwood, with whom he shared 58 wonderful years of marriage.

Dennis is lovingly survived by his children, Chuck Underwood (Tonya), Chad Underwood (Rebecca), Chay Underwood (Jamie), and Chera Maske (John); his grandchildren, Jessi Kiker (Ashley), Colton Underwood (McKinley), Nate Underwood (Miyah), Lauren Maske, Cameron Underwood, and Mason Maske; and his great-grandchild, Eli Smith. He is also survived by his brother, David Underwood (Teresa).

Dennis was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather whose quiet nature held deep wisdom. When he chose to speak, his words carried meaning, and those around him listened. He loved the outdoors, farming, hunting, and tending to the land, and he especially enjoyed his John Deere tractors. He also had a passion for watching NASCAR racing and cherished every moment spent with his family.

Michael Annett, who made 436 combined starts in NASCAR’s 3 national touring series, dead at 39

He won an X nity Series race at Daytona in 2019

The Associated Press

MOORESVILLE — Michael Annett, a former race car driver who made 436 combined starts in NASCAR’s three national touring series, has died. He was 39. JR Motorsports, one of Annett’s former teams, posted the news on social media last

Friday. No cause of death was announced.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend Michael Annett,” the team wrote. “Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today.” According to NASCAR, Annett made 321 starts in the

X nity Series, 158 of which came with JRM. In 2019, Annett won the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway in the No. 1 JRM Chevrolet for his only win at the national level. Annett, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, was also a two -time winner in the ARCA Menards Series. He won at Talladega Superspeedway in 2007 and then took the series opener at Daytona in 2008.

“NASCAR is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former NASCAR driver Michael Annett,” the racing body said in a statement. “Michael was a respected competitor whose determination, professionalism, and positive spirit were felt by everyone in the garage. Throughout his career, he represented our sport with integrity and the passion of a true racer. NASCAR extends its condolences to Michael’s family and many friends.”

JOHN AMIS / AP PHOTO

Driver Michael Annett watches the board during qualifying for the NASCAR X nity Series race in Lebanon, Tennessee, in 2021.

STANLY SPORTS

North Stanly girls stay unbeaten with 5-0 start

The Comets had a .500 record last season

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

NEW LONDON — Nearly three weeks into the 2025-26 campaign, the North Stanly girls’ basketball team remains undefeated after continuing its strong start to the season.

The Comets (5-0) captured their rst road win of the year with a 48-31 victory over Bradford Prep (2-1) on Dec. 3 in Charlotte.

North Stanly broke open the game in the second quarter, turning a narrow one-point lead into a 25-13 halftime advantage. Bradford Prep matched the Comets’ pace in the third quarter, but North Stanly extended its margin again in the fourth to seal the win and stay perfect.

Senior Lexie Brown led the Comets with 14 points, while sophomore Sammie Lowder added 12. Freshman Hope Quesenberry contributed eight points, and senior Shy’Mani Baskins scored seven to help round out the balanced e ort.

Finishing 13-13 last season to end a streak of three straight 20-win campaigns, North Stanly has already earned more than a third of that total in just ve games. The Comets have outscored opponents by a combined 79 points, showing strength on both ends of the court.

After playing at West Stanly on Tuesday, North Stanly heads to West Davidson on Wednesday before returning home to take on The Math and Science Academy of Charlotte on Friday.

North Stanly’s Lexie Brown prepares to take a free throw in the fourth quarter of the Comets’ game at Bradford Prep.

West Stanly 52, South Stanly 32

In an intracounty matchup in Norwood, the West Stanly Colts (3-2) earned their third straight win with a 20-point victory over the South Stanly Rowdy Rebel Bulls (2-2) on Dec. 5. The Colts built a 10-point lead early and stretched it to 30-15 by halftime.

West Stanly is coming o a 14-12 season where the team nished fourth in the Rocky Riv-

er Conference standings, while South Stanly has already surpassed its win total from their past two one-win campaigns.

Albemarle 41, Anson 5

Playing in Wadesboro, the Albemarle Bulldogs (3-4) snapped a three-game skid with a decisive 41-5 road victory over the Anson Bearcats (0 - 8) on Dec. 5. The win marked Albemarle’s second

triumph over the Bearcats this season, following a 59-21 home win on Nov. 21. Last year, the Bulldogs tallied their third consecutive campaign with at least 22 victories, nishing 25-5 overall and advancing to the fourth round of the NCHSAA 1A state playo s.

Gray Stone 45, CATA 33

Led by a 22-point performance from senior Anna Mor -

Pfei er men look to regroup after four-game slide entering

The Falcons have fallen to 4-5 on the season

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

MISENHEIMER — Just a few weeks after sitting at 4-1, the Pfei er men’s basketball team has hit a rough patch heading into its holiday break.

The Falcons (4-5) have dropped four straight contests as they prepare for a pair of

late-December games before resuming USA South Athletic Conference play in the new year. Led by ninth-year head coach Pete Schoch, Pfei er is aiming to repeat as both the USA South regular-season and conference tournament champion.

Last season, the Falcons went 18-8 overall and 12-2 in conference play, nearly matching their win total from the previous two seasons combined.

To return to that level, the

holiday break

Falcons will need to regain their early-season rhythm.

Pfei er’s recent skid began with an 84-71 road loss to Hampden-Sydney on Nov. 23, followed by a 121-85 defeat at Guilford two days later. The struggles continued in the CNU Holiday INNvitational, where Pfei er fell 83-67 to Virginia Wesleyan and 80-66 to Christopher Newport.

In an exhibition matchup at Division I Longwood on Dec. 3, the Falcons were overpowered in

a 101-55 loss. The Lancers shot 65.6% from the eld, poured in 72 points in the paint and built a commanding 54-25 halftime lead. Pfei er committed 20 turnovers and shot just 34.8% overall while struggling to establish o ensive consistency. Senior forward Justin Gaten led Pfei er with 15 points on 3-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc, while former North Stanly standout Doug Smith contributed 13 points and four rebounds. Smith has

gan, the Gray Stone Knights (2-3) pulled out a 12-point victory over the CATA Cougars (0-5) in Monroe on Dec. 3. The Knights have now won back-to-back games after a 0-3 start to the season.

Gray Stone is aiming for its first winning season since the 2019-20 campaign. Last season’s team managed just two wins overall and one win in Yadkin Valley Conference play.

been a steady force this season, averaging 16.2 points and 8.1 rebounds after posting 10.8 points and nine rebounds per game last year.

Senior guard Sean Sucarichi has also emerged as a key contributor, averaging 13.1 points and 4.1 rebounds. Senior guard Clayton Robinson (9.2 points), junior forward DeJaun Sidney (8.6) and sophomore guard Drake Stewart (8.2) have rounded out Pfei er’s o ensive core.

The Falcons will next play an exhibition at High Point on Dec. 28 before hosting Averett on Dec. 30. USA South play begins the rst week of January with a challenging ve-game stretch against N.C. Wesleyan, Methodist, Southern Virginia, Mary Baldwin and Brevard.

COURTESY NFHS NETWORK

Jordan provides another must-watch moment as NBA great testi es at NASCAR trial

“Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity.”

By Jenna Fryer

The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — Michael Jordan has had a lifetime of big moments. His latest came on the witness stand in a federal courthouse.

The retired NBA great testi ed against NASCAR in an antitrust case he is pursuing against the stock car series on behalf of his race team, 23XI Racing, along with Front Row Motorsports. Both want to force NASCAR to change the way it does business with its teams, accusing it of monopolistic behavior.

“Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity,” the soft-spoken Jordan told the jury. “I felt I could challenge NASCAR as a whole.”

It was a di erent role for the 62-year-old Jordan, known best for the six NBA titles he won with the Chicago Bulls and his business interests in retirement, including his still relatively new role as a NASCAR team co-owner with three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin.

Dressed in a dark blue suit, Jordan slowly headed to the stand for the afternoon session, adjusted the seat for his 6-foot- 6 frame and settled in. Those in the packed courtroom hung on every word.

Jordan said he grew up a NASCAR fan, attending races at 11 or 12 with his family at tracks in Charlotte and Rockingham in his home state but also at Darlington in South Carolina and the Talladega superspeedway in Alabama.

“We called it a weekend vacation,” he said.

There were moments of levity on a dramatic day of testimony that also included Heather Gibbs, the daughter-in-law of team owner and NFL Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs. People were turned away from the courtroom and U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell couldn’t help but notice the high attendance in front of him as well as an over ow room nearby.

“I take it Mr. Jordan is the next witness,” Bell quipped.

Outside the courthouse in downtown Charlotte, a crowd gathered for the rst time this week for a chance to see Jordan. One woman screamed “Oh my God, Mike! You are an icon, you the best, you the best to do it in the NBA!” An-

Michael Jordan

other claimed to have played golf and cards with Jordan acquaintances while asking Jordan to pose for a photo with his daughters.

Jordan said, “Man, it’s cold out here for you guys” before complimenting the two girls on their Nike-branded hoodies.

A spectator held a sign that read “NASCAR Your Fans Deserve Better” and Hamlin turned to him and said, “You’re right” as they tried to make their way through the throng to a caravan of waiting SUVs.

On the witness stand, Jordan noted he was an early fan of Richard Petty, like his dad. He later gravitated to Cale Yarborough, “the original No. 11. Sorry, Denny,” Jordan testi ed as Hamlin watched from the gallery.

Jordan was asked to outline his career, noting his time with the Bulls and adding he remains a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets. Did he play anywhere else?

“I try to forget it but I did,” said Jordan, who played for the Washington Wizards in a mostly forgettable return to the NBA after his championship runs with the Bulls.

But Jordan spent most of his time making clear why he was in court suing the series he loves over the charters that guarantee teams revenue and access to Cup Series races. Among other things, the plainti s want the charters made permanent, which NASCAR has balked at.

“Look, we saw the economics wasn’t really bene cial to the teams,” Jordan testi ed, adding: “The thing I see in NASCAR that I think is absent is a shared responsibility of growth as well as loss.”

As the session wound down, defense attorney Lawrence Buterman noted the novelty of cross-examining an icon like Jordan, closing with the comment: “Thank you for making my 9-year-old think I’m cool today.”

“You’re not wearing any Jordans today,” Jordan replied. When he was dismissed from the stand, he said “whew” and made his way back to the seat in the front row he’s occupied all week.

Grey Stone girls win three straight

0-4, 0-0 in Yadkin Valley

2A/3A (17-9 last year)

Last week’s scores:

• Lost 74-67 vs. CentralAcademy

• Lost 69-63 vs. Anson

• Lost 58-54 vs. West Stanly

This week’s schedule:

• Dec. 9 at Mount Pleasant

• Dec. 11 at South Davidson

SOUTH STANLY GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

2-2, 0-0 in Yadkin Valley

2A/3A (1-20 last year)

Last week’s scores:

• Won 51-39 vs. Central Academy

• Won 45-29 vs. Anson

• Lost 52-32 vs. West Stanly

This week’s schedule:

• Dec. 9 at Mount Pleasant

• Dec. 11 at South Davidson

WEST STANLY BOYS’ BASKETBALL

3-2, 0-0 in Rocky River

4A/5A (10-15 last year)

Last week’s scores:

• Won 48-31 at Bradford Prep

This week’s schedule:

• Dec. 9 at West Stanly

• Dec. 10 at West Davidson

• Dec. 12 vs. Math and Science of Charlotte

ALBEMARLE

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

2-5, 0-0 in Yadkin Valley (2-21 last year)

Last week’s scores:

• Lost 67-59 at West Stanly

• Lost 68-37 vs. Bishop McGuinness

• Lost 78-63 at Anson

This week’s schedule:

• Dec. 12 vs. Sun Valley

• Dec. 16 vs. Uwharrie Charter

ALBEMARLE GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

3-4, 0-0 in Yadkin Valley (25-5 last year)

Last week’s scores:

• Lost 56-50 at West Stanly

• Lost 54-17 vs. Bishop McGuinness

The tournament draw includes multiple groups of death

By Howard Fendrich

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — If you listened to the words spoken after the World Cup draw by the various coaches who were at the Kennedy Center, it would seem impossible for any of them to win next year’s tournament.

Everyone got thrown into the toughest group — or the “Group of Death,” in soccer parlance.

Everyone was burdened with talented foes for their rst three matches — even if a half-dozen participants are yet to be determined and the expanded eld means some lesser-quality teams will get in.

And everyone needs to avoid overlooking any other team and be ready for whatever is to come during the tournament from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico during the largest World Cup yet, the rst with 48 countries participating (there were 32 last time).

“We need to respect all of the opponents. It’s always going to be di cult,” said U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino, whose squad is in Group D and starts o against Paraguay on June 12, then also will face Australia and a still-undetermined playo quali er.

“My message to the players is:

“We need to respect all of the opponents. It’s always going to be di cult.” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino

We need to compete better than Paraguay; that is going to be difcult. Australia is going to be di cult,” Pochettino said. “And the team that is going to join us is going to be di cult.”

Hmmm. Sense a theme?

There is some version of what is often referred to as “coach speak” under nearly every circumstance and in nearly every sport. Just pay attention to what the men in charge of NFL clubs say day after day during that sport’s season.

It’s the classic playbook: Build up opponents. Don’t let your players get complacent. Don’t let your fans — or the people who hired you and can re you — think success is guaranteed.

Didier Deschamps, a player on France’s championship team in 1998 and the coach of its title winners in 2018 and runners-up to Argentina in 2022, sounded as worried as anyone else.

Doesn’t matter that the French are considered one of the favorites — not merely to get out of the round-robin stage but also to once more appear in the nal.

“We know this is a very tough group,” Deschamps said Friday. “We cannot rest.”

His country was dropped into

Group I alongside Senegal, Norway and a playo team (those won’t all be set until March).

A little later, Norway’s coach, Ståle Solbakken, for his part, praised the French team as “maybe the strongest in Europe,” and in the next breath — as though perhaps worried someone from another nation might take o ense — pointed out: “But there’s two other teams in the group.”

One of which won’t even be known for another three months.

Luis de la Fuente, who led Spain to the 2024 European Championship, nds his team among the World Cup favorites but insisted there is parity in the sport these days.

Spain’s Group H includes Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde.

“People think there are easy groups, but it is a very similar level,” the coach said. “This will be a historic World Cup because there’s an exceptional level all-round. These games force you to play at your best.”

Players can be just as liable to these sorts of pronouncements.

U.S. mid elder Tyler Adams, speaking to reporters on a video call Friday, said it plainly: “There’s no easy game in the World Cup.”

And then he pointed out that during the last World Cup, when the Americans were eliminated in the round of 16, their two hardest games came “against two of the lesser opponents.”

Last week’s scores:

• Won 67-59 vs. Albemarle

• Won 58-54 at South Stanly

This week’s schedule:

• Dec. 9 vs. North Stanly

• Dec. 12 vs. Central Academy

WEST STANLY GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

3-2, 0-0 in Rocky River

4A/5A (14-12 last year)

Last week’s scores:

• Won 56-50 vs. Albemarle

• Won 52-32 at South Stanly

This week’s schedule:

• Dec. 9 vs. North Stanly

• Dec. 12 vs. Central Academy

NORTH STANLY

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

3-0, 0-0 in Yadkin Valley (22-7 last year)

Last week’s scores:

• Won 62-27 at Montgomery Central

• Won 58-44 at Bradford Prep

This week’s schedule:

• Dec. 9 at West Stanly

• Dec. 10 at West Davidson

• Dec. 12 vs. Math and Science of Charlotte

NORTH STANLY GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

5-0, 0-0 in Yadkin Valley (13-13 last year)

• Won 41-5 at Anson

This week’s schedule:

• Dec. 12 vs. Sun Valley • Dec. 16 vs. Uwharrie Charter

GRAY STONE DAY BOYS’ BASKETBALL

0-6, 0-0 in Yadkin Valley (3-17 last year)

Last week’s scores:

• Lost 52-32 vs. Anson

• Lost 62-51 at Central Academy

• Lost 80-40 vs. Elevation Prep Academy

This week’s schedule:

• Dec. 9 vs. Central Academy

• Dec. 12 at Christ the King

• Dec. 15 vs. Bethany Community

GRAY STONE DAY GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

3-3, 0-0 in Yadkin Valley (2-17 last year)

Last week’s scores:

• Won 47-32 vs. Anson

• Won 45-33 at Central Academy

• Won 51-33 vs. Elevation Prep Academy

This week’s schedule:

• Dec. 9 vs. Central Academy

• Dec. 15 vs. Bethany Community

CHRIS CARLSON / AP PHOTO

From left, FIFA Chief Tournament O cer Manolo Zubiri, Alexi Lalas, Ronaldo, FIFA

President Gianni Infantino, host Andrés Cantor, Francesco Totti and Hristo Stoichkov discuss the match schedule reveal for the 2026 soccer World Cup in Washington.

NOTICES

Let’s Work Together

Full-Time

• Administrator, Network Infrastructure

• Instructor, Business Administration (9-month)ACI - REVISED

• Instructor, Plumbing (12-months)

• Instructor, Simulation & Coordinator, Skills LabAssociate Degree Nursing

• Program Head, Accounting

• Specialist, Graphic Design & Digital Marketing

• Technician, Facility Services

Become part of something great...

We are eager to welcome individuals who are dedicated to our mission and committed to enhancing our community. Interested candidates are invited to browse our open full and part time positions via the website below to nd out how to apply for one of our job openings at SCC.

NOTICE

NOTICE OF ALBEMARLE CITY COUNCIL

PUBLIC HEARINGS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to the general public that the City of Albemarle City Council will conduct public hearing(s) concerning the item(s) listed below at the dates, times, and location provided herein:

Annexation (AX 25-01) and Initial Zoning (ZMA 25-05). Annexation requested by petition, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes 160A-31, and a request for Initial Zoning, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes 160D-602, of approximately +/- 42.14 acres along Sweet Home Church Road (Tax Records 1496, 19922, 19945) from Stanly County RA, and G-B, and City of Albemarle R-8 (Neighborhood Residential) to City of Albemarle R-15 Cluster (Conservation Residential). The amendment to the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Albemarle, North Carolina, by transfer from Stanly County, changes the city’s boundaries through voluntary annexation of the aforementioned parcel.

Annexation (AX 25-02) and Initial Zoning (ZMA 25-06). Annexation requested by petition, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes 160A-31, and a request for Initial Zoning, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes 160D-602, of approximately +/-26.16 acres located nearest NC 24-27 Bypass W and Judy Street (Tax Records 4245) from Stanly County RA to City of Albemarle R-10 (General Residential). The amendment to the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Albemarle, North Carolina, by transfer from Stanly County, changes the city’s boundaries through voluntary annexation of the aforementioned parcel.

Rezoning (ZMA 25-04). Request for a Zoning Map Amendment for one parcel totaling +/- 10.03 acres located at the end of Sta ord Drive (Tax Record 20000) to change the existing split zoning of HID (Heavy Industrial District) and R-10 (General Residential) to R-10 (General Residential).

Rezoning (ZMA 25-07). Request for a Zoning Map Amendment for one parcel totaling +/- 0.5 acre located at the corner of Ash Street and Moose Street (Tax Record 21833) to change the existing zoning of LID (Light Industrial District) to R-8 (Neighborhood Residential).

Envision Albemarle 2045Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Request for adoption of the Albemarle 2045 Comprehensive Land Use Plan represents the goals, policies, and recommendations for guiding the city’s future land use and physical development. It is the key policy document that helps make the City livable and prosperous by aligning physical development with environmental, social, and economic issues. The document enhances the coordination of services and improves decision-making functions.

The hearing(s) will be conducted in the City Council Chambers of City Hall, located at 144 N Second St., Albemarle, N.C. 28001 at the following time(s): Monday, December 15th, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.

All interested parties are invited to attend the hearing. Anyone wishing to speak for or against this action shall adhere to applicable City policies and statutes regarding open meetings. The City Council’s approved agenda can be found on the city’s website, www.albemarlenc. gov

Dated: November 24, 2025

Publish: Wednesday, December 3, 2025, & Wednesday, December 10, 2025

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000584-830

Having quali ed as Co-Executors of the estate of Sherrill Edwin Clark deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, This is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Sherrill Edwin Clark to present them to the undersigned on or before February 20, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment.

This 19th day of November, 2025 Brenda Shoe 16217 HWY 73 E Mt. Pleasant, NC 28124 Co-Executor Annette Harkey 28410 NC 73 HWY Albemarle, NC 28001 Co-Executor

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000599-830

Having quali ed as Administratrix of the estate of Rebecca Lee Thorne deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, This is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Rebecca Lee Thorne to present them to the undersigned on or before March 11, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment.

This 10th day of December, 2025 Shirley Horvath Garrett 49403 Deer Run Road Norwood, NC 28128

NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000598-830

Having quali ed as Co-Executors of the estate of Reba H. Watkins a/k/a Reba Hill Watkins deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, This is to

Brad Pitt, ‘Spinal Tap II,’ lots of Taylor Swift

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” returns for season 2

The Associated Press

A SIX-EPISODE, behindthe-scenes Disney+ docuseries about Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Rian Johnson’s third “Knives Out” movie, “Wake Up Dead Man,” 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: Chip and Joanna Gaines take on a big job revamping a small home in the mountains of Colorado, video gamers can skateboard through hell in Sam Eng’s Skate Story, and Rob Reiner gets the band back together for “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.”

MOVIES TO STREAM

Johnson’s third “Knives Out” movie, “Wake Up Dead Man” arrives on Net ix on Friday. Religion is at the heart of this installment, which nds Daniel Craig’s dapper detective Benoit Blanc trying to solve the “locked room” murder of Josh Brolin’s Monsignor Je erson Wicks, a charismatic and terrifying church leader with a devoted set of followers. The large ensemble cast includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Andrew Scott, Jeremy Renner and Kerry Washington. Some were less than delighted by this outing, however. In his review for The Associated Press, Mark Kennedy called it, “a gloomy and clunky outing that may test fans’ faith in the lmmaker.”

Brad Pitt plays a washed-up driver looking for glory on the racetrack in the Formula One movie “F1,” streaming on Apple TV Friday. Filmmaker Joseph Kosinski wanted to make it feel as exciting and authentic as possible: In many scenes, it really is Pitt and Damson Idris driving those cars at 180 mph. Film Writer Jake Coyle wrote in his review that it’s “a ne-tuned machine of a movie that, in its most riveting racing scenes, approaches a kind of high-speed splendor.”

Reiner got the band back together for “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” which begins streaming on HBO Max on Friday. Was it a mistake to revisit the great 1984 mockumen-

His lm “F1”

“‘F1’ is a ne-tuned machine of a movie that, in its most riveting racing scenes, approaches a kind of high-speed splendor.”

Jake Coyle, AP Film Writer

tary, though? Mark Kennedy wrote in his review that, “Despite some great starry cameos — Paul McCartney’s is easily the best — ‘Spinal Tap II’ leans into the old favorite bits too needily and is su ocated by the constantly looming presence of death, a downer. The improv-based comedy is forced, and the laughs barely register. This is a movie only for die-hard Tappers.”

MUSIC TO STREAM

It is Swift’s world, and we’re just living in it. Prepare yourself for two new projects at Disney+. That’s a six-episode, behind-the-scenes docuseries about her landmark “Eras Tour” titled “Taylor Swift ‘The Eras Tour’ The End of an Era” — the rst two episodes will premiere Friday. And that is not to be confused with the second, titled “Taylor Swift ‘The Eras Tour’ The Final Show,” a concert lm now with the inclusion of

RICHARD SHOTWELL / INVISION / AP PHOTO

“Simon Cowell: The Next Act,” a new docuseries about the “America’s Got Talent” creator, is now streaming on Net ix.

“The Tortured Poets Department” section. The 2024 album was incorporated into her three-and-a-half-hour performance following its release. It was lmed in Vancouver. (That di ers from 2023’s “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” lm, which was compiled from several Swift shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, a suburb of Los Angeles, and arrived ahead of “The Tortured Poets Department.”) Swifties, rise! It has been a big year for col-

laborative rap records (looking at you, Clipse) and that continues into 2025’s 11th hour with “Light-Years,” a new release from rapper Nas and record producer DJ Premier. They’re greats for a reason. The Grammy-award winning producer, DJ and electronic musician Fred Again will release the next iteration of his USB series, the 16-track “USB002,” on Friday. Expect the unexpected: The rst song released from the collection is “you’re a

star,” which features Australian punky-pop band Amyl and The Sni ers. The club sounds a little di erent this time around.

SERIES TO STREAM

Chip and Joanna Gaines have long said they would not do any xer uppers outside of central Texas. Until now. The couple has taken on a big job revamping a small 1960s home in the mountains of Colorado. “Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House” is now streaming on HBO Max and Discovery+.

Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, returns to TV with Season 2 of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” The series, starring Walker Scobell in the title role, adapts “The Sea of Monsters,” the second novel in a book series by Rick Riordan. The two-hour season premiere is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

He helped to launch “American Idol” and created “America’s Got Talent” and the group One Direction. Now, cameras follow Simon Cowell as he seeks to form a new boy band in “Simon Cowell: The Next Act.” The docuseries, out now, is about both his search and Cowell himself. He prides himself on discovering an “it” factor. “When you’re putting a band together, it’s like mining for diamonds,” he said in the trailer. “If this goes wrong, it will be ‘Simon Cowell has lost it.’”

Diane Kruger stars in a new drama for Paramount+ called “Little Disasters” as Jess, a mother who takes her son to the hospital for a head injury. The doctor, who is also a friend, becomes suspicious of Jess’ description of what happened and calls the authorities. It’s based on a novel of the same name. All six-episodes drop Thursday.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

I’ve skateboarded all over the world in various video games, but one location remains untouched by my deck: hell. Solo designer Sam Eng aims to correct that omission with Skate Story. You are a skateboarder made of glass in an underworld lled with demons who can only be defeated by unleashing your gnarliest tricks. The only way to escape is to swallow the moon. If you love classics like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater but wish they were more hallucinatory, this might be the ride for you. Kick o now on PlayStation 5, Switch 2 or PC.

JOHN WILSON / NETFLIX VIA AP

LUCA BRUNO / AP PHOTO

Brad Pitt walks in the paddock at the Silverstone racetrack in Silverstone, England, in 2024.

premieres Friday on Apple TV+.

Solution to last week’s puzzle

Solution to this week’s puzzles

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Supreme Court questions limits on political party spending in federal elections

Conservative Supreme Court justices appeared to back a Republican-led drive, supported by President Donald Trump’s administration, to overturn a quarter-century- old decision and erase limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president. A day after the justices indicated they would overturn a 90-year- old decision limiting the president’s power to re independent agency heads, the court on Tuesday took up a 2001 decision that upheld a provision of election law that is more than 50 years old.

Supreme Court seems likely to back Trump’s power to re agency board members

The Supreme Court seems likely to expand presidential control over independent federal agencies, signaling support for President Trump’s ring of board members. The court’s conservative majority suggested in arguments Monday it would overturn a 90-year-old decision that has limited when presidents can re agencies’ board members, or leave it with only its shell intact. Lawyers for the administration are defending Trump’s decision to re FTC member Rebecca Slaughter without cause and calling on the court to jettison the unanimous 1935 decision.

Student dies after stabbing at Winston-Salem high school

The incident at North Forsyth High School left one dead and another injured

The Associated Press

WINSTON-SALEM — A stabbing at a central North Carolina high school Tuesday left one student dead and another injured, authorities said.

Forsyth County Sheri Bobby Kimbrough said o cers at North Forsyth High School in Winston-Salem sought assistance shortly after 11 a.m.

“We responded to an alter-

cation between two students,” Kimbrough said at a news conference, adding that “there was a loss of life.”

In an email to families and sta , Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools superintendent Don Phipps said one student died and another was injured.

Kimbrough said he wouldn’t take questions at the news conference, citing the ongoing investigation. Sheri ’s o ce spokesperson Krista Karcher said later that a stabbing had occurred and that the injured person was treated at a hospital and released.

No information about potential charges was discussed at the news conference. Kim-

It’s the “worst nightmare of any educator. We hurt when our students hurt, and this is the ultimate hurt that we can possibly feel.”

Superintendent Don Phipps

brough said in a video posted later on social media that there was no threat to the community.

“There are no suspects that we’re looking for,” he said. “We

Winston-Salem establishes code of conduct for city parks

The new code is inspired by the model used for the Carolina Classic Fair

By Ryan Henkel Twin City Herald WINSTON-SALEM —

Winston-Salem is establishing a more concrete code of conduct for its parks.

At the Winston-Salem City Council’s Dec. 1 meeting, the council held a public hearing for amendments to the City Code in order to establish a new code of conduct for the city’s parks in response to disruptive behavior that had been taking place in recent months.

“This code of conduct really kind of follows a model that we established with the Carolina Classic Fair,” said Assistant City Manager Ben Rowe.

“We found that was e ective in encouraging good behavior during the 10 days of the fair, so this code of conduct follows suit in outlining the types of expectations that the city has in terms of good behavior but also the prohibited behaviors.”

The new code of conduct will expressly prohibit things such as gambling, smoking or vaping in designated nonsmoking areas, acts or threats of bodily harm, the use of vulgar language or obscene gestures, littering, damaging or defacing city property, engaging in inappropriate physical or verbal contact and/or gang-related activities, the use of drugs, alcohol, weapons and/or reworks, and sexual activity of any kind.

The new code also establishes the operating hours for the city’s parks from sunrise to sunset, while allowing the Rec-

“It is certainly a start for what we want to see in our parks.”

Regina Ford Hall, council member

reation and Parks Department

the ability to extend hours for speci c areas of parks.

According to Rowe, the code of conduct will be implemented in all 83 of the city’s parks, although sta will be focused more so on educating those who are in violation or who are not meeting the new standards until the proper signage is in place.

“This is not necessarily something that gets into everything or that is something that

have that part of the investigation under control.”

Gov. Josh Stein, in a message on the social media platform X, called what happened “shocking and horrible” and said he was praying for all students and their loved ones.

Phipps, who started in his post just last week, said at the news conference that it was the “worst nightmare of any educator. We hurt when our students hurt, and this is the ultimate hurt that we can possibly feel.”

North Forsyth High School will be closed Wednesday, he said, and a crisis team will be in place for sta and when students return.

is going to be amazing for everyone, but it is certainly a start for what we want to see in our parks,” said council member Regina Ford Hall.

Following the hearing, the council approved the request.

The board also approved four rezoning applications, including a request for just under 0.7 acres of property located west of South Stratford Road and between Kimwell Drive and Densmore Street to be rezoned General Business – Limited Use.

The requested uses are as follows: arts and crafts studio, bed and breakfast, car wash, child care, o ces, park and shuttle lot, restaurant and retail store.

According to the city’s zoning ordinances, the General Business district is intended to accommodate a wide range of retail, service and o ce uses located along thoroughfares in areas which have developed with minimal front setbacks.

“This is not the original plan that the people proposed, but they worked with the county

ALLISON LEE ISLEY / THE WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL VIA AP

Winston-Salem Police o cers and Forsyth County Sheri ’s deputies block the gate leading to North Forsyth High School after a fatal stabbing Tuesday in Winston-Salem.

New Girl Scout cookie avor debuts for 2026

North State Journal (USPS 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365)

Trip Ho end, Publisher Jim Sills, VP of Local Newspapers

Cory Lavalette, Senior Editor

Jordan Golson, Local News Editor

Shawn Krest, Sports Editor

Dan Reeves, Features Editor

Ryan Henkel, Reporter PJ Ward-Brown, Photographer

PARKS from page A1

and the city to get it to where it could be approved by everybody, so I just want to thank the hard work of everybody on sta there,” said council member Scott Andree-Bowen.

The second request for around 0.8 acres of property located at the northwest intersection of East 14th Street and Dellabrook Road to go from Residential Single-Family to Residential Single-Family Quadraplex for future development.

While no site plan was submitted for the property, the rezoning would allow for the development of single-family residential, duplexes and twin homes.

The third request for around 0.4 acres of property located at the northwest intersection of North Glenn Avenue and Hanes Avenue to go from General Industrial to Residential Single-Family for future development.

The nal request for just over 0.2 acres of property located at the southwest intersection of Highway 285 and Arnold Avenue from Residential to Limited Industrial for the construction of a new billboard.

The council approved each request following the respective public hearings.

The Winston-Salem City Council will next meet Jan. 5

Share with your community! Send us your births,

Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon

Rocky road-inspired Exploremores joins nationwide lineup next month

Chatham News & Record sta

GIRL SCOUTS will o er a new cookie avor when the 2026 cookie season begins next month.

Exploremores, a rocky road ice cream-inspired sandwich cookie, joins the nationwide lineup alongside favorites like Thin Mints and Caramel deLites. The cookie features chocolate, marshmallow and toasted almond- avored crème.

Girl Scout Cookie booths open across 40 counties in

western and central North Carolina on Jan. 16. The cookies will be available both online and in person at local booths. Customers can visit girlscoutcookies.org to sign up for noti cations when cookies go on sale in their area. Through the cookie program, Girl Scouts earn skill-building badges and learn goal-setting, money management and business ethics. All proceeds from cookie sales stay with local councils and troops to fund programs throughout the year.

Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont serves more than 4,900 girls and 3,900 adult volunteers across the region. For more information, visit girlscoutsp2p.org.

Winston-Salem receives $250K state grant for building reuse

WH Farms, a hemp wellness products manufacturer, is expected to create 38 jobs

Twin City Herald sta

FORSYTH COUNTY has been awarded a $250,000 grant to support the reuse of a 12,300-square-foot building in Winston-Salem. The grant, announced last week by Gov. Josh Stein, was

one of 15 approved by the Rural Infrastructure Authority totaling more than $5 million. The grants are expected to create 316 new jobs and attract more than $104 million in private investment statewide.

WH Farms Co., a biotech startup that grows hemp on a USDA-licensed North Carolina farm and processes it for use in topical beauty and wellness products, will occupy the building. The company currently operates out of Win-

ston Starts, a downtown startup incubator, and its products are manufactured through a contractor in Maryland. The expansion will bring formulation and manufacturing inhouse to Winston-Salem.

The project is expected to create 38 jobs with a private investment of $1.35 million.

“Every investment we make in rural North Carolina enhances our state’s economic competitiveness and people’s lives,” Stein said.

Lumbee Tribe poised to gain federal recognition through Defense bill

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on the issue earlier this year

By Graham Lee Brewer The Associated Press

AFTER DECADES of political maneuvering through Congress and government agencies, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina may nally achieve federal recognition through the National Defense Authorization Act the House plans to vote on this week. If the legislation passes, the Senate could vote on nal passage as soon as next week.

The Lumbee’s e orts to gain federal recognition — which would come with federal funding, access to resources like the Indian Health Service and the ability to take land into trust — have been controversial for many years both in Indian Country and in Washington. But their cause has been championed by President Donald Trump, who promised on the campaign trail last year to acknowledge the Lumbee as a tribal nation.

The issue of federal recognition for the Lumbee Tribe has been batted around Congress for more than 30 years. But the political opportunity it represented in the last election could be what pushed it over the nish line, said Kevin Washburn, former assistant secretary of Indian A airs at the Interior Department and a professor

The Forsyth County grant was approved under the Building Reuse Program’s vacant building category. Other counties receiving similar grants included Randolph, Bladen and Wake.

The Building Reuse Program provides grants to local governments to renovate vacant buildings, renovate and expand buildings occupied by existing North Carolina companies, and renovate, expand or construct health care facilities in Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties, as well as in rural census tracts of Tier 3 counties.

The RIA is supported by the rural economic development team at the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

said it advised the Lumbee to continue trying to gain federal recognition through Congress.

The Lumbee were recognized by Congress in 1956, but that legislation denied them access to the same federal resources as tribal nations. As a result, their application for recognition was denied for consideration in the 1980s, and the Lumbee Tribe has tried to get Congress to acknowledge them in the decades since. The O ce of Federal Acknowledgement is the federal agency that vets applications, although dozens of tribes have also gained recognition through legislation.

“Only Congress can for all time and for all purposes resolve this uncertainty,” Lumbee Tribal Chairman John Lowery testi ed last month before the Senate Committee for Indian A airs.

“It is long past time to rectify the injustice it has in icted on our tribe and our people.”

“It comes up every four years because North Carolina is a battleground state and the Lumbee represent tens of thousands of people.” Kevin Washburn, former assistant secretary of Indian A airs

at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.

“It comes up every four years because North Carolina is a battleground state and the Lumbee represent tens of thousands of people,” Washburn said.

The Lumbee Tribe has nearly 60,000 members, and both Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris promised the Lumbee federal recognition during the 2024 campaign. Trump won North Carolina

by more than 3 points. Short-

ly after taking o ce, Trump issued an executive order directing the Interior Department to create a plan for federal recognition for the Lumbee. It’s the rst time either the White House or the candidates for president have been so engaged in a federal recognition case, Washburn said. Interior’s plan was sent to the White House in April. The administration has denied requests for its release but has

But others, including several tribal leaders, argue that the Lumbee’s historic claims have shifted many times over the last century and that they have never been able to prove they descend from a tribal nation.

“A national defense bill is not the appropriate place to consider federal recognition, particularly for a group that has not met the historical and legal standards required of sovereign tribal nations,” said Michell Hicks, chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

The National Defense Authorization Act is usually a bipartisan bill that lays out the nation’s defense policies. But this year the vote has taken on a new political dynamic as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces mounting scrutiny over military strikes on boats o Venezuela’s coast.

COURTESY GIRL SCOUTS

Exploremores, a rocky road ice cream-inspired sandwich cookie featuring chocolate, marshmallow and toasted almondavored crème, joins the Girl Scout Cookie lineup for 2026.

ALLISON JOYCE / AP PHOTO

Members of the Lumbee Tribe bow their heads in prayer during the BraveNation Powwow and Gather at UNC Pembroke in March.

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

Financial health boils down to good habits being the central theme

“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”

Yogi Berra

THERE AREN’T MANY situations in life to which a good Yogi Berra quote doesn’t apply. As we head into the holiday season and 2026, it’s a great time to check in on where you are and where you are going.

Financial health boils down to good habits being the central theme. One other habit that is relevant to nancial literacy and health is the annual checkup. Just like going to the doctor each year, there are sources of potential dread in a nancial checkup — do I really want to know? Can it have gotten better with another year of age? It sure is easier to ignore problems! So just like your annual physical, if you don’t already take an annual snapshot of your nancial picture, nd some time over the holidays to do that. What that entails is up to you, but at a basic level I would suggest building your own “balance sheet” and potentially a cash ow plan for next year.

When my wife and I were planning our wedding, one of the traditions in the Catholic Church is pre-cana classes. These classes go through many of the logical issues that you would imagine the church would focus on, but they also covered the basics of a nancial plan. As we went through the session on this, it was amazing to me how many other engaged couples had no clue that their future spouse had massive credit card debts, or, in one case, that they were the bene ciary of a large trust fund. Knowing these things is really important to having any kind of a plan together, or even on your own.

Making your balance sheet is straightforward — you are looking to comprehensively total up your assets and your liabilities (or debts). Making a simple spreadsheet that lists the things you own and the amounts you owe will not only give you a good snapshot of where you are, but it also makes planning much easier in the future. You’ll start next year’s check-in from last year’s balance sheet, and the updates can be incremental that way. Moreover, your balance sheet will greatly simplify things for your heirs in the event tragedy strikes.

Starting with this snapshot, I would then suggest building a plan for next year. It can be simple — what are the big sources of funds that will come in next year, and what are the big uses of funds next year? I like to project mine monthly — I know what my paycheck should be, and what my mortgage payment and other monthly recurring expenses will be. Then I can see what I’ll have left over after the basics for more optional expenses.

As you do these over time, you will get a good picture of the progress you are making toward whatever goals you have. Progress won’t be linear — you’ll have some good years and some less good years — but by knowing where you are, you’ll have a much better chance of knowing where you are going …

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Brad Briner is the treasurer of North Carolina.

The melting pot is boiling over

Our society’s foundation isn’t the government.

IN ONE SENSE, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are the foundation of the country’s government.

The Declaration laid out the principles we aspire toward. The Constitution established the three branches of government. It contains many brilliant mechanisms to check the government’s power. The Bill of Rights o ers another layer of protection.

But mere words — even some of the most brilliant and in uential words ever written — didn’t create America’s greatness. Americans did.

Imagine you could magically impose America’s system of government in Somalia, Afghanistan or the Gaza Strip. Same Declaration of Independence. Same Constitution. Same Bill of Rights. Would it turn those Third World nations into First World successes?

Of course not. Just look at the 260,000 people of Somali descent living in America. More than 100,000 of them live in Minnesota. In recent weeks, there have been numerous stories about how Somalis in Minnesota stole billions of dollars from the government. That led to millions of dollars going to Al-Shabaab, an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group.

In one scheme, Asha Farhan Hassan created Smart Therapy, which supposedly o ered services for children with autism. She and her partners recruited Somali parents and worked to get their children fake autism diagnoses. They used that to secure Medicaid funding. Hassan then cut the parents in on the scheme.

“Several larger families left Smart Therapy after being o ered larger kickbacks by other autism centers,” the U.S. Attorney’s O ce in Minnesota wrote in a release.

Importing Somalis to America didn’t give them American values. They brought their preexisting values to America and ripped o taxpayers for billions. They brought clan rivalries from Somalia along with them as well.

Afghanistan provides another example of this. After 9/11, the United States took over the country. We spent more than $130 billion there. That’s more than America spent rebuilding Western Europe with the Marshall Plan, according to The Washington Post. The United States

even held elections in Afghanistan. But as soon as former President Joe Biden decided to surrender, the country fell to the Taliban. Despite all the money and lives lost, we couldn’t export democracy to a society with a vastly di erent history and heritage.

These di erences were punctuated by an Afghan national allegedly murdering a National Guardsman in Washington, D.C., recently.

Even democracy isn’t a cure-all. In 2006, Gaza Strip residents elected Hamas to run the region. Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre initially boosted Hamas’ favorability ratings among Palestinians.

What the Founding Fathers understood — but many modern Americans don’t — is that our society’s foundation isn’t the government. It’s the shared values, culture and history that bind individuals into citizens of a nation. Those are the pillars that uphold the government.

This is why importing millions of people who have fundamentally di erent worldviews is a terrible idea — and not just in America. Look at England. Grooming gangs raped thousands of girls over decades. Most o cials ignored the problem because the rapists were largely from Pakistan. They feared being accused of racism.

Even immigrants who support Western civilization and have Judeo-Christian values need time to assimilate. People aren’t interchangeable units of economic activity. They have religious values, customs and worldviews. Our country has an interest in making sure new arrivals learn ours. Learning English should be nonnegotiable. Those living in the same country need to be able to communicate with each other. This makes it easier to build trust and cohesion.

As of June 2025, America had more than 50 million immigrants. More than 15% of the country’s population was born elsewhere. That includes a staggering 19% of the workforce.

It’s too much. At this point, the melting pot is boiling over.

Victor Joecks is a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and host of the “Sharpening Arrows” podcast.

COLUMN | BRAD BRINER

Trump proposes reducing fuel economy requirements to lower car prices

Next-generation cars could be somewhat cheaper as a result

By Matthew Daly and Alexa St. John The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump last Wednesday announced a proposal to weaken vehicle mileage rules for the auto industry, loosening regulatory pressure on automakers to control pollution from gasoline-powered cars and trucks.

The plan, if nalized next year, would signi cantly reduce fuel economy requirements, which set rules on how far new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of gasoline, through the 2031 model year. The administration and automakers say the rules will increase Americans’ access to the full range of gasoline vehicles they need and can a ord.

The National Highway Tra c Safety Administration projects that the new standards would set the industry eetwide average for light-duty vehicles at roughly 34.5 miles per gallon in the 2031 model year, down from a projected 50.4 miles per gallon in 2031 under the Biden-era rule.

The move is the latest action by the Trump administration to reverse Biden-era policies that encouraged cleaner-running cars and trucks, including electric vehicles, and it sparked criticism from environmental groups. Burning gasoline for vehicles is a major contributor to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

“From day one I’ve been taking action to make buying a car more a ordable.” Trump said at a White House event that included top executives from two of the largest U.S. automakers.

The rule reverses a Biden-era policy that “forced automakers to build cars using expensive technologies that drove up costs, drove up prices and made the car much worse,” Trump said.

Automakers applaud, environmentalists decry rule change

The action is expected to save consumers about $1,000 o the price of a new car, Trump said. New cars sold for an average of $49,766 in October, according to Kelley Blue Book.

Automakers applauded the planned changes, which came amid industry complaints that the Biden-era rules were dicult to meet.

Ford CEO Jim Farley said the planned rollback was “a win for customers and common sense.”

“As America’s largest auto producer, we appreciate President Trump’s leadership in aligning fuel economy stan-

dards with market realities. We can make real progress on carbon emissions and energy eciency while still giving customers choice and a ordability,” he said.

Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said the automaker appreciates the administration’s actions to “realign” the mileage standards “with real world market conditions.”

Since taking o ce in January, Trump has relaxed auto tailpipe emissions rules, repealed nes for automakers that do not meet federal mileage standards and terminated consumer credits of

up to $7,500 for EV purchases.

Environmentalists decried the rollback.

“In one stroke Trump is worsening three of our nation’s most vexing problems: the thirst for oil, high gas pump costs and global warming,” said Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Transport Campaign for the Center for Biological Diversity.

“Gutting the (gas-mileage) program will make cars burn more gas and American families burn more cash,’’ said Katherine García, director of the Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All program. “This

rollback would move the auto industry backwards, keeping polluting cars on our roads for years to come and threatening the health of millions of Americans, particularly children and the elderly.”

“People want the gasoline car”

Trump has repeatedly pledged to end what he calls an EV “mandate,” referring to Democratic President Joe Biden’s target that half of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030. EVs accounted for about 8% of new vehicle sales in the United States in 2024, according to Cox Automotive.

Trump called Democrats’ efforts to promote EVs “insane,” adding, “People want the gasoline car.”

No federal policy has required auto companies to sell EVs, although California and other states have imposed rules requiring that all new passenger vehicles sold in the state be zero-emission by 2035. Trump and congressional Republicans blocked the California law earlier this year.

Transportation Secretary Sean Du y urged his agency to reverse existing fuel economy requirements, known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, soon after taking o ce. In June, he said that standards set under Biden were illegal because they included use of electric vehicles in their calculation. EVs do not run on gasoline. After the June rule revision, the tra c safety

European Union moves ahead with toughening its migration system

Countries would be able to reject asylum requests for migrants from “safe countries”

By Sam McNeil The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — European Union o cials on Monday were nalizing a major overhaul of its migration system, including streamlined deportations and increased detentions, after years of erce debate on the issue has seen the rise of far-right political parties. Since a surge in asylum-seekers and other migrants to Europe a decade ago, public views on the issue have shifted. EU migration policies have hardened, and the number of asylum-seekers is down from record levels. Still, U.S. President Donald Trump in recent days issued sharp criticism of the 27-nation bloc’s migration policies as part of a national se -

curity strategy painting European allies as weak.

Ministers meeting in Brussels agreed to a “safe third country” concept and a list of safe countries of origin, Danish minister Rasmus Stoklund said. That means EU nations can deny residency and deport migrants because they either hail from a safe country or could apply for asylum in one outside the EU.

“We will be able to reject people that have no reason for asylum in Europe, and then it will be possible for us to make mechanisms and procedures that enable us to return them faster,” Stoklund said. “It should not be human smugglers that control the access to Europe.”

Ministers also agreed to the formation of a “solidarity pool” to share costs of hosting refugees among member nations. The pool is meant to collect 430 million euros to disburse to countries facing greater migratory pressure, in-

“It is important to give the people also the feeling back that we have control over what is happening.”

Magnus Brunner, EU commissioner for migration

cluding Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain in southern Europe. Hungary and Poland have long opposed any obligation for countries to host migrants or pay for their upkeep.

“It is important to give the people also the feeling back that we have control over what is happening,” said Magnus Brunner, the EU’s commissioner for migration.

The European Council will now negotiate with the 720 lawmakers at the European Parliament to accept or modi-

fy the migration policy changes. Right and far-right parties are largely uni ed in supporting the changes.

Amnesty International EU advocate on migration Olivia Sundberg Diez likened the EU’s migration changes to the Trump administration’s crackdown. She called on European lawmakers to block the new measures that “will in ict deep harm on migrants and the communities that welcome them.”

French Green lawmaker Mélissa Camara called the changes “a renunciation of our fundamental values and human rights.”

In May, EU nations endorsed sweeping reforms to the bloc’s asylum system, with the European Commission issuing the new Pact on Migration and Asylum. The pact, among other things, called for increasing deportations and setting up “ return hubs,” a euphemism for deportation centers for rejected asylum-seekers.

administration was empowered to update the requirements.

The new rules “are going to allow the automakers to make vehicles that Americans want to purchase, not vehicles that Joe Biden and (former Transportation Secretary Pete) Buttigieg want to build,” Du y said last Wednesday. Under Biden, automakers were required to average about 50 miles per gallon of gas for passenger cars by 2031, compared with about 39 miles per gallon today. The Biden administration also increased fuel-economy requirements by 2% each year for light-duty vehicles in every model year from 2027 to 2031, and 2% per year for SUVs and other light trucks from 2029 to 2031. At the same time, it called for stringent tailpipe rules meant to encourage EV adoption.

The 2024 standards would have saved 14 billion gallons of gasoline from being burned by 2050, according to the trafc safety administration’s 2024 calculations. Abandoning them means that in 2035, cars could produce 22,111 more tons of carbon dioxide per year than under the Biden-era rules. It also means an extra 90 tons a year of deadly soot particles and 4,870 additional tons a year of smog components such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds going into the air in coming years.

Mileage rules have been implemented since the 1970s energy crisis, and over time, automakers have gradually increased their vehicles’ average e ciency.

The EU wouldn’t set up or manage such “return hubs,” which could be in Europe or elsewhere, but would create the legal framework to allow states to negotiate with non-EU countries willing to take rejected asylum-seekers.

Nations like Austria and Denmark likely will seek partners to host such costly and legally murky centers, said Camille Le Coz, director of the Migration Policy Institute Europe think tank, pointing to the deal the Netherlands struck in September with Uganda to host refugees.

Such centers di er from the existing but so far ine ective deal signed by Italy with Albania to o shore the asylum processing of migrants rescued at sea. At the time, the contentious plan was applauded by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as an “out-of-the-box” solution to manage irregular migration, but courts in Italy have repeatedly blocked it.

Mainstream political parties hope the pact on migration resolves the issues that have divided EU nations since well over 1 million migrants swept into Europe in 2015, most of them eeing war in Syria and Iraq.

EVAN VUCCI / AP PHOTO

President Donald Trump speaks during an event on fuel economy standards in the Oval O ce of the White House last Wednesday.

EVAN VUCCI / AP PHOTO

Ford President Jim Farley speaks as President Donald Trump looks on, during an event on fuel economy standards in the Oval O ce of the White House last Wednesday.

Forsyth SPORTS

Just ask coaches: Every country in hardest group for upcoming World Cup

The tournament draw includes multiple groups of death

By Howard Fendrich

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — If you listened to the words spoken after the World Cup draw by the various coaches who were at the Kennedy Center, it would seem impossible for any of them to win next year’s tournament.

Everyone got thrown into the toughest group — or the “Group of Death,” in soccer parlance.

Everyone was burdened with talented foes for their rst three matches — even if a half-dozen participants are yet to be determined and the expanded eld means some lesser-quality teams will get in.

And everyone needs to avoid overlooking any other team and be ready for whatever is to come during the tournament from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico during the largest World Cup yet, the rst with 48 countries participating (there were 32 last time).

“We need to respect all of the opponents. It’s always going to be di cult,” said U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino, whose squad is in Group D and starts o against Paraguay on June 12, then also will face Australia and a still-undetermined playo quali er.

“My message to the players is: We need to compete better than Paraguay; that is going to be difcult. Australia is going to be di cult,” Pochettino said. “And the team that is going to join us is going to be di cult.”

Hmmm. Sense a theme?

There is some version of what is often referred to as “coach speak” under nearly every circumstance and in nearly every sport. Just pay attention to what the men in charge of NFL clubs say day after day during that sport’s season.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Laney Blevins

It’s the classic playbook: Build up opponents. Don’t let your players get complacent. Don’t let your fans — or the people who hired you and can re you — think success is guaranteed.

Didier Deschamps, a player on France’s championship team in 1998 and the coach of its title winners in 2018 and runners-up to Argentina in 2022, sounded as worried as anyone else.

Doesn’t matter that the French are considered one of the favorites — not merely to get out of the round-robin stage but also to once more appear in the nal.

“We know this is a very tough group,” Deschamps said Friday. “We cannot rest.”

His country was dropped into Group I alongside Senegal, Norway and a playo team (those won’t all be set until March).

A little later, Norway’s coach, Ståle Solbakken, for his part, praised the French team as “maybe the strongest in Europe,” and in the next breath — as though perhaps worried someone from another nation might take o ense — point-

ed out: “But there’s two other teams in the group.”

One of which won’t even be known for another three months.

Luis de la Fuente, who led Spain to the 2024 European Championship, nds his team among the World Cup favorites but insisted there is parity in the sport these days.

Spain’s Group H includes Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde.

“People think there are easy groups, but it is a very similar level,” the coach said. “This will be a historic World Cup because there’s an exceptional level all-round. These games force you to play at your best.”

Players can be just as liable to these sorts of pronouncements.

U.S. mid elder Tyler Adams, speaking to reporters on a video call Friday, said it plainly: “There’s no easy game in the World Cup.”

And then he pointed out that during the last World Cup, when the Americans were eliminated in the round of 16, their two hardest games came “against two of the lesser opponents.”

East Forsyth, volleyball

Laney Blevins is a senior on the East Forsyth volleyball team.

Blevins led the Central Piedmont 7A/8A conference in serving aces and was No. 10 in the state in class 7A. She was 11th in 7A in kills.

Laney was chosen for the North Carolina Volleyball Coaches Association All-Star Game, held last weekend. She has also signed with Boston College to continue playing volleyball at the next level.

Another must-watch moment for Jordan as NBA great testi es at NASCAR trial

By Jenna Fryer

The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — Michael Jordan has had a lifetime of big moments. His latest came on the witness stand in a federal courthouse.

The retired NBA great testi ed against NASCAR in an antitrust case he is pursuing against the stock car series on behalf of his race team, 23XI Racing, along with Front Row Motorsports. Both want to force NASCAR to change the way it does business with its teams, accusing it of monopolistic behavior.

“Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity,” the soft-spoken Jordan told the jury. “I felt I could challenge NASCAR as a whole.”

It was a di erent role for the 62-year-old Jordan, known best for the six NBA titles he won with the Chicago Bulls and his business interests in retirement, including his still relatively new role as a NASCAR team co-owner with three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin.

Dressed in a dark blue suit, Jordan slowly headed to the stand for the afternoon session, adjusted the seat for his 6-foot- 6 frame and settled in. Those in the packed courtroom hung on every word.

Jordan said he grew up a NASCAR fan, attending races at 11 or 12 with his family at tracks in Charlotte and Rockingham in his home state but also at Darlington in South Carolina and

the Talladega superspeedway in Alabama.

“We called it a weekend vacation,” he said. There were moments of levity on a dramatic day of testimony that also included Heather Gibbs, the daughter-in-law of team owner and NFL Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs. People were turned away from the courtroom and U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell couldn’t help but notice the high attendance in front of him as well as an over ow room nearby.

“I take it Mr. Jordan is the next witness,” Bell quipped. Outside the courthouse in downtown Charlotte, a crowd gathered for the rst time this week for a chance to see Jordan. One woman screamed “Oh my God, Mike! You are an icon, you the best, you the best to do it in the NBA!” Another claimed to have played golf and cards with Jordan acquaintances while asking Jordan to pose for a photo with his daughters.

Jordan said, “Man, it’s cold out here for you guys” before

complimenting the two girls on their Nike-branded hoodies.

A spectator held a sign that read “NASCAR Your Fans Deserve Better” and Hamlin turned to him and said, “You’re right” as they tried to make their way through the throng to a caravan of waiting SUVs. On the witness stand, Jordan noted he was an early fan of Richard Petty, like his dad. He later gravitated to Cale Yarborough, “the original No. 11. Sorry, Denny,” Jordan testi ed as Hamlin watched from the gallery.

“Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity.”

Michael Jordan

Jordan was asked to outline his career, noting his time with the Bulls and adding he remains a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets. Did he play anywhere else?

“I try to forget it but I did,” said Jordan, who played for the Washington Wizards in a mostly forgettable return to the NBA after his championship runs with the Bulls.

But Jordan spent most of his time making clear why he was in court suing the series he loves over the charters that guarantee teams revenue and access to Cup Series races. Among other things, the plainti s want the charters made permanent, which NASCAR has balked at.

“Look, we saw the economics wasn’t really bene cial to the teams,” Jordan testi ed, adding: “The thing I see in NASCAR that I think is absent is a shared responsibility of growth as well as loss.”

As the session wound down, defense attorney Lawrence Buterman noted the novelty of cross-examining an icon like Jordan, closing with the comment: “Thank you for making my 9-year-old think I’m cool today.”

“You’re not wearing any Jordans today,” Jordan replied. When he was dismissed from the stand, he said “whew” and made his way back to the seat in the front row he’s occupied all week.

CHRIS CARLSON / AP PHOTO

From left, FIFA Chief Tournament O cer Manolo Zubiri, Alexi Lalas, Ronaldo, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, host Andrés Cantor, Francesco Totti and Hristo Stoichkov discuss the match schedule reveal for the 2026 soccer World Cup in Washington.

The 23XI co-owner attracted attention by taking the stand

JENNA FRYER / AP PHOTO

Michael Jordan arrives in the Western District of North Carolina for the start of the antitrust trial between 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR in Charlotte.

SIDELINE REPORT

BOXING

Golovkin, Tarver, Benn elected to Boxing Hall of Fame

Gennadiy Golovkin, the power puncher who made a record-tying 20 consecutive middleweight title defenses, was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Former champions Antonio Tarver and Nigel Benn are the other headline names in the class that will be enshrined in the museum in Canastota, New York, on June 14, 2026. Golovkin was elected in his rst year on the ballot in voting by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and a panel of international boxing historians. The native of Kazakhstan went 42-2-1 with 37 KOs.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Vanderbilt serious about scheduling 13th game to bolster CFP chances

Nashville, Tenn.

Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea lobbied all week and o ered to add a 13th game to the schedule, “in the parking lot” if they had to, for one more shot at impressing the College Football Playo selection committee. He said Sunday the idea was no joke. His school’s chancellor and athletic director already were working behind the scenes trying to schedule a last-ditch e ort for Vanderbilt’s most successful football team in school history. Vanderbilt was one of multiple schools that were skipped over because of the CFP’s conference champion quali er rule.

NBA Paul’s return stint with Clippers over Los Angeles

Chris Paul’s return to the Los Angeles Clippers has ended abruptly. The team parted ways with him in a late-night meeting last Wednesday in Atlanta. Clippers basketball operations president Lawrence Frank announced the decision, which he made on Sunday. Frank denied rumors of a clash between Paul and coach Tyronn Lue, saying the decision had multiple layers. Paul announced the news on social media early last Wednesday. The Clippers, who were 5-16 before a win in Atlanta, are not blaming Paul for their performance.

NBA Former NBA champion, Clemson player Campbell dead at 57 Elden Campbell, a center who played 15 seasons in the NBA — including nine with the Los Angeles Lakers — and later won a championship with the Detroit Pistons, has died. He was 57. No cause was given. Campbell was born in Los Angeles and excelled at Morningside High before heading to Clemson. He was selected in the rst round of the 1990 NBA Draft by his hometown Lakers. He played nine seasons in Los Angeles, and won a championship ring in 2004 with the Pistons.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Multiplatinum rapper

Toosii committed to playing football at Syracuse

Rap artist Toosii is taking time o from his multiplatinum music career by going forward with his dream to pursue football after saying he has committed to Syracuse University. The 25-year-old made the announcement in a message on social media. Toosii was born Nau’Jour Grainger and grew up in Syracuse. He played receiver in high school, and began exploring his return to football this summer.

Nearly half the tickets for Milan Cortina Olympics still unsold with 2 months to go

Just over 850,000 of the 1.5 million tickets have been sold

By Andrew Dampf The Associated Press

ROME — Construction on the main hockey arena is still not nished. Spectator and media areas at the controversial sliding venue also need to be completed.

And with exactly two months to go to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, there is another major area that local organizers are concentrating on: only slightly more than half of the 1.5 million tickets for the games have been sold.

As the torch relay began in Rome on Saturday, just over 850,000 tickets had been sold.

While sales abroad are meeting expectations, interest among Italians remains low.

“That’s normal. The local fans get interested closer, and I think the beginning of the

torch relay will be a very important moment for people realizing that,” local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier told The Associated Press moments before the relay began.

A Black Friday promotion last week included three days of 20% discounts on tickets. And purchasers of both Olympics and Paralympics tickets have the chance to get lift passes for eight euros ($9) valid at every ski area in Lombardy between Dec. 9-22.

This week, more tickets for the Feb. 6 opening ceremony at the San Siro stadium and the men’s hockey gold medal game on Feb. 22 in Milan were put on sale.

“We had some tickets on the market a couple of days ago, and they were sold out in just a couple of hours,” Varnier said. “So there is interest.”

If past precedence is any indicator, the atmosphere was memorable at the 2006 Turin Winter Games — the last

Ex-SEC commissioner Kramer dead at 96

His ideas helped reshape college football

By Eddie Pells The Associated Press

PRETTY MUCH every debate over who should play for the national title, every argument about the staggering amounts of money, every tirade about how college football is nothing like what it used to be, traces back to a man who saw a lot of this coming, then made a lot of it happen — Roy Kramer.

Kramer, the onetime football coach who became an athletic director at Vanderbilt, then, eventually, commissioner of the Southeastern Conference where he set the template for the multibillion-dollar business college sports would become, died in Vonore, Tennessee, at 96.

The man who currently holds his former job, Greg Sankey, said Kramer “will be remembered for his resolve through challenging times, his willingness to innovate in an industry driven by tradition, and his unwavering belief in the value of student-athletes and education.”

Kramer helped transform his own conference from the home base for a regional pastime into the leader of a national movement during his tenure as commissioner from 1990 -2002.

It was during that time that he reshaped the entire sport of college football by dreaming up the precursor to today’s playo system — the Bowl Championship Series. “He elevated this league and

“By any standard, Roy’s in uence has been mind-boggling.”

Mike Tranghese, former Big East commissioner

set the foundation,” former Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said. “Every decision he made was what he thought would elevate the SEC. It’s the thing that stands out most when I remember him: his passion and love for this league.”

Kramer was the rst to imagine a conference title game, which divided his newly expanded 12-team league into divisions, then pitted the two champs in a winner-take-all a air that generated millions in TV revenue.

The winner of the SEC title game often had an inside track to Kramer’s greatest creation, the BCS, which pivoted college football away from its long-held tradition of determining a champion via media and coaches’ polls.

The system in place from 1998 through 2013 relied on computerized formulas to determine which two teams should play in the top bowl game for the title.

That system, vestiges of which are still around today, produced its predictable share of heated debate and frustration for a large segment of the sport’s fans. Kramer, in an interview when he retired in 2002, said the BCS had been “blamed for everything from El Nino to the terrorist attacks.”

“That’s normal. The local fans get interested closer”

Andrea Varnier, Local organizing committee CEO

time Italy hosted an Olympics. Still, organizers would have hoped for more demand after the last Winter Games in Beijing in 2022 were held mostly without fans because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Varnier pointed out that sales have been strong at the recently opened Milan Cortina store in front of the city’s cathedral, Piazza del Duomo.

“People are really going in and buying our merchandise, which is also a good sign,” he said.

As for the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena — the new, 16,000-seat venue on the outskirts of Milan — the scheduled test event for next week had

to be pushed back to January.

“We knew about the delays of the hockey arena, and we are working with it, but now we are following the right pace,” Varnier said. “It has to be ready.”

Next week, the secondary hockey venue that has been set up in the Rho Fiera convention center will be tested by hosting under-20 world championship games. These games will be held across a large swath of northern Italy, and athlete parades for the opening ceremony will also be held simultaneously in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Livigno and Predazzo besides Milan.

“It is quite an e ort, it’s the rst time ever,” Varnier said.

“It’s a very important message to have the athletes also staying in the mountain Villages to be able to participate in the ceremony. This was very well received by the NOCs (National Olympic Committees). … Also, the communities are very happy to have a piece of the ceremonies in their towns.”

But he didn’t apologize. The BCS got people talking about college football in a way they never had before, he said. And besides, was it so wrong to take a baby step toward the real tournament format that virtually every other major sport used?

A four-team playo replaced the BCS in 2014, and that was expanded to 12 teams starting last season. Before Kramer was named commissioner, the SEC was a mostly sleepy grouping of 10 teams headlined by Bear Bryant and Alabama whose provincial rivalries were punctuated by the Sugar Bowl every year where, often, the league’s best team would show what it could do against the guys up north. Kentucky was the basketball power. Not content with that role in the college landscape, one of Kramer’s rst moves was to bring Arkansas of the Southwestern Conference and independent South Carolina into the fold. That small expansion previewed a spasm of bigger reshu ings that continue to

overrun college sports some 35 years later.

Kramer sold the rights to televise his newly created league title game to ABC, then in 1996 added a deal with CBS worth a then-staggering sum of $100 million over ve years. A look at some numbers tells the story that Kramer saw before most people:

• In his rst year as commissioner, the SEC distributed $16.3 million to its member schools. In his last, in 2002, the amount rose to $95.7 million.

• In 2023-24, it was $808.4 million.

“By any standard,” former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said in 2002, “Roy’s in uence has been mind-boggling.” Archie Manning, the great Ole Miss quarterback who is now chair of the National Football Foundation, said Kramer’s “vision, integrity, and steady leadership helped shape college football into what we know today.”

DAVE MARTIN / AP PHOTO

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Roy Kramer talks with reporters during the opening session of the SEC football media days in 2000.

ANDREW MEDICHINI / AP PHOTO

the stream

Brad Pitt, ‘Spinal Tap II,’ lots of Taylor Swift

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” returns for season 2

The Associated Press

A SIX-EPISODE, behindthe-scenes Disney+ docuseries about Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Rian Johnson’s third “Knives Out” movie, “Wake Up Dead Man,” 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: Chip and Joanna Gaines take on a big job revamping a small home in the mountains of Colorado, video gamers can skateboard through hell in Sam Eng’s Skate Story, and Rob Reiner gets the band back together for “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.”

MOVIES TO STREAM

Johnson’s third “Knives Out” movie, “Wake Up Dead Man” arrives on Net ix on Friday. Religion is at the heart of this installment, which nds Daniel Craig’s dapper detective Benoit Blanc trying to solve the “locked room” murder of Josh Brolin’s Monsignor Je erson Wicks, a charismatic and terrifying church leader with a devoted set of followers. The large ensemble cast includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Andrew Scott, Jeremy Renner and Kerry Washington. Some were less than delighted by this outing, however. In his review for The Associated Press, Mark Kennedy called it, “a gloomy and clunky outing that may test fans’ faith in the lmmaker.”

Brad Pitt plays a washed-up driver looking for glory on the racetrack in the Formula One movie “F1,” streaming on Apple TV Friday. Filmmaker Joseph Kosinski wanted to make it feel as exciting and authentic as possible: In many scenes, it really is Pitt and Damson Idris driving those cars at 180 mph. Film Writer Jake Coyle wrote in his review that it’s “a ne-tuned machine of a movie that, in its most riveting racing scenes, approaches a kind of high-speed splendor.”

Reiner got the band back together for “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” which begins streaming on HBO Max on Friday. Was it a mistake to revisit the great 1984 mockumen-

“‘F1’ is a ne-tuned machine of a movie that, in its most riveting racing scenes, approaches a kind of high-speed splendor.”

tary, though? Mark Kennedy wrote in his review that, “Despite some great starry cameos — Paul McCartney’s is easily the best — ‘Spinal Tap II’ leans into the old favorite bits too needily and is su ocated by the constantly looming presence of death, a downer. The improv-based comedy is forced, and the laughs barely register. This is a movie only for die-hard Tappers.”

MUSIC TO STREAM

It is Swift’s world, and we’re just living in it. Prepare yourself for two new projects at Disney+. That’s a six-episode, behind-the-scenes docuseries about her landmark “Eras Tour” titled “Taylor Swift ‘The Eras Tour’ The End of an Era” — the rst two episodes will premiere Friday. And that is not to be confused with the second, titled “Taylor Swift ‘The Eras Tour’ The Final Show,” a concert lm now with the inclusion of

“The Tortured Poets Department” section. The 2024 album was incorporated into her three-and-a-half-hour performance following its release. It was lmed in Vancouver. (That di ers from 2023’s “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” lm, which was compiled from several Swift shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, a suburb of Los Angeles, and arrived ahead of “The Tortured Poets Department.”) Swifties, rise! It has been a big year for col-

laborative rap records (looking at you, Clipse) and that continues into 2025’s 11th hour with “Light-Years,” a new release from rapper Nas and record producer DJ Premier. They’re greats for a reason. The Grammy-award winning producer, DJ and electronic musician Fred Again will release the next iteration of his USB series, the 16-track “USB002,” on Friday. Expect the unexpected: The rst song released from the collection is “you’re a

star,” which features Australian punky-pop band Amyl and The Sni ers. The club sounds a little di erent this time around.

SERIES TO STREAM

Chip and Joanna Gaines have long said they would not do any xer uppers outside of central Texas. Until now. The couple has taken on a big job revamping a small 1960s home in the mountains of Colorado. “Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House” is now streaming on HBO Max and Discovery+. Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, returns to TV with Season 2 of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” The series, starring Walker Scobell in the title role, adapts “The Sea of Monsters,” the second novel in a book series by Rick Riordan. The two-hour season premiere is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

He helped to launch “American Idol” and created “America’s Got Talent” and the group One Direction. Now, cameras follow Simon Cowell as he seeks to form a new boy band in “Simon Cowell: The Next Act.” The docuseries, out now, is about both his search and Cowell himself. He prides himself on discovering an “it” factor. “When you’re putting a band together, it’s like mining for diamonds,” he said in the trailer. “If this goes wrong, it will be ‘Simon Cowell has lost it.’”

Diane Kruger stars in a new drama for Paramount+ called “Little Disasters” as Jess, a mother who takes her son to the hospital for a head injury. The doctor, who is also a friend, becomes suspicious of Jess’ description of what happened and calls the authorities. It’s based on a novel of the same name. All six-episodes drop Thursday.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

I’ve skateboarded all over the world in various video games, but one location remains untouched by my deck: hell. Solo designer Sam Eng aims to correct that omission with Skate Story. You are a skateboarder made of glass in an underworld lled with demons who can only be defeated by unleashing your gnarliest tricks. The only way to escape is to swallow the moon. If you love classics like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater but wish they were more hallucinatory, this might be the ride for you. Kick o now on PlayStation 5, Switch 2 or PC.

JOHN WILSON / NETFLIX VIA AP

Josh O’Connor, left, and Daniel Craig star in “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.”

RICHARD SHOTWELL / INVISION / AP PHOTO

“Simon Cowell: The Next Act,” a new docuseries about the “America’s Got Talent” creator, is now streaming on Net ix.

LUCA BRUNO / AP PHOTO

Brad Pitt walks in the paddock at the Silverstone racetrack in Silverstone, England, in 2024. His lm “F1” premieres Friday on Apple TV+.

Jake Coyle, AP Film Writer

STATE & NATION

Tennessee special election for House seat shows power of partisan gerrymandering

More states are reworking their congressional maps for political gain

By Jonathan Mattise and David A. Lieb The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As a leader of the College Democrats at Vanderbilt University, Luci Wingo knew the odds of a Democrat winning one of Nashville’s three U.S. House seats weren’t great. Yet her hope grew as the party mounted an aggressive campaign for its candidate, Aftyn Behn, in a special election to replace a Republican who had resigned.

In the end, high Democratic enthusiasm and millions of dollars in spending weren’t enough.

Republican Matt Van Epps won last Tuesday’s vote by 9 percentage points — a closer margin than the district’s last election, yet still a victory for the GOP that seemed all but certain based on how the district was drawn. Republicans had split the uni ed Democratic stronghold of Nashville into three GOP-leaning districts after the last census.

As states wage a mid-decade redistricting battle initiated by President Donald Trump, Tennessee’s special election illustrates the power of manipulative mapmaking and provides a window into what lies ahead in the states that are rushing to redraw their congressional maps for next year’s midterm elections.

Such gerrymandering can help parties in power maintain and even expand their majorities, but it’s also a source of frustration and anger for voters in the minority party who lose the chance to be represented by someone of their choice.

“It’s a hard battle to ght because it’s so intentional, it’s so in your face — and it’s hard to not just want to get frustrated and kind of give up,” said Wingo, a college sophomore who grew up in Nashville.

She said she’s become accustomed to what she called “purposeful pessimism.”

“We don’t try to get our hopes up too much because we kind of know the outcomes,” she said, adding that Behn’s campaign nevertheless created a surge of enthusiasm among local Democrats.

For Republicans, Nashville gerrymander worked

Nashville had been represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper for 20 years when the Republican-controlled state General Assembly decided in 2022 to use the latest census data to carve up the city in a quest to ip his seat to Republicans.

Some parts of Nashville were placed in two sprawling rural districts to the east and west, both represented by Republicans. The portion retaining

Cooper’s district number was redrawn to twist southward into another rural Republican-leaning area.

Cooper, a moderate-leaning lawmaker, decided not to seek reelection that year, and Republicans won all three seats by comfortable margins.

Republicans carried all three districts again last year. They won by 17 percentage points in Cooper’s former 5th District, by nearly 22 points in the westward 7th District — which includes downtown Nashville, well-known historically black areas and major universities — and by 36 points in the eastward 6th District.

Van Epps’ special election victory this week in the 7th Congressional District was close enough to encourage Democrats looking for momentum ahead of next year’s midterms. But it also showcased how the district remains reliably Republican thanks

“We don’t try to get our hopes up too much, because we kind of know the outcomes.”

Luci Wingo, College Democrats at Vanderbilt University

to the recent redrawing of its boundaries.

“In this case, gerrymandering worked,” said John McGlennon, a longtime professor of government at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. “But it may be at the price of seats in other places in Tennessee and around the country.”

Kevin Mittelmeier, who says he’s in the political middle, cast his ballot for Behn. He said voters’ voices won’t have much meaning as long as the districts remain the same.

“I can just see from the out-

side looking in, unbiased, it’s actually frustrating how it’s being controlled, and how it’s being dealt with, and how people of Nashville’s opinions really are taken away,” he said.

For some voters, the split-up districts remain confusing.

Maggie Tekeli brought three young children to the polls planning to vote for Behn, only to learn her Nashville home wasn’t in the 7th District.

“It’s just discouraging from a democratic process standpoint,” she said.

Gerrymandering spreading in states

What Republican mapmakers did to Nashville, they now are looking to replicate in other states as Trump pushes for mid-decade redistricting, which he hopes will lead to his party maintaining its majority in the U.S. House next year.

In Texas, the rst to answer Trump’s call, Republican lawmakers redrew congressional district boundaries in Dallas, Fort Worth and their suburbs to extend a Democratic seat into a Republican region far outside the metro area.

In Missouri, Republican ocials approved a new U.S. House map that shaves o portions of a Democratic-held seat in Kansas City into two rural Republican-held districts and stretches the remainder of the seat eastward into another predominantly Republican area.

O cials in North Carolina and Ohio also approved new U.S. House maps intended to boost Republican chances of winning additional seats.

Democrats countered with their own gerrymandering in California. Voters in November approved a new Democratic-drawn congressional map that merges farming

and ranching areas favoring Republicans with some of the state’s wealthiest and most liberal coastal communities.

Some residents in each of those states expressed concern about being adequately represented under the new districts. But that didn’t deter the politicians from drawing the maps because the stakes are so high.

Democrats need a net gain of just three seats in next year’s midterms to win control of the U.S. House and break a Republican grip on power that has enabled Trump to advance his agenda.

Indianapolis could become another Nashville

The splintering of Nashville from one Democratic congressional district into three that favor Republicans is a mirror of what’s being debated by Republicans in Indiana, which could be the next state to act on partisan redistricting.

Republicans currently hold seven of the state’s nine U.S. House seats. But a proposal in the Republican-led state General Assembly would give the GOP a shot at winning all nine seats.

Under the plan, a congressional district for the state’s largest city, Indianapolis, would be split up and grafted onto four Republican-leaning districts. The district has been represented for the past 17 years by Democratic Rep. André Carson, the state’s lone black member of Congress.

His district would be stretched southeast to the border with Kentucky and Ohio, combining residents of the state’s largest city with those in its least populated county. Another district would span westward to the Illinois border.

During a public hearing this week, Democratic state Rep. Robin Shackleford warned colleagues that the redrawn congressional districts would “be crippling” for her Indianapolis constituents.

“These maps crack apart historic black neighborhoods, weakening our voting power and silencing the voices of the very people who are already ghting the hardest for economic stability, safer streets, better schools and access to affordable health care,” she said.

Yet the revised districts, if approved, appear likely to accomplish their purpose of boosting Republican representation in Congress.

Laura Merri eld Wilson, a political scientist at the University of Indianapolis, said she had no doubt that there will be enough Republicans in the newly drawn congressional districts to overwhelm the Democratic vote in future elections.

But she added: “When you’re connecting some of Indianapolis to some of those very rural areas, both groups are ultimately going to lose out.”

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO

Congressional candidate state Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) speaks during a campaign event in the special election for the seventh district, last month in Franklin, Tennessee.

JOHN AMIS / AP PHOTO

Republican candidate Matt Van Epps waves to supporters at a watch party after announcing victory in a special election for the U.S. 7th congressional district, last Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee.

Randolph record

Double teamed

Chatham Charter sophomore Breylan Harris (10) puts up a shot over a pair of Wheatmore defenders as the Knights topped the Warriors 63-51 on Friday. For more sports, turn to B1.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Supreme Court questions limits on political spending in≈federal elections

Washington, D.C. Conservative Supreme Court justices appeared to back a Republicanled drive, supported by President Donald Trump’s administration, to overturn a quarter-century- old decision and erase limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president. A day after the justices indicated they would overturn a 90-year- old decision limiting the president’s power to re independent agency heads, the court on Tuesday took up a 2001 decision that upheld a provision of federal election law that is more than 50 years old. The Republican committees for House and Senate candidates led the lawsuit in Ohio in 2022.

New Asheboro city council, mayor sworn in

It’s the rst time Asheboro has had a new mayor in 16 years

By Ryan Henkel Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The Asheboro City Council has a new look.

At the council’s Dec. 4 meeting, the new council members and mayor were all sworn into their respective elected o ces.

After 16 years, the city elected a new mayor as council member Joey Trogdon won election to hold the seat of former mayor David Smith, who decided not to run for reelection.

“Thank you to everybody for being here,” Trogdon said.

“Everyone of these folks in the room that have held ofce know what kind of journey we’ve all been on here. It’s a

hard job, and everybody knows that they can’t do it by themselves. Now, let’s get to work.”

In addition, council member Eddie Burks was unanimously elected as the new mayor pro tem. He lost to Trogdon in a bid to become mayor.

“I’ve been up here for 18 years now, and no matter who’s been sitting at these seats, we’ve always had a good team, and that’s the most important thing,” Burks said. “We will continue to work together as a team, and this city is going to continue to prosper.”

Alongside that, incumbent Kelly Heath and newly elected Phillip Cheek, Mary Joan Pugh and Phillip Skeen were all sworn into their seats on the council.

The council also recognized the four outgoing members, including Smith and council members Walker Mo tt, Clark Bell and Bill McCaskill.

“It’s

a hard job and everybody knows that they can’t do it by themselves.”

Joey Trogdon, Asheboro mayor

Smith had served as the Asheboro mayor since 2009 and before that spent an additional 12 years on the council.

“I just want to say thank you,” said an extremely emotional Smith. “Twenty-eight years, it’s been an honor and a privilege.”

Mo tt has served on the council since 2005 and previously served as the most recent mayor pro tem.

“It’s been an honor to serve with each and everyone here and councils in the past,” Mo tt said. “It’s an honor, a

Holiday concerts set for Asheboro

The city’s recreation department has scheduled special performances for the theatre

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

$2.00

ASHEBORO — The City of Asheboro has made arrangements for a pair of special holiday programs at Sunset Theatre. The rst of those is set for 7 p.m. Saturday with the “A Rat Pack Christmas!” It’s a tribute to Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy

Davis Jr. The group “Rat Pack Now” tours the country to hold events. The group consists of Art Poco as Martin, Ben Bagby as Davis and Bob Hoose as Sinatra. Tickets are $25.

Asheboro’s Cultural and Recreation Services is also bringing “A Bluegrass Christmas” to the theatre. That is scheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 19, with tickets at $10.

It is part of the theatre’s recurring Friday Night Bluegrass program held on the third Friday of every month. Usually, the program features one band. But this holiday version will have multiple acts, including True Grass, the McCarthur Family, Brandon Shepherd, Alana Creek and other guests.

Asheboro’s Christmas tree The city’s o cial Christmas tree stands 22 feet tall and is at 200 Sunset Ave., adjacent to the railroad tracks. The tree is a

humbling experience. I’ve often said it’s not about power and control, it’s about service and how you can serve.” Bell has served on the council for 16 years, rst being elected back in 2009.

“It’s been my honor and privilege to serve,” Bell said. “It was sort of di cult for me to make this decision, but I gured 16 years was long enough, and I think we’re in good hands going forward.”

In addition, council member McCaskill was also presented with the key to the city for his lifelong service to the city.

On top of serving as a council member, McCaskill spent 32 years working as a front-line child welfare worker and social worker supervisor at the Randolph County Social Services.

“It’s been a pleasure serving on the city council,” McCaskill said. “I’ve enjoyed it, and it’s been an honor. I’ve speci cally liked working with all my fellow council people and also working with city sta . I wish the new city council good luck. You have a big job ahead, and I look forward to seeing how you do.”

The Asheboro City Council will next meet Jan. 8.

Norway Spruce from Mistletoe Meadows in Laurel Springs.

The annual tree lighting ceremony was held Nov. 29. City o cials said work crews put up holiday decorations.

Seagrove open houses

The Seagrove Potters set up the annual holiday open houses, which are self-guided tours.

Those are held Saturdays and select Sundays in December prior to Christmas. Seagrove Potters announced that members have prepared special work for this month to coincide with the holidays. The times might vary based on the individual studios.

THE RANDOLPH COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

THURSDAY 12.11.25

Two county locations selected for grants

The businesses in buildings in Asheboro and Ramseur should create more

Randolph Record sta

TWO SITES IN Randolph County will bene t from approval for grants from the Rural Infrastructure Authority.

Among 15 total grants awarded, Asheboro and Ramseur locations were selected.

The City of Asheboro has been awarded a $500,000 grant to assist in renovation of a building to be occupied by Environmental Air Systems, which

recently announced an expansion to Asheboro in a former Klaussner Furniture location. EAS is based in High Point. Last month’s expansion announcement revealed that EAS has committed to bringing up to 300 jobs as part of the project. At the time, the grant was pending approval.

Town of Ramseur will receive a $175,000 grant to support the reuse of a building.

Earth Retention Industries, Inc., a civil engineering rm, will occupy the building in this company expansion, which is expected to create 21 jobs.

Both of the Randolph County locations selected were un-

der the category of “vacant building” category.

The RIA is supported by the rural economic development team at the North Carolina Department of Commerce. RIA members review and approve funding requests from local communities, according to information from the governor’s o ce.

The Building Reuse Program provides grants to local governments to renovate vacant buildings, renovate and/or expand buildings occupied by existing North Carolina companies, and renovate, expand or construct health care facilities that will lead to the creation of new jobs in Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties, as well as in rural census tracts of Tier 3 counties.

In the region, grants were also designated to Rowan County and the City of Albemarle in Stanly County under the “rural health building” category.

Student dies after stabbing at Winston-Salem high school

The incident at North Forsyth High School left one dead and another injured

The Associated Press

WINSTON-SALEM — A stabbing at a central North Carolina high school Tuesday left one student dead and another injured, authorities said.

Forsyth County Sheri Bobby Kimbrough said o cers at North Forsyth High School in Winston-Salem sought assistance shortly after 11 a.m.

“We responded to an altercation between two students,” Kimbrough said at a news conference, adding that “there was a loss of life.”

THURSDAY DEC. 11

FRIDAY DEC. 12

SATURDAY DEC. 13

SUNDAY DEC. 14

MONDAY DEC. 15

TUESDAY DEC. 16

WEDNESDAY

In an email to families and sta , Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools superintendent Don Phipps said one student died and another was injured. Kimbrough said he wouldn’t take questions at the news conference, citing the ongoing investigation. Sheri ’s o ce spokesperson Krista Karcher said later that a stabbing had occurred and that the injured person was treated at a hospital and released.

No information about potential charges was discussed

CRIME LOG

Dec. 1

• Brad Prevatt, 48, of Trinity, was arrested by RCSO for failure to report new address as a sex o ender and failure to register as a sex o ender.

• Crystal Smith, 35, of Seagrove, was arrested by RCSO for possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

Dec. 2

• Andrea Brown, 33, of Candor, was arrested by Asheboro PD for malicious conduct by prisoner, assault on government o cial and resisting a public o cer.

• Justin Goforth, 30, of Star, was arrested by RCSO for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Derrick Ingram, 56, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for disorderly conduct and assault on an individual with disability.

at the news conference. Kimbrough said in a video posted later on social media that there was no threat to the community.

“There are no suspects that we’re looking for,” he said. “We have that part of the investigation under control.”

Gov. Josh Stein, in a message on the social media platform X, called what happened “shocking and horrible” and said he was praying for all

• Tristan McRae, 40, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession of methamphetamine, obstructing justice, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

Dec. 3

• Ballard Anderson, 35, of Randleman, was arrested by RCSO for failure to register as a sex o ender.

• Thomas Freeman, 67, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for assault by pointing a gun and communicating threats.

• Timothy Hill, 32, of Thomasville, was arrested by RCSO for felony larceny of motor vehicle, possession of stolen motor vehicle, rst-degree trespassing and injury to real property.

Dec. 4

• Nicholas Blackwell, 23, of Trinity, was arrested by RCSO for misdemeanor breaking and entering, injury to real property and possession of stolen motor vehicle.

students and their loved ones.

Phipps, who started in his post just last week, said at the news conference that it was the “worst nightmare of any educator. We hurt when our students hurt, and this is the ultimate hurt that we can possibly feel.”

North Forsyth High School will be closed Wednesday, he said, and a crisis team will be in place for sta and when students return.

• Melissa Hamm, 30, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for possession of methamphetamine, felony possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Eloir Rodriguez-Jimenez, 44, was arrested by RCSO for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Kirsten Seal, 35, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for felony possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Ryan Shipwash, 39, of Lexington, was arrested by RCSO for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of controlled substance on prison/jail premises.

• Antuan Tanner, 51, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for breaking and entering motor vehicle, breaking and entering motor vehicle with theft and felony possession of stolen property.

Randolph Guide

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

Dec. 11

Mighty Grand Finale: Arts, Entertainment and Culture Event 1-10 p.m.

A full day of concerts, comedy, fashion and art. General admission is $15; VIP admission is $75.

Sunset Theatre 234 Sunset Ave. Asheboro

Dec. 12

Christmas on Sunset 6-9 p.m.

Experience a nostalgic downtown Christmas complete with musical performances, a live nativity scene and appearances by seasonal characters, including Santa and Mrs. Claus, the elves, reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and more. Carriage and wagon rides through Bicentennial Park will be available, along with hot beverages and cookies.

Downtown Asheboro

Dec. 13

The Rat Pack Now Tribute Show

7 p.m.

Take a trip back in time with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. via the interpretations of the Rat Pack at its peak. Tickets are $25 and available online through the theatre.

Sunset Theatre 234 Sunset Ave. Asheboro

Ramseur Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting

5 p.m.

Annual town tree lighting and Christmas parade. Holiday photo opportunities and an appearance by Santa on a re engine.

1515 Main St. Now through Dec. 21

Kersey Valley Christmas

5:30-9 p.m.

One of the biggest light shows of the season, and there are ample opportunities for holiday shopping, eating favorite snacks and sweets of the season, and a chance to see Santa at work with his elves. This family-friendly event has rides and games for children. Call 336-431-1700 for tickets and details.

1615 Kersey Valley Road Archdale

ALLISON LEE ISLEY / THE WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL VIA AP Winston-Salem Police o cers and Forsyth County Sheri ’s deputies block the gate leading to North Forsyth High School after a fatal stabbing Tuesday in Winston-Salem.

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

Financial health boils down to good habits being the central theme

“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”

Yogi Berra

THERE AREN’T MANY situations in life to which a good Yogi Berra quote doesn’t apply. As we head into the holiday season and 2026, it’s a great time to check in on where you are and where you are going.

Financial health boils down to good habits being the central theme. One other habit that is relevant to nancial literacy and health is the annual checkup. Just like going to the doctor each year, there are sources of potential dread in a nancial checkup — do I really want to know? Can it have gotten better with another year of age? It sure is easier to ignore problems! So just like your annual physical, if you don’t already take an annual snapshot of your nancial picture, nd some time over the holidays to do that. What that entails is up to you, but at a basic level I would suggest building your own “balance sheet” and potentially a cash ow plan for next year.

When my wife and I were planning our wedding, one of the traditions in the Catholic Church is pre-cana classes. These classes go through many of the logical issues that you would imagine the church would focus on, but they also covered the basics of a nancial plan. As we went through the session on this, it was amazing to me how many other engaged couples had no clue that their future spouse had massive credit card debts, or, in one case, that they were the bene ciary of a large trust fund. Knowing these things is really important to having any kind of a plan together, or even on your own.

Making your balance sheet is straightforward — you are looking to comprehensively total up your assets and your liabilities (or debts). Making a simple spreadsheet that lists the things you own and the amounts you owe will not only give you a good snapshot of where you are, but it also makes planning much easier in the future. You’ll start next year’s check-in from last year’s balance sheet, and the updates can be incremental that way. Moreover, your balance sheet will greatly simplify things for your heirs in the event tragedy strikes.

Starting with this snapshot, I would then suggest building a plan for next year. It can be simple — what are the big sources of funds that will come in next year, and what are the big uses of funds next year? I like to project mine monthly — I know what my paycheck should be, and what my mortgage payment and other monthly recurring expenses will be. Then I can see what I’ll have left over after the basics for more optional expenses.

As you do these over time, you will get a good picture of the progress you are making toward whatever goals you have. Progress won’t be linear — you’ll have some good years and some less good years — but by knowing where you are, you’ll have a much better chance of knowing where you are going …

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Brad Briner is the treasurer of North Carolina.

The melting pot is boiling over

Our society’s foundation isn’t the government.

IN ONE SENSE, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are the foundation of the country’s government. The Declaration laid out the principles we aspire toward. The Constitution established the three branches of government. It contains many brilliant mechanisms to check the government’s power. The Bill of Rights o ers another layer of protection.

But mere words — even some of the most brilliant and in uential words ever written — didn’t create America’s greatness. Americans did.

Imagine you could magically impose America’s system of government in Somalia, Afghanistan or the Gaza Strip. Same Declaration of Independence. Same Constitution. Same Bill of Rights. Would it turn those Third World nations into First World successes?

Of course not. Just look at the 260,000 people of Somali descent living in America. More than 100,000 of them live in Minnesota. In recent weeks, there have been numerous stories about how Somalis in Minnesota stole billions of dollars from the government. That led to millions of dollars going to Al-Shabaab, an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group.

In one scheme, Asha Farhan Hassan created Smart Therapy, which supposedly o ered services for children with autism. She and her partners recruited Somali parents and worked to get their children fake autism diagnoses. They used that to secure Medicaid funding. Hassan then cut the parents in on the scheme.

“Several larger families left Smart Therapy after being o ered larger kickbacks by other autism centers,” the U.S. Attorney’s O ce in Minnesota wrote in a release.

Importing Somalis to America didn’t give them American values. They brought their preexisting values to America and ripped o taxpayers for billions. They brought clan rivalries from Somalia along with them as well.

Afghanistan provides another example of this. After 9/11, the United States took over the country. We spent more than $130 billion there. That’s more than America spent rebuilding Western Europe with the Marshall Plan, according to The Washington Post. The United States

even held elections in Afghanistan. But as soon as former President Joe Biden decided to surrender, the country fell to the Taliban. Despite all the money and lives lost, we couldn’t export democracy to a society with a vastly di erent history and heritage.

These di erences were punctuated by an Afghan national allegedly murdering a National Guardsman in Washington, D.C., recently.

Even democracy isn’t a cure-all. In 2006, Gaza Strip residents elected Hamas to run the region. Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre initially boosted Hamas’ favorability ratings among Palestinians.

What the Founding Fathers understood — but many modern Americans don’t — is that our society’s foundation isn’t the government. It’s the shared values, culture and history that bind individuals into citizens of a nation. Those are the pillars that uphold the government.

This is why importing millions of people who have fundamentally di erent worldviews is a terrible idea — and not just in America. Look at England. Grooming gangs raped thousands of girls over decades. Most o cials ignored the problem because the rapists were largely from Pakistan. They feared being accused of racism.

Even immigrants who support Western civilization and have Judeo-Christian values need time to assimilate. People aren’t interchangeable units of economic activity. They have religious values, customs and worldviews. Our country has an interest in making sure new arrivals learn ours. Learning English should be nonnegotiable. Those living in the same country need to be able to communicate with each other. This makes it easier to build trust and cohesion.

As of June 2025, America had more than 50 million immigrants. More than 15% of the country’s population was born elsewhere. That includes a staggering 19% of the workforce.

It’s too much. At this point, the melting pot is boiling over.

Victor Joecks is a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and host of the “Sharpening Arrows” podcast.

COLUMN | BRAD BRINER

Karen Reynolds Bradford

Aug. 2, 1966 – Dec. 1, 2025

Karen Ann Reynolds Bradford, 59, of Asheboro, died Monday, December 1, 2025, at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro.

The family will receive friends from 2-4 p.m., Saturday, December 13, 2025, with a small informal service at 3:00 p.m. at Ridge Funeral Home.

Karen was born on August 2, 1966, in Polk County, FL. Karen graduated from the Art Institute of Ft Lauderdale, earning an associate’s degree in art. She had a career spanning over 20 years working in orthopedics and sports medicine. She loved her family, especially her grandchildren. Karen had a big, loving heart, being a grandmother for not just her grandchildren, but for others as well. She loved art, painting, reading, shopping, going to concerts, and traveling with family and friends. She will be remembered for her kind, giving and sel ess personality and always helping anybody in need. As a last act of sel essness, Karen made the generous gift of life by being an organ donor.

Karen was preceded in death by her father, Frederick Allan Reynolds.

She is survived by her husband, Kenny Bradford of the home; daughter, Amanda Bradford Davis and husband Je of Asheboro; mother, Linda Roger Reynolds of Asheboro; sisters, Sherry Reynolds and husband Jimmy Wolf, Kelly Reynolds all of Asheboro; grandchildren, Beau Reaves, Darci Davis, Olyvia Davis, Sophia Davis; nephew, Joshua Reynolds; nieces, Skylar Reinoehl Nance, Jaclyn Cecil, Allison Morris; great nieces, Dixie Reynolds, Melody Reynolds, Simone Margaux Nance; uncle, John P. Rogers and wife Paulette; cousin, Katherine Rogers Nicholas; mother-inlaw, Angie Bradford; sister-inlaw, Janet Hawes (Danny); and brother-in-law, Eric Bradford. Memorials may be made to Happy Hills Animal Foundation Inc., 3143 Happy Hills Drive, Staley, NC 27355; or to Randolph SPCA, 300 W. Bailey Street, Asheboro, NC 27203.

Hilda Cole Graham

Jan. 31, 1940 – Dec. 2, 2025

Hilda Raye Cole Graham, age 85 of Asheboro, passed away on December 2, 2025, at her home. Mrs. Graham was born in Randolph County on January 31, 1940, to Rexie Delbert and Rosa Harper Cole and was a 1958 graduate of Asheboro High School. In December 1959, Hilda married the love of her life, Timothy Allen Graham. He preceded her in death in 2020. Hilda was employed in the hosiery industry for 45 plus years, retiring from Elastic Therapy. She was a member of First Assembly Church for many years. In addition to her parents and her husband, Hilda was preceded in death by her sisters, Faye Luther and Jenette Cole, and brothers, Donald Cole and RD Cole. Hilda loved traveling, cooking, shopping, and attending Gospel singings. Most of all, Hilda loved her family and having family gatherings at home and at the lake.

She is survived by her daughter, Dawn Cox (Herbert) of Asheboro; son, Timothy Tex Graham of Denton; grandchildren, Samuel John Bremer IV, Alexandra Meagan Graham, Eli Tex Graham, Ethan Boone Graham, and Brandon Cox (Allison); great grandchildren, Samuel John Bremer V, Sophie Cox, Logan Cox, and Scarlett Cox; brother, Howard “Buddy” Amick (Karen) of Asheboro; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A special thank you to Hilda’s sisters-in-law, Roxanne and Susie, to whom she was very close and were by her side to the end.

The family would like to express a special thank you to her caregivers, Chasity, Kim, Moriah, and Gracie, whom she loved very dearly.

The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to the entire sta of Hospice of Randolph County, especially Allie and Ti any, for the wonderful care and compassion shown to Hilda.

The family will receive friends on Sunday, December 7, 2025, from 1-1:50 p.m. at Farmer Missionary Baptist Church, 4566 Dunbar Bridge Road in Asheboro. Funeral services will follow on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the church with Rev. Daniel Delaney o ciating. Burial will be held at the church cemetery.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Randolph Record at obits@ randolphrecord.com

Earl Leon Williams

June 20, 1967 – Dec. 4, 2025

Earl Leon Williams, 58, of Carthage, passed away on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at his home. No services are planned at this time. Earl was born on June 20, 1967, to Harold and Catherine Brewer Williams. He was selfemployed as a carpenter. He enjoyed shing, watching football and hanging out with his friends and family. He loved the outdoors and life in general. He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents. Earl is survived by his brother, Randy Lee Williams, of Carthage and a host of family and friends.

Deloris “Lois” Sharp Dorman

March 16, 1937 – Dec. 6, 2025

Deloris “Lois” Ann Sharp Dorman, 88, of Asheboro, died Saturday, December 6, 2025, at Randolph Health in Asheboro.

A funeral service will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Thursday, December 11, 2025, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, with Pastor Marc Myers o ciating. Burial will follow at Randolph Memorial Park.

Lois was born on March 16, 1937, in Guilford County, the daughter of the late Alfred Winfred Sharp and Myrtle Simmons Sharp. She was a member of Grace Baptist Temple. Lois enjoyed watching her soap operas and watching over her grandchildren and other kids. Everyone knew her as “Grandma”.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John Dorman; grandchildren, Dina Seay, Matthew Albright; ve sisters and four brothers.

Lois is survived by her daughters, Donna Seay of Asheboro, and Marie Albright and husband Randall of Asheboro; her grandchild, Troy Seay; and her great-grandchild, Mason Seay.

The family will receive friends from 12:45-1:45 p.m., on Thursday, at Ridge Funeral Home prior to the service.

Memorials may be made to Grace Baptist Temple, P.O. Box 467, Seagrove, NC 27341.

Albert Worth “Junior” Cook

Jan. 2, 1948 – Dec. 5, 2025

Albert Worth “Junior” Cook, 77, of Randleman, passed away Friday, December 5, 2025, at his residence.

Funeral Services will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at Whites Memorial Baptist Church of Franklinville.

Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m., on Tuesday, at Lo in Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Ramseur.

O ciating, Rev. Pete Lamb and Rev. Je Joyce.

Burial, Whites Memorial Baptist Church, Franklinville.

Junior was a native and lifelong resident of Randolph County, born January 2, 1948. He was a 1966 graduate of Grays Chapel High School and was a proud veteran of the US Army. Junior was a retired driver for UPS with 30 years of service. In his free time, Junior enjoyed buying and collecting old cars and spending time with his family. He was a generous giftgiver to his family and friends and will be deeply missed. He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert L. and Eula Mae Allred Cook.

Survivors: wife of 60 years, Brenda Lamb Cook, of the home, son, Travis Cook, and wife, Donna, of Randleman, grandchildren, Jessica Cummings and husband John, Katherine Kinton, and Aaron Davis, great-grandchildren, Hailey, Landon, Jasper, and Raymond, and great-greatgrandchild, Marleigh.

Georgia Ann Williams

Aug. 3, 1947 – Dec. 4, 2025

Georgia Ann Boyd Williams, age 78, a resident of Tarboro, died Thursday, December 4, 2025, at Vintage Inn of Williamston. No services will be held at this time.

Georgia Ann was born in Halifax County on August 3, 1947, to the late George H. Boyd and Virginia Dare Hatchel Boyd. She was a High School graduate and got her license as a cosmetologist in California. Georgia Ann enjoyed talking to people, sitting on her porch, and interacting with nature.

Survivors include her children, Georgia W. Hoell (David) of Autryville, Daniel Williams of Tarboro, Kathy Davenport of Washington, David Johnson (Anna) of Goldsboro, six grandchildren, Jecelyn Williams, Anthony Hoell, Ste anie Hoell, Brandon Bar eld, Michael Peele, Wesley Johnson, 11 great grandchildren, Colson Edwards, Waylon Hoell, Elayna Hoell, Layne Hoell, Shelby Bar eld, Michael Peele, III, Payton Peele, Caddie Skiles, Ashlynn Cutler, Nathan Equills, Zachary Johnson, and a baby girl on the way, two brothers, Larry Boyd, Albert Lee Boyd, a sister, Gloria Mason, and her cousin, Lloyd Allen Boyd (Bonnie) of Roanoke Rapids.

She is preceded in death by a son, Roy Johnson, and a brother, Roy Boyd.

Vernon Tobias “Toby” Cahoon

Aug. 16, 1966 – Dec. 7, 2025

Vernon Tobias “Toby” Cahoon, age 59, a resident of the Long Acre Community of Plymouth, NC, died Sunday, December 7, 2025, at ECU Beaufort Hospital in Washington.

The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at Paul Funeral Home & Crematory in Washington.

Vernon was born in Beaufort County on August 16, 1966, the son of the late Vernon Leon Cahoon and the late Patricia Lea Alvis Cahoon. He was a 1984 graduate of John A Wilkinson High School. Following high school, he worked in ocean transportation and became a Captain with Dann Ocean Towing, headquartered in Tampa, Florida. On June 15, 1989, he married the former Julie Marie Midgette who survives. Being an outdoorsman, he loved shing and hunting. He was a member of New Hope Church of Christ in Pantego.

Surviving along with his wife: Julie of the home are his sons: Derrick Cahoon of New Haven, CT, and Christopher Cahoon of Plymouth; brothers: Timothy Leon Cahoon and his wife Shea of Belhaven, William Patrick Cahoon and his wife Mariela of Grantsboro, and Billy Lee Cahoon and his wife Melissa of West Bradenton, FL; and his mother-in-law: Hazel Midgette of Plymouth.

Marie Beeson Pugh

Dec. 8, 1932 – Dec. 5, 2025

Mrs. Marie Beeson Pugh, 92, of Sophia, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 5, 2025, at her home, surrounded by her family, after several years of declining health. Mrs. Pugh was married to the love of her life, Wade, who preceded her in death. Mrs. Pugh was born in Randolph County to Colbert and Halcie Beeson, lived in Randolph County, and worked in Randolph County. She was a life-long member of Marlboro Friends Meeting, where she was always very active in the church, involved in teaching various Sunday school classes, as well as being very active in the Women’s Circle.

Mrs. Pugh was a school teacher working for 37 years in public education for the Randolph County School System. She was a member of the Alpha Upsilon Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society and earned her teaching credentials from High Point College. Mrs. Pugh was a Charter Member of the Randleman Women’s Club, where she was active until such time as her health would not allow. She was known by family and friends as a “great” cook, especially for her baked goods. She loved and enjoyed her very large family as well as crocheting and quilting. Mrs. Pugh, in earlier times, with her husband Wade, enjoyed watching and following all their grandchildren participating in all types of activities.

Mrs. Pugh is survived by three daughters, Jan Dough (Dr. Bob Dough) of Asheboro, Debbie Allen of Asheboro, and Lisa Hamilton (Dennis) of Sophia, and one son, Craig B. Pugh (Susan) of Statesville. Ten grandchildren, Scott Graham (Jessica), Kelly Pugh, Daniel Pugh (Erin), Laura Roberts (Kyle), Robert Dough (Amberley), Dexter Allen, Spencer Hamilton, Kara Hinton (Landon), Sarah Flowers (Justin) and Kendal McDonald (Grant). She is also survived by eleven great-grandchildren, Addie, Paisley, and Scheyer Graham, Eliza, Rhett and Wade Roberts, Preston Harvick, Lyle Dough, Hayden Flowers, Hudson Allen and Harper Conrad. One brother, Elmer W. Beeson (Adis) of Sophia, and two sisters, Sue B. Pugh of Sophia and Karen B. Hinshaw (Chris) of Sophia. Mrs. Pugh is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Phyllis Allen (Joe), Mary Ella Pugh, Zora Ellen Pugh, and Edie Pugh. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Wade, and one sister, Joann Short.

Funeral services for Mrs. Pugh will be held at 2 p.m., Monday, December 8, 2025, at Marlboro Friends Meeting, conducted by Rev. Ray Luther. Burial will follow the service at the church cemetery. Visitation will be prior to the service from 12:30-1:45 p.m. at the Marlboro Friends fellowship hall.

The family would like to o er special thanks to family and friends who helped care for Mom, especially Deborah, Casey, Stephanie, and Tammy—also, a big thank you to Home-Instead and Hospice of Asheboro. The family requests, in lieu of owers, that memorials be made in memory of Mrs. Pugh to Marlboro Friends Meeting or to Quaker Lake.

Doris Jean Howell

Dec. 27, 1940 – Dec. 3, 2025

Doris Jean Howell, age 84, a resident of Williamston, died Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at her home.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 11 a.m. at Bethany

Pentecostal Holiness Church with Rev. Timmy Bowen and Rev. Chris Watkins o ciating. Burial will follow in Martin Memorial Gardens.

The family will receive friends on Friday evening at Bethany

Pentecostal Holiness Church from 6-8 p.m.

Doris Jean was born on December 27, 1940, in Martin County to the late Mervin Allen Bonds and Sudie Mae Williams Bonds. She attended Williamston High School. On April 17, 1960, she married the love of her life Marvin Eugene Howell, who preceded her in death on July 21, 2007. Doris Jean was a homemaker and had worked grading peanuts, and as a substitute cafeteria worker with Martin County Schools, and at Rose’s Discount Store. She was a member of Bethany Pentecostal Holiness Church, where she had served as a Sunday school teacher, sang in the choir, and participated in women’s ministry. Doris Jean loved hosting and hospitality, she loved playing board games and doing puzzles and she loved to cook. She loved her family and thoroughly loved helping at Falcon Youth Camp. She was also preceded in death by her daughter, Sherri Joy Howell, sister, Shirley Faye Denton, brothers, Ernest Stancil Bonds, Louis Mervin “Junior” Bonds and Donald Clark Bonds. Survivors include her children, Stancil Laverne Howell of Williamston, and Rene Howell Dixon (Jonathan) of New Bern, grandchildren, Kimberly Howell, Cody Howell, and Katelyn Dixon, great-grandchild, Ar’Mariah Howell, many nieces, and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to Falcon Children’s Home, 7569 N West St, Falcon, NC 28342.

The family would like to give special thanks to Delores Staton and Linda Sue Bonds for the care they provided Doris Jean during her sickness.

Rachel Cagle

Feb. 11, 1934 – Dec. 7, 2025

Rachel Hancock Cagle, 91, of Asheboro, died Sunday, December 7, 2025, at Asheboro Rehab and Healthcare Center in Asheboro.

Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m., Friday, December 12, 2025, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, Asheboro, with Rev. Garry Reeder o ciating. Burial will follow at Whynot Cemetery, Seagrove.

Born in Guilford County, NC, on February 11, 1934, Rachel was the daughter of the late Floyd Henry Hancock and Addie Shepherd Hancock. She retired as a lieutenant from the Randolph County Sheri ’s Department Jail and later returned to work in the commissary until she was 80. She enjoyed cooking, fudge being her specialty. Ms. Cagle was loving and dedicated to her family and her many friends.

In addition to her parents, Rachel was preceded in death by her son, Gary Cagle, and seven siblings.

Ms. Cagle is survived by her daughters, Drema Scott (Danny), Angela Lee (Joseph), all of Asheboro; daughter-in-law, Dorothy Cagle; grandchildren, Heather Cagle, Scott Thompson, Mandy LaBorde; great-grandchildren, Kendra Latham, Jaylee Patrick, Garrett Thompson; and many nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends from 12:45-1:45 p.m., on Friday, at Ridge Funeral Home, prior to the funeral service.

Memorials may be made to Whynot Cemetery Fund, P.O. Box 120, Seagrove, NC 27341.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to all the sta at the Asheboro Rehab and Healthcare Center, formerly Woodland Hill Care and Rehabilitation Center, for the exceptional care that was provided to Ms. Cagle.

Ann Burgess Harris

Jan. 7, 1938 – Dec. 8, 2025

Ann Burgess Harris, 87, of Ramseur, passed away on Monday, December 8, 2025, at Randolph Hospice House in Asheboro.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, December 11, 2025, at Moon’s Chapel Baptist Church in Siler City with Dr. Patrick Fuller o ciating. Burial will follow at Sunset Knoll Cemetery in Ramseur.

Ann was a native and lifelong resident of Randolph County, having lived her entire life in Ramseur. She worked as a receptionist for Dr. Graham for many years and later enjoyed being a homemaker. Ann enjoyed spending time with her family and was a faithful member of Moons Chapel Baptist Church in Siler City. She played the organ for many years at First Christian Church and enjoyed singing in the choir.

Ann was preceded in death by her husband, Herman G. Harris, her parents, Lunnie and Eva Burgess as well as her siblings, Frances Cox, Ruby Johnson, Frank Burgess, Billie Siler, Bruce Burgess, Oscar Burgess and Erma Smith. She is survived by several nieces and nephews as well as her sister-in-law, Louise Burgess.

The family would like to extend a special “thank you” to the sta of Randolph Health and The Randolph Hospice House for the care and compassion shown to Ms. Ann and the family.

In lieu of owers, memorial donations may be made to Moon’s Chapel Baptist Church, 175 Moons Chapel Church Rd., Siler City, NC 27344.

Michael Annett, who made 436 starts in NASCAR’s 3 national touring series, dead at 39

He won an X nity Series race at Daytona in 2019

The Associated Press MOORESVILLE — Michael Annett, a former race car driver who made 436 combined starts in NASCAR’s three national touring series, has died. He was 39. JR Motorsports, one of Annett’s former teams, posted the news on social media last Friday. No cause of death was announced.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend Michael Annett,” the team wrote. “Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four- car organization we remain today.”

According to NASCAR, Annett made 321 starts in the X nity Series, 158 of which came with JRM. In 2019, Annett won the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway in the No. 1 JRM Chevrolet for his only win at the national level.

“Michael was a respected competitor whose determination, professionalism, and positive spirit were felt by everyone in the garage.”

NASCAR statement

Annett, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, was also a two -time winner in the ARCA Menards Series. He won at Talladega Superspeedway in 2007 and then took the series opener at Daytona in 2008.

“NASCAR is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former NASCAR driver Michael Annett,” the racing body said in a statement. “Michael was a respected competitor whose determination, professionalism, and positive spirit were felt by everyone in the garage. Throughout his career, he represented our sport with integrity and the passion of a true racer. NASCAR extends its condolences to Michael’s family and many friends.”

JOHN AMIS / AP PHOTO

Driver Michael Annett watches the board during qualifying for the NASCAR X nity Series auto race in Lebanon, Tennessee, in 2021.

STATE & NATION

Tennessee special election for House seat shows power of partisan gerrymandering

More states are reworking their congressional maps for political gain

By Jonathan Mattise and David A. Lieb The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As a leader of the College Democrats at Vanderbilt University, Luci

Wingo knew the odds of a Democrat winning one of Nashville’s three U.S. House seats weren’t great. Yet her hope grew as the party mounted an aggressive campaign for its candidate, Aftyn Behn, in a special election to replace a Republican who had resigned.

In the end, high Democratic enthusiasm and millions of dollars in spending weren’t enough.

Republican Matt Van Epps won last Tuesday’s vote by 9 percentage points — a closer margin than the district’s last election, yet still a victory for the GOP that seemed all but certain based on how the district was drawn. Republicans had split the uni ed Democratic stronghold of Nashville into three GOP-leaning districts after the last census.

As states wage a mid-decade redistricting battle initiated by President Donald Trump, Tennessee’s special election illustrates the power of manipulative mapmaking and provides a window into what lies ahead in the states that are rushing to redraw their congressional maps for next year’s midterm elections.

Such gerrymandering can help parties in power maintain and even expand their majorities, but it’s also a source of frustration and anger for voters in the minority party who lose the chance to be represented by someone of their choice.

“It’s a hard battle to ght because it’s so intentional, it’s so in your face — and it’s hard to not just want to get frustrated and kind of give up,” said Wingo, a college sophomore who grew up in Nashville.

She said she’s become accustomed to what she called “purposeful pessimism.”

“We don’t try to get our hopes up too much because we kind of know the outcomes,” she said, adding that Behn’s campaign nevertheless created a surge of enthusiasm among local Democrats.

For Republicans, Nashville gerrymander worked

Nashville had been represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper for 20 years when the Republican-controlled state General Assembly decided in 2022 to use the latest census data to carve up the city in a quest to ip his seat to Republicans.

Some parts of Nashville were placed in two sprawling rural districts to the east and west, both represented by Republicans. The portion retaining

Cooper’s district number was redrawn to twist southward into another rural Republican-leaning area.

Cooper, a moderate-leaning lawmaker, decided not to seek reelection that year, and Republicans won all three seats by comfortable margins.

Republicans carried all three districts again last year. They won by 17 percentage points in Cooper’s former 5th District, by nearly 22 points in the westward 7th District — which includes downtown Nashville, well-known historically black areas and major universities — and by 36 points in the eastward 6th District.

Van Epps’ special election victory this week in the 7th Congressional District was close enough to encourage Democrats looking for momentum ahead of next year’s midterms. But it also showcased how the district remains reliably Republican thanks

“We don’t try to get our hopes up too much, because we kind of know the outcomes.”

Luci Wingo, College Democrats at Vanderbilt University

to the recent redrawing of its boundaries.

“In this case, gerrymandering worked,” said John McGlennon, a longtime professor of government at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. “But it may be at the price of seats in other places in Tennessee and around the country.”

Kevin Mittelmeier, who says he’s in the political middle, cast his ballot for Behn. He said voters’ voices won’t have much meaning as long as the districts remain the same.

“I can just see from the out-

side looking in, unbiased, it’s actually frustrating how it’s being controlled, and how it’s being dealt with, and how people of Nashville’s opinions really are taken away,” he said.

For some voters, the split-up districts remain confusing.

Maggie Tekeli brought three young children to the polls planning to vote for Behn, only to learn her Nashville home wasn’t in the 7th District.

“It’s just discouraging from a democratic process standpoint,” she said.

Gerrymandering spreading in states

What Republican mapmakers did to Nashville, they now are looking to replicate in other states as Trump pushes for mid-decade redistricting, which he hopes will lead to his party maintaining its majority in the U.S. House next year.

In Texas, the rst to answer Trump’s call, Republican lawmakers redrew congressional district boundaries in Dallas, Fort Worth and their suburbs to extend a Democratic seat into a Republican region far outside the metro area.

In Missouri, Republican ocials approved a new U.S. House map that shaves o portions of a Democratic-held seat in Kansas City into two rural Republican-held districts and stretches the remainder of the seat eastward into another predominantly Republican area.

O cials in North Carolina and Ohio also approved new U.S. House maps intended to boost Republican chances of winning additional seats.

Democrats countered with their own gerrymandering in California. Voters in November approved a new Democratic-drawn congressional map that merges farming

and ranching areas favoring Republicans with some of the state’s wealthiest and most liberal coastal communities.

Some residents in each of those states expressed concern about being adequately represented under the new districts. But that didn’t deter the politicians from drawing the maps because the stakes are so high. Democrats need a net gain of just three seats in next year’s midterms to win control of the U.S. House and break a Republican grip on power that has enabled Trump to advance his agenda.

Indianapolis could become another Nashville

The splintering of Nashville from one Democratic congressional district into three that favor Republicans is a mirror of what’s being debated by Republicans in Indiana, which could be the next state to act on partisan redistricting.

Republicans currently hold seven of the state’s nine U.S. House seats. But a proposal in the Republican-led state General Assembly would give the GOP a shot at winning all nine seats.

Under the plan, a congressional district for the state’s largest city, Indianapolis, would be split up and grafted onto four Republican-leaning districts. The district has been represented for the past 17 years by Democratic Rep. André Carson, the state’s lone black member of Congress.

His district would be stretched southeast to the border with Kentucky and Ohio, combining residents of the state’s largest city with those in its least populated county. Another district would span westward to the Illinois border.

During a public hearing this week, Democratic state Rep. Robin Shackleford warned colleagues that the redrawn congressional districts would “be crippling” for her Indianapolis constituents.

“These maps crack apart historic black neighborhoods, weakening our voting power and silencing the voices of the very people who are already ghting the hardest for economic stability, safer streets, better schools and access to affordable health care,” she said.

Yet the revised districts, if approved, appear likely to accomplish their purpose of boosting Republican representation in Congress.

Laura Merri eld Wilson, a political scientist at the University of Indianapolis, said she had no doubt that there will be enough Republicans in the newly drawn congressional districts to overwhelm the Democratic vote in future elections.

But she added: “When you’re connecting some of Indianapolis to some of those very rural areas, both groups are ultimately going to lose out.”

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO

Congressional candidate state Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) speaks during a campaign event in the special election for the seventh district, last month in Franklin, Tennessee.

JOHN AMIS / AP PHOTO

Republican candidate Matt Van Epps waves to supporters at a watch party after announcing victory in a special election for the U.S. 7th congressional district, last Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee.

RandolpH SPORTS

Asheboro boys experience highs aside from OT loss

The Southwestern Randolph girls’ team claimed a couple of victories

Randolph Record sta

ASHEBORO HAD A mixture of results with three home games in boys’ basketball last week.

The Blue Comets handled visiting Rockingham County in a 65-23 decision with Darrion Johnson scoring 13 points. Asheboro came up short in a

74-64 overtime loss to visiting High Point Central. Josiah Hill tallied 41 points for the Bison. The Blue Comets bounced back by the end of the week to trounce visiting Trinity 55-29 with Eli Johnson notching 10 points.

• Eastern Randolph lost its opener with an 82-42 setback to visiting Cary Academy, which received 22 points from Julian Tweedy. The Wildcats then fell 74-55 at home to Chatham Central.

• Wheatmore contained host Southwestern Randolph in a

44-39 victory as Jordan Starkey poured in 18 points.

The Warriors then used 25 points from Starkey in a 59-53 victory against visiting Forbush.

But Wheatmore fell 63-51 at Chatham Central despite Truman Auman’s 14 points.

• West Davidson stopped host Southwestern Randolph 55-48.

• Uwharrie Charter Academy edged visiting Eastern Guilford 59-56.

• Randleman’s 73-66 home victory against Providence Grove came with Pacey Wagner’s 17 points and Trey Burnett’s 15

points. Camden Jones notched 16 points for Providence Grove. Randleman dropped a 75-72 overtime decision at Oak Grove, which received 26 points from Toot Clay and 24 points from Cam Cannady. The Tigers had won their rst three games.

• The night after losing at Randleman, Providence Grove fell into a 10-0 hole in an 82-48 loss at Williams. Andrew Thomas scored 15 points and Jones had 14 points for the Patriots.

Girls’ basketball

Jordin George pumped in 23 points in a 39-36 home victory against Wheatmore.

The Cougars also won by defeating visiting West Davidson 40-31. • Wheatmore nished the week with a 45-34 home victory against Chatham Charter.

• Callie Craven’s 24 points weren’t enough for Eastern Randolph in a 59-40 home loss to Cary Academy.

• Eastern Guilford handed Uwharrie Charter Academy its rst loss by 48-43 despite Nevaeh Staples’ 20 points in the home game.

• Madison Hill scored 24 points when Trinity defeated visiting North Moore 45-25. Hill had 17 points in a 38-37 loss at South Rowan.

Trinity lost 64-30 at Asheboro with Adalynn Scherer racking up 22 points for the Blue Comets.

• Randleman topped Providence Grove for the second time this season, winning 55-35 at home.

The Tigers then lost 67-27 at Oak Grove.

• Providence Grove was in a back-and-forth second half at Williams before falling 49-41.

A pair of state champions met in a tournament nal near the start of the season

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

HILLSBOROUGH — Ayden

Sumners didn’t have a chance to ease into the wrestling season.

The Wheatmore junior, a reigning state champion, was put to the test right away last month in a tournament.

He passed that assignment and all the others so far in ringing up a 16-0 record.

Sumners faced another state champion when he hooked up with Eastern Randolph’s David Lambert in the Cecil Mock Invitational on Nov. 22 in Ramseur.

Both wrestlers won 126-pound state championships last February in separate classi cations.

So here they were just a week or so into the season with what looked like a monumental clash.

“It was weird the nerves going into a match against another state champ,” Sumners said.

“I didn’t re o as much. … That mindset of wrestling another state champ really got to me, so I got to get out of that.”

“You de nitely feel it. You have a target on your back.”

Ayden Sumners, Wheatmore wrestler

Sumners prevailed 4-0, repeating a victory from last season when the duo met.

More recently, Sumners and teammate Dominic Hittepole, also a reigning state champion, won individual championships in Orange’s Jim King Invitational.

The earlier Sumners/Lambert match drew attention as they met at 132 pounds.

“I wrestled him last year and wrestled him again this summer, so this was like another one,” Sumners said. Wheatmore coach Kyle Spencer was with other Warriors at a junior varsity tournament, so assistant coach Tony Hairston was on hand for the showdown in Ramseur.

“It was just good wrestling,” Hairston said.

There was no scoring until Sumners escaped in the third period and then padded

BOB SUTTON / RANDOLPH RECORD Ayden Sumners

the advantage with a takedown. Hairston said it was a valuable bout for Sumners.

“He likes the competition and likes to compete,” Hairston said.

“You need that competition to see where you are, to measure yourself. It’s important to see what you have to work on.”

Sumners, who said he wasn’t anticipating a November matchup with Lambert, said he’s adjusting to having the label as state champion.

“You de nitely feel it. You have a target on your back,” he said. “I feel that just makes me more con dent and drives me to have to keep my name up there.”

Sumners has competed at 126 and 132 pounds so far this season after an extensive o season

The top of girls’ ag football will remain on the association’s radar

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

PUTTING TOGETHER championships for eight classications is a daunting task for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, which is facing a budget shortfall. That was discussed during last week’s NCHSAA board of directors meetings in Chapel Hill.

NCHSAA president Stephen Gainey, who’s also superintendent of the Randolph County School System, said the nancial issues are something that should be addressed without negative rami cations on students.

“This is an adult issue, not a child issue,” Gainey said. Gainey acknowledged the challenges that are out there, but he said he wants to ensure that students continue to see the positives of the championship experiences.

“We were due for a meeting that didn’t seem as heavy.”

Que Tucker, NCHSAA commissioner

With the exception of football, all the fall sports championships have been conducted in the new eight-classi cation set-up. The football nals are scheduled for this week.

With more championships, additional venues are needed to hold nals among other costs. The budget shortfall might be about $1.5 million, though in the short term that can be covered by funds in reserve.

“We may have to look at different ways of doing these championships and reducing some of our costs,” Gainey said.

“It’s a concern of the board. It’s a concern of the sta .” NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker said by the end of the school year there will be more

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Asheboro’s Jeremiah Stanback drives against High Point Central’s Jayden Velez during last week’s boys’ basketball game in Asheboro.

Katie Jones

Asheboro, girls’ basketball

The Blue Comets have been on an early resurgence this season.

Jones is part of the senior class on the team.

Jones was a regular in the rotation a year ago.

Asheboro entered this week with four victories, already within one triumph of last year’s total. The Blue Comets haven’t won more than six games in a season across the past four years.

Jones has also played girls’ soccer for the Blue Comets.

indicators on how much strain the new set-up involves.

Otherwise, the December meeting focused on more regular basis after a year ago when conference realignment consumed much of the attention.

“We were constantly having to separate that business from the realignment,” Gainey said.

This year, the discussions seemed to be more typical of many past years.

“We were due for a meeting that didn’t seem as heavy,” Tucker said.

Flag football update

The topic of girls’ ag football remains on the NCHSAA radar, though no formal action was taken regarding adding the sport.

The sticking point appears to be the timing of the season because competition has popped up in di erent parts of the state, but not all areas are on the same calendar.

There was a group of schools in Chatham and Alamance counties that aligned for competition during this fall. Other areas also play in the fall, while other schools have set up competitions for the spring semester. Charlotte-area schools are competing in the spring.

“We’ve been in di erent places all across the state,” Tucker said in regard to when teams have played.

Gainey said there’s no question that ag football is coming to the NCHSAA.

“It’s just a matter of let’s do it right,” he said. “We don’t need to get in a rush.”

Gainey said the processes involving adding lacrosse and girls’ wrestling are examples of the NCHSAA making it work well.

Tucker said a subcommittee for girls’ ag football has been asked to review the possibilities, including how many games would constitute a season. Tucker said the board of directors isn’t opposed to reconvening to February to take additional steps on the topic.

Trinity wrestlers power to titles

The Bulldogs topped a eld that included 25 teams in the tournament

Randolph Record sta MT. PLEASANT — With ve individual championships, Trinity’s wrestling team had a strong clutch on the Eye of the Tiger tournament, which wrapped up Saturday.

Jeven Palmeri (106 pounds), Aiden Burkholder (113), Stephen Cross (12) Omega Edge (132) and Joseph Trahan (285) were champions.

Trinity won the team championship in the 25-team event. The Bulldogs posted 233 points, with Kannapolis Brown the runner-up with 190 and Mount Pleasant third at 168. Southwestern Randolph was 10th with 93. Palmeri notched a pair of pins before a technical fall of

SUMNERS from page B1

of tournament competition. He said that was important to rise to a new level.

“Really getting every look I could this summer,” he said. “At Fargo (in nationals), setting my pace. Not just blow my whole gas tank the rst period. Being able to set a pace the whole match.”

Orange tournament results

Sumners (126 pounds) and Hittepole (190) were dominant in the 29-team eld at the Jim King Invitational on Saturday in Hillsborough.

Raleigh Millbrook claimed the team title with 161½ points to edge Cardinal Gibbons (154)

Mount Pleasant’s Kellen Gue in 3:47 of the nal.

Burlkholder’s three pins came before a 6-0 blanking of East Rowan’s Christopher McDonald in the title bout. Cross racked up three pins, including two in the rst periods, before a 12-1 domination of East Rowan’s Catoe Byrd in the nal.

Edge ended his rst three bouts early, including with a pair of pins, before topping Weddington’s Gage Klee 8-0 in the nal.

Trahan pinned his way to the title, with his 55-second attening of Concord’s Alex Williams his longest match among four bouts.

Trinity’s Edgar Vasquez was the 126 runner-up. After recording three pins, Vasquez lost 7-3 to Kannapolis Brown’s Landon Logan in the nal. Trinity teammates Haris Idrees (165) and Grayson Carroll (190) placed fourth.

Southwestern Randolph’s

and Pine Forest (148). Asheboro placed fourth with 127½, and Wheatmore took fth with 121.

Summers registered pins in 47 and 37 seconds surrounding a second-period technical fall to reach the nal, where he pinned previously undefeated Elijah Watson of Eastern Alamance in 1:01.

Hittepole improved to 15-0, recording two rst-period pins and a third-period technical fall before defeating Raleigh Millbrook’s Matthew Dobo 14-1 in the title bout. Hittepole said he has emphasized conditioning and technique in gearing up for another championship run.

Wheatmore’s Dylan Harris (106) placed third, and Spencer Moore (160) nished fourth.

Ex-SEC commissioner Kramer dead at 96

His ideas helped reshape college football

By Eddie Pells

The Associated Press

PRETTY MUCH every debate over who should play for the national title, every argument about the staggering amounts of money, every tirade about how college football is nothing like what it used to be, traces back to a man who saw a lot of this coming, then made a lot of it happen — Roy Kramer.

Kramer, the onetime football coach who became an athletic director at Vanderbilt, then, eventually, commissioner of the Southeastern Conference where he set the template for the multibillion-dollar business college sports would become, died in Vonore, Tennessee, at 96.

The man who currently holds his former job, Greg Sankey, said Kramer “will be remembered for his resolve through challenging times, his willingness to innovate in an industry driven by tradition, and his unwavering belief in the value of student-athletes and education.”

Kramer helped transform his own conference from the home base for a regional pastime into the leader of a national movement during his tenure as commissioner from 1990-2002.

It was during that time that he reshaped the entire sport of college football by dreaming up the precursor to today’s playo system — the Bowl Championship Series.

“He elevated this league and set the foundation,” former Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said. “Every decision he made was what he thought would elevate the SEC. It’s the thing that stands out most when I remember him: his passion and love for this league.”

Kramer was the rst to imagine a conference title game, which divided his newly expanded 12-team league into divisions, then pitted the two

Nathan Garner was third at 165, while 120-pounder Owen Pearson placed fourth. Garner had a 4-1 record with two technical falls.

In the girls’ portion of the tournament, Trinity’s Kenedi Palmer (100) placed third. UCA rolls in duals

At Southern Pines, Uwharrie Charter Academy blew through the Mason Wagner Duals with four victories.

The Eagles stomped Gray’s Creek 67-12, handled South Garner 72-6, belted Fayetteville Britt 66-11 and edged Pinecrest 33-28.

In the matchup with host Pinecrest, Ayven Virasone Chitavong (113) had a technical fall and Caleb Saldana (138) notched a major decision, while Brennan Worrell (150), Rick Riccardella (157) and Lorenzo Alston (190) logged pins.

Harris had a 5-1 record with four pins.

Asheboro’s Esteban Santos (113) and Owen Chidester (215) were runners-up. Santos fell by 16-8 to Raleigh Broughton’s Henry Byrd in the nal, while Chidester lost a 5-1 decision to Carrboro’s Noah Matamoros.

Asheboro’s Omar Basyouny (120) and Oscar Zelaya (132) placed third, and Jonah Lester (285) was fourth. In girls’ competition, Andrea Thornton of Asheboro was the 126 runner-up, losing by a rst-period pin in the nal to Cape Fear’s Ashtyn Westbrook.

Asheboro’s Grace Redding (235) was third and teammate Andreona Thornton (100) was fourth.

“By any standard, Roy’s in uence has been mind-boggling.”

Mike Tranghese, former Big East commissioner

champs in a winner-take-all affair that generated millions in TV revenue.

The winner of the SEC title game often had an inside track to Kramer’s greatest creation, the BCS, which pivoted college football away from its longheld tradition of determining a champion via media and coaches’ polls. The system in place from 1998 through 2013 relied on computerized formulas to determine which two teams should play in the top bowl game for the title.

That system, vestiges of which are still around today, produced its predictable share of heated debate and frustration for a large segment of the sport’s fans. Kramer, in an interview when he retired in 2002, said the BCS had been “blamed for everything from El Nino to the terrorist attacks.”

But he didn’t apologize. The BCS got people talking about college football in a way they never had before, he said. And besides, was it so wrong to take a baby step toward the real tournament format that virtually every other major sport used?

A four-team playo replaced the BCS in 2014, and that was

expanded to 12 teams starting last season.

Before Kramer was named commissioner, the SEC was a mostly sleepy grouping of 10 teams headlined by Bear Bryant and Alabama whose provincial rivalries were punctuated by the Sugar Bowl every year where, often, the league’s best team would show what it could do against the guys up north.

Kentucky was the basketball power.

Not content with that role in the college landscape, one of Kramer’s rst moves was to bring Arkansas of the Southwestern Conference and independent South Carolina into the fold. That small expansion previewed a spasm of bigger reshu ings that continue to overrun college sports some 35 years later.

Kramer sold the rights to televise his newly created league title game to ABC, then in 1996 added a deal with CBS worth a then-staggering sum of $100 million over ve years.

A look at some numbers tells the story that Kramer saw before most people:

• In his rst year as commissioner, the SEC distributed $16.3 million to its member schools.

• In his last, in 2002, the amount rose to $95.7 million.

• In 2023-24, it was $808.4 million.

“By any standard,” former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said in 2002, “Roy’s in uence has been mind-boggling.” Archie Manning, the great Ole Miss quarterback who is now chair of the National Football Foundation, said Kramer’s “vision, integrity, and steady leadership helped shape college football into what we know today.”

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

NCHSAA from page B1

DAVE MARTIN / AP PHOTO

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Roy Kramer talks with reporters during the opening session of the SEC football media days in 2000.

pen & paper pursuits

this week in history

Colonists protest taxes with Boston Tea Party, Wright Brothers take ight in Kitty Hawk

The Associated Press

DEC. 11

1816: Indiana was admitted to the Union as the 19th U.S. state.

1936: Britain’s King Edward VIII abdicated the throne so he could marry American divorcee Wallis Wareld Simpson.

1978: Nearly $6 million in cash and jewelry was stolen from the Lufthansa cargo terminal at New York’s JFK Airport, a record-setting heist later immortalized in “Goodfellas.”

2008: Former Nasdaq chairman Bernie Mado was arrested, accused of running a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that wiped out the life savings of thousands of people and wrecked charities.

DEC. 12

1870: Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina became the rst black lawmaker sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives.

1963: The East African nation of Kenya declared independence from Britain; it became a republic exactly a year later.

1985: An Arrow Air charter crashed after takeo from Gander, Newfoundland, killing 248 American soldiers and eight crew members.

DEC. 13

1862: Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside launched failed frontal assaults against entrenched Confederate troops at the Battle of Fredericksburg; the battered Northern army withdrew two

Former Nasdaq chairman Bernie Mado was arrested on Dec. 11, 2008, accused of running a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that wiped out the life savings of thousands of people and devastated numerous charities.

days later after su ering heavy casualties.

1937: Japanese forces seized the Chinese city of Nanjing during the Second Sino-Japanese War and began a weekslong massacre that killed an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 civilians, prisoners of war and soldiers.

2003: Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. forces while hiding in a hole beneath a farmhouse in Adwar, Iraq, near his hometown of Tikrit.

DEC. 14

1799: The rst president of the United States, George Washington, died at his Mount Vernon, Virginia, home at age 67.

1903: Wilbur Wright attempted to y the Wright Flyer on North Carolina’s Outer Banks but climbed too steeply, stalled and crashed into the sand. Three days later, on Dec. 17, his brother Orville made history with the rst successful controlled, powered ight.

1911: Norwegian explorer

Roald Amundsen and his team reached the South Pole, becoming the rst to do so.

DEC. 15

1791: The Bill of Rights, the rst 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, took e ect after being rati ed by Virginia.

1890: Hunkpapa Lakota Chief Sitting Bull and 11 other tribe members were killed in Grand River, South Dakota, during a confrontation with Indian agency police.

1939: The Civil War epic “Gone with the Wind,” starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable, premiered in Atlanta.

DEC. 16

1773: The Boston Tea Party took place as American colonists boarded British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped more than 300 chests of tea to protest tea taxes.

1907: Sixteen U.S. Navy battleships, later known as the “Great White Fleet,” departed Hampton Roads, Virginia, on a 14-month, round-the-world voyage to demonstrate American sea power.

1944: The World War II Battle of the Bulge began as German forces launched a surprise attack on Allied troops through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium and Luxembourg.

DEC. 17

1903: Wilbur and Orville Wright made the rst successful manned, powered airplane ights near Kitty Hawk using their experimental craft, the Wright Flyer.

1777: France became one of the rst nations to o cially recognize the independence of the United States.

1989: “The Simpsons” debuted on Fox television; it remains the longest-running animated U.S. TV series.

On Dec. 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright made the rst successful powered airplane ight near Kitty Hawk when Orville piloted the Wright Flyer for 120 feet.

KATHY WILLENS / AP PHOTO

JOHN T. DANIEL / LIBRARY OF CONGRESS VIA WIKIPEDIA

Monty Python’s Flying Circus musical ‘Spamalot’ hopes to spread silliness with US tour

The tour will travel to more than 30 cities in its rst year

By Mark Kennedy

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Eric Idle sometime gazes up into the heavens and wonders about something if we ever contact aliens: Will they have a sense of humor?

“I think the answer must be yes because it’s about self-awareness,” said the founding member of the comedy group Monty Python’s Flying Circus. “It’s about laughing at yourself and your own death and your inevitable end, which you can do nothing about.”

Until there’s some intergalactic meeting, Idle’s mission on Earth has been to make us laugh, and he continues that crusade with a national touring version of his hit musical “Spamalot,” which began in Ohio last week.

“I think laughter is essential, and it’s both a relief and a corrective on how to look at life,” he said.

“Spamalot” is built on shenanigans that include a group of knights fond of shrubbery, folks clicking coconuts to mimic the sound of horse hoofs, a singing and dancing plague victim, atulent Frenchmen and killer rabbits.

The stage tale is loosely based on the 1975 movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” which concerns King Arthur and his quest to corral some knights who’ll go o with him to nd the grail, the cup Jesus drank from at The Last Supper.

Idle recalls that the original movie cost $400,000 to make — funded in part by members of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull frontman Ian

“I think

laughter is

essential, and it’s both a relief and a corrective on how to look at life.”

Eric Idle

Anderson, looking for a tax write-o — and was lmed over ve weeks in Scotland. “It was cold and miserable, but it was funny,” Idle said.

The inspiration to turn it into a stage show came when Idle was working on a CD -ROM game based on “The Holy Grail.” “I suddenly went, ‘Wait a minute, if you could turn ‘The Holy Grail’ into a game, you can certainly turn it into a Broadway musical.”

Idle wrote the story and lyrics, and the music is by John Du Prez. Idle said the secret to the show’s success was tapping legendary director Mike Nichols.

“Mike knew everything about funny,” he said. It arrived on Broadway in 2005 and won the best new musical Tony Award.

A few years ago, Idle came across his long-forgotten diaries of the time, revealing the tense moments and behind-the-scenes struggles in making the musical. He’s published them as “The Spamalot Diaries.”

“It is a sort of how-to about making a musical,” he said.

Two of the show’s highlights are the Act II opening song “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” which was borrowed from another Python lm, “Life of Brian,” and the rousing nal number — “Find Your Grail,” with the lyrics “Keep your eyes on the goal/Then the prize you won’t fail/That’s your grail.”

Idle says one of his favorite moments was watching patrons leaving the Broadway show singing “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” and clicking coconuts they bought at the merch kiosk.

“If you can just brighten people’s lives to be silly in the street immediately afterwards, I think you’ve done a great job,” he said. “Not many shows do that.”

Author-bookseller Patchett, lm producer Blum, to receive PEN America awards this spring

Other literary service honorees include Toni Morrison, Lorne Michaels and Bob Woodward

By Hillel Italie

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Oscar-nominated producer Jason Blum is now getting some recognition from the literary world. PEN America will honor him at its fundraising gala next spring with the Business Visionary award. PEN, the century-old free expression organization, also will present author-bookseller Ann Patchett with the PEN/Audible Literary Service Award. The gala is scheduled for May 14, and, as in previous years, will be held at the American Museum of Natural History.

Blum, the founder and CEO of Blumhouse, has helped oversee lms ranging from “BlacKkKlansman” and “Whiplash” to “Get Out,” along with such horror franchises as “Paranormal Activity” and “Halloween.” In announcing the awards last Tuesday, PEN praised the producer for “his daring and diverse lms that have transformed horror from a niche genre into a driving force of contemporary culture, often with social issues at the core.” Blum, 56, said in a statement that “Horror is so much bigger and broader than people think” and that he was “very proud to have played a part in bringing it to an even wider audience.” He then cited an issue at the core of PEN’s

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

Producer Jason Blum attends the premiere of “The Lost Bus” at the Princess of Wales Theatre during the Toronto International Film Festival in 2025, in Toronto.

mission, book bans, which he called the only thing “scarier than our movies.”

“A PEN America report from earlier this year found that Stephen King is the most banned author in American schools,” he said. “The freedom to tell horror stories is vital to what we do every day at Blumhouse, so I’m grateful to PEN America for recognizing that, and thankful for this honor.”

Previous recipients of the visionary award, given for “transformative contributions to the world of literature and storytelling,” include Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger, Dow Jones CEO Almar Latour and Macmillan Publishers CEO Jon Yaged. Patchett, who turned 62 on Tuesday, is known for such acclaimed and popular novels as “Bel Canto,” “Commonwealth” and “The Dutch House.” PEN awards the literary service prize to “a writer or

“The freedom to tell horror stories is vital to what we do every day at Blumhouse, so I’m grateful to PEN America for recognizing that, and thankful for this honor.” Jason Blum

advocate who has served the literary community through their words or work,” and she has a legacy of both.

Patchett is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and winner of the PEN/Faulkner award for “Bel Canto.” Besides her own writing, Patchett has been praised for her championing of fellow authors through Parnassus Books, the Nashville-based store she co-founded in 2011 around the same time two local booksellers had closed.

“I always used to think of myself as someone who should just be in a room, alone, writing books,” Patchett told The Associated Press. “But the bookstore really challenged that and changed me from a person who titled inwards to a person who titled outwards.”

Bookselling, she added with a laugh, “just gets me out of the house.” PEN interim Co-CEO Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf said in a statement that Patchett’s ction “distills the essence of the human condition with humor and heart” and that Parnassus “has evolved into a refuge for readers and writers.”

JOHN PHILLIPS / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Eric Idle, from left, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Terry Jones of the comedy troupe Monty Python appear in London in 2014. Their musical, “Spamalot,” has returned and will play more than 30 stages across the U.S.

famous birthdays this week

Dick Van Dyke hits 100, Steve Buscemi is 68, Taylor Swift turns 36, Eugene Levy is 79

THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

DEC. 11

Actor Rita Moreno is 94. Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is 82. Singer Brenda Lee is 81. Singer Jermaine Jackson is 71. Rock musician Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue) is 67. Hockey Hall of Famer Daniel Alfredsson is 53.

DEC. 12

Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Pettit is 93. Singer Dionne Warwick is 85. Hall of Fame race car driver Emerson Fittipaldi is 79. Actor Bill Nighy is 76. Gymnast-actor Cathy Rigby is 73. Singer-musician Sheila E. is 68. Actor Jennifer Connelly is 55. Actor Mayim Bialik is 50.

DEC. 13

Actor-comedian Dick Van Dyke is 100. Music/ lm producer Lou Adler is 92. Baseball Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins is 83. Rock musician Je “Skunk” Baxter is 77. Rock musician Ted Nugent is 77. Actor Steve Buscemi is 68. Actor-comedian Jamie Foxx is 58. Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is 36.

DEC. 14

Tennis Hall of Famer Stan Smith is 79. Actor Dee Wallace is 77. Rock musician Cli Williams (AC/DC) is 76. Baseball Hall of Famer Craig Biggio is 60. Actor and comedian Miranda Hart is 53. Actor Natascha McElhone is 54.

DEC. 15

Singer Cindy Birdsong (The Supremes) is 86. Rock musician Dave Clark (The Dave Clark Five) is 86. Baseball Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland is 81. Actor Don Johnson is 76. Rock musician Paul Simonon (The Clash) is 70.

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP PHOTO Taylor Swift attends the 67th Grammy Awards in 2025 in Los Angeles. Swift turns 36 on Saturday.

DEC. 16

Artist Edward Ruscha is 88. Actor Liv Ullmann is 87. CBS news correspondent Lesley Stahl is 84. Pop singer Benny Andersson

DEC. 17

Actor Armin Mueller-Stahl is 95. Actor Ernie Hudson is 80. Political commentator Chris Matthews is 80. Comedian-actor Eugene

(ABBA) is 79. Rock singer-musician Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) is 76. Actor Benjamin Bratt is 62.

Levy is 79. Actor Bill Pullman is 72. Filmmaker Peter Farrelly is 69. Rock musician Mike Mills (R.E.M.) is 67.

MARK VON HOLDEN / INVISION FOR THE TELEVISION ACADEMY / AP CONTENT SERVICES Dick Van Dyke poses with his Emmy for outstanding variety special for “Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic” at the 76th Creative Arts Emmy Awards in 2024 in Los Angeles. The actor-comedian turns 100 on Saturday.

the stream

Brad Pitt, ‘Spinal Tap II,’ lots of Taylor Swift

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” returns for season 2

The Associated Press

A SIX-EPISODE, behindthe-scenes Disney+ docuseries about Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Rian Johnson’s third “Knives Out” movie, “Wake Up Dead Man,” 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: Chip and Joanna Gaines take on a big job revamping a small home in the mountains of Colorado, video gamers can skateboard through hell in Sam Eng’s Skate Story, and Rob Reiner gets the band back together for “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.”

MOVIES TO STREAM

Johnson’s third “Knives Out” movie, “Wake Up Dead Man” arrives on Net ix on Friday. Religion is at the heart of this installment, which nds Daniel Craig’s dapper detective Benoit Blanc trying to solve the “locked room” murder of Josh Brolin’s Monsignor Je erson Wicks, a charismatic and terrifying church leader with a devoted set of followers. The large ensemble cast includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Andrew Scott, Jeremy Renner and Kerry Washington. Some were less than delighted by this outing, however. In his review for The Associated Press, Mark Kennedy called it, “a gloomy and clunky outing that may test fans’ faith in the lmmaker.”

Brad Pitt plays a washed-up driver looking for glory on the racetrack in the Formula One movie “F1,” streaming on Apple TV Friday. Filmmaker Joseph Kosinski wanted to make it feel as exciting and authentic as possible: In many scenes, it really is Pitt and Damson Idris driving those cars at 180 mph. Film Writer Jake Coyle wrote in his review that it’s “a ne-tuned machine of a movie that, in its most riveting racing scenes, approaches a kind of high-speed splendor.”

Reiner got the band back together for “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” which begins streaming on HBO Max on Friday. Was it a mistake to revisit the great 1984 mockumen-

“‘F1’ is a ne-tuned machine of a movie that, in its most riveting racing scenes, approaches a kind of high-speed splendor.”

tary, though? Mark Kennedy wrote in his review that, “Despite some great starry cameos — Paul McCartney’s is easily the best — ‘Spinal Tap II’ leans into the old favorite bits too needily and is su ocated by the constantly looming presence of death, a downer. The improv-based comedy is forced, and the laughs barely register. This is a movie only for die-hard Tappers.”

MUSIC TO STREAM

It is Swift’s world, and we’re just living in it. Prepare yourself for two new projects at Disney+. That’s a six-episode, behind-the-scenes docuseries about her landmark “Eras Tour” titled “Taylor Swift ‘The Eras Tour’ The End of an Era” — the rst two episodes will premiere Friday. And that is not to be confused with the second, titled “Taylor Swift ‘The Eras Tour’ The Final Show,” a concert lm now with the inclusion of

“The Tortured Poets Department” section. The 2024 album was incorporated into her three-and-a-half-hour performance following its release. It was lmed in Vancouver. (That di ers from 2023’s “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” lm, which was compiled from several Swift shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, a suburb of Los Angeles, and arrived ahead of “The Tortured Poets Department.”) Swifties, rise! It has been a big year for col-

laborative rap records (looking at you, Clipse) and that continues into 2025’s 11th hour with “Light-Years,” a new release from rapper Nas and record producer DJ Premier. They’re greats for a reason. The Grammy-award winning producer, DJ and electronic musician Fred Again will release the next iteration of his USB series, the 16-track “USB002,” on Friday. Expect the unexpected: The rst song released from the collection is “you’re a

star,” which features Australian punky-pop band Amyl and The Sni ers. The club sounds a little di erent this time around.

SERIES TO STREAM

Chip and Joanna Gaines have long said they would not do any xer uppers outside of central Texas. Until now. The couple has taken on a big job revamping a small 1960s home in the mountains of Colorado. “Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House” is now streaming on HBO Max and Discovery+. Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, returns to TV with Season 2 of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” The series, starring Walker Scobell in the title role, adapts “The Sea of Monsters,” the second novel in a book series by Rick Riordan. The two-hour season premiere is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

He helped to launch “American Idol” and created “America’s Got Talent” and the group One Direction. Now, cameras follow Simon Cowell as he seeks to form a new boy band in “Simon Cowell: The Next Act.” The docuseries, out now, is about both his search and Cowell himself. He prides himself on discovering an “it” factor. “When you’re putting a band together, it’s like mining for diamonds,” he said in the trailer. “If this goes wrong, it will be ‘Simon Cowell has lost it.’”

Diane Kruger stars in a new drama for Paramount+ called “Little Disasters” as Jess, a mother who takes her son to the hospital for a head injury. The doctor, who is also a friend, becomes suspicious of Jess’ description of what happened and calls the authorities. It’s based on a novel of the same name. All six-episodes drop Thursday.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

I’ve skateboarded all over the world in various video games, but one location remains untouched by my deck: hell. Solo designer Sam Eng aims to correct that omission with Skate Story. You are a skateboarder made of glass in an underworld lled with demons who can only be defeated by unleashing your gnarliest tricks. The only way to escape is to swallow the moon. If you love classics like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater but wish they were more hallucinatory, this might be the ride for you. Kick o now on PlayStation 5, Switch 2 or PC.

JOHN WILSON / NETFLIX VIA AP

Josh O’Connor, left, and Daniel Craig star in “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.”

RICHARD SHOTWELL / INVISION / AP PHOTO

“Simon Cowell: The Next Act,” a new docuseries about the “America’s Got Talent” creator, is now streaming on Net ix.

LUCA BRUNO / AP PHOTO

Brad Pitt walks in the paddock at the Silverstone racetrack in Silverstone, England, in 2024. His lm “F1” premieres Friday on Apple TV+.

Jake Coyle, AP Film Writer

HOKE COUNTY

Memories on the mat

Hoke High School hosted the fourth annual Vernon Walworth Memorial Wrestling Tournament on

a longtime Hoke High wrestling coach who helped start girls’ wrestling in North Carolina and

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Supreme Court questions limits on political spending in federal elections

Conservative Supreme Court justices appeared to back a Republican-led drive, supported by President Donald Trump’s administration, to overturn a quarter-century- old decision and erase limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president. A day after the justices indicated they would overturn a 90-year- old decision limiting the president’s power to re independent agency heads, the court on Tuesday took up a 2001 decision that upheld a provision of federal election law that is more than 50 years old. The Republican committees for House and Senate candidates led the lawsuit in Ohio in 2022.

SCOTUS seems likely to back Trump’s power to re independent agency members

The Supreme Court seems likely to expand presidential control over independent federal agencies, signaling support for President Trump’s ring of board members. The court’s conservative majority suggested in arguments Monday it would overturn a 90-year-old decision that has limited when presidents can re agencies’ board members, or leave it with only its shell intact. Lawyers for the administration are defending Trump’s decision to re a FTC member without cause and calling on the court to jettison the unanimous 1935 decision.

$2.00

day before Thanksgiving.

Board of Education elects new chair, vice chair

Ruben Castellon is serving his rst term on the board

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RAEFORD — The Hoke County Schools Board of Education has a new chairman. At the board’s Dec. 9 meeting, the board elected Ruben Castellon as the new board chair, taking over the role from Catherine Blue.

“I appreciate the board’s condence in me in this important role,” Castellon said. “I truly hope that in the next 11 months, we move forward and do everything we can for the students, sta , faculty and the parents.”

“I appreciate the board’s con dence in me in this important role.”

Ruben Castellon, board chair

Castellon was elected in by a 3-2 vote, receiving support from Blue and Angela Southerland.

Board member Rosa McAllister-McRae received two votes for chair.

In addition, Southerland was voted in as the vice chair, with Jessica Brown and McAllister-McRae voting against her nomination. Southerland served as board chair two years ago. The board was also briefed

Lumbee Tribe poised to gain federal recognition through Defense bill

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on the issue earlier this year

By Graham Lee Brewer The Associated Press

AFTER DECADES of political maneuvering through Congress and government agencies, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina may nally achieve federal recognition through the National Defense Authorization Act the House plans to vote on this week. If the legislation passes, the Senate could vote on nal passage as soon as next week. The Lumbee’s e orts to gain

federal recognition — which would come with federal funding, access to resources like the Indian Health Service and the ability to take land into trust — have been controversial for many years both in Indian Country and in Washington. But their cause has been championed by President Donald Trump, who promised on the campaign trail last year to acknowledge the Lumbee as a tribal nation. The issue of federal recognition for the Lumbee Tribe has been batted around Congress for more than 30 years. But the political opportunity it represented in the last election could be what pushed it over the nish line, said Kevin Washburn,

on potential renovations for some Hoke County High School restrooms.

“There are two restrooms located in the guidance hallway at Hoke County High School,” said Assistant Superintendent Chad Hunt. “They are currently nonfunctional, and they’re in need of a full renovation. The goal is to get these restrooms upgraded to meet ADA requirements as well as to support daily use from our students on campus.”

The district put out a request for proposals and after getting no responses to it the rst time, they received one response the second time around by Thomas Plumbing.

The company’s proposal was to complete the proj-

ect for $149,000, as $150,000 was allocated for the renovations by the county commissioners as part of the school system’s capital project master plan, along with a potential $16,000 additional add-on of a mini-split system for the HVAC.

Thomas Plumbing stated it would complete the project by May 1 and are also o ering a 12-month warranty period.

District sta plan to go back before the commissioners and ask for capital project budget funding to be reallocated to afford the add-on.

“We’re going to present the information back to the Hoke County Commissioners and inform them of the amount of money that we have saved throughout the projects over the timeline so far this year and request that we are allowed to reallocate the money into other projects,” Hunt said.

The Hoke County Schools Board of Education will next meet Jan. 13.

former assistant secretary of Indian A airs at the Interior Department and a professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. “It comes up every four years because North Carolina is

Lumbee

HOKE COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH

the

Walworth was

middle school wrestling in Hoke County.

COURTESY PHOTO

ALLISON JOYCE / AP PHOTO

Members of the Lumbee Tribe bow their heads in prayer during the BraveNation Powwow and Gather at UNC Pembroke in March.

LUMBEE from page A1

date Kamala Harris promised the Lumbee federal recognition during the 2024 campaign. Trump won North Carolina by more than 3 points. Shortly after taking o ce, Trump issued an executive order directing the Interior Department to create a plan for federal recognition for the Lumbee.

It’s the rst time either the White House or the candidates for president have been so engaged in a federal recognition case, Washburn said.

Interior’s plan was sent to the White House in April. The administration has denied requests for its release but has said it advised the Lumbee to continue trying to gain federal recognition through Congress.

The Lumbee were recognized by Congress in 1956, but that legislation denied them access to the same federal resources as tribal nations. As a result, their application for recognition was denied for consideration in the 1980s, and the Lumbee Tribe has tried to get Congress to acknowledge them in the decades since. The O ce of Federal Acknowledgement is the federal agency that vets applications, although dozens of tribes have

THURSDAY

11

12

Student dies in stabbing at Winston-Salem HS

The incident at North Forsyth High School left one dead and another injured

The Associated Press

WINSTON-SALEM — A

stabbing at a central North Carolina high school Tuesday left one student dead and another injured, authorities said.

Forsyth County Sheri Bobby Kimbrough said o cers at North Forsyth High School in Winston-Salem sought assistance shortly after 11 a.m.

“We responded to an altercation between two students,” Kimbrough said at a news conference, adding that “there was a loss of life.”

In an email to families and sta , Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools superintendent Don Phipps said one student died and another was injured.

Kimbrough said he wouldn’t take questions at the news conference, citing the ongoing investigation. Sheri ’s o ce spokesperson Krista Karcher said later that a stabbing had occurred and that the injured person was treated at a hospital and released. No information about potential charges was discussed at the news conference. Kim-

also gained recognition through legislation.

“Only Congress can for all time and for all purposes resolve this uncertainty,” Lumbee Tribal Chairman John Lowery testi ed last month before the Senate Committee for Indian A airs. “It is long past time to rectify the injustice it has in icted on our tribe and our people.”

But others, including several tribal leaders, argue that the Lumbee’s historic claims have shifted many times over the last century and that they have never been able to prove they descend from a tribal nation.

“A national defense bill is not the appropriate place to consider federal recognition, particularly for a group that has not met the historical and legal standards required of sovereign tribal nations,” said Michell Hicks, chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

The National Defense Authorization Act is usually a bipartisan bill that lays out the nation’s defense policies. But this year the vote has taken on a new political dynamic as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces mounting scrutiny over military strikes on boats o Venezuela’s coast.

brough said in a video posted later on social media that there was no threat to the community.

“There are no suspects that we’re looking for,” he said. “We have that part of the investigation under control.”

Gov. Josh Stein, in a message

on the social media platform X, called what happened “shocking and horrible” and said he was praying for all students and their loved ones.

Phipps, who started in his post just last week, said at the news conference that it was the “worst nightmare of any ed-

ucator. We hurt when our students hurt, and this is the ultimate hurt that we can possibly feel.”

North Forsyth High School will be closed Wednesday, he said, and a crisis team will be in place for sta and when students return.

podcast local to Hoke-Raeford, NC, with Ruben Castellon and Chris Holland.

ALLISON LEE ISLEY / THE WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL VIA AP Winston-Salem Police o cers and Forsyth County Sheri ’s deputies block the gate leading to North Forsyth High School after a fatal stabbing Tuesday in Winston-Salem.

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

Financial health boils down to good habits being the central theme

“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”

Yogi Berra

THERE AREN’T MANY situations in life to which a good Yogi Berra quote doesn’t apply. As we head into the holiday season and 2026, it’s a great time to check in on where you are and where you are going.

Financial health boils down to good habits being the central theme. One other habit that is relevant to nancial literacy and health is the annual checkup. Just like going to the doctor each year, there are sources of potential dread in a nancial checkup — do I really want to know? Can it have gotten better with another year of age? It sure is easier to ignore problems! So just like your annual physical, if you don’t already take an annual snapshot of your nancial picture, nd some time over the holidays to do that. What that entails is up to you, but at a basic level I would suggest building your own “balance sheet” and potentially a cash ow plan for next year.

When my wife and I were planning our wedding, one of the traditions in the Catholic Church is pre-cana classes. These classes go through many of the logical issues that you would imagine the church would focus on, but they also covered the basics of a nancial plan. As we went through the session on this, it was amazing to me how many other engaged couples had no clue that their future spouse had massive credit card debts, or, in one case, that they were the bene ciary of a large trust fund. Knowing these things is really important to having any kind of a plan together, or even on your own.

Making your balance sheet is straightforward — you are looking to comprehensively total up your assets and your liabilities (or debts). Making a simple spreadsheet that lists the things you own and the amounts you owe will not only give you a good snapshot of where you are, but it also makes planning much easier in the future. You’ll start next year’s check-in from last year’s balance sheet, and the updates can be incremental that way. Moreover, your balance sheet will greatly simplify things for your heirs in the event tragedy strikes.

Starting with this snapshot, I would then suggest building a plan for next year. It can be simple — what are the big sources of funds that will come in next year, and what are the big uses of funds next year? I like to project mine monthly — I know what my paycheck should be, and what my mortgage payment and other monthly recurring expenses will be. Then I can see what I’ll have left over after the basics for more optional expenses.

As you do these over time, you will get a good picture of the progress you are making toward whatever goals you have. Progress won’t be linear — you’ll have some good years and some less good years — but by knowing where you are, you’ll have a much better chance of knowing where you are going …

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Brad Briner is the treasurer of North Carolina.

The melting pot is boiling over

Our society’s foundation isn’t the government.

IN ONE SENSE, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are the foundation of the country’s government.

The Declaration laid out the principles we aspire toward. The Constitution established the three branches of government. It contains many brilliant mechanisms to check the government’s power. The Bill of Rights o ers another layer of protection.

But mere words — even some of the most brilliant and in uential words ever written — didn’t create America’s greatness. Americans did.

Imagine you could magically impose America’s system of government in Somalia, Afghanistan or the Gaza Strip. Same Declaration of Independence. Same Constitution. Same Bill of Rights. Would it turn those Third World nations into First World successes?

Of course not. Just look at the 260,000 people of Somali descent living in America. More than 100,000 of them live in Minnesota. In recent weeks, there have been numerous stories about how Somalis in Minnesota stole billions of dollars from the government. That led to millions of dollars going to Al-Shabaab, an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group.

In one scheme, Asha Farhan Hassan created Smart Therapy, which supposedly o ered services for children with autism. She and her partners recruited Somali parents and worked to get their children fake autism diagnoses. They used that to secure Medicaid funding. Hassan then cut the parents in on the scheme.

“Several larger families left Smart Therapy after being o ered larger kickbacks by other autism centers,” the U.S. Attorney’s O ce in Minnesota wrote in a release.

Importing Somalis to America didn’t give them American values. They brought their preexisting values to America and ripped o taxpayers for billions. They brought clan rivalries from Somalia along with them as well.

Afghanistan provides another example of this. After 9/11, the United States took over the country. We spent more than $130 billion there. That’s more than America spent rebuilding Western Europe with the Marshall Plan, according to The Washington Post. The United States

even held elections in Afghanistan. But as soon as former President Joe Biden decided to surrender, the country fell to the Taliban. Despite all the money and lives lost, we couldn’t export democracy to a society with a vastly di erent history and heritage.

These di erences were punctuated by an Afghan national allegedly murdering a National Guardsman in Washington, D.C., recently.

Even democracy isn’t a cure-all. In 2006, Gaza Strip residents elected Hamas to run the region. Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre initially boosted Hamas’ favorability ratings among Palestinians.

What the Founding Fathers understood — but many modern Americans don’t — is that our society’s foundation isn’t the government. It’s the shared values, culture and history that bind individuals into citizens of a nation. Those are the pillars that uphold the government.

This is why importing millions of people who have fundamentally di erent worldviews is a terrible idea — and not just in America. Look at England. Grooming gangs raped thousands of girls over decades. Most o cials ignored the problem because the rapists were largely from Pakistan. They feared being accused of racism.

Even immigrants who support Western civilization and have Judeo-Christian values need time to assimilate. People aren’t interchangeable units of economic activity. They have religious values, customs and worldviews. Our country has an interest in making sure new arrivals learn ours. Learning English should be nonnegotiable. Those living in the same country need to be able to communicate with each other. This makes it easier to build trust and cohesion.

As of June 2025, America had more than 50 million immigrants. More than 15% of the country’s population was born elsewhere. That includes a staggering 19% of the workforce.

It’s too much. At this point, the melting pot is boiling over.

Victor Joecks is a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and host of the “Sharpening Arrows” podcast.

COLUMN | BRAD BRINER

European Union moves ahead with toughening its migration system

Countries would be able to reject asylum requests for migrants from “safe countries”

By Sam McNeil

The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — European Union o cials on Monday were nalizing a major overhaul of its migration system, including streamlined deportations and increased detentions, after years of erce debate on the issue has seen the rise of far-right political parties.

Since a surge in asylum-seekers and other migrants to Europe a decade ago, public views on the issue have shifted. EU migration policies have hardened, and the number of asylum-seekers is down from record levels. Still, U.S. President Donald Trump in recent days issued sharp criticism of the 27-nation bloc’s migration policies as part of a national se-

curity strategy painting European allies as weak.

Ministers meeting in Brussels agreed to a “safe third country” concept and a list of safe countries of origin, Danish minister Rasmus Stoklund said. That means EU nations can deny residency and deport migrants because they either hail from a safe country or could apply for asylum in one outside the EU.

“We will be able to reject people that have no reason for asylum in Europe, and then it will be possible for us to make mechanisms and procedures that enable us to return them faster,” Stoklund said. “It should not be human smugglers that control the access to Europe.”

Ministers also agreed to the formation of a “solidarity pool” to share costs of hosting refugees among member nations. The pool is meant to collect 430 million euros to disburse to countries facing greater migratory pressure, in-

“It is important to give the people also the feeling back that we have control over what is happening.”

Magnus Brunner, EU commissioner for migration

cluding Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain in southern Europe. Hungary and Poland have long opposed any obligation for countries to host migrants or pay for their upkeep.

“It is important to give the people also the feeling back that we have control over what is happening,” said Magnus Brunner, the EU’s commissioner for migration.

The European Council will now negotiate with the 720 lawmakers at the European Parliament to accept or modi-

fy the migration policy changes. Right and far-right parties are largely uni ed in supporting the changes.

Amnesty International EU advocate on migration Olivia Sundberg Diez likened the EU’s migration changes to the Trump administration’s crackdown. She called on European lawmakers to block the new measures that “will in ict deep harm on migrants and the communities that welcome them.”

French Green lawmaker Mélissa Camara called the changes “a renunciation of our fundamental values and human rights.”

In May, EU nations endorsed sweeping reforms to the bloc’s asylum system, with the European Commission issuing the new Pact on Migration and Asylum. The pact, among other things, called for increasing deportations and setting up “ return hubs,” a euphemism for deportation centers for rejected asylum-seekers.

Trump proposes reducing fuel economy requirements to lower car prices

Next-generation cars could be somewhat cheaper as a result

By Matthew Daly and Alexa St. John The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a proposal to weaken vehicle mileage rules for the auto industry, loosening regulatory pressure on automakers to control pollution from gasoline-powered cars and trucks.

The plan, if nalized next year, would signi cantly reduce fuel economy requirements, which set rules on how far new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of gasoline, through the 2031 model year. The administration and automakers say the rules will increase Americans’ access to the full range of gasoline vehicles they need and can a ord.

The National Highway Tra c Safety Administration projects that the new standards would set the industry eetwide average for light-duty vehicles at roughly 34.5 miles per gallon in the 2031 model year, down from a projected 50.4 miles per gallon in 2031 under the Biden-era rule.

The move is the latest action by the Trump administration to reverse Biden-era policies that encouraged cleaner-running cars and trucks, including electric vehicles, and it sparked criticism from environmental groups. Burning gasoline for vehicles is a major contributor to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

“From day one I’ve been taking action to make buying a car more a ordable.” Trump said at a White House event that included top executives from two of the largest U.S. automakers.

The rule reverses a Biden-era policy that “forced automakers to build cars using expensive technologies that drove up costs, drove up prices and made the car much worse,” Trump said.

Automakers applaud, environmentalists decry rule change

The action is expected to save consumers about $1,000 o the price of a new car, Trump said. New cars sold for an average of $49,766 in October, according to Kelley Blue Book.

Automakers applauded the planned changes, which came amid industry complaints that the Biden-era rules were di cult to meet.

Ford CEO Jim Farley said the planned rollback was “a win for customers and common sense.”

“As America’s largest auto producer, we appreciate President Trump’s leadership in aligning fuel economy standards with market realities. We can make real progress on carbon emissions and energy e ciency while still giving customers choice and a ordability,” he said.

Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said the automaker appreciates the administration’s actions to “realign” the mileage standards “with real world market conditions.”

Since taking o ce in January, Trump has relaxed auto tailpipe emissions rules, repealed nes for automakers that do not meet federal mileage standards and terminated consumer credits of up to $7,500 for EV purchases.

Environmentalists decried the rollback.

“In one stroke Trump is wors-

ening three of our nation’s most vexing problems: the thirst for oil, high gas pump costs and global warming,” said Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Transport Campaign for the Center for Biological Diversity.

“Gutting the (gas-mileage) program will make cars burn more gas and American families burn more cash,’’ said Katherine García, director of the Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All program. “This rollback would move the auto industry backwards, keeping polluting cars on our roads for years to come and threatening the health of millions of Americans, particularly children and the elderly.”

“People want the gasoline car”

Trump has repeatedly pledged to end what he calls an EV “mandate,” referring to Democratic President Joe Biden’s target that half of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030. EVs accounted for about 8% of new vehicle sales in the United States in 2024, according to Cox Automotive.

Trump called Democrats’ efforts to promote EVs “insane,” adding, “People want the gasoline car.”

No federal policy has required auto companies to sell EVs, although California and other states have imposed rules requiring that all new passenger vehicles sold in the state be zero-emission by 2035. Trump and congressional Republicans blocked the California law earlier this year.

Transportation Secretary Sean

The EU wouldn’t set up or manage such “return hubs,” which could be in Europe or elsewhere, but would create the legal framework to allow states to negotiate with non-EU countries willing to take rejected asylum-seekers.

Nations like Austria and Denmark likely will seek partners to host such costly and legally murky centers, said Camille Le Coz, director of the Migration Policy Institute Europe think tank, pointing to the deal the Netherlands struck in September with Uganda to host refugees.

Such centers di er from the existing but so far ine ective deal signed by Italy with Albania to o shore the asylum processing of migrants rescued at sea. At the time, the contentious plan was applauded by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as an “out-of-the-box” solution to manage irregular migration, but courts in Italy have repeatedly blocked it.

Mainstream political parties hope the pact on migration resolves the issues that have divided EU nations since well over 1 million migrants swept into Europe in 2015, most of them eeing war in Syria and Iraq.

Du y urged his agency to reverse existing fuel economy requirements, known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, soon after taking o ce. In June, he said that standards set under Biden were illegal because they included use of electric vehicles in their calculation. EVs do not run on gasoline. After the June rule revision, the tra c safety administration was empowered to update the requirements.

The new rules “are going to allow the automakers to make vehicles that Americans want to purchase, not vehicles that Joe Biden and (former Transportation Secretary Pete) Buttigieg want to build,” Du y said Wednesday. Under Biden, automakers were required to average about 50 miles per gallon of gas for passenger cars by 2031, compared with about 39 miles per gallon today. The Biden administration also increased fuel-economy requirements by 2% each year for light-duty vehicles in every model year from 2027 to 2031, and 2% per year for SUVs and other light trucks from 2029 to 2031. At the same time, it called for stringent tailpipe rules meant to encourage EV adoption.

The 2024 standards would have saved 14 billion gallons of gasoline from being burned by 2050, according to the trafc safety administration’s 2024 calculations. Abandoning them means that in 2035, cars could produce 22,111 more tons of carbon dioxide per year than under the Biden-era rules. It also means an extra 90 tons a year of deadly soot particles and 4,870 additional tons a year of smog components such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds going into the air in coming years.

Mileage rules have been implemented since the 1970s energy crisis, and over time, automakers have gradually increased their vehicles’ average e ciency.

Integrity Open Arms Residents of the Month

Integrity Open Arms Employee of the Month

Geraldine Whiting

Robert General has been a resident at Open Arms since August 2021. He was born in South Carolina, relocated to Richmond Virginia and later moved to North Carolina. Robert enjoys BINGO, church and knitting. He is a joy to have here at Open Arms Retirement Center.

Mrs. Florence Herbert has been a resident here since May 2021. She moved to North Carolina from Pennsylvania to escape the bad weather. Florence enjoys word searches, BINGO, watching TV and spending time with her friends on the Special Care Unit at Integrity Open Arms.

Geraldine joined us in April 2024 and was recently promoted to Housekeeping Supervisor. Our residents truly adore her and value the dedication and hard work she brings every day. In her free time, Geraldine enjoys getting lost in a good book and listening to music. Her favorite part of the job is being able to help the residents—a role she fulfills with genuine care and compassion.

THANK YOU GERALDINE!!

Mrs. Betty Purcell is from Raeford, North Carolina. She moved into our assisted living this past June. Besides being the mother of two, she worked for many years at Burlington Mills. Betty enjoys church, watching youtube and doing word searches.

are happy to discuss your needs or questions. W here to help!

EVAN VUCCI / AP PHOTO

President Donald Trump speaks during an event on fuel economy standards in the Oval O ce of the White House last Wednesday.

HOKE SPORTS

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Brylah Scott

Hoke County girls’ basketball

Brylah Scott is a freshman on the Hoke County girls’ basketball team. The Lady Bucks are o to a fast start this season, and the addition of the 6-foot-1 post player is one reason why.

Scott leads the state class 8A in blocks per game and is fourth across all classes. She is fourth in 8A in rebounding and double-doubles and 13th in scoring.

Ex-SEC commissioner Kramer dead at 96

His ideas helped reshape college football

By Eddie Pells

Associated Press

The

PRETTY MUCH every debate over who should play for the national title, every argument about the staggering amounts of money, every tirade about how college football is nothing like what it used to be, traces back to a man who saw a lot of this coming, then made a lot of it happen — Roy Kramer.

Kramer, the onetime football coach who became an athletic director at Vanderbilt, then, eventually, commissioner of the Southeastern Conference where he set the template for the multibillion-dollar business college sports would become, died in Vonore, Tennessee, at 96.

The man who currently holds his former job, Greg Sankey, said Kramer “will be remembered for his resolve through challenging times, his willingness to innovate in an industry driven by tradition, and his unwavering belief in the value of

student-athletes and education.”

Kramer helped transform his own conference from the home base for a regional pastime into the leader of a national movement during his tenure as commissioner from 1990 -2002.

It was during that time that he reshaped the entire sport of college football by dreaming up the precursor to today’s playo system — the Bowl Championship Series.

“He elevated this league and set the foundation,” former

Hoke boys, girls lose on Teddy Bear Toss night

Fans come up big with

holiday donations

North State Journal sta AFTER OPENING the season with three straight wins, the Hoke County boys’ basketball team has dropped back-to-back games. Last week, the Bucks fell to Seventy-First at home, losing by a 78-62 margin.

Junior Machai Brown led all Hoke scorers with 15 points. Senior Josiah Jacobs added 13, junior Jaiden Morrison 12 and junior Gabriel McLeod 11. McLeod added team-highs in assists (3, matching Brown and Jacobs) and steals (3). Senior Savion Kinston was leading rebounder with eight.

This week, the Bucks have a pair of road games, traveling to Seventy-First and Westover.

The Hoke County girls’

team also fell at home to Seventy-First, su ering their rst loss of the season after three wins. The Bucks fell by a 64-31 score.

That leaves the Lady Bucks still one win shy of matching their best full-season victory total for any of the last six seasons.

This week, Hoke plays the same schedule as the boys — traveling to Seventy-First and Westover.

The home games last week began a new holiday tradition at Hoke, as they held their rst annual Teddy Bear Toss at halftime of the boys’ game. Fans were encouraged to bring new or gently used stu ed animals to the game and throw them onto the court at halftime. They were then collected and donated to the county’s emergency services department. They collected more than 40 toys, as well as $5,000 in donations.

SPORTS BLAST FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

DAVE MARTIN / AP PHOTO

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Roy Kramer talks with reporters during the opening session of the SEC football media days in 2000.

SPORTS BLAST FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Another must-watch moment for Jordan as NBA great testi es at NASCAR trial

The 23XI Racing co-owner attracted attention by taking the stand

By Jenna Fryer The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — Michael

Jordan has had a lifetime of big moments. His latest came on the witness stand in a federal courthouse.

The retired NBA great testi ed against NASCAR in an antitrust case he is pursuing against the stock car series on behalf of his race team, 23XI Racing, along with Front Row Motorsports. Both want to force NASCAR to change the way it does business with its teams, accusing it of monopolistic behavior.

“Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity,” the soft-spoken Jordan told the jury. “I felt I could challenge NASCAR as a whole.”

It was a di erent role for the 62-year-old Jordan, known best for the six NBA titles he won with the Chicago Bulls and his business interests in retirement, including his still relatively new role as a NASCAR team co-owner with three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin.

Dressed in a dark blue suit, Jordan slowly headed to the stand for the afternoon session, adjusted the seat for his 6-foot- 6 frame and settled in. Those in the packed courtroom hung on every word.

Jordan said he grew up a NASCAR fan, attending races at 11 or 12 with his family at tracks in Charlotte and Rockingham in his home state but also at Darlington in South Carolina and the Talladega superspeedway in Alabama.

“We called it a weekend vacation,” he said. There were moments of lev-

Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said. “Every decision he made was what he thought would elevate the SEC. It’s the thing that stands out most when I remember him: his passion and love for this league.”

Kramer was the rst to imagine a conference title game, which divided his newly expanded 12-team league into divisions, then pitted the two champs in a winner-take-all a air that generated millions in TV revenue.

The winner of the SEC title game often had an inside track to Kramer’s greatest creation, the BCS, which pivoted college football away from its

ity on a dramatic day of testimony that also included Heather Gibbs, the daughter-in-law of team owner and NFL Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs. People were turned away from the courtroom and U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell couldn’t help but notice the high attendance in front of him as well as an over ow room nearby.

“I take it Mr. Jordan is the next witness,” Bell quipped.

long-held tradition of determining a champion via media and coaches’ polls.

The system in place from 1998 through 2013 relied on computerized formulas to determine which two teams should play in the top bowl game for the title.

That system, vestiges of which are still around today, produced its predictable share of heated debate and frustration for a large segment of the sport’s fans. Kramer, in an interview when he retired in 2002, said the BCS had been “blamed for everything from El Nino to the terrorist attacks.”

But he didn’t apologize. The BCS got people talking about

Outside the courthouse in downtown Charlotte, a crowd gathered for the rst time this week for a chance to see Jordan. One woman screamed “Oh my God, Mike! You are an icon, you the best, you the best to do it in the NBA!” Another claimed to have played golf and cards with Jordan acquaintances while asking Jordan to pose for a photo with his daughters.

Jordan said, “Man, it’s cold

college football in a way they never had before, he said. And besides, was it so wrong to take a baby step toward the real tournament format that virtually every other major sport used?

A four-team playo replaced the BCS in 2014, and that was expanded to 12 teams starting last season.

Before Kramer was named commissioner, the SEC was a mostly sleepy grouping of 10 teams headlined by Bear Bryant and Alabama whose provincial rivalries were punctuated by the Sugar Bowl every year where, often, the league’s best team would show what it could do against the guys up north.

out here for you guys” before complimenting the two girls on their Nike-branded hoodies.

A spectator held a sign that read “NASCAR Your Fans Deserve Better” and Hamlin turned to him and said, “You’re right” as they tried to make their way through the throng to a caravan of waiting SUVs.

On the witness stand, Jordan noted he was an early fan of Richard Petty, like his dad. He

Kentucky was the basketball power.

Not content with that role in the college landscape, one of Kramer’s rst moves was to bring Arkansas of the Southwestern Conference and independent South Carolina into the fold. That small expansion previewed a spasm of bigger reshu ings that continue to overrun college sports some 35 years later.

Kramer sold the rights to televise his newly created league title game to ABC, then in 1996 added a deal with CBS worth a then-staggering sum of $100 million over ve years.

A look at some numbers tells the story that Kramer saw before most people:

“Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity.”

Michael Jordan

later gravitated to Cale Yarborough, “the original No. 11. Sorry, Denny,” Jordan testi ed as Hamlin watched from the gallery. Jordan was asked to outline his career, noting his time with the Bulls and adding he remains a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets. Did he play anywhere else?

“I try to forget it but I did,” said Jordan, who played for the Washington Wizards in a mostly forgettable return to the NBA after his championship runs with the Bulls.

But Jordan spent most of his time making clear why he was in court suing the series he loves over the charters that guarantee teams revenue and access to Cup Series races. Among other things, the plainti s want the charters made permanent, which NASCAR has balked at.

“Look, we saw the economics wasn’t really bene cial to the teams,” Jordan testi ed, adding: “The thing I see in NASCAR that I think is absent is a shared responsibility of growth as well as loss.”

As the session wound down, defense attorney Lawrence Buterman noted the novelty of cross-examining an icon like Jordan, closing with the comment: “Thank you for making my 9-year-old think I’m cool today.”

“You’re not wearing any Jordans today,” Jordan replied. When he was dismissed from the stand, he said “whew” and made his way back to the seat in the front row he’s occupied all week.

In his rst year as commissioner, the SEC distributed $16.3 million to its member schools.

• In his last, in 2002, the amount rose to $95.7 million.

In 2023-24, it was $808.4 million.

“By any standard,” former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said in 2002, “Roy’s in uence has been mind-boggling.”

Archie Manning, the great Ole Miss quarterback who is now chair of the National Football Foundation, said Kramer’s “vision, integrity, and steady leadership helped shape college football into what we know today.”

JENNA FRYER / AP PHOTO

Michael Jordan arrives in the Western District of North Carolina for the start of the antitrust trial between 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR in Charlotte.

KRAMER from page B1

Auburn Campbell

Sept. 25, 2013 –Nov. 28, 2025

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Auburn Campbell, age 12, who departed this life on November 28, 2025.

Auburn was a cherished and radiant young soul whose warmth, kindness, and joyful spirit touched the lives of all who knew her. Though her time with us was far too brief, the love she shared will forever remain in the hearts of her family, friends, and community.

During this time of profound loss, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the Campbell family and pray that they may nd comfort in God’s healing promise:

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” — Psalm 147:3

Funeral Arrangements

Viewing Friday, December 12, 2025

5:30-8 p.m.

Cape Fear Headquarters B

10225 Fayetteville Rd

Raeford, NC 28376

Funeral Service

Saturday, December 13, 2025

11 a.m.

Repast

Saturday, December 13, 2025

2-5 p.m.

TJ Robinson Life Center

4221 Black Bridge Rd

Hope Mills, NC

Family and friends are kindly invited to visit the tribute section to o er messages of encouragement, support, and loving remembrance as we stand with the Campbell family during this di cult time.

Randall Mills

Jan. 17, 1966 – Dec. 1, 2025

Mr. Randall Lee Mills, age 59, departed this Earthly Life to rest with his Heavenly Father on December 1, 2025.

Military Honors and the Committal service will be held on Wednesday, December 10, at noon at the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery.

Randall will be greatly missed.

Louise Frieson

Feb. 25, 1954 – Nov. 30, 2025

Ms. Louise Frieson, age 71, went home to rest with her Heavenly Father on Sunday, November 30, 2025. The Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, December 5, at noon at New Pilgrim Church of God. Louise will be greatly missed.

Stella Cummings

Sept. 1, 1953 – Dec. 1, 2025

Mrs. Stella Mae Cummings of Pembroke, North Carolina, completed her earthly journey of 72 years on December 1, 2025, at her home. She was born on September 1, 1953, to the late Mr. Winford and Mrs. Ruth McMillian.

Stella is preceded in death by her parents, Winford and Ruth McMillian, four brothers, Roger, Jerry, Jimmy, and Ray McMillian, and two sons, Glenn Burnette and Jimmy McMillian.

Stella was a truly giving soul who would give the shirt o her back to anyone in need. She was caring, lovable, and generous in every way. Her kindness touched everyone around her, and her memory will live on in our hearts forever.

Stella is survived by her loving husband Ricky Cummings of 53 years of the home; two sisters Linda Davis of Maxton and Helen Prevatte of Pembroke; three sons Ricky (Erica) of Pembroke, Kenny (Rebecca) of Maxton, and Alex (Ashley) of Pembroke; two daughters Jericia of Pembroke and Crystal (Wade) of Pembroke; 29 grandchildren and 16 greatgrandchildren and a host of relatives and friends.

Frank Gehry, most celebrated architect of his time, dead at 96

He designed the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain

By John Rogers The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Frank

Gehry, who designed some of the most imaginative buildings ever constructed and achieved a level of worldwide acclaim seldom a orded any architect, has died. He was 96.

Gehry died last Friday in his home in Santa Monica after a brief respiratory illness, said Meaghan Lloyd, chief of sta at Gehry Partners LLP.

Gehry’s fascination with modern pop art led to the creation of distinctive, striking buildings. Among his many masterpieces are the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and Berlin’s DZ Bank Building.

He also designed an expansion of Facebook’s Northern California headquarters at the insistence of the company’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

Gehry was awarded every major prize architecture has to o er, including the eld’s top honor, the Pritzker Prize, for what has been described as “refreshingly original and totally American” work.

Other honors include the Royal Institute of British Architects gold medal, the Americans for the Arts lifetime achievement award, and his native country’s highest honor, the Companion of the Order of Canada.

Start of career in architecture

After earning a degree in architecture from the University of Southern California in 1954 and serving in the Army, Gehry studied urban planning at Harvard University.

But his career got o to a slow start. He struggled for years to make ends meet, designing public housing projects, shopping centers and even driving a delivery truck for a time.

Eventually, he got the chance to design a modern shopping mall overlooking the Santa Monica Pier. He was determined to play it safe and came up with drawings for an enclosed shopping mall that looked similar to others in the United States in the 1980s.

To celebrate its completion, the mall’s developer dropped by Gehry’s house and was stunned by what he saw: The architect had transformed a modest 1920s-era bungalow into an inventive abode by remodeling it with chain-link fencing, exposed wood and corrugated metal.

Asked why he hadn’t proposed something similar for the mall, Gehry replied, “Because I have to make a living.”

If he really wanted to make

a statement as an architect, he was told, he should drop that attitude and follow his creative vision. Gehry would do just that for the rest of his life, working into his 90s to create buildings that doubled as stunning works of art.

As his acclaim grew, Gehry Partners LLP, the architectural rm he founded in 1962, grew with it, expanding to include more than 130 employees at one point. But as big as it got, Gehry insisted on personally overseeing every project it took on.

The headquarters of the InterActiveCorp, known as the IAC Building, took the shape of a shimmering beehive when it was completed in New York City’s Chelsea district in 2007.

The 76-story New York By Gehry building, once one of the world’s tallest residential structures, was a stunning addition to the lower Manhattan skyline when it opened in 2011.

That same year, Gehry joined the faculty of his alma mater, the University of Southern California, as a professor of architecture. He also taught at Yale and Columbia University.

Imaginative designs drew criticism along with praise

Not everyone was a fan of Gehry’s work. Some naysayers dismissed it as not much more than gigantic, lopsided reincarnations of the little scrap-wood cities he said he spent hours building when he was growing up in the mining town of Timmins, Ontario.

Princeton art critic Hal Foster dismissed many of his later e orts as “oppressive,” arguing they were designed primarily to be tourist attractions. Some denounced the Disney Hall as looking like a collection of cardboard boxes that had been left out in the rain.

Other critics included Dwight D. Eisenhower’s family, who objected to Gehry’s bold proposal for a memorial to honor the nation’s 34th president. Although the family said it wanted a simple me -

morial and not the one Gehry had proposed, with its multiple statues and billowing metal tapestries depicting Eisenhower’s life, the architect declined to change his design signi cantly.

If the words of his critics annoyed Gehry, he rarely let on. Indeed, he even sometimes played along. He appeared as himself in a 2005 episode of “The Simpsons” cartoon show, in which he agreed to design a concert hall that was later converted into a prison.

He came up with the idea for the design, which looked a lot like the Disney Hall, after crumpling Marge Simpson’s letter to him and throwing it on the ground. After taking a look at it, he declared, “Frank Gehry, you’ve done it again!”

“Some people think I actually do that,” he would later tell the AP.

Gehry’s lasting legacy around the world

Ephraim Owen Goldberg was born in Toronto on Feb. 28, 1929, and moved to Los Angeles with his family in 1947, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen. As an adult, he changed his name at the suggestion of his rst wife, who told him antisemitism might be holding back his career.

Although he had enjoyed drawing and building model cities as a child, Gehry said it wasn’t until he was 20 that he pondered the possibility of pursuing a career in architecture, after a college ceramics teacher recognized his talent.

“It was like the rst thing in my life that I’d done well in,” he said.

Gehry steadfastly denied being an artist though.

“Yes, architects in the past have been both sculptors and architects,” he declared in a 2006 interview with The Associated Press. “But I still think I’m doing buildings, and it’s di erent from what they do.” His words re ected both a lifelong shyness and an insecurity that stayed with Gehry long after he’d been declared the greatest architect of his time.

“I’m totally abbergasted that I got to where I’ve gotten,” he told the AP in 2001. “Now it seems inevitable, but at the time it seemed very problematic.”

The Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi, rst proposed in 2006, is expected to nally be completed in 2026 after a series of construction delays and sporadic work. The 30,000-square-foot structure will be the world’s largest Guggenheim, leaving a lasting legacy in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates.

His survivors include his wife, Berta; daughter, Brina; sons Alejandro and Samuel; and the buildings he created.

Another daughter, Leslie Gehry Brenner, died of cancer in 2008.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in NSJ at

CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

Honoree and Walt Disney Concert Hall architect Frank Gehry poses for photos at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Gala in 2023.

ALVARO BARRIENTOS / AP PHOTO

Athletic Bilbao fans wait in front of the Guggenheim museum before team celebrations in Bilbao, Spain, in 2024.

STATE & NATION

Tennessee special election for House seat shows power of partisan gerrymandering

More states are reworking their congressional maps for political gain

By Jonathan Mattise and David A. Lieb

The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As a leader of the College Democrats at Vanderbilt University, Luci

Wingo knew the odds of a Democrat winning one of Nashville’s three U.S. House seats weren’t great. Yet her hope grew as the party mounted an aggressive campaign for its candidate, Aftyn Behn, in a special election to replace a Republican who had resigned.

In the end, high Democratic enthusiasm and millions of dollars in spending weren’t enough.

Republican Matt Van Epps won last Tuesday’s vote by 9 percentage points — a closer margin than the district’s last election, yet still a victory for the GOP that seemed all but certain based on how the district was drawn. Republicans had split the uni ed Democratic stronghold of Nashville into three GOP-leaning districts after the last census.

As states wage a mid-decade redistricting battle initiated by President Donald Trump, Tennessee’s special election illustrates the power of manipulative mapmaking and provides a window into what lies ahead in the states that are rushing to redraw their congressional maps for next year’s midterm elections.

Such gerrymandering can help parties in power maintain and even expand their majorities, but it’s also a source of frustration and anger for voters in the minority party who lose the chance to be represented by someone of their choice.

“It’s a hard battle to ght because it’s so intentional, it’s so in your face — and it’s hard to not just want to get frustrated and kind of give up,” said Wingo, a college sophomore who grew up in Nashville.

She said she’s become accustomed to what she called “purposeful pessimism.”

“We don’t try to get our hopes up too much because we kind of know the outcomes,” she said, adding that Behn’s campaign nevertheless created a surge of enthusiasm among local Democrats.

For Republicans, Nashville gerrymander worked

Nashville had been represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper for 20 years when the Republican-controlled state General Assembly decided in 2022 to use the latest census data to carve up the city in a quest to ip his seat to Republicans.

Some parts of Nashville were placed in two sprawling rural districts to the east and west, both represented by Republicans. The portion retaining

Cooper’s district number was redrawn to twist southward into another rural Republican-leaning area.

Cooper, a moderate-leaning lawmaker, decided not to seek reelection that year, and Republicans won all three seats by comfortable margins.

Republicans carried all three districts again last year. They won by 17 percentage points in Cooper’s former 5th District, by nearly 22 points in the westward 7th District — which includes downtown Nashville, well-known historically black areas and major universities — and by 36 points in the eastward 6th District.

Van Epps’ special election victory this week in the 7th Congressional District was close enough to encourage Democrats looking for momentum ahead of next year’s midterms. But it also showcased how the district remains reliably Republican thanks

“We don’t try to get our hopes up too much, because we kind of know the outcomes.”

Luci Wingo, College Democrats at Vanderbilt University

to the recent redrawing of its boundaries.

“In this case, gerrymandering worked,” said John McGlennon, a longtime professor of government at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. “But it may be at the price of seats in other places in Tennessee and around the country.”

Kevin Mittelmeier, who says he’s in the political middle, cast his ballot for Behn. He said voters’ voices won’t have much meaning as long as the districts remain the same.

“I can just see from the out-

side looking in, unbiased, it’s actually frustrating how it’s being controlled, and how it’s being dealt with, and how people of Nashville’s opinions really are taken away,” he said.

For some voters, the split-up districts remain confusing.

Maggie Tekeli brought three young children to the polls planning to vote for Behn, only to learn her Nashville home wasn’t in the 7th District.

“It’s just discouraging from a democratic process standpoint,” she said.

Gerrymandering spreading in states

What Republican mapmakers did to Nashville, they now are looking to replicate in other states as Trump pushes for mid-decade redistricting, which he hopes will lead to his party maintaining its majority in the U.S. House next year.

In Texas, the rst to answer Trump’s call, Republican lawmakers redrew congressional district boundaries in Dallas, Fort Worth and their suburbs to extend a Democratic seat into a Republican region far outside the metro area.

In Missouri, Republican ocials approved a new U.S. House map that shaves o portions of a Democratic-held seat in Kansas City into two rural Republican-held districts and stretches the remainder of the seat eastward into another predominantly Republican area.

O cials in North Carolina and Ohio also approved new U.S. House maps intended to boost Republican chances of winning additional seats.

Democrats countered with their own gerrymandering in California. Voters in November approved a new Democratic-drawn congressional map that merges farming

and ranching areas favoring Republicans with some of the state’s wealthiest and most liberal coastal communities.

Some residents in each of those states expressed concern about being adequately represented under the new districts. But that didn’t deter the politicians from drawing the maps because the stakes are so high. Democrats need a net gain of just three seats in next year’s midterms to win control of the U.S. House and break a Republican grip on power that has enabled Trump to advance his agenda.

Indianapolis could become another Nashville

The splintering of Nashville from one Democratic congressional district into three that favor Republicans is a mirror of what’s being debated by Republicans in Indiana, which could be the next state to act on partisan redistricting.

Republicans currently hold seven of the state’s nine U.S. House seats. But a proposal in the Republican-led state General Assembly would give the GOP a shot at winning all nine seats. Under the plan, a congressional district for the state’s largest city, Indianapolis, would be split up and grafted onto four Republican-leaning districts. The district has been represented for the past 17 years by Democratic Rep. André Carson, the state’s lone black member of Congress.

His district would be stretched southeast to the border with Kentucky and Ohio, combining residents of the state’s largest city with those in its least populated county. Another district would span westward to the Illinois border.

During a public hearing this week, Democratic state Rep. Robin Shackleford warned colleagues that the redrawn congressional districts would “be crippling” for her Indianapolis constituents.

“These maps crack apart historic black neighborhoods, weakening our voting power and silencing the voices of the very people who are already ghting the hardest for economic stability, safer streets, better schools and access to affordable health care,” she said.

Yet the revised districts, if approved, appear likely to accomplish their purpose of boosting Republican representation in Congress.

Laura Merri eld Wilson, a political scientist at the University of Indianapolis, said she had no doubt that there will be enough Republicans in the newly drawn congressional districts to overwhelm the Democratic vote in future elections.

But she added: “When you’re connecting some of Indianapolis to some of those very rural areas, both groups are ultimately going to lose out.”

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO

Congressional candidate state Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) speaks during a campaign event in the special election for the seventh district, last month in Franklin, Tennessee.

JOHN AMIS / AP PHOTO

Republican candidate Matt Van Epps waves to supporters at a watch party after announcing victory in a special election for the U.S. 7th congressional district, last Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee.

Drumming up some holiday cheer

The Pinecrest High School Marching Band was one of the many participants in the Southern Pines

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Supreme Court questions limits on political party spending in federal elections

Conservative Supreme Court justices appeared to back a Republican-led drive, supported by President Donald Trump’s administration, to overturn a quarter-century- old decision and erase limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president. A day after the justices indicated they would overturn a 90-year- old decision limiting the president’s power to re independent agency heads, the court on Tuesday took up a 2001 decision that upheld a provision of federal election law that is more than 50 years old.

Supreme Court seems likely to back Trump’s power to re independent agency board members

The Supreme Court seems likely to expand presidential control over independent federal agencies, signaling support for President Donald Trump’s ring of board members. The court’s conservative majority suggested in arguments Monday it would overturn a 90-year-old decision that has limited when presidents can re agencies’ board members, or leave it with only its shell intact. Lawyers for the administration are defending Trump’s decision to re Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter without cause and calling on the court to jettison the unanimous 1935 decision.

Moore County Public Schools superintendent to retire in 2026

Tim Locklair will retire e ective March 1

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — Moore County Public Schools Superintendent Tim Locklair will be retiring on March 1 after serving in that role since May 2022.

“It has been an honor to serve the students, families, and sta of Moore County Schools,” Locklair said in a statement. “I am grateful for every teacher, every employee, and every community member who has embraced the MCS Way and worked together toward our shared vision of being the standard for excellence in education in North Carolina.”

A native of Moore County, Locklair was named the 202526 Regional Superintendent of the Year for the Sandhills Region in June 2025. He was also a nalist for the 2026 A. Craig

Phillips North Carolina Superintendent of the Year.

“Leadership matters, and I have been blessed to work alongside outstanding people who care deeply about our children,” said Locklair. “I am humbled by what we have accomplished together, and I passionately believe that the Moore County Schools team will continue to excel well into the future. I look forward to supporting a smooth transition as the district continues its momentum.”

Locklair’s career in education spans 31 years, including previous service in Moore County Public School as chief o cer for academics and student support services (2016). His past service in education has also included roles of teacher, coach, assistant principal and principal, and he has worked in Montgomery County Schools and Wake County Public Schools.

“We are incredibly grate-

“I am humbled by what we have accomplished together, and I passionately believe that the Moore County Schools team will continue to excel well into the future.”

Tim Locklair, Moore County Public Schools superintendent

ful for Dr. Locklair’s service, leadership, and deep love for the students and sta of Moore County Schools,” said Moore County Schools Board of Education Chair Robin Calcutt.

“His commitment to academic excellence, community engagement, and leadership development has set a strong foundation for continued success.”

Details for replacing Lock-

lair have not yet been shared, but Calcutt said, “The Board will be thoughtful and thorough in the upcoming superintendent search to ensure a seamless transition for our district.”

Under Locklair’s leadership, the district ranked in the top 10 for grade level pro ciency rates and student credential attainment in career and technical education during the 2024-25 school year. This year, the district is currently ranked seventh out of the state’s 115 districts for grade level pro ciency.

Other highlights from Locklair’s tenure include 77% of schools meeting or exceeding growth (2023-24), ve consecutive years of being designated a Purple Star District and the opening of the Moore Innovative High School in August 2025.

Locklair holds a master’s degree in school administration and a doctorate in education from East Carolina University.

Board of Education endorses Vass Carthage Road site for new school construction

The site is the most viable for the new Carthage Elementary School, according to district sta

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

CARTHAGE — The Moore County Schools Board of Education is moving forward with its nal endorsement for the location of the new Carthage Elementary School.

After months of discussion, the board voted 5-2 to endorse the Vass Carthage Road property, with David Hensley and Pauline Bruno voting against the motion

“I know a lot of time and ef-

fort has been put into this by multiple folks,” said Superintendent Tim Locklair. “I also want to thank Assistant Superintendent Jenny Purvis and her team for all the due diligence that’s been done on every parcel that’s been shared. … I respect perspectives and am certainly empathetic to them, but as a recommendation for what is overall the best piece of property, as your superintendent, I remain with the Vass-Carthage Road site.”

While multiple citizens and even the Town of Carthage Board of Commissioners urged the board to consider alternative sites that were within the Carthage town limits, the ultimate decision came down to

“This is the best decision for our taxpayers.”

Board chair Robin Calcutt

Vass Carthage Road site being the most suitable.

According to district sta , the Vass Carthage Road parcel has adequate road frontage which aligns to North Carolina Department of Transportation speci cations, has more favorable topography that will require less funding to terraform, has less tra c and is uniquely situated to allow accommodation for future capacity issues.

“This is a school funded by

the citizens of Moore County in its entirety,” said board member Ken Benway. “We appreciate what Carthage contributes absolutely, we recognize that, but this is a whole county issue. All in all, in terms of the best option for economy and the simplest approach, it’s our current parcel of land.”

Hensley and Bruno were against the motion, stating that the board was both moving too fast and not considering the wishes of the citizens.

“I’m against this,” Hensley said. “We made two promises. One is that we’d look into the concerns of the citizens that were voiced a couple of months

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Christmas Parade on Saturday.

“Join the conversation”

We stand corrected

To report an error or a suspected error, please email: corrections@nsjonline.com with “Correction request” in the subject line.

CRIME LOG

Dec. 1

• William Donnell Arnold, 42, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.

• Savion Elijah Bell, 25, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for eeing or eluding arrest with a motor vehicle, hit and run leaving scene with property damage, reckless driving, resisting public o cer, no operator’s license and failure to burn headlamps.

Dec. 2

• Johnny Lee Walden, 39, was arrested by Carthage PD for resisting public o cer.

Dec. 4

• Richard Emmett McGraw III, 39, was arrested by MCSO for misdemeanor domestic violence, interfering with emergency communication, driving while impaired, reckless driving and driving while license revoked.

• Zoee Isabela Rayon, 21, was arrested by MCSO for felony possession of cocaine, resisting public o cer, assault on government o cial or employee, possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana paraphernalia, consuming alcohol by 19/20 year old and intoxicated and disruptive.

• Seth Mackenzie Thompson, 28, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for communicating threats and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Dec. 5

Bayon Malloy, 57, was arrested by MCSO for misdemeanor larceny.

Austin Michael Warren, 26, was arrested by MCSO for tra cking in opium or heroin, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver schedule II and III controlled substances, possession of methamphetamine, maintaining vehicle/dwelling/place for controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to stop at stop sign.

Dec. 6

• Teven Kenneth Lee, 44, was arrested by MCSO for misdemeanor domestic violence.

Dec. 7

• Henry Cleveland Ledbetter Jr., 37, was arrested by Fox re Village PD for possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine, possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while license revoked and additional lighting equipment violation.

• Gary Thomas Tucker, 54, was arrested by MCSO for possession of methamphetamine, maintaining vehicle/dwelling/place for controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while license revoked, cancelled/revoked/ suspended certi cate/tag and no liability insurance.

FRIDAY

Student dies after stabbing at Winston-Salem high school

The incident at North Forsyth High School left one dead and another injured

The Associated Press

WINSTON-SALEM — A

stabbing at a central North Carolina high school Tuesday left one student dead and another injured, authorities said.

Forsyth County Sheri Bobby Kimbrough said o cers at North Forsyth High School in Winston-Salem sought assistance shortly after 11 a.m.

“We responded to an altercation between two students,”

Kimbrough said at a news conference, adding that “there was a loss of life.”

In an email to families and sta , Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools superintendent Don Phipps said one student died and another was injured.

Kimbrough said he wouldn’t take questions at the news conference, citing the ongoing investigation. Sheri ’s o ce spokesperson Krista Karcher said later that a stabbing had occurred and that the injured person was treated at a hospital and released.

ALLISON LEE ISLEY / THE WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL VIA AP

Winston-Salem Police o cers and Forsyth County Sheri ’s deputies block the gate leading to North Forsyth High School after a fatal stabbing Tuesday in WinstonSalem.

No information about potential charges was discussed at the news conference. Kimbrough said in a video posted later on social media that there was no threat to the community.

“There are no suspects that we’re looking for,” he said. “We have that part of the investigation under control.”

Gov. Josh Stein, in a message on the social media platform X, called what happened “shocking and horrible”

and said he was praying for all students and their loved ones. Phipps, who started in his post just last week, said at the news conference that it was the “worst nightmare of any educator. We hurt when our students hurt, and this is the ultimate hurt that we can possibly feel.”

North Forsyth High School will be closed Wednesday, he said, and a crisis team will be in place for sta and when students return.

New Girl Scout cookie avor debuts for 2026 season

Rocky road-inspired Exploremores joins nationwide lineup next month

Chatham News & Record sta

GIRL SCOUTS will o er a new cookie avor when the 2026 cookie season begins next month.

Exploremores, a rocky road ice cream-inspired sandwich cookie, joins the nationwide lineup alongside favorites like Thin Mints and Caramel deLites. The cookie features chocolate, marshmallow and toasted almond- avored crème.

Girl Scout Cookie booths open across 40 counties in western and central North Carolina on Jan. 16. The cookies will be available both online and in person at local booths. Customers can visit girlscoutcookies.org to sign up for noti cations when cookies go on sale in their area. Through the cookie pro -

EDUCATION from page A1

ago, and the other promise that I thought we made is that we give thoughtful consideration to the alternate locations that the town of Carthage provided. We only ever did a cursory glance.” Hensley also argued that a decision did not need to be made that day even despite preparing for the bond issue.

“What they need is the order of magnitude, so they can do the nancial analysis, they need a rough timeline of when it will be built, and none of the things they need are the site,

COURTESY GIRL SCOUTS

Exploremores, a rocky road ice cream-inspired sandwich cookie featuring chocolate, marshmallow and toasted almond- avored crème, joins the Girl Scout Cookie lineup for 2026.

gram, Girl Scouts earn skill-building badges and learn goal-setting, money management and business ethics. All proceeds from cookie sales stay with local councils and troops to fund

and none of them are the exact dollar amount,” Hensley said.

With the site now nally endorsed, district sta will work with the architects to nalize a design and site plan to prepare to place funding for the new Carthage Elementary School on a November 2026 general obligation bond.

“This is the best decision for our taxpayers,” said board chair Robin Calcutt. “We’ve done our due diligence and the bottom line is that this is the best decision for our students.”

Finally, in closing comments, Calcutt thanked Locklair for his service, as he will

programs throughout the year. Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont serves more than 4,900 girls and 3,900 adult volunteers across the region. For more information, visit girlscoutsp2p.org.

be retiring as superintendent in March of next year.

“We are proud and thankful for the leadership of Dr. Locklair and his team,” Calcutt said. “While I’m sad for us about his retirement, I’m also happy for him to have reached this opportunity to retire with honors and gratitude. We will work over the next few months to ensure a smooth transition to the new leader of our school district. This is one of the most important tasks of a board of education.”

The Moore County Schools Board of Education will next meet Jan. 12.

Here’s

Dec. 11

The Arts Council of Moore County presents the November art show, “Framing Form.” Monday-Friday:

Free Poetry Reading Club (Ages 55-plus) 11 a.m. to noon

The group meets every second Thursday of the month. Bring a copy of your favorite poem to share or bring something you have written. Free admission, light snacks provided.

E.S. Douglass Community Center 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave. Southern Pines

Kelsey Hurley Live 7- 9 p.m.

Live musical performance by Kelsey Hurley. No cover charge.

Char Bar 7 1337 W. Morganton Road Southern Pines

Dec. 12

Movie: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” 7-8:30 p.m.

Starring Chevy Chase, this movie has become a modern Christmas classic. Rated PG-13; tickets are $10.

Sunrise Theater 250 NW Broad St. Southern Pines

Village of Pinehurst Letters to Santa Noon

Santa’s mailbox o cially opens but only for a short time. Letters must be delivered to the mailbox by Dec. 15.

Community Center Lobby 210 Rattlesnake Trail Pinehurst

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

Financial health boils down to good habits being the central theme

“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”

Yogi Berra

THERE AREN’T MANY situations in life to which a good Yogi Berra quote doesn’t apply. As we head into the holiday season and 2026, it’s a great time to check in on where you are and where you are going.

Financial health boils down to good habits being the central theme. One other habit that is relevant to nancial literacy and health is the annual checkup. Just like going to the doctor each year, there are sources of potential dread in a nancial checkup — do I really want to know? Can it have gotten better with another year of age? It sure is easier to ignore problems! So just like your annual physical, if you don’t already take an annual snapshot of your nancial picture, nd some time over the holidays to do that. What that entails is up to you, but at a basic level I would suggest building your own “balance sheet” and potentially a cash ow plan for next year.

When my wife and I were planning our wedding, one of the traditions in the Catholic Church is pre-cana classes. These classes go through many of the logical issues that you would imagine the church would focus on, but they also covered the basics of a nancial plan. As we went through the session on this, it was amazing to me how many other engaged couples had no clue that their future spouse had massive credit card debts, or, in one case, that they were the bene ciary of a large trust fund. Knowing these things is really important to having any kind of a plan together, or even on your own.

Making your balance sheet is straightforward — you are looking to comprehensively total up your assets and your liabilities (or debts). Making a simple spreadsheet that lists the things you own and the amounts you owe will not only give you a good snapshot of where you are, but it also makes planning much easier in the future. You’ll start next year’s check-in from last year’s balance sheet, and the updates can be incremental that way. Moreover, your balance sheet will greatly simplify things for your heirs in the event tragedy strikes.

Starting with this snapshot, I would then suggest building a plan for next year. It can be simple — what are the big sources of funds that will come in next year, and what are the big uses of funds next year? I like to project mine monthly — I know what my paycheck should be, and what my mortgage payment and other monthly recurring expenses will be. Then I can see what I’ll have left over after the basics for more optional expenses.

As you do these over time, you will get a good picture of the progress you are making toward whatever goals you have. Progress won’t be linear — you’ll have some good years and some less good years — but by knowing where you are, you’ll have a much better chance of knowing where you are going …

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Brad Briner is the treasurer of North Carolina.

The melting pot is boiling over

Our society’s foundation isn’t the government.

IN ONE SENSE, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are the foundation of the country’s government.

The Declaration laid out the principles we aspire toward. The Constitution established the three branches of government. It contains many brilliant mechanisms to check the government’s power. The Bill of Rights o ers another layer of protection.

But mere words — even some of the most brilliant and in uential words ever written — didn’t create America’s greatness. Americans did.

Imagine you could magically impose America’s system of government in Somalia, Afghanistan or the Gaza Strip. Same Declaration of Independence. Same Constitution. Same Bill of Rights. Would it turn those Third World nations into First World successes?

Of course not. Just look at the 260,000 people of Somali descent living in America. More than 100,000 of them live in Minnesota. In recent weeks, there have been numerous stories about how Somalis in Minnesota stole billions of dollars from the government. That led to millions of dollars going to Al-Shabaab, an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group.

In one scheme, Asha Farhan Hassan created Smart Therapy, which supposedly o ered services for children with autism. She and her partners recruited Somali parents and worked to get their children fake autism diagnoses. They used that to secure Medicaid funding. Hassan then cut the parents in on the scheme.

“Several larger families left Smart Therapy after being o ered larger kickbacks by other autism centers,” the U.S. Attorney’s O ce in Minnesota wrote in a release.

Importing Somalis to America didn’t give them American values. They brought their preexisting values to America and ripped o taxpayers for billions. They brought clan rivalries from Somalia along with them as well.

Afghanistan provides another example of this. After 9/11, the United States took over the country. We spent more than $130 billion there. That’s more than America spent rebuilding Western Europe with the Marshall Plan, according to The Washington Post. The United States

even held elections in Afghanistan. But as soon as former President Joe Biden decided to surrender, the country fell to the Taliban. Despite all the money and lives lost, we couldn’t export democracy to a society with a vastly di erent history and heritage.

These di erences were punctuated by an Afghan national allegedly murdering a National Guardsman in Washington, D.C., recently.

Even democracy isn’t a cure-all. In 2006, Gaza Strip residents elected Hamas to run the region. Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre initially boosted Hamas’ favorability ratings among Palestinians.

What the Founding Fathers understood — but many modern Americans don’t — is that our society’s foundation isn’t the government. It’s the shared values, culture and history that bind individuals into citizens of a nation. Those are the pillars that uphold the government.

This is why importing millions of people who have fundamentally di erent worldviews is a terrible idea — and not just in America. Look at England. Grooming gangs raped thousands of girls over decades. Most o cials ignored the problem because the rapists were largely from Pakistan. They feared being accused of racism.

Even immigrants who support Western civilization and have Judeo-Christian values need time to assimilate. People aren’t interchangeable units of economic activity. They have religious values, customs and worldviews. Our country has an interest in making sure new arrivals learn ours. Learning English should be nonnegotiable. Those living in the same country need to be able to communicate with each other. This makes it easier to build trust and cohesion.

As of June 2025, America had more than 50 million immigrants. More than 15% of the country’s population was born elsewhere. That includes a staggering 19% of the workforce.

It’s too much. At this point, the melting pot is boiling over.

Victor Joecks is a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and host of the “Sharpening Arrows” podcast.

COLUMN | BRAD BRINER

European Union moves ahead with toughening its migration system

Countries would be able to reject asylum requests for migrants from “safe countries”

By Sam McNeil The Associated Press

BRUSSELS — European

Union o cials on Monday were nalizing a major overhaul of its migration system, including streamlined deportations and increased detentions, after years of erce debate on the issue has seen the rise of far-right political parties.

Since a surge in asylum-seekers and other migrants to Europe a decade ago, public views on the issue have shifted. EU migration policies have hardened, and the number of asylum-seekers is down from record levels. Still, U.S. President Donald Trump in recent days issued sharp criticism of the 27-nation bloc’s migration policies as part of a national se-

curity strategy painting European allies as weak.

Ministers meeting in Brussels agreed to a “safe third country” concept and a list of safe countries of origin, Danish minister Rasmus Stoklund said. That means EU nations can deny residency and deport migrants because they either hail from a safe country or could apply for asylum in one outside the EU.

“We will be able to reject people that have no reason for asylum in Europe, and then it will be possible for us to make mechanisms and procedures that enable us to return them faster,” Stoklund said. “It should not be human smugglers that control the access to Europe.”

Ministers also agreed to the formation of a “solidarity pool” to share costs of hosting refugees among member nations. The pool is meant to collect 430 million euros to disburse to countries facing greater migratory pressure, in-

“It is important to give the people also the feeling back that we have control over what is happening.”

Magnus Brunner, EU commissioner for migration

cluding Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain in southern Europe. Hungary and Poland have long opposed any obligation for countries to host migrants or pay for their upkeep.

“It is important to give the people also the feeling back that we have control over what is happening,” said Magnus Brunner, the EU’s commissioner for migration.

The European Council will now negotiate with the 720 lawmakers at the European Parliament to accept or modi-

fy the migration policy changes. Right and far-right parties are largely uni ed in supporting the changes.

Amnesty International EU advocate on migration Olivia Sundberg Diez likened the EU’s migration changes to the Trump administration’s crackdown. She called on European lawmakers to block the new measures that “will in ict deep harm on migrants and the communities that welcome them.”

French Green lawmaker Mélissa Camara called the changes “a renunciation of our fundamental values and human rights.”

In May, EU nations endorsed sweeping reforms to the bloc’s asylum system, with the European Commission issuing the new Pact on Migration and Asylum. The pact, among other things, called for increasing deportations and setting up “ return hubs,” a euphemism for deportation centers for rejected asylum-seekers.

Trump proposes reducing fuel economy requirements to lower car

Next-generation cars could be somewhat cheaper as a result

By Matthew Daly and Alexa St. John The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a proposal to weaken vehicle mileage rules for the auto industry, loosening regulatory pressure on automakers to control pollution from gasoline-powered cars and trucks.

The plan, if nalized next year, would signi cantly reduce fuel economy requirements, which set rules on how far new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of gasoline, through the 2031 model year. The administration and automakers say the rules will increase Americans’ access to the full range of gasoline vehicles they need and can a ord.

The National Highway Tra c Safety Administration projects that the new standards would set the industry eetwide average for light-duty vehicles at roughly 34.5 miles per gallon in the 2031 model year, down from a projected 50.4 miles per gallon in 2031 under the Biden-era rule.

The move is the latest action by the Trump administration to reverse Biden-era policies

that encouraged cleaner-running cars and trucks, including electric vehicles, and it sparked criticism from environmental groups. Burning gasoline for vehicles is a major contributor to planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

“From day one I’ve been taking action to make buying a car more a ordable.” Trump said at a White House event that included top executives from two of the largest U.S. automakers. The rule reverses a Biden-era policy that “forced automakers to build cars using expensive technologies that drove up costs, drove up prices and made the car much worse,” Trump said.

Automakers applaud, environmentalists decry rule change

The action is expected to save consumers about $1,000 o the price of a new car, Trump said. New cars sold for an average of $49,766 in October, according to Kelley Blue Book.

Automakers applauded the planned changes, which came amid industry complaints that the Biden-era rules were dicult to meet.

Ford CEO Jim Farley said the planned rollback was “a win for customers and common sense.”

“As America’s largest auto producer, we appreciate

prices

President Trump’s leadership in aligning fuel economy standards with market realities. We can make real progress on carbon emissions and energy eciency while still giving customers choice and a ordability,” he said.

Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa said the automaker appreciates the administration’s actions to “realign” the mileage standards “with real world market conditions.”

Since taking o ce in January, Trump has relaxed auto tailpipe emissions rules, repealed nes for automakers that do not meet federal mileage standards and terminated consumer credits of up to $7,500 for EV purchases.

Environmentalists decried the rollback.

“In one stroke Trump is worsening three of our nation’s most vexing problems: the thirst for oil, high gas pump costs and global warming,” said Dan Becker, director of the Safe Climate Transport Campaign for the Center for Biological Diversity.

“Gutting the (gas-mileage) program will make cars burn more gas and American families burn more cash,’’ said Katherine García, director of the Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All program. “This rollback would move the auto industry backwards, keeping polluting cars on our roads for

years to come and threatening the health of millions of Americans, particularly children and the elderly.”

“People want the gasoline car”

Trump has repeatedly pledged to end what he calls an EV “mandate,” referring to Democratic President Joe Biden’s target that half of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030. EVs accounted for about 8% of new vehicle sales in the United States in 2024, according to Cox Automotive.

Trump called Democrats’ efforts to promote EVs “insane,” adding, “People want the gasoline car.”

No federal policy has required auto companies to sell EVs, although California and other states have imposed rules requiring that all new passenger vehicles sold in the state be zero-emission by 2035. Trump and congressional Republicans blocked the California law earlier this year.

Transportation Secretary Sean Du y urged his agency to reverse existing fuel economy requirements, known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, soon after taking o ce. In June, he said that standards set under Biden were illegal because they included use of electric vehicles

The EU wouldn’t set up or manage such “return hubs,” which could be in Europe or elsewhere, but would create the legal framework to allow states to negotiate with non-EU countries willing to take rejected asylum-seekers.

Nations like Austria and Denmark likely will seek partners to host such costly and legally murky centers, said Camille Le Coz, director of the Migration Policy Institute Europe think tank, pointing to the deal the Netherlands struck in September with Uganda to host refugees.

Such centers di er from the existing but so far ine ective deal signed by Italy with Albania to o shore the asylum processing of migrants rescued at sea. At the time, the contentious plan was applauded by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as an “out-of-the-box” solution to manage irregular migration, but courts in Italy have repeatedly blocked it.

Mainstream political parties hope the pact on migration resolves the issues that have divided EU nations since well over 1 million migrants swept into Europe in 2015, most of them eeing war in Syria and Iraq.

in their calculation. EVs do not run on gasoline. After the June rule revision, the tra c safety administration was empowered to update the requirements.

The new rules “are going to allow the automakers to make vehicles that Americans want to purchase, not vehicles that Joe Biden and (former Transportation Secretary Pete) Buttigieg want to build,” Du y said Wednesday. Under Biden, automakers were required to average about 50 miles per gallon of gas for passenger cars by 2031, compared with about 39 miles per gallon today. The Biden administration also increased fuel-economy requirements by 2% each year for light-duty vehicles in every model year from 2027 to 2031, and 2% per year for SUVs and other light trucks from 2029 to 2031. At the same time, it called for stringent tailpipe rules meant to encourage EV adoption.

The 2024 standards would have saved 14 billion gallons of gasoline from being burned by 2050, according to the trafc safety administration’s 2024 calculations. Abandoning them means that in 2035, cars could produce 22,111 more tons of carbon dioxide per year than under the Biden-era rules. It also means an extra 90 tons a year of deadly soot particles and 4,870 additional tons a year of smog components such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds going into the air in coming years. Mileage rules have been implemented since the 1970s energy crisis, and over time, automakers have gradually increased their vehicles’ average e ciency.

MOORE SPORTS

All 3 boys’ teams notch rst wins of season

North State Journal sta

NORTH MOORE’S boys’ basketball team posted its rst win of the season, 52-47 at Trinity. Senior Isaac Parsons led the way with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Blake Pennington added 14 points and four steals. Junior Britton Yow had 11 points and eight boards.

The Mustangs are 1-1 and have games this week with Chatham Central, a home-and-home with American Leadership Academy and a road game at Wheatmore.

The North Moore girls are 0-2 after a 45-25 loss at Trinity. Sophomore Rylee Welch had 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs also have games this week with Chatham Central, at American Leadership Academy and at Wheatmore.

The Union Pines boys also got their rst win, beating Montgomery 75-63. It came after a 80-71 loss at Westover earlier in the week. Senior Kingsley Donaldson had 36 points, 20 rebounds and ve blocks in the win and 13 points and 15 boards in the earlier game. Junior Treshaun Gore also had a 22-point night.

The Vikings are 1-4. They play at West Johnston in the league opener this week before hosting Pinecrest.

The Union Pines girls’ team

is 3-1 after a 56-19 win over Montgomery. They also play at West Johnston in the league opener this week before hosting Pinecrest.

The Pinecrest boys also broke into the win column last week with a 67-57 win over Terry Sanford. Sophomore Rudd Sutton had 17 points, while junior Gavin Washington added 14. The 1-2 Patriots travel to South View and Union Pines, with a home game against E.E. Smith in between.

The Pinecrest girls didn’t play last week and take their 2-2 mark into games this week at South View, Uwharrie Charter and Union Pines, as well as at home against Smith.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Keira Rosenmarkle

Union Pines, volleyball

Keira Rosenmarkle is a senior on the Union Pines volleyball team. Rosenmarkle was third in the Carolina Pines 6A conference in serving aces and was in the top 10 in the state in class 6A for kills and hitting percentage. Laney was chosen for the North Carolina Volleyball Coaches Association All-Star Game, held last weekend, and she helped lead the East team to a win. She has also signed with Liberty to continue playing volleyball at the next level.

Another must-watch moment for Jordan as NBA great testi es at NASCAR trial

The 23XI racing co-owner attracted attention by taking the stand

By Jenna Fryer

The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — Michael Jordan has had a lifetime of big moments. His latest came on the witness stand in a federal courthouse.

The retired NBA great testi ed against NASCAR in an antitrust case he is pursuing against the stock car series on behalf of his race team, 23XI Racing, along with Front Row Motorsports. Both want to force NASCAR to change the way it does business with its teams, accusing it of monopolistic behavior.

“Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity,” the soft-spoken Jordan told the jury. “I felt I could challenge NASCAR as a whole.”

It was a di erent role for the 62-year-old Jordan, known best for the six NBA titles he won with the Chicago Bulls and his business interests in retirement, including his still relatively new role as a NASCAR team co-owner with three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin.

Dressed in a dark blue suit, Jordan slowly headed to the stand for the afternoon session, adjusted the seat for his 6-foot- 6 frame and settled in. Those in the packed courtroom hung on every word.

Jordan said he grew up a NASCAR fan, attending races at 11 or 12 with his family at tracks in Charlotte and Rockingham in his home state but also at Darlington in South Carolina and the Talladega superspeedway in Alabama.

“We called it a weekend vacation,” he said. There were moments of levity on a dramatic day of testimony that also included Heather Gibbs, the daughter-in-law of team owner and NFL Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs. People were turned away from the courtroom and U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell couldn’t help but notice the high attendance in front of him as well as an over ow room nearby. “I take it Mr. Jordan is the

next witness,” Bell quipped. Outside the courthouse in downtown Charlotte, a crowd gathered for the rst time this week for a chance to see Jordan. One woman screamed “Oh my God, Mike! You are an icon, you the best, you the best to do it in the NBA!” Another claimed to have played golf and cards with Jordan acquaintances while asking Jordan to pose for a photo with his daughters.

Jordan said, “Man, it’s cold out here for you guys” before

complimenting the two girls on their Nike-branded hoodies. A spectator held a sign that read “NASCAR Your Fans Deserve Better” and Hamlin turned to him and said, “You’re right” as they tried to make their way through the throng to a caravan of waiting SUVs. On the witness stand, Jordan noted he was an early fan of Richard Petty, like his dad. He later gravitated to Cale Yarborough, “the original No. 11. Sorry, Denny,” Jordan testi ed as Ham-

“Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity.”

Michael Jordan

lin watched from the gallery. Jordan was asked to outline his career, noting his time with the Bulls and adding he remains a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets. Did he play anywhere else?

“I try to forget it but I did,” said Jordan, who played for the Washington Wizards in a mostly forgettable return to the NBA after his championship runs with the Bulls.

But Jordan spent most of his time making clear why he was in court suing the series he loves over the charters that guarantee teams revenue and access to Cup Series races. Among other things, the plainti s want the charters made permanent, which NASCAR has balked at.

“Look, we saw the economics wasn’t really bene cial to the teams,” Jordan testi ed, adding: “The thing I see in NASCAR that I think is absent is a shared responsibility of growth as well as loss.”

As the session wound down, defense attorney Lawrence Buterman noted the novelty of cross-examining an icon like Jordan, closing with the comment: “Thank you for making my 9-year-old think I’m cool today.”

“You’re not wearing any Jordans today,” Jordan replied. When he was dismissed from the stand, he said “whew” and made his way back to the seat in the front row he’s occupied all week.

DAVID SINCLAIR FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Gavin Washington (14) launches from outside as Pinecrest beat Terry Sanford.

JENNA FRYER / AP PHOTO Michael Jordan arrives in the Western District of North Carolina for the start of the antitrust trial between 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR in Charlotte.

Jason Rondel Lee

Feb. 15, 1984 – Dec. 4, 2025

Jason Rondel Lee, age 41, of Pinehurst, NC, passed away peacefully on December 4, surrounded by his family and close friends. Jason showed incredible strength and grace throughout his ght with colon cancer, meeting every challenge with courage.

Born in Pinehurst, NC, Jason was the beloved son of Jerry Lee and Lynn Lee and spent his childhood loving all sports, especially baseball and cross country. Jason built lifelong friendships during his school years, often centered around his love for sports.

Jason went on to earn a scholarship and graduate from East Carolina University, where he ran cross country and was a proud member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, also serving as President, before returning home to work in the family business, Lee Electrical Construction, LLC. Dedicated and hardworking, he later earned his MBA from East Carolina University, preparing him for leadership within the company. Jason went on to run the organization, serving

Shirley Easterling

March 9, 1951 – Dec. 6, 2025

Shirley Easterling, 71, of Maxton, departed this life on December 6, 2025. A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at New Holly United Methodist Church, Dillon. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. A viewing and visitation will be held from 1-4 p.m. on Friday, December 12, 2025, at The Kenneth M. Purcell Memorial Chapel. Services are entrusted to Purcell Funeral Home & Cremation Services.

as President of Lee Electrical Construction, LLC, now a division of Quanta Services, where he led with vision, integrity, and deep pride in the family legacy.

Jason married the love of his life, Meagan, and together they built a beautiful family. He was a devoted husband and the proud father of two daughters, Eloise and Charlotte, who were his greatest joy.

Jason loved spending time with his friends, enjoyed a good East Carolina tailgate, serving in the community as a member of the Moore County Business Advisory Committee and treasured any chance to play golf at CCNC and Eagle Point with his many gol ng buddies. These moments brought him laughter, connection, and deep happiness.

He will be remembered for his strength, loyalty, quiet generosity, and his fun-loving nature and great sense of humor, which brought joy to everyone around him.

Jason is survived by his loving wife, Meagan; his daughters, Eloise and Charlotte; his parents, Jerry Lee and Lynn Lee; his sisters, Michelle, Christy, and Amber; and his grandmothers, Julia Lee and Myrta Davis. He is preceded in death by his grandfathers, Robert Lee and M.T. Davis.

Visitation Monday, December 8, 5-7 p.m.

Boles Funeral Home, 425 W Pennsylvania Ave, Southern Pines, NC 28387

Service

Tuesday, December 9, 1 p.m.

Grace Church, 1519 Luther Way, Southern Pines, NC 28387

In lieu of owers, the family welcomes donations to the East Carolina Pirate Club or The Fallen Lineman Foundation.

Malilya Womble

Feb. 3, 1981 – Dec. 5, 2025

Ms. Malilya Womble, 44, of Atlanta, Georgia (formerly of Sanford, NC) entered into eternal rest on Friday, December 5, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Please keep the family and friends of Ms. Malilya Womble in your thoughts and prayers. The family will host their own local Celebration of Life at a later date and time.

Courtesy Local Announcement by McLeod Funeral Home of Sanford, North Carolina.

Funeral Arrangements: Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home, Inc., 1003 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW, Atlanta, GA 30310Phone: (404) 758-1731.

Don Warren

March 22, 1935 –Dec. 2, 2025

Don was born in Brooklyn, NY, on 03/22/1935. He graduated from Midwood HS and received a BS and DDS from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He completed an NIH clinical fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania and also received an MS and a PhD during his four years there.

Don served as an o cer in the US Army Reserve for 7 years. He joined the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1963 and in 1980 was named Kenan Professor. In 1993 he was given the O Max Garner award, which is recognition for “a lifetime contribution to humanity” that

Mary Bullins

June 5, 1940 – Dec. 6, 2025

Mary Douglas Bullins, age 85, of Lakeview, passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at FirstHealth Hospice House, surrounded by her family.

A Graveside Service will be held on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 2 p.m. at Lakeview Cemetery with Pastor John Brown o ciating.

Mary was born in Yadkin County, North Carolina to the late Neal Douglas and Hallie Perdue Douglas. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Je Bullins, brother, Neal Douglas, one grandson, Jesse Ring Jr.

She is survived by her children, Eddie Fore (Betty) of Lakeview, Michael Roberts (Bonnie) of Carthage, Teresa Roberts (Larry) of Wake Forrest, Billy Fore (Norma) of WinstonSalem, Mary Beth Evans (Dan) of Lakeview, sister, Nora Phillips of Carthage, Barbara Douglas of Sanford and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mary loved cooking, baking and canning but most of all she loved spending time with her family. She was a loving mother, grandmother, sister and friend and will be greatly missed.

is given to a faculty member within the 17 institutions of the UNC system. Don founded the UNC Craniofacial Center which became an international model for interdisciplinary health care. While at UNC, Don was one of the ve founders of the Area Health Education Centers in 1972, a program that dramatically changed the delivery of health care in North Carolina by bringing care to previously underserved rural areas.

Don developed an internationally recognized research laboratory that studied the aerodynamics of speech production and breathing in individuals with Craniofacial disorders as well as non-a ected individuals. Don lectured extensively in Europe, Asia, Oceania and the Middle East and served as Visiting Professor at Showa University in Japan, University of San Paulo in Brazil, Trinity College in Ireland and Kuopio University in Finland where he collaborated with local scientists over a 15 year period studying breathing and speech in children living near the Arctic Circle, an area less a ected by industrial pollution. He received “Honors” from the American Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Association and served as its president. Don

Albert Guistino Franchi

May 5, 1948 – Dec. 2, 2025

Albert Guistino Franchi, 77, of Pinehurst, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at FirstHealth Hospice House. A native of New Jersey, Albert was the son of the late Albert and Pauline Newsome Franchi. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Patricia Franchi.

Albert was a proud United States Marine and a recipient of the Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam. His bravery, resilience, and devotion to his fellow Marines remained a de ning part of his life. Albert had a deep love for golf and an even deeper a ection for Pinehurst. For the past ten years, he embraced life in the Sandhills, spending countless happy hours on the golf courses he cherished so much.

Albert is survived by his daughter, Lisa Hartman (James) of Moorestown, New Jersey; beloved grandchildren, Brandon, Brianna, and Brian; and a loved cousin, Joe Franchi (Dusty) of Gloucester City, New Jersey. A private interment will take place at Pinelawn Memorial Park, Southern Pines. In lieu of owers, donations may be made to Meals on Wheels of the Sandhills, 1975 Juniper Lake Road, West End, NC 27376.

also received “Honors” from the American Speech, Hearing and Language Association, the Angle Orthodontic Society, as well as an honorary Doctoral degree from Kuopio University in Finland. After retiring, he moved to a farm in Southern Pines, NC, and with his wife purchased Cabin Branch Tack Shop. Don’s position, as described by his wife, was to “peddle tack and saddles” out of their mobile unit at horse shows and events throughout NC. In 1998, Don served as President of the American Equestrian Trade Association, an international organization that represented manufacturers, retailers and salespeople in the equestrian trade. Don rode with the Triangle Hunt and served on their Board. He was a founding member of the Red Mountain Foxhounds and served as president. After moving to Southern Pines, he rode with the Moore County Hounds. He was predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Priscilla ( Perci). Don is survived by his son Don (Amy), his son Michael (Trish), six grandchildren, one greatgranddaughter, three horses, and two cats.

Services will be private, and in lieu of owers, he would prefer a donation be made to the UNC Craniofacial Center or the WMF.

Karoline “Irmgard” Funn

Nov. 22, 1935 – Dec. 3, 2025

Karoline “Irmgard” Rauscher Funn, lovingly known as “MiMa”, age 90, of Sanford, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at FirstHealth Hospice House in Pinehurst.

Karoline was born in Germany on November 22, 1935, to the late Konrad and Anna Babette Rauscher. In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by her loving husband, Rudolph Funn (Retired US Army), sister, Hilde, and brother, Hans.

She is survived by her sons, Guenter Gerhard Rauscher (Isabel) of Sanford, Norbert Rauscher of Germany, Frank Rauscher (Hella) of Germany; daughter, Marilyn Wright (Dwayne) of Michigan; six grandchildren; eight greatgrandchildren and her cat, Wednesday.

She will be buried with her husband, Rudolph Funn at Salisbury National Cemetery in Salisbury, NC. Date and time to be announced once determined.

“MiMa” was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She loved to cook and especially loved her grandchildren. She was very proud to be German and will be greatly missed by all of us.

James “Buddy” Hampton Garner

Jan. 26, 1953 – Dec. 1, 2025

James “Buddy” Hampton Garner, 72, passed away on Monday, December 1, 2025, at his home.

James was born in Chatham County but lived most of his life in Moore County. He loved the outdoors, hunting, shing or just enjoying nature. James worked in the poultry industry for many years, as a crew leader and truck driver for Perdue and Mountaire. He was a NASCAR fan and enjoyed watching a good race. Buddy loved being a grandfather and time spent with his grandchildren was most important to him. He was a son of the late James Hoover and Myrtle Martindale Garner and was preceded in death by a daughter: Denise Williams; and a brother, Danny Ray Garner.

Buddy is survived by his wife of 46 years, Rita; children: Gary Garner (Keri), Justin Garner (Makayla), Whittney Garner (Sam); grandchildren: Jayden, Tillet, Riya, Remi, Ashley; great grandchildren: Kadian, Mason, Thomas; sister: Jamie Maness (Gray); many nieces, nephews and friends.

Graveside service will be 11 a.m., Thursday, December 4, 2025, at Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church Cemetery, with Pastor Roger Ri e o ciating.

The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at Kennedy Funeral Home and at other times at the home.

George Franklin Vickers

Oct. 9, 1936 – Dec. 3, 2025

George Franklin Vickers, a decorated U.S. Army soldier, respected Hawaiian real estate broker, and devoted community servant, husband, and father, passed away on December 3, 2025, in Pinehurst, NC, surrounded by family.

George was an adoring husband, inspiring father, and caring grandfather who raised his family to love the Lord. He was married to his high school sweetheart and beloved wife of two years, Patricia. He was blessed with three daughters and their husbands, six grandchildren, and nine greatgrandchildren.

Born in West Virginia, George entered the United States Army as an enlisted infantry soldier and later graduated from Infantry O cer Candidate School. He was a “rompin stompin” Airborne Ranger serving in the Special Forces and retiring as a Lt. Colonel after 26 years of distinguished service.

George then built a successful real estate business in Hawaii, earning a reputation for having a “Midas touch” with an uncanny sense of the rhythms of the market. Later, he ful lled a lifelong dream as a professor of history at Hawaii Paci c University.

George’s commitment to service extended well beyond his military and business careers. He was charismatic leader in the Association of the United States Army (AUSA). He was active in the Military Retired O cers Association, Special Forces Association, and a Rotarian, where he was a Paul Harris Fellow.

George instilled the value of education in all he encountered. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Campbell College, a Master of Arts from the University of Missouri, and completed the University of Hawaii Executive Management Program.

George was larger than life... an American Hero. Honoring his wishes, services will be at Arlington National Cemetery.

Phillip Neil Meeks

Nov. 20, 1967 – Dec. 3, 2025

Phillip Neil Meeks, 58, of Southern Pines, passed unexpectedly at his home on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.

A North Carolinian by birth, he was the son of the late Frances and Alma. After his high school graduation, Phillip attended UNCW, where he majored in Chemistry and went on to have a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry. After leaving that world behind him, he went on to pursue many entrepreneurial endeavors, his last being a building and ooring company. Phillip had a high drive and an intellect that was second to few. He was an avid runner, completing races up to 24 hours in length in his earlier years. He was known for his gentle spirit and warm heart, tried with all that he had to do the hard things that life faces us all with. He was loved by many, kind, and caring.

Phillip is survived by his only daughter, Kaily, his sisters Jan and Karen, and Brother Andy, along with many other nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his two brothers, John and David, and nephew Gabriel.

Phillip will be missed by many on this earth. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.

Minnie Street

Jan. 27, 1946 – Dec. 3, 2025

Minnie Street, 79, formerly of Carthage, N.C., passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, at Willow Creek Rehab & Nursing Center in Goldsboro, N.C.

Michael Annett, who made 436 combined starts in NASCAR’s 3 national touring series, dead at 39

He won an X nity Series race at Daytona in 2019

The Associated Press

MOORESVILLE — Michael Annett, a former race car driver who made 436 combined starts in NASCAR’s three national touring series, has died. He was 39. JR Motorsports, one of Annett’s former teams, posted the news on social media last Friday. No cause of death was announced.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend Michael Annett,” the team wrote. “Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today.” According to NASCAR, Annett made 321 starts in the X nity Series, 158 of which came with JRM.

In 2019, Annett won the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway in the No. 1 JRM Chevrolet for his only win at the national level.

Annett, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, was also a two-time winner in the ARCA Menards Series. He won at Talladega Superspeedway in 2007

Charles Shay, D-Day veteran who saved lives on Omaha Beach, dead at 101

He was awarded the Silver Star and France’s Legion of Honor

By Sylvie Corbet

and then took the series opener at Daytona in 2008.

“NASCAR is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former NASCAR driver Michael Annett,” the racing body said in a statement. “Michael was a respected competitor whose

determination, professionalism, and positive spirit were felt by everyone in the garage. Throughout his career, he represented our sport with integrity and the passion of a true racer. NASCAR extends its condolences to Michael’s family and many

and Je

rey Schae er The Associated Press

PARIS — Charles Shay, a decorated Native American veteran who was a 19-year- old U.S. Army medic when he landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day and helped save lives, died on Wednesday. He was 101.

Shay died at his home in Bretteville-L’Orgueilleuse in France’s Normandy region, his longtime friend and carer Marie-Pascale Legrand said. Shay, of the Penobscot tribe and from Indian Island in the U.S. state of Maine, was awarded the Silver Star for repeatedly plunging into the sea and carrying critically wounded soldiers to relative safety, saving them from drowning. He also received France’s highest award, the Legion of Honor, in 2007.

Shay had been living in France since 2018, not far from the shores of Normandy where nearly 160,000 troops from Britain, the U.S., Canada and other nations landed on D-Day on June 6, 1944. The Battle of Normandy hastened Germany’s defeat, which came less than a year later.

“He passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones,” Legrand told The Associated Press.

The Charles Shay Memorial group, which honors the memory of about 500 Native Americans who landed on the Normandy beaches, said in a statement posted on Facebook that “our hearts are deeply saddened as we share that our beloved Charles Norman Shay … has returned home to the Creator and the Spirit World.”

“He was an incredibly loving father, grandfather, fatherin-law, and uncle, a hero to many, and an overall amazing human being,” the statement said. “Charles leaves a legacy of love, service, courage, spirit, duty and family that continues to shine brightly.”

Ready to give his life

On D-Day, 4,414 Allied troops lost their lives, 2,501 of them Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded. On the German side, several thousand were killed or wounded. Shay survived.

“I guess I was prepared to give my life if I had to. Fortunately, I did not have to,” Shay said in a 2024 interview with The Associated Press.

“I had been given a job, and the way I looked at it, it was up to me to complete my job,” he recalled. “I did not have time to worry about my situation of being there and perhaps losing my life. There was no time for this.”

On that night, exhausted, he eventually fell asleep in a grove above the beach.

“When I woke up in the morning. It was like I was sleeping in a graveyard because there were dead Americans and Germans surrounding me,” he recalled. “I stayed there for not very long and I continued on my way.”

Shay then pursued his mission in Normandy for several weeks, rescuing those wounded, before heading with American troops to eastern France and Germany, where he was taken prisoner in March 1945 and liberated a few weeks later.

Spreading a message of peace

After World War II, Shay reenlisted in the military because the situation of Native Americans in his home state of Maine was too precarious due to poverty and discrimination. Maine would not allow individuals living on Native American reservations to vote until 1954.

Shay continued to witness history — returning to combat as a medic during the Korean War, participating in U.S. nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands and later working at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria.

For more than 60 years, he did not talk about his WWII experience.

But he began attending D-Day commemorations in 2007, and in recent years, he has seized many occasions to give his powerful testimony and spread a message of peace.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21, Shay’s lone presence marked commemoration ceremonies as travel restrictions prevented other veterans or families of fallen soldiers from the U.S., Britain and other allied countries from making the trip to France.

Sadness at seeing war back in Europe

For years, Shay used to perform a sage-burning ceremony, in homage to those who died, on a blu overlooking Omaha Beach, where the monument bearing his name now stands.

On June 6, 2022, he handed over the remembrance task to another Native American, Julia Kelly, a Gulf War veteran from the Crow tribe. That was just over three months after Russia’s fullscale invasion of Ukraine in what was to become the worst war on the continent since 1945.

Shay then expressed his sadness at seeing war back on the continent.

“Ukraine is a very sad situation. I feel sorry for the people there and I don’t know why this war had to come,” he said. “In 1944, I landed on these beaches, and we thought we’d bring peace to the world. But it’s not possible.”

VIRGINIA MAYO / AP PHOTO

World War II and D-Day veteran Charles Norman Shay, from Maine, poses at the Charles Shay monument on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France in May 2019.

JOHN AMIS / AP PHOTO

Driver Michael Annett watches the board during qualifying for the NASCAR X nity Series auto race in Lebanon, Tennessee, in 2021.

STATE & NATION

Tennessee special election for House seat shows power of partisan gerrymandering

More states are reworking their congressional maps for political gain

By Jonathan Mattise and David A. Lieb

The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As a leader of the College Democrats at Vanderbilt University, Luci

Wingo knew the odds of a Democrat winning one of Nashville’s three U.S. House seats weren’t great. Yet her hope grew as the party mounted an aggressive campaign for its candidate, Aftyn Behn, in a special election to replace a Republican who had resigned.

In the end, high Democratic enthusiasm and millions of dollars in spending weren’t enough.

Republican Matt Van Epps won last Tuesday’s vote by 9 percentage points — a closer margin than the district’s last election, yet still a victory for the GOP that seemed all but certain based on how the district was drawn. Republicans had split the uni ed Democratic stronghold of Nashville into three GOP-leaning districts after the last census.

As states wage a mid-decade redistricting battle initiated by President Donald Trump, Tennessee’s special election illustrates the power of manipulative mapmaking and provides a window into what lies ahead in the states that are rushing to redraw their congressional maps for next year’s midterm elections.

Such gerrymandering can help parties in power maintain and even expand their majorities, but it’s also a source of frustration and anger for voters in the minority party who lose the chance to be represented by someone of their choice.

“It’s a hard battle to ght because it’s so intentional, it’s so in your face — and it’s hard to not just want to get frustrated and kind of give up,” said Wingo, a college sophomore who grew up in Nashville.

She said she’s become accustomed to what she called “purposeful pessimism.”

“We don’t try to get our hopes up too much because we kind of know the outcomes,” she said, adding that Behn’s campaign nevertheless created a surge of enthusiasm among local Democrats.

For Republicans, Nashville gerrymander worked

Nashville had been represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper for 20 years when the Republican-controlled state General Assembly decided in 2022 to use the latest census data to carve up the city in a quest to ip his seat to Republicans.

Some parts of Nashville were placed in two sprawling rural districts to the east and west, both represented by Republicans. The portion retaining

Cooper’s district number was redrawn to twist southward into another rural Republican-leaning area.

Cooper, a moderate-leaning lawmaker, decided not to seek reelection that year, and Republicans won all three seats by comfortable margins.

Republicans carried all three districts again last year. They won by 17 percentage points in Cooper’s former 5th District, by nearly 22 points in the westward 7th District — which includes downtown Nashville, well-known historically black areas and major universities — and by 36 points in the eastward 6th District.

Van Epps’ special election victory this week in the 7th Congressional District was close enough to encourage Democrats looking for momentum ahead of next year’s midterms. But it also showcased how the district remains reliably Republican thanks

“We don’t try to get our hopes up too much, because we kind of know the outcomes.”

Luci Wingo, College Democrats at Vanderbilt University

to the recent redrawing of its boundaries.

“In this case, gerrymandering worked,” said John McGlennon, a longtime professor of government at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. “But it may be at the price of seats in other places in Tennessee and around the country.”

Kevin Mittelmeier, who says he’s in the political middle, cast his ballot for Behn. He said voters’ voices won’t have much meaning as long as the districts remain the same.

“I can just see from the out-

side looking in, unbiased, it’s actually frustrating how it’s being controlled, and how it’s being dealt with, and how people of Nashville’s opinions really are taken away,” he said.

For some voters, the split-up districts remain confusing.

Maggie Tekeli brought three young children to the polls planning to vote for Behn, only to learn her Nashville home wasn’t in the 7th District.

“It’s just discouraging from a democratic process standpoint,” she said.

Gerrymandering spreading in states

What Republican mapmakers did to Nashville, they now are looking to replicate in other states as Trump pushes for mid-decade redistricting, which he hopes will lead to his party maintaining its majority in the U.S. House next year.

In Texas, the rst to answer Trump’s call, Republican lawmakers redrew congressional district boundaries in Dallas, Fort Worth and their suburbs to extend a Democratic seat into a Republican region far outside the metro area.

In Missouri, Republican ocials approved a new U.S. House map that shaves o portions of a Democratic-held seat in Kansas City into two rural Republican-held districts and stretches the remainder of the seat eastward into another predominantly Republican area.

O cials in North Carolina and Ohio also approved new U.S. House maps intended to boost Republican chances of winning additional seats.

Democrats countered with their own gerrymandering in California. Voters in November approved a new Democratic-drawn congressional map that merges farming

and ranching areas favoring Republicans with some of the state’s wealthiest and most liberal coastal communities.

Some residents in each of those states expressed concern about being adequately represented under the new districts. But that didn’t deter the politicians from drawing the maps because the stakes are so high. Democrats need a net gain of just three seats in next year’s midterms to win control of the U.S. House and break a Republican grip on power that has enabled Trump to advance his agenda.

Indianapolis could become another Nashville

The splintering of Nashville from one Democratic congressional district into three that favor Republicans is a mirror of what’s being debated by Republicans in Indiana, which could be the next state to act on partisan redistricting.

Republicans currently hold seven of the state’s nine U.S. House seats. But a proposal in the Republican-led state General Assembly would give the GOP a shot at winning all nine seats. Under the plan, a congressional district for the state’s largest city, Indianapolis, would be split up and grafted onto four Republican-leaning districts. The district has been represented for the past 17 years by Democratic Rep. André Carson, the state’s lone black member of Congress.

His district would be stretched southeast to the border with Kentucky and Ohio, combining residents of the state’s largest city with those in its least populated county. Another district would span westward to the Illinois border.

During a public hearing this week, Democratic state Rep. Robin Shackleford warned colleagues that the redrawn congressional districts would “be crippling” for her Indianapolis constituents.

“These maps crack apart historic black neighborhoods, weakening our voting power and silencing the voices of the very people who are already ghting the hardest for economic stability, safer streets, better schools and access to affordable health care,” she said.

Yet the revised districts, if approved, appear likely to accomplish their purpose of boosting Republican representation in Congress.

Laura Merri eld Wilson, a political scientist at the University of Indianapolis, said she had no doubt that there will be enough Republicans in the newly drawn congressional districts to overwhelm the Democratic vote in future elections.

But she added: “When you’re connecting some of Indianapolis to some of those very rural areas, both groups are ultimately going to lose out.”

GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO

Congressional candidate state Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) speaks during a campaign event in the special election for the seventh district, last month in Franklin, Tennessee.

JOHN AMIS / AP PHOTO

Republican candidate Matt Van Epps waves to supporters at a watch party after announcing victory in a special election for the U.S. 7th congressional district, last Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee.