Former UNC star and Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) was harrassed throughout Super Bowl 60 by the Seahawks’ defense — including former NC State linebacker Drake Thomas (42) — in Seattle’s dominant 29-13 win Sunday in Santa Clara, California. The North Carolina natives — Thomas is from Wake Forest, while Maye grew up in Huntersville — went head to head once before, with Thomas again coming out on top as the Wolfpack beat the Tar Heels in 2022. See more in Sports.
“Walk for Peace” concludes in D.C. Washington, D.C.
A group of Buddhist monks reached Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, walking single le across a bridge over the Potomac River to cap a 15 -week trek from Texas that has captivated the country. The monks have become xtures on social media, along with their rescue dog Aloka. After spending Monday night in Arlington, Virginia, they crossed over the Chain Bridge into the District of Columbia shortly after 8 a.m. The monks’ trek included about two weeks through North Carolina in January, including passings through Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh.
Democrats call White House ICE o er “insu cient” Washington, D.C. Democratic leaders say a proposal from the White House is “incomplete and insu cient” as they are demanding new restrictions on President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and threatening a shutdown of the Homeland Security Department.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Je ries, both of New York, said in a statement late Monday that a White House counterproposal to the list of demands they transmitted over the weekend “included neither details nor legislative text” and does not address “the concerns Americans have about ICE’s lawless conduct.”
Margot Dupre’s name will appear on Republican primary ballots, but votes for her won’t be counted
Overall o enses were down but violent crime rose 20.8%
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
RALEIGH — The State Board of Education received the annual K-12 school crime report during its meeting last week. The board also called for sweeping pay raises for all sta , including nonteaching and administrative sta , as well as a moratorium on funding for
the Opportunity Scholarship program that gives grants to students to attend the private school of their choice.
Michael Maher, chief accountability o cer for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, delivered the crime report presentation to the board. He noted the school crime report has been given a new title — “Annual Report Discipline, Alternative Learning Placement, and Dropout,” or DALD for short.
See CRIME, page A3
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
RALEIGH — The State Board of Elections voted to uphold the challenge of Margot Dupre as a North Carolina U.S. Senate candidate, meaning her name will still appear on the ballot in March but any votes for her will not be counted.
The State Board of Elections (NCSBE) voted 3-1 to disqualify Dupre, with Siobahn Millen as the lone vote against. The board told Dupre she could potentially run as an una liated or write-in candidate in the general election but would have to x her registration issues and gather the required signatures.
Dupre is one of several Republicans seeking to become the party’s nominee to replace Sen. Thom Tillis. Other Republican candidates include former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, Donald M. (Don) Brown, Thomas Johnson, Michele Morrow and Elizabeth A. Temple.
The White House proposal was not released publicly. The Democrats’ statement comes as time is running short, with another partial government shutdown threatening to begin Saturday.
A judge refused the injunction request Monday
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
RALEIGH — The College Democrats of North Carolina are leading a lawsuit over the State Board of Elections removal of on-campus early voting sites at three of the state’s college campuses. The complaint, led for the plainti s by Patterson Harkavy LLP attorney Narendra K. Ghosh and attorneys with the Elias Law Group, seeks a preliminary injunction. The Elias Law Group is run by former Hillary Clinton presidential campaign attorney Marc Elias.
At its meeting last month, the board voted 3-2 down party lines to cut certain early in-person voting sites from three schools: North Carolina A&T, UNC Greensboro and Western Carolina.
Students attended the meeting to protest, and social media posts by “In uence NC” promoted busing options for students at NC A&T to attend the meeting. In uence NC did not respond to North State Journal’s inquiry about whether they funded the buses directly. The lawsuit claims the removal of polling locations is unconstitutional in that it restricts the right to vote based on age. The ling alleges the closures violate the First and
“At WCU, the on-campus early voting site has served the highest proportion of same-day registrants of any site in all of North Carolina.” College Democrats of North Carolina lawsuit
De nitions are important. Who is my neighbor? What is it to love my neighbor? If we can make “neighbor” mean just a little set of people, our own set; and if we can de ne “love” to suit our own sel sh notions, it will be comparatively easy to pray, “Lord, incline our hearts to keep this law.” But Scripture does not yield itself to our interpretation in this way. We cannot take its words, as the potter takes the clay, and mold them to suit our pleasure. Both neighbor and love are clearly de ned in the Bible.
It once happened that a certain man asked Jesus who his neighbor was, and we have the answer in the parable of the Good Samaritan. A neighbor is anyone who is near us and is in any need, distress, or danger. He could be the worst man in the land, outlawed by his own sins — he is still our neighbor, the man the commandment bids us to love. We would be willing enough to love our neighbors, if we could choose them — but this we cannot do. We must let God choose the particular neighbor He wants us to love.
What is it to love our neighbor? It is the loving that is hard. We could do almost anything else, short of loving unpleasant neighbors.
But love is the word, and no revised version changes it. No matter how disagreeable, unlovely, unworthy, our neighbors for the time may be, still the commandment persistently and relentlessly says to us, “You shall love him.”
Our neighbors are about us all the time, needing our love. Indeed, they touch our lives so continually, that we must guard our every look, word, and act — lest we hurt some sensitive spirit.
Some people seem to forget that other people have feelings. They are constantly saying words and doing things which give pain. True love is thoughtful. We must train our hearts to never jokingly give pain to any other human being. Our neighbors have hearts, and we owe to every one of them — the beggar we meet on the street, the poor wretch we nd crawling in the mire of sin’s debasement, the enemy who ings his insults in our face — to everyone, we owe the love that is thoughtful, gentle, and gives no hurt.
Our love ought also to be patient. Our neighbor may have his faults. But we are taught to bear with one another’s in rmities. If we knew the story of men’s lives, the hidden burdens they are often carrying for others, the unhealed wound in their heart — we would have most gentle patience with them. Life is hard for most people, certainly hard enough without our adding to its burdens.
“Your neighbor” is any man, woman, or child, of whatever character, condition, nation, or religion, whom God may place near you in need.
But there is an inner circle. There is a brotherhood in Christ that is closer still. We are to do good to all men, especially to those who are of the household of faith. That does not mean, merely one’s own particular church.
One who went up in a balloon said that as he arose, the fences that divided the country into elds and farms faded out, until soon he saw only one great, wide, beautiful landscape of meadow and eld and forest, with winding stream and river, shining in rich loveliness beneath the pure skies. So it is, as we rise nearer to God in love and
faith and Christian experience. The fences that divide God’s great church into ecclesiastical farms and pasture elds, grow smaller and smaller, until at last they vanish altogether; and we see only one wide, holy, Christlike church. All true Christians are one in Christ. Most di erences of denominationalism are but of minor importance, in comparison with the love of Christ, the cross, the Bible, and heaven — which all true Christians have in common. We should learn to love one another as Christians; love soon breaks down the fences. We should comfort one another and help one another, on the way home.
J. R. Miller 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.
COLA adjustments, preferred provider contracts and strong borrowing headroom for the state were all discussed
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
RALEIGH — January updates from the North Carolina State Treasurer’s O ce included key topics such as retiree cost-of-living adjustments, provider strategies for the State Health Plan and a positive report on the state’s debt a ordability outlook.
On Jan. 29, the North Carolina Retirement Systems (NCRS) Board of Trustees approved modi cations to policies aimed at facilitating cost-of-living (COLA) adjustments for retirees in the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System (TSERS) and the Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System (LGERS), potentially starting in scal year 2027.
For TSERS, the board directed sta to develop proposals to produce year-to-year recommendations for COLAs based on “su cient” investment gains. The current approach requires all gains be put toward reducing unfunded liabilities. COLA changes require legislative approval, but the General Assem-
The NCSBE spent more than three hours hearing evidence, testimony and debating the points of fact in the case before voting to disqualify Dupre on Feb. 4.
Key points of fact determined by the NCSBE included not having a North Carolina driver’s license and maintaining a residence in Florida.
Additionally, Fayetteville resident Jerry Reinoehl’s challenge to Dupre’s candidacy was a core fact the NCSBE debated. He challenged Dupre on a claim she had not met state residency requirements to run.
Dupre’s North Carolina voter registration and her Senate candidate paperwork both list her home address as 601 S. Kings Drive in Charlotte,
bly has not granted approval for a COLA change since 2017, according to a press release by Treasurer Brad Briner’s o ce.
For LGERS, the board held a separate vote authorizing the use of su cient investment gains for COLAs or supplemental increases without increasing employer contribution rates.
The board also approved recommended employer contribution rates for the scal year ending 2027. The recommended rates included:
• TSERS, 17.49% of employee compensation
• Consolidated Judicial Retirement System, 40.68% of employee compensation
which is a UPS Store located in a Charlotte strip mall. State law requires voter registration to be one’s actual residence, and a mailing address such as the UPS Store or a P.O. Box does not qualify.
The NCSBE noted that before registering to vote in North Carolina, Dupre was registered and voted by mail in Idaho (2024), where she also ran for an o ce, as well as voting in the Florida primary in Ocala, Florida (2025).
Dupre had said she had been living in her “glamper” — a portmanteau of glamour and camper — at the time she registered to vote and had used it to travel around the state until wintry weather hit. She admitted the camper is now parked at her property in Florida and currently occupied
• Legislative Retirement System, 17.87% of employee compensation
• Disability Income Plan of North Carolina, 0.06% of employee compensation
• North Carolina National Guard Pension Fund, in the amount of $1,173,123
The State Health Plan’s (SHP) Board of Trustees also met Jan. 29, moving Phase One of its “Preferred Provider Strategy” forward by approving contracts with three clinically integrated networks (CINs): Aledade, Community Care Physician Network and UNC Health Alliance.
The contracts involved with
by some of her adult children.
Millen argued Dupre’s nomadic existence should bar her from voting and hesitated to disqualify her.
Member Bob Rucho pointed out that even if she was claiming the camper as her domicile, she would have to actually be living out of it, and that was not happening since it is parked in Florida.
Regarding the Florida residence in Ocala, it was documented she has a “homestead exemption” as a co-owner of that home, where her horses are also located.
Questions also arose surrounding Dupre’s realtor license, which is still valid and active in Florida.
Dupre repeatedly invoked a section of state law to defend her use of the UPS Store ad-
those providers total more than $3 million.
Aledade North Carolina Market President Alex Mullineaux called the move a “win-win.”
“This e ort shows that investing in independent primary care is a win-win for North Carolina physicians and state employees — demonstrating that incentivizing preventive care keeps employees healthy, ensures access to care statewide and saves money for the system in the long run,” said Mullineaux.
According to the presentation given to the SHP Board, the Preferred Provider Strategy would seek to enhance member health outcomes, improve care coordination, reduce overall costs through quality-based incentives and greater transparency, and provide lower copays, ranging from $10 to $15 depending on plan type.
For members using preferred providers, which include about 4,500 providers statewide. The strategy reduces administrative burdens, such as prior authorizations, particularly for smaller and rural providers.
The presentation also noted that Phase Two will focus on maternity, dermatology and independent pharmacies.
“In 2025, we had a revenue problem. In 2026, we have a cost problem,” said Briner, who chairs the SHP Board of Trustees. “This preferred provider strategy is one of the tools we are
dress that deals with nontraditional residences.
“In the event that a person’s residence is not a traditional residence associated with real property, then the location of the usual sleeping area for that person shall be controlling as to the residency of that person,” the statute reads. “Residence shall be broadly construed to provide all persons with the opportunity to register and to vote, including stating a mailing address di erent from residence address.”
In her closing arguments, Dupre called the proceeding a “political move.”
“I am not here illegally. I am an American citizen. I have chosen N.C. as my home,” Dupre said. “There is nothing illegal here.”
The NCSBE was also hes-
using to confront that challenge head-on — by rewarding quality, improving coordination of care and bending the cost curve in a way that aims to protect our members.”
The new strategy follows the Dec. 31, 2025, end of the previous Clear Pricing Project, instituted under Briner’s predecessor, Dale Folwell.
A few days prior, on Jan. 27, the Debt A ordability Advisory Committee (DAAC), also chaired by Briner, approved its annual report, concluding that North Carolina maintains signi cant borrowing capacity due to its triple-A credit rating and conservative debt management. According to the press release, the DAAC report says that over the next 10 years, the state could borrow “nearly $2 billion” for capital projects and “$155 million annually for transportation projects.”
“The study determined the General Fund debt capacity is $11.68 billion in 2026, or $1.93 billion annually if spread equally over the next 10 years,” the press release reads. “The Highway Trust Fund debt capacity is $920 million in 2026, or $155 million if spread in equal amounts over the next 10 years.” Without new debt issuance, general fund debt service is projected to decline by more than 85% and be eliminated by June 30, 2039, according to the report.
The DAAC annual report serves as guidance for both the governor and lawmakers on debt management and spending priorities.
itant to speculate on whether Dupre would remain a resident of the state up through the November general election. Dupre’s voting and campaign record over the past two years in multiple states was a likely anchor for that hesitation.
In 2024, Dupre ran for Idaho’s 1st Congressional District and voted by mail from Florida in those elections. The following year, she voted in Florida primaries, and in 2020, she ran for U.S. Senate in Colorado.
During the hearing, no party involved asked Dupre about how long she stayed in the other states after an election or campaign. It also went unasked if she used a P.O. Box or UPS Store as her address, or if she claimed her camper as her residence during those instances.
There were more than 380,000 credentials earned in 2024-25, up from 325,000 the year before
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
RALEIGH — The dramatic increase in North Carolina student Career and Technical Education credentialing gains was highlighted during the State Board of Education meeting held last Wednesday.
According to the Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Credential Data attainment report, students in the state earned 382,964 CTE credentials in 2024-25 — a 17.8% increase over the previous record of 325,000 under former State Superintendent Catherine Truitt.
The report says CTE students have “earned and reported 2,992,831 credentials since the 2010-2011 academic year.”
O cials with the N.C. Department of Public Instruction said more than 550,000 students took CTE classes during 2024-25, with some of them taking more than one class. The biggest growth areas were seen in trade skills like construction, but health care, which had a rate of 79% last year, was also up from 23% the year before.
State Superintendent Mo Green lauded the achievement alongside sta and superintendents from other districts during a Feb. 4 press conference. He said the CTE credentialing was “part of our e ort to be recognized as having best educational system by 2030.”
“The record amount of credentials represents real opportunities for our students,” said Green. “When a student earns an industry-recognized credential, they’re not just completing a course, they are gaining a competitive advantage in the job market and building a foundation
for long-term career success.”
The other speakers included Trey Michael, senior director of the O ce of Career and Technical Education; Nancy Cross, assistant director of CTE Reporting and Support Services; Stephen Gainey, superintendent of the Randolph County School System; Brad Breedlove, superintendent of Pender County Schools; and April Thompson, CTE director of Lexington City Schools.
Green and other speakers reiterated other CTE metrics included in a Department of Public Instruction press release, including that more than 98% of CTE students have graduated on time and statewide CTE attainment had increased 6.9% over the previous year.
The report also says more
Maher prefaced the report’s statistics by warning of “conrmation bias” in social media posts, news articles and other reports on violence in schools.
“Students and educators deserve safe places to teach, learn and grow,” State Superintendent Mo Green said in a press release. “While there is still work to be done to address instances of reportable criminal o enses, it is good to know that the vast majority of our schools experience a minimal amount of such acts and that more than 99% of our public school students are not committing these acts.
“It is also encouraging to see the downward trend of not only in those o enses, but also declines in suspensions and dropouts, as we know how critical being in school is to student success.”
The number of overall reportable crimes dropped by 794 acts, going from 11,962 in 2023-24 to 11,168 in 2024-25. Of the total number of acts of violent and reportable crimes committed last year, 11,439
62%
Percentage of reportable acts that were for possession of controlled substances
were by students and 41 nonstudent o enders.
This year’s report shows the number of reportable acts decreased, but gures for assault causing serious injury spiked by more than 142% last year, going from 37 acts in 2023-24 to 90.
Sexual assault/battery also rose from 45 (2023-24) to 56 acts (2024-25), about a 24% increase.
Acts of violent crime rose from 250 in 2023-24 to 302 in 2024-25, a 20.8% increase. However, violent act rates were down over the two-year period by 22.9%.
One point stressed was that there were zero acts of corporal punishment for the seventh year in a row. Additionally, no instances of “Death/Homicide, Rape and Indecent Liberties with a Minor,” were report-
“The record amount of credentials represents real opportunities for our students.”
State Superintendent Mo Green
than 80% of graduates are “concentrators,” meaning they take two to three CTE courses in a career pathway. In all, 70,182 credentials were earned by the state’s CTE students, with Wake County Public Schools earning the most at more than 32,600 and the state’s Northwest Region having the highest attainment rate at 73%.
Other districts with top at-
ed for the 2024-25 school year.
Some other metrics included:
• 6.1% decrease in number of acts of violent and reportable crimes, down from 12,212 in 2022-23
• 8.2% decrease in the rate of violent and reportable crimes over 2023-24
• 9,966 students out of 1.5 million preschool to grade 13 students committed at least one act, or roughly a rate of 0.66%
• 78.1% of schools reported between zero and ve instances of violent crimes, which translates to 2,115 out of 2,706 schools
• 44.1% of schools (1,193) reported zero violent crime acts.
• 34.0% of schools (922) reported between one and ve violent crime acts
According to the report, possession of controlled substances was the most frequently reported crime, making up 62% of all reportable acts. Possession of a weapon (excluding rearms and powerful explosives) was second with 16.3%, followed by assault on school personnel with 12.7%. The rate of those three crimes, respectively, is 4.61, 1.22 and 0.94 per 1,000 students.
tainment rates included Transylvania County Schools (89%), Pender County Schools (88%) and Mitchell County Schools (87%).
Credentials have three tiers tied to “academic rigor, employment value and industry demand,” with Tier 3 being the most advanced skills sought by employers like welding, health care and sciences.
Gainey remarked that relationships with students, sta and business industry partners in Randolph County were key to the CTE program’s success, as is students “dreaming about what they can do.” He also stressed the importance of internships and apprenticeship programs active in Randolph County.
Breedlove underscored the need to have “vision for where
we want public education in this state to go” and noted Pender County Schools was in the top 10 in both attainment rate and number of credentials last year while nishing second this year for attainment.
“Out of 8,400, our kids earned 7,400 of them,” Breedlove said of Pender student credential earning.
Thompson said Lexington City Schools had a more than 300% increase in attainment last year, and the district was expanding opportunities with community college and internship programs.
Green closed out the press conference by saying each credential represent a student, and, “Our goal is to reach 500,000 credentials earned annually by 2030.”
Bridget Sullivan accused the North Carolina congressman of libel
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
RALEIGH — The libel lawsuit against Congressman Pat Harrigan (R-Hickory) has been voluntarily dismissed by a former Wake Forest University trainer. The voluntary dismissal motion was led on Feb. 2 by Bridget Sullivan’s attorney, Walter C. Holton Jr., with a copy sent to the U.S. Attorney’s O ce in Greensboro. Sullivan sued Harrigan for libel last October over an X post made by Harrigan claiming Sullivan had been red over her Instagram post on the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk that said, “He had it coming.”
Sullivan’s suit was seeking $50,000 in libel claims for “reputational harm” and an additional $25,000 in punitive damages. The following month, U.S. Attorney for North Carolina’s Middle District Clifton Barrett led various motions that successfully moved the case to federal court.
In addition to a motion to transfer the case from a state superior court to federal court, Barrett also led a motion to substitute the United States as the defendant in place of Harrigan, as well as a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
In his lings, Barrett argued Harrigan’s alleged libelous statements about Sullivan were made within the scope of Harrigan’s o cial duties as a member of Congress and were covered under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) protections.
Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL
Are we worms or made in the image of God?
of life, our expectations will be fully met, and we will become fully depressed and distressed about life here on Earth.
improve immeasurably almost overnight.
DURING THE ICE STORM, we were honored to hear Jonathan Pennington, professor of New Testament interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, give a talk to a group of young adults we hope will be leaders not only in the church but in every aspect of life.
His talk has applications for how we view our world and incorporate it into our common life together, especially through our politics.
There is an innate human tendency to assign blame for whatever is going wrong in our lives to other people and sometimes to ourselves. It is far easier to point out the fallacies of others, of course. Christians believe we are made in the image of God, which sets up the challenge of how we see and deal with ourselves and others when we make mistakes, no matter how grievous or innocent.
Once we start down the slippery slope of assigning blame, it becomes easy to not see ourselves or others as fellow humans but as lesser creatures in the animal kingdom. Pennington pointed out that even in Psalms, David bemoaned his wretched state by comparing himself to the lowly worm who was scorned by his fellow man and despised by his own people.
Being compared to the lowly worm might not be as common in modern life as perhaps it was in biblical times. But the point is that the more we compare others or ourselves to worms or any other lower form
EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS
It got me to thinking about my days coaching youth sports in Northern Virginia, where I learned from some great coaches and researchers with the Positive Coaching Alliance at Stanford University about how to get the best out of your players and teams. Their research found that young players, especially, will live up — or down — to the expectations of their coach. For each negative blast from the coach, at least six encouraging statements must be o ered just to keep the player at the level he was before the critical comment was made. More, of course, are necessary to help pull the player up to the full potential he may possess to be a great team player.
The question then becomes how do we see ourselves and other people with whom we interact on a daily, weekly or monthly basis? Do we see them as disgusting worms simply to be tolerated, or worse, punished with hurtful comments?
Pennington turned the entire presentation on its head when he asked what it would be like if we could see everyone, including ourselves, as God still sees them, and us, — as creatures created in His image in need of restoration. How would our speech and actions change and improve on a daily basis? Chances are very high that our attitudes, dispositions, family and business life and, yes, even our political life and public discourse would
Nancy Guthrie case from a caregiver’s perspective
It’s extremely unusual for someone that age to be kidnapped and held for ransom. Young players, especially, will live up — or down — to the expectations of their coach.
ON FEB. 1, the family of Nancy Guthrie learned some distressing news.
The 84-year-old mother and grandmother did not show up for church on Sunday, which was very unusual. Family members went to check on her at her Arizona home at noon, didn’t nd her and called the Pima County Sheri ’s Department. Because of what were described as “concerning” conditions found at the home, which included blood spattered on the walkway by the front door and a missing doorbell camera, Guthrie was declared missing. She’s been described as “sharp as a tack,” as someone who wouldn’t wander o , certainly not without telling her family.
Her missing person case has drawn widespread national attention for several reasons, one of which is that she’s the mother of NBC’s “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.
President Donald Trump has made statements about Guthrie’s disappearance and has pledged any and all support his administration can give, including the FBI and DHS, in trying to help locate and bring her home safely.
Another aspect of the case that has so many people paying attention to it is that it’s extremely unusual for someone that age to be kidnapped and, if the ransom notes sent to local TV stations are legitimate, held for ransom.
We all have mothers we love and adore, and to think about an elderly, vulnerable loved one being abducted and put through God knows what breaks our hearts in two. And the videos the family has released pleading for her safe return have been heart-wrenching.
But as a caregiver to my 82-year-old mom, what has hit me especially hard about this case was what is alleged to have happened while the elder Guthrie was at home. According to Pima County Sheri Chris Nanos, Guthrie was likely kidnapped from her bed as she was sleeping.
According to her family, Guthrie, who lived alone, is “in constant pain,” has mobility challenges that require the use of a cane, has a pacemaker and has to take medication to survive.
My mom, too, has mobility challenges. She uses a walker to get around. She also takes a couple of prescription medications, though, thankfully, none of them
Instead of seeing others and ourselves as worms, how about if we see them through the eyes of God as equally deserving of encouragement, love, charity and forgiveness. This should improve our daily outlook on life and interaction with every person we encounter during the day. Who knows — any one of us might be the one person who helps another person reach the ful llment of their God-given gifts during life, or maybe even help ourselves with a few more words of encouragement and love in lieu of criticism, hatred or venom. Perhaps we should consider each person as God sees the honeybee, instead of a worm. The honeybee is known for the honey each hive can produce, not its sting. It takes entire hives of more than 80,000 bees to produce dozens of pounds of honey each year, although one individual honeybee can only produce 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey over its short six-week lifetime. Each honeybee, while faceless and essentially a nameless part of the hive, has immense worth and is critical to the proper functioning of the hive during its lifetime.
Maybe once we start seeing others and ourselves as having such intrinsic worth and ability to produce something good for the entire order, no matter how great or small the amount, our worldview and demeanor will change, and we will all be better o for it.
For more from Jonathan Pennington, listen to “The Human Flourishing Podcast.”
are medicines she needs to take to live.
I tuck my mom into bed every single night, making sure she’s warm, safe and snuggled down for what hopefully will be a good night’s sleep. I brush her hair back and kiss her on the forehead as I say a silent prayer to God to please allow us to wake up to see another day.
One of the things I think about now when I tuck Mom in for the night is Guthrie being terri ed and defenseless as someone snatched her from the place she should have been the safest.
Her neighborhood. Her home. Her bed.
As of this writing, Guthrie still hasn’t been heard from. No one knows where she is, who has her or if she’s OK. The family is, understandably, desperate, and in videos, they’ve talked about being willing to pay the ransom that has been demanded, again, assuming the ransom notes authorities are taking seriously are credible.
The longer this goes on, the more I fear the worst because investigators often say that each day that goes by decreases the possibility of a positive outcome. But I’m praying that I’m wrong and that Guthrie will be returned unharmed and safe back to her family.
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.
GEORGE ORWELL was on to it almost 80 years ago — the problem of below-replacement level birth rates. In a short book for the Britain in Pictures series in 1947, written just as Britain was emerging from wartime rigors into an uncharted postwar future, Orwell noted that despite an upward blip in birth rates during the war, “the general curve is downward. The position is not quite so dangerous as it is sometimes said to be, but can only be put right if the curve not only rises sharply but does so within ten or at most twenty years.”
“Otherwise,” he went on, forebodingly, “the population will not only fall, but, what is worse, will consist predominantly of middle-aged people. If that point is reached, the decline may never be retrievable.” Orwell did not live to see it — he died at the age of 46 in 1950 — but the danger was averted. Postwar birth rates rose in Britain and parts of Europe, though not so robustly as in the United States, where the baby boom peaked in 1957 and petered out after the introduction of the birth control pill in 1962.
The peak U.S. fertility rate, or the projection of how many children the median woman would have if current birth rates continued, hovered above 3.5 and then plunged to 1.74 in the bicentennial year of 1976, just about the same as 2025’s 1.79.
Fertility rates remained low in the 1980s, then rose and occasionally reached the replacement rate of 2.1 in the high-immigration 1990s through the Great Recession of 2007. The latest rate was an uptick from the 1.6 levels of the COVID-19-a ected 2020-24 period, leaving the U.S. with something similar to the dilemma Orwell warned Britons against.
And it’s not just the U.S. Plunging birth rates are a worldwide phenomenon. Europe’s fertility rates have been well below replacement for years, with nations’ under-70 populations set to fall by 20% in the next decade, not only in economically stagnant Britain and France, where births are tilted toward immigrants, but also in rapidly growing, low-immigration Poland.
Birth rates have dropped below replacement rates since 2000 in most of Latin America, largely because of lowerincome mothers, such as Hispanic women in the U.S., having fewer children.
China, despite the repeal of its one-child policy in 2015, saw its fertility rate plunge to 0.9 in 2025. If births continued at current numbers, the lowest evidently since the 18th century, China’s population would shrink by more than half, from 1.4 billion to 625 million. Elsewhere in East Asia, the latest birth rates have fallen to 0.8 in Taiwan and Thailand, and even lower in South Korea.
Koreans have shown the determination to maintain their culture, including their alphabet and independence, in a neighborhood with many more Japanese and Chinese. They have risen from abject poverty to become world-class
COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO
exporters since the 1953 armistice. But they may be at risk of disappearing: At current birth rates, every 100 South Koreans today will have only six great-grandchildren.
What is behind this worldwide trend? At least one thing is clear about what is happening in America — and how it’s di erent from previous periods. It’s that childbearing has increasingly become a partisan activity.
As the Institute for Family Studies’ Lyman Stone pointed out, American conservatives and progressives each had a fertility rate of 2.7 in 1980, well above replacement level. In the 2020s, conservatives’ fertility rate has dropped marginally to about 2.4, still above replacement level.
But the progressives’ rate has fallen to 1.8, below replacement level, and generally tracks the pattern in economically developed countries.
It’s not di cult to see why. Young women increasingly tilt left politically and also tend to marry less often, hold jobs outside the home, say they don’t want children, and travel more frequently. These behaviors correlate with childlessness or with delaying childbearing, which often results in fewer births than desired.
The gap re ects “systematic di erences in family formation between conservatives and liberals,” analyst Zachary Donnini wrote. Before the Great Recession, this was masked by high birth rates among black women who were heavily Democratic. But black (and Hispanic) birth rates fell sharply after 2007.
At the same time, the gap in political and cultural attitudes between young men and women has grown wider, on campus (where young men are increasingly outnumbered) and o , and both marriage and premarital sex rates have declined.
Extrapolate those trends outward, and you see something like the picture revealed in the Census Bureau’s recently released 2026 estimates of states’ populations. They showed two-thirds of the national population increase occurring in safe red 2024 states, 21% in the seven seriously contested purple states, and only 11% in the safe blue states.
Similarly, since children tend to share their parents’ political views, Wall Street Journal contributor Louise Perry wrote, we can “expect the partisan fertility gap to usher in a U.S. that is more conservative. In fact, the whole of the developed world is on track to become more conservative.” That’s a trend that Orwell, a proud socialist, might well have found even more dangerous than it’s sometimes said to be.
Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime co-author of “The Almanac of American Politics.” (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
REPUBLICANS are beginning to sound the alarm about the 2026 midterm elections, and not without reason. The concern was crystallized by a Texas state Senate race in a district President Donald Trump carried by 17 points in 2024 but which recently shifted 14 points toward Democrats — a staggering 31-point swing.
That race is not an anomaly. Republicans closely tracking special elections from Texas to Mississippi to Georgia are seeing the same troubling pattern: deep-red districts drifting, sometimes sharply, toward Democrats. These are not battlegrounds. They are places Republicans typically take for granted.
The warning signs extend beyond individual races. Betting markets currently give Republicans a 63% chance of retaining control of the Senate, compared with 37% for Democrats. That may sound reassuring, but it represents the weakest outlook Republicans have faced this cycle. The numbers are converging, and Democratic optimism is rising accordingly.
The House picture is even bleaker. Markets suggest a 78% chance Democrats will win the House, with just 22% betting on Republicans holding the majority.
Polling data reinforces the concern. A recent HarvardHarris survey shows Democrats ahead by four points on the generic congressional ballot — a historically bad position for Republicans at this stage. In the Senate, several GOP seats are vulnerable. In Maine, betting markets now list Susan Collins as the underdog. In North Carolina, the open seat being vacated by Thom Tillis appears to lean Democratic. In Ohio, Sherrod Brown could plausibly pull o another victory.
Add those together, and Democrats can plausibly reach 50 Senate seats before even stretching into traditionally Republican territory. Alaska, Iowa and even Texas — longshot targets in normal years — could come into play if conditions worsen.
So what, if anything, can Republicans do to reverse course?
There is some mildly encouraging news buried in the same Harvard-Harris poll. It reveals a striking disconnect between economic reality and public perception. Fifty-six percent of Americans believe the economy is shrinking. It is not. Sixty-six percent think in ation is above 3%. It is not. Only 38% believe the economy is on the right track, even as Americans split roughly 50-50 on whether the economy is strong or weak.
That gap is political opportunity — but only if Republicans address it. The administration has failed to e ectively communicate economic fundamentals, allowing misinformation and anxiety to ll the void.
Compounding the problem are the administration’s least popular economic messages: tari s and in ation. The two are closely linked in voters’ minds. Trump’s repeated public pressure on the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates fuels in ation concerns, while his frequent rhetoric around tari s reminds businesses — and voters — of higher costs and uncertainty.
If the president simply stopped emphasizing tari s so aggressively, or eased o the public campaign against the Fed, perceptions around in ation might improve. Messaging matters, especially when economic con dence is fragile.
But the larger political battle is unfolding elsewhere.
If you want to understand why Democrats are encouraging chaos in cities like Minneapolis, look no further than immigration. It is Trump’s strongest issue, and Democrats know it. Fifty-one percent of Americans approve of Trump’s response to anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests. Forty-seven percent approve of his crime policies. Deporting criminal illegal immigrants is supported by 73% of Americans. Sixtyseven percent oppose sanctuary city policies. Sixty percent believe Democrats are encouraging resistance to ICE, and 57% oppose that behavior.
Americans are divided on whether enforcement should target only criminal illegal immigrants or extend more broadly. But the overwhelming consensus is clear: Targeting criminal illegal immigrants is popular. That is precisely why Democrats are attempting to blur the distinction — forcing ICE and Border Patrol into broader enforcement actions that can be portrayed as indiscriminate.
From a political standpoint, this is a trap Republicans must avoid. Trotting out administration o cials to declare that everyone will be rounded up and deported from Home Depot may satisfy some activists, but it is terrible politics. Right or wrong, it alienates persuadable voters.
To its credit, the Trump administration has begun adjusting its approach. Border czar Tom Homan’s message to Minneapolis — “Give us your criminals” — is exactly right. From a public relations standpoint, targeting criminal illegal immigrants is an 80-20 issue, with Republicans rmly on the side of the 80.
Democrats are attempting to reframe immigration enforcement as tyranny to convince Americans that indiscriminate crackdowns are imminent. The strategy is to escalate protests, in ame media coverage and erode Trump’s standing on his strongest issue.
But this is not 2020. Attempts to recreate a “BLM summer” dynamic by demanding solidarity with criminal illegal immigrants are unlikely to resonate. The racial reckoning of 2020 carried emotional weight rooted in America’s history. The claim that criminal illegal immigrants are victims of systemic oppression does not. Immigration remains Trump’s winning issue. If Republicans can discipline their messaging, close the information gap on the economy and take control of the immigration narrative, the party still has a path forward. If not, the warning signs ashing in special elections today may become the reality of November 2026.
Ben Shapiro is host of “The Ben Shapiro Show” and cofounder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
DAVID HARSANYI
Don’t cry for The Washington Post; it helped destroy media
IN DECEMBER 2016, The Washington Post reported that Russian hackers had penetrated the U.S. electricity grid through a Vermont utility company, leaving millions without heat.
This was serious stu . President Barack Obama, the paper ominously noted, was concerned that Moscow might also “disrupt the counting of votes on Election Day, potentially leading to a wider con ict.”
As it turned out, the piece had some journalistic lapses, namely that it had failed to report that the laptop in question wasn’t connected to the grid, so there was no way Russian malware could have crashed the system.
The Post never bothered retracting the piece, instead appending one of its anodyne “editor’s notes” and reporting on the subsequent, completely pointless investigation it had sparked with a bad story.
Everyone makes mistakes. In the old days, journalists would probably have been more judicious moving forward. The Post, which had only a month earlier walked back a similarly alarmist piece about Vladimir Putin’s weak agitprop, went in a di erent direction, becoming a clearinghouse for the Russia collusion panic that enveloped American politics. Indeed, in 2018, the paper won Pulitzer Prizes for National Reporting on the ctional claim that Donald Trump had colluded with Putin to overturn democracy. Last week, The Washington Post laid o a third of its entire sta , 300 people. Judging from the reaction of media elites, you may have thought democracy had actually died.
I generally don’t celebrate when people lose their job. As most of us know rsthand, being laid o can be a brutal experience. Indeed, when an out t such as the Post cuts back its workforce, good people will typically lose their jobs while the worst o enders stay on.
But the unmitigated arrogance and sense of entitlement exuded by journalists, who seem to believe they have a God-given right to work no matter how much money they lose their employer or how poorly they do the job, speaks to the problem more.
Over the past decade, the Post has been one of the leading culprits in the collapse of public trust in journalism. The oncevenerable outlet has spent the past 10 years participating in virtually every dishonest leftwing operation, including giving legitimacy to the Brett Kavanaugh group rape accusations, delegitimizing the Hunter Biden laptop story, spreading the Gaza “genocide” lie, covering up Joe Biden’s cognitive decline, sliming the Covington children and countless others.
You could write a book listing the Post pieces that were so biased as to be basically ctional.
The Washington Post has also been one of the worst o enders of the unsound journalistic practice in which reporters handpick useful partisan “experts” or “scholars” to act as opinion-writing proxies.
One memorable example carried the headline: “Vote to oust McCarthy is a warning sign for democracy, scholars say.”
To understand the activist mission of the Post, note that it red 13 climate change reporters and one reporter whose only job was covering “race disparity.”
Let’s not forget, either, that contemporary “fact-checking” ruse, wherein left-wing opinion columnists playact as arbiters of truth and o er partisan arguments and value judgments under a patina of impartiality, was basically invented by the Post.
The newspaper was one of the few media outlets that could still a ord much-needed on-the-ground coverage of the world. A few years ago, however, the paper turned into a propaganda out t for Arab sheikhs. Forget the opinion side. At least six members of the Post’s foreign desk previously wrote for Qatari state-run media out t Al Jazeera, including the Middle East editor, Jesse Mesner-Hage. Needless to say, the Post’s coverage of the Middle East in recent years was rife with disinformation, necessitating retractions and editor’s notes when they were caught — usually long after the damage was done.
Now, I don’t want to make the argument here that the Post lost its audience because it was a leftist propaganda out t. There are many factors at play. The New York Times, for example, is doing just ne.
One reason its audience shrunk is that owner Je Bezos announced last year that the editorial page would veer less progressive and champion capitalism, something that’s apparently o ensive to many readers who live in one of the world’s wealthiest metro areas. Expectations of wholly unbiased journalism have always been unrealistic. Everyone sees the news through the prism of their experiences and worldviews. But there should always be an expectation of factual coverage.
And The Washington Post often failed that low bar.
David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner and author of ve books. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
Originally scheduled for launch this week, NASA’s Artemis II mission marks a historic step in humanity’s return to the moon. Although it is delayed until later this spring, it is still on track and will be the first crewed mission of the Artemis program, following the uncrewed Artemis I test flight in 2022. Artemis II will carry four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, which will be launched atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, NASA’s most powerful rocket to date. Artemis II is a key milestone in NASA’s broader goal of establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon by the late 2020s, with an eye toward Mars exploration in the 2030s. Artemis II will pave the way for Artemis III, the first mission that will land astronauts on the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in 1972, marking a new chapter in lunar exploration and human spaceflight. Jacksonville native Christina Koch is set to be one of the four crew members on Artemis II, marking another significant achievement in her career after her record-breaking 328 days spent aboard the International Space Station during her previous mission.
Harden Street and Woody Drive. A 31-year-old man was found lying in the roadway with life-threatening injuries with no driver or vehicle at the scene. He was taken to a local trauma center for treatment, and the incident remains under investigation.
WGHP
threat to equality” or “(reduce) it to a matter of race.” Hicks said that doing that re ects a misleading and misunderstanding of the legal and historical foundation of Tribal Nations, arguing that the speech outraged and introduced questions that have no place in discussions with Tribal Nations. Hicks ended the statement saying that protecting sovereignty has always been a priority for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and remains their responsibility. Stitt renewed his call to limit tribal sovereignty, arguing that state criminal and tax laws should apply to all Oklahomans equally and asserted that the state should hold “sole sovereignty” over the entire territory.
NSJ
Greensboro Police to include side-by-side vehicles in street patrol
Guilford County Greensboro police will soon add two side-by-side vehicles to their downtown patrol eet. “These new side-by-sides allow our o cers to move quickly and safely through downtown, improving visibility, response times, and community engagement,” Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson posted on social media. Side-by-side vehicles are small utility vehicles that allow for maneuverability over varied terrain while o ering an elevated vantage point.
WFMY
Mecklenburg County Former Charlotte City Councilmember Tiawana Brown formally pled guilty in federal court Monday in connection with a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. She entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. No sentence was imposed during the hearing, and a sentencing date has not yet been set. According to federal court records, Brown admitted to conspiring with her two daughters, Tijema Brown and Antionette Rouse, to submit fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program loans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecutors said the applications included false tax documents and misrepresented business operations, payroll costs and employee numbers. Investigators said Brown and her daughters submitted at least 15 loan applications between April 2020 and September 2021, obtaining more than $43,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Court records allege some money was used for personal expenses, including luxury purchases and an elaborate birthday celebration.
NSJ
take place in Moratoc Park, located at 102 River Drive in Williamston. The event will o er free hot meals, free clothing and supplies to support the community. The Department of Social Services, AmeriHealth Caritas, area churches and others will be at the event to help answer questions.
WITN
Carolina Chocolate Festival hits spot with locals
Carteret County The annual Carolina Chocolate Festival o ered a sweet weekend at the Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City, lled with chocolate tastings, contests and family-friendly fun. More than 25 vendors o ered treats like tru es, fudge, chocolate-covered goodies and more, with events like pudding-eating contests, a Pro/Am Bake O and a 5K Cocoa Run/Walk. Organizers said to date the festival has donated more than $650,000 to local nonpro ts and charities.
WNCN
The City of Greenville has begun a series of public information sessions as it introduces its rst Uni ed Development Ordinance, also known as the UDO. City o cials said the ordinance combines multiple existing city regulations into a single document, including zoning standards, housing regulations, landscaping requirements and sign rules. The goal, according to the city, is to create a more predictable and easier-to-read guide for residents, businesses and developers. Before the ordinance goes into e ect, the city is hosting several public meetings to provide information and answer questions from both professionals and the public. Informational meetings for specialized professionals, including design professionals, developers, landscapers and sign companies, are scheduled at City Hall this week through Feb. 20, and public meetings will occur during the same timeframe, both with opportunities for question-and-answer periods. Those interested can view the meeting schedules and speci c topical discussions at greenvillenc.gov/605/ uni ed-development-ordinance.
NSJ
Experts had expected a dip after 2024 saw a slight uptick
By Mike Stobbe The Associated Press
NEW YORK — U.S. births fell a little in 2025, according to newly posted provisional data.
Slightly more than 3.6 million births have been reported through birth certi cates, or about 24,000 fewer than in 2024. The decline seems to con rm predictions by some experts, who doubted a slight increase in births in 2024 marked the start of an upward trend.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its provisional birth data late last week, lling in two months of missing data and o ering the rst good look at last year’s tally.
The posted numbers account for nearly all babies born in 2025, according to the CDC. Data is still being compiled and analyzed, but the nal tally might only add “a few thousand additional births,” said Robert Anderson, who oversees birth and death tracking at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.
Experts say people are mar-
U.S. births were down in 2025 after a slight uptick the year before.
rying later and also worry about their ability to have the money, health insurance and other resources needed to raise children in a stable environment.
Last year, the Trump administration took steps to encourage more births, like issuing an executive order meant to expand access to and reduce costs of in vitro fertilization and backing the idea of “baby bonuses” that might encourage more couples to have kids.
So far, only the number of births is available — and not birth rates and other informa-
tion that can give insights into who is having babies.
For example, although births increased in 2024 over the year before, the fertility rate actually fell, noted Karen Guzzo, a family demographer at the University of North Carolina.
The fertility rate is a statistic describing whether each generation has enough children to replace itself — about 2.1 kids per woman. It has been sliding in America for close to two decades as more women wait longer to have children or don’t have kids at all.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator’s message comes as the virus has gained a foothold
By Matt Brown The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A leading U.S. health o cial on Sunday urged people to get inoculated against the measles at a time of outbreaks across several states and as the United States is at risk of losing its measles elimination status.
“Take the vaccine, please,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator whose boss has raised suspicion about the safety and importance of vaccines. “We have a solution for our problem.”
Oz, a heart surgeon, defended some recently revised federal vaccine recommendations as well as past comments from President Donald Trump and the nation’s health chief, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., about the e cacy of vaccines. From Oz, there was a clear message on the measles.
“Not all illnesses are equally dangerous, and not all people are equally susceptible to those illnesses,” he told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “But measles is one you should get your vaccine.”
“Take the vaccine, please.”
Dr. Mehmet Oz
An outbreak in South Carolina in the hundreds has surpassed the recorded case count in Texas’ 2025 outbreak, and there is also one on the Utah-Arizona border. Multiple other states have had con rmed cases this year. The outbreaks have mostly impacted children and have come as infectious disease experts warn that rising public distrust of vaccines generally may be contributing to the spread of a disease once
POLLING from page A1
14th amendments, as well as the 26th Amendment.
In addition to the College Democrats of North Carolina as plainti s are four individual students: Zayveon Davis, Zach Powell, Rose Daphne Yard and Raquel Nelson.
The State Board of Elections (NCSBE) is the primary named defendant, along with the elections boards in Guilford and Jackson counties.
The lawsuit also contends the closures “intentionally target the rights of young voters,” as well as impacting black voters.
“At WCU, the on-campus early voting site has served the
highest proportion of same-day registrants of any site in all of North Carolina — a clear indicator of young, rst-time voters exercising their rights,” the lawsuit states. “In 2024, it served the second youngest average pool of voters of any site in the state and more Black voters than every other Jackson County site.”
The lawsuit also cites “harm” to students by having to travel to nearby existing polling sites.
North State Journal reached out to the NCSBE, and a spokesperson indicated the board had no comment on the lawsuit at this time. However, the NCSBE did le a memorandum in opposition to the suit Feb. 4, as-
declared eradicated by public health o cials.
Asked in the television interview whether people should fear the measles, Oz replied, “Oh, for sure.” He said Medicare and Medicaid will continue to cover the measles vaccine as part of the insurance programs.
“There will never be a barrier to Americans getting access to the measles vaccine. And it is part of the core schedule,” Oz said.
But Oz also said, “We have advocated for measles vaccines all along,” and that Kennedy “has been on the very front of this.”
Critics of Kennedy have ar-
serting the plainti s are unlikely to succeed on any of their claims and requesting the court deny the motion.
The NCSBE’s memorandum notes the 2026 election cycle is already underway, and the College Democrats lack standing as an organization unable to vote.
During a brief hearing on the afternoon of Feb. 5, U.S. District Judge William L. Osteen questioned the plainti attorneys about the feasibility of putting a polling site with such short notice on the campuses in question.
Osteen issued an order Monday refusing the plainti s’ injunction request.
Trump wants new Board of Peace to meet this month
Washington, D.C.
“I would expect them to fall because childbearing is highly related to economic conditions and uncertainty.”
Karen Guzzo, University of North Carolina family demographer
For 2025, “I wouldn’t expect birth or fertility rates to have risen; I would expect them to fall because childbearing is highly related to economic conditions and uncertainty,” Guzzo said in an email.
Also, most of the births in 2025 would have been children conceived in 2024, when people were worried about a ordability and political polarization, she added.
As a general trend, U.S. births and birth rates have been falling for years. They dropped in 2020, then rose for two straight years after that, an increase experts partly attributed to pregnancies put o amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A 2% drop in 2023 put U.S. births at fewer than 3.6 million, the lowest one-year tally since 1979.
gued that the health secretary’s longtime skepticism of U.S. vaccine recommendations and past sympathy for the unfounded claim that vaccines may cause autism may in uence ofcial public health guidance in ways contrary to the medical consensus.
Oz argued that Kennedy’s stance was supportive of the measles vaccine despite Kennedy’s general comments about the recommended vaccine schedule.
“When the rst outbreak happened in Texas, he said, get your vaccines for measles because that’s an example of an ailment that you should get vaccinated against,” Oz said.
The Republican administration last month dropped some vaccine recommendations for children, an overhaul of the traditional vaccine schedule that the Department of Health and Human Services said was in response to a request from Trump.
Trump asked the agency to review how peer nations approach vaccine recommendations and consider revising U.S. guidance accordingly.
States, not the federal government, have the authority to require vaccinations for schoolchildren. While federal requirements often in uence those state regulations, some states have begun creating their own alliances to counter the administration’s guidance on vaccines.
U.S. vaccination rates have dropped, and the share of children with exemptions has reached an all-time high, according to federal data. At the same time, rates of diseases that can be protected against with vaccines, such as measles and whooping cough, are rising across the country.
President Donald Trump plans to convene the rst meeting of his Board of Peace this month in Washington, D.C., to raise money for the reconstruction of Gaza. The meeting, proposed for Feb. 19, would include both world leaders who accepted Trump’s invitation in January to join the board as well as members of an executive committee for Gaza that will oversee the speci cs of the territory’s governance, security and redevelopment, two Trump administration o cials said Saturday. It was not immediately clear how many leaders would accept the Republican president’s invitation. One o cial said the administration expected “robust” participation.
NYPD o cer convicted of manslaughter
New York A New York City police o cer was convicted last Friday of second-degree manslaughter after he tossed a picnic cooler lled with drinks at a eeing suspect, causing the man to fatally crash his motorized scooter. Judge Guy Mitchell handed down the guilty verdict in Bronx criminal court in the case against Sgt. Erik Duran in the 2023 death of Eric Duprey. Duran had been suspended with pay pending the trial, but the department con rmed he was dismissed following his conviction, as state law mandates. Duran now faces up to 15 years in prison when he’s sentenced March 19. The 38-year-old Duran was the rst New York Police Department o cer in years to be tried for killing someone while on duty.
Iran sentences Nobel laureate to 7 more years of prison
Dubai, United Arab Emirates Iran sentenced Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi to over seven more years in prison after she began a hunger strike, supporters said Sunday, as Tehran cracks down on all dissent following nationwide protests and the deaths of thousands at the hands of security forces. The new convictions against Mohammadi come as Iran tries to negotiate with the United States over its nuclear program to avert a threatened military strike by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Valentine’s Day ower imports increase at Miami airport
Miami The magic behind millions of romantic Valentines’ Day bouquets happens in a cargo warehouse at a South Florida airport. U.S. Customs and Border Protection say agricultural specialists at Miami International Airport will process about 990 million stems of cut owers in the weeks before Feb. 14. Around 90% of the fresh cut owers being sold for Valentine’s Day in the United States come through Miami, while the other 10% pass through Los Angeles. Roses, carnations, pompons, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums and gypsophila arrive on hundreds of ights, mostly from Colombia and Ecuador, into Miami on their journey to orists and supermarkets across the U.S. and Canada.
Kroger names former Walmart executive as new CEO
Kroger named former Walmart executive Greg Foran as its chief executive o cer on Monday. Foran joins Kroger 11 months after its previous CEO, Rodney McMullen, abruptly resigned following an internal investigation into his personal conduct. Foran led Walmart’s U.S. division for six years before departing in 2019. While there, he introduced online ordering and pickup, and accelerated Walmart’s digital capabilities. Cincinnati, Ohio -based Kroger is the largest standalone U.S. supermarket chain. Walmart is one of its chief competitors, as consumers increasingly pick up their groceries along with other items at superstores. Walmart controls 21% of U.S. grocery sales, while Kroger controls 8.5%, according to market research company Numerator.
Hims & Hers drops plan for knocko weight loss pill
Telehealth company Hims & Hers dropped its plan to o er a knocko version of the weight loss pill Wegovy on Saturday — two days after it announced the new drug. The decision came one day after the Food and Drug Administration’s threat to restrict access to the ingredients needed to copy popular weight loss medications. Hims had said Thursday that it would o er a compounded version of the new Wegovy pill that drugmaker Novo Nordisk just began selling last month. Novo immediately threatened to sue Hims. Hims’ website still touted the new weight loss pill hours after it announced on X that it will no longer sell the medicine.
The suspension was seen as a way to put pressure on Sen. Chuck Schumer
By Anthony Izaguirre and Dave Collins
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore funding to a new rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey last Friday, ruling just as construction was set to shut down on the massive infrastructure project.
The decision came months after the administration announced it was halting $16 billion in support for the project, citing the then-government shutdown and what a top federal budget o cial said were concerns about unconstitutional spending around diversity, equity and inclusion principles.
U.S. District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas in Manhattan approved a request by New York and New Jersey for a temporary restraining order barring the administration from withholding the funds while the states seek a preliminary injunction that would keep the money owing while their lawsuit plays out in court.
“The Court is also persuaded that Plainti s would suffer irreparable harm in the absence of an injunction,” the judge wrote. “Plainti s have adequately shown that the public interest would be harmed by a delay in a critical infrastructure project.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James called the ruling “a critical victory for workers and commuters in New York and New Jersey.”
“I am grateful the court acted quickly to block this senseless funding freeze, which threatened to derail a project our entire region depends on,” James said in a statement. “The Hudson Tunnel Project is one of the most important infra-
federal judge ordered the Trump
funding
structure projects in the nation, and we will keep ghting to ensure construction can continue without unnecessary federal interference.”
The panel overseeing the project, the Gateway Development Commission, had said work would stop late Friday afternoon because of the federal funding freeze, resulting in the immediate loss of about 1,000 jobs as well as thousands of additional jobs in the future.
It was not immediately clear when work would resume. In a nighttime statement, the commission said, “As soon as funds are released, we will work quickly to restart site operations and get our workers back on the job.”
The new tunnel is meant to ease strain on an existing, over 110-year-old tunnel that connects New York and New Jersey for Amtrak and commuter trains, where delays can lead to backups up and down the East Coast.
“I am grateful the court acted quickly to block this senseless funding freeze, which threatened to derail a project our entire region depends on.”
Letitia James, New York attorney general
New York and New Jersey sued over the funding pause last week, as did the Gateway Development Commission, moving to restore the Trump administration’s support.
Speaking to the media on Air Force One, Trump was asked about reports that he would unfreeze funding for the tunnel project if Schumer would agree to a plan to rename Penn Station in New York and Dulles International Air-
port in Virginia after Trump.
“Chuck Schumer suggested that to me, about changing the name of Penn Station to Trump Station. Dulles Airport is really separate,” Trump responded. Schumer responded on social media, “Absolute lie. He knows it. Everyone knows it. Only one man can restart the project, and he can restart it with the snap of his ngers.”
At a hearing in the states’ lawsuit earlier in Manhattan, Shankar Duraiswamy, of the New Jersey attorney general’s o ce, told the judge that the states need “urgent relief” because of the harm and costs that will occur if the project is stopped.
“There is literally a massive hole in the earth in North Bergen,” he said, referring to the New Jersey city and claiming that abandoning the sites, even temporarily, “would pose a substantial safety and public health threat.”
Duraiswamy said the problem with shutting down now is that even a short stoppage would cause longer delays because workers will be laid o and go o to other jobs, and it will be hard to quickly remobilize if funding becomes available. And, he added, “any long-term suspension of funding could torpedo the project.”
Tara Schwartz, an assistant U.S. attorney arguing for the government, disagreed with the “parade of horribles” described by attorneys for the states.
She noted that the states had not even made clear how long the sites could be maintained by the Gateway Development Commission. So the judge asked Duraiswamy, and he said they could maintain the sites for a few weeks and possibly a few months but that the states would continue to su er irreparable harm because trains would continue to run late because they rely on an outdated tunnel.
The store had nearly 600 locations at its peak in 2001
By Anne D’Innocenzio The Associated Press
NEW YORK — The operator of roughly 180 Eddie Bauer stores across the U.S. and Canada has led for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, blaming declining sales and a litany of other industry headwinds.
The bankruptcy ling marks the third time in a little over two decades for the storied-but-now-tired brand that began as a Seattle shing shop, later out tted the rst American to climb Mount Everest, and made thousands of newfangled down jackets and sleeping bags for the military during World War I.
Eddie Bauer LLC said Monday it had entered into a restructuring pact with its secured lenders as it made the ling in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey.
Shoppers walk past an Eddie Bauer store in Seattle in 2009. After decades in business, the operator of the iconic outdoor clothing brand’s retail stores in the U.S. and Canada has led for bankruptcy.
strong liquidity and cash ow.”
Eddie Bauer’s stores outside the U.S. and Canada are operated by other licensees, are not included in the Chapter 11 lings and will stay open, according to the release.
NCDOT CASH REPORT FOR THE WEEK ENDING FEB. 6
Beginning Cash
$2,568,955,851
Receipts (income)
$188,224,912
Disbursements
$117,984,908
Cash Balance
$2,639,195,855
Most Eddie Bauer retail and outlet stores in the U.S. and Canada will remain open as the company winds down certain locations. It noted that it will conduct a court-supervised sales process, and if a sale can’t be executed, it will begin a wind-down of its U.S. and Canadian operations.
“This is not an easy decision,” said Marc Rosen, CEO of Catalyst Brands, which maintains the license to operate Eddie Bauer stores in the U.S. and Canada. “However, this restructuring is the best way to optimize value for the retail company’s stakeholders and also ensure Catalyst Brands remains pro table and with
Authentic Brands Group continues to own the intellectual property associated with the Eddie Bauer brand and may license the brand to other operators, the company said. The operations of other brands in the Catalyst Brands portfolio are not a ected by this ling and will continue in the normal course, according to the company.
Eddie Bauer’s e-commerce and wholesale operations will also not be impacted by the wind down, as they are operated by a company called Outdoor 5, LLC. That was a transition it made in January and became e ective Feb. 2.
Eddie Bauer joins a growing list of U.S. retailers this year that are closing stores as companies reorganize under bank-
ruptcy protection or pare down their operations to focus on the most pro table businesses.
The parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue said last month that it was seeking bankruptcy protection, bu eted by rising competition and the massive debt it took on to buy its rival in the luxury sector, Neiman Marcus, just over a year ago. A few days later, the parent company said it was closing most of its Saks O 5th stores.
Eddie Bauer’s namesake founder — an avid outdoorsman — started the company in Seattle in 1920 as Bauer’s Sports Shop, according to the brand’s website. In 1945, after making more than 50,000 jackets for the military, it launched a mail-order catalog.
“Bauer’s Sports Shop was not just a place where people purchased clothing and gear, it was a community hub where folks gathered to share their wisdom, learn, and talk about their experiences in the outdoors,” the website says.
The company created an American goose-down insulated jacket, known as the “Skyliner,” in 1936, and it became the company’s rst patented jacket. It also out tted the rst American to climb Mount Everest — James W. Whittaker — with an Eddie Bauer parka in 1963.
After Bauer retired in 1968 and sold the business to his partner, the outdoor brand shifted more toward casual apparel and was bought by General Mills Inc. in 1971 and then by Spiegel Inc. in 1988. After Spiegel led for bankruptcy in 2003 and most of its assets were sold, the remainder of the company was reorganized in 2005 as Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc.
In June 2009, Eddie Bauer led bankruptcy and was acquired by Golden State Capital the following month. In 2021, it was acquired by Authentic Brands and SPARC Group LLC.
A year ago, Catalyst was formed by the merger of SPARC and JCPenney, which Simon Property Group and fellow mall landlord Brook eld bought out of bankruptcy.
Rosen noted that even prior to the inception of Catalyst Brands last year, Eddie Bauer was in a “challenged situation.”
“Over the past year, these challenges have been exacerbated by various headwinds, including increased costs of doing business due to in ation, ongoing tari uncertainty, and other factors,” he said.
He noted that while Catalyst’s leadership was able to make improvements in product development and marketing, those changes could not be implemented fast enough to fully address the problems created over several years.
Young Will is determined to prove that “small can ball!”
By Bob Garver The Sun
ON THE WEEKEND of the biggest football game of the year, it was only natural that I saw a movie about basketball. Or rather “Roarball,” as the anthropomorphic animal characters call it — but it’s basketball.
When he was just a kid (pun intended), young goat Will (Caleb McLaughlin) went to Roarball games to root for his hometown Vineland Thorns and cheer on his favorite player: panther Jett Fillmore (Gabrielle Union). Will’s mother (Jennifer Hudson) encouraged him to dream big, and he dreamed to be as big a Roarball player as Jett. Ten years later, Will is a struggling delivery boy, his mother has passed, Jett has never won the league’s championship and the Thorns’ warthog owner (Jenifer Lewis) is too busy with mud baths to make any e ort to improve the roster. Will can’t make a career for himself because he’s too obsessed with Roarball. And he can’t get ahead in Roarball because he’s too small. Actually, he’s more of a “medium” in a world that includes rodents and such, but every high-prole player is bigger than him, so he’s considered “small.” He answers an open challenge for a one-on-one game to three points laid out by visiting superstar Mane Attraction (Aaron Pierre), and the horse beats
Caleb McLaughlin arrives at the premiere of “GOAT” last Friday at AMC Century City 15 in Los Angeles.
him 3-2, but everyone in Vineland is impressed he was able to score two points. His star rises because a heavily memed video of his performance “goes viral.” Against the wishes of Jett, who wants a proper team-
mate for what will likely be her nal season, he’s signed to the Thorns. Teammates on the Thorns include paternal pachyderm Archie (David Harbour), aging gira e Lenny (Stephen Cur-
ry), self-doubting ostrich Olivia (Nicola Coughlin) and out- of-his-mind Komodo Dragon Modo (Nick Kroll), as well as put-upon monkey coach Dennis (Patton Oswalt). It’s not hard to see why the team is
As head of actors guild, Astin brings a little Rudy, Samwise, lots of ght
The “Lord of the Rings” co-star replaced outgoing president Fran Drescher
By Andrew Dalton The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Sean Astin has taken on the presidency of SAG-AFTRA at a particularly perilous time for the actors union — and for Hollywood. There’s the threat of human actors being replaced by arti cial intelligence. The ongoing upheavals of streaming. Studio consolidation and realignment.
Nearly three years ago, the actors launched a four-month strike, securing some protections and higher wages. And on Monday, negotiations on a new three-year contract with studios and streamers are already beginning again.
So what actor would want this role?
“In my imagination, growing up, I would want to have been in a place of consequence,” he told The Associated Press. “And so to have the opportunity to be in a role, leading a union of 160,000 people at this moment of consequence when there’s turmoil, when there’s fear and uncertainty and danger, this is exactly where I want to be.”
Life as actor, union member
Astin, an elected board member during the strike who left his mark as a ery rally speaker, won the presidency in September.
As an actor, the 54 -year- old is known as the leader of a scrappy band of kids in 1985’s “The Goonies,” an aspiring football player with never-ending grit in 1993’s “Rudy” and Samwise Gamgee, Frodo Baggins’ steadfast bestie in
PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO
SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin shows o a nished solid bronze Actor statuette during the 32nd Actor Awards statuette pouring event last Thursday in Burbank, California.
the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. He’s a SAG lifer, becoming a member as a young boy in 1981.
His mother, Oscar winner Patty Duke, who died in 2016, was president of the guild from 1985 to 1988 before it added the -AFTRA in a 2012 merger.
His father, John Astin, now 95, is best known for playing Gomez on “The Addams Family.” His brother Mackenzie Astin is a child star turned journeyman actor who recently had a three-episode arc on “The Pitt.”
Coming contract talks
Astin said he has reason to believe the new talks won’t start with actors and their employers at each other’s throats.
“I will say to everybody, I’m gonna ght as hard for you as anybody has ever fought for you, for your issue. People say, ‘You can’t ght for everybody equally.’ I say, ‘Yes, I can.’”
Sean Astin
“They came in last time provoking the ght,” he said, referring to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. “They wanted the strike. No question in my mind. I was
in last place given all the neuroses in play, compounded by Jett’s constant frustration. At this rate, the team will be out of contention before Will can even come o the bench.
Despite a rocky start, Will soon proves himself useful, able to slip between large, lumbering players and make long shots from far-o places on the court. Aside from his playing, his optimism is infectious, both with the fans, who drive up ticket sales, and his teammates, who start playing better with his inspiration. Even sour (literal) puss Jett has some of her best days in years around him. Then there’s an ugly chapter where business gets in the way and egos a ect morale (every sports movie has one), and the team basically breaks up. But of course everybody rallies and puts in their best e orts for the big nal game against Mane Attraction’s team.
The story isn’t going to redene any ( gurative, this time) playbooks. The humor can be obnoxious at times with all the self-aggrandizing characters, and it’s obvious the movie was written around the lazy premise of an athlete wanting to be the Greatest Of All Time … and he’s an actual goat. The movie is still a delight at a time when delightful movies are in short supply. Its biggest strength is its rapid- re gag delivery so that even if a joke misses, you can be as sure as there’s at least one played-out screaming goat gag in this movie there’s another one right around the corner. “GOAT” isn’t what I would call a “great” animated o ering, but it’s not b-a-a-a-a-a-d. Apologies.
Grade: B-
“GOAT” is rated PG for some rude humor and brief mild language. Its running time is 100 minutes.
stability,” the statement said.
Astin said the guild won’t yield any of the ground it won in 2023, whether it be wage increases or requiring informed consent for the use of actors’ likenesses via AI. And that means they can’t disarm in advance — striking is not out of the question, whatever the lingering pains from last time.
“There’s only one real tool available to a labor union in a negotiation, and that’s saying no,” Astin said. “We reserve the right to say no again if we need to.”
On March 1, the guild will hold the world’s most glamorous union meeting, the newly renamed Actor Awards, where high-pro le members like Leonardo DiCaprio and Emma Stone are nominated. But the vast majority of acting members don’t even make the approximately $27,000 a year required to qualify for guild health insurance.
“I will say to everybody, I’m gonna ght as hard for you as anybody has ever fought for you, for your issue,” he said. “People say, ‘You can’t ght for everybody equally.’ I say, ‘Yes, I can.’”
Best parts of best characters
in those rooms every single day. They’re sending much di erent signals now. They’re sending signals of wanting stability, of wanting to work as partners again.”
The AMPTP said in a statement to the AP that the group representing studios and streamers looked “forward to working collaboratively with our partners at SAG-AFTRA as we commence formal bargaining.”
“By taking the time to thoughtfully engage on the challenges confronting our industry, we are optimistic that, together, we can reach a fair deal that re ects our shared commitment to supporting our industry’s talented performers and promoting long-term
A speech Samwise gives in “The Two Towers” — “There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth ghting for” — became an Astin rallying cry during the strike.
“The qualities that make Rudy special — determination, grit, inspiration, aspiration — whatever is a part of that thing that makes him, makes his story touch the lives of so many people, is the part of myself that I want to pour into this job on behalf of my members,” he said.
And then there’s Mikey from “The Goonies.”
“If you think of ‘The Goonies,’ ‘The Goonies’ is about saving their home,” he said. “It’s fun, there’s a pirate ship, but it’s about a group of friends who don’t want to be overtaken by industrialists. Maybe that’s the most important one.”
Green Day and Charlie Puth took pregame duties
By Jonathan Landrum Jr. and Andrew Dalton
The Associated Press
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Stars were front and center at Super Bowl 60, with Chris Pratt and Jon Bon Jovi introducing the teams, a series of soaring pregame performances, and Bad Bunny’s much-anticipated halftime show featuring a tour of Puerto Rican culture and a real-life marriage.
Before the game at Levi’s Stadium, Blue Ivy Carter and her sister Rumi leaped in an end zone and Green Day delivered a tribute to the Super Bowl’s 60th anniversary.
Brandi Carlile kept it sincere and simple for “America the Beautiful,” Charlie Puth made “The Star-Spangled Banner” big and soulful, and Coco Jones brought a bit of the elements of both to “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Bad Bunny recreates Puerto Rico in Northern California
Bad Bunny brought Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin and a whole lot of his native Puerto Rico to his halftime show.
“God bless America!” he shouted toward the end, a rare English phrase in the 13-minute halftime show. Then he gave a roll call of the nations of North, South and Central America, including Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, the United States and Canada.
A parade of ags from those nations marched through the sugar plantation elds that functioned as the show’s centerpiece.
After the list of nations, and at the end of the show, he declared, “Mi Patria Puerto Rico, seguimos aquí,” or “My homeland Puerto Rico, we are still here.”
He also brought out a parade of celebrities, including Cardi B, Jessica Alba and Pedro Pascal.
The 31-year-old began the performance in the furrows of the faux sugar cane crops, walking past unmistakable Puerto Rican imagery including farmers in straw hats, old men playing dominos and a shaved ice stand as he performed his 2022 reggaeton hit “Tití Me Preguntó.” He carried a football
“Mi Patria Puerto Rico, seguimos aquí.” Bad Bunny
and wore an all-white football jersey with the number 64 and his real last name, Ocasio.
The opening and closing of the show were not really visible inside the stadium because they were obscured by the sugar cane plants, many of which were people in costumes who ran onto the eld to form the maze.
He then stood atop a tiny pink house with dancers in the front yard and performed “Yo Perreo Sola” and stood atop a pickup truck as he did “EOO.”
The scene shifted to a wedding, where the marrying couple parted to reveal Lady Gaga as the rst surprise guest. She joined Bad Bunny in performing “Baile Inolvidable.” Gaga did her own Super Bowl halftime show in 2017.
The couple was actually married during the show, according to a representative for Bad Bun-
ny, who said he served as a witness and signed their marriage certi cate.
Bad Bunny then broke into his “NuevaYol” in a faux shopping center parking lot.
Ricky Martin, a Puerto Rican star from a previous generation, joined him for “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii.”
The show came a week after Bad Bunny won the Grammy for album of the year for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” a love letter to his home.
The halftime show included a young boy watching the Grammy telecast on TV with his parents. Bad Bunny appeared and handed the boy a Grammy statuette.
As the show ended, he held up the football to the camera. It had a message that was also on the scoreboard: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
Green Day brings Bay rock — and f-bomb — to MVP parade
San Francisco Bay Area punk-pop vets Green Day took the pregame stage and per-
formed a snippet of their song “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” to a parade of former Super Bowl MVPs. Local heroes Steve Young, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice were among those who walked out during the song meant to celebrate 60 years of Super Bowls.
Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool then blasted into the harder and less sentimental stu , including “Holiday,” “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “American Idiot.” Armstrong did not censor the f-word in the lyrics of “American Idiot.” The word was muted on the NBC telecast but drew loud cheers inside the stadium.
Carlile, Puth deliver patriotic moments ahead of kicko
Singer-songwriter Charlie Puth delivered a sweeping and soulful rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The 34-year-old from New Jersey stood at a Rhodes electric piano as he sang and was backed by a choir and horn section.
Before that, Brandi Carlile
gave an earnest acoustic rendition of “America the Beautiful.”
The 44-year-old folk and country rocker wore a black suit and was backed by a violin and cello on the eld at Levi Stadium.
The Grammy winner told the AP this week that she’d use no prerecorded tracks, saying, “The people deserve to have you live.”
After the song, Carlile, who is from Ravensdale, Washington, about 30 miles outside Seattle, said she was “relieved and so excited for the Seahawks baby, let’s go!”
Coco Jones opens Super Bowl 60 performances with “Lift Every Voice” Coco Jones, a 28-year-old singer-songwriter and actor from Columbia, South Carolina, wore a white gown and was backed by a string octet as she performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a song that has become known as the uno cial black national anthem.
“I feel really amazing, I hope that I did my ancestors proud, and I hope that I inspired the nation to come together,” Jones told the AP just after the song. She FaceTimed with her mom on the sideline after the performance while her ance, Cleveland Cavaliers player Donovan Mitchell, held the phone.
Written by James Weldon Johnson, the song has been performed at the Super Bowl each year since 2021, the rst Super Bowl after the protests surrounding the killing of George Floyd when Black Lives Matter sentiment and the song became especially prominent.
Celebrities spotted at Super Bowl 60
Chris Pratt rocked a Seahawks jersey while attending the Super Bowl and gave a rousing introduction to the team before they ran out onto the eld. On the opposite side of the eld, Jon Bon Jovi delivered the Patriots’ intro.
Stars including Travis Scott and Jay-Z were on the sidelines ahead of the game. Jay-Z’s daughters, Blue Ivy and Rumi Carter, leaped in one of the end zones to take a photo.
Among those sitting in suites watching the game were Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber and Adam Sandler.
LaRussell during break During game breaks, Bay Area rapper LaRussell jammed alongside a choir, performing everything from rap classics such as his song “I’m From the Bay” and a rendition of Too $hort’s “Blow the Whistle,” along with gospel melodies.
‘Melania’ falls steeply, ‘Send Help’ holds steady at No. 1 on quiet weekend for theatres
The documentary about the rst lady earned
By Jake Coyle The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Hollywood largely ceded attention to football over a slow box-o ce weekend, with the survival thriller “Send Help” repeating as No. 1 in ticket sales and the Melania Trump documentary “Melania” falling sharply in its second weekend.
Super Bowl weekend is typically one of the lowest attended moviegoing times of the year. It was the second slowest weekend last year, and in 2024 it ranked dead last for moviegoing.
Studios instead put their focus on advertising movies for the massive television audience. Among the trailers during the NFL broadcast Sunday were The Walt Disney Co.’s “Mandalorian and Grogu,” MGM/Amazon’s “Project Hail Mary” and Universal Pictures’ “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.”
In North American theaters, the Disney-20th Century Studios release “Send Help,” directed by Sam Raimi, led all lms with $10 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. With $53.7 million globally thus far, the R-rated survival
thriller has proved a solid midbudget success. Disney, meanwhile, watched its remarkably long-lasting “Zootopia 2” cross $1.8 billion worldwide in its 11th week of release.
“Melania,” from Amazon MGM, added 300 theaters in its second weekend but dropped steeply to $2.4 million in ticket sales, down 67% from its much-discussed debut. The rapid downturn means the Brett Ratner-directed documentary is likely heading toward op territory given its high price tag. Amazon MGM paid $40 million for lm rights, plus some $35 million to market it.
The North American total for “Melania” stands at $13.4 million. Amazon MGM has not released international gures, though they’re expected to be paltry.
Kevin Wilson, head of domestic distribution for the studio, said the movie’s box-ofce performance “is a critical rst moment that validates our holistic distribution strategy, building awareness, engagement, and provides momentum ahead of the lm’s eventual debut on Prime Video.”
The lm’s ticket sales — which would be very good for a less expensive documentary —
“(‘Melania’s’ box o ce performance) is a critical rst moment that validates our holistic distribution strategy, building awareness, engagement, and provides momentum ahead of the lm’s eventual debut on Prime Video.”
Kevin Wilson, Amazon MGM head of domestic distribution
were a talking point throughout the week. Elsewhere in theaters, the Italy-set Kevin James romantic comedy “Solo Mio” debuted with a robust $7.2 million, a major win for Angel Studios, best known for its faith-based releases. “Stray Kids: The Dominate Experience,” a K-pop concert lm released by Bleecker Street, launched with $5.6 million, and an additional $13.2 million overseas. The Luc Besson-directed Bram Stoker adaptation “Dracula” opened with $4.5 million, a studio-best debut for the indie distributor Vertical. One of the most unusual re-
leases in theaters, however, remains the low-budget indie “Iron Lung.” The YouTube lmmaker Markiplier, whose real name is Mark Fischbach, self-nanced and self-distributed the R-rated video game adaptation, along with writing, directing and starring in it. In its second weekend, “Iron Lung” collected $6.2 million, bringing its two -week total to $31.2 million. It cost $3 million to make.
Top 10 movies by domestic box o ce
This list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore.
1. “Send Help,” $10 million
2. “Solo Mio,” $7.2 million
“Iron Lung,” $6 million
“Stray Kids: The Dominate Experience,” $5.6 million
“Dracula,” $4.5 million
“Zootopia 2,” $4 million 7. “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” $3.5 million
“The Strangers: Chapter 3,” $3.5 million
9. “Shelter,” $2.4 million
“Melania,” $2.4 million
NCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Big South looking into punches thrown during game between Winthrop, High Point
Charlotte
The Big South said it is considering disciplinary action after punches were thrown during a women’s basketball game between Winthrop and High Point last Wednesday. In the closing seconds of the High Point’s 88-74 win, video shows Winthrop’s Tocarra Johnson throwing several punches at a Panthers player after being guarded closely in the high post. The video does not appear to show any retaliatory punches.
NBA
4 former Blue Devils, two Tar Heels dealt at trade deadline
Former Tar Heel Coby White was traded from the Bulls to the Hornets at the trade deadline. Cole Anthony, also of UNC, was dealt from the Bucks to the Suns. Four Duke players were traded: Luke Kennard went from the Hawks to the Lakers, Tyus Jones went from the Magic to the Hornets to the Mavericks, Jared McCain was traded from Philadelphia to Oklahoma City and Marvin Bagley III went from the Wizards to the Magic. Hickory’s Rob Dillingham was dealt to Chicago from Minnesota.
4 players ejected after Pistons, Hornets tussle
Charlotte
Four players were ejected when a ght broke out in Detroit’s 110-104 win Monday over Charlotte. Charlotte’s Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges were tossed, along with Detroit’s Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. Duren confronted Diabate after a hard foul, and the two appeared to butt heads. Duren then hit Diabate in the face with his open right hand, starting a confrontation that lasted more than 30 seconds.
The senior knocked down the game winner in a UNC-Duke game for the ages
By Shawn Krest North State Journal
CHAPEL HILL — Call it the Seth Trimble game. There were 10.6 seconds left on the clock, the game tied at 68 thanks to an epic UNC comeback in the waning minutes. The senior guard ran from one side of the court to the other, taking position in front of his own bench, as an outlet for a play that was supposed to get a big man a shot. He was completely and utterly alone.
A list of all the people closer to Trimble than any Duke defender would include the entire Carolina bench, the managers behind the bench, a large num-
ber of the photographers kneeling on the baseline about to get the shot of a lifetime when Trimble gets his.
“Not well,” said Duke coach Jon Scheyer when asked about
how the Blue Devils defended that play. “We had a breakdown on the switch, and we just collapsed.”
Caleb Wilson is closer to Trimble than any Duke player
as well. The freshman runs just to the right of the lane, signaling for fellow freshman Derek Dixon to throw him a lob. He’s one of the main options on the play. He’s also the only person in a uniform on the same side of the basket as Trimble.
Caleb Foster had originally been defending Trimble, following him halfway across the court. He actually got both feet out of the paint and onto that side of the oor before the veteran guard sni ed out the play and realized it was going to be a shot at the rim. He doubled back and met Dixon’s drive to the hoop, cutting o the Tar Heel’s path. In Foster’s defense, if he hadn’t, this would have been the Derek Dixon game. Dixon began outside the 3-point line, beat the much larger Cameron Boozer, defending him after a switch, then split Maliq Brown and Isaiah Evans and was headed for a charging layup that would have given the Tar Heels the lead with just under three seconds left.
Foster fouled up that plan, however. He and Brown both jumped, cutting o the lob to Wilson.
See TRIMBLE, page
There are nearly 3,000 athletes from more than 90 nations competing for gold in Italy
By Ryan Henkel North State Journal
THE 2026 Winter Olympics commenced earlier this month as athletes from 92 nations arrived in Italy to compete for gold.
In total, 2,871 athletes quali ed for this year’s Games to compete in the 116 di erent events from Feb. 6 through Feb. 22.
While there are a handful of athletes with ties to North Carolina, the only actual N.C. native competing is Kayden Beasley, a 19-year-old sled hockey paralympian hailing from Coats.
Beasley began playing sled hockey in 2019 with the Carolina Hurricanes Sled Hockey team and has since competed internationally, capturing gold with the USA men’s team at the 2025 World Championships.
The Paralympics will kick o a bit later in the year, running from March 6-15.
North Carolina does, however, boast a pair of Winter Olympians with collegiate ties to the state: Eunice Lee, who currently studies at Duke, and Mystique Ro, a graduate from Queens University of Charlotte. Lee is a premed student
who will be competing in both speedskating and short track speedskating.
The 21-year-old quali ed for the 2022 Beijing Olympics at 17 but served as a backup for the relay team that year and did not compete.
Now she’ll look to capture a medal herself for Team USA. Ro, who was a track and eld athlete in college, is com-
peting in skeleton this year, which she started training for in 2016.
The 31-year-old won a silver medal in women’s individual skeleton at the 2025 World Championships and gold in the team mixed skeleton.
This is her rst Olympics.
There’s also an NC State connection at this year’s Winter Olympics — Terry Gannon, a member of the 1983 men’s basketball title team, serves as one of the primary broadcasters for NBC.
Gannon hosted the Opening Ceremony and will be on the call for the gure skating events.
But by far the biggest representation for North Carolina will come from those with connections to the Carolina Hurricanes, Raleigh’s NHL franchise.
This is the rst time NHL athletes have been allowed back at the Olympic games since 2014 — the league itself refused to allow players to go in 2018 and 2022 — and the
THURSDAY
2.12.26
Sonny Jurgensen:
The Hall of Fame quarterback died at 91. Jurgensen threw for more than 3,000 yards in a season ve times with Washington and the Philadelphia Eagles during his NFL career from 1957-74. He was a Washington broadcaster until 2019. He was one of seven former Duke players to be named NFL All-Pro. At Duke, he threw 16 interceptions and caught 10 as defensive back. Duke never retired his number.
Quadir Copeland:
The NC State senior had a career-high 16 assists and no turnovers in a win over SMU last week, becoming the rst DI player to do that since 2019. He added 10 rebounds for a double-double. In his next game, a win over Virginia Tech, he had 21 points and 10 assists, adding a career-high ve steals and scored his 1,000th career point.
Tetairoa McMillan:
The Panthers wide receiver was named O ensive Rookie of the Year. Also at the NFL Honors, former Panther Christian McCa rey was the rst running back in 24 years to win Comeback Player of the Year award. Former Panther DJ Moore’s catch to beat the Packers in overtime was the NFL Moment of the Year. Former NC State guard Joe Thuney was named Protector of the Year.
TRIMBLE from page B1
Otherwise, this would have been the Caleb Wilson game. The only two players who could have defended a lob to him were both already in the air and facing away from him. If he got the ball, he would have been able to put it in to give the Tar Heels the lead with two seconds left.
In all reality, it still should be the Caleb Wilson game. He scored 23 points, showing he was every bit the equal of ACC Player of the Year favorite Cameron Boozer. He scored 17 of them in the rst half as UNC held on with its ngernails to stay within shouting distance of Duke. He also drew ve fouls in the rst half— two on Boozer, two on Patrick Ngongba (who would foul out) and one on Brown (who would nish with four).
“He basically put us on his back in the rst half,” said UNC coach Hubert Davis.
The game-winning lob to him was defended, however. Options A and B were both
CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO
“Sta members got punched in the face. That’s not what this game is about.”
Duke coach Jon Scheyer after fans stormed the court twice at UNC. Video also showed a fan throwing a bottle at Duke’s bench.
“We signed up to get hurt; you might not like that, but we kinda did.”
Quarterback Joe Flacco, criticizing the NFL for having too many roughing the passer penalties.
PRIME NUMBER
Days since UNC’s last win over Duke before Saturday’s win in Chapel Hill. It’s the 12th-longest drought in school history and the 25th longest in the history of the rivalry. The longest by either team in the last 20 years has been 744 days.
o the table for Dixon. Time and space were both running out. Dixon was already at the basket, and the clock was slipping toward zero.
“We wanted to get something to the basket,” Davis said. “Derek was able to do that. We work on this — one of the options is, if the defender comes in, skip to the opposite corner. He checked down all the options, and the one option that was open.”
That option was Trimble — alone and forgotten, all by himself — an ice cream man on a snow day.
Almost forgotten
Dixon remembered him, even though, looking at the replay, there’s no way he could have possibly seen him. He heaved a pass between defenders. It hit Trimble right in the hands.
“Honestly, we make that play a lot in practice,” Davis said. “We really do. That play, that pass, that shot is literally something we work on every day, and so there’s a reason why Derek
NASCAR Weather pushed NASCAR’s Clash at Bowman Gray from Sunday to Monday to Wednesday. Once the race nally ran, things kept right on moving. More weather delays and cautions caused the race to run into the scheduled 9 p.m. ET start time for Fox’s hit show “The Masked Singer,” and the network decided to move the race from the main network and showed the conclusion on FS2, prompting outrage among race fans.
Hornets coach Charles Lee accidentally collided with LaMelo Ball during Charlotte’s Feb. 2 win over the Pelicans. Ball was trying to save a pass when they collided, sending both to the ground. Ball went to the locker room with a cut above his eye but returned to get 26 points and eight rebounds.
Atlanta Falcons rookie pass rusher James Pearce Jr. was arrested near Miami after eeing o cers and crashing his car following an alleged domestic dispute with WNBA player Rickea Jackson. Pearce is charged with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated stalking and eeing or eluding police.
threw it there. Because he knew a player, a teammate was gonna be there. And Seth was in the perfect spot. … Derek’s pass was amazing.”
The shot went up. Duke’s Dame Sarr took a step out of the paint and leaped in Trimble’s direction, but it was too late and way too far away. Trimble released and stood there, arm in the air.
“I knew it was good,” Trimble said. “I had my little fadeaway. Like a little old man fadeaway that I had. That was my ‘I knew it was good’ fadeaway.”
He was right. It was good. And all hell broke loose.
Trimble turned, and a UNC bench player slapped his chest. He clenched his arms in front of him and ran away from the bench into the paint, where all the players tasked with stopping him had been clustered seconds before. He was swarmed, by teammates, managers, cheerleaders. The mascot was there. And then everyone was there.
71-68 UNC. The Tar Heels’ only lead of the game — a game
that will forever be known as the Seth Trimble game.
And the Double Court Storm Game
The fans ooded the court, celebrating wildly, as Duke huddled at the bench and the referees checked the monitors. And a frantic announcement came over the PA system. “Please clear the court. There is time on the clock. The game is not over.”
After several minutes, the court was cleared — and cleaned — for another 0.4 seconds of basketball, an inbounds, an o -balanced heave and a second court storm.
“I’m still a little numb right now,” Davis said. “It was wild to hit the shot, people storming the oor, family members on the oor 0.4 on the clock trying to gure out how to defensively stop because a lot of things can happen in 0.4 seconds, and then storm the oor again.”
The double storm was interesting — an oddball moment in the rivalry — but it had no real
It’s just a “wild rumor” that Olympic ski jumpers are were injecting hyaluronic acid in their genitals to gain distance. The manipulation would justify larger ski jump suits, providing more lift and a longer ight.
The sport’s governing body dismissed the claims. Stricter rules were enacted after the Norwegian team was caught manipulating the crotch area of skiers’ suits.
impact on the outcome. Unlike Trimble.
This game came one day shy of the 14-year anniversary of the Austin Rivers game, one day shy of the sixth anniversary of the Tre Jones and Wendell Moore double-buzzer-beater game, 34 years and two days after the Bloody Montross game. Someday, decades from now, Trimble will be a middle-aged restaurant owner, and people will be talking about this night — his game.
“It’s crazy. It’s crazy. I hadn’t even thought of that,” he said. “When I go to sleep tonight that’s the only thing that’s gonna be in my mind. You dream stu like this as a kid. I grew up watching Marcus Paige make clutch play after clutch play, I grew up watching Coby White get a bucket whenever it was needed. To be able to step up in a moment like that and put myself in that history book is surreal.”
It all came together and will live forever. It was the perfect two storms.
The historic track was rst used by NASCAR in 1949
By Jesse Deal North State Journal
WINSTON-SALEM — Winless in 223 career NASCAR Cup Series starts, Ryan Preece earned his rst Cup victory last week by capitalizing on his short-track racing background.
The 35-year-old Berlin, Connecticut, native came out on top in the season-opening 2026 Cook Out Clash on Feb. 4 at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, taking the checkered ag after a weather-impacted, caution- lled 200-lap exhibition race that tested both drivers and equipment.
Racing on wet-weather tires and navigating the elements, Preece led the nal 45 laps in his No. 60 RFK Racing Ford to win the event on the legend-
ary, quarter-mile asphalt oval
known as “The Madhouse.”
“I don’t even know what to say,” Preece said. “It’s been a long road. And it’s the Clash but man, it’s just been years and years of grinding. Just super thankful for Brad Keselowski, all our partners, Jack Roush. Two years
ago, I didn’t think I was going to have a job. I thought I was going back to Connecticut.”
Preece took the lead on Lap 156, powering past Shane van Gisbergen on a restart four laps earlier. After the nal caution on Lap 182, Preece pulled away from the eld and nished 1.752
seconds ahead of runner-up William Byron. Ryan Blaney nished third, followed by Daniel Suarez and Denny Hamlin. Kyle Larson started from the pole and led the opening 40 laps before a debris caution slowed the eld, ultimately nishing 16th.
The race featured a Clash-record 17 cautions, including 13 in the second half as wet-weather tires struggled to nd grip on the at quarter-mile surface; NASCAR allowed teams to pit for fuel and additional rain tires with 35 laps remaining, with the track still deemed too wet for standard tires.
“As far as emotions go, when you work as hard as I have, I hate talking about it because I hate getting emotional about it,” Preece said. “But it’s not just the Clash — winning means everything to me. I’ve put a lot into it… I’m a quarter-mile killer. When it comes to this style of racing, it’s what I grew up doing.”
Preece became just the third driver to win the Clash prior to earning a points-race victory, joining Je Gordon in 1994 and Hamlin in 2006.
The race was postponed three days from Feb. 1 due to win-
“When it comes to this style of racing, it’s what I grew up doing,”
Ryan Preece
ter weather across North Carolina, becoming the rst NASCAR Cup Series race held on a Wednesday since 2020. Holding as much racing history as it does, Bowman Gray Stadium served as more than just a casual backdrop. The Winston-Salem venue — operating since 1949 — was NASCAR’s rst weekly track and hosted Cup Series points races from 1958 to 1971. Its winners list includes Richard and Lee Petty, David Pearson, Junior Johnson and Bobby Allison.
The Clash moved to Bowman Gray in 2025, marking NASCAR’s return to the track for the rst time since 1971. This year marked the second consecutive season the exhibition event was held at the stadium, reinforcing the track’s role as a de nitive link between NASCAR’s early history and its modern era.
The former Tar Heel su ered six sacks
By Kyle Hightower
The Associated Press
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Drake Maye was a dependable and steadying force for the New England Patriots this season. The second-year quarterback never got the chance to be that when his team needed him most in the Super Bowl.
Maye was the NFL’s most accurate passer during the regular season and nished second in MVP voting, but he was hounded by the Seahawks’ “Dark Side” defense throughout. He threw two touchdown passes but was sacked six times, had two interceptions and lost a fumble that led to a Seattle touchdown in New England’s 29-13 loss on Sunday.
“De nitely hurts,” Maye said. “They played better than us tonight.”
Maye, who was limited in one practice during the bye week with a right shoulder injury su ered in the AFC Championship Game win over Denver, said after the Super Bowl he received a pain-relieving injection before the game.
“I shot it up, so not much feeling,” he said of the shoulder. “It was good to go, and it felt all right.”
Maye didn’t think the injury a ected his performance against the Seahawks.
“I wouldn’t put the team in harm’s way to not be myself,” he said. “Just didn’t make plays tonight.”
It was a humbling end for a team that seemed poised to recapture a little of the magic of the Patriots’ run of six championships over two decades. Instead, Maye sat after the game with his head down, in grass-stained pants and tears welling in his eyes.
“Family travel all this way to watch us play. Don’t ruin their night. Because it sucks and it hurts,” Maye said. Maye nished 27 of 43 for 295 yards, and there were few highlights before he and the Patriots nally found some traction in the third quarter.
Left tackle Will Campbell gave up two of the sacks on Maye as the Seahawks sent several blitzes to his side of the line.
According to Next Gen Stats, Campbell allowed 14 pressures,
the most allowed by any NFL player in a game this season. But Vrabel said no one performance was responsible for the o ense’s lack of production.
“We can sit here and try to put in on one guy. You’ll be disappointed because that will never happen,” Vrabel said. “It starts with us as a coaching sta . ... That’s never going to change.”
Trailing 19-0 after his fumble set up a touchdown pass by Sam Darnold, Maye nally got some time to operate in the pocket and threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Mack Hollins. It brought some life to the Patriots’ sideline.
But it was short-lived.
Maye’s pass intended for Kyle Williams was picked o by Julian Love. The Seahawks added
Devon
Witherspoon (21) forces a fumble against New England Patriots quarterback
Drake Maye (10) during Super Bowl 60.
Jason Myers’ fth eld goal on their ensuing drive.
Down 22-7, New England’s fate was basically sealed when Maye was picked o by Uchenna Nwosu, who returned it 45 yards for a score.
The Patriots, who came in averaging 18 points per game in the playo s, were held to 331 total yards.
New England was denied a seventh Lombardi Trophy, which would have broken a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most in NFL history. It was a thudding end to a Cinderella-like season for the Patriots, who nished the regular season 14-3 in coach Mike Vrabel’s rst season — which came o back-to-back 4-13 nishes.
“Part of our identity is not being a front-runner,” Vrabel
The NASCAR Cup Series starts anew after an eventful winter
The Associated Press
WILLIAM BYRON will try to become the rst driver in history to win the Daytona 500 three consecutive years when the 68th running of “The Great American Race” opens the NASCAR season on Sunday.
Byron won last year’s event in overtime after race leader Denny Hamlin got spun on the nal lap, igniting a multicar crash. Byron ended up passing eight cars on the last lap to return to victory lane.
Can he make it three in a row? Four others — Richard Petty in 1975, Cale Yarborough in 1985, Sterling Marlin in 1996 and Hamlin in 2021 — came up short in threepeat bids at NASCAR’s signature race.
The eld includes seven other previous Daytona 500 winners, most notably three-time winner Hamlin and seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin is trying to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss in the 2025 season nale and the December death of his father. Johnson, meanwhile, is again driving the No. 84 Toyota for his team, Legacy Motor Club.
This will be the rst non-exhibition race since NASCAR and two teams — 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports — settled a federal antitrust lawsuit that threatened the series.
OLYMPICS from page B1
Hurricanes sent ve players from their current roster.
Amongst those are leading scorer Seth Jarvis (Team Canada), alternate captains Sebastian Aho (Team Finland) and Jaccob Slavin (Team USA), goaltender Frederik Andersen (Team Denmark) and newest o season signee Nikolaj Ehlers (Team Denmark).
“The Olympics has been a dream of mine for a long time,” Aho said. “Growing up and
The outcome guaranteed permanent charters for 36 teams.
The court battle took its toll.
NASCAR at the start of the year parted ways with Steve Phelps, an employee of more than two decades who last year was named the rst Commissioner of the sport. The separation came after texts revealed in discovery showed in ammatory messaging from Phelps toward the teams, even if he was ghting for them to receive a better charter agreement. He ultimately fell in line with his bosses and NASCAR does not go into 2026 better o without Phelps, who was the most approachable executive in the company and walked a ne line of being fair to the teams while answering to the France family.
watching the Finnish National Team playing, kind of my ultimate goal was winning Olympic gold. Obviously now, winning a Stanley Cup is my biggest dream, but having an Olympic gold would still be something special.”
While Aho, Andersen and Ehlers were named to their team’s respective Olympic rosters back in the summer (each team got to name an initial six players), Slavin and Jarvis had to wait a bit longer to learn that they would be Olympians.
Steve O’Donnell, another longtime NASCAR employee, was promoted to president when Phelps became commissioner. How the sport is governed in the wake of the lawsuit will be something to watch, with many looking toward Ben Kennedy, the great-grandson of NASCAR’s founder, to step up as the fourth generation to run the family business.
The new season also welcomes back a familiar playo model. NASCAR is reverting to a championship format that closely resembles the 10-race version introduced 22 years ago.
The system will be a 10-race format consisting of the top 16 drivers in the regular-season standings. There will be no driver eliminations every three rac-
Despite a season plagued by injuries, Slavin got the call at the start of the new year from Team USA general manager Bill Guerin, but for Jarvis, the wait was even longer.
The 24-year-old forward didn’t make the initial cut for Team Canada but was instead the latest NHL player to be named to an Olympic roster.
He found out last Thursday, two days before Canada’s charter plane was set to leave for Italy, that he would be going to Milan as an injury replace -
said. “Just like every year, somebody’s gonna lose this game, and we have to remember what it feels like.”
The Patriots fell into a 12-0 halftime hole and punted on eight of their rst nine drives. It would have been seven straight, but the nal one of the rst half was a one-play kneel down.
The 51 total yards gained by the Patriots were the fewest in a rst half in the last 35 Super Bowls.
“We couldn’t gain any rhythm, any eld position,” Vrabel said. “Defensively, we were really good against the run and we weren’t. We were just playing catch-up.”
It also marked the fth Super Bowl without a touchdown in the rst half. Maye also became rst player to be sacked three times on the rst four drives of a Super Bowl since Tom Brady in Super Bowl 42 against the New York Giants.
One of the reasons Seattle’s defense was so e ective was it did a great job of keeping New England’s o ense in long yardage situations on third down. The Patriots had to negotiate third downs of 9, 15, 17, 7 and 12 yards in the rst half. They were only 2 of 7 on conversions in the rst half.
The most emotion Maye displayed afterward was in thinking about the shortcoming of a group that won’t be the same next season.
“Had that sink in right now. Hopefully a lot of the same faces are here. The nature of the business I know it won’t be like that,” Maye said, his voice cracking. “But this team was awesome.”
Number of drivers who won back-to-back Daytona 500s but failed to win a third straight
es, winning will be incentivized and its name will return to “The Chase.” The driver with the most points at the Nov. 8 nale at Homestead-Miami Speedway will be the champion.
It replaces the most recent version, which had three rounds of eliminations over the 10 races.
The 2026 system will reward the most consistent driver over the entire season with a Cup title.
How to watch the Daytona 500
The race will be aired on Fox. Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick are in the booth. Larry McReynolds provides analysis. Jamie Little, Regan Smith and Josh Sims cover pit road. Fox Deportes, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio also o er live broadcasts, and the race will be streamed on the Fox One and the Fox Sports app.
What time is the race?
The green ag drops shortly after 2:30 p.m. EST.
Who is trying to make the eld?
Anthony Alfredo, Justin Allgaier, Corey Heim, Corey Lajoie, Casey Mears and Chandler Smith will try to earn a spot through either qualifying speed or their nish in a qualifying race. Allgaier is driving for Dale Earnhardt Jr., whose famous father died 25 years ago follow-
ment for Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point, who was ruled out due to a knee injury.
“I knew I was in the running to be one of the guys up, and you never know what direction they’re going to go, but I’m obviously super happy that it went my direction and, again, just can’t wait to get over there and help contribute any way I can,” Jarvis said.
In addition, there are more than a few former Hurricanes that will be representing var-
ing a last-lap crash at the Daytona 500.
Who is the favorite?
Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano are listed as co-favorites (plus-900) to win the race, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Byron and Austin Cindric are close behind at plus-1200. The defending series champion is Kyle Larson. And keep an eye on 19-year-old driver Connor Zilisch, who won 10 races in the X nity Series last season and is considered the most-hyped rising star in nearly two decades. The Charlotte native will drive for Trackhouse Racing and heads into his rst Daytona 500.
Zilisch is fresh o a runner-up performance in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, where he drove in the top class for a team owned by NASCAR chairman Jim France. He’s won in nearly everything he’s driven since launching his career and is expected to take the series by storm.
Which celebrities are involved in the event
Comedian Nate Bargatze will serve as the grand marshal and give the command for drivers to start their engines. Actor Kurt Russell is the honorary pace car driver, and country music singer Miranda Lambert will perform a prerace concert.
ious countries, including Vincent Trocheck, Noah Hani n and Jake Guentzel for Team USA; Teuvo Teravainen, Eetu Luostarinen, Erik Haula, Mikko Rantanen and Tuomo Ruutu (on the coaching sta ) for Team Finland; Elias Lindhom and Gustav Forsling for Team Sweden; Martin Necas and Ondrej Kase for Team Czechia; and Nino Niederreiter for Team Switzerland. (Niederreiter served as the ag bearer for the Swiss at the Opening Ceremony as well).
Executor’s Notice
The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Elbert Anderson, Jr., 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 29th day of April, 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 29th day of January, 2026. Amanda Carrasquillo Pemberley –Executor 2280 Center Court North, Apt. 5 Grand Island, NY 14072 Of the Estate of Elbert Anderson, Jr., Deceased
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ESTATE OF Michael David Barbour FILE NO. 26E000087-250 THE UNDERSIGNED having qualied as Administrator for the estate of Michael David Barbour, Deceased, in the O ce of the Clerk of Superior Court of Cumberland County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the said Decedent to present the same to the undersigned on or before May 4, 2026, said date being at least three months from the date of the rst publication or posting of this Notice as indicated below, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment. This Notice is given pursuant to the provisions of G.S. 28A-14-1. This the 29th day of January 2026. Name and Address of Administrator Ellen Jaye Barbour, Administrator 612 Country Club Dr. Fayetteville, NC 28301 North State Journal January 29, February 5, 12, 19, 2026
NOTICE
In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk State of North Carolina Cumberland County Administrator Notice The Undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Wadell Brown, 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 29th day of April, 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 recovery. All persons indebted to make estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned this the 26th, day of January 2026. Paula Brown 1234 Hunters Trail Hope Mills, North Carolina 28348 Administrator of the estate of Wadell Brown.
Notice to Creditors
Revonder McMillan, having quali ed as Administrator of the estate of Annie Bullock, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to Revonder McMillan on or before the 5th day of May, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to Revonder McMillan. This 5th day of February, 2026 Revonder McMillan: Administrator/ Executor 833 Varsity Dr Fayetteville, NC. 28301 Of the estate Annie L Bullock, Deceased
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Dorothy Jackson Burns a/k/a Dorothy J. Burns a/k/a Dorothy A. Burns Cumberland County Estate File No.
25E001847-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Dorothy Jackson Burns a/k/a Dorothy J. Burns a/k/a Dorothy A. Burns, Deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to David Hyatt Thompson, II, Executor of the Estate of Dorothy Jackson Burns a/k/a Dorothy J. Burns a/k/a Dorothy A. Burns, at 203 Fox Den Lane, Goldsboro, NC 27534, on or before the 24th day of April, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Debtors of Dorothy Jackson Burns a/k/a Dorothy J. Burns a/k/a Dorothy A. Burns are requested to make immediate payment to the Executor named above. This the 22nd day of January, 2026. David Hyatt Thompson, II, Executor of the Estate of Dorothy Jackson Burns a/k/a Dorothy J. Burns a/k/a Dorothy A. Burns Williford McCauley - Attorney for the Estate of Dorothy Jackson Burns a/k/a Dorothy J. Burns a/k/a Dorothy A. Burns Mailing address: P. O. Box 53606 Fayetteville, NC 28305 Physical address: 235 Green Street Fayetteville, NC 28301 Estate Notice
The undersigned, having quali ed as administrators/executors of the Estate of Geraldine Ivey Crumpler, 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 5th day of May, 2026, (which is 3 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 5th day of
ESTATE OF THOMAS PATRICK FEENEY
CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 23E000718-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Thomas Patrick Feeney deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Davis W. Puryear, Administrator, at 4317 Ramsey St., Fayetteville, NC 28311, on or before the 6th day of May, 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 30th day of January, 2026. Davis W. Puryear Administrator of the Estate of Thomas Patrick Feeney Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: February 5, February 12 and February 19 and February 26, 2026
Administrator’s Notice
The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the estate of Fredrick Green, 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 22nd day of April, 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 16th day of January, 2026. Sharon Davis 1800 Williamsburg Road, 1b Durham, NC 27707
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ESTATE OF NANCY GREER
CUMBERLAND County
Estate File No. 25E001724-250
All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Nancy Greer, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Davis W. Puryear, Administrator, at 4317 Ramsey St., Fayetteville, NC 28311, on or before the 23rd day of April, 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 15th day of January, 2026.
Davis W. Puryear Administrator of the Estate of Nancy Greer
Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: January 22, January 29, February 5 and February 12, 2026
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ESTATE OF GEORGE THOMAS HILL, JR.
CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 26E000121-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against George Thomas Hill, Jr., deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Timothy Hill, Administrator, at 6607 Winthrop Dr., Fayetteville, NC 28311, on or before the 30th day of April, 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 23rd day of January, 2026.
Davis W. Puryear Administrator of the Estate of George Thomas Hill, Jr. Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: January 29, February 5, February 12 and February 19, 2026
NOTICE
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE 25E001374-250 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF CHONG SUN HOLMES Administrator’s NOTICE The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the estate of Chong Sun Holmes, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 30th day of April, 2026, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 22nd day of January, 2026. William Holmes 1925 Caviness St., Fayetteville, NC 28314 Administrator of the estate of Chong Sun Homes deceased January 22nd, January 29th, February 5th, and February 12th , 2026.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION 26E000049-250 Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Joyce Shipman Howard, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the Estate of said Joyce Shipman Howard to present them to the undersigned on or before the 29 day of April, 2026 (this date being 3 months from the rst publication date of this notice) or same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 21 day of January, 2026. Reuben Carnell Jones Jr. 4759 Woodline Drive Fayetteville, NC 28314 Executor of the Estate of Joyce Shipman Howard January 29, February 5,12, 19 2026
NOTICE
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
In The General Court Of Justice
COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND Superior Court Division Estate File # 25E001857-250
Administrator’s/Executer’s Notice
The undersigned, having quali ed as executor of the estate of Ted Elliot Lepper, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present this claim to the undersigned on or before the 12th day of the May, 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 intermediate payment to the undersigned.
This February day of February 12th , 2026. George Vossler Lepper P.O. Box 484 Asheboro NC 27205 Of the estate of Ted Elliot Lepper
NOTICE
In The General Court of the Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File #: 26E000095-250. STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE
The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Lillie F. McDu e McKoy, 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 April 29, 2026, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of the notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of the recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
The 22nd day of January, 2026. Sonyas Renee Willis - Administrator 1113 Penselwood Drive Raleigh, NC 27604
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Dorothy Mae McNeill, Deceased Cumberland County, North Carolina Probate Court Case No. 26E000052-250
Notice is hereby given that the undersigned has been appointed as the personal representative of the abovenamed estate. All persons having claims against the estate are required to present them, along with proper supporting documentation, to the undersigned at 1713 Royal Gorge Rd. Fayetteville, NC 28304, within 90 days after the date of rst publication of this notice, April 29th 2026 or such claims will be forever barred. Date of rst publication: January 29th 2026 - April 29th 2026 Administrator for the Estate: Tonya L. McNeill 1713 Royal Gorge Rd Fayetteville, NC 28304 Phone: (910) 835-8256
NOTICE
Estate File# 26e000155–250 “Notice is hereby given that Hanna Brittany Valen Hallbauer has been appointed as the Executor of the Estate of Gloria Deck Mullinax, deceased, late of Cumberland County Court. The decedent, Gloria Deck Mullinax, died on November 26, 2024. All persons having claims against the estate are required to present their claims, with proper vouchers, to the undersigned on or before the 5th day of May, 2026 or such claims will be forever barred. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. Dated: This 5th day of February, 2026 Hanna Brittany Valen Hallbauer Executor 615 Tobacco Farm Way, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 Of the Estate of Gloria Deck Mullinax, Deceased.
Administrator Notice In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File# 26E000063-250 State of North Carolina Cumberland County Administrator Notice The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of, Malenna May Donley Orndorf, 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 29 of April, 2026 (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the day of January,2026. Amy Mathes 2903 Lois Circle Eastover NC 28312
NOTICE
Notice to Creditors – Estate of Margaret A. Owens NOTICE TO CREDITORS All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the Estate of Margaret A. Owens, also known as Margaret T. Owens and Margaret Tucker, deceased, are hereby noti ed that the undersigned has quali ed as Executor of the Estate in the Clerk of Superior Court of Cumberland County, North Carolina. Pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes, all claims against the Estate must be presented, duly veri ed, to the Clerk of Superior Court of Cumberland County, North Carolina, on or before three (3) months from the date of rst publication of this notice, which date is April 22, 2026, or said claims will be forever barred. This the 22nd day of January,2026. Mail to Clerk of Court Superior Court 117 Dick St. Fayetteville NC 28301
NOTICE
Estate File #25E001639-250
Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice
The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the estate of Angela Marie Saxon 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 29th day April of, 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 29th day of January, 2026. James R. Saxon, Executor 205 Crystal Sand Lane Dunn, North Carolina 28334 Of the Estate of Angela Marie Saxon, Deceased.
NOTICE
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
In The General Court Of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File # 26E000046-250
Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice
The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Arthur Richard Schmidt, 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 no later than the 22nd of April 2026, 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 22nd day of January, 2026. Cheryl Anne M. Rico Administrator/Executor 8258 Egret Pointe NE Address Leland, North Carolina 28451 City, State, Zip Of the Estate of Arthur Richard Schmidt, Deceased Executor’s Notice IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE 25E001970-250 State of North Carolina Cumberland County NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The undersigned, having quali ed as the Executor of the Estate of Anthony Wayne Smith, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms or corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at 118 Duncan Lane, Newport, North Carolina 28570, on or before April 22, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 22nd day of January, 2026. Melissa Renee Badgett Executor of the Estate of Anthony Wayne Smith, Deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC J. Duane Gilliam, Jr., Attorney PO Box 53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305 01/22/2026, 01/29/2026, 02/05/2026 and 02/12/2026
NOTICE
In The General Court Of Justice, Superior Court Division before the clerk, estate le number 26E 000122–250. STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE The undersigned having been quali ed as executor of the Estate of PATTIE TATUM PUGH, 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 5th day of May, 2026 (Which date is three months after the date of the rst publication of this notice) Or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 30th day of January, 2026. Administrator of the Estate of PATTIE TATUM PUGH. JANE GRAHAM LYON, Executor 3078 KAMERIN STREET RANDLEMAN NC 27317
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of Sarah Ivy Vigoletti a/k/a Sara Ivy Vigoletti a/k/a Sarah I. Vigoletti a/k/a Sarah H. Vigoletti a/k/a Sara H. Vigoletti Cumberland County Estate File No. 25E001961-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Sarah Ivy Vigoletti a/k/a Sara Ivy Vigoletti a/k/a Sarah I. Vigoletti a/k/a Sarah H. Vigoletti a/k/a Sara H. Vigoletti, Deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Steve Younts, Executor of the Estate of Sarah Ivy Vigoletti a/k/a Sara Ivy Vigoletti a/k/a Sarah I. Vigoletti a/k/a Sarah H. Vigoletti a/k/a Sara H. Vigoletti, at 510 Brunswick Road, Fayetteville, NC 28303, on or before the 8th day of May, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Debtors of Sarah Ivy Vigoletti a/k/a Sara Ivy Vigoletti a/k/a Sarah I. Vigoletti a/k/a Sarah H. Vigoletti a/k/a Sara H. Vigoletti are requested to make immediate payment to the Executor named above. This the 5th day of February, 2026. Steve Younts, Executor of the Estate of Sarah Ivy Vigoletti a/k/a Sara Ivy Vigoletti a/k/a Sarah I. Vigoletti a/k/a Sarah H. Vigoletti a/k/a Sara H. Vigoletti Williford McCauley - Attorney for the Estate of Sarah Ivy Vigoletti a/k/a Sara Ivy Vigoletti a/k/a Sarah I. Vigoletti a/k/a Sarah H. Vigoletti a/k/a Sara H. Vigoletti
Mailing address: P. O. Box 53606 Fayetteville, NC 28305 Physical address: 235 Green Street Fayetteville, NC 28301
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ESTATE OF TODD KEVIN WADDINGTON CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 24E000725-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Todd Kevin Waddington, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Davis W. Puryear, Administrator, at 4317 Ramsey St., Fayetteville, NC 28311, on or
(26E000121-640),
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 11th day of May, 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 5th day of February 2026. Courtney Nicole Langley Administrator ESTATE OF RUSSELL JAMES COOK
David Anderson Attorney at Law 9111 Market St, Ste A Wilmington, NC 28411 Publish: February 5, 2026 February 12, 2026 February 19, 2026 February 26, 2026
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Probate #26E000002-670
All persons, rm and corporations having claims against Carolyn J. Davenport , late of Orange County, North Carolina are hereby noti ed to present them to Traci Ann Davenport, as Executor of the decedent’s estate in care of Kendall H. Page, Attorney, 210 N Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 on or before the 22nd day of April, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the abovenamed Executor. Kendall H. Page 210 N Columbia Street Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Bar # 14261 Notice to Run: 01/22/2026, 01/29/2026, 02/05/2026 & 02/12/2026
Notice to Creditors
Having quali ed as Administrator-CTA of the Estate of Tula W. Garner, late of Wake County, North Carolina (25E004878-910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 25th day of April, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 22nd day of January 2026. Linda Funke Johnson Administrator-CTA Estate of Tula W. Garner
Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446 114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 (For publication: 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12/2026)
Notice to Creditors
Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of CYNTHIA ELIZABETH PRINCE, late of Wake County, North Carolina (26E000060-910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 8th day of May 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This the 5th day of February 2026.
Melissa Bentley Executor of the Estate of Cynthia Elizabeth Prince
c/o Lisa M. Schreiner
Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446
114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526
(For publication: 02/05, 02/12, 02/19, 02/26/2026)
Notice to Creditors
Having quali ed as Co-Executors of the Estate of WALDON WATTS WARD, late of Wake County, North Carolina (26E000146-910), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 15th day of May 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.
This the 12th day of February 2026.
Matthew Waldon Ward, Co-Executor
Michael Terry Ward, Co-Executor
Estate of Waldon Watts Ward c/o Lisa M. Schreiner
Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446 114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526
(For publication: 02/12, 02/19, 02/26, 3/5/2026)
NOTICE
IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE
SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION
FILE NO. 25CV034084-910
NORTH CAROLINA
WAKE COUNTY
LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC
Plainti , v. ROSLYN JORDAN; ALEJANDRO GUZMAN; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; PLANTERS
WALK OF KNIGHTDALE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, INC.; and SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC.
Substitute Trustee; Defendants. NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION
TO:
Alejandro Guzman
Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been led in the above entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: The Plainti in the above entitled action has led with the Clerk of Superior Court’s o ce of Wake County, North Carolina, a civil action concerning one parcel of real property located at 809 Riverway Lane, Knightdale, North Carolina, 27545. You are required to make defense to such pleading no later than March 10, 2026 (40 days from date of rst publication) and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought. This the 26th day of January 2026. HUTCHENS LAW FIRM LLP By: __Bryce Ashby__________
Claire Collins Dickerho
N.C. State Bar No. 44306
Bryce Ashby
N.C. State Bar No. 61688 Post O ce Box 2505
Fayetteville, NC 28302
Telephone: (910) 864-6888
Facsimile: (910) 864-6848
Claire.dickerho @hutchenslaw rm.com
Bryce.ashby@hutchenslaw rm.com
Attorneys for Plainti
Dates of Publication: January 29, 2026; February 5, 2026; and February 12, 2026. THIS IS A COMMUNICATION FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR. THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMUNICATION IS TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE, except as stated 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 BANKRUPTCY 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
Notice to Creditors Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of REBECCA GRISWOLD PRINCE, aka MARTHA REBECCA
at Page 27 in Cabarrus County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds Cabarrus County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in Concord, Cabarrus County, North
Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on February 23, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Concord in the County of Cabarrus, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Lying and being in the City of Concord No. 2 Township, Cabarrus County, North Carolina on the North side of Nolen Avenue, NW on the south side of Village Drive, NW and on the West side of McCurdy Street, NW qand being Lot No. 200 of AFTON VILLAGE , PHASE 4C, along with the common area surrounding said lot and being shown in Map Book 38, Page 89, Cabarrus County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 5607 Village Drive Northwest, Concord, North Carolina.
Parcel ID Number: 2-29B-200
Which currently has the address of 5607 Village Drive, Concord, North Carolina, 28027
Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to three hours as
NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 24SP000343-120 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Lyndia D. Little (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Lyndia D. Little) to PRLAP, Inc., Trustee(s), dated April 27, 2007, and recorded in Book No. 7535, at Page 215 in Cabarrus County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds Cabarrus County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in Concord, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on February 23, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Kannapolis in the County of Cabarrus, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Lying and being in No. 4 Township, Cabarrus County, North Carolina, on the west side of a 30 foot street, and being a part of Lot No. 9 as shown on a map of the E. McCree land, said map being on le in the o ce of the Register of Deeds for Cabarrus County, N.C. in Map Book No. 6. Page No. 90 and adjoining the property of John McCree, John McCain and others and is bounded as follows: BEGINNING at a stake in the west edge of a 30 foot street a corner of John McCain (said stake has a bearing of South 2 1/2 West 275 feet from the southwest corner of the intersection of Chipola Road and said 30 foot street) and runs thence with the west edge of said 30 foot street South 2 1/2 West 60 feet to a stake in the line of Lot No. 10; thence with the line of Lot No. 10 South 86 West 150,9 feet to a stake in said line a new corner; thence a new line North 2 1/2 East 80.9 feet to a stake, a corner of John McCain; thence with the line of John McCain South 87 East 150.0 feet to the Beginning. Survey by Walter L. Furr, Jr., July 6th 1951. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 161 Waco Avenue, Kannapolis, North Carolina.
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
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).
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
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
KANNAPOLIS, NC 28083 PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): MARSALIS FORD THE LAND DESCRIBED HEREIN IS SITUATED IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, COUNTY OF CABARRUS, AND IS DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK 6530, PAGE 131, AS FOLLOWS: ALL THAT CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF LAND SITUATED IN THE CITY OF KANNAPOLIS, NUMBER FOUR TOWNSHIP, CABARRUS COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA AND MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: LYING IN NUMBER FOUR TOWNSHIP, CABARRUS COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, ON THE EAST SIDE OF BEAUMONT AVENUE, ADJOINING THE PROPERTY OF VOIDEL STEEPLETON, SAID FOLLOWING DESCRIPTION BEING TAKEN FROM A SURVEY PREPARED BY A.C. BROWN, SURVEYOR, MAY 24, 1997, AND BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT AN IRON STAKE IN THE EASTERN EDGE OF BEAUMONT AVENUE, A CORNER OF VOIDEL STEEPLETON, AND RUNS THENCE WITH THE EASTERN EDGE OF BEAUMONT AVENUE, NORTH 10-36 WEST FOR A DISTANCE OF 100 FEET TO AN IRON STAKE, A NEW CORNER; THENCE A NEW LINE, SOUTH 77-33 EAST FOR A DISTANCE OF 170 FEET TO AN IRON STAKE, A NEW CORNER; THENCE A NEW LINE, SOUTH 10-36 EAST FOR A DISTANCE OF 100 FEET TO A STAKE, A NEW CORNER OF VOIDEL STEEPLETON; THENCE WITH STEEPLETON’S LINE, NORTH 77-33 WEST FOR A DISTANCE OF 170 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING; SUBJECT HOWEVER, TO THE RIGHT-OF-WAY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION ALONG BEAUMONT AVENUE, AND THE RIGHT-OF-WAY ON THE NORTH SIDE OF SAID PROPERTY KNOWN AS STEEPLETON DRIVE AND AS SHOWN ON MAP BOOK 11, PAGE 72, IN THE CABARRUS COUNTY REGISTRY. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s
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
Page 01745, Wake 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 Wake County, North Carolina, and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door or other usual place of sale in Wake County, North Carolina, at 2:00 PM on February 17th, 2026, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: All that certain lot or parcel of land situated in the City of Fuquay Varina, Middle Creek Township, Wake County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows: Lot 375, Phase 7, Southern Oaks S/D, Wake County, North Carolina Being the same property as conveyed from Royal Oaks Building Group, LLC to Eugene Delosh as set forth in Deed Book 013671 Page 00461 dated 08/19/2009, recorded 08/20/2009, WAKE County. NORTH CAROLINA. Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 628 Lawson Cypress Lane, Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 Tax ID: 0369787 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-
NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE
FILE NUMBER: 25SP000164-910
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 §7A-308, in the amount of Forty- ve Cents (0.45) per each One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or fractional part thereof with a maximum amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts will be immediately due and owing.
Said property to be o ered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS WHERE IS. There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being o ered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments, land transfer taxes, if any, and encumbrances of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the
Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a Deed of Trust executed by MATHEW DON BURTON AKA MATTHEW DON BURTON dated August 4, 2022 in the amount of $579,200.00 and recorded in Book 19113, Page 1103 of the Wake 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 Wake County, North Carolina, in Book 19801, Page 2282, 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 Wake County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, on February 24, 2026 at 1:00 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER(S): 0743861422 ADDRESS: 102 LANGDALE PL CARY, NC 27513 PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): MATHEW DON BURTON AKA MATTHEW DON BURTON THE LAND DESCRIBED HEREIN IS SITUATED IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, COUNTY OF WAKE, AND IS DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK 19113, PAGE 1103, AS FOLLOWS: BEING ALL OF LOT 2, SECTION SF-4 OF MACARTHUR PARK P.U.D., AS SHOWN BY MAP AND SURVEY RECORDED IN BOOK OF MAPS, 1990, PAGE 878, WAKE 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 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
Lot 818, Olde Towne, as shown in Book of Maps 2024, Pages 63-72 and previously recorded in Book of Maps 2022, Pages 1489-1498, Wake County Registry. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.
Said property is commonly known as 5031 Microcline Trail, Raleigh, NC 27610. A Certi ed Check ONLY (no personal checks) of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR
DEED. Said property to be o ered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being o ered for sale. Substitute Trustee does not have possession of the property and cannot grant access, prior to or after the sale, for purposes of inspection and/ or appraisal. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Valentina Galindo Valdez, an unmarried person. An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S.
undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is Eugene Delosh. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the Clerk of Superior Court of the county in which the property is sold.
Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination (North Carolina General Statutes §4521.16A(b)(2)). Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the e ective date of termination. If the Trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include,
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
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
North Carolina native and New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye walks o the eld after being sacked six times in a bruising loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60 on Sunday.
The county handed over control of its water systems about a year and a half ago
ICE chief defends o cers’ actions before Congress after deaths of 2 protesters Washington, D.C.
The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is defending his o cers, saying they won’t be intimidated while carrying out President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda. Todd Lyons, along with other agency leaders, faced tough questions from Democrats during a congressional hearing Tuesday. Lyons blamed elected o cials for rhetoric that endangers o cers. The hearing followed recent scrutiny after two protesters were shot and killed by Homeland Security o cers in Minneapolis. Democrats have criticized the administration’s immigration policies, while o cials argue their actions make the country safer. The hearing marks the rst time these leaders have appeared in Congress since receiving increased funding.
Trump set to change U.S. climate change policy, environmental regulations
A White House o cial said the Trump administration is expected this week to revoke a scienti c nding that long has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and ght climate change. The EPA will issue a nal rule rescinding a 2009 government declaration known as the endangerment nding. That Obama-era policy determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. Legal challenges are certain.
$2.00
By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record
PITTSBORO — The Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioners was presented with an update from TriRiver
Water at its Feb. 9 meeting.
Chatham County merged with TriRiver just under two years ago, handing over the handling of their water and wastewater systems to the City of Sanford.
Republican legislators grilled Charlotte o cials over recent rail stabbings
By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press
RALEIGH — North Carolina Republican lawmakers pressed Charlotte-area leaders on Mon-
day about crime- ghting e orts following recent light-rail stabbings in the Democratic-led city, with a committee head citing failures in carrying out criminal justice functions.
“Over a year and a half, we feel like we’ve gotten a pretty good idea and comfort with the Pittsboro system, and we feel like we’re in a pretty good spot with what we’ve seen operationally and where we’re headed moving forward,” said TriRiver Director of Business and Management Dick Fortune.
TriRiver’s presentation pri-
marily focused on current projects related to Pittsboro, with a centering theme of building capacity and system resiliency.
“We’ve been merged for about a year and a half, and we’re still continuing to learn things throughout the system,” said Director of Engineering Jason Bertoncino.
The rst project TriRiver provided an update on was the Pittsboro to Sanford Pump Station and Wastewater Force Main Project.
“The project is underway and on schedule,” Bertoncino said. “We have all the pipe on-site and
Large crowds marked the end of their 2,300-mile journey
By Ti any Stanley and Deepa Bharath The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. —
A group of Buddhist monks reached Washington, D.C., on foot Tuesday, walking single le across a bridge over the Potomac River to cap a 15-week trek from Texas that has captivated the country.
The monks in their sa ron robes have become xtures on social media, along with their rescue dog Aloka. After spend-
ing Monday night at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, they crossed over the Chain Bridge into the District of Columbia shortly after 8 a.m. on Tuesday. They walk to advocate for peace. That simple message has resonated across the U.S. as a welcome respite from con ict and political divisions. Thousands gathered along Southern roadsides — often in unusually chilly weather — to watch the monks’ quiet procession that began in late October.
Large crowds greeted them during their two-day stay in Washington. The Metropolitan
The August fatal stabbing death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, followed in December by a nonfatal stabbing on the same Charlotte rail system, are among the chief reasons for GOP critiques of area law enforcement. The suspect in each stabbing faces charges in state and federal court.
“In these divisive times, we saw entire towns in the Bible Belt coming out for these monks ... but being uplifted and moved by it.”
Mark Duykers, retired engineer from Michigan
GOP Rep. Brenden Jones, co-chairman of the state House oversight committee that took testimony from several o cials, attributed Zarutska’s killing to broad “incompetence.” Zarutska had “come to America for a better life. She didn’t get
THURSDAY 2.12.26
By Patrick Whittle and Kimberlee Kruesi
The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine — Republican Sen. Susan Collins announced her reelection bid Tuesday, betting that she can hold onto her coveted Maine seat despite a renewed Democratic e ort to oust her in a race that could determine control of the U.S. Senate.
The campaign will test Collins’ political survival skills. The 73-year-old has won ve terms by casting herself as a re ection of Maine’s independent spirit, occasionally clashing with President Donald Trump while also largely supporting his agenda.
As she now seeks a sixth term, Collins faces outrage over immigration enforcement tactics that could become a political liability for Republican candidates across the country. A recent operation in Maine led to hundreds of arrests but also criticism that people were being rounded up even if they didn’t have criminal records.
Collins has taken credit for stopping the surge of federal agents in Maine after she spoke directly with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. However, Democrats accused Collins of not going far enough, pointing to her refusal to call for Noem’s ouster and her vote in favor of a bipartisan Homeland Security funding bill. The party needs to net four seats to retake the Senate majority, and they are aiming to do that in Maine, North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio.
Feb. 2
• Melissa Leann Perry, 42, of Chapel Hill, was arrested for interference with emergency communication.
Feb. 3
• Franklin Dekova Brown, 36, of Staley, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia, simple possession of schedule IV controlled substance, possession of marijuana, misdemeanor larceny, possession of stolen goods/ property, felony possession of cocaine and possession of controlled substance on prison/jail premises.
Feb. 4
• Justin Brooks Sanders, 40, of Bear Creek, was arrested for second degree kidnapping and assault in icting serious injury.
• Jasmyn Rebecca Clapp, 23, was arrested for access government computers to defraud, identity theft, obtaining property by false pretense, common law forgery and common law uttering.
Feb. 5
• Eddie Leon Alston, 43, was arrested for possession of rearm by felon.
Feb. 6
• Cameron Ray Barth, 27, of Siler City, was arrested for trespassing and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Dylan Bryant Fleming, 31, was arrested for possession of weapon of mass destruction, misdemeanor child abuse, driving while license revoked, DWI level 1, reckless driving, expired registration card/tag, operating vehicle without insurance, failure to secure passenger under 16, communicating threats, injury to real property and breaking and entering.
Feb. 7
• Jamie Aliss Webster, 39, of Chapel Hill, was arrested for possession of stolen motor vehicle, breaking and entering motor vehicle with theft and motor vehicle theft.
Gov. Janet Mills and oyster farmer Graham Platner are among Collins’ top Democratic challengers. While many establishment Democrats and
J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE / AP PHOTO
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) departs the chamber at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 2025.
in uential left-leaning groups have backed Mills, Platner has gained traction with his anti-establishment image and economic equality message. He’s campaigned aggressively while facing revelations of problematic social media posts and having to cover up a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol.
Mills has accused Collins of governing “without any courage” shortly after the Republican voted in favor of funding the DHS and several other agencies in January. Platner has demanded that the agency be dismantled and said he did not believe Collins or the Trump administration’s promise to leave Maine.
Platner recently outraised both Mills and Collins in campaign fundraising, according to the latest federal lings. The rst-time candidate collected nearly $4.6 million, while Mills raised $2.7 million. Collins, who had not yet o cially launched her campaign during the ling period, had more than $8 million in cash on hand at the end of 2025.
Collins, who has said she didn’t vote for Trump in 2016, voted to convict Trump after his 2021 impeachment over his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. After Collins joined a handful of Republican colleagues in
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Chatham County.
Bynum Bite Night at BFP
6-8 p.m.
backing a failed e ort to limit the president’s ability to unilaterally use force in Venezuela, Trump said on social media that they “should never be elected to o ce again.”
But Collins has also broadly backed Trump’s agenda, including his tax and spending bill, and his nominees.
Notably, Collins voted to con rm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Trump’s choice to be secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has since espoused anti-vaccine policy and ousted public health ocials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
She has faced down tough challenges before. Democrat Sara Gideon raised $69 million in 2020, outspending Collins in a bid to help take back the Senate during a presidential election year when the Democrats won the top of the ticket. Collins defeated Gideon by more than 8 points.
Collins has remained in ofce despite Maine becoming increasingly blue. The proportion of registered Democrats has increased since her last reelection campaign, when “unenrolled” independent voters outnumbered Democrats in 2019 but now trail them in 2026. Republicans have trailed both groups for years.
By Paul Wiseman The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. —
U.S. employers added a surprisingly strong 130,000 jobs last month, but government revisions cut 2024-25 U.S. payrolls by hundreds of thousands.
The unemployment rate fell to 4.3%, the Labor Department said Wednesday.
The report included major revisions that reduced the number of jobs created last year to just 181,000, the weakest since the pandemic year of 2020, and less than half the previously reported 584,000. The job market has been sluggish for months even though the economy is registering solid growth.
But the January numbers came in stronger than the 75,000 economists had expected. Health care accounted for nearly 82,000, or more than 60%, of last month’s new jobs. Factories added 5,000,
PROJECTS from page A1
most of it is fused together too. Now they’re going to start working on bores and burying pipes and so it will start disappearing from the side of the road hopefully here pretty soon.”
According to Bertocino, the project is on track for a summer 2027 completion. The project will increase the sanitary sewer capacity for the town, thereby allowing for more tributaries.
“We sort of had a self-imposed moratorium on anything
that was tributary to the current plant because we didn’t want to get into a situation with the state, but we now feel like we’re at the point where we’re far enough along with the project with dates certain enough on the completion that we’ve started signing permits again that are tributary to the Pittsboro Wastewater Treatment Plant,” Bertocino said. There was also an update on the Moncure to Pittsboro Water Main Connection and Booster Pump Station. “That project is getting close
snapping a streak of 13 straight months of job losses. The federal government shed 34,000 jobs.
Average hourly wages rose a solid 0.4% from December to January.
The unemployment rate fell from 4.4% in December as the number of employed Americans rose and the number of unemployed fell.
Weak hiring over the past year re ects the lingering impact of high interest rates, billionaire Elon Musk’s purge last year of the federal workforce and uncertainty arising from President Donald Trump’s erratic trade policies, which have left businesses unsure about hiring.
Dreary numbers have been coming in ahead of Wednesday’s report. Employers posted just 6.5 million job openings in December, fewest in more than ve years.
Payroll processor ADP reported last week that private
to 90% designed, and we’re getting ready to start real estate acquisition on the project,” Bertocino said. “We don’t have an exact timeline on the construction, but at the moment, there’s no reason why we’d slow down once we get all the rights signed away and the easements in place.”
Finally, the board was presented with potential upgrades for both the Pittsboro and Sanford Wastewater Treatment Plants.
The Pittsboro plant upgrades are focused on optimizing and modernizing things such as
employers added 22,000 jobs in January, far fewer than economists had forecast. And the outplacement rm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that companies slashed more than 108,000 jobs last month, the most since October and the worst January for job cuts since 2009. Several well-known companies announced layo s last month. UPS is cutting 30,000 jobs. Chemicals giant Dow, shifting to more automation and arti cial intelligence, is cutting 4,500 jobs. And Amazon is slashing 16,000 corporate jobs, its second round of mass layo s in three months.
Wednesday’s report included the government’s annual benchmark revisions, meant to take into account the more-accurate jobs numbers that employers report to state unemployment agencies. They cut 898,000 jobs from payrolls in the year ending March 2025.
chemical usage, odor control and just overall processes, while the Sanford plant is projected to nish a capacity upgrade in the summer of 2027, increasing the treatment capacity to 30 million gallons.
“The facilities will have the capability to send water both ways,” Bertocino said. “So we have future additional capacity here, and we’re just trying to build resiliency throughout the system for our customers.”
The Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioners will next meet March 9.
If you are an area teen with an inner geek — embrace it with kids who have similar interests at this bi-monthly event at BFP. There is a virtual reality (VR) headset on-site so you can go beyond this world for a short time. Bring your projects and games and be ready to discuss your personal passion of the moment! Questions? Call Helbragga (John G.) at 919-593-3559.
Bynum Front Porch 950 Bynum Road Bynum
14
Bluegrass Jam Circle 10 a.m. to noon
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
Virtual Film Screening: “From Sea to Shining Sea”
The Chatham Community Library will present this lm virtually all day on Feb. 19 as part of its America 250 celebrations. The 2025 lm tells the story of Katharine Lee Bates, the woman who penned the poem upon which the song “America the Beautiful” is based. The link to log in to the movie will be available beginning Feb. 19 at Vimeo PRO. A password is required to view; contact social.library@ chathamlibraries.org to request one.
The History Between the Lines Book Club 9:30 a.m.
Delve into Thomas Healy’s 2021 book, “Soul City: Race, Equality, and the Lost Dream of an American Utopia,” in honor of Black History Month. Participation is free.
Chatham County Historical Museum 9 Hillsboro St. Pittsboro
Feb. 25
Paint & Sip Gathering for Chatham Young Professionals
5-7 p.m.
This guided painting experience is sponsored by the Chatham Chamber and is a networking opportunity for professionals 40 and under. For more information, contact Cheryl Littleton, at 984-265-9172.
Inspire Briar Chapel 152 Market Chapel Road Pittsboro
Americans’ optimism about their future is at a record low
By Linley Sanders The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Americans’ hope for their future has fallen to a new low, according to new polling.
In 2025, only about 59% of Americans gave high ratings when asked to evaluate how good their life will be in about ve years, the lowest annual measure since Gallup began asking this question almost 20 years ago.
It’s a warning about the depth of the gloom that has fallen over the country over the past few years. In the data, Gallup’s “current” and “future” lines have tended to move together over time — when Americans are feeling good about the present, they tend to feel optimistic about the future. But the most recent measures show that while current life satisfaction has declined over the last decade, future optimism has dropped even more.
The nding comes from a longstanding Gallup question that asks Americans to rate their current and future lives on a scale from 0 to 10. Those who give themselves an 8 or higher on the question about the future are categorized as optimists.
“While current life is eroding, it’s that optimism for the future that has eroded almost twice as much over the course of about that last 10 years or so,” said Dan Witters, the research director of the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index.
Gallup assesses people who rate their current life at a 7 or higher and their anticipated future at an 8 or higher as “thriving.” Fewer than half of Americans, about 48%, are now in that category.
Democrats and Hispanic Americans, in particular, were in a darker mood last year. But even with President Donald Trump back in the White House and his party in control of both houses of Congress, Republicans aren’t feeling nearly as good about the future as they were in the last year of Trump’s rst term.
Democrats’ optimism fell signi cantly
Americans’ attitudes toward the future tend to shift when a
“While current life is eroding, it’s that optimism for the future that has eroded almost twice as much over the course of about that last 10 years or so.”
Dan Witters, research director, Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index
new political party enters the White House — generally, the party in power grows more optimistic, while the party without control is more down. For instance, Democrats became more positive about the future after Joe Biden won the presidency, while Republicans’ outlook soured.
Witters notes that these changes typically happen “by roughly the same amount, same level of magnitude, so they cancel each other out.”
That didn’t happen in 2025.
Toward the end of Biden’s term and the start of Trump’s second term, Democrats’ optimism fell from 65% to 57%.
Republicans grew more hopeful, but not enough to o set Democrats’ drop.
“The regime change in the White House almost certainly was a big driving factor in what’s happened,” Witters said. “And a lot of that was just because the people who identi ed as Democrats really took it in the chops.”
But Republicans are still quite a bit gloomier about the future than they were in the last year of Trump’s rst term.
A January AP-NORC poll
found that while the vast majority of Republicans are still behind the president, his work on the economy hasn’t lived up to many people’s expectations.
Hispanic adults grew more pessimistic
Hispanic adults’ optimism for the near future also declined during Trump’s rst year in o ce, dropping from 69% to 63%.
That decrease was sharper than among white and black Americans, something that Witters said could be tied to overall cost concerns, health care worries or alarm about Trump’s recent immigration policies.
Last year, a survey by the American Communities Project found that people living in heavily Hispanic areas were feeling less hopeful about their future than in 2024. Trump’s favorability fell among Hispanics over the course of 2025, according to AP-NORC polling, which also found that Hispanic adults reported higher levels of economic stress than other groups.
A Pew Research Center poll conducted in October found that the administration’s tough immigration enforcement is highly visible in Hispanic communities. About 6 in 10 Latinos said they had seen or heard of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids or arrests in their community in the past six months.
“(Deportations are) something that everybody can see and look at with their own eyes,” Witters added. “But if you’re Hispanic, I think it’s fair to think that that might hit a little closer to home.”
As Oakley Baptist Church (2300 Siler CityGlendon Road, Siler City) seeks to begin its next chapter, we are enjoying hearing a word from the Lord from various old and new friends. Our service begins at 10:30 a.m., but we also have Sunday School classes for every member of the family at 9:30 a.m. We would be blessed if you joined us for any and all of these speakers in the coming weeks.
The service on Feb. 15 will feature a message from Jason Jones, son of the Rev. Walter Jones, an experienced lay speaker from an area church.
On Feb. 22, we’ll hear from Stephanie Moody Sha er, manager of Chaplaincy and Faith Relations for Baptist Retirement Homes (thrivemorenc.org). This is a faith-based, not-for-pro t organization committed to providing quality care and a meaningful way of life for older adults through senior living communities across North Carolina and is linked to the Southern Baptist Convention.
And nally, Spencer Andrews will return on March 1 to speak. Andrews is the former youth pastor at Oakley and is currently ministering at Grace Hill Church in Pittsboro (gracehillchatham. com), a church he helped plant.
We look forward to meeting you at any of these services and in the future, and invite you to pray with us as we seek a new pastor. To learn more, go to oakleybaptist.org or email us at oakleybaptistchurch@gmail.com.
attend the Wolfpack Women’s Basketball Camp at N.C. State University in Raleigh.
To be eligible to apply, the student must be in the sixth or seventh grade during the upcoming school year, have permission from a parent or guardian to attend the overnight camp and must provide their own transportation if selected to attend.
Scan the QR code or visit CEMCPower.com for more information or to apply. e deadline for applications to both camps is March 31.
senior opinion editor
“You can’t be the salt of the earth if you are disabled by fury. You can’t be the light of the world if you are blinded by anger.”
SURELY, READERS know of the story of Liam Conejo Ramos, the 5-year-old little boy who wore a blue bunny hat and was hustled o to Texas with his father. In ruling in favor of their release and return to Minneapolis, the judge a xed a scripture verse to his verdict, which one would think would appeal to religious conservatives. But apparently, Christ’s command found in Mateo 19:14 to “welcome the little children” doesn’t apply equally.
Equally infuriating, school children in suburban Minneapolis now attend school with their passports strung over their heads by lanyards in hopes of preventing their arrest. Day after day, parents and children are seized at bus stops or other public places, sometimes pulled through the smashed windows of their cars.
Referring to other words from Jesus found in his Sermon on the Mount, a friend’s pastor preached, “You can’t be the salt of the earth if you are disabled by fury. You can’t be the light of the world if you are blinded by anger.”
This point brings me to the Super Bowl halftime show.
My Spanish is very limited (muy poco); I speak baby Spanish. However, I approached Bad Bunny’s performance with a sense of childlike curiosity and wonder. Bad Bunny infuses his modern music with traditional forms of Puerto Rican dance music, like the bomba and salsa. For me, this meant his performance included unfamiliar melodies as well as Spanish lyrics that I did not understand.
But I easily related to the joy of dancing, particularly across generations.
And then there was a wedding! Just like I would expect, the minister pronounced a blessing, and then the groom kissed the bride. How beautiful! The happy couple had invited the pop star to their wedding, and he proposed they hold their ceremony on the biggest stage in the world. Bad Bunny shared the spotlight and shined it not only on other pop stars, like Lady Gaga, but also upon far less famous people.
Of course, neither football nor fútbol was around when Jesus played on Earth. But he attended a wedding in Cana, and if turning water into wine serves as evidence, he enjoyed himself. He knew that there were times to protest civil and religious authorities. He showed righteous anger. Jesus also modeled joy as resistance. Music helps us nd joy amid meanness. A celebration, like a wedding or a concert, is more than a diversion from hard times; it o ers the opportunity to proclaim hope that good will prevail even in times of greatest fear. As the sign read in English during Bad Bunny’s performance, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” I think many people can say, “Amen,” even though that word is Hebrew.
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.
Among them are not skydiving. I’m now afraid of heights, although years ago I rode in the front car of any roller coaster I could nd.
THE 2007 MOVIE “The Bucket List,” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, touched the nerves of a number of folks.
Mainly those nerves belonged to people who’d had a few birthdays as they realized they had more behind them than in front. The movie told the tale of two aging friends who took o on a number of adventures — skydiving, seeing the pyramids of Egypt, climbing the Himalayas, eating mounds of caviar, spending late nights in casinos, to name a few — that they want to enjoy before they die or, in the language of slang, “kick the bucket.”
As I began to re ect on my number of birthdays, as well as those of some folks near and dear to me, I realized I’ve got a bucket list, too … well, sort of one anyway.
Among them are not skydiving. I’m now afraid of heights, although years ago I rode in the front car of any roller coaster I could nd. You will not catch me climbing Mount Everest; it’s too cold. And while I like wood heat, I don’t care for cold weather. And de nitely you will not catch me sitting down to a big ol’ meal of sh eggs or sushi. I would, however, like sometime (which makes this qualify as a bucket list wish) to sit down to a big ol’ meal of thick cut bacon and see just how much I could eat. I think it would be a lot; unfortunately, that may never happen because the folks who got me through my cardiac rehab program said there’s too much salt in bacon. Actually, they said a great deal about my diet, namely that if something tastes good, I should spit it out.
There are other items on my list. Some are major; others not so. One of the major ones is that I’d like to clean out and clean up my study, to go through the piles of newspapers and magazines and books and stu on the
shelves that I’ve saved for some time, all with the intention of reading them “later.” Some of them are stories I’ve started reading, while others are copies of stories I’ve written. And books? The only local place with more books than I have is the Chatham County Library or maybe Barnes & Noble. And all that, of course, doesn’t cover the boxes of souvenirs or memorabilia like notes from my children when they lived with me before they were teenagers or those from their children.
In addition to that room in the house, there’s also the same wish for our attic and a storage/utility building out back. The former contains some really nice clothes I had when I wore a 15½ shirt and a 34-inch waist; to be sure those same days are just around the corner once again. And the latter? Well, in that outbuilding there are some really nice boxes of materials from jobs I had 50 years ago and a number of items that belonged to my parents that they used almost daily years ago.
Sometimes bucket list items can border or come near not only the not major but also the silly. One of those for me is I want to sit in my car when it goes up on the garage lift to have it serviced. I just want to see what it looks like as I gaze out the window. I think that wish comes from a story my father used to tell me about a preacher he knew who did that and sat in his car reading before opening the door to get out … before the car was back on the oor.
There’s one more wish that lurks in the back of my mind. It has to do with a young man my mama named me after — her brother Robert (Bob) Cooper. He was a corporal in the U.S. Army Air Corps, the forerunner to today’s Air Force, when his B-29 bomber crashed and burned near Copelan, Kansas, in 1944 on its last training
ight before going overseas in World War II. Not only did all the crew perish, but so too did a grandfather and infant grandchild when the plane hit their farmhouse.
Some years ago, a cousin did some exhaustive research on now-declassi ed documents and produced a play-by-play account of the accident and its investigation. Turns out the co-pilot was ying the big bird and he buzzed the town at tree-top level to impress his girlfriend. When he banked the plane to turn, a wing hit the ground and that was that. The data my cousin produced revealed there are still a few townspeople alive who were there that night; I’d surely like to talk with them.
No doubt you too may have such a list. In the movie, the two men wrote theirs down and crossed them o when each was met, and it helped that for them that money was no object in ying a private jet all over the world. For me, money is also no object; most of what I want to do requires only some time. And it’s my fault, to a degree, if I don’t rearrange my time to t some of those wants.
So perhaps that’s true for all of us. We can and should control what we can while realizing there are some things we have no control over. I remember a painting of a large sailing ship plowing through turbulent ocean waters as a storm raged all around. Underneath the picture were the words “It’s not which way the wind blows but how you set your sails.”
Today may be the day you pick up your bucket and get started.
Bob Wachs is a native of Chatham County and emeritus editor at Chatham News & Record. He serves as pastor of Bear Creek Baptist Church.
Let’s get something straight: There’s magic to be had at any age.
I’M ALL IN for pixie dust.
Excuse me?
With unabashed honesty, I’m sharing my love of fairies and extolling the value of magical pixie dust. Pixie dust? Give me a break.
Have you truly forgotten Peter Pan? Please tell me “no!” Peter Pan is essential childhood reading. Did you ever dream of ying? Blame Peter Pan and the fairy, Tinker Bell. It’s pixie dust, emanating from Tinker Bell’s magic wand, and whoosh, suddenly we have the power to y! Doesn’t get better than that. (At least when I was 9 years old, it didn’t.)
Excuse me, last I was aware, you appeared to be an adult with the requisite number of birthdays to prove it. Kind of wondering if strongly positing your continued love of pixie dust might be a bit embarrassing at your age? Isn’t it time to grow up, discern more adult models beyond the fantasy world of Peter Pan, Tinker Bell and, especially, ying?
Let’s get something straight: There’s magic to be had at any age. By magic, I mean a belief in the scintillating possibilities of ight toward unexpected changes in each of us. Scattering pixie dust illumines each of us from the inside out. I adore watching someone’s eyes come alive. Don’t you?
I know I’m harping on this, but wondering if your beliefs about ying are a bit too fantasy driven?
Oh, you mean childish, right? Not beating around the bush. That’s exactly what I mean. Grow up!
Emulating Tinker Bell, even at my august
COLUMN | LARRY ELDER
age, is still a gift of aliveness. I would love an endless supply of pixie dust to spread around, seeing each of us wake others (and ourselves) to states of vibrancy and liveliness that, perhaps, we’ve forgotten about.
As further incentive for continuing pixie dust showers, please consider this exchange from my childhood bible of Peter Pan.
“Why can’t you y now, mother?”
“Because I am grown up, dearest. When people grow up they forget the way.”
Oh, no!
We now possess a greater awareness of impediments to taking ight within ourselves. Might you jump on the pixie dust bandwagon with me?
Oh, wait, you do want to join me? I’m so glad you’re willing to consider an ongoing investment in pixie dust usage. Although sparkly, pixie dust tends to be on the less visible side, publicly, so others really can’t see it. (Much less embarrassing if you’re a pixie dust adherent.)
Shades of Tinker Bell, here you go. Grab a handful of that putative pixie dust and toss it over yourself. Your hand rises up, and down skitters the pixie dust, settling around you. Discerning lights coming on inside you? Where did that smile come from? You know, the one on your face. Eyes sparkling with aliveness. Buoyant. Your ight path, whatever it may be, is calling you …
Jan Hutton, a resident of Chatham County and retired hospice social worker, lives life with heart and humor.
Obama did not inherit an administration that allowed in 10 million to 15 million illegal aliens.
—
THOSE WHO CLAIM President Barack Obama deported illegal aliens more “humanely” make the following assertions:
a) ICE didn’t go into the streets under Obama; b) there were no street activists/ protesters/agitators; c) ICE only deported those with criminal records beyond illegal entry or illegally overstaying; d) Obama’s deportation numbers largely include “returns” or those deported at the border; e) the Obama administration did not engage in “lawlessness”; and f) ICE and/or Customs and Border Patrol arrested only illegal aliens after rst securing a judicial warrant.
As for a), under Obama, ICE did go into the streets, including into the interior and into “sanctuary” cities like Chicago. Watch “Lost in Detention,” a 2011 episode of the PBS “Frontline” program, where, for example, an illegal alien mother stopped in Illinois for making an illegal lane change was ultimately deported back to Mexico.
Consider this X post:
“... As someone who worked during (the Obama administration), it’s simple.
All the ‘sanctuary cities,’ including mine, cooperated fully with ICE and Homeland. ... So this, in fact, is politicians’ fault because they pick and choose who they want to cooperate with ...”
As for b), the media/Dems loved Obama, so they looked the other way. Again, under Obama, there was greater cooperation between local, state and federal o cials. In fact, several cities and states adopted sanctuary policies because of this cooperation. The think tank Niskanen Center wrote: “The Secure Communities program allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue detainers for anyone detained by local law enforcement. ... Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano (in October 2010) stated that DHS ‘did not view (Secure Communities) as an opt-in, opt-out program ... “In response, multiple local jurisdictions, including Cook County, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., passed legislation to limit local compliance with immigration detainers, thus creating sanctuary cities.” There was no “ICE Watch” to alert activists and protesters. And Obama did not inherit an administration that allowed in 10 million to 15 million illegal aliens.
As for c), deporting only those with “criminal records,” this is from the “nonpartisan” factcheck.org, in January 2026, about the Trump administration: “Those with criminal convictions or pending charges represented 66% of arrests, which the administration has rounded up to 70%.” About deportations with criminal
records under Obama, in April 2016, The Washington Post wrote:
“While the number of deportations of illegal immigrants with criminal records has declined in recent years, last year this group made up almost 60 percent of the total number expelled from the country, the largest percentage in recent memory.”
As for d) that Obama deportation numbers mostly included those at the border, the left-leaning fact-check site snopes.com wrote:
“The claim that immigration authorities deported more than 3 million people during the Obama administration (2009-17) is accurate based on ‘formal removal’ gures reported by the DHS. When including ‘returns’ (those removed at the border), however, the total exceeds 5 million.”
As for e), Trump’s supposed lawless deportations, economist John Lott of the Crime Prevention Research Center wrote:
“The 170 ICE-detained US citizens ... included about 130 arrested for interfering with or assaulting o cers ... justi able under any reading of the law ...
“Only about 40 or so of those who were detained claimed to be US citizens accidentally or erroneously arrested by ICE. ... Most were released in a few hours. ... 40 mistakes out of 595,000 arrests amounts to an error rate of just 0.0067% — roughly one wrongful detention for every 14,925 arrests.
“By contrast (during the Obama administration) ... in scal years 2015 and 2016, ICE recorded 263 mistaken arrests, 54 mistaken detentions (book-ins), and four mistaken removals ... about one mistake for every 4,444 arrests ...
“During the course of Obama’s two terms, from 2009 to 2017, 56 individuals died in ICE custody. ... 56 deaths translates into a rate of 0.007% — roughly one death for every 14,314 detainees.
“By comparison, the rate last year under Trump was slightly lower: 0.0054%, or one death for every 18,594 detainees.
“... Trump made no erroneous deportations through November.”
This brings us to f) about judicial warrants. Snopes.com wrote: “Over the eight-year period of the Obama administration, the percentage of removals carried out without a hearing before an immigration judge ranged from approximately 58% to 84%, averaging roughly 74%.”
What a di erence an administration makes. Or rather, what a di erence the media coverage of an administration makes. Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
Don’t abuse the word ‘protest’
ALEX PRETTI WASN’T killed while “protesting.”
This is a common description of what he was doing on a Minneapolis street the fateful morning when a confrontation with federal immigration agents ended in his tragic shooting. But if Pretti had been a mere protester, he’d very likely be alive today. Now that we’ve seen videos of an earlier struggle with federal agents and learned more about the organized nature of the anti-ICE resistance, it’s become clear that the better word for Pretti was agitator, or perhaps even operative.
If Pretti was an “observer,” he was observing how much unhinged behavior he could get away with.
A protester, as typically understood, is someone who is making a point, often as part of a gathering of other like-minded people and, usually but not always, in opposition to something.
A protester might hold a sign outside a coal- red power plant calling for it to shut down. He might go to Union Square Park to hear speeches from bullhorns whenever something happens that outrages the left. He might march against the Iraq War or the Vietnam War — or in favor of Hamas.
This kind of activity is not to everyone’s taste — personally, I hate the drums and the chants — but there is no doubt that it is a legitimate form of political advocacy. Depending on the cause, it can even be admirable.
What we’ve seen in Minneapolis, though, is often quite di erent. Run-ofthe-mill protesters don’t seek out federal agents and harass and obstruct them. They don’t follow and block their vehicles or establish a robust communications network to deploy resources to create maximum disruption of their operations.
Pretti was part of this e ort, which is more a form of low-level and (by and large) nonviolent insurgency than conventional protest. In his rst confrontation, 11 days before his death, Pretti was every bit an anti-ICE street brawler. He challenged, at close quarters, an agent to assault him while screaming insults at him. He spat on a federal vehicle and kicked out its taillight.
If Pretti was an “observer,” in the euphemism preferred by anti-ICE politicians and activists, he was observing how much unhinged behavior he could get away with. There’s no doubt that at this event, he was the violent instigator.
After Pretti damaged the vehicle, agents got out and pushed him to the ground. For all the talk of ICE being the equivalent of the Gestapo, they didn’t even bother to arrest him despite his having committed a crime. If he’d been arrested and charged, Pretti might never have shown up at the other ICE operation and would still be with us today.
That Pretti, we now know, made it a practice to court violent encounters with federal agents while armed was incredibly irresponsible. He was fortunate that the rst struggle didn’t escalate into something much more hazardous to him and to others if an agent had noticed his gun.
The rearm wouldn’t have been an issue in the second incident, meanwhile, if he’d really been protesting. If that were the case, he would have stayed on the sidewalk and held up a sign, or chanted, “ICE go home,” and the o cers might have been annoyed, but there never would have been an interaction to potentially go catastrophically wrong.
The calculation in Minneapolis, though, has been that this kind of benign activity is less e ective than direct action, and unfortunately — with public opinion swinging against Operation Metro Surge — this assessment looks to be accurate.
Why simply express a point of view when you can act to stop arrests and to create a hostile, threatening environment for agents?
This doesn’t mean that Pretti got what he deserved or that the o cers acted appropriately. It does mean that the state and city o cials should have been telling people not to “monitor” DHS activity, but to stay well clear of legitimate lawenforcement activities.
Reasonable people can disagree about the desirability of the goal that Pretti was pursuing, but there’s no doubt about how he was going about it, and it didn’t involve conventional protest.
Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review.
BE IN TOUCH
Letters to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or mailed to P.O. Box 290, Siler City, NC 27344. 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.
May 8, 1937 – Feb. 6, 2026
John Wayland Farrell Sr., born May 8, 1937, to John Marvin Farrell and Maud Poplin Farrell, passed away on February 6, 2026.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara Farrell; his parents; his brother, Thomas Morris; and his sister, Lucille Morris Farrell.
He is survived by his three children: Donna Robosson (Clint) of Cumberland, Maryland; Bonnie Strowd of Pittsboro; and John Wayland Farrell Jr. (Sheryl) of Hewitt, Texas. He is also survived by six grandchildren: Amy and Chris (Donna); Faith and Olivia (Bonnie); John III and Courtney (John Jr); and eight great-grandchildren: Nicholas and Greyson (Donna); Madelyn; Charlotte and Miller (Bonnie); and Harvey, Harrison, and Harlan (John Jr).
John was a proud veteran of the United States Army, where he served in the 3rd Infantry Regiment, better known as “The Old Guard.” This is the Army’s premier
ceremonial unit providing military funeral honors with horse-drawn caissons at Arlington National Cemetery for fallen soldiers.
He served his community for many years with Gri n Funeral Home in Pittsboro and was well known around town for his distinctive white hair worn in a at-top haircut and his dapper dress. John was a devoted member of the Masonic Lodge for 62 years, having been inducted in 1964 and served as Master of Columbus Lodge in 1988.
John was a long-time member of Hanks Chapel United Church of Christ where his family attended for generations. He most recently attended Gum Springs Baptist Church. Both his church families blessed his life in many ways and he treasured the friendship and fellowship from both church families.
Services for John will be held on Saturday February 14, 2026 at Hanks Chapel Church at 1:00 pm.
Visitation and fellowship will follow at the church fellowship hall.
The family would like to recognize the care and comfort given to their dad and their family by Transitions Hospice Home in Raleigh.
In lieu of owers, memorial gifts may be made to The Masonic Home for Children in Oxford NC.
Make donations in honor of Worshipful Brother John Farrell Columbus Lodge #102. 600 College Street Oxford, NC 27565. https://mhc-oxford.org/
JERRY “RONNIE” BROWN
SEPT. 22, 1950 – FEB. 5, 2026
Jerry “Ronnie” Brown, 75, of Bennett, passed away on Thursday, February 5, 2026 at Moses Cone Hospital. Visitation will be at Joyce-Brady Chapel from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 8, 2026. The funeral will be held at Bennett Baptist Church at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, February 9, 2026 with Rev. Dr. Jason Whitehurst and Rev. Tim Strider presiding. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends in the Narthex prior to the service from 1:00-1:45 p.m. The family will return to the fellowship hall after the committal.
Ronnie was born on September 22, 1950 to Albert Stacey Brown and Ethel Cox Brown. He was a member of Bennett Baptist Church, where he served on the Building and Grounds Committee, Handyman Ministry and helped with the Outdoor Christmas Drama. He retired from Townsend after 39 years of service. After his retirement, he worked several years at Routh’s Grocery, where he loved interacting with people. He was loved and admired by all that came in contact with him. Ronnie enjoyed shing, going to the beach, old westerns, NASCAR, wrestling and cutting grass. He cherished time with his family and especially all of his grandchildren. Ronnie’s hard work and dedication to his family, friends and occupation were his greatest assets.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by sisters, Catherine Binkley, Velma Welch, Ruby Branson, Linda Brown and brothers, Glen, Bill, Larry and Junior.
Ronnie is survived by his wife of 55 years, Patsy Scott Brown, of the home; children, Nina Beavers, of Bennett, Jerry Polston (Theresa), of Bennett, Billy Brown (Brook), of Robbins, Crystal Cox (Tracy), of Bear Creek; sisters, Irene McNeil, of Coleridge and Brenda Albright, of Bennett; grandchildren, Trea Beavers (Alex), Hayleigh Smith (Dallas), Scotty Polston (Abby), Lindsay Polston (Huston Causey), Will Brown, Dylan Brown and Preston Cox; greatgrandchildren, Presleigh Smith, Kinsleigh Smith, Truitt Beavers, Lane Beavers, Myers Polston and Marshall Beavers and a host of family and friends.
Brad Arnold, lead singer of Grammy-nominated rock band 3 Doors Down, dead at 47
He died after a battle with kidney cancer
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Brad Arnold, the lead singer of the Grammy-nominated rock band
3 Doors Down, died Saturday, months after he announced that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer. He was 47.
The band said in a statement that Arnold “passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, in his sleep after his courageous battle with cancer.”
3 Doors Down formed in Mississippi in 1995 and four years later received a Grammy nomination for the breakout hit “Kryptonite.” Arnold wrote the song in math class when he was 15 years old, according to the band statement.
Their debut album, “The Better Life,” sold over 6 million copies. A second Grammy nomination came in 2003, for the song “When I’m Gone.”
The band said Arnold “helped rede ne mainstream rock music, blending post-grunge accessibility with emotionally direct songwriting and lyrical themes that resonated with everyday listeners.”
3 Doors Down released six albums, most recently “Us And
The Night” in 2016. Singles included “Loser,” “Duck and Run” and “Be Like That,” which appeared on the soundtrack for the 2001 lm “American Pie 2.”
While promoting their 5th album, “Time of My Life,” Arnold said he considered himself lucky to have carved out a career in the music business.
“If you do something as long as we’ve done it, you can’t help but get better at it, you know?” Arnold told The Associated Press in 2011. In 2017, 3 Doors Down per-
formed at the rst inauguration concert of President Donald Trump. Arnold announced his cancer diagnosis last May, saying clear cell renal carcinoma had metastasized to his lungs. The band was forced to cancel a summer tour.
“His music reverberated far beyond the stage, creating moments of connection, joy, faith, and shared experiences that will live on long after the stages he performed on,” the band said.
Hall of Fame trainer King Leatherbury, who won 6,508 races over six decades, dead at 92
The legendary trainer known as “King of the Claimers” leaves a racing legacy
The Associated Press
KING LEATHERBURY, a Hall of Fame trainer known as “King of the Claimers” for his ability to turn cheaper horses in lower-level claiming races into winners for more than six decades, died Tuesday. He was 92. He died at his home, according to the Maryland Jockey Club, which was informed by his son Taylor Leatherbury. No cause of death was provided.
Leatherbury retired in 2023 as the third trainer in history, behind Dale Baird and Jack Van Berg, to win at least 6,000 races. His nal total was 6,508 to go with purse earnings of $64,693,537, according to Equibase. He won 52 training titles in Maryland — 26 each at Pimlico and Laurel — and four at Delaware Park.
“He’s one of a kind,” Taylor Leatherbury told Laurel Park. ”There’s never been a man more appropriately named than my father.”
Leatherbury, along with fellow Hall of Famer Bud Delp, Richard Dutrow Sr., and John Tammaro Jr., were known as the Big Four of Maryland racing. They dominated the state in the 1960s and ‘70s and
helped modernize training of thoroughbreds for speed and stamina.
“I really enjoyed the days of the Big Four,” Leatherbury told Laurel Park in 2013. “It was fun trying to compete with them and it made us all better trainers.”
Leatherbury led North American trainers in wins in 1977 and 1978, and won 300 or more races each year from 1975 to 1978.
He was a rst-ballot inductee to the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in 2015.
Leatherbury saddled one horse in the Kentucky Derby, with I Am the Game nishing 13th in 1985. That horse was fourth in the Preakness that year, one of Leatherbury’s four starters in the second leg of the Triple Crown.
A Maryland native, Leatherbury took out his trainer’s license in 1958 and won his rst race the next year at Sunland Park, now known as Tampa Bay Downs.
“I got started because my father had horses, a breeder and owner and I just enjoyed betting on them, really, so I decided to get in the game,” Leatherbury told Laurel Park in 2013.
“I have never really considered this work. I enjoy it, which has probably made the di erence.”
After earning a business administration degree from the University of Maryland, he
“There’s never been a man more appropriately named than my father.”
Taylor Leatherbury
mastered the claiming game, in which owners buy horses from designated races for a speci c price, by studying race charts and past performance statistics. He did much of his work from home rather than at his barn, where a devoted sta carried out his orders.
“Back in those days, the early ‘60s, no one claimed horses,” Leatherbury told The Washington Post in 2005. “Those were the days people started managing horses in a business-like way.”
The best horse of Leatherbury’s career was Ben’s Cat, whom he bred, owned and trained to 32 wins — 26 in stakes races — and more than $2.6 million in purse earnings from 2010-17. Ben’s Cat died in 2017 and his remains are buried near the paddock at Laurel.
He also trained Grade 1 winners Catatonic and Taking Risks. He claimed Port Conway Lane three times, and the horse won 52 of 242 starts from 1971 to 1983, racing until age 14. He is survived by Linda, his wife of 62 years, and twin sons Taylor and Todd.
Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Chatham News & Record at obits@chathamnewsrecord.com
An admiral pushed for smaller deployments over big strike groups
By Konstantin Toropin The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy’s top uniformed o cer wants to convince commanders to use smaller, newer ships and other assets for missions instead of consistently turning to huge aircraft carriers — as seen now in the American military buildups o Venezuela and Iran.
Adm. Daryl Caudle’s vision — what he calls his “Fighting Instructions” — calls for the Navy to deploy more tailored groups of ships and equipment that would o er the sea service more exibility to respond to crises as they develop.
Caudle spoke to The Associated Press before the rollout of the new strategy, which comes as the Trump administration has moved aircraft carriers and other ships to regions around the world to address emerging concerns. This has disrupted standing deployment plans, scrambled ships to sail thousands of miles and put increasing strain on vessels and equipment that are already facing mounting maintenance issues.
The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, was redirected late
last year from the Mediterranean Sea to the Caribbean Sea, where the crew ultimately supported last month’s operation to capture then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. And two weeks ago, the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East as tensions with Iran rise, having been pulled from the South China Sea.
In an interview, Caudle said his strategy would make the Navy’s presence in regions like the Caribbean much leaner and better tailored to meet actual threats.
He said he’s already spoken with the commander of U.S. Southern Command, which encompasses the Caribbean and Venezuela, “and we’re in negotiation on what his problem set is — I want to be able to convey that I can meet that with a tailored package there.”
Admiral sees a smaller contingent in the Caribbean in the future
Speaking broadly, Caudle said he envisions the mission in the Caribbean focusing more on interdictions and keeping an eye on merchant shipping.
The U.S. military has already seized multiple suspicious and falsely agged tankers connected with Venezuela that were part of a global shadow eet of merchant vessels that help
governments evade sanctions.
“That doesn’t really require a carrier strike group to do that,” Caudle said, adding that he believes the mission could be done with some smaller littoral combat ships, Navy helicopters and close coordination with the Coast Guard.
The Navy has had 11 ships, including the Ford and several amphibious assault ships with thousands of Marines, in South American waters for months. It is a major shift for a region that has historically seen deployments of one or two smaller Navy ships.
“I don’t want a lot of destroyers there driving around just to actually operate the radar to get awareness on motor vessels and other tankers coming out of port,” Caudle said. “It’s really not a well-suited match for that mission.”
Turning to drones or robotic systems
To compensate, Caudle envisions leaning more heavily on drones or other robotic systems to o er military commanders the same capabilities but with less investment from Navy ships. He acknowledges this will not be an easy sell.
Caudle said even if a commander knows about a new capability, the sta “may not know how to ask for that, integrate it, and know how to employ it in an e ective way to bring this new niche capability to bear.”
“That requires a bit of an education campaign here,” he later added.
President Donald Trump has favored large and bold responses from the Navy and has leaned heavily toward displays of repower.
Trump has referred to aircraft carriers and their accompanying destroyers as armadas and otillas. He also revived the historic battleship title for a
CRIME from page A1
that experience,” Jones said. “Her life was cut short not by one individual but by a system that allowed a career criminal to roam your streets.”
Decarlos Brown Jr., the man accused in Zarutska’s death, had more than a dozen prior criminal arrests before the most recent charge, and concerns had been raised about his mental health. Republican lawmakers, as well as President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, blamed Democratic leaders in Charlotte and statewide for soft-on-crime policies they allege allowed Brown to stay out of custody.
Jones kept to a similar theme, accusing the leaders in Charlotte — with a population of more than 940,000 — and surrounding Mecklenburg County of prioritizing liberal-leaning policy choices over keeping people safe.
“Her blood is on your hands,” he added.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, who was among those testifying Monday, wrote soon after Zarutska’s death that it was a “tragic failure by the courts and magistrates.” She and others have since highlighted additional safety measures for the light rail system.
Most of the committee’s vitriol was targeted at the Mecklenburg County sheri , who operates the local jail.
Despite the harsh opening attack by Jones, committee members were cordial in their questioning of Lyles, new Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella Patterson and Mecklenburg District Attorney Spencer Meriweather.
During testimony, Meriweather suggested the need for more assistant prosecutors, earlier mental health interventions and combating more onerous crimes by juveniles. Patterson also outlined additional measures aimed at further reducing violent crime, building on last year’s declines.
The meeting “really lets me know that the General Assembly cares about Charlotte and they want to work with us to make our city safer,” Patterson told reporters.
Still, in a news release after the meeting, a pair of Democrats on the committee accused the panel of engaging in “cynical partisan theatre to paint Charlotte in a negative light.”
Zarutska’s death has already resulted in a new state law that bars cashless bail for certain violent crimes and many repeat o enders. It also
planned type of ship that would sport hypersonic missiles, nuclear cruise missiles, rail guns and high-powered lasers.
If built, the proposed “Trump-class battleship” would be longer and larger than the World War II-era Iowa-class battleships, though the Navy has not only struggled to eld some of the technologies that Trump says will be aboard but it has had challenges building even smaller, less sophisticated ships on time and on budget.
Given this trend, Caudle said if the Lincoln’s recent redeployment to the Middle East were to happen under his new plan, he would talk with the Indo-Paci c commander about how to compensate for the loss.
“So, as Abraham Lincoln comes out, I’ve got a three ship (group) that’s going to compensate for that,” Caudle suggested as an example.
Caudle argues that his vision already is in place and working in Europe and North America “for the last four or ve years.”
He said this could apply soon in the Bering Strait, which separates Russia and Alaska, noting that “the importance of the Arctic continues to get more and more prevalent” as China, Russia and the U.S. prioritize the region.
Trump has cited the threat from China and Russia in his demands to take over Greenland, the Arctic island overseen by NATO ally Denmark.
Caudle said he knows he needs to o er the commanders in that region “more solutions” and his “tailored force packages would be a way to get after that.”
“Her life was cut short not by one individual but by a system that allowed a career criminal to roam your streets.”
Rep. Brenden Jones
seeks to ensure more defendants undergo mental health evaluations. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein last week issued an executive order designed in part to address mental health treatment for people whom police confront and who are incarcerated.
Sheri Garry McFadden has clashed for years with lawmakers who accused him for failing to cooperate with immigration agents seeking to apprehend defendants in his jail. A recent state law has now made it mandatory for sheri s to honor detainers, who are requests by ICE to hold an arrested immigrant so agents can take custody of them.
A federal immigration crackdown that started in November in Charlotte and spread elsewhere in North Carolina resulted in hundreds of arrests over several days. At the time, the Department of Homeland Security said about 1,400 detainers across North Carolina had not been honored since 2020.
McFadden said Monday that his jail o cials “have always followed the law in notifying ICE” but it’s up to agents to decide “what they do after that noti cation.” But Jones said later that data “indicates the sheri ’s not doing his job in Mecklenburg County.” Brown has been jailed due to the charges. A federal court ordered last month that he undergo a psychiatric examination to determine whether his legal case can proceed. A similar exam was ordered in state court months ago. Brown’s lawyers for the federal case declined comment. His state court lawyer didn’t respond to emails.
The suspect in the second light-rail attack — identi ed in federal records as Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia and in state court as Oscar Solarzano — is from Central America and had been transported out the country twice since 2018 — having been convicted of illegal reentry into the U.S., according to an FBI a davit. Solarzano is also jailed, and an attorney representing him in state court didn’t respond to emails. There is no lawyer listed in his federal case.
LEARN ABOUT LAND - Chatham Land Experts, www.learnaboutland.com - 919-3626999.
JY2,tfnc
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
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
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
HELP WANTED
Part time church secretary
Must be pro cient in Windows 10, Word, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Excel, MS O ce, Google suites and Mailchimp.
Send resume to admin@saint-barts.org
dishwasher are included in the rent. Rent starts at $630 and up. 400 Honeysuckle Dr., Pittsboro, NC 27312 919-542-5410 TDD 1-800-735-2962 Email: pittsborovillage@ECCMGT.com
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of HELEN FAYE FITTS a/k/a FAYE PHILLIPS FITTS, of Chatham County, NC, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned Executor at the Law O ce of Richard L Cox, 113 Worth Street, Asheboro, NC 27203 on or before April 27th 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of heir recovery. All persons indebted to said estate please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 22nd day of January 2026. William Robert Fitts, III, Executor HELEN FAYE FITTS a/k/a FAYE PHILLIPS FITTS, Estate Richard L. Cox, Attorney Gavin & Cox 113 Worth Street Asheboro, NC 27203 Telephone: 336-629-2600
NOTICE TO CREDITORS STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM
The undersigned, Autumn Shuke Norris, having quali ed as Administrator CTA of the Estate of Joyce Carter Shuke, Deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the Estate to present such claims to the undersigned in care of the undersigned’s Attorney at their address on or before April 24, 2026 or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the above named Administrator CTA. This the 22nd day of January, 2026. Autumn Shuke Norris, Administrator CTA Estate of Joyce Carter Shuke Daniel Jenkins, Esq. Carolina Estate Planning 380 Knollwood St. Suite 500 Winston Salem, NC 27103 January 22, 29, Feburary 5 and 12, 2026
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Dorothy Mae Foxx Shamburger aka Dorothy Shamburger Clemmons, deceased of Chatham County, North Carolina, are hereby noti ed to present them to Robert A. Shamburger, Administrator of the Estate of Dorothy Mae Foxx Shamburger aka Dorothy Shamburger Clemmons, Estate File Number 26E000045-180, on or before May 4, 2026, in care of the undersigned attorney at her address, or this notice will be pleaded in a bar of recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to Dorothy Mae Foxx Shamburger aka Dorothy Shamburger Clemmons, please make immediate payment to the Estate of Dorothy Mae Foxx Shamburger aka Dorothy Shamburger Clemmons. This is the 29th day of January, 2026. Pamela E. Whitaker Attorney at Law 4145 Randolph Church Road Liberty, NC 27298 (336) 622-3553 telephone (336) 622-3240 facsimile pwhitakerlaw@gmail.com
PUBLICATION DATES: January 29, 2026, February 5, 12, 19, 2026
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Christopher J Luscri, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before (April 30, 2026), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This January 29, 2026. Donna-Jean Keim 402 Ramsey Hill Dr Cary, North Carolina 27519
NOTICE
There will be a Siler City Board of Commissioners Community Forum on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at First Baptist Missionary Church 914 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. This forum will begin at 6:00pm. This Community Forum is an informal event. Attendees may bring comments and questions regarding community topics for the Town to address. Since this is a public meeting, a quorum of the Board of Commissioners may be present, but no town business will be conducted. For more information, please contact Town of Siler City’s Town Clerk Briana Martinez at bmartinez@silercity.gov or by 919-7268658.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
26E000060-180 NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
The undersigned, Linda Sue Eubanks, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Susan D. Eubanks, 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 May 6, 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 5th day of February 2026. Linda Sue Eubanks Administrator Marie H. Hopper Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post O ce Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
26E000025-180 NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
The undersigned, Barbara Moore, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of James McGrath, 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 April 20, 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 22nd day of January 2026. Barbara Moore Executor Marie H. Hopper
Attorney for the Estate Hopper Cummings, PLLC Post O ce Box 1455 Pittsboro, NC 27312
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF
CHATHAM The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor, the Estate of Robert E. Allen, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said Decedent to present them to the undersigned on or before April 30, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment. This the 16 day of January, 2026. Vicky LeGrys, Executor 111 Pokeberry Lane, Pittsboro NC 27312
Public Notice
Chatham County Schools’ federal projects under
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 are presently being developed. Projects included:
Title I (Helping Disadvantaged Children Meet High Standards)
Title II (High Quality Teachers and Principals)
Title III (Language Acquisition)
Title IV A (Student Support and Academic Enrichment) Migrant Education Program (MEP) Career and Technical Education (CTE)
High school students can enroll, without cost, in college credit classes through the Career and College Promise program. This includes Career and Technical Education pathways of study.
IDEA (Students with Disabilities)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA-
Part B, Public Law 108.446) Project is presently being amended. The Project describes the special education programs that Chatham County Schools proposes for Federal funding for the 2026-2027 School Year. Interested persons are encouraged to review amendments to the Project and make comments concerning the implementation of special education under this Federal Program. All comments will be considered prior to submission of the amended Project to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh, North Carolina These projects describe the programs that Chatham County Schools proposes for federal funding for the 2026-2027 school year. Non-pro t private schools and interested persons are encouraged to review these federal guidelines for the above listed projects and indicate their interest in participation in the projects if quali ed. These projects are being developed during April and May and are due to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction on June 30, 2026. The initial Equitable Services for Private Schools meeting will be held on March 4, 2026, at 2:00 PM, in person, at the address listed below. Interested parties are encouraged to contact the o ce of Carol Little, Executive Director Federal Programs and School Improvement, at Chatham County Board of Education, P.O. Box 128, 468 Renaissance Dr, Pittsboro, N.C.
Spanish Version below:
Aviso público Los proyectos federales de las Escuelas del Condado
Chatham bajo la Ley Cada Estudiante Triunfa (ESSA) de 2015 están en proceso de plani cación. Los proyectos incluidos son: Título I (Ayuda a los niños desfavorecidos a alcanzar altos estándares) Título II (Maestros y directores de alta calidad) Título III (Adquisición del Lenguaje) Título IV A (Apoyo al Estudiante y Enriquecimiento Académico) Programa de Educación para Familias Migrantes (MEP, por sus siglas en Inglés)
Carreras y Educación Técnica (CTE, por sus siglas en Inglés) Los estudiantes de preparatoria pueden inscribirse, sin costo, en clases de créditos universitarios a través del programa Career and College Promise. Esto incluye vías de estudio de Educación Técnica y Profesional. IDEA (Estudiantes con Discapacidades) Actualmente se encuentra en proceso de modi cación el Proyecto de Ley de Educación para Personas con Discapacidad (IDEA-Parte B, Ley Pública 108.446). El Proyecto describe los programas de educación especial que las Escuelas del Condado Chatham proponen para nanciamiento federal para el año escolar 20262027. Se anima a las personas interesadas a revisar las enmiendas al Proyecto y hacer comentarios sobre la implementación de la educación especial bajo este Programa Federal. Todos los comentarios serán considerados antes de la presentación del Proyecto modi cado al Departamento de Instrucción Pública de Carolina del Norte en Raleigh, Carolina del Norte. Estos proyectos describen los programas que las Escuelas del Condado Chatham proponen para nanciamiento federal para el año escolar 20262027. Se anima a las escuelas privadas sin nes de lucro y a las personas interesadas a revisar estas pautas federales para los proyectos enumerados anteriormente e indicar su interés en participar en los proyectos si cali can. Estos proyectos se están desarrollando durante abril y mayo y deben entregarse al Departamento de Instrucción Pública de Carolina del Norte el 30 de junio del 2026. La reunión inicial de Servicios Equitativos para Escuelas Privadas se llevará a cabo el 4 de marzo del 2026 a las 2:00 PM, en persona en la dirección listada abajo. Se anima a las partes interesadas a comunicarse con la o cina de Carol Little, Directora Ejecutiva de Programas Federales y Mejoramiento Escolar, en la Junta de Educación del Condado de Chatham, P. O. Box 128, 468 Renaissance Dr, Pittsboro, N.C.
NOTICE OF TAX FORECLOSURE SALE
Under and by virtue of an order of the District Court of Chatham County, North Carolina, made and entered in the action entitled COUNTY OF CHATHAM vs. EMMETT W. CALDWELL and spouse, if any, and all possible heirs and assignees of EMMETT W. CALDWELL and spouse, if any, or any other person or entity claiming thereunder, et al, 08CVD000616180, the undersigned Commissioner will on the 18th day of February, 2026, o er for sale and sell for cash, to the last and highest bidder at public auction at the courthouse door in Chatham County, North Carolina, Pittsboro, North Carolina at 12:00 o’clock, noon, the following described real property, lying and being in State and County aforesaid, and more particularly described as follows:
Beginning at an iron pipe which is located at the intersection of Jones Ferry and River Ave., running thence with the North side of that road 370 feet to an iron stake, the intersecting with the Coggin Lot 1528 running thence with the lot line of that lot towards River Road 290 feet more or less to an iron pipe the intersecting with lot 1539 running thence with that lot’s line approximately 120 feet to a stake on River Road., running thence with that road Northeast side approximately 34 feet to the beginning. Subject to restrictive covenants and easements of record. Parcel Identi cation Number: 0073058
The undersigned Commissioner makes no warranties in connection with this property and speci cally disclaims any warranties as to title and habitability. This property is being sold as is, without opinion as to title or any other matter.
This sale will be made subject to all outstanding city and county taxes and all local improvement assessments against the above described property not included in the judgment in the above-entitled cause. A cash deposit of 20 percent of the successful bid will be required. In addition, the successful bidder will be required, at the time the Deed is recorded to pay for recording fees and revenue stamps assessed by the Chatham County Register of Deeds.
This sale is subject to upset bid as set forth in N.C.G.S. Section 1-339.25.
This the 9th day of January, 2026.
Mark D. Bardill/Mark B. Bardill, Commissioner P.O. Box 25 Trenton, NC 28585 Publication dates: February 5, 2026 February 12, 2026
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
25E000671-180 ALL persons having claims against June A. Keefe, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before May 05 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment.
This the 5th day of February, 2026.
KEVIN KEEFE, Co-Executor
JOSEPH KEEFE, Co-Executor
C/O Howard Stallings Law Firm PO Box 12347 Raleigh, NC 27605 F5, 12, 19 and 26
NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF ANNETTE ANN MORDUS
All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against Annette Ann Mordus, now deceased, are noti ed to exhibit them to Sandrah Pederson, Executor of the decedent’s estate, on or before the 5th day of May, 2026, at Post O ce Box 2290, Burlington, North Carolina 27216, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named Executor. Sandrah Pederson Executor of the Estate of Annette Ann Mordus (25E000646-180) Nathan R. Adams Pittman & Steele, PLLC Post O ce Box 2290 Burlington, NC 27216 336-270-4440 The Chatham News & Record February 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2026
NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF THE ESTATE OF CAROL ELAINE HARTMAN HALL
All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against Carol Elaine Hartman Hall, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are noti ed to exhibit the same to William Leslie Hall, Executor, at 300 Kildaire Woods Drive, Apt 129, Cary, NC 27511, on or before May 4th, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the deceased are asked to make immediate payment. This the 29th day of January, 2026.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS:
26E000050-180
The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Gilbert Thomas Berg late of CHATHAM County, NC, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned at the address below on or before the 30th day of April, 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 29th day of January, 2026. Margaret B. Mullinix, Administrator of the Estate of Gilbert Thomas Berg, c/o The Law O ce of Anne Page Watson, PLLC, 3400 Croasdaile Drive, Suite 205, Durham, NC 27705.
Notice to Creditors
ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Susan Trivitt Dotson, deceased, of Chatham County, NC, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before May 8, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 5th day of February, 2026. William Claude Cornette III, Executor, c/o Bagwell Holt Smith P.A., 111 Cloister Court, STE 200, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Notice to Creditors
Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Antje W. Bruschke aka Ann Bruschke, late of Chatham County, North Carolina (26E000052-180), the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 4th day of May, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 29th day of January 2026. Michael A. Bruschke Administrator Estate of Antje W. Bruschke 344 Chestnut Way Chapel Hill, NC 27516
(For publication: on January 29, February 5, February 12, February 19, 2026)
Notice to Creditors
ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Suzanne Duvall Steward, deceased, of Chatham County, NC, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before May 15, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 12th day of February, 2026. Laura Strickler, Executor, c/o Bagwell Holt Smith P.A., 111 Cloister Court, STE 200, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
25E000017-180
ALL persons having claims against Robert James Gabor, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Apr 22 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 22nd day of January, 2026. Robert Gabor, Jr., Executor C/O Alisa Hu man, PLLC 701 E. Chatham Street, Ste. 209 Cary, NC 27511 J22, 29, 5 and 12
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
26E000026-180
ALL persons having claims against Reggie Kenneth Lane, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Apr 29 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 29th day of January, 2026. Travis Anthony Harris, Administrator C/O Kenneth M. Johnson, P.A. 817 Quailcove Court Greensboro, North Carolina 27406 J29, 5, 12 and 19
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA
CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#25E000660-180 The undersigned ANN PATRICIA RILEY, having quali ed on the 14TH Day of JANUARY 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of MARY RILEY SEGAL, 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 12TH Day OF MAY 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 12TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 2026. ANN PATRICIA RILEY, EXECUTOR 19 CHEMIN LEFEBVRE LA MINERVE QC J0T 150 CANADA MAIL TO: MICHAEL RILEY 154 HICKORY HILL RD. MOORESVILLE, NC 28117 EMAIL TO: annpriley@hotmail.com Run dates: F12,19,26,M5p
NOTICE
NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF Mary Jane C. McKenney All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Mary Jane C. McKenney, late of Chatham, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit them to William P. McKenney, Esq. as Executor of the decedent’s estate on or before May 15, 2026, c/o Janet B. Witchger, Attorney at Law, 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, or be barred from their recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named Executor. This the 12th day of February 2026. William P. McKenney, Esq., Executor c/o Janet B. Witchger, Atty. TrustCounsel 1414 Raleigh Rd., Ste. 203 Chapel Hill, NC 27517
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000007-180 The undersigned EILEEN S. COWEL, having quali ed on the 7TH Day of JANUARY, 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of ALLAN S. COWEL, 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 29TH Day OF APRIL 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 29TH DAY OF JANUARY 2026. EILEEN S. COWEL, ADMINISTRATOR 4108 WALLINGFORD PLACE DURHAM, NC 27707 Run dates: J29,F5,12,19p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#25E000655-180 The undersigned JAMES B. LEACH, having quali ed on the 23RD Day of DECEMBER 2025 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of BARBARA JEAN PERRY, 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 29TH Day OF APRIL 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 29TH DAY OF JANUARY 2026. JAMES B. LEACH, EXECUTOR 123 PAINTED TURTLE LANE CARY, NC 27519 Run dates: J29,F5,12,19p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#25E000683-180 The undersigned ANGELA CAMILLE CLINE, having quali ed on the 22ND Day of DECEMBER 2025 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of BLANCHE ELIZABETH CLINE, 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 22ND Day OF APRIL 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 22ND DAY OF JANUARY 2026. ANGELA CAMILLE CLINE, ADMINISTRATOR 1268 WILSON ROAD GOLDSTON, NC 27252 MAIL AFFIDAVIT TO: LEWIS FADELY, PLLC 119 N FIR AVE. SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: J22,29,F5,12p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000002-180 The undersigned BARBARA GILMORE, having quali ed on the 2ND Day of JANUARY 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of DAVID CLARK GILMORE, 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 22ND Day OF APRIL 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 22ND DAY OF JANUARY 2026. BARBARA GILMORE, ADMINISTRATOR 217 QUINTER DRIVE CARY, NC 27519 Run dates: J22,29,F5,12p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#26E000027-180 The undersigned STACIA DARK, having quali ed on the 12TH Day of JANUARY, 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of GEORGE DARK, 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 29TH Day OF APRIL 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 29TH DAY OF JANUARY 2026. STACIA DARK, ADMINISTRATOR 621 WOMBLE STREET SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: J29,F5,12,19p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#26E000051-180 The undersigned DANNY M. WATSON, having quali ed on the 22ND Day of JANUARY 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of JEFFREY FLOYD HAWK, 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 29TH Day OF APRIL 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 29TH DAY OF JANUARY 2026. DANNY M. WATSON, ADMINISTRATOR 436 GLENDALE AVE. THOMASVILLE, NC 27360 Run dates: J29,F5,12,19p
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY
FILE#24E001413-180 The undersigned MAURICE A. WICKER, having quali ed on the 5TH Day of AUGUST 2024 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of LORENA EASTRIDGE WICKER aka LORENA E. WICKER, 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 22ND Day OF APRIL 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 22ND DAY OF JANUARY 2026. MAURICE A. WICKER, ADMINISTRATOR 369 RC OVERMAN ROAD SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: J22,29,F5,12p
TVA reverses course on ahead of Trump-appointed board meeting
By Jonathan Mattise The Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The nation’s largest public utility says it now would prefer to keep operating two coal- red power plants it had planned to shutter, changing course before a meeting of its board, which has a majority of members picked by the coal-friendly Trump administration.
In new lings, the Tennessee Valley Authority’s signaled that it wants to ditch closure dates for the Kingston Fossil Plant and Cumberland Fossil Plant in Tennessee, which would require further action from its board. The new plan would still include introducing natural gas- red plants at both locations.
TVA had intended to shutter its remaining, aging coal plants by 2035 in an e ort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that spur climate change. But the utility, which partners with local power companies to serve roughly 10 million people in seven states, said it is rethinking the coal plant closures because of regulatory changes and increasing demand for electricity.
“As power demand grows, TVA is looking at every option to bolster our generating eet to continue providing a ordable, reliable electricity to our 10 million customers, create jobs and help communities thrive,” TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks said in a statement Tuesday.
But several clean energy groups said extending the coal plants would raise serious questions about TVA’s decision-making process, since the utility has said more natural gas plants were needed to retire polluting coal plants.
“Without even a public meeting, TVA is telling the people who live near these coal plants that
MONKS from page A1
Police Department issued a trafc advisory announcing there would be “rolling road closures” along the monks’ route to ensure safety for them and spectators.
“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and nd peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who has taught about mindfulness at stops along the way.
The monks planned to mark the last days of their Walk for Peace with outdoor appearances at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday and the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday.
“Their long journey and gentle witness invite us all to deepen our commitment to compassion and the work of peace in our communities,” said Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde, who will help host an interfaith reception for the monks at the cathedral.
The monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies. Millions have followed them online, and crowds have greeted them at numerous venues, from a church in Opelika, Alabama, to City Hall in Richmond, Virginia.
Mark Duykers, a retired mechanical engineer who practices mindfulness, said he and his wife will drive 550 miles from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Washington, D.C., to see the monks.
“In these divisive times, we saw entire towns in the Bible Belt coming out for these monks — having no idea of what Buddhism is — but being uplifted and moved by it,” he said. “That’s inspirational.”
Nineteen monks began the 2,300-mile journey from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth on Oct. 26, 2025. They came from Theravada Buddhist monasteries around the globe, led by Pannakara, who is vice president of the Fort Worth temple.
While in the U.S. capital, they planned to submit a request to lawmakers to declare
“As power demand grows, TVA is looking at every option to bolster our generating eet to continue providing a ordable, reliable electricity to our 10 million customers, create jobs and help communities thrive.”
Scott Brooks, TVA spokesperson
they will breathe in toxic pollution from not one, but two major power plants for the foreseeable future,” Gabi Lichtenstein, Tennessee Program Coordinator for Appalachian Voices, said in a news release. “This decision
is salt in the wound after ignoring widespread calls for cleaner, cheaper replacements for the Kingston and Cumberland coal plants.”
President Donald Trump red enough TVA board members picked by his predecessor to leave the utility without a quorum. Without one, the board could only take actions needed for ongoing operations, not to jump into new areas of activity, start new programs or change the utility’s existing direction. Trump then signed executive orders aimed at helping the coal industry. Last May, TVA’s president and CEO, Don Moul, told investors that the utility would reevaluate the lifespan of its coal plants, saying o cials were evaluating Trump’s executive orders.
The U.S. Senate con rmed four Trump board nominees in December. With the quorum restored, TVA’s board is
scheduled to meet Wednesday in Kentucky.
TVA had already faced advocates’ criticisms for planning to open more natural gas plants as the utility was winding down its eet of coal plants, instead of more quickly moving away from fossil fuels and into solar and other renewables.
TVA’s goal for years has been an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035 over 2005 levels, and net-zero emissions by 2050, with a heavy emphasis on nuclear power and hopes for next-generation reactors. Biden had gone further, calling for a carbon-pollution-free energy sector by 2035.
Clean energy groups have noted that the rapid building of data centers that support arti cial intelligence is partly to blame for growing power demand. In an investors call last week, TVA President and CEO Don Moul said data center de-
mand grew to 18% of its industrial load in 2025, and by 2030, the utility expects it to double across the service region. Moul said the fairness of new data center pay rates is a priority for TVA.
Under a 2024 nal decision, TVA planned for a 1,500-megawatt natural gas facility with 4 megawatts of solar and 100 megawatts of battery storage at the Kingston Fossil Plant, a 2,470-megawatt coal plant nished in 1955, and the site of a massive 2008 coal ash spill. The coal plant was slated to close and the gas plant to come online by the end of 2027.
The new proposal would keep the coal, gas and battery, but drop the solar.
In a 2023 decision, TVA planned to mothball its two-unit Cumberland coal plant in two stages — one, by the end of 2026, to be replaced this year by the 1,450-megawatt natural gas plant; and the second, shuttered by the end of 2028, with options open on its replacement. The 2,470-megawatt Cumberland coal plant, completed in 1973, is the largest generating asset in TVA’s eet.
Trump tussled with TVA during his rst term, including when he opposed a coal plant closure. Ultimately, in 2019 the board still voted to close the Paradise Fossil Plant in Kentucky. Its last towers were demolished in 2024.
In 2020, Trump red the former TVA board chairman and another board member and drove TVA to reverse course on hiring foreign labor for information technology jobs. He also criticized the pay scale for the CEO at the time, which was $7.3 million for the 2020 budget year and topped $10.5 million for 2024. TVA stressed that it doesn’t receive federal taxpayer money and instead is funded by electricity customers, and that the CEO pay fell in the bottom quartile of the power industry.
Vesak — Buddha’s birthday — a national holiday. But, Pannakara and others have emphasized that is not the goal of the walk. Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the temple, said the walk
is neither a political movement nor is it focused on advocacy or legislation.
“It’s a spiritual o ering, an invitation to live peace through everyday actions, mindful steps
and open hearts,” he said. “We believe when peace is cultivated within, it naturally ripples outward into society.”
The trek has had its perils, and local law enforcement ocers have provided security. In November outside Houston, the monks were walking on the side of a highway when their escort vehicle was hit by a truck. Two monks were injured; one had his leg amputated.
Some of the monks, including Pannakara, have walked barefoot or in socks for most of the journey to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment. As they have pressed on through snow and cold, they’ve at times donned winter boots.
Peace walks are a cherished tradition in Theravada Buddhism. Pannakara rst encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means “divine light” in Sanskrit, during a 112- day journey across India in 2022.
Buddhist monks who are participating in a Walk for Peace are escorted by Metropolitan Police o cers as they walk along the C&O Canal and Potomac River on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha as core to attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection, observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and su ering.
On Tuesday, the monks will complete 108 days of walking. It’s a sacred number in Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. It represents spiritual completion, cosmic order and the wholeness of existence.
The monks’ return trip should be less arduous. After an appearance at Maryland’s Capitol, a bus will take them back to Texas, where they expect to arrive in downtown Fort Worth early on Saturday.
From there, the monks will walk together again, traversing 6 miles to the temple where their trip began.
By Asheebo Rojas
Chatham News & Record
basketball
Boys’
Northwood dominated North Moore 103-23 behind a historic performance from se-
nior Cam Fowler on senior night. Fowler dropped 51 points on a 62% shooting clip, setting the school record for the most points in a game.
He also knocked down a school-record 11 3s and nished the night with 10 re -
bounds, six assists and six steals. Northwood senior Bakari
Watkins had himself a night with a season highs of 26 points and 16 rebounds (12 o ensive boards) in the Chargers’ 81-53 rout over Eastern Randolph on Saturday. The Chargers have
The Knights swept the Wolves in boys’ and girls’ competition
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
Boys: Chatham Charter 56, Woods Charter 54
Clutch shots and close misses determined an exhilarating ending to Chatham
won eight straight games since Dec. 22. Earlier in the week, the Chargers completed the season sweep over Jordan-Matthews 83-47.
Chatham Charter fell to Southern Wake 60-48 in a
Katie Leonard scored a career-high 36 points
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
Boys: Seaforth 52, Webb 51
Seaforth moved a step closer to a conference title after rallying from down seven in the fourth quarter to beat Webb 52-51 Friday in Oxford.
“It’s one of the top one, two wins I think we had all season,” Seaforth coach John Berry said. To bounce back from a slow individual start, senior Campbell Meador came alive with six fourth quarter points, including the go-ahead layup that gave the Hawks a 50-49 lead with under three minutes left to play. Both teams then went scoreless for a couple of minutes until senior Declan Lindquist, who nished with a team-high 26 points, dished his sole assist to sophomore Jackson Butcher, putting Seaforth ahead by three with less than a minute remaining.
Webb responded with a drive and nish by junior Donovan Yancey, who led the Warriors with 16 points.
Following a foul by Webb to save time on the next possession, Lindquist was called
showdown between the top two teams in the Central Tar Heel conference Friday. The Knights bounced back with a 70-21 win over Central Carolina
for an o ensive foul on the inbound, giving the Warriors one last chance to reclaim the lead with 14 seconds left. Yancey took an open 3-pointer, but it didn’t hit anything at thenal buzzer.
“I told them listen, ‘They’re out toughing us,’” Berry said. “They’re going to keep coming at us. It’s just like a bully, right? If a bully can come at you, push you and call you names, throw punches at you, and you don’t do anything back, that’s what’s going to happen. They’re going to continue to do it.”
Said Berry, “I thought our guys did a very, very good job at stepping up to that challenge, matching that physicality.”
Lindquist started the game on re as he knocked down three 3s and helped the Hawks to a 20-9 lead with 15 rst quarter points.
“They went zone in the rst half, in the rst quarter at least, and we’ve been working on that all season,” Lindquist said. “Coach, as an o ense, put us in
Northwood, boys’ basketball
Cam Fowler earns athlete of the week honors for the week of Feb. 2.
In Northwood’s 103-23 win over North Moore on Friday, Fowler put on a historic 51-point, 10-rebound performance. His new scoring career high set the school record for the most points in a game, and he made a school-record 11 3s in the process.
Fowler’s 51 points are the 52nd-most scored in a game in NCHSAA boys’ basketball history. He tied Jordan-Matthews’ Jerry Webster, who scored 51 points against Pittsboro in 1957, for the most points scored by a Chatham County player.
Ty Willoughby, Seaforth’s golf state champion, signs to continue his career on the next level.
Seaforth had seven athletes make their big decision nal
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
AS NATIONAL SIGNING Day passed by Feb. 4, local high school athletes have signed to their future college homes over the past two weeks. Here’s a look at who is going where.
Colton Roberts (Pace University, swimming)
Seaforth’s Colton Roberts will join the Pace University men’s swimming program. Roberts has performed well in state championship meets, nishing as a runner-up in the 200 free, 500 free, 400 free relay and 200 medley relay in 2024. Last winter, Roberts once again helped his team nish second in the 2A 200 medley relay and 400 free relay state championship races. He entered this week’s state championship meet seeded rst in the 200 free (1 minute, 50.18 seconds) and second in the 500 free (5:05.37) on the 5A psych sheet. Pace University is an NCAA Division II program located in New York City.
Ty Willoughby (Georgia College and State University, golf)
Seaforth’s Ty Willoughby will continue his gol ng career at Georgia College and State University, an NCAA Division II program located in Milledgeville, Georgia. Willoughby won the 2A individual state title while also helping Seaforth n-
ish rst as a team in 2024. Last year, he placed fourth in the 2A state competition and led his team to third (two strokes from rst place).
Ryan Yoder (University of Lynchburg, track and eld)
Seaforth’s Ryan Yoder will join the University of Lynchburg track and eld program. Yoder was part of Seaforth’s rst boys’ indoor state championship team in 2025 as he took the state title in the pole vault. In outdoor competition, Yoder has nished as a state runner-up in 2024 and 2025. The University of Lynchburg, located in Lynchburg, Virginia, competes in the NCAA Division III.
Zane McMahon (Cape Fear Community College, men’s soccer)
Seaforth’s Zane McMahon will continue his soccer career at Cape Fear Community College. McMahon scored six goals in varsity competition while recording 217 steals. He notched a career-high 128 steals in the fall, leading the team in that stat. McMahon helped the Hawks earn their rst win in a playo game in 2024. Cape Fear CC, located in Wilmington, competes in the NJCAA Division II.
Caidence Bazemore (Winthrop, cross-country and track and eld)
Seaforth’s Caidence Bazemore will run both cross-country and track at Winthrop, an NCAA Division I program located in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Bazemore competed in multiple national
cross-country meets in the fall. In the 2025 NCHSAA 2A outdoor state championships, Bazemore nished ninth in the 3,200.
Sydney Burleigh (NYU, swimming)
Seaforth’s Sydney Burleigh will join the NYU women’s swimming program. Burleigh won back-to-back 2A 100 butter y state titles in 2024 and 2025. Ahead of this week’s state championships, Burleigh is seeded rst in the 100 buttery (1:00.97) and second in the 200 individual medley (2:14.29). NYU is an NCAA Division III program located in New York City.
Ivan Grimes (North Greenville, men’s lacrosse)
Seaforth’s Ivan Grimes will head to North Greenville, an NCAA Division II program in Tigerville, South Carolina, to continue his lacrosse career. In three seasons, Grimes has recorded 142 goals and 116 assists. Last year, he led the team in assists and points, helping the Hawks to an 18-4 record and a rst-round bye in the state playo s.
Jace Young (Guilford, baseball)
Chatham Charter catcher Jace Young will join Guilford’s baseball program. Last year, Young led the Knights in batting average (.416), hits (32), RBIs (25) and slugging percentage (.584). Guilford, located in Greensboro, competes in the NCAA Division III.
Jaylee Williams jumps up to Big 10 competition
By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record
THE COLLEGE BASEBALL and softball seasons have arrived, setting a clean slate for Chatham County natives to continue their athletic careers. Some of the veterans have moved to new homes, while the newcomers are looking to make their mark on the next level. Here’s a look at where to follow the former Chatham standouts.
Anthony Lopossay (Cleveland Community College, Chatham Central)
Former Chatham Central pitcher Anthony Lopossay will return to Cleveland CC for his sophomore season. Last year, he made six appearances and pitched nine innings, striking out three batters and walking ve.
Aidan Allred (William Peace University, Chatham Charter)
a win against Robeson CC on Feb. 8, Cartrette pitched ve innings and struck out eight batters while giving up four hits and two runs.
Jackson Shaner (Guilford, Northwood)
Jackson Shaner, the former Northwood in elder, will play his junior season at Guilford this spring.
Carson Whitehead (Pfei er, Jordan-Matthews)
Chatham Central)
Former Chatham Central catcher Caleigh Warf will play her freshman year at N.C. Wesleyan.
Logan Gunter (Furman, Jordan-Matthews)
Former Jordan-Matthews standout Logan Gunter is looking to return from a knee injury that cut her freshman season short. The sophomore did not appear in Furman’s rst ve games.
Jaylee Williams (Maryland, Chatham Central)
Jaylee Williams, the former Chatham Central out elder, transferred from App State to Maryland for her junior year after making 13 starts as a sophomore.
Daniel White (Wake Tech, Seaforth)
Former Chatham Charter shortstop Aidan Allred transferred from Brunswick CC to William Peace for his sophomore year.
on Saturday behind 15 points each from sophomores Ryder Murphy and Jalen McSwain. Woods Charter snapped a two-game skid with a 66-55 win over Central Carolina on Friday. Junior Alden Phelps led the way with 12 points and six rebounds.
Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference)
Daniel White, the former Seaforth standout, will begin his college career at Wake Tech
Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. Seaforth (14-5, 9-1); 2. Orange (81-2, 7-2); 3. South Granville (10-8, 6-2); 4. Webb (8-10, 5-3); 5. Durham School of the Arts (7-14, 2-8); 6. Cedar Ridge (3 -15, 1-7); 7. Carrboro (1-18, 1-8)
this spring. White is listed as a pitcher and out elder.
Zach Cartrette (Guilford Tech, Chatham Charter)
Former Chatham Charter pitcher Zach Cartrette will play his freshman season at Guilford Tech. For his rst start in
Carson Whitehead, the former Jordan-Matthews catcher, will play his senior season at Pfei er. Whitehead transferred to Pfei er for his junior season after previously playing at Brevard. Last year, Whitehead logged 79 putouts and a .968 elding percentage.
SOFTBALL
Caleigh Warf (North Carolina Wesleyan,
Delana Lo in (Blue eld University, Chatham Charter)
Former Chatham Charter standout Delana Lo in is returning to Blue eld University as a utility player for her sophomore season. Last year, Loflin recorded the fth-most hits on the team (26) with 12 RBIs, two home runs and a .232 batting average.
Central Tar Heel 1A: 1. Southern Wake (14-4, 6-0); 2. Chatham Charter (15-8, 7-1); 3. Clover Garden (7-9, 5-2); 4. Woods Charter (14-7, 6-3); 5. Ascend Leadership (5-17, 3-5); 6. River Mill (1-18, 1-8); 7. Central Carolina Academy (1-19, 0-9) Greater Triad 1A/2A: 1. South Stokes (16-2, 7-0); 2. Bishop McGuinness (13-5, 5-2); 3. Winston-Salem Prep (8-11, 4-3); 4. Chatham Central (12-6, 3-4); 5. College Prep and Leadership (5-15, 3-5); 6. North Stokes (4-14, 2-4); 7. South Davidson (0-16, 0-6) Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Northwood (15-4, 7-0); 2. Uwharrie Charter (12-6, 3-1); 3. Southwestern Randolph (8 - 8, 2-2); 4. Jordan-Matthews (9-10, 2-3); T5. North Moore (4-10, 0-4); T5. Eastern Randolph (3-14, 0-4)
Power rankings (week of Feb. 2): 1. Northwood; 2. Seaforth; 3. Chatham Central; 4. Jordan-Matthews; 5. Chatham Charter; 6. Woods Charter Previous power rankings: 1. Northwood; 2. Seaforth; 3. Chatham Central; 4. Jordan-Matthews; 5. Chatham Charter; Woods Charter Girls’ basketball
Woods Charter senior Wesley Oliver torched Central Carolina with a career-high 36 points in a 56-8 win Friday. She notched four 3s and recorded a team-high eight steals to go along with her second 30-point game of the season.
Northwood sophomore Noelle Whitaker scored a career-high 16 points to help the Chargers defeat Jordan-Matthews 66-22 on Feb. 5. The following night, Northwood dominated North Moore 63-15 for its sixth win in a row.
Clover Garden (11-5, 7-0); 2. Chatham Charter (10-13, 7-1); 3. Woods Charter (13-8, 6-3); 4. Southern Wake (7-4, 4-2); 5. River Mill (3-17, 3-6); 6. Ascend Leadership (1-17, 1-7); 7. Central Carolina (1-18, 0-9) Greater Triad 1A/2A: 1. Bishop McGuinness (14 - 3, 5-0); 2. North Stokes (8-9, 4-1); 3. College Prep and Leadership (15-6, 4-3); 4. South Stokes (9-9, 3-3); 5. Chatham Central (9-8, 1-5); 6. South Davidson (0-16, 0-5) Four Rivers 3A/4A: 1. Northwood (13-5, 6-0); 2. Southwestern Randolph (13 -3, 3-1); 3. Uwharrie Charter (15 -3, 3-1); 4. Jordan-Matthews (415, 1-4); T5. Eastern Randolph (1-13, 0-3); T5. North Moore (3 -12, 0-4) Big Seven 4A/5A: 1. Seaforth (15-3, 9-1); 2. Orange (13-6, 8-1); 3. South Granville (11-6, 7-1); 4. Durham School of the Arts (7-14, 3-7); 5. Webb (6-12, 2-6); 6. Carrboro (5-12, 2-7); 7. Cedar Ridge (2-15, 0-8) Power Rankings (week of Feb. 2): 1. Seaforth; 2. Northwood; 3. Chatham Central; 4. Chatham Charter; 5. Woods Charter; 6. Jordan-Matthews Previous power rankings: 1. Seaforth; 2. Northwood; 3. Chatham Central; 4. Chatham Charter; 5. Woods Charter; 6. Jordan-Matthews ROUNDUP from page B1
Chatham Charter junior Camille Alston led the Knights
with 11 points and eight rebounds in a 46-20 win over Southern Wake on Friday. The Knights rolled to their sixth straight win Saturday after de -
feating Central Carolina 56-7. Conference standings as of Sunday (overall, conference) Central Tar Heel 1A: 1.
The same man has done the postgame celebration for 30 years
By Donna Gordon Blankinship The Associated Press
NOAH WINTER brags he’s been to way more Super Bowls than Tom Brady.
Brady competed in 10 — more than any other player. But Winter was part of the Super Bowl spectacle for his 30th straight year this year, not in uniform but as the guy in charge of the celebratory confetti after the game ends.
Winter’s company, Artistry in Motion, also makes confetti for rock concerts, movies, political conventions and the Olympics. But the annual blizzard of color falling onto the eld at the end of each Super Bowl is probably what he’s best known for.
It certainly is what he’s most likely to get asked about at dinner parties.
“It’s become an iconic moment,” Winter marvels, sitting in his Northridge, California, ofce and confetti factory.
Jane Gershovich, a photographer who worked for the Seattle Seahawks when they won the Super Bowl in 2014, said that when the confetti falls, everyone wants to play in it. The players and their families have been known to toss it in the air and make confetti angels.
“Just seeing the players and their kids engage with it at such a wholesome level, it brings a lot of joy to everyone on the eld,” she said.
So, what goes into planning and executing a giant confetti drop? Winter elded some questions.
What happens to the losing team’s confetti?
ti because it turns on its axis and hangs in the air.
“Over the 30 years, we never have launched the wrong color or launched too early.”
Confetti expert Noah Winter
Even if the teams stream onto the eld before the clock runs out, the confetti waits until the timer shows the game is o cially over. And the winners’ colors get the go-ahead.
“It’s always better to be late then early,” Winter explained.
“Sometimes players go out and shake hands. We don’t launch until triple zero on the clock. Over the 30 years, we never have launched the wrong color or launched too early.”
The color mix is not 50-50, because some colors dominate on video, so the company has to experiment to nd the correct mix.
Massachusetts company Sea-
Artistry in Motion trucks 300 pounds of two-colored confetti for each of the teams to the Super Bowl. They bring confetti cannons onto the eld with about 4 minutes remaining, and line them up around the stadium walls.
from page B1
the best position, and it’s all on my teammates for giving me the looks that I needed.”
However, the Hawks quickly cooled down in the second period. Webb nished the rst half outscoring Seaforth 17-4 and took a 26-24 lead at halftime.
Out of the break, both teams exchanged baskets until Webb grew its lead with a late third quarter 7-0 run.
Meador nished the game with 13 points, ve assists and three steals, and Butcher nished with six points to round out the Hawks’ top scorers.
With the win, Seaforth improved to 13-5 and took full control of rst place in the Big Seven conference (8-1). Depending on the results of the last week of conference play, the Hawks could clinch their rst conference title since 2022 at home against second-place Orange Thursday at 8 p.m.
Girls: Seaforth 87, Webb 44
Seaforth senior Katie Leonard notched a new career-high
CHARTER from page B1
o the rim at the buzzer.
The moments leading up to overtime were just as dramatic.
Woods Charter trailed 35 -30 halfway through the fourth quarter before going on an 8-1 run to take a two-point lead with less than two minutes left.
Murphy’s heroics began with a baseline jumper to tie the game at 38 with 37 ticks remaining. The Wolves quickly responded with senior Maxwell Carr’s sixth point of the fourth quarter.
With eight seconds remaining, junior Charlie Jester fouled Murphy on a 3-pointer, sending him to the line for potential go-ahead free throws. He missed all three, but the Knights kept the ball after the last miss bounced o a Woods Charter defender.
On the nal play of regulation, sophomore Ethan Cheek
in an 87-44 rout over Webb on Friday.
Leonard dropped a personal-best 36 points on a 60% shooting clip, including ve made 3s. She set a new record for the most points scored by a girl in a single game in Seaforth history.
Seaforth took a 57-25 lead at halftime thanks to Leonard’s 27 rst half points.
Senior Mia Moore also had a big night as she knocked down three 3s on the way to 12 points (all in the rst half). Junior Annika Johansson scored eight of her 10 points in the second half, which was mostly played under a running clock.
The Hawks’ 87 points were the most they scored in a game in program history.
With the win, they improved to 14-3 overall and 8-1 in Big Seven Conference play. As of Sunday, Seaforth, Orange and South Granville all have one league loss. The Hawks could determine their conference title fate in the season nale against Orange at home Thursday at 6:45 p.m.
found sophomore Breylan Harris under the basket on the inbound, and Harris converted the layup with a foul.
“We knew they were going to go man,” Chatham Charter coach Jason Messier said. “I’ve seen our girls’ basketball team run it, and I knew it was something that would work if we could isolate, open up the seal and get Harris.” Harris missed the free throw, and Woods Charter got one more chance for the win.
With four seconds left, junior Alden Phelps raced his way to a wide open layup, but his shot also bounced out at the buzzer.
Early in the rst overtime period, Chatham Charter’s only senior Kymani Wagner-Jatta, who nished the night with 15 points (nine in the rst half) and 10 rebounds, fouled out. Harris also fouled out early in the second overtime.
man Paper has for 25 years manufactured the tissue paper that Artistry in Motion turns into confetti, said Jamie Jones, one of Seaman’s owners. A lot of New England Patriots fans who work there are particularly excited about their part in this year’s Super Bowl.
The company makes about 150,000 pounds of tissue paper a day — mostly for gift wrapping and food service.
“It’s a very prestigious but not big order,” Jones said of the Super Bowl paper.
How do you get the best utter?
Winter has found that a rectangular shape is best for confet-
But TV viewers might not realize that there are actually two confetti drops at the Super Bowl — one at game’s end, and the other when the Vince Lombardi Trophy is presented to the winning team. That second round of confetti is cut in the silhouette of the trophy.
Messages can be printed on the tiny rectangles too. For a handful of Super Bowls, Artistry in Motion printed social media messages on each tiny ag at the request of event sponsor Twitter.
Some people ask whether the confetti is cut by hand (it isn’t), and Winter jokes that his hands get tired.
How do you get into the confetti business?
Winter studied lighting design in college and did pyrotechnic work at venues including the Hollywood Bowl before Disney asked his team to recreate
leaves falling and twirling for a live “Pocahontas” show in the mid-1980s. Soon, he was creating confetti for Disney’s daily parade at Disneyland.
In 1986, Mick Jagger saw the confetti at Disney and asked Artistry in Motion to make some for a Rolling Stones’ concert at Dodgers Stadium. Then, he brought the edgling confetti company on tour. Other artists, including Bono from U2, asked that confetti be made for their shows as well.
Stadium concerts led to sporting events. The company’s rst Super Bowl was in 1997. The year before that, Winter had been a pyrotechnician at the Super Bowl, making this year’s game his 30th.
Winter wouldn’t admit to having a favorite team, but he did say he has two brothers who are New York Jets fans, and he has promised to bring them to the Super Bowl to work a confetti cannon if their team ever returns.
Murphy, who nished with 16 points, picked up the slack with nine overtime points. Drew Rippe, the only freshman on the team, also chipped in with a huge basket in the second overtime.
“I’m proud of all my guys,” Wagner-Jatta said. “All the people that came o the bench in overtime, they really stepped up. Can’t overstate how important they were.”
Said Murphy, “I had my team. I knew they had my back, so they were helping me all the way through.”
Chatham Charter improved to 14-7 overall and 7-1 in Central Tar Heel Conference play, taking full control of second place in the conference standings.
The Wolves, now fourth in the Central Tar Heel Conference, fell to 13-7 overall and 5-3 in league play. Woods Charter will end its regular sea-
son against Southern Wake at home Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Knights, who have played three times since the win over Woods Charter, will play their regular season nale at Clover Garden Friday at 5 p.m.
Girls: Chatham Charter 44, Woods Charter 38
Chatham Charter held o Woods Charter’s second-half comeback e ort in a 44-38 win on Feb. 5.
Sophomore guard Peyton York led the Knights with 22 points and ve steals. After Woods Charter made a game-changing run in the third quarter, York scored seven fourth quarter points, including three free throws, to keep Chatham Charter on top.
Like the rst meeting of the year won by the Knights, Chatham Charter’s zone created turnovers and limited
the Wolves to 16 points in the rst half. Senior Wesley Oliver scored 12 of those points. With the Wolves trailing by nine going into the third quarter, Oliver led a 12-4 run to bring her team within one at the start of the fourth.
Chatham Charter junior Maggie Rippe also provided crucial fourth quarter buckets to help Chatham Charter close the deal. She nished the night with 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
The Knights won their fourth straight game to improve to 8-13 overall and 5-1 in Central Tar Heel Conference play. Meanwhile, the Wolves fell to 12-8 and 6-3 in the league. Woods Charter lost consecutive games for the rst time this season.
The Wolves will end their regular season against Southern Wake at home Friday at 6 p.m. Chatham Charter.
17 former NC State athletes join abuse lawsuit bringing total to 31
Raleigh Seventeen additional former N.C. State male athletes have joined a state lawsuit alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine. That pushes the total number to 31 in a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete more than three years ago. The complaint expands a case alleging years of misconduct by Robert L. Murphy Jr. Allegations include improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.
NBA Arbitrator rules
Rozier should receive
$26.6M salary despite gambling charges
Miami An arbitrator ruled
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier should receive his $26.6 million salary this season despite being on administrative leave because of federal gambling-related charges. Rozier’s paychecks are currently in an interest-bearing account. The National Basketball Players Association argued his case didn’t warrant salary withholding under the collective bargaining agreement. Rozier was arrested in October in a probe involving more than 30 people. He has pleaded not guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering charges. Rozier is due back in court in March.
NASCAR
Spire Motorsports extends Hocevar’s contract into next decade
Charlotte Spire Motorsports signed Carson Hocevar to a long-term extension, keeping him in the No. 77 Chevrolet “into the next decade.” The deal ensures the 2024 Cup Series rookie of the year stays with the team for at least four more seasons. The 23-year-old Hocevar won his rst career Cup Series pole last year and had nine top-10 nishes. Spire is now majority owned by TWG Motorsports.
Palou headlines
5 drivers to be featured on regional milk products
Indianapolis Indianapolis 500 fans will have a chance to toast one of sports’ most iconic victory celebrations — sipping milk with former race winners. Indianapolis Motor Speedway, American Dairy Association Indiana and Prairie Farms Family of Companies will team up to o er single-serve milk bottles and cartons to fans in 20 states. The products will feature race winners on ve di erent kinds of milk. Defending champion Alex Palou headlines a group that includes 2023 and 2024 race winner Josef Newgarden, four-time race winner Helio Castroneves, 2016 race winner Alex Palou and 2008 race winner Scott Dixon.
The Charlotte native is ready to race in his rst Daytona 500
By Jenna Fryer The Associated Press
CHARLOTTE — As sleet pelted Bowman Gray Stadium during NASCAR’s preseason warm-up race, multiple drivers complained about poor visibility and the wet track conditions.
One of them — the youngest driver in the eld — hit the button on his radio and grumbled it was time to get back to racing no matter the conditions.
“We’re professional race car drivers — it’s our job to go gure it out,” 19-year-old Connor Zilisch radioed to his team.
The teenager is the most hyped rookie to join the top-level Cup Series in decades.
“I would have to say Je Gordon, honestly,” AJ Allmendinger said of the four-time NASCAR champion who was 20 in his rst Cup Series season in 1992. “There was Joey (Logano) and the whole ‘Sliced Bread’ thing, but I think straight-up hype? Connor is the deal and has already delivered. He’s jumping in everything and performing at very high levels.”
Zilisch will make his Daytona 500 debut on Feb. 15 — four years after attending the race for the very rst time. He was fairly new to racing at the time, had very few connections and sat in the grandstands with tickets as a regular fan as Austin Cindric won as a rookie.
“I think it’s very cool that people think that highly of me, when you are getting compared to Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, there’s nothing to complain about — they have ve Cup championships between them,” Zilisch told The Associated Press. “If I can have a career half as good as either of them, I think that would be a successful career. But I’ve got a lot of time to get to their level. I mean, four years ago I was in the grandstands for the Daytona 500, and to think I’m now going to be in the race is just crazy.”
Not as crazy as it may seem
“Four years ago I was in the grandstands for the Daytona 500 and to think I’m now going to be in the race is just crazy.”
Connor Zilisch
considering the resume of the Charlotte native.
Zilisch started go-karting ve or six years ago and irted brie y with pursuing a career racing in Europe. That dedication has given him a maturity far behind his years that Justin Marks, owner of Trackhouse Racing, recognized immediately as he set a path to get Zilisch to the Cup Series.
In two years of racing sports cars and various NASCAR series, he’s won at almost every level. In 2024 he was part of the class-winning team that scored back-to-back victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and then the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the next year returned to the Rolex as teammates with Australian V8 Super Cars champions Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen.
McLaughlin is now an In-
dyCar winner for Team Penske and van Gisbergen, who made the Cup Series playo s as a rookie last year, will be Zilisch’s teammate at Trackhouse this year.
“He’s just very mature, but there’s de nitely times when you talk to him and you realize, ‘Oh yeah, you’re 18.’ Like, he’s young, but when he’s on track, he’s very smart and understands how to go about it in a respectful way,” McLaughlin said. “He’s got raw speed, he’s got no fear because he’s young, but at the same time, dudes like that are very temperamental.
“You hope a guy like that has the right environment, and it looks like a good environment for him with Trackhouse.”
Zilisch won a series-high 10 races last year in NASCAR’s second-tier national series but was denied the title in the win-
ner-take-all nale when Jesse Love beat him head to head. That format has been scrapped for 2026, but Zilisch said, after mourning the title loss for a week or so, he’s moved on and accepted Love has a trophy he never will.
The focus is fully on 2026, which is in full swing already. He was part of the second-place nishing team in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the car owned by NASCAR chairman Jim France. He’ll race this season as teammates to van Gisbergen — and he and the New Zealander should be next to unbeatable on road courses — as well as Ross Chastain, who is eager to help the teen. Zilisch replaced Daniel Suarez in the Trackhouse lineup.
“I want Connor to succeed. If he succeeds, it’s good for me,” Chastain said. “If I can’t win, a Trackhouse win is really good. De nitely want that for Connor, want that for me and want that for Shane. I’m the one clapping the loudest when they’re winning. I want to be right there competing with them and winning races.”
Jurgensen, strong-armed QB whose personality made him beloved football gure, dead at 91
The Hall of Fame quarterback was a two-way star at Duke
By Barry Wilner and Stephen Whyno The Associated Press
SONNY JURGENSEN, the Hall of Fame quarterback whose strong arm, keen wit and a able personality made him one of the most beloved gures in Washington football history, has died. He was 91.
Jurgensen’s family said he died of natural causes in Naples, Florida, after a brief stay in hospice care.
“We are enormously proud of his amazing life and accomplishments on the eld, marked not only by a golden arm but also a fearless spirit and intellect that earned him a place among the legends in Canton,” his family said in a statement. “He lived with deep appreciation for the teammates, colleagues and friends he met along the way. While he has taken his nal snap, his legacy will remain an indelible part of the city he loved and the family he built.”
Jurgensen arrived in Washington in 1964 in a surprise quarterback swap that sent Norm Snead to the Philadelphia Eagles. Over the next 11 seasons, Jurgensen rewrote the team’s record books.
He topped 3,000 yards in a season ve times, including twice with Philadelphia, in an era before rules changes opened up NFL o enses. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and remains the only Wash-
ington player to wear the No. 9 jersey in a game.
“Sonny Jurgensen is, and always will be, one of the dening legends of Washington football,” said controlling owner Josh Harris, who grew up a fan. “For me, Sonny was the embodiment of what it means to don the burgundy and gold: tough, smart and endlessly devoted to this franchise and its fans.”
Jurgensen’s four-plus decades of association with the franchise in Washington as a quarterback and then as a broadcaster made him a one -name celebrity in the nation’s capital. He was the one and only Sonny, contrary but loyal: the everyman red-headed football player with the out-of-shape belly who kept a connection with fans but could also pull out a cigar and hobnob with the team owner.
“Sonny Jurgensen is, and always will be, one of the de ning legends of Washington football.”
Josh Harris, Washington Commanders owner
Notorious for breaking curfew, Jurgensen was also known for ignoring coaches and joking about his less -than-ideal physique. He more than compensated with his pinpoint passing from the pocket, helping make the then-Redskins exciting and competitive again, leading the team to more victories in his rst three seasons than the club had won in its previous six.
“All I ask of my blockers is 4 seconds,” he once said. “I try to stay on my feet and not be forced out of the pocket. I beat people by throwing, not running.”
Jurgensen played through numerous injuries and even won over the notoriously tough Vince Lombardi, who coached Washington to its rst winning season in more than a decade in 1969. Lombardi said of Jurgensen, “He is the best I have seen.”
“Few players could rival Sonny Jurgensen’s genuine love of the game that continued long after his playing days,” Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said. “Watching Sonny throw a football was like watching a master craftsman create a work of art.”
Jurgensen nished his career with 2,433 completions for 32,224 yards and a 57.1 completion percentage. He threw 255 touchdown passes, 189 interceptions and had
a career rating of 82.6. He made the Pro Bowl ve times, led the NFL in passing yards ve times and will always be in the record books for an untoppable 99-yard touchdown pass to Gerry Allen in 1968. Washingtonians too young to remember Jurgensen as a player came to adore him for his astute observations as part of the radio broadcast.
Jurgensen wouldn’t hesitate to question decisions and performances he didn’t like, especially when it came to quarterbacks. He often pined for the days when quarterbacks were allowed to call their own plays.
Born Christian Adolph Jurgensen III in Wilmington on Aug, 23, 1934, Jurgensen was a two-way star at Duke and was drafted in the fourth round by the Eagles in 1957. He sat behind Norm Van Brocklin until 1961, when he took over the starting job and threw for 3,723 yards, 32 touchdown and 24 interceptions — all league highs.
Three years later he found himself on the way to Washington on April 1, 1964.
“Someone came in and said, ‘You were traded to the Redskins,’ ” Jurgensen said in a 2007 interview. “I said ‘No, it’s April Fools’ Day, you’re kidding.’ He said, ‘No, I’m not kidding. I just heard it on the radio.’
“So I was shocked.”
By Michael Casey and Leah Willingham The Associated Press
BOSTON — Actor Michael Keaton jousted with an Oscar statue and made burgers last Friday night as he was roasted before receiving the 2026 Man of the Year by Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals.
The theater group, which dates to 1844 and claims to be the world’s third oldest still operating, presented Keaton with his Pudding Pot award during the evening celebration. Afterward, he attended a performance of Hasty Pudding’s 177th production, “Salooney Tunes.”
Hasty Pudding Theatricals gives out its Man and Woman of the Year awards to people who have made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment.
Keaton, an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning actor, is known for roles in such lms as “Batman,” “Birdman,” “Beetlejuice” and “Spotlight.” More recently, he starred in and directed the short lm “Sweetwater” and starred in and was executive producer on the eight-part Hulu miniseries “Dopesick.”
“I thought your performance in ‘Birdman’ was subpar.”
Micheal Keaton
The ceremony opened with Keaton donning a Batman costume and chasing after an Oscar statue — a nod to the fact he never won one, though he was nominated in 2015 for “Birdman.” Keaton then jousted with the gure before stabbing it after the statue told him, “I thought your performance in ‘Birdman’ was subpar.”
He later was dressed up as a McDonald’s worker, a reference to his role-playing Ray Kroc in a movie about the making of the fast-food megachain. Armed with a spatula, he served a single customer who increasingly demanded bigger and bigger burgers while Keaton tried his best.
“You didn’t think I could do this. Make a huge burger for the guy,” Keaton said.
Keaton then received his Pudding Pot. After spending the day on campus, he praised Harvard students.
Afterward he took questions from reporters and recalled his time working with Catherine O’Hara, the Canadian-born comic actor and “SCTV” alum
who died last week. Keaton starred alongside O’Hara in “Beetlejuice” and “The Paper,” along with the small movie “Game 6,” in which she played the ex-wife of Keaton’s character.
“I was just always a giant fan like everyone else,” Keaton said while recalling the early days of her career. “What was great about Catherine’s career to me was ... inside the comedy world, she was already kind of a goddess. ... She wasn’t really famous or anything, but we all knew how brilliant she was and how great she was and what a nice woman she was. And so then it started to take o for her.”
Keaton also recalled how much he came to admire Kroc in the making of the movie and made sure Kroc understood they would not “sugarcoat” or “soften” his portrayal.
Keaton added that for all Kroc’s faults, “He was an unbelievably hard worker. That was the thing I hung on to, that determination.”
Last week’s event came days after the Justice Department released a huge trove of records surrounding Je rey Epstein, a longtime donor to the organization. The documents provided new details about the amount of money Epstein had given to Hasty Pudding roughly between 2013 and 2019, regularly donating $50,000 each year to secure top-tier donor status.
Dresden rebombed, NAACP founded, King Tut’s tomb unsealed, Pluto discovered
FEB. 12
1554: Lady Jane Grey, who claimed the English throne for nine days, and her husband, Guildford Dudley, were beheaded after being convicted of high treason.
1809: Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was born in a log cabin at Sinking Spring Farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky.
1909: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded in New York City.
FEB. 13
1935: A jury in Flemington, New Jersey, found Bruno Richard Hauptmann guilty of rst-degree murder in the kidnap-slaying of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month- old son of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. (Hauptmann was executed the following year.)
1945: Allied forces in World War II began a three - day bombing raid on Dresden, Germany, killing as many as 25,000 people and triggering
Students, teachers and local citizens helped create the art installation
By María Teresa Hernández
The Associated Press
MILAN— A project in Olympics host city Milan has invited parkgoers to re ect on the values of sport — both guratively and literally.
“Together to Re ect” was conceived as a collective artwork that takes shape as slender stakes topped with mirrors, on which people write their thoughts about sports and the Games.
Anthony Cardamone was scrolling through Instagram when the initiative caught his eye. That prompted him to head to a corner of the public park known by its Italian acronym BAM with his wife and 7-year-old daughter on Sunday. It was the only day scheduled for people to write their messages.
“For me, sport is about being
“The idea is that, for a moment, the written thoughts and the person expressing it overlap. So, your re ection and your message become one.”
Chiara Vico, NABA professor
together, it’s about sharing and measuring your own abilities,” said Cardamone, whose daughter wrote the word “brave” on one of the dozens of mirrored owers.
“This activity helps her understand why sport is important and how beautiful it can be,” he added.
The project was developed by BAM and NABA, Milan’s academy of ne arts.
“When people think about the Olympics, they often think only about sports, but the Games are not just about the athletes and
a restorm that swept through the city center.
1965: During the Vietnam War, President Lyndon B. Johnson authorized Operation Rolling Thunder, an extended bombing campaign against the North Vietnamese.
FEB. 14
1779: English explorer James Cook was killed on the island of Hawaii during a confrontation after Cook’s attempt to kidnap Hawaiian monarch Kalaniʻōpuʻu as leverage to recover a boat stolen from one of Cook’s ships.
1876: Inventors Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray applied separately for patents related to the telephone. (The U.S. Supreme Court eventually ruled Bell the rightful inventor.)
1929: The “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” took place in a Chicago garage as seven rivals of Al Capone’s gang were gunned down.
FEB. 15
1879: President Rutherford B. Hayes signed legislation allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
1898: The battleship USS Maine mysteriously explod-
16, 1959,
and
ed in Havana Harbor, killing more than 260 crew members and pushing the United States closer to war with Spain.
1933: President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt survived an assassination attempt in Miami that mortally wounded Chicago Mayor Anton J. Cermak.
FEB. 16
1862: The Civil War Battle of Fort Donelson in Tennessee ended with the surrender of about 12,000 Confederate
soldiers, a Union victory that earned Gen. Ulysses S. Grant the nickname “Unconditional Surrender Grant.”
1923: The burial chamber of King Tutankhamen’s recently discovered tomb was unsealed in Egypt by English archaeologist Howard Carter.
1959: Fidel Castro was sworn in as premier of Cuba, six weeks after dictator Fulgencio Batista was overthrown and ed into exile.
FEB. 17
1801: The U.S. House of Representatives broke an electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, electing Je erson president and making Burr vice president.
1864: During the Civil War, the Union ship USS Housatonic was rammed and sunk in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, by the Confederate hand-cranked submarine HL Hunley in the rst naval attack of its kind; the Hunley also sank.
1885: Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” was published in the U.S. 1930: The dwarf planet Pluto was discovered by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh.
the medals,” said Francesca Colombo, BAM’s cultural general director. “They are about values and this is where culture is so powerful; because through art — music, dance, ballet — it can transmit these values.”
Roberta Massaccesi, a sports enthusiast who happened to be strolling through BAM when she
spotted the mirrors, said her son asked to participate. He made a drawing expressing that sports are good for everyone.
“We just went to a hockey match, and it was the rst time for me and him to join an Olympic event,” Massaccessi said. “It was amazing!” Students from NABA were
among volunteers at the exhibition. Professor Chiara Vico said the mirrors enable people to see their face as they share their thoughts.
“The idea is that, for a moment, the written thoughts and the person expressing it overlap,” Vico said. “So, your re ection and your message become one.”
Judy Blume celebrates 88, Henry Rollins turns 65, John McEnroe is 67, Yoko Ono hits 93
THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.
FEB. 12
Film director Costa-Gavras is 93. Author Judy Blume is 88. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak is 84. Country singer Moe Bandy is 82. Musician Michael McDonald is 74.
Actor-talk show host Arsenio Hall is 70. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh is 61.
FEB. 13
Actor Kim Novak is 93. Actor Stockard Channing is 82.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut is 80. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski is 79. Musician Peter Gabriel is 76. Musician Peter Hook is 70. Singer-writer Henry Rollins is 65.
FEB. 14
Former New York City mayor and businessman Michael Bloomberg is 84. Saxophonist Maceo Parker is 83. Journalist Carl Bernstein is 82. Magician Teller (Penn and Teller) is 78. Opera singer Renée Fleming is 67. Actor Meg Tilly is 66.
FEB. 15
Actor Claire Bloom is 95. Songwriter Brian Holland is 85. Jazz musician Henry Threadgill is 82. Composer John Adams is 79. Cartoonist Art Spiegelman is 78. Actor Jane Seymour is 75. Actor Lynn Whit eld is 73. “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening is 72.
FEB. 16
Businessman Carl Icahn is 90. Author Eckhart Tolle is 78. Actor William Katt is 75. Actor LeVar Burton is 69. Actor-rapper Ice-T is 68. Tennis Hall of Famer John McEnroe is 67. Football Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis is 54.
FEB. 17
Artist-singer Yoko Ono
Irma
Actor Brenda Fricker is 81. Actor Rene Russo is 72. Actor Lou Diamond Phillips is 64. Basketball Hall of Famer Mi-
Director Richard Linklater’s “Blue Moon” lands on Net ix Saturday
The Associated Press
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET
starring as a table tennis wizard in “Marty Supreme” and Charli xcx’s soundtrack to Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights” 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: Richard Linklater’s deliciously wistful “Blue Moon” starring Ethan Hawke, Aldis Hodge returning for Season 2 of “Cross” and Nintendo may have its most frenetic tennis game yet with Mario Tennis Fever.
MOVIES TO STREAM
Pull up a chair to listen to Hawke’s Lorenz Hart hold court in Linklater’s deliciously wistful “Blue Moon” (Saturday on Net ix). Linklater’s lm spends one night with the celebrated lyricist who is watching his longtime songwriter partner, Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott) move on with the premiere of “Oklahoma!” on Broadway. Hawke is nominated for best actor by the Oscars. In his review, AP Film Writer Jake Coyle called Hawke’s Hart “extraordinarily good company.”
The A24 romance “Eternity” (Friday on Apple TV) stars Elizabeth Olsen in an afterlife conundrum. In a kind of weigh-station purgatory, she must choose how to spend her afterlife, with her longtime husband (Miles Turner) or her rst love (Callum Turner), who died in World War II. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called “Eternity” “imaginative and shrewdly whimsical with an utterly charming cast.”
Another A24 hit, “Marty Supreme,” is now streaming on premium video-on-demand. It’s the rst chance to watch one of 2025’s most acclaimed and Oscar-nominated movies at home. In her review, AP’s Jocelyn Noveck called it “a nerve-busting adren-
CHRIS
Timothée Chalamet poses in the press room with the award for best performance by a male actor in a motion picture — musical or comedy for “Marty Supreme” at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 11. The lm is available on premium video-on-demand.
aline jolt of a movie.” Chalamet stars as a 1950s shoe salesman in New York hellbent on becoming the world’s top professional ping-pong player.
MUSIC TO STREAM
Patience is a virtue and time is luxury, particularly for those subject to the music industry. Luckily, Jill Scott, the once-in-a-generation R&B, neo-soul-and-then-some singer, plays by her own rules. On Friday, she will release “To Whom This May Concern,” her sixth studio album and rst full-length project in a decade. Lead singles “Beautiful People” and “Pressha” make it clear that this a meditative release born of experience — lush production, live instrumentation and at its center, the intimacy of Scott’s unmistakable voice like a musical north star. The album will also feature Ab-Soul, J.I.D., Tierra Whack and Too $hort. Charli xcx’s rst full-length album since “Brat” summer came and went is the soundtrack
to Emerald Fennell’s starry adaptation of Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights,” out Friday. It might be wise not to expect the neon chartreuse of her rave work; the rst taste came in the form of “House” featuring John Cale, an industrial, goth-
ic introduction to the romance. That song, to quote Charli quoting Cale, is both “elegant and brutal.” Other moments contain Charli’s signatures: autotuned vocals, unexpected production, shackled pop hooks. If that resonates, begin with
“Marty Supreme” is a nerve-busting adrenaline jolt of a movie.”
Jocelyn Noveck, AP Film Writer
“Wall of Sound” and “Chains of Love.”
SERIES TO STREAM
Hodge is back as Alex Cross, the detective created by novelist James Patterson, in Season 2 of “Cross” for Prime Video. In the new episodes, Cross is on the case of a serial killer hunting corrupt billionaire.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
While most of the world is watching the Winter Olympics, our friends in the Mushroom Kingdom are hitting the courts in Mario Tennis Fever. This could be Nintendo’s most frenetic tennis game yet, thanks to “fever rackets” that let you uncork reballs, lightning bolts, tornadoes and other e ects against your opponents. You can play singles or doubles matches against friends, choosing from a cast of 38 favorites like Princess Peach, Donkey Kong and Yoshi. Or you can play solo in an adventure that turns Mario and company into babies who have to learn tennis skills before they can grow up. Opening serve comes Thursday on Switch 2.
Tokyo’s Grasshopper Manufacture has built a reputation over the years with extravagantly gory games like No More Heroes and Lollipop Chainsaw. Its latest is Romeo is a Dead Man, in which the studio promises “super bloody action” and “crazy twists and turns to blow players’ minds.” Romeo Stargazer is an FBI agent hunting fugitives across multiple universes after the space-time continuum collapses. He can wield swords, guns and more futuristic weapons, and he can summon small minions to attack en masse. And yes, there is a missing girlfriend named Juliet. Let these violent delights commence on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.
Duplin County Hall of Fame calls for nominations
Duplin County
The Duplin County Hall of Fame has extended its nomination deadline to Feb. 26. Nomination forms are available at the Duplin County Public Library and Cooperative Extension Service in Kenansville, the Duplin Times in Kenansville, and at Duplin Journal in Wallace. For questions, call 910-296-3676. The Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made signi cant contributions to Duplin County.
Early voting period starts
Duplin County
The early voting period for the March 3 primary election starts Feb. 12 and ends Feb. 28. Eligible individuals may still register and vote during the early voting period at any early voting site.
EMS recognized for stroke care excellence
Duplin County Duplin County EMS received the 2026 Bronze Achievement Award from the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline EMS program for excellence in prehospital stroke care. This marks the rst time Duplin EMS has received the recognition, highlighting the team’s rapid stroke response, evidencebased care and coordination with hospitals.
Black History Month observance
Rose Hill
The Charity School Alumni Association will observe Black History Month with a community program on Feb. 21 at 3:30 p.m. at the Charity Missions Center. The public is invited to attend the program, fellowship with alumni and community members, and enjoy a soul food meal. The keynote speaker will be Monte Thorne, who currently serves as chair of the Duplin County Board of Adjustment.
Bingo Night for scholarship fundraiser
Greenevers
The Duplin County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. will host Bingo Night for the Aniya Faison Scholarship on Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. at Greenevers Community Center. Attendees can win prizes and enjoy hot dogs, BBQ sandwiches and drinks while supporting the scholarship fundraiser.
$2.00
Work is progressing quickly on a new $500,000 playground at Kenan Park. The project is funded by a state grant, and contributions from ECU Health Duplin Hospital, and the Southern Bank Foundation. The all-inclusive playground will feature a “poured-in-place” safety surface and a large tractor centerpiece. Kenan Park remains closed until the playground project is complete which looks like it will happen soon.
Early voting is underway through Feb. 28 as incumbents and challengers compete in several races
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal
KENANSVILLE — As Du-
plin County’s primary elections draw near and early voting is underway through Feb. 28, vot-
ers will have the opportunity to weigh their choices among both long-serving incumbents and rst-time challengers in several closely watched races. North Carolina’s primary elections give voters a direct role in deciding
which candidates will advance to the general election ballot representing their respective political parties.
To help inform the electorate, Duplin Journal contacted candidates in contested primary races and invited them to participate in a Q&A designed to highlight their priorities, experience and vision for the district.
Inside this edition, Duplin Journal will feature responses from the candidates who accepted Duplin Journal’s invitation, organized by each contested race.
In County Commissioner District 2, Ti any Ferrell is mounting a challenge to the status
A proposal to honor Jammie Royall, the former town manager, is expected to return to the agenda in March
By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal
A FEW IMPLIED accusa-
tions of racism were made at the Mount Olive Board of Commissioners meeting held Feb. 5. The rst insinuation came during the board’s discussion of a recommendation to name a building associated with the town hall complex in memory of the
late Jammie Royall, the rst black town manager for Mount Olive.
After town commissioners Vicky Darden and Harlie Carmichael spoke in favor of the proposal, praising Royall’s work and dedication to his position, Commissioner C.J. Weaver responded by recommending other names for consideration.
“Weights and measures,” Weaver said. “Are we motivated
to recognize someone because we think he was wronged, or do we want to recognize someone for what they’ve done?” Weaver said he believed the decision should be based on accomplishments rather than emotion.
Mayor Pro Tem Delreese Simmons responded to Weaver’s comments defending Royall’s dedication to the town.
“Yes, the rst black town manager,” Simmons said. “You two new commissioners don’t know there was a piece of paper that
Board weighs projects as deadline nears for $4.2M grant
The funds must be spent or contracted by June 30 under state guidelines
By Mark Grady Duplin Journal
THE DUPLIN COUNTY Economic Development Board was required to make prompt decisions at its Feb. 6 meeting on how best to spend $4.2 million remaining from a $12 million grant the county received for economic development purposes. The board was recently noti ed that the remaining funds must be used or contracted by June 30 or risk being returned. Duplin County is not alone in receiving the notice. Statewide, the notice stated approximately $40 million in unspent grant funds awarded out of a $1 billion allocation.
Using a list of potential uses for the remaining funds provided by Duplin County Economic Development Director Scot-
ty Summerlin, the board discussed which options would most e ciently advance the county’s economic development goals. The top of the list included the construction of another shell building in the Duplin Airpark to be located across AirPark Drive from the nearly completed rst of two 50,000-square-foot shell buildings. The board discussed whether it would be the best use of funds to build one new 30,000-square-foot building or two 20,000-square-foot buildings. After calling Joe McKemey, a project engineer with McDavid Associates, and Jeremiah Daniels with Daniels & Daniels for advice, the board decided one 30,000-square -foot shell building would be easier to market to companies seeking space for operations.
In addition to the new building, the board decided to use some of the funds to complete four or ve short-term
people voted on to stop him from doing his job. It ain’t emotions for me, it’s the truth.”
Simmons said the list of suggested alternatives was largely white.
The board took no action on the request to name the building. It is expected to be placed on the March agenda for a public hearing on the proposal.
The board also discussed a request made to remove the reversionary clause from the
O ce
We stand corrected
To report an error or a suspected error, please email: corrections@ nsjonline.com with “Correction request” in the subject line.
NAME from page A1
deeds issued to nonpro t organizations ALDA Inc and the Carver Alumni High School & Friends Association for the former Carver High School building, now being used by the two groups for o ces and other activities.
An attorney representing ALDA said the group invested heavily into renovating the building after a re and paving the parking lot, and feared the reversionary clause could jeopardize eligibility for several million dollars in grants.
Town Attorney Carroll Turner advised the board that the reversionary clause was required under state law. Turner said any publicly owned property conveyed to a nongovernment entity must be used for public purposes and revert to the local government if that purpose is no longer met. Turner cited court precedent supporting the requirement.
Turner said all groups involved had identical reversion clauses and agreed to meet with ALDA’s attorney to discuss possible solutions.
During the town manager report, interim town manager Glenn Holland said they were reinstating the town’s water disconnect policy. Customers who fail to pay or arrange an approved payment plan by Feb. 27 will have water service disconnected and restored only after full payment. Holland said the action was necessary due to a large number of past-due accounts.
“As of Jan. 31, I had 335 residential accounts past due,” Holland said, adding 19 commercial accounts were also past due. He said the town had $149,128 in unpaid water bills. Also during the meeting, Wayne County ABC Board Manager Darnae Barefoot presented the town a check for more than $18,000 for the town’s share of proceeds from the local ABC store.
Rep. Jimmy Dixon shares lessons learned and plans ahead; his challenger did not respond
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal sta
INCUMBENT JIMMY Dixon and Challenger Marcella Barbour are competing in the Republican N.C. House District 4 primary. Both candidates were invited to participate in Duplin Journal’s Candidate Q&A. Barbour did not respond.
JIMMY DIXON
Q: What are two of your most signi cant accomplishments in Duplin County, and how have these achievements directly impacted the community?
A: Several years ago, we were able to get the Federal Consent Order that governed the makeup of the County Commissioners and Board of Education districts changed from six districts to ve districts. That change has resulted in an excellent quality of candidates on both boards. Additionally, it resulted in Republican majorities on both boards. That remains the greatest accomplishment I have achieved during my 16 years in the General Assembly.
Q: Which goals have proven the most di cult to achieve, and what speci c challenges or obstacles have contributed to these di culties? How have you addressed these challenges, and what lessons have you learned that could guide future initiatives?
A: Protecting and promoting our Right to Farm laws is a never-ending struggle in Raleigh. So many of our friends in urban N.C. continue to think food comes from the grocery store. The latest example is the attempt to cast a negative shadow on the use of herbicides and pesticides to produce the food and ber we need to remain a free nation. I have learned that just because you are registered as a Republican doesn’t mean you
are friendly to the needs of today’s farmers.
Q: Many wastewater treatment plants in District 4 (like Warsaw and Mount Olive) are aging and in need of upgrades. What speci c steps would you take in the N.C. House to ensure these facilities are modernized and capable of protecting public health and waterways?
A: No. 1, you need local leaders who are attuned to the real science, not political science, as they assess local wastewater treatment needs. Without a doubt, from one end of our state to the other, aging treatment facilities and water and sewage lines present an economic challenge of major proportions. We have been successful in directing some signi cant money to a few municipalities in Duplin and Wayne counties. In my opinion, we must begin to think of regional coordination and cooperation to identify and fund solutions.
Q: PFAS (“forever chemicals”) have been detected in drinking water sources across North Carolina, posing health and economic risks. Draft permits, such as the one for Lear Corporation near Kenansville, currently require monitoring of PFAS discharges but do not impose enforceable limits. Would you support legislative action to ensure industrial discharge permits include enforceable limits on PFAS and other harmful contaminants
to protect the health of drinking water sources and local waterways in District 4? Please explain.
A: This is a hot topic that is full of political science and sensationalism. Many would-be concerned citizens nd it easy to criticize the industries that produce the products that they purchase and use in their homes on a daily basis and never think about what they pour down their drains and ush down their toilets each day. How many of them would give up their “no-stick” frying pan or stop buying “no-wrinkle” clothes or buy “ re retardant” building products? How we regulate and permit industrial discharges must be a joint e ort between state and federal rulemakers.
Q: What legislation or measures would you pursue to improve transparency, accountability and oversight in local governments, particularly in municipalities currently facing governance concerns?
A: In N.C., we have excellent Open Meetings Laws that govern how local governments conduct their meetings. I am most familiar with our two main governing boards — commissioners and boards of education. From my perspective and experience both boards in both counties do an excellent job of properly conducting their meetings in harmony with both the letter and the spirit of those laws.
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Duplin County.
Feb. 13
Night to Shine Prom 5 p.m.
The Tim Tebow Foundation’s Night to Shine, a special needs prom, comes to Duplin County. The event will be held at Charity Mission, o ering an unforgettable evening of celebration for honored guests and their families.
1333 W. Charity Road, Rose Hill
Feb. 13-14
NC Pro Rodeo 5:30 p.m.
The NC Pro Rodeo opens gates at 5:30 p.m. with rodeo events beginning at 7 p.m. Duplin County Events Center
Feb. 20-21
2026 James Sprunt Fire Expo
James Sprunt Community College will host the 2026 Fire Expo, bringing together re ghters, instructors and industry partners from across the region. The expo will highlight the latest tools, equipment and resources for re service professionals. Saturday activities include lunch, vendors and door prizes. Registration is $30. For more information, call 910-275-6254.
James Sprunt Community College campus, Kenansville
Feb. 21
Cake Auction 4:30 p.m.
The Duplin County Democratic Party will host its annual cake auction. Attendees can enjoy food, fun and fellowship while raising funds at the Country Squire Restaurant.
748 N.C. Highway 24B/50, Warsaw
Got a local event? Let us know and we’ll share it with the community here. Email our newsroom at community@duplinjournal. com. Weekly deadline is Monday at noon.
The state senator highlighted rural development and infrastructure funding
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal sta BRENT JACKSON
Q: What are two of your most signi cant accomplishments within your district, particularly in Duplin County, and how have these achievements directly impacted the community and its residents?
A: One of my most signicant accomplishments for Duplin County has been securing state funding for critical infrastructure and economic development projects that rural communities often struggle to advance on their own. Recent examples of this include:
• $400,000 secured for the Town of Kenansville for capital projects
• $5 million to the Town of Wallace to construct an administrative building to co -locate re and police services
• $8 million to the Town of Kenansville for water and sewer improvements
• $12 million to Duplin County for economic development, including infrastructure improvements
• $4 million to James Sprunt Community College for a workforce development center and related capital improvements or equipment
• $200,000 to Duplin County for volunteer re departments
• $250,000 to the Town of Rose Hill for capital improvements and equipment at the Rose Hill Fire Department
• $11 million to Duplin County for public safety facilities, including planning and construction of a co-located sheri ’s o ce and detention center
These projects don’t always make headlines, but they are foundational, supporting job creation, attracting private investment and ensuring that existing businesses, particularly in agriculture and food processing, can continue operating and expanding without capacity constraints.
Another major accomplishment has been my consistent advocacy for agriculture and rural economic stability, which is the backbone of Duplin County. I have worked to protect farmers and agribusinesses from overregulation while also supporting disaster relief funding following hurricanes and ooding events that disproportionately impact eastern North Carolina. These e orts have directly helped family farms recover, protected jobs, and preserved the tax base that funds schools and local services. Agriculture touches nearly every household, so standing up for this industry means standing up for the entire community.
Q: Which goals in your district have proven the most difcult to achieve, and what speci c challenges or obstacles have contributed to these di culties? How have you addressed these challenges, and what lessons have you learned that could guide future initiatives?
A: One of the most di cult challenges has been modernizing aging infrastructure in
VOTING from page A1
quo, running against longtime Commissioner Dexter Edwards, who has served for more than a decade and has historically faced little opposition since his rst term. The Duplin County Clerk of Superior Court race includes
small towns with limited tax bases, particularly wastewater and utility systems. These projects are expensive, highly regulated and often require coordination across multiple levels of government. For rural municipalities, even securing matching funds can be a major obstacle, and delays in permitting or funding cycles can stretch projects out for years. I have worked hard to limit those obstacles, but it does take time and much of the regulation is federal so that’s a whole other level.
I have addressed these challenges by working closely with local o cials to navigate state grant programs, advocating for exibility in funding requirements, and pushing for a more realistic understanding in Raleigh of what rural communities can a ord. The lesson I’ve learned is that one - size- ts-all policies don’t work for rural North Carolina. Future initiatives must account for local capacity, provide technical assistance, not just funding, and streamline processes so small towns aren’t overwhelmed by bureaucracy.
Q: Wastewater management has become a critical concern in areas such as Warsaw and Mount Olive. What concrete initiatives would you champion in the North Carolina Senate to ensure sustainable wastewater solutions for rural counties, bene ting both residents and businesses? Additionally, how do you determine and prioritize where state funding should be allocated to maximize impact?
A: Wastewater is one of the most pressing issues facing rural communities, and it directly a ects public health, environmental quality and economic development. In the Senate, I would continue to champion targeted state investment in wastewater treatment upgrades, regional systems and capacity expansions. I also support expanding grant programs that reduce the reliance on debt for small municipalities and encourage regional cooperation where it makes sense.
When prioritizing funding, I look at three key factors: public health, economic impact and a community’s ability to execute the project. Projects that unlock job growth, prevent health risk or serve multiple communities should rise to the top. Just as importantly, I believe the state should provide engineering and planning guidance to help towns move projects from concept to completion because funding alone isn’t enough if a town lacks the capacity to manage complex infrastructure upgrades.
Q: How will you ensure that the voices of Duplin County residents are actively heard and considered in state-level decision-making processes, especially on issues that directly a ect their daily lives?
Duplin schools to buy 400 iPads, 1,600 Chromebooks
By Rebecca Whitman Cooke Duplin Journal
A: I have always believed that e ective representation starts with accessibility and communication. I make it a priority to maintain regular contact with local o cials, business owners, farmers and all residents throughout Duplin County — not just during election seasons. Listening sessions, one-on-one meetings and responsiveness to constituent concerns are essential to making sure Raleigh understands what’s happening on the ground. It is something I take very seriously, I give my cell number out to anyone, so I am always reachable by all my constituents.
In the legislature, I serve as a voice for rural eastern North Carolina by bringing local concerns directly into committee discussions and budget negotiations. Whether it’s infrastructure, public safety, education or agriculture, I work to ensure that policies re ect the realities of communities like Duplin County. Representation isn’t about speaking for people; it’s about making sure their voices are carried into the room where decisions are made.
Q: What legislation or measures would you pursue to improve transparency, accountability and oversight in local governments, particularly in municipalities currently facing governance concerns? Would you support specialized audits, reviews or other interventions to restore public condence in local leadership?
A: Transparency and accountability are essential to maintaining public trust, especially at the local level where decisions directly a ect residents’ daily lives. I support strong oversight mechanisms, including targeted audits and nancial reviews when there are clear warning signs of mismanagement or governance breakdowns. These tools should not be punitive but corrective, focused on identifying problems early and helping local governments get back on stable footing.
I would also support measures that improve nancial reporting, board training and access to state technical assistance, particularly for small municipalities with limited sta and expertise. When governance concerns arise, the goal should always be to restore con dence, protect taxpayers and ensure continuity of essential services. The state has a responsibility to step in thoughtfully and constructively when needed while still respecting local control and empowering communities to succeed. I believe our new state auditor is doing a great job in the rst year to tackle some of these issues, and as a member of the Senate, I’ll continue to support his e orts.
Editors note: Challenger William W. Barbour did not respond.
a Republican primary contest between Amy Price and Crystal Strickland. Meanwhile, incumbent Sheri Stratton Stokes faces two Republican challengers, Eric Southerland and Tony James. At the state level, House District 4 will see incumbent Republican Jimmy Dixon competing against newcomer Marcella Barbour in the GOP primary. Legislative races continue in the North Carolina Senate as well, where Senate District 9 incumbent Republican Brent Jackson faces a primary challenge from fellow Republican William W. Barbour. The 2026 statewide primary is on March 3.
KENANSVILLE — While students, sta and families were snowed-in all across Duplin County, members of the Education Board met via a conference call for the board’s February meeting. In the conference call, agreements were approved between the county and other schools or government entities, including an agreement with Liberty University for its master’s of school administration program.
Pending approval from the 2025-26 Capital Budget, $172,462 was authorized to purchase 400 new Apple iPads, and $412,592 was approved to purchase 1,600 HP Chromebooks. The Capital Outlay Budget for 2025-26 was approved, and a Supplemental Fund for Teacher Compensation was approved to be paid to eligible employees in February.
An application was approved
for the 2026-29 McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Subgrant, and a $12,157 donation from the House of Raeford Farms FLOCK, Inc. was approved to support Duplin County Schools’ school-based mental health program. Several other donations for supplies and grants were acknowledged as well, including a $20,000 CTE grant for Homebuilding Programs. Service contracts were approved, including agreements with providers for IEP services, a software subscription and a lawn maintenance contract. Fundraiser and eld trip requests were approved from Rose Hill-Magnolia Elementary, B.F. Grady Elementary and North Duplin Elementary. The board went into a closed executive session to discuss personnel in a private live stream. When they returned, they approved suggestions made from the closed session. Superintendent Daren Tyndall thanked the board, sta , teachers and students for their willingness to work hard to prepare and make remote instruction possible as the county prepared for a winter storm. The meeting adjourned shortly thereafter.
Forestry Service aviation units deploy from three hubs to combat res statewide
By Rebecca Whitman Cooke Duplin Journal
EVEN AFTER RECENT
snow, North Carolina remains in drought, extending the re season from a short February-to-May period to a year-round risk. On Jan. 1, wild res broke out in both the eastern and western parts of the state, something that had never happened before.
Fighting res in North Carolina involves a coordinated effort between ground crews and aviation units. The North Carolina Forest Service operates three hubs for its aviation units: Duplin (Kenansville), Central (Sanford) and West (Hickory). Each station has a variety of aircraft, from xed-wing planes to helicopters and air tankers. The units operate as complete “seat modules,” moving from airport to airport carrying everything needed to load out from that location.
“Most of the time, aviation units operate from a xed base, and that is their loading airport regardless of where the re is,” said Interim Director Shannon Coleman of the Duplin hub. “We are the rst, and so far the only, state to do things this way.”
The hubs work together to ght res across the state and can load and unload quickly at re sites.
“We can load 800 gallons of water in approximately three minutes and taxi it o to a re every ve to 10 minutes, sometimes faster,” Coleman said.
When a re call comes in, aviation units assess the weather and identify the nearest airports with suitable hydrants.
“We have currently marked almost 40 airports in the state that have enough room and a hydrant close enough for us to load from when we get a call for a re in a particular area,” Coleman said.
Aircraft are most e ective during initial attacks.
“We work with the ground crew to get it contained within 24 hours. Anything beyond that becomes an extended attack, and aircraft are not as e ective,” said Coleman.
Though they have fought res in the backyards of subdivisions, aircraft are only used on
forest res, not structure res, because the weight of the water they carry could cause more damage than good.
Each type of plane has its own speci c purpose. The xed-wing planes are the “eyes in the sky,” performing observation, surveys and mapping. Helicopters conduct prescribed burning and ght res in multiple ways, including transporting re ghters and dropping water buckets. Air tankers carry concentrated re suppressant to the loading airports, loading water from any hydrant accessible to the airport.
As a state agency, the Forestry Service works to protect the land, particularly forests. Still, they have helped in other areas in times of need.
“During Hurricanes Florence and Matthew, we provided relief e orts in eastern North Carolina, helping farmers who couldn’t reach their livestock,” Coleman said. “We carried in hay, pumps and fuel to alleviate oodwater issues.”
The Forestry Service Aviation Unit accomplishes a lot with a relatively small budget compared to other states. The biggest issue it faces is personnel, not equipment.
“(This type of work requires) highly specialized pilots who are hard to recruit and retain,” Coleman said.
There are a few perks to working with the Forestry Service Aviation Unit, such as earned compensation time and greater exibility to be home with families. Still, people leave for higher-paying positions elsewhere or they retire. The former director of the Duplin hub retired Dec. 1, and Coleman applied for the position.
“They are in the process of screening applicants, and that is a long process,” Coleman said. Meanwhile, she continues as interim director.
COLUMN | LARRY ELDER
Mass deportation: Who was more ‘inhumane’ — Obama or Trump?
Obama did not inherit an administration that allowed in 10 million to 15 million illegal aliens.
THOSE WHO CLAIM President Barack Obama deported illegal aliens more “humanely” make the following assertions:
a) ICE didn’t go into the streets under Obama; b) there were no street activists/ protesters/agitators; c) ICE only deported those with criminal records beyond illegal entry or illegally overstaying; d) Obama’s deportation numbers largely include “returns” or those deported at the border; e) the Obama administration did not engage in “lawlessness”; and f) ICE and/ or Customs and Border Patrol arrested only illegal aliens after rst securing a judicial warrant.
As for a), under Obama, ICE did go into the streets, including into the interior and into “sanctuary” cities like Chicago. Watch “Lost in Detention,” a 2011 episode of the PBS “Frontline” program, where, for example, an illegal alien mother stopped in Illinois for making an illegal lane change was ultimately deported back to Mexico. Consider this X post: “... As someone who worked during (the Obama administration), it’s simple. All the ‘sanctuary cities,’ including mine, cooperated fully with ICE and Homeland. ... So this, in fact, is politicians’ fault because they pick and choose who they want to cooperate with ...”
As for b), the media/Dems loved Obama, so they looked the other way. Again, under Obama, there was greater cooperation between local, state and federal o cials. In fact, several cities and states adopted sanctuary policies because of this cooperation. The think tank Niskanen Center wrote: “The Secure Communities program allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue detainers for anyone detained by local law enforcement. ... Homeland Security Secretary
Janet Napolitano (in October 2010) stated that DHS ‘did not view (Secure Communities) as an opt-in, opt-out program ...
“In response, multiple local jurisdictions, including Cook County, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., passed legislation to limit local compliance with immigration detainers, thus creating sanctuary cities.”
There was no “ICE Watch” to alert activists and protesters. And Obama did not inherit an administration that allowed in 10 million to 15 million illegal aliens.
As for c), deporting only those with “criminal records,” this is from the “nonpartisan” factcheck.org, in January 2026, about the Trump administration: “Those with criminal convictions or pending charges represented 66% of arrests, which the administration has rounded up to 70%.”
About deportations with criminal records under Obama, in April 2016, The Washington Post wrote:
“While the number of deportations of illegal immigrants with criminal records has declined in recent years, last year this group made up almost 60 percent of the total number expelled from the country, the largest percentage in recent memory.”
As for d) that Obama deportation numbers mostly included those at the border, the left-leaning fact-check site snopes.com wrote:
“The claim that immigration authorities deported more than 3 million people during the Obama administration (2009-17) is accurate based on ‘formal removal’ gures reported by the DHS. When including ‘returns’ (those removed at the border), however, the total exceeds 5 million.”
As for e), Trump’s supposed lawless deportations, economist John Lott of the Crime Prevention Research Center wrote:
Don’t abuse the word ‘protest’
If Pretti was an “observer,” he was observing how much unhinged behavior he could get away with.
ALEX PRETTI WASN’T killed while “protesting.” This is a common description of what he was doing on a Minneapolis street the fateful morning when a confrontation with federal immigration agents ended in his tragic shooting. But if Pretti had been a mere protester, he’d very likely be alive today.
Now that we’ve seen videos of an earlier struggle with federal agents and learned more about the organized nature of the anti-ICE resistance, it’s become clear that the better word for Pretti was agitator, or perhaps even operative.
A protester, as typically understood, is someone who is making a point, often as part of a gathering of other like-minded people and, usually but not always, in opposition to something.
A protester might hold a sign outside a coal- red power plant calling for it to shut down. He might go to Union Square Park to hear speeches from bullhorns whenever something happens that outrages the left. He might march against the Iraq War or the Vietnam War — or in favor of Hamas.
This kind of activity is not to everyone’s taste — personally, I hate the drums and the chants — but there is no doubt that it is a legitimate form of political advocacy. Depending on the cause, it can even be admirable. What we’ve seen in Minneapolis, though,
is often quite di erent. Run-of-the-mill protesters don’t seek out federal agents and harass and obstruct them. They don’t follow and block their vehicles or establish a robust communications network to deploy resources to create maximum disruption of their operations.
Pretti was part of this e ort, which is more a form of low-level and (by and large) nonviolent insurgency than conventional protest. In his rst confrontation, 11 days before his death, Pretti was every bit an anti-ICE street brawler. He challenged, at close quarters, an agent to assault him while screaming insults at him. He spat on a federal vehicle and kicked out its taillight.
If Pretti was an “observer,” in the euphemism preferred by anti-ICE politicians and activists, he was observing how much unhinged behavior he could get away with. There’s no doubt that at this event, he was the violent instigator.
After Pretti damaged the vehicle, agents got out and pushed him to the ground. For all the talk of ICE being the equivalent of the Gestapo, they didn’t even bother to arrest him despite his having committed a crime. If he’d been arrested and charged, Pretti might never have shown up at the other ICE operation and would still be with us today.
That Pretti, we now know, made it a practice
“The 170 ICE-detained US citizens ... included about 130 arrested for interfering with or assaulting o cers ... justi able under any reading of the law ...
“Only about 40 or so of those who were detained claimed to be US citizens accidentally or erroneously arrested by ICE. ... Most were released in a few hours. ... 40 mistakes out of 595,000 arrests amounts to an error rate of just 0.0067% — roughly one wrongful detention for every 14,925 arrests.
“By contrast (during the Obama administration) ... in scal years 2015 and 2016, ICE recorded 263 mistaken arrests, 54 mistaken detentions (book-ins), and four mistaken removals ... about one mistake for every 4,444 arrests ...
“During the course of Obama’s two terms, from 2009 to 2017, 56 individuals died in ICE custody. ... 56 deaths translates into a rate of 0.007% — roughly one death for every 14,314 detainees.
“By comparison, the rate last year under Trump was slightly lower: 0.0054%, or one death for every 18,594 detainees.
“... Trump made no erroneous deportations through November.”
This brings us to f) about judicial warrants. Snopes.com wrote: “Over the eight-year period of the Obama administration, the percentage of removals carried out without a hearing before an immigration judge ranged from approximately 58% to 84%, averaging roughly 74%.”
What a di erence an administration makes. Or rather, what a di erence the media coverage of an administration makes.
Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host.
(Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
to court violent encounters with federal agents while armed was incredibly irresponsible. He was fortunate that the rst struggle didn’t escalate into something much more hazardous to him and to others if an agent had noticed his gun. The rearm wouldn’t have been an issue in the second incident, meanwhile, if he’d really been protesting. If that were the case, he would have stayed on the sidewalk and held up a sign, or chanted, “ICE go home,” and the o cers might have been annoyed, but there never would have been an interaction to potentially go catastrophically wrong.
The calculation in Minneapolis, though, has been that this kind of benign activity is less e ective than direct action, and unfortunately — with public opinion swinging against Operation Metro Surge — this assessment looks to be accurate.
Why simply express a point of view when you can act to stop arrests and to create a hostile, threatening environment for agents?
This doesn’t mean that Pretti got what he deserved or that the o cers acted appropriately. It does mean that the state and city o cials should have been telling people not to “monitor” DHS activity, but to stay well clear of legitimate law-enforcement activities.
Reasonable people can disagree about the desirability of the goal that Pretti was pursuing, but there’s no doubt about how he was going about it, and it didn’t involve conventional protest.
Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review.
Incumbent Stratton Stokes faces challenges from Eric Southerland and Tony James in the primary
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal sta
Editor’s Note: Some answers have been edited due to space limitations. The full unedited versions are available online.
STRATTON STOKES
Q: Who are you beyond the sheri role — your background, passions and one thing about Duplin that always inspires you?
A: Beyond my role as sheri , I am deeply committed to our community and to a life of public service. I was raised in the Northeast community and have lived in Duplin County my entire life. My upbringing instilled in me values of hard work and integrity — qualities I strive to embody in my daily life. My wife, Jennifer, has served as a public school educator for the past 14 years, and together we are raising our two children, Stratton Sawyer and Hudson Gage.
I graduated from Campbell University with a bachelor of arts in religion and christian ministries. I began my law enforcement career with the Duplin County Sheri ’s O ce in 2005 and served in multiple roles, including jailor, patrol, supervision and special response. I later joined the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation as a special agent, where I worked major criminal cases, narcotics investigations and interagency operations, earning advanced certi cation and statewide recognition. I went on to earn a law degree from Campbell University and worked in private practice, experiences that broadened my perspective as a leader.
One aspect of Duplin County that continuously inspires me is its rich cultural heritage and strong sense of community. The people here are resilient, and their dedication to supporting one another is a source of motivation.
Q: What are some of your biggest accomplishments as sheri ?
A: One major accomplishment is our continued ght on drugs. The remarkable dedication and accountability demonstrated by the Special Operations Division (SOD) in their critical work. This division is composed of a narcotics investigation unit and the Duplin Criminal Interstate Enforcement (DICE) unit, both of which collaborate e ectively to target and eliminate illegal narcotic dealers from the streets of Duplin County.
In 2025, the division made 135 arrests, seized 10 rearms and removed 3.62 pounds of cocaine, 342 grams of crack cocaine, 23.89 pounds of methamphetamine, 1.36 pounds of fentanyl and 60 pounds of mar-
ijuana from Duplin County.
The seizure of more than 600 grams of fentanyl alone represents potentially thousands of lives saved. While our o ce has seized even more drugs overall, it’s crucial to acknowledge that there is still much work ahead. Every overdose is one too many, and we remain committed to eradicating these perilous drugs from our community.
Another has been increasing the salaries of our sta . Upon entering o cer low salaries was a major challenge in recruiting and retaining employees. As sheri , I will continually ght for our o cers to have a fair wage and be able to provide for their families. By retaining highly quali ed o cers we are able to provide a better service to our communities.
Additionally, I faced the challenge of overcrowding in our current jail and a deteriorated facility. This situation not only strained our resources but also posed safety concerns for both inmates and sta . Moving forward with the approval for a new jail was essential, but it required navigating complex regulatory, political and nancial hurdles. As of now the new detention facility is slated to open this year.
Q: What are some of the DCSO biggest challenges right now, and why should people reelect you?
A: As sheri , my unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of our citizens remains my top priority. The drug epidemic is a pressing challenge that continues to plague our nation, and it has not spared our communities. I will continue to allocate resources e ectively to combat this crisis, employing a multifaceted approach and strict enforcement against those who choose to distribute harmful substances.
In order to uphold the highest standards of service, it is crucial that we hire and retain the best employees possible within the sheri ’s o ce. Our deputies and sta are the backbone of our law enforcement efforts, and I am committed to providing them with the training, resources and support they need to perform their duties with excellence. By fostering a positive work environment and investing in professional development, we can ensure that
our team is equipped to o er the best services to our citizens. If reelected, my top priorities will focus on enhancing public safety, continued ght against the drug epidemic and ensuring that our sheri ’s ofce remains a model of excellence. I will work tirelessly to implement innovative strategies to combat crime and improve our response to the needs of our community. By investing in our personnel, fostering community relationships and tackling the challenges we face head- on, I am con dent that we can make Duplin a safer and brighter place for generations to come. Together, we will continue to build a safer community where everyone can live, work and raise a family.
ERIC SOUTHERLAND
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and what inspired you to run for sheri .
A: I am a Duplin County native and grew up in Warsaw. From a young age, I had a strong interest in law enforcement. I graduated from James Kenan High School, and while I was a student there, I was invited by Sheri George Garner to attend a meeting at the Duplin County Courthouse. He was planning to start an Explorers Program. I attended the rst meeting and became a founding member of the program. As I progressed through the program, it con rmed that law enforcement was the career for me. I continued in the program and later attended Basic Law Enforcement Training at James Sprunt. After completing my training, I began my career with the sheri ’s o ce. I was blessed to work in a variety of divisions, including communications, patrol and investigations, where I served as the rst full-time crime scene investigator as well as a criminal and narcotics investigator. I have also worked as a school resource o cer (SRO) and served as the rst full-time training coordinator, overseeing training for the entire o ce and ensuring compliance with state training requirements.
After several years in my career, I began to think about my future and how I wanted to progress. I set two goals for
myself: First, to one day become the chief of police in my hometown of Warsaw, which I achieved in 2014; and second, to nish my career as the sheri of Duplin County. This was part of Sheri Garner’s larger vision when creating the Explorers Program — to mentor young men and women interested in law enforcement and help them become future leaders in the profession.
Q: In your opinion, what are the DCSO’s biggest challenges right now, and how would you address them di erently?
A: In my opinion, the biggest challenge at the DCSO is leadership. There has been a culture of selecting leadership based on loyalty and/or seniority rather than identifying individuals with true leadership abilities. Leadership is not about surrounding yourself with “yes people” but rather mentoring, training and selecting individuals who help you grow and who o er viewpoints di erent from your own. This approach better serves both the men and women who work within the organization and the citizens we serve. This is a business and should be treated as such. Decisions should be made in the best interest of the citizens of the county rather than based on personal friendships.
This profession is about customer service, and over the years, the current leadership has lost sight of that principle. I will work to restore this mindset and ensure we provide the highest level of customer service in everything we do.
Q: If elected, what concrete actions would you take in the rst 90 days?
A: I would begin by establishing clear job descriptions and expectations for each position and empowering employees to do their jobs. It is extremely di cult and frustrating for an employee to not fully understand what is expected of them and then be reprimanded for doing what they believe is correct. This leads to low morale and contributes to high turnover rates and sta ng issues. Unfortunately, many leadership teams fail to recognize this and instead attribute these issues solely to low pay.
An example of this is the sheri ’s o ce giving up two school resource o cer (SRO) positions because they were unable to ll them. However, two local police departments created new positions and successfully lled those same SRO roles. The school board funds and sets the pay for all SRO positions and does not allow additional compensation by local police departments. This indicates to me that the issue is not primarily about pay but about leadership.
When I served as chief of police in Warsaw, I established clear expectations for o cers and empowered them to do their jobs. Despite being the lowest-paid department within a 30-mile radius — and despite o cers having opportunities to earn nearly $10,000 more annually elsewhere — we maintained a very low turnover rate. This was a direct result of trust, empowerment and support.
I was a working chief who led by example, not from behind a desk. I frequently worked patrol on day shift, night shift and weekends alongside the men and women of the department. I was never truly “o duty,” and my o cers knew and appreciated this leadership style, which contributed to their decision to remain with the department.
TONY JAMES
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and what inspired you to run for sheri ?
A: My name is Tony James, and I am 49 years old. I live in Rose Hill with my lovely wife, Mandy, and our three kids: Dallas, who is 20, and our twins, Gracie and Gray, who are 16. I was sworn in with Duplin County Sheri ’s O ce in 2003 and worked active service for 11 years with a total of 23 years active and inactive service. I am inspired by the wonderful citizens of Duplin County, and they are what has inspired me to run for sheri . The people of Duplin County are very diversi ed and come from all walks of life. I am inspired by all of our citizens, and I am committed to serve and provide each of them with a level of leadership that is expected from each and every one within our county. I have always been involved in some type of public service. I served in several di erent positions within the sheri ’s o ce and quickly learned that the responsibility of the sheri is so much more than just ghting crime. It’s a level of service and commitment that I believe only comes from a divine calling.
Q: In your opinion, what are the DCSO biggest challenges right now, and how would you address things di erently?
A: As I have spent the past two years visiting with citizens throughout Duplin County, the biggest issue I have learned is people do not know their sheri . It’s hard for people to trust someone they do not know. I have had the opportunity to talk with several past and current employees, and there is a great concern with the morale within the organization. When morale is down and sta feel they have no support from command sta , it decreases the excitement of the work environment. I constantly hear things like, “I’m tired of the good ol’ boy system,” “I’ve been overlooked numerous times because I’m not in the clique,” along with numerous other things. If elected, I will be a sheri that is known throughout the county. I will be involved in all communities so that people can learn to trust and have con dence in my leadership. I will establish a trustworthy relationship with all employees with an open-door policy. They will immediately know that I care and show concern about their issues. I will create an administration that promotes based on merit and not political favors. I will create a team effort where all are involved in the success of the sheri ’s o ce and all are acknowledged for their e orts in that success. I will be a sheri that will stand by my employees and the citizens of Duplin County.
Q: If elected, what concrete actions would you take in the rst 90 days?
A: If elected sheri , my rst 90 days will be focused on establishing a team of command sta that will assist me in the day-to-day operations of the ofce. We will focus on implementing a strong recruiting program to prioritize hiring efforts so that all vacant positions can be lled. There is a great concern in the county of the lack of school resource ofcers (SROs). Our kid’s safety should be a top priority. We should have all schools covered every hour of every day. We will immediately increase our narcotics division and declare a war on drugs unlike our county has ever witnessed. I will be looking to form a sheri ’s advisory team that consist of community leaders throughout the county. This will be a volunteer team that will help keep me accountable and to make sure that the entire county is receiving fair service from the sheri ’s o ce. This will help me stay alert on the issues that are most pressing in each community. While no leader is perfect, I am committed to serving every citizen with honesty, transparency and respect. If elected, I will strive to communicate openly, listen carefully and provide clear explanations when concerns arise. I believe strong communication is essential to e ective leadership.
Dexter Ferrell and Ti any Edwards face o in County
Commissioner primary
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal sta
IN DISTRICT 2, Ti any Ferrell is stepping forward to challenge the status quo for county commissioner in District 2 currently held by incumbent Dexter Edwards.
TIFFANY FERRELL
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and what inspired you to run for county commissioner?
A: My name is Ti any Ferrell, and I am a community advocate from Pink Hill who believes local government should be built on trust and accessibility. I am running because our District 2 residents deserve a leader who is truly part of the community — someone who shows up to every forum, answers every question and remains visible long after the election is over. My inspiration comes from a simple belief: Leadership is about service, not silence. I want to replace the current culture of secrecy with a culture of community that treats every neighbor with respect.
Q: What are the biggest challenges you see in Duplin County? And how would you address things di erently?
A: The most critical challenges in Duplin County are a lack of transparency and the widening gap between the board and the people it serves. Decisions are often made behind closed doors, leaving taxpayers to wonder where their hard-earned money is going. My approach di ers fundamentally from the
Dexter Edwards incumbent Ti any Ferrell challenger
incumbent’s because I will not hide from the public. While some choose to avoid community forums and public scrutiny, I believe that true accountability requires facing the voters directly. I will address things differently by being a present and active representative who welcomes tough questions rather than avoiding the people who asked them.
Q: If elected, what concrete actions would you take in the rst 90 days?
A: Within my rst 90 days, I will take three concrete steps to open the doors of county government. First, I will push for an immediate independent audit of county spending to ensure scal integrity. Second, I will launch a “District 2 Direct” communication network, providing a dedicated email and phone line speci cally for residents to reach me and provide feedback. Third, I will host a series of informal meetings across the district. Unlike the current trend of being unreachable, these informal meetings will be a permanent xture of my term, ensuring that I am physically present to
hear from you before — not after major board votes are taken.
Q: What’s one piece of advice you’ve received that has stuck with you?
A: The most impactful advice I’ve received is the quote, “Life is for service.” This resonates with me because service requires presence. You cannot serve a community you aren’t willing to engage with face to face. It is easy to hold a title, but it is much harder — and much more rewarding — to actually do the work of showing up for your neighbors. This advice drives my commitment to be the most accessible commissioner Duplin County has ever seen.
Q: What concrete steps would you take/support to improve transparency and ensure residents’ feel acknowledged?
A: To ensure residents feel acknowledged, I will advocate for a complete overhaul of how the public interacts with the board. I support making all public records easily accessible and ensuring that meetings are structured to prioritize citizen input. Most importantly, I will bridge the gap by showing up consis-
• ACCOUNTABILITY
• AVAILABILITY
• ACCESSIBILITY
tently. When an elected o cial skips forums or avoids community events, it sends a clear message that the public isn’t a priority. I will change that by being a commissioner who is always available, listens with empathy and ensures that the “people’s house” is actually open to the people.
DEXTER EDWARDS
Q: Who are you beyond the commissioner role — your background, passions? If you had a free afternoon with no obligations, how would you spend it?
A: I am a lifelong resident of Duplin County. I graduated from East Duplin High School and received a degree in animal science from James Sprunt Community College. I have recently retired from Smith eld Foods as general manager after 48 years. I am dedicated to the agriculture community and the citizens of Duplin County, and continue to strive to make this a successful community that our citizens can remain in Duplin County and make a successful living. I am a member of the Beulaville Free Will Baptist Church where I serve as a deacon. I am a conservative and a Christian, and believe in treating all people with dignity and respect. If I had a free afternoon, I would spend it with my wife and grandchildren.
Q: You’ve served Duplin County in this o ce for many years. What are two of your biggest accomplishments as county commissioner?
A: In 2014, when I became a commissioner, our tax rate was 73 cents per $100 of property value and our fund balance was $6.2 million. Working with our sta for better utilization, of our funds Duplin County tax rate is
GRANT from page A1
rental buildings in the AirPark and improve street lighting, shrubbery and other upgrades at the location. It was also determined that funds could be used to repair a telemetry system in the sewer pump station located near the airport that is not currently transmitting alerts when issues are detected.
Finally, the board appropriated funds to be used to erect new signage at the other industrial parks in the county similar to the signage being placed at the Duplin AirPark.
After estimating all the costs of those projects, the board determined it had nearly allocated the $4.2 million left in the original grant. Despite those decisions, the board decided the county should write the grant administrator requesting an extension beyond the June 30 deadline in the event of any unforeseen circumstances in appropriating the funds.
Summerlin also informed
The Duplin County Economic Development Commission will receive Bids for Construction of Five (5) EACH Shortterm Stay Accommodation Units at AirPark/Airport Center (260 Airport Road, Kenansville, NC), until Thursday, March 12th, 2026 at 4:00PM EST, at which time and place all Bids received will be opened. Bids received after this deadline will not be considered.
The Project generally consists of the construction of standalone short-term stay accommodations in two di erent oor plans. The project includes the construction of one-bedroom/bathroom oor plans (480SF+/-) and two-bedroom/bathroom oor plan (790SF +/-), built to NC residential building code standards. Three (3) one-bed/bath units and two (2) two-bed/bath units are contemplated for construction under the Scope of Work. In addition to construction of the structures, grading, construction of concrete driveways including drainage, water/sewer line construction/connections, and coordination with Tri-County EMC and data/ communication providers to each unit is included in the general Scope of Work to be provided by the Bidder. Bid Security equal to 5% of the total of the Base Bid and Bid Allowances is required in the form of a cash deposit or a Bid Bond. Contract Security in the form of 100% Performance and Payment Bonds will be required. No Bid may be withdrawn after closing time for the receipt of Bids for a period of sixty (60) consecutive
calendar days.
A non-mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting will be held in the conference room of the Duplin Airport Terminal Building on Thursday, February 19th, at 1:00PM. The purpose of this meeting will be to familiarize the prospective bidders with the proposed project. The meeting will cover the contract scope, schedule requirements, and any questions from those in attendance. A site visit will also be conducted after the meeting. Bidding documents will be available after 9:00 AM on Friday, February 13th, 2026 by visiting the Duplin County website at: duplinnc.gov
Questions should be directed to the following: Scotty Summerlin 260 Airport Road Kenansville, NC 28398 C: 910-385-6236
scott.summerlin@duplinnc.gov
The County of Duplin is not responsible for bid documents obtained from other sources.
Questions related to the Contract Documents must be submitted by email or in writing to the contact above no later than 12:00 Noon on Thursday, March 5th, 2026.
58 cents per $100, and our fund balance is now $35.8 million. At this same time period, we have been able to build the new K-8 school organization. We have also built the new Duplin County Transportation Center, Service for the Aged/Veterans Facility, Duplin County Animal Shelter, and completed a new Duplin County Jail. We have been able to accomplish this by funding from the General Assembly and good scal management.
Q: What’s one piece of advice you’ve received that has stuck with you?
A: The one piece of advice I received was to listen to everyone’s concerns but then evaluate the pros and cons of the overall impact prior to making yournal decision. I have tried to take that piece of advice to heart. Although it is di cult sometimes, you have to make the decision in favor of the most positive impact for the majority.
Q: What are the biggest challenges you see in Duplin County in terms of infrastructure, tax rates and sustainable development in the county?
A: The rst goal for the county is to secure a strong county manager that can unify a team of dedicated employees. After this, we need to secure a ordable funding to complete the high school facility projects. We must also continue to insure our county employee compensation programs remain competitive and comparable while keeping our tax rate a ordable.
Q: What concrete steps would you take/support to improve transparency and ensure residents’ feel acknowledged?
A: We need to continue to post our public held meetings with recordings available for those not able to attend.
the board that the plans had been completed for Duplin County to host a group of economic development specialists from across the state at an invitation-only event on March 4. Attendees will tour the AirPark and the nearly completed shell building on the property to market the building and other business opportunities in the county. It was also announced that $55,000 was being appropriated to pipe a ditch on Airport Road in front of the new N.C. Forest Service Division Headquarters being built in the AirPark. The ditch has proven insu cient to handle the stormwater in the area. At last month’s meeting, the ditch was a source of frustration for the board because they believed the original project engineer, Parrish & Parrish, should be responsible for contributing at least half the cost of making the improvements to the ditch line. There was no comment on any negotiations to persuade Parrish & Parrish to contribute to the cost.
Each Bidder must be properly licensed for all aspects of the work under Chapter 87, General Statutes of North Carolina (G.S. 87-15). Prior to submitting a bid, each Bidder must be properly licensed for the work to be performed.
Each Bidder shall certify, in its proposal, that neither it nor its principals is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any Federal department or agency or the State of North Carolina.
The MBE and WBE goals for this project are 5% MBE participation and 5% WBE participation or 10% combined MBE and WBE participation.
The County of Duplin, in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 USC §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby noti es all bidders that it will a rmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be a orded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration of an award.
The County of Duplin reserves the right to waive any informalities or irregularities in or to reject any or all Bids, to reject sub-contractors, and to award or refrain from awarding the Contract for the work, whichever deems to be in its best interest.
Unbeaten Clinton scored the nal 11 points to all but clinch the ECC’s regular season title with a 48-37 win over East Duplin
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
CLINTON — The East Duplin girls’ basketball team cannot plead the fth after a fourth-quarter collapse against Clinton, but it can gameplan for a third meeting between the two schools in the East Central 3A/4A Conference Tournament nals.
That’s the next signi cant game for head coach Mark Lane and his Panthers after falling 48-37 to the unbeaten Dark Horses in a battle that only got out of hand when Clinton scored the nal 11 points in the last 1:43 of the game.
“We were out of sync with basketball all night and had too many turnovers, and their press was too good too many times,” said Lane. “Some of our veteran players didn’t play as well as they could. But it came down to turnovers and defense.”
The win all but guaranteed Clinton (19-0, 7-0) the ECC title since it beat ED (14-6, 5-2) by four points (51-47) Jan. 20 on Jerry Hunter Court. Both schools were to play three league games this week, concluding with ED’s trip to Southwest Onslow on Feb. 12.
The league’s postseason tournament will follow with the top two seeds, most likely Clinton and ED, avoiding a quarternal encounter Feb. 16 that features games between Nos. 3 and 6 and Nos. 4 and 5 teams at the gymnasium of the higher seed. The semi nals andnals will be played at East Duplin on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20, respectively.
Ironically, the boys’ tournament seeds were the same at the start of this week.
See ED, page B3
PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL
Zoe Cavanaugh and East Duplin had a tough time keeping up with Clinton in the fourth quarter, being outscored 23-11 as the Dark Horses won last Friday to sweep both regular season games.
COLUMN | MICHAEL JAENICKE
I’m happy to report the Fulghum gets my “Most Likely To Succeed in College” label for June graduates in Duplin County.
WRH-JK BOYS’ BASKETBALL PREVIEW
The Bulldogs and Tigers brace for a second rivalry clash between the senior-laden teams this season
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
TEACHEY — Five Bulldogs basketball players will be lauded Feb. 13 on Steve Robinson Court. And Wallace-Rose Hill couldn’t have a better opportunity to end its regular season with a bang than avenging a loss against archrival James Kenan. Seniors Matthew Wells, Jawon Carr, Jamari Carr, Aspen Brown and Darrius McCrimmon were on the downside of a 52-46 loss on Jan. 20 in Warsaw.
The Tigers, who played Goldsboro for an outright share of the Swine Vally Conference title on Feb. 10 during its Senior Night in Warsaw, is likewise stockpiled with June graduates who are key players — Zamarion Smith, CJ Hill, Jeremiah Hall, Eli Avent and David Zeleya. It’s the annual season-ending dog ght for Duplin County schools nearly always in the same
A LOT HAS happened since Lilly Fulghum started her senior season and it’s not even softball season, her sport of choice.
A few weeks ago, North Duplin held a press conference announcing she will play on the diamond for UNC Charlotte next season.
Since then, Fulghum and her sports-loving family took a ski vacation and then su ered a serious life-blow when their Mount Olive home was destroyed because of a re. They need help and are getting it from the many friends they have accumulated across the state and even some out-of-state softball people.
Fulghum loves softball and plays it whenever she can, though she’s a three-sport athlete for the Rebels.
Name a state and she’s probably dug her cleats into an in eld there sometime in the past six years.
I go to college signings because I feel it is more important than writing a game story that one day won’t mean all the much. But college signings are the nal moment in the sunshine for a prep athlete before starting all over at a higher level.
Most don’t make it a full college season, and that’s OK because I
understand the percentages are against them. I know they won’t be at Fill-in-the-Blank University long before discovering how hard the journey is from high school to college. It’s a learning experience they will think about for the rest of their lives.
Here’s the numbers lowdown. Less than 2% (1 in 57) of all prep athletes play a Division I sport in college.
And if it’s not the competition that sends athletes back to their hometowns, it’s often the academic side. Combine the two, and it’s a
James Kenan, boys’ basketball
Zamarion Smith was a key part of James Kenan’s defense last fall as the Tigers went 12-2 and lost to Kinston in the East Region nal.
Yet the all-Duplin linebacker is even more valuable on the basketball court.
Smith is the take-charge senior leader who scores, rebounds and makes others around him better.
The senior guard’s 15.7 points is second in Duplin. He’s also getting 3.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.7 steals as a trusted on- and o -court leader for head coach Taylor Jones.
JK started the week 14-2 overall and 8-1 in Swine Valley Conference play.
Jones said some of the unique aspects of Smith’s game are his competitiveness, how he doesn’t get easily frustrated and how he includes other teammates in the Tigers’ gameplan.
Football fans might best remember him for tackling a WRH running back’s 2-point conversion that sealed JK’s overtime win in 2024, though his 111 tackles last fall were the fourth most among his Tigers teammates.
We
WRH could take a four-game winning streak into its nale with JK
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
TEACHEY — The contributions of Amana Newkirk and Angelina Cavallaro might appear rather miniscule in the box scores for the Wallace-Rose Hill girls’ basketball team.
But the defensive work of Newkirk, a junior guard and a rst-year varsity player, and Cavallaro, an all-state volleyball player playing basketball only in her nal prep season, have rst-year coach Jermel Miller singing their praises.
“They’ve really bought into contributing to the team with defense,” said Miller, whose Bulldogs (13-8, 5-3) are in third place in the Swine Valley Conference, trailing James Kenan (14-2, 8-1) and Goldsboro (16-2, 8-0) entering play this week.
“They played committed. Angelina’s been outstand-
ing all year and Newkirk has bound it.” So has WRH, which is chasing the 2015-16 team’s 17-win mark, the last time it has a .500 season.
“We’ve got to limit our offensive turnovers, move to the ball with all our players stepping up to understand the tempo we want,” Miller said. “We don’t have to run-and-gun every play. Sometimes we need to back it out when a play isn’t working. If we run our o ense, we can play with anybody.”
Freshman point guard QuoRyiona Vines (10.1 points), senior shooting guard Savannah Smith (7.6) and sophomore transfer center Marion Francis (7.2) are the top three scorers. Vines and Francis have shown signs that they will lead WRH in the future.
“We have to play through QuoRyiona’s mistakes because she’s growing up to understand the game is di erent at this level,” Miller said. “It’s a much faster and physical game.
“Marion’s been sick, and we’ve had a few out for that and other injuries. But she’s getting
double-doubles and blocking and altering shots.”
Jansley Page, an all-star in softball and all-state volleyball player, has also pitched in defensively and with sure hands o ensively (3.8 points, 4.6 rebounds). She joins Cavallaro (3.4, 3.0) and Newkirk (2.1, 1.2) as pressuring defenders.
WRH, which beat Spring Creek 61-10 in its lone game last week, was to conclude its regular season Feb. 13 by hosting James Kenan.
Expect the Bulldogs to be on a four-game winning streak before hosting the Tigers, as WRH plays two teams (Midway and Rosewood) it beat by 17 and 37 points, respectively, in earlier games.
The Swine Valley Conference Tournament is slated for February 19-20, and as the possible No. 3-seed, WRH will wind up facing either JK or Goldsboro in the quarter nals.
And here’s a bit of early good news for Miller and his Bulldogs: WRH will be in the state playo eld for the rst time in a decade.
WRH’s Savannah Smith has found her shooting touch and hopes to torch JK in the regular season nale on Feb. 13 in Teachey.
Neither team won the turnover battle, but Clinton put it together late to trip ED in the rst game in a week for both schools
By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal
CLINTON — East Duplin and Clinton put on a turnover clinic last Friday, which might have been expected since both schools hadn’t played or practiced in a week due to a winter snowstorm that forced students o campus until game day.
There were few moments of great basketball and many in which both head coaches shook their heads as the Dark Horses’ Anyahs Butler hit two game-winning free throws with 11.8 seconds to play in Clinton’s 49-47 East Central Conference win in Sonny Faison Jr. Gymnasium last Friday.
The Panthers’ Zackary Ball stole an inbound pass, scored and was fouled, but he missed the free throw 10 seconds earlier to trim the margin to 46-45.
Dominic Hall’s put back with 1.2 seconds to play also cut it to a single point. Jaiden Howard hit one of two charity tosses with 0.3 left on the clock, and the Panthers could only walk away mi ed.
ED also missed an open 3-pointer with six ticks left on the clock as Clinton improved to 11-7 overall and 3-4 in the loop. ED is 7-10 and 4-3.
If the Panthers beat league foes Trask (12-7, 4-3) and Southwest Onslow (7-12, 3-3) this week, they will earn the No. 2 seed in the ECC Tournament and a quarter nal bye with the top-seed South Lenoir (12-6, 6-0).
Quarter nal action is Feb. 16. The semi nals andnals are Feb. 19 and Feb. 20, respectively. The higher-seeded teams will host all games.
Close encounter from beginning to end
Clinton jumped to an 8-3 edge midway through the opening quarter and extended the lead to 12-6 at the break despite a 3-pointer by Ball, who
led the Panthers with 13 points. The second quarter was much like the rst in that both teams turned the ball over at an uncanny rate.
A Ball layup and two hoops that involved Dominic Hall and Shawn Davis trimmed it to 17-13 at the 4:56 mark of the second.
Clinton then turned three Panthers miscues into a 5-0 run, though Panther Aaron Hall made a conventional 3-point play to keep ED close at 22-16.
But ED had three turnovers in 31 seconds before DJ Davis’ layup forged a 24-18 halftime edge for the Dark Horses. Neither team shot the ball well, and Ball had a layup and a baseline score to cut the de cit to 27-23 midway through the third quarter.
Aaron Hall likewise gave ED scores in consecutive possessions, rst canning a pair from the line and then driving hard to the iron for a score.
Yet Clinton countered to go in front 33-28 before ED hit ve charity tosses in the span of 1:39 to tie it at 34-34.
Dominic Hall, who had a big block during the streak, stu ed the ball with 51 seconds left in the third to give ED its rst lead of the game at 36-34 to start the fourth quarter.
The Dark Horses scored the rst seven points of the quarter before Ball drilled a trey. Down 45-40, Dominic Hall’s conventional 3-point play to cut the edge to two points at the 2:58 mark.
But three turnovers and a missed shot left ED in a 46-43 hole with 34.7 seconds to play.
Aaron Hall nished with 11 points, DJ Davis eight and Shawn Davis six o the bench.
The Panthers beat Clinton 67-65 on Jan. 20 in Beulaville in a game in which Dominic Hall scored 25 points, Ball 16, Aaron Hall 14 and DJ Davis had 10 markers and 10 rebounds.
ED is attempting to qualify
910-833-9430
for the playo s for the rst time since 2021-22.
Crusaders snap three-game tailspin
Harrells Christian Academy (23-7) split a pair of NCISAA games last week, the second of which was an 87-62 triumph over Riverside Christian (Fayetteville) to snap a three-game losing streak.
HCA had not lost three consecutive games in three years.
Antonio McKoy scored 32 points and had 14 rebounds for his 20th double-double of the season.
Cousin Dashaun McKoy added 23 markers as the Crusaders went on 29-18 and 24-11 spurts in the second and third quarter, respectively.
The McKoys put in overtime during a heartbreaking 69-67 setback to Wayne Country Day (22-9).
Antonio McKoy, a Western Carolina recruit who has scored 2,794 points and grabbed more than 1,000 rebounds in his career, netted 28 and
ED from page B1
Every ED mistake was compounded in the game-changing fourth quarter. Clinton led 33-30 a minute into the stanza, but a Zakoya Farrior 3-pointer, which would be the Panthers’ nal eld goal, started a minirun that tied it at 37-37 when Kinsee Cave sank two charity tosses.
Clinton responded by going in front on free throws by Phoenix Everett (10 points) and Ciarra Stuart (21 points), followed by a driving score by Stuart. She added a free throw when a rare technical was called on Lane.
Down 42-37 with 55 seconds to play, Rubi Davila scored two of her nine points on a putback, and the Dark Horses turned consecutive turnovers into layups in the span of 11 seconds.
Farrior kept ED in the game
had 11 boards and two blocks.
Daushaun McKoy, a 1,729-point producer who has 956 rebounds, added 26, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Senior point guard J’Kaeshi Brunson had 12 assists to match his career high. He has 10 double-digit assist games this season.
HCA plays Arendell Parrott Academy (15-9) in the rst round of the NCISAA’s Coastal Plain 2A/3A Conference Tournament this week. A win pits the Crusaders against No. 1 Green eld (24-2). The Wilson school, which is No. 1 in 2A, has two triumphs over HCA this winter.
The nals are Feb. 13 at APA.
Schools that are 3A in the league include Wayne Christian, Coastal Christian, Cape Fear Academy and John Paul II. The 2A schools are HCA, Wayne Country, Green eld, Rocky Mount Academy, Faith Christian (Rockey Mount), Epiphany (New Bern) and Liberty Christian (Richlands).
The NCISAA’s postseason seeding meeting for its four
classi cations is on Valentine’s Day. The rst-round action starts two days later.
Rebels end layo with key season-ending stretch
North Duplin (10-8, 6-3) did not play a game last week and will take to the court for home games on consecutive nights against Hobbton and West Columbus before nishing up the regular season on Feb. 11 with a trip to Lakewood.
A trio of wins would likely tie the Rebels with East Columbus (10-11, 6-3) for the Carolina 1A/2A Conference title should the Gators get past East Bladen (6-14, 6-11).
The CC has been wide open all winter.
ND has won four straight and seven of its previous eight games behind the scoring of Jae’lyn Ingram (17.1 points), the top scoring player in Duplin County, and team defense. The league’s postseason tourney starts Feb. 16 and concludes with the championship on Feb. 20.
with nine of her 12 points in the nal quarter. Cave, who missed the rst encounter with the Dark Horses, scored six points in the rst half and just one the rest of the way. Post Andraia Scarborough added eight before fouling out midway through the fourth.
ED led 20-19 and 26-25 at the rst two stops, and the two schools played to a 6-6 deadlock in the third quarter. But Clinton’s 23-11 rush was simply too much for the Panthers.
The Panthers face Trask
Kinsey Cave, Ms. Basketball in Duplin County last season, is close to 100% after returning from an ankle injury.
(12-7, 4-3), Pender (0-7, 0-14) and South Lenoir (1-5, 2-15) to close out the regular season.
Lane said he was disappointed the Clinton game wasn’t played on Saturday, since the Duplin schools were not on campus until Friday because of a winter snowstorm, calling it, “unfortunate for our student athletes.”
“We practiced the previous Friday and played the next Friday,” he said. “It’s not an excuse. We’re aware of what we need to address and will make the appropriate changes.”
The same man has done the postgame celebration for 30 years
By Donna Gordon Blankinship
The Associated Press
NOAH WINTER brags he’s been to way more Super Bowls than Tom Brady.
Brady competed in 10 — more than any other player. But Winter was part of the Super Bowl spectacle for his 30th straight year this year, not in uniform but as the guy in charge of the celebratory confetti after the game ends.
Winter’s company, Artistry in Motion, also makes confetti for rock concerts, movies, political conventions and the Olympics. But the annual blizzard of color falling onto the eld at the end of each Super Bowl is probably what he’s best known for.
It certainly is what he’s most likely to get asked about at dinner parties.
“It’s become an iconic moment,” Winter marvels, sitting in his Northridge, California, ofce and confetti factory.
Jane Gershovich, a photographer who worked for the Seattle Seahawks when they won the Super Bowl in 2014, said that when the confetti falls, everyone wants to play in it. The players and their families have been known to toss it in the air and make confetti angels.
“Just seeing the players and their kids engage with it at such a wholesome level, it brings a lot of joy to everyone on the eld,” she said.
So, what goes into planning and executing a giant confetti drop? Winter elded some questions.
What happens to the losing team’s confetti?
Artistry in Motion trucks 300 pounds of two-colored confetti for each of the teams to the Super Bowl. They bring confetti cannons onto the eld with about 4 minutes remaining, and line them up around the stadium walls.
Even if the teams stream onto the eld before the clock runs out, the confetti waits until the timer shows the game is o cially over. And the winners’ colors get the go-ahead.
PREVIEW from page B1
classi cation. It’s around Valentine’s Day, though there’s absolutely no love between the two longtime adversaries.
There’s no meaningless matchups when the Tigers and Bulldogs clash, and both schools know fans will pack either gymnasium.
And loyalists from both sides will show up if there is a clash in the Swine Valley Conference Tournament, as second-seed JK could square o against third-seed WRH in the semi nals.
A winter snowstorm kept Duplin’s school locked four of its ve school days last week.
JK did not play a game, while WRH dusted o Spring Creek last Friday in its return. Both schools were slated to have a three-game week to end the regular season.
WRH head coach Dustin Squibb wants his Bulldogs to race to rim on both ends of the court.
Jawon Carr (13.8), Wells (14.2), McCrimmon (9.2) and Brown (7.8) are pacing the WRH o ense, with sophomore post Chase Bland (9.5, 4.5 rebounds) and freshman Kayden Keith (7.6,
responsible for the
“It’s always better to be late then early,” Winter explained.
“Sometimes players go out and shake hands. We don’t launch until triple zero on the clock. Over the 30 years, we never have launched the wrong color or launched too early.”
The color mix is not 50-50, because some colors dominate on video, so the company has to experiment to nd the correct mix.
Massachusetts company Seaman Paper has for 25 years manufactured the tissue paper that Artistry in Motion turns into confetti, said Jamie Jones, one of Seaman’s owners. A lot of New England Patriots fans who work there are particularly excited about their part in this year’s Super Bowl.
The company makes about 150,000 pounds of tissue paper a day — mostly for gift wrapping and food service.
“It’s a very prestigious but not big order,” Jones said of the Super Bowl paper.
How do you get the best utter?
Winter has found that a rectangular shape is best for confetti because it turns on its axis and hangs in the air.
But TV viewers might not realize that there are actually two confetti drops at the Super Bowl — one at game’s end, and the other when the Vince Lombardi Trophy is presented to the winning team. That second round of confetti is cut in the silhouette of the trophy.
Messages can be printed on
4.2) making progressively more contributions. Jamari Carr (4.6 points, 3.4 assists) is the ’Dawgs’ veteran point guard.
“We’ve got to be better a better job with our defense in transition, even though I will say we are playing the best team basketball we’ve played,” Squibb said. “That three-game stretch of losses (JK, Goldsboro, Trask) was good for us because it showed our kids that if you don’t focus in, it can all be over in one game.
“We showed ght, were competitive, much better at sharing the ball and moving without it.”
Jawon netted 17, Keith 16, Wells 15, Bland 13, McCrimmon 10 and Brown eight when WRH thrashed the Gators 85-43.
WRH (14-4, 6-3) is having its best season since the 2021-22 team went 17-6 in the 2A classi cation. It has been four years since the Bulldogs have won a state playo game.
How the Tigers enter the rivalry matchup is anyone’s guess after playing the Cougars two nights earlier.
Yet it’s hard to imagine head coach Taylor Jones’ club not igniting its competitive rivalry re in what has also been a re -
the tiny rectangles too. For a handful of Super Bowls, Artistry in Motion printed social media messages on each tiny ag at the request of event sponsor Twitter.
Some people ask whether the confetti is cut by hand (it isn’t), and Winter jokes that his hands get tired.
How do you get into the confetti business?
Winter studied lighting design in college and did pyrotechnic work at venues including the Hollywood Bowl before Disney asked his team to recreate leaves falling and twirling for a live “Pocahontas” show in the mid-1980s. Soon, he was creating confetti for Disney’s daily parade at Disneyland.
In 1986, Mick Jagger saw the confetti at Disney and asked Artistry in Motion to make some for a Rolling Stones’ concert at Dodgers Stadium. Then, he brought the edgling confetti company on tour. Other artists, including Bono from U2, asked that confetti be made for their shows as well. Stadium concerts led to sporting events. The company’s rst Super Bowl was in 1997. The year before that, Winter had been a pyrotechnician at the Super Bowl, making this year’s game his 30th.
Winter wouldn’t admit to having a favorite team, but he did say he has two brothers who are New York Jets fans, and he has promised to bring them to the Super Bowl to work a confetti cannon if their team ever returns.
vitalizing campaign for the Tigers. It’s JK’s best season since going 11-3 in the COVID-19 shortened season of 2019-20.
The formula has been the play of their seniors, who are over or nearly 10-point producers, and sophomore upstart Kentrell Morrisey, who is averaging 14.1 markers and 7.1 rebounds.
Smith is second in Duplin in scoring (15.7) and is rebounding (3.8) and setting up the o ense (4.2 assists) from his spot as a guard while showing every sign for a complete player.
That’s allowed Hill (11.1 points), Hall (6.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 steals), Avent (8.4 points, 4.2 boards) and Zelaya (4.5 points, 5.1 boards) to ourish.
The league’s postseason tournament starts Feb. 16 and concludes with semi nals games on Feb. 20 and the nals the following day. The highest-seeded team is the host school for all games. The top seed is awarded a rst-round bye.
An anticipated third meeting between JK and WRH in the Swine Conference Tournament is music to the ears of basketball fans.
Indeed, a “Turn Up the Noise” sign, won’t be needed.
Lilly Fulghum will play Division I softball at UNC Charlotte next year but will rst be a key to ND’s spring season for the fourth-consecutive year.
from page B1
workload that pushes even the nest scholar-athletes, such as Fulghum.
I’m happy to report the Fulghum gets my Most Likely To Succeed in College label for June graduates in Duplin County.
I don’t know this for sure, but I can sense that she will do what it takes to succeed in Charlotte. She has since she was 6 years old.
She’s one of those super competitive athletes that doesn’t come along frequently. Former ND and UNCW pitcher Haley Brogden taught her at an early age, and Fulghum is a regular at college-training circuits, having visited a ock of college campuses.
If softball is played at a high level, she’s on the dugout steps ready to hit.
She plays for the Birmingham Thunderbolt travel team, which is based out of the Alabama city, but travels to prestigious nationwide tournaments to compete against the best talent in the U.S.
Fulghum pitched ND to the 1A nal as a freshman, learning along the way from teammates Reece Outlaw (UNC) and Addy Higginbotham (Wingate), yet she came into her own in a big way last spring. Teams willing to pitch to her were punished. Fulghum, who will play shortstop or at third base this spring when not on the mound, hit .632 with eight doubles, three triples, seven homers, 11 walks, 18 RBIs and a .732 on-base percentage.
She won’t pitch in college and will be in a rotation at ND that includes classmate Ady Spence, also a right-handed hurler, and freshman southpaw Gracie Higginbotham. She was 5-2 in ’25 with a 0.98 ERA, striking out 55 and walking 24, which were lower numbers than she had as a sophomore (12-1, 84 strikeouts, 38 walks, 2.81 ERA) and freshman (16-2, 156 whi s, 47 walks, 1.66 ERA), with the exception of earned runs per outing. Yet like Outlaw and Higginbotham, Fulghum has athletic talent and drive that can be used to help ND, a school that had 10-too-many students to be classi ed as 1A.
Volleyball coach Heather Best got the most out of her in the fall as the Rebels went 17-8 to log back-to-back winning records for the rst time in the last quarter century.
Fulghum was a rst-team all-Carolina Conference selection and made on a very good All-Duplin team that featured players from Wallace-Rose Hill and East Duplin, which made it the fourth round of the 3A and 4A state tournaments, respectively.
She’s currently on pace to make another all-county team in basketball. Fulghum is averaging career-highs in points (12.2) and rebounds (5.1) for the 14-5 Rebels. She’s the lone senior on the roster that lost a pair of 1,000-point scorers (Addy Higginbotham and Tatewayna Faison).
Her father, Henry, was her rst coach. Her mother, Amy, is her biggest supporter o the eld.
“Her competitive spirit will make her successful out of the gate,” said ND softball coach Jaimie Kylis Higginbotham.
“She’ll go after whatever position she wants, and I’ll be excited to follow her progress.
“College pitchers throw to hitters, a batter’s weaknesses, and not to the plate. She has power but needs to learn the nesse aspect because they will nd her soft spots.”
ND will be a front-runner in the East this spring as Fulghum tries to return the Rebels to the state nals.
She’s already among the all-time Rebels softball greats and this season has morphed into one of the best all-sport athletes at the school.
Her biggest threat to being Female Athlete of the Year at the conclusion of the academic year is East Duplin junior Kinsey Cave, who plays the same three sports as Fulghum.
And in about a year, she will replace Fulghum on my Most Likely to Succeed list.
Cheers to more can’t-miss college prospects from Duplin County.
Duplin County Board
nal action will be
Feb. 19, 1946 – Jan. 28, 2026
Armarter Louise Rogers, 79, of Wallace, NC, passed away January 28, 2026, at Laurels of Pender in Burgaw, NC. Funeral service will be at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at Adoram Baptist Church in Wallace. Visitation will be from noon to 12:50 p.m. (one hour prior to the service). Interment following the service at Adoram Baptist Church cemetery.
April 6, 1941 – Jan. 30, 2026
Lila Edith “Edie” Jones, 84, of Wallace, North Carolina, left her earthly life for her eternal rest on Friday, January 30, 2026.
She was born on April 6, 1941, in Duplin County, the daughter of the late Dallas and Mary Moore Jones. Edith was also preceded in death by her brothers David Jones, Clifton Jones and Lacy Earl “Bug” Jones. Surviving to cherish her memory are her children Peggy Wainwright Fucili and husband Rickey of Wallace and William Wade Wainwright and wife Michelle of Jacksonville; grandchildren Leslie Fucili, Holly Fucili and Michael Paternoster Jr.; great grandchildren Maverick Elliot and Dash Paternoster; sisters Mary “Liz” Spearman of Wallace and Christine Carr and husband Joe of Willard; brother Elmer Hunt and wife Dianne of Burgaw; sister-in-law Bessie Jones of Rose Hill; numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends that loved Edith dearly.
“Edie” as she was a ectionately called, loved her family with all her heart. She was a hard worker and a dependable employee who took her jobs seriously. She was employed for many years at JP Stevens in Wallace and later at a safety equipment plant until she retired. Being a very talented lady, Edie was a great seamstress and was very good at upholstering. Edie was an on-the-go person. She was always ready to go anywhere and at any time. Edie was a funloving lady who loved people and was loved in return. During the years, Edie acquired many friends who meant a lot to her. She enjoyed having fun, such as playing Bingo and dancing. Edie and her two sisters (Christine and Liz) were known as the “Golden Girls” and they shared many precious times together. Edie will surely be missed, but cherished memories will forever remain in the hearts of those who knew and loved Edie.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at QuinnMcGowen Funeral Home Wallace Chapel with Pastor Bobby Smith and Pastor David Walker o ciating.
The family will receive friends immediately following the service on Tuesday at the funeral home.
In lieu of owers, the family requests donations be sent to Poplar Grove Memory Care, Activity Center, c/o Angie Carr, 300 W. Ashe Street, Burgaw, NC 28425.
The family would like to thank the wonderful sta at Poplar Grove Memory Care for the outstanding care and love they gave to Edie during her stay with them. A special thank you to Angie Carr for being so good to Edie and her family during her stay at Poplar Grove.
April 16, 1941 – Jan. 29, 2026
Mr. John David Spencer, age 84, of Wallace, NC, passed away on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at home.
The funeral service will be held on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Rock sh AME Church, 167 Cornwallis Road, Teachey, NC. Burial will follow at the church cemetery.
Left to cherish his precious memories; two sisters: Viola Hendricks (Major) of Richmond, VA and Antoinette Davis of Wallace, NC; four brothers: James Ralph Spencer (Dorothy) of Teachey, NC, Napoleon Spencer of Wallace, NC, Barry Spencer of Rose Hill, NC and Michael Spencer of Wallace, NC; three aunts; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends that will miss him dearly.
Jan. 10, 1943 – Jan. 31, 2026
Allie Estelle Sholar Cavanaugh, 83, of Hampstead and formerly of Wallace, passed from this life to her eternal rest on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
She was born on January 10, 1943, in Duplin County and was the daughter of the late Alton and Beatrice Sholar. Mrs. Cavenaugh was also preceded in death by her brothers, Dennie Sholar and Dalton Sholar.
She was a member of BarlowVista Baptist Church and enjoyed her many visits to the Chapel by the Bay Church.
Surviving to cherish her memory is her daughter Amberly Cavenaugh and husband Ottis of Wallace; her son Jackson Cavenaugh and husband Daniel of Palms Springs, CA; grandchildren Macie Cavenaugh (Justin), Ethan Cavenaugh (Westley), Caleb Cavenaugh (Alexis); sister Ethel Bryant (Otis) of Wallace; brothers Lonnie Sholar of Hampstead and Donnie Sholar (Ellen) of Wallace; numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends that loved Allie dearly.
Allie was a loving mother, grandmother and sister who loved her family with all her heart. She was a woman of uncommon character, beauty and grace; and to those who knew her, “an instrument of God’s love on this earth.” Allie was a friend to all, a strong yet gentle presence who looked for and encouraged the best in everyone. She loved the Lord and demonstrated her faith in the way she lived her life. Allie will surely be missed but treasured memories will forever remain in the hearts of those who knew and loved Allie.
Graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, February 6, 2026, at Cavenaugh Cemetery in Wallace,
Jan. 29, 2026
Amos Daniel Gillette passed away on January 29, 2026. The funeral service will be held Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Harris Creek Missionary Baptist at 108 Harris Creek Road in Jacksonville, NC. Interment will be at GilletteShepard Cemetery. He is survived by his parents, Daniel and Chandler Gillette of Jacksonville, NC; grandparents Rodney and Velvet Newbold of Jacksonville, NC, and Kenny and Gaye Gillette of Bear Creek, NC; great-grandparents: Donald and Sonja Wolfe of Jacksonville, NC, and Shirley Gillette of Bear Creek, NC; and aunts and uncles Trent and Lauren Taylor of Richlands, NC, and Matthew and Kerry-Anne Gillette of Jacksonville, NC.
March 8, 1943 – Jan. 30, 2026
Mr. Eugene C. Wells Jr., “aka”
E.C., age 82, passed away on Friday, January 30, 2026, at his home in Rose Hill, NC.
A visitation with family and friends will be held at the Rose Hill Funeral Home Chapel, 472 Wells Town Road, Rose Hill, NC, on Friday, February 6, 2026, from 1-1:50 p.m. The service will follow at 2 p.m. Burial will take place at Rock sh Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Wallace, NC, at a later date.
E.C. was the son of the late Eugene and Electra Wells. He was preceded in death by his wife, Faye Wells, and his siblings, Mary Elizabeth, Elbert and Lucian Wells.
Surviving to cherish his memory are his siblings: DeKalb Wells (Benita), Stella Rouse (Hugh), Lloyd Wells (Tracy), and grandson, James Dearing, of the home. He was also survived by nieces, nephews, cousins and one sister-in-law.
E.C. was a mechanic and farmer all his life. He loved working on tractors and farm equipment. His passion was the old two stroke Detroit motor. E.C. was very knowledgeable and loved working with his hands. E.C. worked with George Mainor and family for many years and thought of them as his second family. He was loved by many and will be missed dearly by all.
Pallbearers are as listed: Stuart Rouse, Eric Rouse, David Wells, Jason Wells, Billy Meritt and Bobby Ward.
In lieu of owers, donations can be sent to: Rock sh Presbyterian Church Cemetery, P.O. Box 532, Rose Hill, NC 28458.
Oct. 20, 1947 – Jan. 31, 2026
Glinda Faye Dail Sholar, 78, of Wallace, North Carolina, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on January 31, 2026, passing away peacefully in the comfort of her home.
Born on October 20, 1947, in Savannah, Georgia, she was the daughter of the late Linwood and Vivian Maxine Dail.
Glinda was a woman of unwavering faith and a devoted member of The Church at Pin Hook. She deeply cherished her church family and found great strength in her lifelong relationship with Christ. A remarkably strong lady, Glinda faced life’s many trials and losses with profound grace and endurance. For many years, she served her community as a hairstylist, a career she enjoyed until her retirement. Behind her chair, she shared more than just her talent; she o ered a listening ear and a compassionate heart to all. To know Glinda was to know an abundance of love. She was de ned by her kindness, her in nite patience, and a sweet, loving nature that made everyone feel at home. Above all else, Glinda was the “glue” that held her family together, providing a steady foundation of support and warmth.
Her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren were the absolute center of her world. She never missed an opportunity to brag about them or share their latest milestones with anyone who would listen. They were her “heartstrings,” and as she told them often, she loved them “to the moon and back.” Glinda is reunited in heaven with her beloved husband, Donald Arthur Sholar; her two sons, Donnie Dean and Ivey Swain Sholar; and her brother, Glenn Dail. Her legacy of love lives on through her grandchildren: Daylan Sholar (Candice), Jansen Sholar Rivenbark (Matthew), Alyssa Sholar, Perry Aycock. She was the cherished GreatGrandmother to Selena Aycock, Camden Ratli and Lauren Sholar. She also leaves behind her devoted sisters: Yvonne Melville (Pete), Jean Sumner (Charles), and Vivian Smith (Gary); her beloved furbaby cat, Scooter. Glinda will be deeply missed by her family, her many friends, and her cherished church family.
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” — Matthew 25:23
The funeral service will be held Friday, February 6, 2026, at 7 p.m., followed by visitation at The Church at Pin Hook in Pin Hook, NC.
The graveside service is Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 10 a.m. at William Sholar Cemetery on Lighthouse Road in Wallace, NC.
Feb. 4, 2026
Patricia Shingleton Blanchard, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and devoted nurse, passed away peacefully on February 4, 2026, just under one year after the passing of her husband, Morton, to whom she was married for more than 50 years.
Patty dedicated over three decades of her life to caring for others as a public health nurse with the Duplin County Health Department and later at the Rose Hill Medical Clinic. A graduate of NC State’s nursing program, she went on to earn her Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) license, further re ecting her lifelong commitment to service, compassion, and community health. Nursing was not simply her profession—it was her calling. Through her calm presence, knowledge, and genuine care, she touched countless lives.
She was a devoted wife to Morton and a proud mother to their two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. In her later years, her greatest joy came from her four granddaughters, whom she loved deeply and spoke of often.
Outside of her career, Patty found joy in collecting conch shells at the beach, enjoying a bowl of macaroni and tomatoes, reading, and tending to her plants, which ourished under her attentive care. She was rarely without her beloved poodle, Pepper, whose companionship brought her great comfort and happiness.
Patty especially treasured time spent at Topsail Island, where many cherished family memories were made by the water. Though she may not have been the one shopping for boats, she patiently and lovingly indulged her husband’s enthusiasm for them over the years. Those days surrounded by salt air, shells, and family re ected the quiet joy she found in simply being together.
Patty will be remembered for her steady kindness, quiet strength and nurturing spirit, as well as the deep compassion she showed to family, friends, and the many individuals she served throughout her nursing career. Her legacy lives on through her family and the lives she touched.
She is survived by her two sons, Joseph and Benjamin; her four granddaughters; and a family who will forever carry her love with them.
A memorial service is planned for February 28, 2026, at 2 p.m. at the Rose Hill Methodist Church.
Oct. 4, 1945 – Jan. 31, 2026
Willie Edward Graham, 80, also known as Willis, of Wallace, NC, passed on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at The Laurels of Pender in Burgaw, NC. A memorial service to celebrate Mr. Graham’s life will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, February 13, 2026, at Hawes Funeral Home in Warsaw.
Both candidates bring decades of experience to the race
By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal sta
AMY PRICE of Wallace and Crystal Strickland of Kenansville are competing for Duplin County Clerk of Superior Court in the Republican primary. Duplin Journal invited both candidates to our Candidate Q&A. Some answers have been edited due to space limitations. The full versions are available online.
AMY PRICE
Q: Can you share a bit about your journey, what you enjoy outside of work and one thing about Duplin that always inspires you?
A: My journey began right here in Duplin County. Born and raised in Wallace, I learned the value of hard work at an early age and began working with the public when I was just 14 years old. Over the years, those lessons helped to shape both my work ethic and my heart for service. For over 23 years, I’ve served in the Duplin County Clerk of Court’s O ce, gaining experience, knowledge and respect for the people we serve. I’ve stayed committed to my community through volunteering, leadership and service. Outside of work, I love spending time with my family, going to church, going to the beach and staying involved in the community.
What inspires me the most about Duplin County is the people. We are a community rooted in hard work, faith and taking care of one another. I see it every day in the way neighbors step up when someone is in need (I’ve experienced this rsthand during the oods), in the pride families take in their work and in the dedication of those who serve our community faithfully.
Q: What are the main chal-
lenges facing the Clerk of Superior Court and what makes you the best candidate for the job?
A: I feel like one of the biggest challenges we face, not necessarily just the clerk but the Clerk’s O ce as a whole, is trying to help the public to the best of ability while staying within policies and procedures. Many people that come in are stressed, emotional or confused. Clerks can explain procedures but can’t give legal advice, and that line can be hard for the public to understand, especially in high emotion situations. Another challenge we face is that courts should be moving faster and more e ciently but the new system that was implemented a year ago is very slow, and it tends to put us behind while being in court. There are some days when it is so slow it is hard to get your work done e ectively and e ciently. Hopefully this issue is being worked on.
I feel that I am the best candidate for this position because I bring experience, dedication, and a true servant’s heart to the Clerk of Court’s O ce. With more than 23 years of hands- on experience, I understand the responsibilities of the o ce and the importance of accuracy, accountability and compassion. I have spent many hours working in the courtroom and
many hours training new criminal clerks. I’ve worked my way through di erent areas of the criminal division, always willing to learn, step up and help wherever I can. I truly care about the people we serve and the coworkers I work with. I believe leadership means leading by example, being approachable, and making sure the o ce runs e ciently and respectfully for every citizen who walks through the door. My commitment to hard work and integrity is not just something I talk about, it’s something I’ve lived every day of my career.
Q: If elected, what concrete actions would you take in the rst 90 days? If elected, within the rst few months I would be focused on listening, learning and strengthening daily duties. I would begin by meeting with sta individually to understand their roles, challenges and ideas for improvement because the people doing the work every day in each division know best.
CRYSTAL STRICKLAND
Q: Can you share a bit about your journey, what you enjoy outside of work and one thing about Duplin that always inspires you?
A: My professional journey has truly been shaped by Duplin
County. Every role I’ve held has prepared me for the responsibility I’m seeking now. My rst job was at Andy’s in Kenansville, where I worked for six years and eventually became an assistantmManager. That experience taught me the value of customer service, responsibility and leadership at a young age. I was later encouraged to apply at SECU, where I worked brie y as a teller. While that role was short, it opened the door to a career-dening opportunity: becoming a cashier in the Clerk of Court’s O ce.
I have now served in the Clerk’s O ce for over 20 years and currently work as an assistant clerk in a supervisory role in the Civil Division. I oversee ve employees in that o ce. Over the years, I’ve gained hands-on experience across multiple divisions, allowing me to understand not only how each area functions independently but how they work together as one system serving the public. This has been more than a job. It has been a calling rooted in service, consistency, accountability and growth.
Outside of work, my family and I stay active in the community. We are members of Kenansville Baptist Church, where we help with the youth program. I also enjoy volunteering whenever possible, baking, gardening and spending quality time with my family. I believe that time is one of our most valuable assets and should be stewarded wisely. What continually inspires me about Duplin County is the way our community comes together — whether in times of celebration or crisis. Duplin has a genuine heart for helping others, and I’m proud to both live and serve here.
Q: What are the main challenges facing the Clerk of Superior Court, and what makes you the best candidate for the job?
A: One of the primary challenges currently facing the Clerk of Superior Court’s Of-
ce is the continued transition to the eCourts system. While it has improved e ciency, it is still a learning process and requires patience, training and steady leadership to ensure accuracy and con dence across all divisions.
Another challenge is serving the public during some of the most di cult moments of their lives. People often come into the Clerk’s O ce dealing with emotional, stressful and confusing situations. The ability to remain calm, professional and compassionate while guiding them appropriately is essential.
What makes me the best candidate is my experience and leadership approach. I have worked across multiple divisions within the Clerk’s O ce, giving me a well-rounded understanding of how di erent situations require di erent responses. My knowledge is not limited to one department. As a supervisor, I’ve learned that leadership means being present, accessible and leading by example. A good leader supports their team while maintaining integrity and accountability.
Q: If elected, what concrete actions would you take in the rst 90 days?
A: In the rst 90 days, my focus would be listening, evaluating and supporting sta across all divisions. I would meet with each division to identify concerns, assess workows and determine whether improvements can be made. I would ask whether sta have the resources, training and support they need. Particularly as we continue adapting to the eCourts system. I would also evaluate communication between divisions to ensure consistency while respecting each division’s unique responsibilities. My goal would not be immediate change for the sake of change, but stability, clarity and preparedness that support long-term e ectiveness.
Friday, February 20, 2026 at 10am • Duplin County Courthouse • Outside steps by agpole
Stanly County man charged with attempted murder in shooting
Albemarle
A Stanly County man has been charged with attempted rst- degree murder after a juvenile was shot in Albemarle on Monday. O cers with the Albemarle Police Department responded to a report of shots red in the 700 block of Leonard Avenue at approximately 10:26 p.m. and found the juvenile with a gunshot wound. The victim was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. William Abiormi Browne, 19, was arrested with assistance from the Stanly County Sheri ’s O ce. He is being held without bond. Police said the victim and suspect were known to each other and the shooting was not a random act.
ICE chief defends o cers’ actions before Congress after deaths of 2 protesters Washington, D.C.
The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is defending his o cers, saying they won’t be intimidated while carrying out President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda. Todd Lyons, along with other agency leaders, faced tough questions from Democrats during a congressional hearing Tuesday. Lyons blamed elected o cials for rhetoric that endangers o cers. The hearing followed recent scrutiny after two protesters were shot and killed by Homeland Security o cers in Minneapolis. Democrats have criticized the administration’s immigration policies, while o cials argue their actions make the country safer. The hearing marks the rst time these leaders have appeared in Congress since receiving increased funding.
Trump set to change U.S. climate change policy, environmental regulations
A White House o cial said the Trump administration is expected this week to revoke a scienti c nding that long has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and ght climate change. The EPA will issue a nal rule rescinding a 2009 government declaration known as the endangerment nding. That Obama-era policy determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. Legal challenges are certain.
A revision was made to the district’s 2025 -26 calendar
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE
— During a winter marked by more local snow days than usual, Stanly County Schools has taken steps to meet state instructional requirements for the current academic year.
On Feb. 3, the Stanly County Board of Education voted 7-0 to approve an amendment to the 2025-26 school calendar that preapproves March 13 and May 20 as
potential makeup day options.
While the move does not guarantee the days will be
ther school closures or delays.
The school district has now fully used its allotment of remote learning days allowed by the state and held only nine hours left of instructional time exibility as of Feb. 4. If those hours run out before the end of the school year, SCS would be required to convert noninstructional days into makeup days to remain in compliance with state law.
“These days will only be used if we exceed the remaining instructional time already built into the calendar,” said Lydia Hedrick, assistant superintendent of human resources. “If
used, it secures them in advance should additional inclement weather force fur-
New theater seating for the auditorium has been installed
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Agri-Civic Center celebrated an upgrade to its auditorium last week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for new seating renovations aimed at improving comfort and the overall viewing experience.
Hosted by the Stanly County Chamber of Commerce, the event highlighted the installation of the facility’s new theater seats. The original seats ranged from 17 to 19 inch-
es wide, while the new seating ranges from 20 to 24 inches, providing additional space and improved accessibility for patrons.
Event attendees heard remarks from county leaders who re ected on both the venue’s history and the recent investments that made the upgrade possible.
“I’m thankful to the commissioners and managers that were in place in 1980,” Commissioner Bill Lawhon said. “They had a vision, and that vision turned into this. Great leaders with a great vision.”
Over the past month and a half, county employees have
The Feds denied there was an e ort to fast-track deportation
The Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — Federal authorities have denied attempting to expedite an end to asylum claims by the family of a 5-year-old boy who was detained with his father during the immigration crackdown that has shaken the Minneapolis area.
Images of Liam Conejo Ramos wearing a bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack surrounded by immigration ocers stirred outrage over the crackdown. Danielle Molliver, a lawyer for the boy and his father, told The New York Times that the government was attempting to speed up the deportation proceedings, calling the actions “extraordinary” and possibly “retaliatory.”
The government denied that.
“These
Tricia McLaughlin, DHS spokesperson
“These are regular removal proceedings. They are not in expedited removal,” Department of Homeland Security ofcial Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement, adding, “There is nothing retaliatory about enforcing the nation’s immigration laws.”
Molliver told the Times that an immigration judge, during a closed Friday hearing, gave her additional time to argue the family’s case.
The family is sequestered pending their next hearing
this Friday, according to Kristen Stuenkel, spokesperson for Liam’s district, the Columbia Heights Public Schools.
The boy and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, who originally is from Ecuador, were detained in a Minneapolis suburb on Jan. 20. A judge ordered them released from a detention facility in Dilley, Texas, and they returned to Minnesota on Feb. 1. Neighbors and school ocials have accused federal immigration o cers of using the preschooler as “bait” by telling him to knock on the door to his house so that his mother would come outside. DHS has called that description of events an “abject lie.” It said the father ed on foot and left the boy in a running vehicle in their driveway.
The government said the boy’s father entered the U.S. illegally in December 2024. The family’s lawyer, however, said the father entered legally using the CBP One app and that his pending asylum claim allows him to stay in the U.S.
Feb. 13
NeedleBugs
A
Feb. 14
The Rowan Big Band 7 p.m.
Presented
Stanly County Agri-Civic Center 26032 Newt Road # B Albemarle
Feb. 18
Chair Yoga 3-3:30 p.m.
A gentle, adult yoga class geared toward those with coordination issues or di culties standing for long periods without support. No experience or mat needed for this free class.
Stanly County Public Library 133 E. Main St. Albemarle
Feb. 27
Believe National Talent Competition
3-10 p.m.
The 2026 Regional Tour of the annual dance competition will be in Albemarle. For more information, call 844-737-3737 or email info@believetalent.com.
Stanly County Agri-Civic Center 26032 Newt Road Albemarle
senior opinion editor
COLUMN | LARRY ELDER
Obama did not inherit an administration that allowed in 10 million to 15 million illegal aliens.
THOSE WHO CLAIM President Barack Obama deported illegal aliens more “humanely” make the following assertions: a) ICE didn’t go into the streets under Obama; b) there were no street activists/ protesters/agitators; c) ICE only deported those with criminal records beyond illegal entry or illegally overstaying; d) Obama’s deportation numbers largely include “returns” or those deported at the border; e) the Obama administration did not engage in “lawlessness”; and f) ICE and/ or Customs and Border Patrol arrested only illegal aliens after rst securing a judicial warrant.
As for a), under Obama, ICE did go into the streets, including into the interior and into “sanctuary” cities like Chicago. Watch “Lost in Detention,” a 2011 episode of the PBS “Frontline” program, where, for example, an illegal alien mother stopped in Illinois for making an illegal lane change was ultimately deported back to Mexico.
Consider this X post:
“... As someone who worked during (the Obama administration), it’s simple. All the ‘sanctuary cities,’ including mine, cooperated fully with ICE and Homeland. ... So this, in fact, is politicians’ fault because they pick and choose who they want to cooperate with ...”
As for b), the media/Dems loved Obama, so they looked the other way. Again, under Obama, there was greater cooperation between local, state and federal o cials. In fact, several cities and states adopted sanctuary policies because of this cooperation. The think tank Niskanen Center wrote: “The Secure Communities program allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue detainers for anyone detained by local law enforcement. ... Homeland Security Secretary
Janet Napolitano (in October 2010) stated that DHS ‘did not view (Secure Communities) as an opt-in, opt-out program ...
“In response, multiple local jurisdictions, including Cook County, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., passed legislation to limit local compliance with immigration detainers, thus creating sanctuary cities.”
There was no “ICE Watch” to alert activists and protesters. And Obama did not inherit an administration that allowed in 10 million to 15 million illegal aliens.
As for c), deporting only those with “criminal records,” this is from the “nonpartisan” factcheck.org, in January 2026, about the Trump administration: “Those with criminal convictions or pending charges represented 66% of arrests, which the administration has rounded up to 70%.”
About deportations with criminal records under Obama, in April 2016, The Washington Post wrote:
“While the number of deportations of illegal immigrants with criminal records has declined in recent years, last year this group made up almost 60 percent of the total number expelled from the country, the largest percentage in recent memory.”
As for d) that Obama deportation numbers mostly included those at the border, the left-leaning fact-check site snopes.com wrote:
“The claim that immigration authorities deported more than 3 million people during the Obama administration (2009-17) is accurate based on ‘formal removal’ gures reported by the DHS. When including ‘returns’ (those removed at the border), however, the total exceeds 5 million.”
As for e), Trump’s supposed lawless deportations, economist John Lott of the Crime Prevention Research Center wrote:
Don’t abuse the word ‘protest’
If Pretti was an “observer,” he was observing how much unhinged behavior he could get away with.
ALEX PRETTI WASN’T killed while “protesting.” This is a common description of what he was doing on a Minneapolis street the fateful morning when a confrontation with federal immigration agents ended in his tragic shooting. But if Pretti had been a mere protester, he’d very likely be alive today.
Now that we’ve seen videos of an earlier struggle with federal agents and learned more about the organized nature of the anti-ICE resistance, it’s become clear that the better word for Pretti was agitator, or perhaps even operative.
A protester, as typically understood, is someone who is making a point, often as part of a gathering of other like-minded people and, usually but not always, in opposition to something.
A protester might hold a sign outside a coal- red power plant calling for it to shut down. He might go to Union Square Park to hear speeches from bullhorns whenever something happens that outrages the left. He might march against the Iraq War or the Vietnam War — or in favor of Hamas.
This kind of activity is not to everyone’s taste — personally, I hate the drums and the chants — but there is no doubt that it is a legitimate form of political advocacy. Depending on the cause, it can even be admirable. What we’ve seen in Minneapolis, though,
is often quite di erent. Run-of-the-mill protesters don’t seek out federal agents and harass and obstruct them. They don’t follow and block their vehicles or establish a robust communications network to deploy resources to create maximum disruption of their operations.
Pretti was part of this e ort, which is more a form of low-level and (by and large) nonviolent insurgency than conventional protest. In his rst confrontation, 11 days before his death, Pretti was every bit an anti-ICE street brawler. He challenged, at close quarters, an agent to assault him while screaming insults at him. He spat on a federal vehicle and kicked out its taillight.
If Pretti was an “observer,” in the euphemism preferred by anti-ICE politicians and activists, he was observing how much unhinged behavior he could get away with. There’s no doubt that at this event, he was the violent instigator.
After Pretti damaged the vehicle, agents got out and pushed him to the ground. For all the talk of ICE being the equivalent of the Gestapo, they didn’t even bother to arrest him despite his having committed a crime. If he’d been arrested and charged, Pretti might never have shown up at the other ICE operation and would still be with us today.
That Pretti, we now know, made it a practice
“The 170 ICE-detained US citizens ... included about 130 arrested for interfering with or assaulting o cers ... justi able under any reading of the law ...
“Only about 40 or so of those who were detained claimed to be US citizens accidentally or erroneously arrested by ICE. ... Most were released in a few hours. ... 40 mistakes out of 595,000 arrests amounts to an error rate of just 0.0067% — roughly one wrongful detention for every 14,925 arrests.
“By contrast (during the Obama administration) ... in scal years 2015 and 2016, ICE recorded 263 mistaken arrests, 54 mistaken detentions (book-ins), and four mistaken removals ... about one mistake for every 4,444 arrests ...
“During the course of Obama’s two terms, from 2009 to 2017, 56 individuals died in ICE custody. ... 56 deaths translates into a rate of 0.007% — roughly one death for every 14,314 detainees.
“By comparison, the rate last year under Trump was slightly lower: 0.0054%, or one death for every 18,594 detainees.
“... Trump made no erroneous deportations through November.”
This brings us to f) about judicial warrants. Snopes.com wrote: “Over the eight-year period of the Obama administration, the percentage of removals carried out without a hearing before an immigration judge ranged from approximately 58% to 84%, averaging roughly 74%.”
What a di erence an administration makes. Or rather, what a di erence the media coverage of an administration makes.
Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host.
(Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
to court violent encounters with federal agents while armed was incredibly irresponsible. He was fortunate that the rst struggle didn’t escalate into something much more hazardous to him and to others if an agent had noticed his gun. The rearm wouldn’t have been an issue in the second incident, meanwhile, if he’d really been protesting. If that were the case, he would have stayed on the sidewalk and held up a sign, or chanted, “ICE go home,” and the o cers might have been annoyed, but there never would have been an interaction to potentially go catastrophically wrong.
The calculation in Minneapolis, though, has been that this kind of benign activity is less e ective than direct action, and unfortunately — with public opinion swinging against Operation Metro Surge — this assessment looks to be accurate.
Why simply express a point of view when you can act to stop arrests and to create a hostile, threatening environment for agents?
This doesn’t mean that Pretti got what he deserved or that the o cers acted appropriately. It does mean that the state and city o cials should have been telling people not to “monitor” DHS activity, but to stay well clear of legitimate law-enforcement activities.
Reasonable people can disagree about the desirability of the goal that Pretti was pursuing, but there’s no doubt about how he was going about it, and it didn’t involve conventional protest.
Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review.
Buddhist monks who are participating in a Walk for Peace are escorted by Metropolitan Police o cers as they walk along the C&O Canal and Potomac River on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
By Ti any Stanley and Deepa Bharath The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. —
A group of Buddhist monks reached Washington, D.C., on foot Tuesday, walking single le across a bridge over the Potomac River to cap a 15-week trek from Texas that has captivated the country.
The monks in their sa ron robes have become xtures on social media, along with their rescue dog Aloka. After spending Monday night at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, they crossed over the Chain Bridge into the District of Columbia shortly after 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
They walk to advocate for peace. That simple message has resonated across the U.S. as a welcome respite from con ict and political divisions. Thousands gathered along Southern roadsides — often in unusually chilly weather — to watch the monks’ quiet procession that began in late October.
Large crowds greeted them during their two-day stay in Washington. The Metropolitan Police Department issued a tra c advisory announcing there would be “rolling road closures” along the monks’ route to ensure safety for them and spectators.
“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and nd peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who has taught about mindfulness at stops along the way.
The monks planned to mark the last days of their Walk for Peace with outdoor appearances at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday and the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday.
“Their long journey and gentle witness invite us all to deepen our commitment to compassion and the work of peace in our communities,” said Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde, who will help host an interfaith reception for the monks at the cathedral.
The monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies. Mil-
BOARD from page A1
weather closures go beyond our current exibility, these dates will help us meet the state requirement of 1,025 instructional hours.”
Under the amendment, Friday, March 13 — currently scheduled as an optional teacher workday — could be converted into a full instructional day for students if needed.
In addition, the afternoon of Wednesday, May 20, which is currently an early release day, could also become a full instructional day for students.
“E ective tomorrow, Stanly County Schools will have used all ve of our available remote instruction days permitted by the state of North
lions have followed them online, and crowds have greeted them at numerous venues, from a church in Opelika, Alabama, to City Hall in Richmond, Virginia.
Mark Duykers, a retired mechanical engineer who practices mindfulness, said he and his wife will drive 550 miles from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Washington, D.C., to see the monks.
“In these divisive times, we saw entire towns in the Bible Belt coming out for these monks — having no idea of what Buddhism is — but being uplifted and moved by it,” he said.
“That’s inspirational.”
Nineteen monks began the 2,300-mile journey from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth on Oct. 26, 2025. They came from Theravada Buddhist monasteries around the globe, led by Pannakara, who is vice president of the Fort Worth temple.
While in the U.S. capital, they planned to submit a request to lawmakers to declare Vesak — Buddha’s birthday — a national holiday. But, Pannakara and others have emphasized that is not the goal of the walk.
Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the temple, said the walk is neither a political movement nor is it focused on advocacy or legislation.
“It’s a spiritual o ering, an invitation to live peace through everyday actions, mindful steps and open hearts,” he said.
“We believe when peace is cultivated within, it naturally ripples outward into society.”
The trek has had its perils, and local law enforcement ofcers have provided security.
Carolina,” Hedrick said. “Additionally, Stanly County Schools originally built in an additional 31 hours of instructional time into the 2025-26 calendar. However, 22 hours of those have already been used for school closings and or delays this year, leaving only nine hours of exibility with the instructional calendar.”
Board Member Carla Poplin praised district leadership for its handling of weather-related decisions.
“I think that (Stanly County Schools Superintendent) Dr. (Jarrod) Dennis and his sta have done a really good job of utilizing our days when we de nitely needed them,” Poplin said. “I do appreciate all the work that goes into that. Being
In November outside Houston, the monks were walking on the side of a highway when their escort vehicle was hit by a truck. Two monks were injured; one had his leg amputated.
Some of the monks, including Pannakara, have walked barefoot or in socks for most of the journey to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment. As they have pressed on through snow and cold, they’ve at times donned winter boots.
Peace walks are a cherished tradition in Theravada Buddhism. Pannakara rst encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means “divine light” in Sanskrit, during a 112-day journey across India in 2022.
The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha as core to attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection, observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and su ering.
On Tuesday, the monks will complete 108 days of walking. It’s a sacred number in Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. It represents spiritual completion, cosmic order and the wholeness of existence.
The monks’ return trip should be less arduous. After an appearance at Maryland’s Capitol, a bus will take them back to Texas, where they expect to arrive in downtown Fort Worth early on Saturday. From there, the monks will walk together again, traversing 6 miles to the temple where their trip began.
in that chair before, those aren’t fun calls to have to make.”
Vice Chair Robin Whittaker also recognized district maintenance sta for their e orts following the recent winter weather.
“I rode by a couple of campuses today, and they have just done an exceptional job at cleaning those campuses up” Whittaker said. “That’s a lot of work for your sta , so please pass that on to them that we do appreciate their hard work and what they’ve been able to accomplish.”
The Stanly County Board of Education’s next regular meeting is scheduled for March 3 at 6:15 p.m. in the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons.
Americans’ optimism about their future is at a record low
By Linley Sanders
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Americans’ hope for their future has fallen to a new low, according to new polling.
In 2025, only about 59% of Americans gave high ratings when asked to evaluate how good their life will be in about ve years, the lowest annual measure since Gallup began asking this question almost 20 years ago.
It’s a warning about the depth of the gloom that has fallen over the country over the past few years. In the data, Gallup’s “current” and “future” lines have tended to move together over time — when Americans are feeling good about the present, they tend to feel optimistic about the future. But the most recent measures show that while current life satisfaction has declined over the last decade, future optimism has dropped even more.
The nding comes from a longstanding Gallup question that asks Americans to rate their current and future lives on a scale from 0 to 10. Those who give themselves an 8 or higher on the question about the future are categorized as optimists.
“While current life is eroding, it’s that optimism for the future that has eroded almost twice as much over the course of about that last 10 years or so,” said Dan Witters, the research director of the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index.
Gallup assesses people who rate their current life at a 7 or higher and their anticipated future at an 8 or higher as “thriving.” Fewer than half of Americans, about 48%, are now in that category.
Democrats and Hispanic
EVENT from page A1
worked on a remodeling effort that included new ooring, chairs and fresh coats of paint throughout the auditorium.
Due to a series of weather-related delays, the remodel was not fully completed in time for the ceremony, with organizers noting that a few additional days of work remain before the project is nished.
County Manager Andy Lucas said the auditorium renovation is part of a broader commitment by the Stanly County Board of Commissioners to invest in the Agri-Civic Center and the Farm Bureau Livestock Arena.
“I commend the county commissioners, who have made a fairly signi cant investment in this facility over the last four or ve years,” Lucas said. “You can obviously see where they’ve invested in agriculture and tourism across the parking lot with the new livestock arena, which
Americans, in particular, were in a darker mood last year. But even with President Don-
ald Trump back in the White House and his party in control of both houses of Con-
is a great asset for our community, but the board hasn’t ignored this facility.” Lucas said the county has invested nearly $1.2 million into the Agri-Civic Center over the past four years, funding improvements that include new
ooring, painting, upgraded sound systems and sound boards, parking lot work and the newly installed seating.
“We continue to invest here because this theater is a huge asset for our community,” Lucas said. “We appreciate the com-
gress, Republicans aren’t feeling nearly as good about the future as they were in the last year of Trump’s rst term.
Democrats’ optimism fell signi cantly
Americans’ attitudes toward the future tend to shift when a new political party enters the White House — generally, the party in power grows more optimistic, while the party without control is more down. For instance, Democrats became more positive about the future after Joe Biden won the presidency, while Republicans’ outlook soured.
Witters notes that these changes typically happen “by roughly the same amount, same level of magnitude, so they cancel each other out.”
That didn’t happen in 2025.
Toward the end of Biden’s term and the start of Trump’s
second term, Democrats’ optimism fell from 65% to 57%. Republicans grew more hopeful, but not enough to o set Democrats’ drop.
“The regime change in the White House almost certainly was a big driving factor in what’s happened,” Witters said. “And a lot of that was just because the people who identi ed as Democrats really took it in the chops.”
But Republicans are still quite a bit gloomier about the future than they were in the last year of Trump’s rst term.
A January AP-NORC poll found that while the vast majority of Republicans are still behind the president, his work on the economy hasn’t lived up to many people’s expectations.
Hispanic adults grew more pessimistic
Hispanic adults’ optimism for the near future also declined during Trump’s rst year in ofce, dropping from 69% to 63%.
That decrease was sharper than among white and black Americans, something that Witters said could be tied to overall cost concerns, health care worries or alarm about Trump’s recent immigration policies.
Last year, a survey by the American Communities Project found that people living in heavily Hispanic areas were feeling less hopeful about their future than in 2024. Trump’s favorability fell among Hispanics over the course of 2025, according to AP-NORC polling, which also found that Hispanic adults reported higher levels of economic stress than other groups.
A Pew Research Center poll conducted in October found that the administration’s tough immigration enforcement is highly visible in Hispanic communities. About 6 in 10 Latinos said they had seen or heard of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids or arrests in their community in the past six months.
“(Deportations are) something that everybody can see and look at with their own eyes,” Witters added. “But if you’re Hispanic, I think it’s fair to think that that might hit a little closer to home.”
munity supporting this, and we just appreciate the county commissioners for their continued investment in keeping these buildings up to date.”
The Agri-Civic Center will host several live music and performance events later this month. The KPOP Warriors are scheduled to perform twice Friday, from 4-5:30 p.m. and again from 7-8:30 p.m. The following evening, the Stanly County Concert Association will present The Rowan Big Band from 7-9 p.m. The venue will also host the Believe National Talent Competition from Feb. 27 through March 1.
SHERRILL WAYNE MULLIS
OCT. 30, 1947 – FEB. 1, 2026
DEC. 5, 1949 – FEB. 2, 2026
Sherrill Wayne Mullis, age 78, passed away February 1, 2026 in Badin, NC.
Sherrill was born on October 30, 1947 in Monroe, NC, a son of the late Onus Denver Mullis and Sadie Snipes Mullis. Sherrill was a hardworking, dependable man who took pride in the life he built with his own two hands. A dedicated welder by trade and a true sherman at heart, he found joy both in an honest day’s work and in the quiet peace of the water. Sherrill had a natural talent for xing just about anything — if something was broken, he could gure it out — a skill that re ected not only his craftsmanship but his patience and determination. Known for his strong work ethic and steady presence, he was someone family and friends could always count on, leaving behind a legacy of resilience, resourcefulness, and simple, genuine living.
In addition to his parents, he was proceeded in death by his daughter, Kristi Szarka, siblings; Joann Jackson and Onus Denver Mullis, Jr.
He is survived by his wife, Rita Mullis of Badin. Three daughters, Judy(Scott) Rogers of Lillington, NC, Bobbie (Chip) Raye of Marshville, Joy (George) Clark of Iron Station, NC; One son, Rob (Christina) Szarka of McCall Creek, Mississippi. Sister, Judy Mullis Kelly of Marshville, NC.
He is also survived by nine grandchildren, two greatgrandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews who will miss him immensely.
No service is planned at this time.
KATHY LOUVINE LANIER
FEB. 6, 1961 – FEB. 1, 2026
Kathy Louvine Lanier, 64, of Albemarle, passed away Sunday, February 1, 2026 at home.
Kathy was born February 6, 1961, in North Carolina to the late William Hoover Burris and the late Elsie Louvine Poplin Burris.
A graveside service will be on Tuesday at 2:00 pm at Dunn’s Grove Baptist Church, located at 33803 Ridge Street, Albemarle, NC in Albemarle and o ciated by Rev. Delane Burris.
Kathy was a wonderful daughter and sister. She enjoyed spending time with her family and especially loved the holiday gatherings and having chicken stew dinners. Kathy was a Baptist and loved the Lord with all her heart and will be sorely missed by all who knew her.
Survivors include son, Steven Ray Lanier of Albemarle, NC.; sister, Barbara Simmons of Albemarle, NC; brother, Gary (Sandra) Burris of Albemarle, NC.; and many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins.
Donations may be made to Gentiva Hospice of Troy, NC.
MARCUS GIBSON
FEB. 13, 1962 – FEB. 1, 2026
Marcus Gibson, 63, of Albemarle, passed away Sunday, February 1, 2026, at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center.
Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle, with Pastor Stoney Ben eld o ciating. Burial will follow at New London Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 2-2:45 p.m. prior to the service.
Marcus was born February 13, 1962, in Stanly County to the late Leonard Gibson and Emma Gibson, who survives him.
He is survived by his devoted wife of 38 years, Lorie Gibson of Albemarle. Also left to cherish his memory are his children: Aaron Gibson (Taylor) of Albemarle; Terri Jordan “TJ” Gibson (Xophan Lo) of Albemarle; Hannah Gibson of Albemarle; and his beloved canine companion, Dexter.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Steve Gibson.
Marcus was a kind and gentle soul who never spoke ill of others. He loved his job as the meat market manager at Ingles and truly enjoyed serving his customers, always looking forward to seeing them each day. He worked hard to provide for his family and was deeply loved by all who knew him. He cherished his family, enjoyed sports and was an especially devoted fan of the Tar Heels and the Denver Broncos.
The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the sta of Atrium Stanly, as well as Ben Beachum, Eddie Merritt, Larry Smith and Tracey Thompson, for the compassion, care and support shown during Marcus’s recent decline in health.
The family welcomes any and all visitors at (28951 Countryside Lane, Albemarle, NC, 28001.)
PATRICIA KIMREY RUSSELL NOV. 12, 1946 – FEB. 2, 2026
Patricia Kimrey Russell, 79, of Albemarle, passed away Monday, February 2, 2026 at Atrium Health Stanly.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Edwards Funeral Home Chapel. Rev. Mary Hatley will o ciate and burial will follow at Fairview Gardens in Albemarle at a later date. The family will receive friends from 10:30-11 a.m., prior to the service. Mrs. Russell was born on November 12, 1946 in Stanly County to the late Joel Amos and Cornelia Farmer Kimrey. She was a member of Cedar Grove United Methodist Church.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her siblings: Melvin Kimrey, Jerry Kimrey and Shirley Wright. She is survived by her brother, Bernard Kimrey of Albemarle.
Barbara Hinson Hall, 76, of Albemarle, peacefully passed away on Monday, February 2, 2026, at her home, surrounded by her loving family.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, February 9, 2026, at Highland Baptist Church, with Rev. Dr. Eddie Burris o ciating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from noon until 12:45 p.m. prior to the service.
Born on December 5, 1949, in Stanly County, Barbara was the daughter of the late Adam and Blanche Hinson. She is lovingly survived by her son, Chris Hall of Albemarle. Also left to cherish her memory are her sisters, Kathy Lewis of New London and Carolyn Burris (Dr. Eddie Burris) of Inman, South Carolina; her brother, Jimmy Hinson (Pam) of New London; and many extended family members. She is also survived by her devoted feline companion, Molly.
Barbara was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Benny Tyrone Hall, in 2019.
Throughout her life, Barbara worked at Federal Paci c, the family-run business BJ’s Fashions, and as a waitress at Café East and, most recently, Log Cabin Barbecue. She was known for her warm, caring, and friendly nature, her great sense of humor, and her ability to never meet a stranger. Barbara loved watching sports, especially NASCAR, and enjoyed all things related to sports.
The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to neighbors Becky Axsom and Todd Huneycutt for the care, kindness and support shown to Barbara during her decline in health.
Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle is honored to serve the Hall family.
JUNE 29, 1925 – FEB. 2, 2026
Mae Ward Brooks, 100, of Oakboro, went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on Monday, February 2, 2026, at her home. A ectionately known by many as “MaMae,” she lived a life marked by faith, devotion, and service to others.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at First Baptist Church of Oakboro, with Rev. Jonathan Waits and Rev. Dr. Terrell Watts o ciating. Burial will follow at Oakboro Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, February 6, 2026, at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle.
Born June 29, 1925, in Brunswick County, Mae was the daughter of the late John Butler Ward and Rosa Bennett Ward. After the loss of her birth mother, she was lovingly raised by her second mother, Linnie B. Ward, whose care and guidance were a blessing throughout Mae’s life.
Mae is lovingly survived by her children: Roy W. Brooks, Jr. (Marilyn) of Stan eld; John M. Brooks (Susan) of Wilmington; Linnie B. Wright (Joe) of Lawndale; and Philip W. Brooks (Stephanie) of Kure Beach. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Ashley Brooks, Roy Brooks, Brent Brooks, Melanie Brooks, Joseph Wright II, Maggie Wright, Hannah Tapia Del Valle, Harrison Brooks, Zane Davis, and Courtney Davis; and by fourteen great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Roy Washington Brooks, Sr., in 1968; a daughter-in-law, Rowena Brooks; two sisters; and three brothers.
Mae graduated from Waccamaw High School and later joined the war e ort by working in the shipyard o ces in Wilmington, where she met the love of her life, a young sailor from Oakboro. Roy Brooks and Mae Ward were married in the summer of 1944 and raised four children together. As a devoted and busy mother, Mae earned her undergraduate and master’s degree in education and taught for 25 years at Oakboro Elementary School. Following the tragic loss of her husband, she supported her family not only through teaching, but also by selling World Book Encyclopedias, teaching Head Start during the summers and taught adult reading at Stanly Community College.
Mae lived a life devoted to her family, her community, and especially her church. She faithfully delivered food to shut-ins for many years. One memorable lasting legacy was the “Two or More” prayer group, which she founded with her dear friend Jewel Parker. The group met around Mae’s kitchen table for 40 years, a testament to her steadfast faith and commitment to prayer.
In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Oakboro Building Fund (P.O. Box 10, Oakboro, NC 28129) or Tillery Compassionate Care (960 N. First Street, Albemarle, NC 28001).
RICKY DEAN “RICK “ALMOND JULY 1, 1963 – FEB. 4, 2026
Ricky Dean “Rick “Almond, 62, of Albemarle passed away on Wednesday, February 4, 2026. His funeral service will be 11 a.m. on Tuesday, February 10, 2026 in the Stanly Funeral Home Chapel in Albemarle with Pastor Evan Hill o ciating, assisted by Rev. David Cochran and Rev. James Pyatt. Burial will follow in Stanly Gardens of Memory. The family will receive friends on Monday evening, February 9, from 6-8 p.m. at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle.
Born July 1, 1963 in Stanly County, NC, Rick was the son of the late Sidney Allen Almond and Mary Jane Hartsell Almond Furr. He was a member of Bethany United Methodist Church and owner of Stray Cat Automotive in Albemarle. A graduate of North Stanly High School, Class of 1981, Rick went on to earn a BA in Music from P e er University in 1986. Music became Rick’s true form of expression. An amazing saxophonist, Rick made quite a name for himself in music circles, especially in his loved progressive jazz, guring prominently in such local bands as the Brubakers and Junque Gallery. Over the years Rick also performed with many other bands, including the Entertainers, Stinger, Limousine, Calamity Jane, U.B.U., Pink Floydian Slip and the Tommy Nations Band. Rick is survived by brother Rod Almond of Rockwell, sister Rhonda A. Hughes of Albemarle, nephew Hunter Hughes, half-brother David Almond, step-mother Ann Almond, and special friend Amy E rd and her husband David Beard. In lieu of owers, Rick would want you to buy a jazz album, slip into a comfy chair, and let the music take you away. Memorials can be made to New London United Methodist Church of New London, NC, or Bethany United Methodist Church of Albemarle, NC.
REY MARION BOWDEN
DEC. 2, 1935 – FEB. 4, 2026
Rey Marion Bowden, 90, of Locust, formerly of Tampa, Florida, passed away peacefully on February 4, 2026, at TerraBella Harrisburg.
At Rey’s request, there will be no formal services.
Born on December 2, 1935, in Atlanta, Georgia, Rey was the son of the late Walden R. Bowden and Edna Gertrude Daniel Bowden. A devoted Christian and proud United States Army veteran, he served his country honorably for 30 years, retiring with the rank of Sergeant First Class. His military career took him around the world, and he remained deeply proud of his service. He furthered his faith-based education while serving his country by attending Bible college in Paris, France.
Rey will be remembered by his family as honorable yet ornery, friendly, and full of character. He led an active life and loved playing basketball, running, and riding his bicycle—often covering nearly fteen miles at a time. A talented harmonica player, he found great joy in music and loved to play whenever he could. He also enjoyed watching westerns, listening to the radio, and keeping up with television. A man of simple pleasures, Rey was a devoted fan of Chick- l-A in Harrisburg, enjoying it twice a week, and later in life developed a fondness for Starbucks co ee. He was also a proud Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan. Even in his later years, his playful spirit shone through as he could often be found racing his walker through the assisted living facility.
He is survived by his sister, Ann Bowden Hall of Locust; his nieces, Alicia Cathcart of Georgia, and Julie Scott of Locust.
The family wishes to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the sta of TerraBella Harrisburg and Bayada for the compassion, love, and care shown to Mr. Rey during his time with them.
JOHNNY DAVID GILL NOV. 24, 1963 – FEB. 5, 2026
Johnny David Gill was born on November 24, 1963, to Johnny and Elaine Gill, and passed away at the age of 62 in Badin, North Carolina.
David was a devoted father to his children, Matthew Gill and Maddison Puckett, who were the center of his life. He was a loyal family member and a man who spoke plainly and lived according to his convictions. He valued close relationships, cherished time with those he loved, and took pride in the simple pleasures of life. Those who knew David recognized his steady presence and his willingness to speak his mind.
David was the oldest of three boys born to Johnny and Elaine Gill. He grew up in Badin, North Carolina, where he attended Badin Elementary School and graduated from North Stanly High School. In his youth, he was a member of Boy Scout Troop 42, where he rst developed a lifelong love for the outdoors. That love stayed with him throughout his life. David found peace in y shing, camping, hiking and spending time in the mountains. Like many homeowners, he took great pride in his lawn and worked diligently to keep it well maintained. He was also a lifelong Atlanta Braves fan.
David was an animal lover who shared a special bond with his dog and cats. He enjoyed maintaining aquariums, loved to cook—especially during the holidays—and was known for his good sense of humor, big laugh and enjoyment of going out to eat, sharing a cold beer and spending time with family and friends.
David is survived by his children, Matthew Gill of Albemarle and Maddison Puckett (spouse, Jacob), and his granddaughter, Holland of Granite Fall, NC. He is also survived by his brothers, James Gill (spouse, Lydia) of Albemarle, and Paul Gill (spouse, Anne) of St. Louis, Missouri. He was preceded in death by his parents, Johnny and Elaine Gill.
David will be remembered for his love of family, his independence and the life he lived on his own terms.
TERESA ANDREWS EFIRD
APRIL 1, 1955 – FEB. 6, 2026
Teresa Andrews E rd, 70, of Albemarle, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 6, 2026, at Union County Hospice, surrounded by family.
The family will receive friends on Thursday, February 12, 2026, from 5-7 p.m. at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, February 13, 2026, at the New London Cemetery.
Born April 1, 1955, in Stanly County, North Carolina, Teresa was the daughter of Margaret Eloise McCowen of Scottsboro, Alabama, and the late Marshall Ray Andrews. She dedicated many years of service as an employee of the Albemarle Police Department and previously worked at E. J. Snyder and Wiscassett Mills.
Teresa will be remembered as a loving and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother whose gentle spirit and warm heart touched everyone who knew her. Her family remembers her as caring, nurturing, dedicated, and wonderfully funny. She had a deep love for animals, especially horses and cats, and found joy in reading, painting, working puzzles, and organizing—something she truly excelled at. A devoted reader, she especially enjoyed the novels of Stephen King. Above all else, Teresa was proudest of being a mother. Her love for her family was steady, sel ess, and unwavering, and that love will remain her greatest legacy.
She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Steve Allen E rd; two daughters, Amanda E rd (Kelli Clanton) of Lenoir, North Carolina, and Lisa Peterson (Brandon Peterson) of Oakboro; her sister, Sonja Beasley of Scottsboro, Alabama; two cherished grandchildren, Ryleigh C. Clanton and Samuel Allen Peterson; and her niece, Stephania Morton.
Teresa will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all who loved her.
The Comets are rst in the Yadkin Valley Conference standings
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
NEW LONDON — Still perfect in Yadkin Valley Conference play, the North Stanly girls’ basketball team won its ninth game in a row with a 57-39 home win versus South Stanly on Monday.
The Comets (17-3, 8-0 YVC) used their 18-point triumph over Rowdy Rebel Bulls (6 -12, 2-6 YVC) in New London to further solidify their hold on their rst-place spot in the league standings.
While North Stanly eventually claimed its fth double-digit victory in its last six outings, the score was closer for most of the game. The Bulls jumped to an early 12-3 lead in the rst quarter before the Comets clawed back to tie the game at 17-17.
With a three-point lead heading into the second half, the two teams traded points until North Stanly closed out the third quarter on an 8-0 run and outscored South Stanly 17-7 in the fourth quarter. Improving vastly from its 13-13 (5-6 conf.) record from last season, North Stanly is on pace to possibly hit the 20-win mark including postseason, an accomplishment the Comets reached in three
of their past four campaigns.
The Comets hosted Albemarle on Tuesday and will wrap up their regular season at Union Academy on Thursday, while the Bulls played at Gray Stone on Tuesday and will conclude their schedule at Anson on Thursday and at home against North Rowan on Friday.
Albemarle 62, North Rowan 27
Surging into the second-place spot in the YVC standings, the Albemarle Bulldogs (12-10, 6-3 YVC) crushed the North Rowan Cavaliers (4-14, 3-3 YVC) 62-27 at home on Monday.
Albemarle has now won four contests in a row, coming o a
Double-digit wins by north Stanly in the last six games
home loss where it took North Stanly to overtime and fell by only two points. The Bulldogs closed out their schedule Tuesday with a rematch against the Comets in New London.
Forest Hills 65, West Stanly 32
West Stanly lost by 33 points in its nal road contest of the
2025-26 regular season, suffering one of its biggest losses of the year. The matchup featured the Rocky River Conference leading Forest Hills Yellow Jackets (17-4, 10-0 RRC) against the fourth-place Colts (10-11, 5-5 RRC), who had won three of four leading into the game. The Colts’ schedule concludes with home games against Parkwood on Wednesday and Mount Pleasant on Friday.
Union Academy 59, Gray Stone 41
Winless since Dec. 9, the Gray Stone Knights (2-15, 0-8 YVC) came up empty again in their 10th consecutive loss on Monday, falling in an 18-point road loss to the Union Academy Cardinals (9-12, 5-3 YVC). The Knights hosted South Stanly on Tuesday and will close out their regular season Thursday with a road game at North Rowan. Two more losses would match Gray Stone’s 2-17 record from last season.
The Falcons are now 8-0 since Jan. 9
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
MISENHEIMER — Af-
ter dropping its rst two USA South Athletic Conference games of the season, the Pfei er men’s basketball team has surged to the top of its league standings behind an eight-game winning streak.
The Falcons (12-8, 8-2 USA South), undefeated since Jan. 9, claimed sole possession of rst place Saturday afternoon with a 71-69 road victory over second-place Southern Virginia.
Pfei er erased a 14-point halftime de cit to defeat the Knights (12-8, 8-2 USA South) in Buena Vista, Virginia, completing a season sweep of its conference foe.
Senior guard Clayton Robinson led the Falcons with 19 points and six rebounds, helping fuel Pfei er’s second-half rally. Fellow seniors Doug Smith and Sean Sucarichi add-
ed a combined 22 points and 11 rebounds in a balanced o ensive e ort.
Southern Virginia carried a 44-32 advantage into halftime, but Pfei er changed the narrative after the break with a dominant 39-25 second half. The Falcons forced 16 turnovers and outscored the Knights 20-12 in fast-break points, overcoming a 37.5% shooting performance from the eld compared to SVU’s 44.8%.
Trailing by 14 points with 10:05 remaining, Pfei er caught re with a decisive 19-0 run, holding the Knights scoreless for more than seven minutes as the Falcons went ahead 67-62.
Southern Virginia made multiple late pushes, cutting the de cit to two points on two separate occasions in the nal two minutes, but Pfei er held on to seal the win. Both of the Knights’ conference losses this season have come at the hands of the Falcons.
SVU was led by Jude Ballstaedt’s game-high 22 points, while Ashton Davis chipped in 11.
Under ninth-year coach Pete Schoch, Pfei er’s season has undergone a dramatic turnaround. After stumbling to a 4-8 overall start and falling behind early in conference play, the Falcons now sit atop the USA South standings with four conference games remaining.
Last season, Pfei er captured both the regular-season and conference tournament titles during an 18-8 (12-2 conference) campaign. This year’s team, currently the third-best o ensive unit and sixth-best defensive unit in the league, has relied on balance, with seven players averaging more than seven points per game.
With the regular season winding down, Pfei er will look to fend o SVU and N.C. Wesleyan, the only other conference teams with winning league records. The Falcons will return to Merner Gym on Wednesday night to face Brevard before hosting Greensboro on Saturday.
Those two opponents have combined for a 6-13 record against conference competition.
17 former NC State athletes join abuse lawsuit bringing total to 31
Raleigh Seventeen additional former N.C. State male athletes have joined a state lawsuit alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine. That pushes the total number to 31 in a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete more than three years ago. The complaint expands a case alleging years of misconduct by Robert L. Murphy Jr. Allegations include improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.
NBA Arbitrator rules Rozier should receive
$26.6M salary despite gambling charges
Miami
An arbitrator ruled Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier should receive his $26.6 million salary this season despite being on administrative leave because of federal gambling-related charges. Rozier’s paychecks are currently in an interestbearing account. The National Basketball Players Association argued his case didn’t warrant salary withholding under the collective bargaining agreement. Rozier was arrested in October in a probe involving more than 30 people. He has pleaded not guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering charges. Rozier is due back in court in March.
NASCAR
Spire Motorsports extends
Hocevar’s contract into next decade
Charlotte Spire Motorsports signed Carson Hocevar to a long-term extension, keeping him in the No. 77 Chevrolet “into the next decade.” The deal ensures the 2024 Cup Series rookie of the year stays with the team for at least four more seasons. The 23-year-old Hocevar won his rst career Cup Series pole last year and had nine top-10 nishes. Spire is now majority owned by TWG Motorsports.
AUTO RACING
Palou headlines 5 drivers to be featured on regional milk products
Indianapolis Indianapolis 500 fans will have a chance to toast one of sports’ most iconic victory celebrations — sipping milk with former race winners. Indianapolis Motor Speedway, American Dairy Association Indiana and Prairie Farms Family of Companies will team up to o er single-serve milk bottles and cartons to fans in 20 states. The products will feature race winners on ve di erent kinds of milk. Defending champion Alex Palou headlines a group that includes 2023 and 2024 race winner Josef Newgarden, four-time race winner Helio Castroneves, 2016 race winner Alex Palou and 2008 race winner Scott Dixon.
NFL
Former Jets 1st-round pick Lee charged with 1st-degree murder in Tennessee
Ooltewah, Tenn.
Former New York Jets player Darron Lee was arrested in Tennessee and charged with rst-degree murder. Authorities identi ed him as the suspect in the death of his girlfriend and took him into custody. The victim’s identity has not been released. Lee, a former Ohio State linebacker, was the Jets’ 20th overall pick in 2016. He played 58 games with the Jets, Kansas City, and Bu alo from 2016 to 2020. Lee also faces charges of tampering with evidence, with additional charges possible as the investigation continues.
Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community@stanlynewsjournal.com Weekly deadline is Monday at noon
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg gives instructions during the rst half of a game against Houston.
The rookie star is the key piece of Dallas’ rebuilding e ort
By Schuyler Dixon
The Associated Press
DALLAS — Cooper Flagg is in the midst of an unprecedented run for an NBA teenager just as the Dallas Mavericks are rmly declaring their rookie No. 1 pick the future face of the franchise.
The day was coming regardless. It arrived with Dallas trading Anthony Davis, the 10-time All-Star who joined the Mavs in a deal that cost them generational superstar Luka Doncic and sent their fans into a funk from which they’re still recovering.
“We have an unbelievable player in Cooper Flagg,” co-interim general manager Michael Finley, a former Mavericks player, said during the announcement of a three-team trade involving nine players and ve draft picks that are all going to Dallas.
“When you have that type of draft capital, it gives yourself the ability to go out and put the proper pieces around him to make our team, like I keep stressing, a championship contender.”
The Mavericks got Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson and Marvin Bagley III along with two rst-round picks and three second-rounders from Washington for Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum. Malaki Branham also was part of the deal for Dallas, which then traded him to Charlotte for Tyus Jones.
“It’s tough. Those are guys I came in here my rst year, they were all amazing guys to be around on and o the court,” Flagg said. “I wish them all the best. And I’m just blessed to be here. Whoever’s out there on the court with me, and the rest of the guys, just looking forward to continuing to try to get better and compete at a really high level.”
Flagg set an NBA record for a teenager with four consecutive games with at least 30 points, ending the run with 32 points in a 135-123 loss to the San Antonio Spurs last Thursday night. The run started with the 19-year-old setting a league scoring record for a teen with 49 points against Charlotte. Flagg followed that with 34 points against Houston and 36 against Boston.
The Mavericks lost all four games during Flagg’s surge and were on a season-worst seven-game losing streak through last weekend, which helps explain why the Mavericks moved on from the oft-injured Davis, currently sidelined by a hand injury, and chose another retooling of the roster over the chance to see Davis, Flagg and star guard Kyrie Irving on the court together.
“I think, as a fan, you probably would want to see AD, Kyrie, and Cooper on the court,” said Finley, who shares the interim GM title with Matt Riccardi. “But we had an opportunity to do something to give us the ultimate exibility in the future. We just felt that this was an opportunity to take advantage of that situation.”
When the Mavericks converted a 1.8% chance in the
SOUTH STANLY BOYS’ BASKETBALL
7-14, 1-7 in Yadkin Valley 2A/3A
Last week’s scores:
• Lost 56-35 vs. Union Academy
• Lost 60-48 vs. Albemarle
• Lost 48-38 at North Stanly
This week’s schedule:
• Feb. 10 at Gray Stone Day
• Feb. 13 vs. North Rowan
SOUTH STANLY GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
6-12, 2-6 in Yadkin Valley 2A/3A
Last week’s scores:
• Won 52-49 (OT) vs. Union Academy
• Lost 57-29 vs. Albemarle
• Lost 57-39 at North Stanly
This week’s schedule:
• Feb. 10 at Gray Stone Day
• Feb. 12 at Anson
• Feb. 13 vs. North Rowan
draft lottery for the right to select Flagg last summer, there was hope that the fog of losing Doncic would clear.
Instead, Davis’ injury woes returned amid a slow start by the team this season
The Mavericks red general manager Nico Harrison in November.
Now they’ve moved on from their centerpiece in that deal, but Irving is the biggest remaining piece from the team that he and Doncic led to the NBA Finals less than two years ago.
Finley indicated the Mavs still have a vision of Flagg and Irving — both one-and-done No. 1 overall picks from Duke — sharing the court at some point.
“We’ve both spoken to Kyrie at di erent points,” Finley said, referring to Riccardi. “Kyrie has the ultimate respect for Cooper. He loves the kid’s work ethic. He loves the kid’s love for the game. And I think Kyrie’s embracing the role as a mentor to Cooper. So it’s going to be amazing to have a chance to see those guys on the court and playing together.”
Coach Jason Kidd, the point guard for the franchise’s only championship team in 2011, believes Flagg has the makings of a franchise leader and the perseverance to work toward that rst postseason chance.
“The bigger the stage, the bigger the light, the better game he has,” Kidd said. “He wants to win. The 49 (points), the 36, they all have L’s behind it. He wants the change that. He wants to win. I think the great ones learn how to change those L’s into W’s, and he’s going to be one of those.”
WEST STANLY BOYS’ BASKETBALL
7-14, 2-8 in Rocky River 4A/5A
Last week’s scores:
• Lost 60-44 at Anson
• Lost 82-38 at Forest Hills
This week’s schedule:
• Feb. 11 vs. Parkwood
• Feb. 13 vs. Mount Pleasant
WEST STANLY GIRLS’ BASKETBALL 10-10, 5-4 in Rocky River 4A/5A
Last week’s scores:
• Won 58-20 at Anson
This week’s schedule:
• Feb. 11 vs. Parkwood
• Feb. 13 vs. Mount Pleasant
NORTH STANLY
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
20-2, 7-1 in Yadkin Valley
Last week’s scores:
• Lost 51-49 at North Rowan
• Won 48-38 vs. South Stanly
This week’s schedule:
• Feb. 10 vs. Albemarle
• Feb. 12 at Union Academy
NORTH STANLY GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
17-3, 8-0 in Yadkin Valley
Last week’s scores:
• Won 46-33 at North Rowan
• Won 57-39 vs. South Stanly
This week’s schedule:
• Feb. 10 vs. Albemarle
• Feb. 12 at Union Academy
ALBEMARLE BOYS’ BASKETBALL 9-12, 6-3 in Yadkin Valley
Last week’s scores:
• Won 80-35 at Gray Stone Day
• Won 60-48 at South Stanly
• Lost 77-68 vs. North Rowan
This week’s schedule:
• Feb. 10 at North Stanly
ALBEMARLE GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
12-10, 6-3 in Yadkin Valley
Last week’s scores:
• Won 49-33 at Gray Stone Day
• Won 57-29 at South Stanly
• Won 62-27 vs. North Rowan
This week’s schedule:
• Feb. 10 at North Stanly
GRAY STONE DAY
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
1-21, 0-8 in Yadkin Valley
Last week’s scores:
• Lost 80-35 vs. Albemarle
• Lost 45-28 at Union Academy
This week’s schedule:
• Feb. 10 vs. South Stanly
• Feb. 12 at North Rowan
GRAY STONE DAY
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
2-15, 0-8 in Yadkin Valley
Last week’s scores:
• Lost 49-33 vs. Albemarle
• Lost 59-41 at Union Academy
This week’s schedule:
• Feb. 10 vs. South Stanly
• Feb. 12 at North Rowan
ALUMINUM - BRUNSWICK
BRASINGTON will apply to
for title on watercraft/outboard
If you have any claim to the
motor, contact SCDNR at (803) 734-3699. Upon thirty days after the date of the last advertisement if no claim of interest is made and the watercraft/ outboard motor has not been reported stolen, SCDNR shall issue clear title. Case No: 20250923950763
•
• Instructor, Plumbing (12-months)
&
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 TO CREDITORS
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Clerk Before the Clerk 26E000053-830 Having quali ed as Public Administrator of the Estate of DONNIE LEON THOMAS, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the Estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before May 12, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 11th day of February, 2026. MARK T. LOWDER PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF DONNIE LEON THOMAS MARK T. LOWDER ATTORNEY AT LAW P.O. Box 1284 Albemarle, NC 28002 Telephone (704) 982-8558 Please run Notice: February 11, 18, 25 and March 4, 2026
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000023-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Executor of the estate of Janice Anderson Williams, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Janice Anderson Williams to present them to the undersigned on or before April 23, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 21st day of January 2026. Terri B. Leslie 656 Concord Road Albemarle, NC 28001
Sealed proposals for furnishing electric material for Corporate Park
Underground for the City of Albemarle, North Carolina will be received on or before 2:30 PM, Local Time, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in the Raymond Allen Community Room, Room #118, City Hall, 144 N. Second Street in Albemarle, North Carolina, at which time and place the proposals will be publicly opened and read. Proposals and all supporting documents required to be attached thereto must be submitted in a sealed envelope addressed to: Delivery: City of Albemarle Attention: Matt Smith Asst. Finance Director 144 North Second Street Albemarle, North Carolina 28001 Mail City of Albemarle Attention: Matt Smith Asst. Finance Director P.O. Box 190 Albemarle, North Carolina 28002-0190 The envelope must be marked as follows: Sealed Bid for Corporate Park Underground Material Bid No.: 2026-02 Bid Opening: 2:30 PM, Wednesday, March 4, 2026 Speci cations may be obtained at the o ce of the City’s Engineer, Southeastern Consulting Engineers, Inc., P. O. Box 240436, Charlotte, North Carolina 28224, or by contacting Kevin Smorgala via email at: kevin@ scepower.com.
Documents. The Owner reserves the right to waive any informality or to reject any or all Bids. Unless all Bids are rejected, Award will be made to the lowest responsible Bidder, taking into consideration quality, performance and the time speci ed in the proposals for the performance of the Contract.
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY Special Proceedings No. 25SP000173-830 Substitute Trustee: Philip A. Glass Deed of Trust: NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE
Date of Sale: February 18, 2026
Time of Sale: 10:30 a.m.
Place of Sale: Stanly County Courthouse Description of Property: See Attached Description Record Owners: Jamey N. Keable Address of Property: 20990 NC Highway 73, Vacant Lot, NC Highway 73 (PIN: 650902959898) Book: 1585 Page: 3
Dated: October 31, 2016
Grantors: Richard J. Keable, Jr. and wife, Jamey N. Keable Original Bene ciary: State Employees’ Credit Union Albemarle, NC 28001
CONDITIONS OF SALE: This sale is made subject to all unpaid taxes and superior liens
Director Richard Linklater’s “Blue Moon” lands on Net ix Saturday
The Associated Press
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET
starring as a table tennis wizard in “Marty Supreme” and Charli xcx’s soundtrack to Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights” 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: Richard Linklater’s deliciously wistful “Blue Moon” starring Ethan Hawke, Aldis Hodge returning for Season 2 of “Cross” and Nintendo may have its most frenetic tennis game yet with Mario Tennis Fever.
MOVIES TO STREAM
Pull up a chair to listen to Hawke’s Lorenz Hart hold court in Linklater’s deliciously wistful “Blue Moon” (Saturday on Net ix). Linklater’s lm spends one night with the celebrated lyricist who is watching his longtime songwriter partner, Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott) move on with the premiere of “Oklahoma!” on Broadway. Hawke is nominated for best actor by the Oscars. In his review, AP Film Writer Jake Coyle called Hawke’s Hart “extraordinarily good company.”
The A24 romance “Eternity” (Friday on Apple TV) stars Elizabeth Olsen in an afterlife conundrum. In a kind of weigh-station purgatory, she must choose how to spend her afterlife, with her longtime husband (Miles Turner) or her rst love (Callum Turner), who died
in World War II. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called “Eternity” “imaginative and shrewdly whimsical with an utterly charming cast.”
Another A24 hit, “Marty Supreme,” is now streaming on premium video-on-demand. It’s the rst chance to watch one of 2025’s most acclaimed and Oscar-nominated movies at home. In her review, AP’s Jocelyn Noveck called it “a nerve-busting adrenaline jolt of a movie.” Chalamet stars as a 1950s shoe salesman in New York hellbent on becoming the world’s top professional ping-pong player.
MUSIC TO STREAM
Patience is a virtue and time is luxury, particularly for those subject to the music industry. Luckily, Jill Scott, the once-in-a-generation R&B, neo-soul-and-then-some singer, plays by her own rules. On Friday, she will release “To Whom This May Concern,” her sixth studio album and rst full-length project in a decade. Lead singles “Beautiful People” and “Pressha” make it clear that this a meditative release born of experience — lush production, live instrumentation and at its center, the intimacy of Scott’s unmistakable voice like a musical north star. The album will also feature Ab-Soul, J.I.D., Tierra Whack and Too $hort.
Charli xcx’s rst full-length album since “Brat” summer came and went is the soundtrack to Emerald Fennell’s starry adaptation of Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights,” out Friday. It might be wise not to expect the neon chartreuse of her rave work; the
“Marty Supreme” is a nerve-busting adrenaline jolt of a movie.”
Jocelyn Noveck, AP Film Writer
rst taste came in the form of “House” featuring John Cale, an industrial, gothic introduction to the romance. That song, to quote Charli quoting Cale, is both “elegant and brutal.” Other moments contain Charli’s signatures: autotuned vocals, unexpected production, shackled pop hooks. If that resonates, begin with “Wall of Sound” and “Chains of Love.”
SERIES TO STREAM
Hodge is back as Alex Cross, the detective created by novel-
ist James Patterson, in Season 2 of “Cross” for Prime Video. In the new episodes, Cross is on the case of a serial killer hunting corrupt billionaire.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
While most of the world is watching the Winter Olympics, our friends in the Mushroom Kingdom are hitting the courts in Mario Tennis Fever. This could be Nintendo’s most frenetic tennis game yet, thanks to “fever rackets” that let you uncork reballs, lightning bolts, tornadoes and other e ects against your opponents. You can play singles or doubles matches against friends, choosing from a cast of 38 favorites like Princess Peach, Donkey Kong and Yoshi. Or you can play solo in an adventure that turns Mario and company into babies
who have to learn tennis skills before they can grow up. Opening serve comes Thursday on Switch 2.
Tokyo’s Grasshopper Manufacture has built a reputation over the years with extravagantly gory games like No More Heroes and Lollipop Chainsaw. Its latest is Romeo is a Dead Man, in which the studio promises “super bloody action” and “crazy twists and turns to blow players’ minds.” Romeo Stargazer is an FBI agent hunting fugitives across multiple universes after the space-time continuum collapses. He can wield swords, guns and more futuristic weapons, and he can summon small minions to attack en masse. And yes, there is a missing girlfriend named Juliet. Let these violent delights commence on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.
ICE chief defends o cers’ actions before Congress after deaths of 2 protesters
Washington, D.C.
The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is defending his o cers, saying they won’t be intimidated while carrying out President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda. Todd Lyons, along with other agency leaders, faced tough questions from Democrats during a congressional hearing Tuesday. Lyons blamed elected o cials for rhetoric that endangers o cers. The hearing followed recent scrutiny after two protesters were shot and killed by Homeland Security o cers in Minneapolis. Democrats have criticized the administration’s immigration policies, while o cials argue their actions make the country safer. The hearing marks the rst time these leaders have appeared in Congress since receiving increased funding.
Trump set to change U.S. climate change policy, environmental regulations
A White House o cial said the Trump administration is expected this week to revoke a scienti c nding that long has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and ght climate change. The EPA will issue a nal rule rescinding a 2009 government declaration known as the endangerment nding. That Obama-era policy determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. Legal challenges are certain.
$2.00
The trench rescue equipment will allow the city to better respond to potential hazards
By Ryan Henkel Randolph Record
ASHEBORO — The Asheboro Fire and Rescue Department will be getting uptted with new trench rescue equipment.
At the Asheboro City Council’s Feb. 5 meeting, the board approved the purchase of specialized re and rescue equipment.
“In this current budget year, we had requested approximately $300,000 for some trench rescue equipment, a trailer to haul the equipment and a vehicle to pull that trailer,” said Fire Chief Eddie Cockman. “It got cut from the budget, but my sta , being the way that they are, they’re very ingenious and they still looked for ways to make things happen.”
According to Cockman, the Fire and Rescue Department was able to locate savings throughout the process, purchasing a discounted truck which won’t require a trailer, as well as better-priced equipment, for a total request of around $185,000.
“From our initial $300,000 request to where we are now with what we have invested, we saved approximately $78,000 to get that equipment, which, to us, is very needed,” Cockman said.
“While the department has made signi cant progress in personnel training, we currently lack the specialized equipment required to safely and e ectively conduct trench rescue and structural collapse operations,” said Assistant Fire Chief Matthew Needham.
In addition, the board also approved the purchase of a new re truck for the city.
The truck, which will be purchased from Atlantic Coast Firetrucks, was ordered more
than a year ago and therefore will be available at a discounted price ($950,000) and with a much quicker acquisition time (March 2027).
“The timeline to get a new truck now is 750 days if you start building it today,” Cockman said.
The city’s re chief also stated that a completely new truck would cost around $1.2 million, and with the average age of the eet around 15 years, which is nearing the recommended obsolete dates, upgrades are necessary.
“Things are increasing in price exponentially, and you all are trying to gure out a di erent route to do then just saying, ‘Oh, we have to have this and it’s going to cost this much and more than a year to get it,’” said council member Mary Joan Pugh. “I really appreciate you all’s work.”
The council also approved an approximately $955,000 contract with J&K General Contractor for the construction
“Things are increasing in price exponentially and you all are trying to gure out a di erent route.”
Council member Mary Joan Pugh on the Fire and Rescue Department’s cost saving measures
of the David and Pauline Jarrell Center City Garden contingent upon city sta veri cation. According to Assistant City Manager Trevor Nuttall, the anticipated timeline for completion submitted by J&K is a 240-day schedule.
The council then held two public hearings, with the rst being for a rezoning request for 0.95 acres of property located at 312 West Ward St. from General Commercial (B2) zoning to
See COUNCIL, page A2
The governing board had a vacancy after a member won the mayor’s race
Randolph Record sta
ASHEBORO — Cam Mills is the newest member of the Asheboro City Council after he was appointed to ll a vacancy on the board.
Mills is taking a spot that became open when council member Joey Trogdon vacated the position after he was elected mayor. Council members chose the new councilman, who has been involved in political circles, during last week’s meeting.
Mills becomes the fourth newcomer to join the council in recent months after three additions were elected in November and sworn in during a December meeting. The council has
seven members, not including the mayor. Mills wasn’t among the 14 candidates to le for council seats in the 2025 election. He inherits Trogdon’s
term that was to expire in 2027.
Mills, a graduate of Southwestern Randolph High School, is owner of Millstone Group, which is described as a public a airs and consulting rm for nonpro ts, organizations and campaigns. He previously has worked in o ces of former Congressman Dan Bishop and current Congressman Richard Hudson, both Republicans. Mills is national committeeman for the North Carolina Federation of Young Republicans and is on the organization’s national executive board. He’s a former chairman of the Randolph County Young Republicans. He previously worked with the City of Asheboro in the Cultural and Recreation Services Department, according to information from the city. He’s a member of the Asheboro Ro -
The newest council member wasn’t a 2025 candidate in the city’s elections.
tary Club and serves on America250 NC’s Randolph County Committee.
Mills, an Eagle scout, has a bachelor’s degree from Wingate University, where he also was on the football roster as a freshman o ensive lineman in 2017. It was likely there would be a council vacancy going into November’s election because, after the October primary, the two nal candidates for mayor were Trogdon and fellow councilman Eddie Burks, who both had remaining time on their terms.
Trip
Shawn
Dan
THURSDAY
2.12.26
The renovations at one of the middle schools have been on target
Randolph Record sta
ASHEBORO — Renovations have been going at a good pace for projects involving Asheboro City Schools facilities, Jody Cox told the district’s board of education.
Cox, director of maintenance and facilities for the school system, spoke at January’s board meeting with renovation updates, primarily involving South Asheboro Middle School.
Cox said construction teams have done an excellent job maximizing work during school breaks to keep disruptions to a minimum while students are on the campus. As of
“We have a never-ending list.”
Jody Cox, maintenance and facilities director
a week into January, there had been 38,381 man-hours dedicated to work on the project at the middle school, he said.
Construction in the auditorium was scheduled to begin the rst week of February.
Renovations to the boys’ and girls’ locker rooms at the middle school involved the repurposing of unused lockers from the high school, allowing for that phase of renovation to come in under the projected costs. Those savings, Cox said, can be redirected to other project needs.
Upgrades to the middle
school’s eld house are also in the works. Those mostly became necessary because those areas were outdated, Cox said.
“That’s not only bad for us, but it looks bad for our visiting teams,” he said.
Painting of exterior doors on buildings throughout the district has been ongoing, Cox said. Those are among several painting projects that have been identi ed.
“We have a never-ending list,” he said.
Several board members praised the maintenance sta for e orts in making the district’s facilities appealing.
• More recently, Asheboro City Schools added next Monday (Feb. 16) as a regular school day. Other changes could be coming after classes were called o the past two weeks because of weather-related concerns.
O cials deny seeking quick end to asylum claims for the Minneapolis family of 5-year-old
The Feds denied there was an e ort to fast-track deportation
The Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — Federal authorities have denied attempting to expedite an end to asylum claims by the family of a 5-year-old boy who was detained with his father during the immigration crackdown that has shaken the Minneapolis area.
THURSDAY FEB. 12
FRIDAY FEB. 13
SATURDAY FEB. 14
SUNDAY FEB. 15
Images of Liam Conejo Ramos wearing a bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack surrounded by immigration ocers stirred outrage over the crackdown.
Danielle Molliver, a lawyer for the boy and his father, told The New York Times that the government was attempting to speed up the deportation proceedings, calling the actions “extraordinary” and possibly “retaliatory.”
The government denied that.
“These are regular removal proceedings. They are not in expedited removal,” Department of Homeland Security ofcial Tricia McLaughlin said
CRIME LOG
Feb. 2
in a statement, adding, “There is nothing retaliatory about enforcing the nation’s immigration laws.”
Molliver told the Times that an immigration judge, during a closed Friday hearing, gave her additional time to argue the family’s case.
The family is sequestered pending their next hearing this Friday, according to Kristen Stuenkel, spokesperson for Liam’s district, the Columbia Heights Public Schools.
The boy and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, who originally is from Ecuador, were detained in a Minneapolis suburb on Jan. 20. A judge ordered them released from a detention facility in Dilley, Texas,
• Jason Erin Brower, 42, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for assault in icting physical injury on a law enforcement o cer and resisting a public o cer.
• Charles Robert Cavades, 50, of Lake City, Florida, was arrested by Randleman PD for second degree trespass and resisting a public o cer.
Feb. 3
• James William Bullard, 52, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for assault on a female and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
• Harvey Allan Poole, 43, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Feb. 4
• Charity Michelle Wall, 35, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
CASTRO VIA AP
Adrian Conejo Arias and his son, 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, pose for a photo in San Antonio on Jan. 31 after being released from a Dilley, Texas, detention center.
and they returned to Minnesota on Feb. 1.
Neighbors and school ocials have accused federal immigration o cers of using the preschooler as “bait” by telling him to knock on the door to his house so that his mother would come outside. DHS has called that description of events an “abject lie.” It said the father ed on foot and left the boy in a running vehicle in their driveway.
The government said the boy’s father entered the U.S. illegally in December 2024. The family’s lawyer, however, said the father entered legally using the CBP One app and that his pending asylum claim allows him to stay in the U.S.
Feb. 5
• Harvey Herman Underwood, 54, of Sophia, was arrested by RCSO for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and failure to work after being paid.
• Travis Michael Wood, 30, of Trinity, was arrested by RCSO for larceny of a motor vehicle, injury to real property, larceny after breaking and entering, breaking and entering, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, larceny of a rearm, possession of a stolen rearm and possession of a rearm by a felon.
• Tonya Marie York, 36, of Trinity, was arrested by RCSO for larceny of a motor vehicle, injury to real property, larceny after breaking and entering, breaking and entering, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, larceny of a rearm, possession of a stolen rearm and possession of a rearm by a felon.
Feb. 6
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Randolph County.
Bantum Rooster: Crazy Little Thing Called Love
7:30-9:30 p.m.
An opportunity to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a live musical performance by this popular band. Reserved seating: Tickets can be purchased in person at the Asheboro Cultural and Recreation Services O ce, 241 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro. Tickets are $20. Sunset Theatre 234 Sunset Ave. Asheboro
Books and Banter (YA Club)
4:30-5:30 p.m.
Teens ages 13-16 meet each Thursday to talk about books and more. Every fourth Thursday, the group discusses the same book, which can be picked up in advance at the library.
Seagrove Public Library 530 Old Plank Road Seagrove
Trial by Fire
7-10 p.m.
This North Carolina-based Journey tribute band has been going strong for 17 years. The concert includes renditions of classic Journey songs, including “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Faithfully.” Tickets range from $24-$49. The Liberty Showcase Theater 101 S. Fayetteville St. Liberty
Randolph County Commissioners’ Meeting 6-9 p.m.
Open to the public, and members of the community are encouraged to attend. 145 C. Worth St. Asheboro
COUNCIL from page A1
MONDAY FEB. 16
TUESDAY FEB. 17
WEDNESDAY FEB. 18
• Candelario Rodriguez Gri n, 30, of Thomasville, was arrested by RCSO for misdemeanor child abuse, driving while license revoked, ctitious or altered title, registration or tag, failure to secure a passenger under 16 and unlawfully passing an emergency or public service vehicle.
O ce-Apartment (OA6) for a pediatric therapy facility. “This was rezoned from OA6 on the majority of the property, but there was a small sliver that was RA6, a high-density residential designation,” said Community Development Director John Evans. “This rezoning happened back in 2017, and that was for a large child care center, which is why we have the B2 conditional zoning.” According to Evans, the child care center is no longer in business, and the building exists now as a vacant structure.
The council also approved a $35,000 project match with the North Carolina Department of Transportation for the addition of sidewalks on both sides on N.C. 42 from East Salisbury Street to Dixie Drive. The total project cost is around $350,000, with NCDOT covering 90%.
The Asheboro City Council will next meet March 5.
senior opinion editor
COLUMN | LARRY ELDER
Mass deportation: Who was more ‘inhumane’ — Obama or Trump?
Obama did not inherit an administration that allowed in 10 million to 15 million illegal aliens.
THOSE WHO CLAIM President Barack Obama deported illegal aliens more “humanely” make the following assertions:
a) ICE didn’t go into the streets under Obama; b) there were no street activists/ protesters/agitators; c) ICE only deported those with criminal records beyond illegal entry or illegally overstaying; d) Obama’s deportation numbers largely include “returns” or those deported at the border; e) the Obama administration did not engage in “lawlessness”; and f) ICE and/ or Customs and Border Patrol arrested only illegal aliens after rst securing a judicial warrant.
As for a), under Obama, ICE did go into the streets, including into the interior and into “sanctuary” cities like Chicago. Watch “Lost in Detention,” a 2011 episode of the PBS “Frontline” program, where, for example, an illegal alien mother stopped in Illinois for making an illegal lane change was ultimately deported back to Mexico. Consider this X post: “... As someone who worked during (the Obama administration), it’s simple. All the ‘sanctuary cities,’ including mine, cooperated fully with ICE and Homeland. ... So this, in fact, is politicians’ fault because they pick and choose who they want to cooperate with ...”
As for b), the media/Dems loved Obama, so they looked the other way. Again, under Obama, there was greater cooperation between local, state and federal o cials. In fact, several cities and states adopted sanctuary policies because of this cooperation. The think tank Niskanen Center wrote: “The Secure Communities program allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue detainers for anyone detained by local law enforcement. ... Homeland Security Secretary
Janet Napolitano (in October 2010) stated that DHS ‘did not view (Secure Communities) as an opt-in, opt-out program ...
“In response, multiple local jurisdictions, including Cook County, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., passed legislation to limit local compliance with immigration detainers, thus creating sanctuary cities.”
There was no “ICE Watch” to alert activists and protesters. And Obama did not inherit an administration that allowed in 10 million to 15 million illegal aliens.
As for c), deporting only those with “criminal records,” this is from the “nonpartisan” factcheck.org, in January 2026, about the Trump administration: “Those with criminal convictions or pending charges represented 66% of arrests, which the administration has rounded up to 70%.”
About deportations with criminal records under Obama, in April 2016, The Washington Post wrote:
“While the number of deportations of illegal immigrants with criminal records has declined in recent years, last year this group made up almost 60 percent of the total number expelled from the country, the largest percentage in recent memory.”
As for d) that Obama deportation numbers mostly included those at the border, the left-leaning fact-check site snopes.com wrote:
“The claim that immigration authorities deported more than 3 million people during the Obama administration (2009-17) is accurate based on ‘formal removal’ gures reported by the DHS. When including ‘returns’ (those removed at the border), however, the total exceeds 5 million.”
As for e), Trump’s supposed lawless deportations, economist John Lott of the Crime Prevention Research Center wrote:
Don’t abuse the word ‘protest’
If Pretti was an “observer,” he was observing how much unhinged behavior he could get away with.
ALEX PRETTI WASN’T killed while “protesting.” This is a common description of what he was doing on a Minneapolis street the fateful morning when a confrontation with federal immigration agents ended in his tragic shooting. But if Pretti had been a mere protester, he’d very likely be alive today.
Now that we’ve seen videos of an earlier struggle with federal agents and learned more about the organized nature of the anti-ICE resistance, it’s become clear that the better word for Pretti was agitator, or perhaps even operative.
A protester, as typically understood, is someone who is making a point, often as part of a gathering of other like-minded people and, usually but not always, in opposition to something.
A protester might hold a sign outside a coal- red power plant calling for it to shut down. He might go to Union Square Park to hear speeches from bullhorns whenever something happens that outrages the left. He might march against the Iraq War or the Vietnam War — or in favor of Hamas.
This kind of activity is not to everyone’s taste — personally, I hate the drums and the chants — but there is no doubt that it is a legitimate form of political advocacy. Depending on the cause, it can even be admirable. What we’ve seen in Minneapolis, though,
is often quite di erent. Run-of-the-mill protesters don’t seek out federal agents and harass and obstruct them. They don’t follow and block their vehicles or establish a robust communications network to deploy resources to create maximum disruption of their operations.
Pretti was part of this e ort, which is more a form of low-level and (by and large) nonviolent insurgency than conventional protest. In his rst confrontation, 11 days before his death, Pretti was every bit an anti-ICE street brawler. He challenged, at close quarters, an agent to assault him while screaming insults at him. He spat on a federal vehicle and kicked out its taillight.
If Pretti was an “observer,” in the euphemism preferred by anti-ICE politicians and activists, he was observing how much unhinged behavior he could get away with. There’s no doubt that at this event, he was the violent instigator.
After Pretti damaged the vehicle, agents got out and pushed him to the ground. For all the talk of ICE being the equivalent of the Gestapo, they didn’t even bother to arrest him despite his having committed a crime. If he’d been arrested and charged, Pretti might never have shown up at the other ICE operation and would still be with us today.
That Pretti, we now know, made it a practice
“The 170 ICE-detained US citizens ... included about 130 arrested for interfering with or assaulting o cers ... justi able under any reading of the law ...
“Only about 40 or so of those who were detained claimed to be US citizens accidentally or erroneously arrested by ICE. ... Most were released in a few hours. ... 40 mistakes out of 595,000 arrests amounts to an error rate of just 0.0067% — roughly one wrongful detention for every 14,925 arrests.
“By contrast (during the Obama administration) ... in scal years 2015 and 2016, ICE recorded 263 mistaken arrests, 54 mistaken detentions (book-ins), and four mistaken removals ... about one mistake for every 4,444 arrests ...
“During the course of Obama’s two terms, from 2009 to 2017, 56 individuals died in ICE custody. ... 56 deaths translates into a rate of 0.007% — roughly one death for every 14,314 detainees.
“By comparison, the rate last year under Trump was slightly lower: 0.0054%, or one death for every 18,594 detainees.
“... Trump made no erroneous deportations through November.”
This brings us to f) about judicial warrants. Snopes.com wrote: “Over the eight-year period of the Obama administration, the percentage of removals carried out without a hearing before an immigration judge ranged from approximately 58% to 84%, averaging roughly 74%.”
What a di erence an administration makes. Or rather, what a di erence the media coverage of an administration makes.
Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host.
(Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
to court violent encounters with federal agents while armed was incredibly irresponsible. He was fortunate that the rst struggle didn’t escalate into something much more hazardous to him and to others if an agent had noticed his gun. The rearm wouldn’t have been an issue in the second incident, meanwhile, if he’d really been protesting. If that were the case, he would have stayed on the sidewalk and held up a sign, or chanted, “ICE go home,” and the o cers might have been annoyed, but there never would have been an interaction to potentially go catastrophically wrong.
The calculation in Minneapolis, though, has been that this kind of benign activity is less e ective than direct action, and unfortunately — with public opinion swinging against Operation Metro Surge — this assessment looks to be accurate.
Why simply express a point of view when you can act to stop arrests and to create a hostile, threatening environment for agents?
This doesn’t mean that Pretti got what he deserved or that the o cers acted appropriately. It does mean that the state and city o cials should have been telling people not to “monitor” DHS activity, but to stay well clear of legitimate law-enforcement activities.
Reasonable people can disagree about the desirability of the goal that Pretti was pursuing, but there’s no doubt about how he was going about it, and it didn’t involve conventional protest.
Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review.
July 10, 1947 – Feb. 1, 2026
Harry Lonny May, age 78, of Asheboro passed away peacefully at his home February 1, 2026, surrounded by his loved ones. He was born July 10, 1947 in Millry, Alabama the son of the late Oscar L. May and Addie Lee Clark May. He is also preceded in death by his sister, Elmer Jean McRae; and brother, D’Wayne May. Lonny served with distinction in the United States Army during the Vietnam War, he rose to the rank of Sta Sergeant and earned the respect of his peers as a U.S. Army Ranger and member of the Special Forces. His courageous service was recognized with the awarding of the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts, re ecting his valor and commitment amidst the trials of war. After his military service, Lonny embraced a path guided by his deep conviction as a conscientious objector, which led him to devote over fty years of his life to ministry with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. His steadfast adherence to his principles served as a cornerstone of his character and inspired those around him. In his professional life, Lonny embarked on a career with the United States Postal Service, where he worked diligently as a carrier until his retirement. Through all of life’s endeavors, his devotion to his family remained paramount, and his presence will be profoundly missed by those who knew him.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Tammy LaBruyere; children, Butch Reitzel (Wendy Reitzel) and Sharon R. Thompson; grandchildren, Julie Reitzel and Haylee Guthrie (Dr. John Guthrie); great grandchild, Josie Guthrie; brothers, Jerrell May, Billy May, Dale May and Lewis Douglas May; and numerous other beloved family and friends.
The family will hold a private service at a later date.
Oct. 21, 1955 – Feb. 3, 2026
Agustina Juarez, 70, of Asheboro, passed away Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at her home.
A funeral service will be conducted at 3 p.m., Saturday, February 14, 2026, at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses Asheboro (4336 US64, Asheboro, NC 27203), where she was a member for over 35 years, with Speaker Elvis Peña o ciating.
Agustina was born on October 21, 1955, in Guanajuato, Mexico.
Agustina loved going to church and enjoyed gardening. She was a very family-orientated person. Her children and grandchildren were her life, taking care of all of them.
She was preceded in death by her father, Bonifacio Villagomez; one sister and three brothers.
Agustina is survived by her husband of 55 years, Julio Juarez Andrade; daughters, Ana Juarez, Rosa Juarez, Elisabet Juarez; sons, Alejandro Juarez, Agustin Juarez, Julio Jr. Juarez; mother, Consuelo Chavez; six sisters; one brother; 18 grandchildren; and four great grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m., February 13, 2026, at Ridge Funeral Home.
Aug. 5, 1970 – Feb. 7, 2026
Keith Robert Clapp, age 55, of Seagrove, NC, departed this life at his home on February 7, 2026.
Keith was born on August 5, 1970, in Guilford County, to the late George Donald Clapp and Libby Rose Clapp.
Keith lived life with a full heart and an engine always running. He loved racing at Caraway Speedway, working on cars, and making sure things were done the right way—he wasn’t afraid to tell you what needed xing, and he wanted it xed right. He enjoyed deep sea shing, spending time on the farm, and riding around with his best friend and longtime canine companion, Johnny.
Keith loved his family deeply— especially his children and grandchildren—and he showed it by being present. He rarely missed a ball game and was known for being the loudest (and most opinionated) voice in the crowd, often getting a little too loud. He enjoyed sitting down to watch The Andy Gri th Show, grabbing co ee with friends, going on the annual family beach trip, and spending time in Fancy Gap, Virginia, a place he truly loved.
He is preceded in death by his parents George and Libby Clapp.
He is survived by his children: Hayleigh Faulkner (Reid Faulkner), Jacob Clapp (Kayla), Amber Clapp and Tito Clapp (Lileigh); grandchildren: Cameron Faulkner, Clara Faulkner, Crue Faulkner, Cohen Faulkner, and Bodie Chavez; siblings: Eric Clapp, Donna Crisco (Je Crisco), Denise Clapp-Campbell and Kevin Clapp (Lynn Clapp); his signi cant other, Cindy Lowe; and several nieces and nephews.
The family will receive friends on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, from 5-9 p.m. for visitation at Pugh Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held Thursday, February 12, at 2 p.m. at Vintage Church, 650 W Academy St., with pastor Charles Moses o ciating. In lieu of owers, memorials can be made to the Ronald McDonald House.
March 5, 1973 – Feb. 7, 2026
Shelia Renee Gordon, 52, of Asheboro, NC, passed away Saturday, February 7, 2026, at Siler City Center. Graveside services will be conducted at 2 p.m., Thursday, February 12, 2026, at Hoover’s Grove Wesleyan Church Cemetery, Denton, with Rev. Sid Stewart o ciating. Miss Gordon was born in Randolph County, NC, on March 5, 1973. She is survived by her parents, Ja e and Doris Gordon; sister, Sharon Murphy; uncles, Donald Swaney (Bonnie), Elmer Gordon; and aunt, Bobbie Tysinger (Kenneth).
Aug. 18, 1951 – Feb. 2, 2026
Jerry Paul D. Herald, of Randleman, passed away at Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital at 5:20 p.m. on February 2, 2026.
He was preceded in death by his siblings Ginny, Dolly, Ronnie, Chris and Keith; his parents, Alec and Marie; his son-in-law, Bob Parlett; special uncle Sonny; special cousins Jimmy, Bobby, Donald, Allen and Roger; and his niece, Re Hutzell.
Jerry is survived by his wife of 52 years, Margie Herald; daughters Robyn Herald Parlett, Mary Herald (partner Nick Peak) and Jerry Lillie Smith (husband Danny Smith); four grandchildren, Kaylee Herald ( ancé Josh Bowers), Wesley, Willow, and Wrenly; brother Tommy Herald (wife Pam Herald); sisters-in-law Shelia Herald, Tammy Herald, Brenda Herald, Linda Reedy (husband Donald Reedy), Mary Lowe, Kathy Horne and Cheryl Horne; brothers-in-law Irvin Corbin and Henry Horne (wife Judy Horne); uncle Clarence Brown; aunts Patricia Lane (husband Lee Lane) and Carol Brown; special aunts-in-law Betty Teachey and Janice Noel; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.
Jerry was born in Thompson Valley, Virginia, on August 18, 1951, to the late Alec and Marie Herald. He was the second of seven children. He spent his school years in Germantown and Wheaton, Maryland. In his youth, he modeled his style after Elvis and Cash. He worked outdoors for the majority of his adult life and ended his working years building catalog photography sets for Aldermen Studios.
He loved westerns, classic country music, The Doors, pearl snap long-tailed western shirts and hitting ea markets or Goodwill. He made sure his daughters were raised on classic westerns and action icks. He also always made sure he headed outside to turn the antenna just right so the channels weren’t fuzzy, ensuring his daughters could watch Xena: Warrior Princess and Bu y the Vampire Slayer every week when they were little. He made sure his daughters were raised tough and independent.
Jerry was a quiet creative who, when his eyesight was at its best, would jot down lyrics, poems, and sketches whenever inspiration struck. One of his greatest joys in later years was calling friends on the phone to reminisce and talk for hours. His cousin Jimmy Herald, his brother Chris Herald, and his uncle Sonny Brown were his favorite con dants, whom he spoke to daily until each one passed.
He was stubborn, incredibly blunt, and often capped that bluntness with a joke. He showed up whenever he was asked, no matter the time—even if he complained a little…or a lot. He was a regular babysitter throughout Kaylee and Wesley’s childhoods.
Jerry will be cremated, with a celebration of life planned for the spring in the mountains and valleys of Virginia, where his life began.
Note from his daughters: Our father was one of many Americans living on a tight retirement budget and was no longer able to a ord life insurance coverage. In lieu of owers, memorial donations may be made to assist the family with the costs of the funeral services.
Thank you so much for reading our father’s obituary, as it is the nal record of his 74 years lived.
Dec. 10, 1939 – Feb. 8, 2026
Dicie Ellen Lucas Presnell, age 86, of Asheboro passed away on February 8, 2026, at her home. Mrs. Presnell was born in Randleman on December 10, 1939, to Albert and Ruby Lamb Lucas and was a 1958 graduate of Randleman High School. During her senior year, Dicie married Joe Presnell. She retired from the Randleman Post O ce with over 20 years of service. Dicie loved her Heavenly Father and church family at Whynot Wesleyan Church. She served as a Sunday School teacher for more than 40 years. She was very active in CUOC of Southern Randolph County and was always giving to numerous organizations. Dicie collected cookbooks, teapots, ginger jars, pottery and piggy banks. Dicie loved all animals and took in whatever showed up at her home, even peacocks. She had a fond love of butter ies. During lunch on Sunday, Dicie would wander o and talk to the animals. Dicie loved cooking, especially for her family and would occasionally send home frozen homemade biscuits for those she cooked for. In her early years, she enjoyed camping. Dicie was a loving, caring, and giving lady. She loved to put a smile on someone’s face and never wanted anyone to go to bed mad. She loved to read uplifting books, especially her Bible. You would often see her in deep concentration with her tongue stuck out. Dicie knew everyone and you could never take her anywhere without running into someone she was acquainted with. Dicie was a devoted wife to her sweetheart, her loving husband Joe, with whom she loved to sing duets. Tom Selleck was her secret celebrity crush. In addition to her parents, Dicie was preceded in death by Joe, her husband of 57 years. She is survived by her daughter, Katherine Presnell Atkins of Asheboro; granddaughter, Crystal Renee Davis (Kenneth) of Asheboro; great grandchildren, Jordan, Holly, Alex, and Cameron (Kess); and her great great grandchild, Tate; brothers, Robert R. Lucas (Lucy) of Asheboro, Randy A. Lucas (Sue) of Randleman, and Mark A. Lucas (Angela) of Asheboro; sisters, Ruby Lucas Hunter of Asheboro and Brenda Lucas Karella (Rusty) of Fairbanks, Alaska; and multiple nieces and nephews.
The family will receive friends on Friday, February 13, 2026, from 5-7 p.m. at Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue in Asheboro. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Whynot Wesleyan Church, 1402 NC Hwy 705 in Seagrove with Rev. Darrell Rabon o ciating. Burial will be held in the church cemetery. Memorials may be made to Whynot Wesleyan Church, P.O. Box 48, Seagrove, NC 27341.
July 7, 1950 – Feb. 1, 2026
Judy Ann Greening, 75, of Asheboro, passed away Sunday, February 1, 2026, at her home. There are no services scheduled at this time.
Judy Ann was born on July 7, 1950, in Chicago, IL, the daughter of the late Charles William Thomas and Patricia Ann Thomas. She was a very family-orientated person, caring and loving for everyone. Every holiday or celebration, she would craft homemade gifts such as quilts, blankets and tableclothes for everyone. Judy Ann will always be remembered for being strong-willed and equally as sweet. She will be remembered and loved by her many family members, many grandchildren, many great grandchildren, and her puppy dog, “Molly”.
May 18, 1949 – Feb. 7, 2026
Roger William Clayton, 76, of Asheboro, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family Saturday, February 7, 2026.
Memorial services will be conducted at 3 p.m., Thursday, February 12, 2026, at Brower’s Wesleyan Church, where he was a longtime member. Pastor Bryant Madren will be o ciating.
Born May 18, 1949, in Randolph County, NC, Roger was the son of the late Elmer Clay and Lucille Cagle Clayton. He was a 1968 graduate of Asheboro High School and proudly served his country in the United States Air Force from 1969-1973. Roger began his construction career in 1968 working for his uncle Cli Bowers, of Bowers Construction. In 1975 he started his own company, Clayton Construction, which later became Clayton & Son Construction with his son Justin. Throughout his career he built numerous homes, churches, schools, and commercial buildings in the surrounding area. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather who enjoyed spending time with his family.
In addition to his parents, Roger was preceded in death by his sister Emily Clayton Hatley.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years Janet Tysinger Clayton; son Justin Clayton and wife Jennifer of Asheboro; grandchildren, Parker Clayton and wife Nicole and Graham Clayton both of Asheboro; his twin brother Ronald Clayton and wife Jane of Asheboro; and many nieces and nephews.
The family will receive friends following the service in the Church Fellowship Hall.
The family extends a special thank you to Mr. Clayton’s team of loving caregivers at Cross Road Memory Care Center and his Hospice nurses.
In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to Brower’s Wesleyan Church - Building Fund, PO Box 1352, Asheboro, NC 27204.
May 13, 1945 – Feb. 4, 2026
Delanna Anderson-Gustafson, of Randleman, NC, passed peacefully with family by her side on February 4, 2026. She was born on May 13, 1945, to the late Kenneth and Florence Anderson. She was a 1963 graduate of Frewsburg Central High School, Frewsburg, NY, and later received her beautician’s license.
She was married to the late David Gustafson, and they made their home in Rhode Island, enjoying motorcycling and camping together with their best friends, Peppy the parrot and Deedee the dog. Delanna was a caring person who took great pride in her family, her fur babies, and her home. She also enjoyed her sweet treats and her kettle potato chips.
She is survived by her son Matthew Manges, who was her caretaker and with whom she made her home in Randleman, NC; daughter Tracy L. France (Ken); and grandchildren Dylan and Dustin Graziano. Casey Bardenett and Jared Gustafson. Great-grandchildren Ethan and Leah Graziano, brother(s) Steven and Mark Anderson, and sister Candace (Russ) Payne, all of whom reside in Chautauqua County. Brother John (Sandy Phillips) in Albany, NY, was predeceased by her parents, her beloved husband David, and brother Carlos Phillips.
No visitation or service will be observed. Her nal resting place will be next to her husband in Frewsburg, NY. Memorials may be made to the Hospice House of Randolph, which provided outstanding end-of-life care; 416 Vision Drive, Asheboro, NC.
Aug. 6, 1960 – Feb. 3, 2026
Mary Jane Juris, a devoted wife, loving mother, and cherished grandmother, passed away peacefully on February 3, 2026, in Asheboro, North Carolina. Born on August 6, 1960, in Lockhaven, Pennsylvania, she was 65 years old at the time of her passing.
Mary Jane was known for her warm heart and her passion for spending time with her family, creating treasured memories that will be held dear by those she leaves behind. Her love for crochet brought beauty and comfort to her family and friends, who will forever remember her generous spirit.
Mary Jane was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Russell Stahl and Ann Mae White. She is survived by her husband Jerome Juris, her sister, Sue Bennett; her sons, Jesse and Joshua; and her adored granddaughter, Amy. Also left to cherish her memory are her sister-in-law, JoAnn Karolchik, and her loyal furry companion, Snickers.
Mary Jane will be remembered as a beacon of love and kindness in the lives of those she touched. In accordance with her family’s wishes, there will be no services held. Her legacy continues through the love and warmth she shared with her family and friends. She will be dearly missed.
Nov. 18, 1956 – Feb. 1, 2026
Robert Freeman Smith, 69, of Asheboro, died Sunday, February 1, 2026, at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro.
A memorial service will be conducted at 1 p.m., Saturday, February 7, 2026, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, where he was a member, with Rev. Dr. Keith Less o ciating.
Robert was born on November 18, 1956, in Wake County, NC, the son of the late Oscar Raymond Smith and Helen Elizabeth West Smith. He retired from being a trailer mechanic.
Robert volunteered 25 years of service for the Westside Fire Department, during which he became assistant chief. He enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid hunter and sherman.
Robert was a loving family man and his grandchildren were his greatest joy.
In addition to his parents, Robert was preceded in death by his son, Adam Robert Smith; son-in-law, Nathan Thielmann; and his brother, Greg Smith. Robert is survived by his wife, Lynn York Smith of the home; daughter, Jennifer Smith Thielmann of Moncks Corner, SC; grandchildren, Serenity “Seren” Thielmann, Harper Thielmann, Everly Thielman; sister-in-law, Carol Smith of Michigan; brother-in-law, Craig York and wife Lisa of Asheboro; nieces, Julie Smith, Brittany York; nephews, Scott Smith, Chris York; best friend, David Coakley; and his dog, “Dody”.
The family will receive friends from 6-8:00 p.m., Friday, February 6, 2026, at Ridge Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to Blood Cancer United, Attn: Donor Services, P.O. Box 22324, New York, NY, 10087; Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Piedmont Triad, 419 South Hawthorne Road, WinstonSalem, NC 27103; or to Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, National Headquarters, 6520 N. Andrews Avenue; Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33309-2132.
July 12, 1932 – Feb. 7, 2026
Rachel Delores Ingram, 93, of Asheboro, passed away Saturday, February 7, 2026, at her home.
A graveside service will be conducted at 2 p.m., Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at Randolph Memorial Park.
Rachel was born on July 12, 1932, in Guilford Co., the daughter of the late Luther Hezekiah Spencer and Cornelia Walker Spencer. She enjoyed making quilts and working on jigsaw puzzles. Rachel liked collecting antiques, stamps and Barbie dolls. She will always be remembered as an amazing cook and baker.
In addition to her parents, Rachel was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Ingram; siblings, Nannielee Beck, Earnest Spencer, Hazel Spencer and Cleo Spencer.
Rachel is survived by her children, Jill Ingram (Je ), Keith Ingram (Rhonda), Jan Ingram (Lori), Jack Ingram (Pam); sister, Eva Hancock; several grandchildren and great grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from noon until 1:30 p.m. at Ridge Funeral Home, prior to the service.
Sept. 17, 1946 – Feb. 5, 2026
Susan J. Stalter, a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully on February 5, 2026, in Asheboro, North Carolina, at the age of 79. Born on September 17, 1946, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Susan lived a life marked by kindness, strength and unwavering love for her family and community.
Throughout her career in sales management within the retail industry, Susan touched the lives of countless colleagues with her dedication and leadership. Her work was more than just a job; it was an opportunity to connect with others and make a positive impact every day.
Susan’s passions extended well beyond her professional life. She found great joy in sewing, creating beautiful pieces that were cherished by family and friends. An avid reader, Susan always had a book in hand, ready to explore new worlds through the written word. She was also known for her baking skills, often delighting loved ones with her delicious creations.
Her heart and home were shared with her beloved kitty, Raven, who brought her much comfort and companionship. A woman of faith, Susan was a dedicated member of Bethany Methodist in Franklinville. She actively participated in the prayer group and women’s group, contributing her warmth and spirit to the community.
Susan is preceded in death by her parents, Dorothy M. StoutKnodel and Adolph H. Knodel, as well as her son, Ronnie Stalter. She leaves behind a legacy of love in her surviving family: daughters Suzanne Strelko (husband Bill), Amy Vaughn, and Melissa Stalter, sisters Ruthanne Smith (husband Greg) and Mary Alley (husband Tim), grandchildren Matthew, Amanda, and Madison, greatgranddaughter Layla and her niece Tara and nephew John. Each of them carries forward the values and love that Susan imparted throughout her life.
Her memory will be honored at a service held on February 21, 2026, at Bethany Methodist Church, 3650 Bethany Church Rd, Franklinville, NC 27248. Visitation will be from 2-2:45 p.m., followed by a service at 3 p.m. Those who knew and loved Susan are encouraged to remember her in their own ways, cherishing the moments they shared and the lessons learned from her gentle guidance.
In celebrating Susan’s life, may we all be inspired by her example of kindness, generosity and enduring love.
Aug. 2, 1947 – Feb. 6, 2026
W. Hurley McBride, 78, of Asheboro, North Carolina, passed away on Friday, February 6, 2026, at Alpine Health and Rehabilitation.
Hurley was born August 2, 1947, in Asheboro, to Willis M. McBride and Irene Hughes McBride. After graduating from Farmer High School, he joined the Coast Guard and served his country for four years. After the military, Hurley returned to Asheboro where he worked for Tex Industries before owning and operating Farmer Station and three local Stop and Shop convenience stores. Much of his professional career was spent as a delivery driver for Briles Oil and Gas and later for Randolph Oil Company. Prior to his dad’s passing, one of Hurley’s favorite pastimes was working with his dad on projects such as bailing hay, building fences, and regularly attending local antique/estate sales. Over the years, Hurley enjoyed riding his Honda motorcycles with his wife, showing his dad’s restored 8N Ford tractor with his son, and exercising and socializing with the Rock Steady Boxing group.
In addition to his parents, Hurley was preceded in death by his sister, Sheila McBride McCain and infant brother, Charles Anthony McBride. Hurley is survived by his wife, Susan Beacham McBride; children Karen McBride Hall, Amy Ferree (Je ), and Greg McBride; stepdaughters Kristin Venable (Brian) and Kim Shankle (Buck); grandchildren Dalton Hall (Holley), Jake Hall (Kaylie), Chelsea Smith (Dalton), Taylor Ferree and Emma Ferree (Grant); and six great-grandchildren.
A casual service (yes, blue jeans are perfectly acceptable) is planned for Friday, February 13, at 1:30 p.m. at Midstate Cremation and Funeral Service in Asheboro. The family will receive friends an hour prior to the service. A private burial is planned.
Memorials may be made to the HKC Foundation for Parkinson’s (hkcfoundationforparkinsons. org) or to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Oct. 29, 1946 – Feb. 1, 2026
It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Myrix Webster “Mark” Newman Jr., who left us on February 1, 2026, at the age of 79. Mark was born on October 29, 1946, in Asheboro, North Carolina, where he also peacefully passed away. Mark dedicated many years of his life working as an electrician for Randolph Electric, where he was known for his expertise and commitment to his craft. His dedication to his profession was only matched by his devotion to his family and his zest for life.
A proud veteran, Mark served his country honorably in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. His experiences as a soldier instilled in him a deep appreciation for life’s simple pleasures.
Mark had a passion for shing and could often be found on quiet mornings casting a line in search of the perfect catch. He was also an avid music enthusiast, nding joy and solace in melodies that spoke to his soul. Above all, he was an animal lover, cherishing the companionship and unconditional love provided by his furry friends.
Those who knew Mark will fondly remember his infectious sense of humor. He was a true jokester, always ready with a witty remark or a playful prank to brighten the day of those around him.
Mark is preceded in death by his beloved mother, Clara Joyce Pruitt, father Myrix Webster Newman Sr and his Daniel Klicka Newman.. He is survived by his sons Kenneth (wife Michele), Josh (wife Liz), and Jason Newman. As well as his grandchildren Kylie, Genna, Sawyer, Aiden and Trysta Harris. who will continue to honor his memory and carry forward the legacy of love and laughter he left behind.
In accordance with the family’s wishes, no formal services will be held.
Mark’s memory will forever remain in the hearts of those who knew and loved him. May he rest in peace.
Americans’ optimism about their future is at a record low
By Linley Sanders The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Americans’ hope for their future has fallen to a new low, according to new polling.
In 2025, only about 59% of Americans gave high ratings when asked to evaluate how good their life will be in about ve years, the lowest annual measure since Gallup began asking this question almost 20 years ago.
It’s a warning about the depth of the gloom that has fallen over the country over the past few years. In the data, Gallup’s “current” and “future” lines have tended to move together over time — when Americans are feeling good about the present, they tend to feel optimistic about the future. But the most recent measures show that while current life satisfaction has declined over the last decade, future optimism has dropped even more.
The nding comes from a longstanding Gallup question that asks Americans to rate their current and future lives on a scale from 0 to 10. Those who give themselves an 8 or higher on the question about the future are categorized as optimists.
“While current life is eroding, it’s that optimism for the future that has eroded almost twice as much over the course of about that last 10 years or so,” said Dan Witters, the research director of the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index.
Gallup assesses people who rate their current life at a 7 or higher and their anticipated future at an 8 or higher as “thriving.” Fewer than half of Americans, about 48%, are now in that category.
Democrats and Hispanic Americans, in particular, were in a darker mood last year. But even with President Donald Trump back in the White
House and his party in control of both houses of Congress, Republicans aren’t feeling nearly as good about the future as they were in the last year of Trump’s rst term.
Democrats’ optimism fell signi cantly
Americans’ attitudes toward the future tend to shift when a new political party enters the White House — generally, the party in power grows more optimistic, while the party without control is more down. For instance, Democrats became more positive about the future after Joe Biden won the presi-
The bid for a sixth term could decide Senate control
By Patrick Whittle and Kimberlee Kruesi
The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine — Republican Sen. Susan Collins announced her reelection bid Tuesday, betting that she can hold onto her coveted Maine seat despite a renewed Democratic e ort to oust her in a race that could determine control of the U.S. Senate.
The campaign will test Collins’ political survival skills. The 73-year-old has won ve terms by casting herself as a re ection of Maine’s independent spirit, occasionally clashing with President Donald Trump while also largely supporting his agenda.
As she now seeks a sixth term, Collins faces outrage over immigration enforcement tactics that could become a political liability for Republican candidates across the country. A recent operation in Maine led to hundreds of arrests but also
“We are aiming to do that in Maine, North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio.”
Democrats targeting four seats to retake Senate majority
criticism that people were being rounded up even if they didn’t have criminal records.
Collins has taken credit for stopping the surge of federal agents in Maine after she spoke directly with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
However, Democrats accused Collins of not going far enough, pointing to her refusal to call for Noem’s ouster and her vote in favor of a bipartisan Homeland Security funding bill. The party needs to net four seats to retake the Senate majority, and they are aiming to do that in Maine, North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio.
Gov. Janet Mills and oyster farmer Graham Platner are among Collins’ top Democratic challengers. While many establishment Democrats and in-
uential left-leaning groups have backed Mills, Platner has gained traction with his anti-establishment image and economic equality message. He’s campaigned aggressively while facing revelations of problematic social media posts and having to cover up a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol.
Mills has accused Collins of governing “without any courage” shortly after the Republican voted in favor of funding the DHS and several other agencies in January. Platner has demanded that the agency be dismantled and said he did not believe Collins or the Trump administration’s promise to leave Maine.
Platner recently outraised both Mills and Collins in campaign fundraising, according to the latest federal lings. The rst-time candidate collected nearly $4.6 million, while Mills raised $2.7 million. Collins, who had not yet o cially launched her campaign during the ling period, had more than $8 million in cash on hand at the end of 2025.
Collins, who has said she didn’t vote for Trump in 2016,
“While current life is eroding, it’s that optimism for the future that has eroded almost twice as much over the course of about that last 10 years or so.”
Dan Witters, research director, Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index
dency, while Republicans’ outlook soured.
Witters notes that these changes typically happen “by roughly the same amount, same level of magnitude, so they cancel each other out.”
That didn’t happen in 2025.
Toward the end of Biden’s term and the start of Trump’s second term, Democrats’ optimism fell from 65% to 57%. Republicans grew more hopeful, but not enough to o set Democrats’ drop.
“The regime change in the White House almost certainly was a big driving factor in what’s happened,” Witters said.
“And a lot of that was just because the people who identi ed as Democrats really took it in the chops.”
But Republicans are still quite a bit gloomier about the future than they were in the
last year of Trump’s rst term.
A January AP-NORC poll found that while the vast majority of Republicans are still behind the president, his work on the economy hasn’t lived up to many people’s expectations.
Hispanic adults grew more pessimistic
Hispanic adults’ optimism for the near future also declined during Trump’s rst year in ofce, dropping from 69% to 63%. That decrease was sharper than among white and black Americans, something that Witters said could be tied to overall cost concerns, health care worries or alarm about Trump’s recent immigration policies.
Last year, a survey by the American Communities Project found that people living in heavily Hispanic areas were feeling less hopeful about their future than in 2024. Trump’s favorability fell among Hispanics over the course of 2025, according to AP-NORC polling, which also found that Hispanic adults reported higher levels of economic stress than other groups.
A Pew Research Center poll conducted in October found that the administration’s tough immigration enforcement is highly visible in Hispanic communities. About 6 in 10 Latinos said they had seen or heard of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids or arrests in their community in the past six months.
“(Deportations are) something that everybody can see and look at with their own eyes,” Witters added. “But if you’re Hispanic, I think it’s fair to think that that might hit a little closer to home.”
voted to convict Trump after his 2021 impeachment over his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. After Collins joined a handful of Republican colleagues in backing a failed e ort to limit the president’s ability to unilaterally use force in Venezuela, Trump said on social media that they “should never be elected to ofce again.”
But Collins has also broadly backed Trump’s agenda, including his tax and spending bill, and his nominees.
Notably, Collins voted to conrm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Trump’s choice to be secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has since espoused anti-vaccine policy and ousted public health o cials at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
She has faced down tough challenges before. Democrat Sara Gideon raised $69 million in 2020, outspending Collins in a bid to help take back the Senate during a presidential election year when the Democrats won the top of the ticket. Collins defeated Gideon by more than 8 points. Collins has remained in ofce despite Maine becoming increasingly blue. The proportion of registered Democrats has increased since her last reelection campaign, when “unenrolled” independent voters outnumbered Democrats in 2019 but now trail them in 2026. Republicans have trailed both groups for years.
A long pause in the season means there are several of make-up games for Randolph County basketball teams
By Bob Sutton Randolph Record
THERE WAS NO high school basketball played in Randolph County for two weeks, so that will make it a mad dash to the nish as teams jockey for position in their respective conferences for the nal two weeks of the regular season.
There was a boys’ game in the county Saturday when Northwood smashed host Eastern Randolph 81-53. Meanwhile, Asheboro went to Northern Guilford and lost by 69-25 in the girls’ game and by 87-50 in the boys’ game.
Plus, Faith Christian’s boys’ team was back in action for a
54-40 home victory against Calvary Christian on Friday before losing by 32-30 the next day to Woodland Baptist. Here’s a look at the championship races in various conferences at the beginning of this week, when play was expected to resume after the onslaught of weather-related postponements and schedule adjustments.
Triad Area
Athletic Conference
Boys: Asheboro won its rst three conference games and have lost twice in league play since then. The three teams above the Blue Comets in the standings had played more games than Asheboro entering this week. The Blue Comets were unable to repeat success against rst-place Northern Guilford after winning the rst matchup.
Guilford County schools returned to action prior to Asheboro getting back on the court for game action.
Girls: After winning nine nonleague games, Asheboro is fth in the conference, only defeating Northeast Guilford. After that game, the Blue Comets went more than two weeks without playing.
Four Rivers Conference
Boys: Northwood is in good shape atop the standings, but Uwharrie Charter Academy and Southwestern Randolph remain within striking distance.
Eastern Randolph has work to do to rise to the upper half of the six-team league, but it’s feasible if the Wildcats can get on a bit of a roll. Tyler Gee of Eastern Randolph had 35 points in the weekend loss to Northwood.
Girls: This is clearly a three-team race with North-
wood, Southwestern Randolph and UCA. Prior to the weather-related pause, Northwood and UCA had yet to meet, so there are numerous games likely to impact the standings. The other three teams — Jordan-Matthews, Eastern Randolph and North Moore — had a total of eight victories overall when the week began.
Piedmont Athletic Conference
Boys: Randleman has found it tough going in conference play, winning only once (compared to an 8-2 record in nonconference games). The Tigers did have a one-point loss to Lexington in their rst meeting. Coach Daniel Mitchell has pointed to the importance of compiling as many victories as possible in order to make sure the Tigers qualify for a spot in the state playo s.
Girls: Randleman is aiming to stay among the upper tier in the conference. But starting the week with a 4-3 record and three games out of rst place, a title appears unlikely for the Tigers. Central Carolina 3-A Conference
Boys: Providence Grove was unscathed in its rst ve conference games. After beating West Davidson 70-62 in their league opener, the Patriots won their next four games by double- gure margins.
Wheatmore is poised to make a run at the title, though Trinity is trying to avoid last place.
Girls: Wheatmore began the week atop the standings with a one-game edge on West Davidson. Providence Grove could factor into the race. Trinity su ered three losses by double- gure margins in the rst go-around in league play.
Caraway Speedway returns to NASCAR
The track will fall under the governing body for the upcoming season
Some teams hadn’t participated for two weeks because of postponements or cancellations
By Bob Sutton Randolph Record
POSTSEASON SCHEDULES have changed for wrestling, swimming and diving, and indoor track and eld based last week’s announcements from the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.
Citing widespread snow and hazardous travel conditions across the state that caused numerous postponements and some cancellations across the past two weeks, the NCHSAA adjusted its calendar.
Here’s an overview of those changes.
WRESTLING
The start of dual team state playo s was pushed back again, now set for this week with the rst and sec-
ond rounds. Those are contested on one day, though the date might now vary based on participating teams at each site. From there, the NCHSAA has made additional schedule adjustments. The latest is an overhaul of the structure for the regional semi nals and nals and state nals.
Those will be held on a single day — either Feb. 16 or 17 — at to-be-announced sites. This nixes a previous announcement putting the nals Feb 22 — a Sunday and the day following the end of the individual state tournament in Greensboro.
At this time, there are no changes to boys’ individual regionals or state tournament.
• Meanwhile, girls’ wrestling regionals were to be held last week and are now listed for this week, initially to be completed by Thursday. However, some of those have been shifted to Friday and Saturday to correspond with the boys’ regionals.
The championships were pushed back one week to this week.
Diving will be held at Pullen Aquatic Center in Raleigh.
Swimming is contested Thursday through Saturday — depending on the classi cation — at Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary.
Regionals scheduled for the last weekend in January were canceled because of a wintry weather forecast. State quali ers were determined based on past qualifying results and other metrics.
The state meets at JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem were moved to two di erent weeks. Class 1A/2A and Class 3A were moved to this week on Wednesday, while Class 6A and Class 4A are set for Thursday.
Class 7A and Class 5A moved to Feb. 18, while Class 8A is Feb. 19.
Randolph Record sta
SOPHIA — Caraway Speedway has rejoined the NASCAR Weekly Series.
The NASCAR sanctioning is much-sought for many regional tracks.
“We are happy to be part of the NASCAR family again,” track owner Darren Hackett said.
Hackett said he surveyed Caraway Speedway’s drivers and core race teams in January to gauge their interest in obtaining NASCAR sanctioning for the stock car racing.
NASCAR sanctioning provides drivers a chance to qualify for regional and national events. There’s also a standardized points structure along with opportunities such as regional and national Rookie of the Year.
Caraway Speedway is one several short tracks in the region that have gone back and forth in terms of NASCAR sanctioning. Ace Speedway in Altamahaw is another example of that.
Caraway Speedway’s season is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. March 8. While the opening day and other special events are held at various dates on the calendar, the track generally holds racing cards on Saturday nights.
The senior guard has been one of UCA’s top scorers for the second season in a row, averaging more than 13 points per game this season. She has more than double the number of 3-point baskets of any player on the team.
Thomas, who has been in the program for four seasons, also is averaging about three assists per game.
The Eagles are amid what’s turning out to be the best two-season stretch in program history. They’re back in action this week after more than a two-week layo because of weather-related postponements.
Sign-ups open for county’s Senior Games
Asheboro Registration is open for the Randolph County Senior Games, which are open for ages 50 and older. The competitions will take place from March 9 through April 23 in a variety of athletic events. Those events include bowling, swimming, badminton, cycling, cornhole, pickleball, tennis, track and eld, mini golf, bocce, horseshoes and shu eboard in addition to basketball shooting. Registration ends Feb. 22. Fees are $12 for online registration and $15 for paper registration. This is part of the North Carolina Senior Games, which o er additional events such as distance running, track and eld and table tennis plus competitions for basketball and softball. In conjunction with the Senior Games, there’s a SilverArts, a program for local artisans and craftspeople.
Applications accepted for youth basketball camps
Asheboro
The Randolph Electric Membership Corporation will sponsor two middle school students to attend basketball camp later this year. Working through the Cooperative All-Stars Sports Camp Scholarship program, students can apply to attend the Wolfpack Women’s Basketball Camp from June 14-17 at NC State in Raleigh or the Carolina Basketball School from June 27-30 in Chapel Hill. A girl will be picked for the Raleigh event and a boy selected for the Chapel Hill camp. Scholarships cover all expenses at the overnight camps, which are conducted on college campuses. Students who’ll be in the sixth or seventh grade for the 2026-27 school year are eligible to apply. Students must complete an online application through ncelectriccooperatives.com/community/sports-camps by March 31. More than 50 students will be awarded Cooperative All-Stars Sports Camp Scholarships from electric cooperatives in North Carolina. The program is in his 22nd year.
Jurgensen, strong-armed QB whose personality made him beloved football gure, dead at 91
The Hall of Fame quarterback was a two-way star at Duke
By Barry Wilner and Stephen Whyno The Associated Press
SONNY JURGENSEN, the Hall of Fame quarterback whose strong arm, keen wit and a able personality made him one of the most beloved gures in Washington football history, has died. He was 91.
Jurgensen’s family said he died of natural causes in Naples, Florida, after a brief stay in hospice care.
“We are enormously proud of his amazing life and accomplishments on the eld, marked not only by a golden arm but also a fearless spirit and intellect that earned him a place among the legends in Canton,” his family said in a statement. “He lived with deep appreciation for the teammates, colleagues and friends he met along the way. While he has taken his nal snap, his legacy will remain an indelible part of the city he loved and the family he built.”
Jurgensen arrived in Washington in 1964 in a surprise quarterback swap that sent Norm Snead to the Philadelphia Eagles. Over the next 11 seasons, Jurgensen rewrote the team’s record books.
He topped 3,000 yards in a season ve times, including twice with Philadelphia, in an era before rules changes opened up NFL o enses. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and remains the only Washington player to wear the No. 9 jersey in a game.
“Sonny Jurgensen is, and always will be, one of the dening legends of Washington football,” said controlling owner Josh Harris, who grew up a fan. “For me, Sonny was the embodiment of what it means to don the burgundy and gold: tough, smart and endlessly devoted to this franchise and its fans.”
Jurgensen’s four-plus decades of association with the franchise in Washington as a quarterback and then as a broadcaster made him a one-name celebrity in the nation’s capital. He was the one and only Sonny, contrary but loyal: the everyman red-headed football player with the out- of-shape belly who kept a connection with fans but could also pull out a cigar and hobnob with the team owner.
Notorious for breaking cur-
“Sonny Jurgensen is, and always will be, one of the de ning legends of Washington football.”
Josh Harris, Washington Commanders owner
few, Jurgensen was also known for ignoring coaches and joking about his less-than-ideal physique. He more than compensated with his pinpoint passing from the pocket, helping make the then-Redskins exciting and competitive again, leading the team to more victories in his rst three seasons than the club had won in its previous six.
“All I ask of my blockers is 4 seconds,” he once said. “I try to stay on my feet and not be forced out of the pocket. I beat people by throwing, not running.”
Jurgensen played through numerous injuries and even won over the notoriously tough Vince Lombardi, who coached Washington to its rst winning season in more than a decade in 1969. Lombardi said of Jurgensen, “He is the best I have seen.”
“Few players could rival Sonny Jurgensen’s genuine love of the game that continued long after his playing days,” Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said. “Watching Sonny throw a football was like watching a master craftsman create a work of art.”
Jurgensen nished his career with 2,433 completions for 32,224 yards and a 57.1 completion percentage. He threw 255 touchdown passes, 189 interceptions and had a career rating of 82.6. He made the Pro Bowl ve times, led the NFL in passing yards ve times and will always be in the record books for an untoppable 99 -yard touchdown pass to Gerry Allen in 1968.
Washingtonians too young to remember Jurgensen as a player came to adore him for his astute observations as part of the radio broadcast.
Jurgensen wouldn’t hesitate to question decisions and performances he didn’t like, especially when it came to quarterbacks. He often pined for the days when quarterbacks were allowed to call their own plays.
Born Christian Adolph Jurgensen III in Wilmington on Aug, 23, 1934, Jurgensen was a two-way star at Duke and was drafted in the fourth round by the Eagles in 1957. He sat behind Norm Van Brocklin until 1961, when he took over the starting job and threw for 3,723 yards, 32 touchdown and 24 interceptions — all league highs.
Three years later he found himself on the way to Washington on April 1, 1964.
“Someone came in and said, ‘You were traded to the Redskins,’ ” Jurgensen said in a 2007 interview. “I said ‘No, it’s April Fools’ Day, you’re kidding.’ He said, ‘No, I’m not kidding. I just heard it on the radio.’
“So I was shocked.”
17 former NC State athletes join abuse lawsuit bringing total to 31
Raleigh Seventeen additional former N.C. State male athletes have joined a state lawsuit alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine. That pushes the total number to 31 in a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete more than three years ago. The complaint expands a case alleging years of misconduct by Robert L. Murphy Jr. Allegations include improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.
NBA Arbitrator rules Rozier should receive $26.6M salary despite gambling charges
Miami
An arbitrator ruled Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier should receive his $26.6 million salary this season despite being on administrative leave because of federal gambling-related charges. Rozier’s paychecks are currently in an interest-bearing account. The National Basketball Players Association argued his case didn’t warrant salary withholding under the collective bargaining agreement. Rozier was arrested in October in a probe involving more than 30 people. He has pleaded not guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering charges. Rozier is due back in court in March.
Spire Motorsports extends Hocevar’s contract into next decade
Charlotte
Spire Motorsports signed Carson Hocevar to a long-term extension, keeping him in the No. 77 Chevrolet “into the next decade.” The deal ensures the 2024 Cup Series rookie of the year stays with the team for at least four more seasons. The 23-year-old Hocevar won his rst career Cup Series pole last year and had nine top-10 nishes. Spire is now majority owned by TWG Motorsports.
Palou headlines 5 drivers to be featured on regional milk products
Indianapolis Indianapolis 500 fans will have a chance to toast one of sports’ most iconic victory celebrations — sipping milk with former race winners. Indianapolis Motor Speedway, American Dairy Association Indiana and Prairie Farms Family of Companies will team up to o er single-serve milk bottles and cartons to fans in 20 states. The products will feature race winners on ve di erent kinds of milk. Defending champion Alex Palou headlines a group that includes 2023 and 2024 race winner Josef Newgarden, four-time race winner Helio Castroneves, 2016 race winner Alex Palou and 2008 race winner Scott Dixon.
Dresden rebombed, NAACP founded, King Tut’s tomb unsealed, Pluto discovered
FEB. 12
1554: Lady Jane Grey, who claimed the English throne for nine days, and her husband, Guildford Dudley, were beheaded after being convicted of high treason.
1809: Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was born in a log cabin at Sinking Spring Farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky.
1909: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded in New York City.
FEB. 13
1935: A jury in Flemington, New Jersey, found Bruno Richard Hauptmann guilty of rst-degree murder in the kidnap-slaying of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month- old son of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. (Hauptmann was executed the following year.)
1945: Allied forces in World War II began a three - day bombing raid on Dresden, Germany, killing as many as 25,000 people and triggering a restorm that swept through the city center.
1965: During the Vietnam War, President Lyndon B. Johnson authorized Operation Rolling Thunder, an extended bombing campaign against the North Vietnamese.
FEB. 14
1779: English explorer James Cook was killed on the island of Hawaii during a confrontation after Cook’s attempt to kidnap Hawaiian monarch
Kalaniʻōpuʻu as leverage to recover a boat stolen from one of Cook’s ships.
1876: Inventors Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray applied separately for patents related to the telephone. (The U.S. Supreme Court eventually ruled Bell the rightful inventor.)
1929: The “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” took place in a Chicago garage as seven rivals of Al Capone’s gang were gunned down.
FEB. 15
1879: President Rutherford B. Hayes signed legislation allowing female attorneys to argue cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
1898: The battleship USS Maine mysteriously exploded in Havana Harbor, killing more than 260 crew members and pushing the United States closer to war with Spain.
1933: President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt survived an assassination attempt in Miami
that mortally wounded Chicago Mayor Anton J. Cermak.
FEB. 16
1862: The Civil War Battle of Fort Donelson in Tennessee ended with the surrender of about 12,000 Confederate soldiers, a Union victory that earned Gen. Ulysses S. Grant the nickname “Unconditional Surrender Grant.”
1923: The burial chamber of King Tutankhamen’s recently discovered tomb was unsealed in Egypt by English archaeologist Howard Carter.
1959: Fidel Castro was sworn in as premier of Cuba, six weeks after dictator Fulgencio Batista was overthrown and ed into exile.
FEB. 17
1801: The U.S. House of Representatives broke an electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, electing Je erson president and making Burr vice president.
1864: During the Civil War, the Union ship USS Housatonic was rammed and sunk in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, by the Confederate hand-cranked submarine HL Hunley in the rst naval attack of its kind; the Hunley also sank.
FEB. 18
1885: Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” was published in the U.S.
1930: The dwarf planet Pluto was discovered by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh.
1970: The “Chicago Seven” defendants were found not guilty of conspiring to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention; ve were convicted of violating the Anti-Riot Act of 1968 (those convictions were later reversed).
Je rey Epstein was a longtime donor of the theater group
By Michael Casey and Leah Willingham
The Associated Press
BOSTON — Actor Michael Keaton jousted with an Oscar statue and made burgers last Friday night as he was roasted before receiving the 2026 Man of the Year by Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals.
The theater group, which dates to 1844 and claims to be the world’s third oldest still operating, presented Keaton with his Pudding Pot award during the evening celebration. Afterward, he attended a performance of Hasty Pudding’s 177th production, “Salooney Tunes.”
Hasty Pudding Theatricals gives out its Man and Woman of the Year awards to people who have made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment.
Keaton, an Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning actor, is known for roles in such lms as “Batman,” “Birdman,” “Beetlejuice” and “Spotlight.” More recently, he starred in and directed the short lm “Sweetwater” and starred in and was executive producer on the eight-part Hulu miniseries “Dopesick.”
“I thought your performance in ‘Birdman’ was subpar.”
Micheal Keaton
The ceremony opened with Keaton donning a Batman costume and chasing after an Oscar statue — a nod to the fact he never won one, though he was nominated in 2015 for “Birdman.” Keaton then jousted with the gure before stabbing it after the statue told him, “I thought your performance in ‘Birdman’ was subpar.”
He later was dressed up as a McDonald’s worker, a reference to his role-playing Ray Kroc in a movie about the making of the fast-food megachain.
Armed with a spatula, he served a single customer who increasingly demanded bigger and bigger burgers while Keaton tried his best.
“You didn’t think I could do this. Make a huge burger for the guy,” Keaton said.
Keaton then received his Pudding Pot. After spending the day on campus, he praised Harvard students.
Afterward he took questions from reporters and recalled his time working with Catherine O’Hara, the Canadian-born comic actor and “SCTV” alum who died last
week. Keaton starred alongside O’Hara in “Beetlejuice” and “The Paper,” along with the small movie “Game 6,” in which she played the ex-wife of Keaton’s character.
“I was just always a giant fan like everyone else,” Keaton said while recalling the early days of her career. “What was great about Catherine’s career to me was ... inside the comedy world, she was already kind of a goddess. ... She wasn’t really famous or anything, but we all knew how brilliant she was and how great she was and what a nice woman she was. And so then it started to take o for her.”
Keaton also recalled how much he came to admire Kroc in the making of the movie and made sure Kroc understood they would not “sugarcoat” or “soften” his portrayal.
Keaton added that for all Kroc’s faults, “He was an unbelievably hard worker. That was the thing I hung on to, that determination.”
Last week’s event came days after the Justice Department released a huge trove of records surrounding Je rey Epstein, a longtime donor to the organization. The documents provided new details about the amount of money Epstein had given to Hasty Pudding roughly between 2013 and 2019, regularly donating $50,000 each year to secure top-tier donor status.
Actor Michael Keaton receives his award during Harvard University’s annual
Pudding Theatricals Man of the Year award show at Farkas Hall last Friday
Massachusetts.
Gladwell’s ‘The American Way of Killing’ to be released in September
The author is known for bestsellers
“Blink,” “Outliers” and “Talking to Strangers”
By Hillel Italie
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — “The Tipping Point” author Malcolm Gladwell’s next book will focus on a long-running tragedy in the country’s culture, gun violence.
“The American Way of Killing” will come out Sept. 29, Little, Brown and Company announced last Thursday.
“‘The American Way of Killing’ is an argument for looking in unexpected places when trying to understand the American problem of lethal violence,” the publisher’s announcement reads in part. “Gladwell explores the profound absurdity of the way the nation handles gun violence through a series of stories — the miracle of a young gunshot victim in Washington D.C., the legal travails of a 17th century English knight,
“’The American Way of Killing’ is an argument for looking in unexpected places when trying to understand the American problem of lethal violence.” Little, Brown and Company
a professor in Alabama with a terrible secret, and a prison in Germany that would be unrecognizable to any American, among others.” The book’s audio edition, narrated by Gladwell, will be produced by Pushkin Industries and published by RBmedia.
Gladwell, 62, is a onetime New Yorker sta writer who hosts the podcast Revisionist History, from which his new book draws material. His bestsellers beside “The Tipping Point” include “Blink,” “Outliers” and “Talking to Strangers.”
Judy Blume celebrates 88, Henry Rollins turns 65, John McEnroe is 67, Yoko Ono hits 93
THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.
FEB. 12
Film director Costa-Gavras is 93. Author Judy Blume is 88. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak is 84. Country singer Moe Bandy is 82. Musician Michael McDonald is 74. Actor-talk show host Arsenio Hall is 70. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh is 61.
FEB. 13
Actor Kim Novak is 93. Actor Stockard Channing is 82. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut is 80. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski is 79. Musician Peter Gabriel is 76. Musician Peter Hook is 70. Singer-writer Henry Rollins is 65.
FEB. 14
Former New York City mayor and businessman Michael Bloomberg is 84. Saxophonist Maceo Parker is 83. Journalist Carl Bernstein is 82. Magician Teller (Penn and Teller) is 78. Opera singer Renée Fleming is 67. Actor Meg Tilly is 66.
FEB. 15
Actor Claire Bloom is 95. Songwriter Brian Holland is 85. Jazz musician Henry Threadgill is 82. Composer John Adams is 79. Cartoonist Art Spiegelman is 78. Actor Jane Seymour is 75. Actor Lynn Whit eld is 73. “The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening is 72.
FEB. 16
Businessman Carl Icahn is 90. Author Eckhart Tolle is 78. Actor William Katt is 75. Actor LeVar Burton is 69. Actor-rapper Ice-T is 68. Tennis Hall of Famer John McEnroe is 67. Football Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis is 54.
FEB. 17
Brenda Fricker is 81.
FEB. 18
Director Richard Linklater’s “Blue Moon” lands on Net ix Saturday
The Associated Press
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET
starring as a table tennis wizard in “Marty Supreme” and Charli xcx’s soundtrack to Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights” 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: Richard Linklater’s deliciously wistful “Blue Moon” starring Ethan Hawke, Aldis Hodge returning for Season 2 of “Cross” and Nintendo may have its most frenetic tennis game yet with Mario Tennis Fever.
MOVIES TO STREAM
Pull up a chair to listen to Hawke’s Lorenz Hart hold court in Linklater’s deliciously wistful “Blue Moon” (Saturday on Net ix). Linklater’s lm spends one night with the celebrated lyricist who is watching his longtime songwriter partner, Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott) move on with the premiere of “Oklahoma!” on Broadway. Hawke is nominated for best actor by the Oscars. In his review, AP Film Writer Jake Coyle called Hawke’s Hart “extraordinarily good company.”
The A24 romance “Eternity” (Friday on Apple TV) stars Elizabeth Olsen in an afterlife conundrum. In a kind of weigh-station purgatory, she must choose how to spend her afterlife, with her longtime husband (Miles Turner) or her rst love (Callum Turner), who died in World War II. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called “Eternity” “imaginative and shrewdly whimsical with an utterly charming cast.”
Another A24 hit, “Marty Supreme,” is now streaming on premium video-on-demand. It’s the rst chance to watch one of 2025’s most acclaimed and Oscar-nominated movies at home. In her review, AP’s Jocelyn Noveck called it “a nerve-busting adren-
Timothée Chalamet poses in the press room with the award for best performance by a male actor in a motion picture — musical or comedy for “Marty Supreme” at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 11. The lm is available on premium video-on-demand.
aline jolt of a movie.” Chalamet stars as a 1950s shoe salesman in New York hellbent on becoming the world’s top professional ping-pong player.
MUSIC TO STREAM
Patience is a virtue and time is luxury, particularly for those subject to the music industry. Luckily, Jill Scott, the once-in-a-generation R&B, neo-soul-and-then-some singer, plays by her own rules. On Friday, she will release “To Whom This May Concern,” her sixth studio album and rst full-length project in a decade. Lead singles “Beautiful People” and “Pressha” make it clear that this a meditative release born of experience — lush production, live instrumentation and at its center, the intimacy of Scott’s unmistakable voice like a musical north star. The album will also feature Ab-Soul, J.I.D., Tierra Whack and Too $hort.
Charli xcx’s rst full-length album since “Brat” summer came and went is the soundtrack
to Emerald Fennell’s starry adaptation of Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights,” out Friday. It might be wise not to expect the neon chartreuse of her rave work; the rst taste came in the form of “House” featuring John Cale, an industrial, goth-
ic introduction to the romance. That song, to quote Charli quoting Cale, is both “elegant and brutal.” Other moments contain Charli’s signatures: autotuned vocals, unexpected production, shackled pop hooks. If that resonates, begin with
“Marty Supreme” is a nerve-busting adrenaline jolt of a movie.”
Jocelyn Noveck, AP Film Writer
“Wall of Sound” and “Chains of Love.”
SERIES TO STREAM
Hodge is back as Alex Cross, the detective created by novelist James Patterson, in Season 2 of “Cross” for Prime Video. In the new episodes, Cross is on the case of a serial killer hunting corrupt billionaire.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
While most of the world is watching the Winter Olympics, our friends in the Mushroom Kingdom are hitting the courts in Mario Tennis Fever. This could be Nintendo’s most frenetic tennis game yet, thanks to “fever rackets” that let you uncork reballs, lightning bolts, tornadoes and other e ects against your opponents. You can play singles or doubles matches against friends, choosing from a cast of 38 favorites like Princess Peach, Donkey Kong and Yoshi. Or you can play solo in an adventure that turns Mario and company into babies who have to learn tennis skills before they can grow up. Opening serve comes Thursday on Switch 2.
Tokyo’s Grasshopper Manufacture has built a reputation over the years with extravagantly gory games like No More Heroes and Lollipop Chainsaw. Its latest is Romeo is a Dead Man, in which the studio promises “super bloody action” and “crazy twists and turns to blow players’ minds.” Romeo Stargazer is an FBI agent hunting fugitives across multiple universes after the space-time continuum collapses. He can wield swords, guns and more futuristic weapons, and he can summon small minions to attack en masse. And yes, there is a missing girlfriend named Juliet. Let these violent delights commence on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.
James and Kimberly Stewart are the owners of Stewart’s
theRising Business Award for The
ICE chief defends o cers’ actions before Congress after deaths of 2 protesters Washington, D.C. The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is defending his o cers, saying they won’t be intimidated while carrying out President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda. Todd Lyons, along with other agency leaders, faced tough questions from Democrats during a congressional hearing Tuesday. Lyons blamed elected o cials for rhetoric that endangers o cers. The hearing followed recent scrutiny after two protesters were shot and killed by Homeland Security o cers in Minneapolis. Democrats have criticized the administration’s immigration policies, while o cials argue their actions make the country safer. The hearing marks the rst time these leaders have appeared in Congress since receiving increased funding.
Trump set to change U.S. climate change policy, environmental regulations
A White House o cial said the Trump administration is expected this week to revoke a scienti c nding that long has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and ght climate change. The EPA will issue a nal rule rescinding a 2009 government declaration known as the endangerment nding. That Obama-era policy determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. Legal challenges are certain.
and
On Jan. 29 the
The district is hoping to get commission approval for upgraded HVAC systems as well
By Ryan Henkel North State Journal
RAEFORD — The Hoke County Board of Education approved a contract with Thomas Plumbing for bathroom renovations at Hoke County High School at its Feb. 10 meeting.
The board had initially been awaiting approval from the Hoke County Board of Commissioners to utilize an additional $16,000 in funding for the installation of mini-split systems to assist with the air ow in the bathrooms.
“We have not been in front of the county commissioners at this time, however, we have
shared the documentation and the explanations to support the provided documentation with the request to the county commissioners,” said Assistant Superintendent Chad Hunt. “We are waiting to hear back from them for approval to be on the agenda.”
Hunt stated that if the commissioners do approve the request, the district will be able to amend the board’s decision to reect that.
The district had put the item out for bidding twice previously but received only a single formal bid back.
Thomas Plumbing stated that they would do the project for $149,000 — the commissioners had approved a budget of $150,000 for the work — however, as they were reviewing the project, the idea for the
mini-split installation came up, prompting the request for an additional $16,000.
“The reason why I’m asking for this to be approved is because in the RFP it does have a May 1 deadline with the work to be completed,” Hunt said. “Also, the $16,000 for reallocating at the county commissioners’ discretion is only for the mini-splits that go into the restrooms, not for anything else.”
According to Hunt, the $16,000 is to be reallocated from savings that the district has built up over the course of the year.
“From the projects we’ve completed this year, we’ve saved a little over $100,000, so we’d be asking to use $16,000 of that,” Hunt said.
The item had been tabled a few times as the board awaited con rmation from the commis-
sioners, but it became apparent that they were tired of waiting.
“Our students have to have bathrooms on that side of campus, we have deadlines to meet and we can’t keep dragging this out,” said board member Jessica Brown. “We have to have a bathroom, and if the county won’t give us $16,000 when they’re about to spend $500,000 on the America 250 project, then I’ll personally pay $16,000 to do this.”
The board also approved the calendar for the 2026-27 school year.
The calendar would see school start on Aug. 24, 2026, with spring break running from March 29 through April 2, 2027, and the last day of school being May 26, 2027. The Hoke County Schools Board of Education will next meet March 10.
Large crowds marked the end of their 2,300-mile journey
By Ti any Stanley and Deepa Bharath The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. —
A group of Buddhist monks reached Washington, D.C., on foot Tuesday, walking single le across a bridge over the Potomac River to cap a 15-week trek from Texas that has captivated the country.
The monks in their sa ron robes have become xtures on social media, along with their rescue dog Aloka. After spending Monday night at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, they crossed over the Chain Bridge into the District of Columbia shortly after 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
They walk to advocate for peace. That simple message has resonated across the U.S. as a welcome respite from con ict and political divisions. Thousands gathered along Southern roadsides — often in unusually chilly weather — to watch the monks’ quiet procession that began in late October.
Large crowds greeted them during their two-day stay in Washington. The Metropolitan Police Department issued a tra c advisory announcing there would be “rolling road closures” along the monks’ route to ensure safety for them and spectators.
“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and nd peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader
MONKS from page A1
who has taught about mindfulness at stops along the way.
The monks planned to mark the last days of their Walk for Peace with outdoor appearances at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday and the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday.
“Their long journey and gentle witness invite us all to deepen our commitment to compassion and the work of peace in our communities,” said Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde, who will help host an interfaith reception for the monks at the cathedral.
The monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies. Millions have followed them online, and crowds have greeted them at numerous venues, from a church in Opelika, Alabama, to City Hall in Richmond, Virginia.
Mark Duykers, a retired mechanical engineer who practices mindfulness, said he and his wife will drive 550 miles from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Washington, D.C., to see the monks.
“In these divisive times, we saw entire towns in the Bible Belt coming out for these monks — having no idea of what Buddhism is — but being uplifted and moved by it,” he said. “That’s inspirational.”
Nineteen monks began the 2,300-mile journey from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth on Oct. 26, 2025. They came from Theravada Buddhist monasteries around the globe, led by Pannakara, who is vice president of the Fort Worth temple.
While in the U.S. capital, they planned to submit a request to lawmakers to declare Vesak — Buddha’s birthday — a national holiday. But, Pannakara and others have emphasized that is not the goal of the walk.
Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the temple, said the walk is neither a political movement nor is it focused on advocacy or legislation.
“It’s a spiritual o ering, an invitation to live peace through everyday actions, mindful steps and open hearts,” he said. “We believe when peace is cultivated within, it naturally ripples outward into society.”
The trek has had its perils,
THURSDAY FEB. 12
13
By Paul Wiseman The Associated Press
U.S. employers added a surprisingly strong 130,000 jobs last month, but government revisions cut 2024-2025 U.S. payrolls by hundreds of thousands.
The unemployment rate fell to 4.3%, the Labor Department said Wednesday.
The report included major revisions that reduced the number of jobs created last year to just 181,000, a third of the previously reported 584,000 and the weakest since the pandemic year of 2020.
The job market has been sluggish for months even though the economy is registering solid growth.
But the January numbers came in stronger than the 75,000 economists had expected. Healthcare accounted for nearly 82,000, or more than 60%, of last month’s new jobs. Factories added 5,000, snapping a streak of 13 straight months of job losses. The federal government shed 34,000 jobs.
Average hourly wages rose a
“In these divisive times, we saw entire towns in the Bible Belt coming out for these monks — having no idea of what Buddhism is — but being uplifted and moved by it. That’s inspirational.”
Mark Duykers, retired engineer from Michigan
and local law enforcement ocers have provided security. In November outside Houston, the monks were walking on the side of a highway when their escort vehicle was hit by a truck. Two monks were injured; one had his leg amputated.
Some of the monks, including Pannakara, have walked barefoot or in socks for most of the journey to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment. As they have pressed on through snow and cold, they’ve at times donned winter boots.
Peace walks are a cherished tradition in Theravada Buddhism. Pannakara rst encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means “divine light” in Sanskrit, during a 112-day journey across India in 2022.
The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha as core to attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection, observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and su ering.
On Tuesday, the monks will complete 108 days of walking. It’s a sacred number in Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. It represents spiritual completion, cosmic order and the wholeness of existence.
The monks’ return trip should be less arduous. After an appearance at Maryland’s Capitol, a bus will take them back to Texas, where they expect to arrive in downtown Fort Worth early on Saturday.
From there, the monks will walk together again, traversing 6 miles to the temple where their trip began.
solid 0.4% from December to January.
The unemployment rate fell from 4.4% in December as the number of employed Americans rose and the number of unemployed fell.
“The surprisingly strong job gains in January were driven mainly by health care and social assistance,” Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, wrote in a commentary. “But it is enough to stabilize the job market and send the unemployment rate slightly lower. This is still a largely frozen job market, but it is stabilizing. That’s an encouraging sign to start the year, especially after the hiring recession in 2025.”
Weak hiring over the past year re ects the lingering impact of high interest rates, billionaire Elon Musk’s purge last year of the federal workforce and uncertainty arising from President Donald Trump’s erratic trade policies, which have left businesses less willing to hire.
Dreary numbers had been coming in ahead of Wednesday’s report. Employers posted just 6.5 million job openings in
December, fewest in more than ve years. Payroll processor ADP reported last week that private employers added 22,000 jobs in January, far fewer than economists had forecast. And the outplacement rm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that companies slashed more than 108,000 jobs last month, the most since October and the worst January for job cuts since 2009.
Several well-known companies announced layo s last month. UPS is cutting 30,000 jobs. Chemicals giant Dow, shifting to more automation and arti cial intelligence, is cutting 4,500 jobs. And Amazon is slashing 16,000 corporate jobs, its second round of mass layo s in three months. The sluggish job market doesn’t match the economy’s performance.
From July to September, America’s gross domestic product — its output of goods and services — galloped ahead at a 4.4% annual pace, the fastest in two years. Consumer spending was strong, and growth got a boost from rising exports and tumbling imports. And
that came on top of solid 3.8% growth from April through June.
Economists are puzzling out whether job creation will eventually accelerate to catch up to strong growth, perhaps as President Donald Trump’s tax cuts translate into big tax refunds that consumers start spending this year. But there are other possibilities. GDP growth could slow and fall into line with a weak labor market, or advances in AI and automation could mean that the economy can roar ahead without creating many jobs. The jobs report Wednesday could lead the Federal Reserve to further delay any new cuts in its key interest rate. Some Fed o cials have speci cally argued that last year’s weak hiring is evidence that borrowing costs are too high and are weighing on growth and discouraging companies from expanding. But a pickup in hiring, if sustained, undercuts that view.
The odds of a rate cut in April fell sharply after the jobs report, according to futures markets, from 36% on Tuesday to just below 19% Wednesday, CME Fedwatch said.
Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
COLUMN | LARRY ELDER
Mass deportation: Who was more ‘inhumane’ — Obama or Trump?
Obama did not inherit an administration that allowed in 10 million to 15 million illegal aliens.
THOSE WHO CLAIM President Barack Obama deported illegal aliens more “humanely” make the following assertions:
a) ICE didn’t go into the streets under Obama; b) there were no street activists/ protesters/agitators; c) ICE only deported those with criminal records beyond illegal entry or illegally overstaying; d) Obama’s deportation numbers largely include “returns” or those deported at the border; e) the Obama administration did not engage in “lawlessness”; and f) ICE and/ or Customs and Border Patrol arrested only illegal aliens after rst securing a judicial warrant.
As for a), under Obama, ICE did go into the streets, including into the interior and into “sanctuary” cities like Chicago. Watch “Lost in Detention,” a 2011 episode of the PBS “Frontline” program, where, for example, an illegal alien mother stopped in Illinois for making an illegal lane change was ultimately deported back to Mexico. Consider this X post: “... As someone who worked during (the Obama administration), it’s simple. All the ‘sanctuary cities,’ including mine, cooperated fully with ICE and Homeland. ... So this, in fact, is politicians’ fault because they pick and choose who they want to cooperate with ...”
As for b), the media/Dems loved Obama, so they looked the other way. Again, under Obama, there was greater cooperation between local, state and federal o cials. In fact, several cities and states adopted sanctuary policies because of this cooperation. The think tank Niskanen Center wrote: “The Secure Communities program allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue detainers for anyone detained by local law enforcement. ... Homeland Security Secretary
Janet Napolitano (in October 2010) stated that DHS ‘did not view (Secure Communities) as an opt-in, opt-out program ...
“In response, multiple local jurisdictions, including Cook County, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., passed legislation to limit local compliance with immigration detainers, thus creating sanctuary cities.”
There was no “ICE Watch” to alert activists and protesters. And Obama did not inherit an administration that allowed in 10 million to 15 million illegal aliens.
As for c), deporting only those with “criminal records,” this is from the “nonpartisan” factcheck.org, in January 2026, about the Trump administration: “Those with criminal convictions or pending charges represented 66% of arrests, which the administration has rounded up to 70%.”
About deportations with criminal records under Obama, in April 2016, The Washington Post wrote:
“While the number of deportations of illegal immigrants with criminal records has declined in recent years, last year this group made up almost 60 percent of the total number expelled from the country, the largest percentage in recent memory.”
As for d) that Obama deportation numbers mostly included those at the border, the left-leaning fact-check site snopes.com wrote:
“The claim that immigration authorities deported more than 3 million people during the Obama administration (2009-17) is accurate based on ‘formal removal’ gures reported by the DHS. When including ‘returns’ (those removed at the border), however, the total exceeds 5 million.”
As for e), Trump’s supposed lawless deportations, economist John Lott of the Crime Prevention Research Center wrote:
Don’t abuse the word ‘protest’
If Pretti was an “observer,” he was observing how much unhinged behavior he could get away with.
ALEX PRETTI WASN’T killed while “protesting.” This is a common description of what he was doing on a Minneapolis street the fateful morning when a confrontation with federal immigration agents ended in his tragic shooting. But if Pretti had been a mere protester, he’d very likely be alive today.
Now that we’ve seen videos of an earlier struggle with federal agents and learned more about the organized nature of the anti-ICE resistance, it’s become clear that the better word for Pretti was agitator, or perhaps even operative.
A protester, as typically understood, is someone who is making a point, often as part of a gathering of other like-minded people and, usually but not always, in opposition to something.
A protester might hold a sign outside a coal- red power plant calling for it to shut down. He might go to Union Square Park to hear speeches from bullhorns whenever something happens that outrages the left. He might march against the Iraq War or the Vietnam War — or in favor of Hamas.
This kind of activity is not to everyone’s taste — personally, I hate the drums and the chants — but there is no doubt that it is a legitimate form of political advocacy. Depending on the cause, it can even be admirable. What we’ve seen in Minneapolis, though,
is often quite di erent. Run-of-the-mill protesters don’t seek out federal agents and harass and obstruct them. They don’t follow and block their vehicles or establish a robust communications network to deploy resources to create maximum disruption of their operations.
Pretti was part of this e ort, which is more a form of low-level and (by and large) nonviolent insurgency than conventional protest. In his rst confrontation, 11 days before his death, Pretti was every bit an anti-ICE street brawler. He challenged, at close quarters, an agent to assault him while screaming insults at him. He spat on a federal vehicle and kicked out its taillight.
If Pretti was an “observer,” in the euphemism preferred by anti-ICE politicians and activists, he was observing how much unhinged behavior he could get away with. There’s no doubt that at this event, he was the violent instigator.
After Pretti damaged the vehicle, agents got out and pushed him to the ground. For all the talk of ICE being the equivalent of the Gestapo, they didn’t even bother to arrest him despite his having committed a crime. If he’d been arrested and charged, Pretti might never have shown up at the other ICE operation and would still be with us today.
That Pretti, we now know, made it a practice
“The 170 ICE-detained US citizens ... included about 130 arrested for interfering with or assaulting o cers ... justi able under any reading of the law ...
“Only about 40 or so of those who were detained claimed to be US citizens accidentally or erroneously arrested by ICE. ... Most were released in a few hours. ... 40 mistakes out of 595,000 arrests amounts to an error rate of just 0.0067% — roughly one wrongful detention for every 14,925 arrests.
“By contrast (during the Obama administration) ... in scal years 2015 and 2016, ICE recorded 263 mistaken arrests, 54 mistaken detentions (book-ins), and four mistaken removals ... about one mistake for every 4,444 arrests ...
“During the course of Obama’s two terms, from 2009 to 2017, 56 individuals died in ICE custody. ... 56 deaths translates into a rate of 0.007% — roughly one death for every 14,314 detainees.
“By comparison, the rate last year under Trump was slightly lower: 0.0054%, or one death for every 18,594 detainees.
“... Trump made no erroneous deportations through November.”
This brings us to f) about judicial warrants. Snopes.com wrote: “Over the eight-year period of the Obama administration, the percentage of removals carried out without a hearing before an immigration judge ranged from approximately 58% to 84%, averaging roughly 74%.”
What a di erence an administration makes. Or rather, what a di erence the media coverage of an administration makes.
Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host.
(Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
to court violent encounters with federal agents while armed was incredibly irresponsible. He was fortunate that the rst struggle didn’t escalate into something much more hazardous to him and to others if an agent had noticed his gun. The rearm wouldn’t have been an issue in the second incident, meanwhile, if he’d really been protesting. If that were the case, he would have stayed on the sidewalk and held up a sign, or chanted, “ICE go home,” and the o cers might have been annoyed, but there never would have been an interaction to potentially go catastrophically wrong.
The calculation in Minneapolis, though, has been that this kind of benign activity is less e ective than direct action, and unfortunately — with public opinion swinging against Operation Metro Surge — this assessment looks to be accurate.
Why simply express a point of view when you can act to stop arrests and to create a hostile, threatening environment for agents?
This doesn’t mean that Pretti got what he deserved or that the o cers acted appropriately. It does mean that the state and city o cials should have been telling people not to “monitor” DHS activity, but to stay well clear of legitimate law-enforcement activities.
Reasonable people can disagree about the desirability of the goal that Pretti was pursuing, but there’s no doubt about how he was going about it, and it didn’t involve conventional protest.
Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review.
An admiral pushed for smaller deployments over big strike groups
By Konstantin Toropin
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy’s top uniformed o cer wants to convince commanders to use smaller, newer ships and other assets for missions instead of consistently turning to huge aircraft carriers — as seen now in the American military buildups o Venezuela and Iran.
Adm. Daryl Caudle’s vision — what he calls his “Fighting Instructions” — calls for the Navy to deploy more tailored groups of ships and equipment that would o er the sea service more exibility to respond to crises as they develop.
Caudle spoke to The Associated Press before the rollout of the new strategy, which comes as the Trump administration has moved aircraft carriers and other ships to regions around the world to address emerging concerns. This has disrupted standing deployment plans, scrambled ships to sail thousands of miles and put increasing strain on vessels and equipment that are already facing mounting maintenance issues.
The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, was redirected late last year from the Mediterranean Sea to the Caribbean Sea, where the crew ultimately supported last month’s operation to capture then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. And two weeks ago, the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East as tensions with Iran rise, having been pulled from the South China Sea.
In an interview, Caudle said his strategy would make the Navy’s presence in regions like the Caribbean much leaner and better tailored to meet actual threats.
He said he’s already spoken with the commander of U.S. Southern Command, which encompasses the Caribbean and Venezuela, “and we’re in negotiation on what his problem set is — I want to be able to convey that I can meet that with a tailored package there.”
Admiral sees a smaller contingent in the Caribbean in the future
Speaking broadly, Caudle said he envisions the mission in the Caribbean focusing more on interdictions and keeping an eye on merchant shipping.
The U.S. military has already seized multiple suspicious and falsely agged tankers connected with Venezuela that were part of a global shadow eet of merchant vessels that help governments evade sanctions.
“That doesn’t really require a carrier strike group to do that,” Caudle said, adding that he believes the mission could be done with some smaller littoral combat ships, Navy helicopters and
“That doesn’t really require a carrier strike group to do that. It’s really not a well-suited match for that mission.”
Adm. Daryl Caudle, chief of naval operations
close coordination with the Coast Guard.
The Navy has had 11 ships, including the Ford and several amphibious assault ships with thousands of Marines, in South American waters for months.
It is a major shift for a region that has historically seen deployments of one or two smaller Navy ships.
“I don’t want a lot of destroyers there driving around just to actually operate the radar to get awareness on motor vessels and other tankers coming out of port,” Caudle said. “It’s really not a well-suited match for that mission.”
Turning to drones or robotic systems
To compensate, Caudle envisions leaning more heavily on drones or other robotic systems to o er military commanders the same capabilities but with less investment from Navy ships. He acknowledges this will not be an easy sell.
Caudle said even if a commander knows about a new capability, the sta “may not know how to ask for that, integrate it, and know how to employ it in an e ective way to bring this new niche capability to bear.”
“That requires a bit of an ed-
ucation campaign here,” he later added.
President Donald Trump has favored large and bold responses from the Navy and has leaned heavily toward displays of repower.
Trump has referred to aircraft carriers and their accompanying destroyers as armadas and otillas. He also revived the historic battleship title for a planned type of ship that would sport hypersonic missiles, nuclear cruise missiles, rail guns and high-powered lasers.
If built, the proposed “Trump-class battleship” would be longer and larger than the World War II-era Iowa-class battleships, though
the Navy has not only struggled to eld some of the technologies that Trump says will be aboard but it has had challenges building even smaller, less sophisticated ships on time and on budget.
Given this trend, Caudle said if the Lincoln’s recent redeployment to the Middle East were to happen under his new plan, he would talk with the Indo-Paci c commander about how to compensate for the loss.
“So, as Abraham Lincoln comes out, I’ve got a three ship (group) that’s going to compensate for that,” Caudle suggested as an example.
He said this could apply soon in the Bering Strait, which separates Russia and Alaska, noting that “the importance of the Arctic continues to get more and more prevalent” as China, Russia and the U.S. prioritize the region.
Trump has cited the threat from China and Russia in his demands to take over Greenland, the Arctic island overseen by NATO ally Denmark.
Caudle said he knows he needs to o er the commanders in that region “more solutions” and his “tailored force packages would be a way to get after that.”
Caudle argues that his vision already is in place and working in Europe and North America “for the last four or ve years.”
The Bucks send four bowlers to states
North State Journal sta Bowling
The Hoke County boys’ bowling team took rst place in the conference meet, qualifying for states in the process.
In addition, four Bucks bowlers quali ed for states as individuals. Junior Amir Simmons won the individual conference title, nishing rst overall. Senior Jayden Hollingsworth placed fth. Senior Adrian Arroyo was ninth, and sophomore Landon Hollingsworth placed tenth.
Swimming
The Hoke boys’ and girls’ swim teams each nished in fth place in the Mid-South 8A/7A conference meet.
On the boys’ side, the 400 free relay team of Alek Albright, Noah Colon-Nieves, Jayden Valazquez-Gordon and Brandon Jimenes nished third, qualifying for regionals. The 200 medley relay team of Aiden Jimenez,
Deagen Jeter, Brandon Jimenez and Albright nished fth, qualifying for regionals.
In individual competition, Colon-Nieves nished fth in the 200 free and sixth in the 50 free.
Valazquez-Gordon nished sixth in the 200 free.
Aiden Jimenez was sixth in the 200 IM.
Albright nished sixth in the 100 free and seventh in the 50 free.
Jeter nished fth in the 100 y. For the girls, Nicole Negron nished sixth in the 200 IM.
Laura Pena-Laverde nished sixth in the 500 free and the 100 back.
The rookie star is the key piece of Dallas’ rebuilding e ort
By Schuyler Dixon
The Associated Press
DALLAS — Cooper Flagg is in the midst of an unprecedented run for an NBA teenager just as the Dallas Mavericks are rmly declaring their rookie No. 1 pick the future face of the franchise.
The day was coming regardless. It arrived with Dallas trading Anthony Davis, the 10-time All-Star who joined the Mavs in a deal that cost them generational superstar Luka Doncic and sent their fans into a funk from which they’re still recovering.
“We have an unbelievable player in Cooper Flagg,” co-interim general manager Michael Finley, a former Mavericks player, said during the announcement of a three-team trade involving nine players and ve draft picks that are all going to Dallas.
“When you have that type of draft capital, it gives yourself the ability to go out and put the proper pieces around him to make our team, like I keep stressing, a championship contender.”
The Mavericks got Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson and Marvin Bagley III along with two rst-round picks and three second-rounders from Washington for Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum. Malaki Branham also was part of the deal for Dallas,
Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg gives instructions during the rst half of a game against Houston.
which then traded him to Charlotte for Tyus Jones.
“It’s tough. Those are guys I came in here my rst year, they were all amazing guys to be around on and o the court,” Flagg said. “I wish them all the best. And I’m just blessed to be here. Whoever’s out there on the court with me, and the rest of the guys, just looking forward to continuing to try to get better and compete at a really high level.” Flagg set an NBA record for
a teenager with four consecutive games with at least 30 points, ending the run with 32 points in a 135-123 loss to the San Antonio Spurs last Thursday night. The run started with the 19-year-old setting a league scoring record for a teen with 49 points against Charlotte. Flagg followed that with 34 points against Houston and 36 against Boston.
See FLAGG, page B2
Jacobi Simmons is a senior for the Hoke County boys’ basketball team. He also runs track for the Bucks.
Hoke got 67-62 win over Richmond last week. Simmons was one of two Bucks to reach double gures, scoring 10 points and getting to the free-throw line seven times. He also tied for the team high with four assists.
For the year, Simmons is second on the team in assists and steals and third in 3-point shooting.
The same man has done the postgame celebration for 30 years
By Donna Gordon Blankinship
The Associated Press
NOAH WINTER brags he’s been to way more Super Bowls than Tom Brady.
Brady competed in 10 — more than any other player. But Winter was part of the Super Bowl spectacle for his 30th straight year this year, not in uniform but as the guy in charge of the celebratory confetti after the game ends.
Winter’s company, Artistry in Motion, also makes confetti for rock concerts, movies, political conventions and the Olympics. But the annual blizzard of color falling onto the eld at the end of each Super Bowl is probably what he’s best known for.
It certainly is what he’s most likely to get asked about at dinner parties.
“It’s become an iconic moment,” Winter marvels, sitting in his Northridge, California, ofce and confetti factory.
Jane Gershovich, a photographer who worked for the Seattle Seahawks when they won the Super Bowl in 2014, said that when the confetti falls, everyone wants to play in it. The players and their families have been known to toss it in the air and make confetti angels.
“Just seeing the players and their kids engage with it at such a wholesome level, it brings a lot of joy to everyone on the eld,” she said.
So, what goes into planning and executing a giant confetti drop? Winter elded some questions.
What happens to the losing team’s confetti?
Artistry in Motion trucks 300 pounds of two-colored confetti for each of the teams to the Super Bowl. They bring confetti cannons onto the eld with about 4 minutes remaining, and line them up around the stadium walls.
Even if the teams stream onto the eld before the clock runs out, the confetti waits until the timer shows the game is o cially
from page B1
The Mavericks lost all four games during Flagg’s surge and were on a season-worst seven-game losing streak through last weekend, which helps explain why the Mavericks moved on from the oft-injured Davis, currently sidelined by a hand injury, and chose another retooling of the roster over the chance to see Davis, Flagg and star guard Kyrie Irving on the court together.
“I think, as a fan, you proba-
over. And the winners’ colors get the go-ahead.
“It’s always better to be late then early,” Winter explained. “Sometimes players go out and shake hands. We don’t launch until triple zero on the clock. Over the 30 years, we never have launched the wrong color or launched too early.”
The color mix is not 50-50, because some colors dominate on video, so the company has to experiment to nd the correct mix. Massachusetts company Seaman Paper has for 25 years manufactured the tissue paper that Artistry in Motion turns into confetti, said Jamie Jones, one of Seaman’s owners. A lot of New England Patriots fans who work there are particularly excited about their part in this year’s Super Bowl.
bly would want to see AD, Kyrie, and Cooper on the court,” said Finley, who shares the interim GM title with Matt Riccardi. “But we had an opportunity to do something to give us the ultimate exibility in the future. We just felt that this was an opportunity to take advantage of that situation.”
When the Mavericks converted a 1.8% chance in the draft lottery for the right to select Flagg last summer, there was hope that the fog of losing Doncic would clear.
The company makes about 150,000 pounds of tissue paper a day — mostly for gift wrapping and food service.
“It’s a very prestigious but not big order,” Jones said of the Super Bowl paper.
How do you get the best utter?
Winter has found that a rectangular shape is best for confetti because it turns on its axis and hangs in the air.
But TV viewers might not realize that there are actually two confetti drops at the Super Bowl — one at game’s end, and the other when the Vince Lombardi Trophy is presented to the winning team. That second round of confetti is cut in the silhouette of the trophy.
Instead, Davis’ injury woes returned amid a slow start by the team this season
The Mavericks red general manager Nico Harrison in November.
Now they’ve moved on from their centerpiece in that deal, but Irving is the biggest remaining piece from the team that he and Doncic led to the NBA Finals less than two years ago.
Finley indicated the Mavs still have a vision of Flagg and Irving — both one-and-done
Messages can be printed on the tiny rectangles too. For a handful of Super Bowls, Artistry in Motion printed social media messages on each tiny ag at the request of event sponsor Twitter.
Some people ask whether the confetti is cut by hand (it isn’t), and Winter jokes that his hands get tired.
How do you get into the confetti business?
Winter studied lighting design in college and did pyrotechnic work at venues including the Hollywood Bowl before Disney asked his team to recreate leaves falling and twirling for a live “Pocahontas” show in the mid-1980s. Soon, he was creating confetti for Disney’s daily parade at Disneyland.
No. 1 overall picks from Duke sharing the court at some point.
“We’ve both spoken to Kyrie at di erent points,” Finley said, referring to Riccardi. “Kyrie has the ultimate respect for Cooper. He loves the kid’s work ethic. He loves the kid’s love for the game. And I think Kyrie’s embracing the role as a mentor to Cooper. So it’s going to be amazing to have a chance to see those guys on the court and playing together.”
Coach Jason Kidd, the point
In 1986, Mick Jagger saw the confetti at Disney and asked Artistry in Motion to make some for a Rolling Stones’ concert at Dodgers Stadium. Then, he brought the edgling confetti company on tour. Other artists, including Bono from U2, asked that confetti be made for their shows as well.
Stadium concerts led to sporting events. The company’s rst Super Bowl was in 1997. The year before that, Winter had been a pyrotechnician at the Super Bowl, making this year’s game his 30th.
Winter wouldn’t admit to having a favorite team, but he did say he has two brothers who are New York Jets fans, and he has promised to bring them to the Super Bowl to work a confetti cannon if their team ever returns.
guard for the franchise’s only championship team in 2011, believes Flagg has the makings of a franchise leader and the perseverance to work toward that rst postseason chance.
“The bigger the stage, the bigger the light, the better game he has,” Kidd said. “He wants to win. The 49 (points), the 36, they all have L’s behind it. He wants the change that. He wants to win. I think the great ones learn how to change those L’s into W’s, and he’s going to be one of those.”
Olivia Ray
Jan. 10, 1993 – Feb. 4, 2026
Ms. Olivia Simone Ray, age 33, went home to be with her Heavenly Father on February 4, 2026. The Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, February 16, at 1 p.m. at the Pauline T. Buie Chapel.
Olivia will be greatly missed.
Feb. 22, 1954 – Jan. 31, 2026
DeLarry McLean was born to the late John Will McCall and Creola McLean on February 22, 1954. He departed this earthly life on January 31, 2026 at the FirstHealth Hospice House.
DeLarry attended Hoke County High School in Raeford, NC and graduated in 1974. While employed at Burlington Industries as a machine operator, he married a “Heavenly Angel”, Joyce Irene McLean. During his early stages of life, he became a Freemason, an auto technician, and worked on various housing projects.
DeLarry was a devoted family man as he enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren. He was a man of many trades, however, his true passions consisted of shing, trapping, gardening, cooking and growing plants and owers. He was a thoughtful, considerate, kind-hearted, courageous man that enjoyed nature, having a good time and conversing with family, friends and complete strangers.
During his mid to later stages of life, DeLarry retired, began helping others with situational circumstances, and became an avid Duke Basketball fan.
Priceless memories will forever be engraved in the hearts of those he cherished. His children: Damaris (Toya) McLean of Chapel Hill, N.C.; Darius (Serea) McLean of Fayetteville, N.C.; Damien McLean, DeLarry McLean II, and Chris Henning of Raeford, N.C. Six Brothers: Calvin (Rhonda) McLean of Southern Pines, N.C., Marcus McCall of Maryland, Kenneth (Teresa) McLean, Timothy Wiggins, Perry Wiggins, and Donnell Wiggins of Raeford, N.C. Two Sisters: Michelle McLean Monroe of Raeford, N.C. and preceded in death, Margaret Wiggins. 11 grandchildren; Aunts: Pecola McLean of Raeford, N.C. and Lindsey Bell of Fayetteville, N.C.; “Bother” InLaw: Robert (Ruth) McLean of Fairmont, N.C. Preceded him in death: Special Dad Roscoe Wiggins, “Angel” Joyce McLean, and a host of relatives and friends.
Dec. 19, 1951 – Feb. 1, 2026
Rudene Willoughby McDougald, 74, of Rockingham, North Carolina, passed away on February 1, 2026, leaving behind a legacy stitched together with love, patience, and quiet strength.
Rudene had a gift that went far beyond sewing— though anyone who knew her would tell you she could make anything with a needle and thread. Her hands were always busy creating something for someone she loved: a dress for a granddaughter, a quilt to keep someone warm, a costume for a school play, a hem xed just in time. Her sewing wasn’t just a hobby; it was one of the ways she cared for people. Every stitch carried her tenderness.
She spent much of her working life with Walmart and B.C. Moore’s, where she was known for her reliability, her kindness, and her ability to brighten even the busiest days. But her true life’s work was her family. Nothing brought her more joy than being surrounded by the people she loved.
Rudene was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 48 years, Daniel “Danny” Archie McDougald III, with whom she built a life full of love, laughter, and shared memories. She is also preceded by her parents, Mr. Braxton Willoughby and Mrs. Thelma Caulder Willoughby, and her sister Fran Willoughby. She leaves behind her children—Dana Hall, Daniel (Lisa) McDougald, David (Susan) McDougald, Donna (Tony) McDougald, and Diana McDougald—who will forever carry her lessons, her humor, and her unwavering love. She was blessed with 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, each one a source of pride and joy. She is also survived by her brothers Wallace, Bruce, and Matthew Willoughby, and her sister Myra Robinson, who shared in her stories, her laughter, and her roots. To know Rudene was to love her. She had a sweetness about her—a gentle spirit that made people feel welcome, understood, and cared for. She didn’t need grand gestures to make an impact; her presence alone was enough. Her family will forever remember her favorite words, “I love you to the moon and back,” a phrase she meant with her whole heart. Her absence will be felt deeply by all who were lucky enough to be part of her world. Services will be held at a later date.
July 14, 1961 – Jan. 31, 2026
Mrs. Doris Jean “Sherry” Jacobs, age 64 of Red Springs, North Carolina, was born on July 14, 1961, in Hoke County. She departed this life on January 31, 2026, at her residence. She is preceded in death by her husband Larry Jacobs, her mother Earline Locklear, brothers Eugene Carter, Hugh Jr Carter, Frank Carter, Gregory Carter, Glen Carter, John Henry Carter, Gerald Carter, Ransey Carter, sisters Reatha Rogers and Ann Carter.
Mrs. Doris leaves to cherish her memories two sons: Virgil Locklear (Karrie), Keith Carter (Delorise), one daughter: Mia Oxendine, three sisters: Louise Carter, Brenda Carter, Mattie Locklear (Earl), eight grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, along with a host of other relatives and friends.
Sept. 16, 1947 – Feb. 5, 2026
Mrs. Barbara Ann (Collins) Dial of Maxton, NC was born September 16, 1947 and entered into her heavenly home on February 5, 2026. She was surrounded by her family and friends when she entered into eternal rest and completed her journey of 78 years. She was born to the late Mr. & Mrs. George and Jessie Mae Chavis of Maxton, NC. Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her late husbands: Mr. James Hersley (Jerry) Collins and Mr. Charles Willard Dial, along with a grandson, Mr. Devan Christopher Collins. Mrs. Barbara leaves to cherish her memories, three sons: Mr. Ricky Devon (Kay) Collins and Mr. Dwayne Mark (Tammy) Collins both of Maxton, NC, and Mr. Gregory Lynn (Elizabeth) Collins of Princeton, NC; one daughter: Mrs. Tonya (Brian) Lowery of Red Springs, NC; two sisters: Mrs. Georgia Carol (Greg) Carter of Cary, NC and Mrs. Linda (Kenneth) Oxendine of Maxton, NC; eleven grandchildren: Brianna (Kevin) Locklear, Kirstie Dial, Lauren (Brandon) Hunt, Marcus Lowery, Rikayla Collins, Tamarah Lowery, Asa Locklear, Kyler Collins, Maya Collins, J.J. Oxendine, and Johnaaliyah Oxendine; three great-grandchildren: Kailan Locklear, Kendalyn Locklear, and Zandon Hunt; a special caregiver: Ms. Faye Bullard, and a host of relatives and friends.
Mom dedicated her life to her family, friends and church family. She worked in the Public School system as a teacher assistant until her retirement in 2013. She loved spending time with her family in the NC mountains. During her time of sickness, she was still very independent with cooking for herself and others. Up until the last few moments, she still fought and continued to ask about her boys. After her passing, we moved her back onto her bed and unbeknownst to us in her blankets, a small card dropped. Picking up the card only to nd these words: No matter what season you nd yourself in, you are SAFE with the Good Shepherd (Psalm 23).
April 24, 1955 – Feb. 5, 2026
Ms. Debrah Allah, age 49, went home to be with her Heavenly Father on February 5, 2026. The Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, February 12, at 1 p.m. at the Pauline T. Buie Chapel. Debra will be greatly missed.
April 26, 1954 – Feb. 3, 2026
Ms. Odena Lowry Worriax, a devoted mother, grandmother, and faithful servant, passed away on February 3, 2026 at the age of 71. She leaves behind a legacy of love, humility, and service that touched every life she encountered. A proud mother of four, Odena considered her family her greatest calling. She poured herself into her children’s lives with patience, wisdom, and unwavering support, teaching them by example what it meant to love others sel essly.
Odena was a lifelong servantleader. As a Sunday school teacher, she shaped young hearts with kindness and faith, believing that true Christianity meant serving Christ in word and deed. She is perhaps best known for teaching children and youth alike to learn scripture, how to pray, and to honor God through acts of service. She also served her community as a teacher’s assistant, where her quiet dedication made a lasting impact. Her leadership was not loud, but it was powerful – rooted in service, humility, and care. Known as a wonderful cook, Odena also expressed her love through food. Her kitchen was a place of comfort, warmth, and welcome, where meals were shared, delivered, and relationships were nurtured.
She was preceded in death by her children’s father, Mr. James W. Worriax, her mother Ms. Odessa Cobb, and the Rev. Coolidge Cummings and Mrs. Vanice Cummings. Odena is survived by her four children, Dr. James Doyle Worriax (Jessica) of Wilmington, NC, Mrs. Hattena Worriax-Scott (Rev. Kelly) of Pembroke , Mr. Daniel Worriax of Pembroke, and Mrs. Alexandria Dial (Alex) of Pembroke, NC; along with grandchildren whom she adored Justin Scott, Jayden Worriax, Nakia Worriax, Jacob Worriax, Haylee Scott, Bryson Scott, Kellieana Scott, Addison Scott, and a host of family and friends. Her family and friends will forever cherish her gentle spirit, servant’s heart, and the example she set for all who were blessed to know her.
Americans’ optimism about their future is at a record low
By Linley Sanders The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Americans’ hope for their future has fallen to a new low, according to new polling.
In 2025, only about 59% of Americans gave high ratings when asked to evaluate how good their life will be in about ve years, the lowest annual measure since Gallup began asking this question almost 20 years ago.
It’s a warning about the depth of the gloom that has fallen over the country over the past few years. In the data, Gallup’s “current” and “future” lines have tended to move together over time — when Americans are feeling good about the present, they tend to feel optimistic about the future. But the most recent measures show that while current life satisfaction has declined over the last decade, future optimism has dropped even more.
The nding comes from a longstanding Gallup question that asks Americans to rate their current and future lives on a scale from 0 to 10. Those who give themselves an 8 or higher on the question about the future are categorized as optimists.
ROD LAMKEY JR. / AP PHOTO
“While current life is eroding, it’s that optimism for the future that has eroded almost twice as much over the course of about that last 10 years or so,” said Dan Witters, the research director of the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index.
Gallup assesses people who rate their current life at a 7 or higher and their anticipated future at an 8 or higher as “thriving.” Fewer than half of Americans, about 48%, are now in that category.
Democrats and Hispanic Americans, in particular, were in a darker mood last year. But even with President Donald Trump back in the White
House and his party in control of both houses of Congress, Republicans aren’t feeling nearly as good about the future as they were in the last year of Trump’s rst term.
Democrats’ optimism fell signi cantly
Americans’ attitudes toward the future tend to shift when a new political party enters the White House — generally, the party in power grows more optimistic, while the party without control is more down. For instance, Democrats became more positive about the future after Joe Biden won the presi-
The bid for a sixth term could decide Senate control
By Patrick Whittle and Kimberlee Kruesi
The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine — Republican Sen. Susan Collins announced her reelection bid Tuesday, betting that she can hold onto her coveted Maine seat despite a renewed Democratic e ort to oust her in a race that could determine control of the U.S. Senate.
The campaign will test Collins’ political survival skills. The 73-year-old has won ve terms by casting herself as a re ection of Maine’s independent spirit, occasionally clashing with President Donald Trump while also largely supporting his agenda.
As she now seeks a sixth term, Collins faces outrage over immigration enforcement tactics that could become a political liability for Republican candidates across the country. A recent operation in Maine led to hundreds of arrests but also
“We are aiming to do that in Maine, North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio.”
Democrats targeting four seats to retake Senate majority
criticism that people were being rounded up even if they didn’t have criminal records.
Collins has taken credit for stopping the surge of federal agents in Maine after she spoke directly with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
However, Democrats accused Collins of not going far enough, pointing to her refusal to call for Noem’s ouster and her vote in favor of a bipartisan Homeland Security funding bill. The party needs to net four seats to retake the Senate majority, and they are aiming to do that in Maine, North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio.
Gov. Janet Mills and oyster farmer Graham Platner are among Collins’ top Democratic challengers. While many establishment Democrats and in-
uential left-leaning groups have backed Mills, Platner has gained traction with his anti-establishment image and economic equality message. He’s campaigned aggressively while facing revelations of problematic social media posts and having to cover up a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol.
Mills has accused Collins of governing “without any courage” shortly after the Republican voted in favor of funding the DHS and several other agencies in January. Platner has demanded that the agency be dismantled and said he did not believe Collins or the Trump administration’s promise to leave Maine.
Platner recently outraised both Mills and Collins in campaign fundraising, according to the latest federal lings. The rst-time candidate collected nearly $4.6 million, while Mills raised $2.7 million. Collins, who had not yet o cially launched her campaign during the ling period, had more than $8 million in cash on hand at the end of 2025.
Collins, who has said she didn’t vote for Trump in 2016,
“While current life is eroding, it’s that optimism for the future that has eroded almost twice as much over the course of about that last 10 years or so.”
Dan Witters, research director, Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index
dency, while Republicans’ outlook soured.
Witters notes that these changes typically happen “by roughly the same amount, same level of magnitude, so they cancel each other out.”
That didn’t happen in 2025.
Toward the end of Biden’s term and the start of Trump’s second term, Democrats’ optimism fell from 65% to 57%. Republicans grew more hopeful, but not enough to o set Democrats’ drop.
“The regime change in the White House almost certainly was a big driving factor in what’s happened,” Witters said. “And a lot of that was just because the people who identi ed as Democrats really took it in the chops.”
But Republicans are still quite a bit gloomier about the future than they were in the
last year of Trump’s rst term. A January AP-NORC poll found that while the vast majority of Republicans are still behind the president, his work on the economy hasn’t lived up to many people’s expectations.
Hispanic adults grew more pessimistic
Hispanic adults’ optimism for the near future also declined during Trump’s rst year in ofce, dropping from 69% to 63%. That decrease was sharper than among white and black Americans, something that Witters said could be tied to overall cost concerns, health care worries or alarm about Trump’s recent immigration policies.
Last year, a survey by the American Communities Project found that people living in heavily Hispanic areas were feeling less hopeful about their future than in 2024. Trump’s favorability fell among Hispanics over the course of 2025, according to AP-NORC polling, which also found that Hispanic adults reported higher levels of economic stress than other groups.
A Pew Research Center poll conducted in October found that the administration’s tough immigration enforcement is highly visible in Hispanic communities. About 6 in 10 Latinos said they had seen or heard of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids or arrests in their community in the past six months.
“(Deportations are) something that everybody can see and look at with their own eyes,” Witters added. “But if you’re Hispanic, I think it’s fair to think that that might hit a little closer to home.”
voted to convict Trump after his 2021 impeachment over his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. After Collins joined a handful of Republican colleagues in backing a failed e ort to limit the president’s ability to unilaterally use force in Venezuela, Trump said on social media that they “should never be elected to ofce again.”
But Collins has also broadly backed Trump’s agenda, including his tax and spending bill, and his nominees.
Notably, Collins voted to conrm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Trump’s choice to be secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has since espoused anti-vaccine policy and ousted public health o cials at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
She has faced down tough challenges before. Democrat Sara Gideon raised $69 million in 2020, outspending Collins in a bid to help take back the Senate during a presidential election year when the Democrats won the top of the ticket. Collins defeated Gideon by more than 8 points.
Collins has remained in ofce despite Maine becoming increasingly blue. The proportion of registered Democrats has increased since her last reelection campaign, when “unenrolled” independent voters outnumbered Democrats in 2019 but now trail them in 2026. Republicans have trailed both groups for years.
ICE chief defends o cers’ actions before Congress after deaths of 2 protesters Washington, D.C.
The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is defending his o cers, saying they won’t be intimidated while carrying out President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda.
Todd Lyons, along with other agency leaders, faced tough questions from Democrats during a congressional hearing Tuesday. Lyons blamed elected o cials for rhetoric that endangers o cers. The hearing followed recent scrutiny after two protesters were shot and killed by Homeland Security o cers in Minneapolis.
Democrats have criticized the administration’s immigration policies, while o cials argue their actions make the country safer. The hearing marks the rst time these leaders have appeared in Congress since receiving increased funding.
Trump set to change U.S. climate change policy, environmental regulations
A White House o cial said the Trump administration is expected this week to revoke a scienti c nding that long has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and ght climate change. The EPA will issue a nal rule rescinding a 2009 government declaration known as the endangerment nding. That Obama-era policy determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. Legal challenges are certain.
The original project called for 68 lots but has since been reduced to 25
By Ryan Henkel North State Journal
CARTHAGE — The Moore County Board of Commissioners met Feb. 5 for a special called meeting, a makeup for their Feb. 3 meeting that was canceled due to the recent winter weather.
The board had a short agenda, with the only action item set to be a quasi-judicial hearing for a special use permit for a 68-lot major subdivision
named Holly Grove Pines Subdivision that was originally scheduled for that Tuesday.
However, the applicant had requested that the item be withdrawn before the meeting took place.
“This item was continued from our last meeting to this meeting for a quasi-judicial hearing, but the applicant has subsequently revised the plans and will be submitting a new special use permit request for a revised subdivision,” said Planning Director Ruth Pedersen. “This will see a reduction in the number of lots from the previous subdivision request.”
The new plan calls for only
“The applicant has subsequently revised the plans and will be submitting a new special use permit request for a revised subdivision.”
Ruth Pedersen, planning director
a 25-lot subdivision spread out across a single parcel containing around 50 acres of land located o of Holly Grove School Road.
Each lot will contain at least one acre of property, will utilize private septic systems and the subdivision will also have one access point and is designed to have just over three acres of open space per the submitted design.
The proposed project is located west of the Seven Lakes North subdivision, east of the McLendon Hills subdivision and north of N.C. 211 Highway.
Because of the new plan, the board will have to hold a new quasi-judicial hearing, which is set for Feb. 17, the date that the Moore County Board of Commissioners is set to next meet.
Large crowds marked the end of their 2,300-mile journey
By Ti any Stanley and Deepa Bharath The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. —
A group of Buddhist monks reached Washington, D.C., on foot Tuesday, walking single le across a bridge over the Potomac River to cap a 15-week trek from Texas that has captivated the country.
The monks in their sa ron robes have become xtures on social media, along with their rescue dog Aloka. After spending Monday night at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, they crossed over the Chain Bridge into the District of Columbia shortly after 8 a.m. on Tuesday. They walk to advocate for peace. That simple message has resonated across the U.S. as a welcome respite from con ict and political divisions. Thou-
sands gathered along Southern roadsides — often in unusually chilly weather — to watch the monks’ quiet procession that began in late October.
Large crowds greeted them during their two-day stay in Washington. The Metropolitan Police Department issued
a tra c advisory announcing there would be “rolling road closures” along the monks’ route to ensure safety for them and spectators.
“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and nd peace,” said the
“In these divisive times, we saw entire towns in the Bible Belt coming out for these monks — having no idea of what Buddhism is — but being uplifted and moved by it. That’s inspirational.”
Michigan
Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who has taught about mindfulness at stops along the way.
The monks planned to mark the last days of their Walk for Peace with outdoor appearances at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday and the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday.
“Their long journey and gentle witness invite us all to deepen our commitment to compas-
2.12.26
THURSDAY
“Join the conversation”
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
BUSINESS
David Guy, Advertising Manager
Published each Thursday as part of North State Journal
1201 Edwards Mill Rd. Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607 TO SUBSCRIBE: 919-663-3232
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: North State Journal
1201 Edwards Mill Rd. Suite 300 Raleigh, NC 27607
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
Feb. 3
• Josef Mack Barnes, 41, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Je rey Brain Dunbar, 41, was arrested by MCSO for violating a domestic violence protection order.
• Joseph Ray Greco, 29, was arrested by MCSO for defraud drug or alcohol test rst.
Feb. 5
• Bryan Andrew Britt, 34, was arrested by MCSO for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Mike Deva Jasper, 61, was arrested by Pineblu PD for driving while license revoked, expired registration and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Aaron Ray Nance Leach, 37, was arrested by MCSO for possession of stolen property, eeing or eluding arrest with motor vehicle, burning personal property, setting re to woods/lands/ elds, speeding, reckless driving and malicious conduct by prisoner.
• Henry Daniel Oyvela Ratli , 24, was arrested by MCSO for possession of stolen motor vehicle.
Feb. 6
• Ronnie Lee Chisholm Jr., 31, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, no liability insurance and additional lighting equipment violation.
• Elijah Daniel-McKeithan Cole, 23, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for misdemeanor larceny and possession of stolen property.
By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press
RALEIGH — North Carolina Republican lawmakers pressed Charlotte-area leaders on Monday about crime- ghting e orts following recent light-rail stabbings in the Democratic-led city, with a committee head citing failures in carrying out criminal justice functions.
The August fatal stabbing death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, followed in December by a nonfatal stabbing on the same Charlotte rail system, are among the chief reasons for GOP critiques of area law enforcement. The suspect in each stabbing faces charges in state and federal court.
GOP Rep. Brenden Jones, co-chairman of the state House oversight committee that took testimony from several o cials, attributed Zarutska’s killing to broad “incompetence.”
Zarutska had “come to America for a better life. She didn’t get that experience,” Jones said. “Her life was cut short not by one individual but by a system that allowed a career criminal to roam your streets.”
Decarlos Brown Jr., the man accused in Zarutska’s death, had more than a dozen prior criminal arrests before the most recent charge, and concerns had been raised about his mental health. Republican lawmakers, as well as President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, blamed Democratic leaders in Charlotte and statewide for soft-on-crime policies they allege allowed Brown to stay out of custody. Jones kept to a similar theme, accusing the leaders in Charlotte — with a population of more than 940,000 — and surrounding Mecklen-
WALK from page A1
sion and the work of peace in our communities,” said Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde, who will help host an interfaith reception for the monks at the cathedral.
The monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies. Millions have followed them online, and crowds have greeted them at numerous venues, from a church in Opelika, Alabama, to City Hall in Richmond, Virginia. Mark Duykers, a retired mechanical engineer who practices mindfulness, said he and his wife will drive 550 miles from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Washington, D.C., to see the monks.
“In these divisive times, we saw entire towns in the Bible Belt coming out for these monks — having no idea of what Buddhism is — but being uplifted and moved by it,” he said. “That’s inspirational.”
Nineteen monks began the 2,300-mile journey from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth on Oct. 26, 2025. They came from Theravada Buddhist monasteries around the globe, led by Pannakara, who is vice
burg County of prioritizing liberal-leaning policy choices over keeping people safe.
“Her blood is on your hands,” he added.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, who was among those testifying Monday, wrote soon after Zarutska’s death that it was a “tragic failure by the courts and magistrates.” She and others have since highlighted additional safety measures for the light rail system.
Most of the committee’s vitriol was targeted at the Mecklenburg County sheri , who operates the local jail.
Despite the harsh opening attack by Jones, committee members were cordial in their questioning of Lyles, new Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella Patterson and Mecklenburg District Attorney Spencer Meriweather.
During testimony, Meriweather suggested the need for more assistant prosecutors, earlier mental health interventions and combating more onerous crimes by juveniles. Patterson also outlined additional measures aimed at further reducing violent crime, building on last year’s declines.
The meeting “really lets me know that the General Assembly cares about Charlotte and they want to work with us to make our city safer,” Patterson told reporters.
Still, in a news release after the meeting, a pair of Democrats on the committee accused the panel of engaging in “cynical partisan theatre to paint Charlotte in a negative light.”
Zarutska’s death has already resulted in a new state law that bars cashless bail for certain violent crimes and many repeat o enders. It also seeks to ensure more defendants undergo mental health evaluations. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein last week issued an executive order designed in part to address mental health treatment for people whom police confront and who are
president of the Fort Worth temple.
While in the U.S. capital, they planned to submit a request to lawmakers to declare Vesak — Buddha’s birthday — a national holiday. But, Pannakara and others have emphasized that is not the goal of the walk.
Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the temple, said the walk is neither a political movement nor is it focused on advocacy or legislation.
“It’s a spiritual o ering, an invitation to live peace through everyday actions, mindful steps and open hearts,” he said. “We believe when peace is cultivated within, it naturally ripples outward into society.”
The trek has had its perils, and local law enforcement ofcers have provided security. In November outside Houston, the monks were walking on the side of a highway when their escort vehicle was hit by a truck. Two monks were injured; one had his leg amputated.
Some of the monks, including Pannakara, have walked barefoot or in socks for most of the journey to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment. As they have pressed
incarcerated. Sheri Garry McFadden has clashed for years with lawmakers who accused him for failing to cooperate with immigration agents seeking to apprehend defendants in his jail. A recent state law has now made it mandatory for sheri s to honor detainers, who are requests by ICE to hold an arrested immigrant so agents can take custody of them.
A federal immigration crackdown that started in November in Charlotte and spread elsewhere in North Carolina resulted in hundreds of arrests over several days. At the time, the Department of Homeland Security said about 1,400 detainers across North Carolina had not been honored since 2020.
McFadden said Monday that his jail o cials “have always followed the law in notifying ICE” but it’s up to agents to decide “what they do after that noti cation.” But Jones said later that data “indicates the sheri ’s not doing his job in Mecklenburg County.” Brown has been jailed due to the charges. A federal court ordered last month that he undergo a psychiatric examination to determine whether his legal case can proceed. A similar exam was ordered in state court months ago. Brown’s lawyers for the federal case declined comment. His state court lawyer didn’t respond to emails.
The suspect in the second light-rail attack — identi ed in federal records as Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia and in state court as Oscar Solarzano — is from Central America and had been transported out the country twice since 2018 — having been convicted of illegal reentry into the U.S., according to an FBI a davit.
Solarzano is also jailed, and an attorney representing him in state court didn’t respond to emails. There is no lawyer listed in his federal case.
on through snow and cold, they’ve at times donned winter boots.
Peace walks are a cherished tradition in Theravada Buddhism. Pannakara rst encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means “divine light” in Sanskrit, during a 112-day journey across India in 2022.
The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha as core to attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection, observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and su ering.
On Tuesday, the monks will complete 108 days of walking. It’s a sacred number in Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. It represents spiritual completion, cosmic order and the wholeness of existence.
The monks’ return trip should be less arduous. After an appearance at Maryland’s Capitol, a bus will take them back to Texas, where they expect to arrive in downtown Fort Worth early on Saturday. From there, the monks will walk together again, traversing 6 miles to the temple where their trip began.
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Moore County:
Moore County Historical Association: Shaw House and Property Tours
1-4 p.m.
The Moore County Historical Association’s grounds and properties are open for tours on Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons. Tours are free and open to all ages. Enjoy learning about the impressive history of Moore County.
Shaw House 110 Morganton Road Southern Pines
Ashes & Arrows Live in Concert
7-10 p.m.
An opportunity to celebrate Valentine’s Day by catching a live performance by the band that made the semi nals of “America’s Got Talent.” Comprised of musicians from Asheville and New Zealand, the group is known for its upbeat musical stylings. General admission tickets are $30.
Sunrise Theater 250 NW Broad St. Southern Pines
Dementia Caregiver Support Group 1 p.m.
Caregivers receive education and support along with strategies for caring for family members and other loved ones su ering from dementia. The group is led by Pat Soler and Dale Krech, certi ed facilitators through the Dementia Alliance of NC. Contact Kelly Pritchard at 910-715-4224 for more information.
Shadowlawn Room Clara McLean House 20 First Village Drive
Movie: “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” 3 p.m.
A mysterious man from the future must assemble a collection of disgruntled diner patrons to help him as he attempts to save the world from the threat of arti cial intelligence gone awry. The clock is ticking as he has one night to save the earth. Tickets are $12.50 each.
Sunrise Theater 250 NW Broad St. Southern Pines
end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
COLUMN | LARRY ELDER
Mass deportation: Who was more ‘inhumane’ — Obama or Trump?
Obama did not inherit an administration that allowed in 10 million to 15 million illegal aliens.
THOSE WHO CLAIM President Barack Obama deported illegal aliens more “humanely” make the following assertions:
a) ICE didn’t go into the streets under Obama; b) there were no street activists/ protesters/agitators; c) ICE only deported those with criminal records beyond illegal entry or illegally overstaying; d) Obama’s deportation numbers largely include “returns” or those deported at the border; e) the Obama administration did not engage in “lawlessness”; and f) ICE and/ or Customs and Border Patrol arrested only illegal aliens after rst securing a judicial warrant.
As for a), under Obama, ICE did go into the streets, including into the interior and into “sanctuary” cities like Chicago. Watch “Lost in Detention,” a 2011 episode of the PBS “Frontline” program, where, for example, an illegal alien mother stopped in Illinois for making an illegal lane change was ultimately deported back to Mexico. Consider this X post: “... As someone who worked during (the Obama administration), it’s simple. All the ‘sanctuary cities,’ including mine, cooperated fully with ICE and Homeland. ... So this, in fact, is politicians’ fault because they pick and choose who they want to cooperate with ...”
As for b), the media/Dems loved Obama, so they looked the other way. Again, under Obama, there was greater cooperation between local, state and federal o cials. In fact, several cities and states adopted sanctuary policies because of this cooperation. The think tank Niskanen Center wrote: “The Secure Communities program allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue detainers for anyone detained by local law enforcement. ... Homeland Security Secretary
Janet Napolitano (in October 2010) stated that DHS ‘did not view (Secure Communities) as an opt-in, opt-out program ...
“In response, multiple local jurisdictions, including Cook County, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., passed legislation to limit local compliance with immigration detainers, thus creating sanctuary cities.”
There was no “ICE Watch” to alert activists and protesters. And Obama did not inherit an administration that allowed in 10 million to 15 million illegal aliens.
As for c), deporting only those with “criminal records,” this is from the “nonpartisan” factcheck.org, in January 2026, about the Trump administration: “Those with criminal convictions or pending charges represented 66% of arrests, which the administration has rounded up to 70%.”
About deportations with criminal records under Obama, in April 2016, The Washington Post wrote:
“While the number of deportations of illegal immigrants with criminal records has declined in recent years, last year this group made up almost 60 percent of the total number expelled from the country, the largest percentage in recent memory.”
As for d) that Obama deportation numbers mostly included those at the border, the left-leaning fact-check site snopes.com wrote:
“The claim that immigration authorities deported more than 3 million people during the Obama administration (2009-17) is accurate based on ‘formal removal’ gures reported by the DHS. When including ‘returns’ (those removed at the border), however, the total exceeds 5 million.”
As for e), Trump’s supposed lawless deportations, economist John Lott of the Crime Prevention Research Center wrote:
Don’t abuse the word ‘protest’
If Pretti was an “observer,” he was observing how much unhinged behavior he could get away with.
ALEX PRETTI WASN’T killed while “protesting.” This is a common description of what he was doing on a Minneapolis street the fateful morning when a confrontation with federal immigration agents ended in his tragic shooting. But if Pretti had been a mere protester, he’d very likely be alive today.
Now that we’ve seen videos of an earlier struggle with federal agents and learned more about the organized nature of the anti-ICE resistance, it’s become clear that the better word for Pretti was agitator, or perhaps even operative.
A protester, as typically understood, is someone who is making a point, often as part of a gathering of other like-minded people and, usually but not always, in opposition to something.
A protester might hold a sign outside a coal- red power plant calling for it to shut down. He might go to Union Square Park to hear speeches from bullhorns whenever something happens that outrages the left. He might march against the Iraq War or the Vietnam War — or in favor of Hamas.
This kind of activity is not to everyone’s taste — personally, I hate the drums and the chants — but there is no doubt that it is a legitimate form of political advocacy. Depending on the cause, it can even be admirable. What we’ve seen in Minneapolis, though,
is often quite di erent. Run-of-the-mill protesters don’t seek out federal agents and harass and obstruct them. They don’t follow and block their vehicles or establish a robust communications network to deploy resources to create maximum disruption of their operations.
Pretti was part of this e ort, which is more a form of low-level and (by and large) nonviolent insurgency than conventional protest. In his rst confrontation, 11 days before his death, Pretti was every bit an anti-ICE street brawler. He challenged, at close quarters, an agent to assault him while screaming insults at him. He spat on a federal vehicle and kicked out its taillight.
If Pretti was an “observer,” in the euphemism preferred by anti-ICE politicians and activists, he was observing how much unhinged behavior he could get away with. There’s no doubt that at this event, he was the violent instigator.
After Pretti damaged the vehicle, agents got out and pushed him to the ground. For all the talk of ICE being the equivalent of the Gestapo, they didn’t even bother to arrest him despite his having committed a crime. If he’d been arrested and charged, Pretti might never have shown up at the other ICE operation and would still be with us today.
That Pretti, we now know, made it a practice
“The 170 ICE-detained US citizens ... included about 130 arrested for interfering with or assaulting o cers ... justi able under any reading of the law ...
“Only about 40 or so of those who were detained claimed to be US citizens accidentally or erroneously arrested by ICE. ... Most were released in a few hours. ... 40 mistakes out of 595,000 arrests amounts to an error rate of just 0.0067% — roughly one wrongful detention for every 14,925 arrests.
“By contrast (during the Obama administration) ... in scal years 2015 and 2016, ICE recorded 263 mistaken arrests, 54 mistaken detentions (book-ins), and four mistaken removals ... about one mistake for every 4,444 arrests ...
“During the course of Obama’s two terms, from 2009 to 2017, 56 individuals died in ICE custody. ... 56 deaths translates into a rate of 0.007% — roughly one death for every 14,314 detainees.
“By comparison, the rate last year under Trump was slightly lower: 0.0054%, or one death for every 18,594 detainees.
“... Trump made no erroneous deportations through November.”
This brings us to f) about judicial warrants. Snopes.com wrote: “Over the eight-year period of the Obama administration, the percentage of removals carried out without a hearing before an immigration judge ranged from approximately 58% to 84%, averaging roughly 74%.”
What a di erence an administration makes. Or rather, what a di erence the media coverage of an administration makes.
Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host.
(Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
to court violent encounters with federal agents while armed was incredibly irresponsible. He was fortunate that the rst struggle didn’t escalate into something much more hazardous to him and to others if an agent had noticed his gun. The rearm wouldn’t have been an issue in the second incident, meanwhile, if he’d really been protesting. If that were the case, he would have stayed on the sidewalk and held up a sign, or chanted, “ICE go home,” and the o cers might have been annoyed, but there never would have been an interaction to potentially go catastrophically wrong.
The calculation in Minneapolis, though, has been that this kind of benign activity is less e ective than direct action, and unfortunately — with public opinion swinging against Operation Metro Surge — this assessment looks to be accurate.
Why simply express a point of view when you can act to stop arrests and to create a hostile, threatening environment for agents?
This doesn’t mean that Pretti got what he deserved or that the o cers acted appropriately. It does mean that the state and city o cials should have been telling people not to “monitor” DHS activity, but to stay well clear of legitimate law-enforcement activities.
Reasonable people can disagree about the desirability of the goal that Pretti was pursuing, but there’s no doubt about how he was going about it, and it didn’t involve conventional protest.
Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review.
An admiral pushed for smaller deployments over big strike groups
By Konstantin Toropin
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy’s top uniformed o cer wants to convince commanders to use smaller, newer ships and other assets for missions instead of consistently turning to huge aircraft carriers — as seen now in the American military buildups o Venezuela and Iran.
Adm. Daryl Caudle’s vision — what he calls his “Fighting Instructions” — calls for the Navy to deploy more tailored groups of ships and equipment that would o er the sea service more exibility to respond to crises as they develop.
Caudle spoke to The Associated Press before the rollout of the new strategy, which comes as the Trump administration has moved aircraft carriers and other ships to regions around the world to address emerging concerns. This has disrupted standing deployment plans, scrambled ships to sail thousands of miles and put increasing strain on vessels and equipment that are already facing mounting maintenance issues.
The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, was redirected late last year from the Mediterranean Sea to the Caribbean Sea, where the crew ultimately supported last month’s operation to capture then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. And two weeks ago, the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East as tensions with Iran rise, having been pulled from the South China Sea.
In an interview, Caudle said his strategy would make the Navy’s presence in regions like the Caribbean much leaner and better tailored to meet actual threats.
He said he’s already spoken with the commander of U.S. Southern Command, which encompasses the Caribbean and Venezuela, “and we’re in negotiation on what his problem set is — I want to be able to convey that I can meet that with a tailored package there.”
Admiral sees a smaller contingent in the Caribbean in the future
Speaking broadly, Caudle said he envisions the mission in the Caribbean focusing more on interdictions and keeping an eye on merchant shipping.
The U.S. military has already seized multiple suspicious and falsely agged tankers connected with Venezuela that were part of a global shadow eet of merchant vessels that help gov-
ernments evade sanctions.
“That doesn’t really require a carrier strike group to do that,” Caudle said, adding that he believes the mission could be done with some smaller littoral combat ships, Navy helicopters and close coordination with the Coast Guard.
The Navy has had 11 ships, including the Ford and several amphibious assault ships with thousands of Marines, in South American waters for months.
It is a major shift for a region that has historically seen deployments of one or two smaller Navy ships.
“I don’t want a lot of destroyers there driving around just to
actually operate the radar to get awareness on motor vessels and other tankers coming out of port,” Caudle said. “It’s really not a well-suited match for that mission.”
Turning to drones or robotic systems
To compensate, Caudle envisions leaning more heavily on drones or other robotic systems to o er military commanders the same capabilities but with less investment from Navy ships. He acknowledges this will not be an easy sell.
Caudle said even if a commander knows about a new
“That doesn’t really require a carrier strike group to do that. It’s really not a well-suited match for that mission.”
Adm.
Daryl Caudle, chief of naval operations
capability, the sta “may not know how to ask for that, integrate it, and know how to employ it in an e ective way to bring this new niche capability to bear.”
“That requires a bit of an education campaign here,” he later added.
President Donald Trump has favored large and bold responses from the Navy and has leaned heavily toward displays of repower.
Trump has referred to aircraft carriers and their accompanying destroyers as armadas and otillas. He also revived the historic battleship title for a planned type of ship that would sport hypersonic missiles, nuclear cruise missiles, rail guns and high-powered lasers. If built, the proposed “Trump-class battleship” would be longer and larger than the World War II-era Iowa-class battleships, though the Navy has not only struggled to eld some of the technologies that Trump says will be aboard but it has had challenges building even smaller, less sophisticated ships on time and on budget.
Given this trend, Caudle said if the Lincoln’s recent redeployment to the Middle East were to happen under his new plan, he would talk with the Indo-Paci c commander about how to compensate for the loss.
“So, as Abraham Lincoln comes out, I’ve got a three ship (group) that’s going to compensate for that,” Caudle suggested as an example.
Caudle argues that his vision already is in place and working in Europe and North America “for the last four or ve years.”
He said this could apply soon in the Bering Strait, which separates Russia and Alaska, noting that “the importance of the Arctic continues to get more and more prevalent” as China, Russia and the U.S. prioritize the region.
Trump has cited the threat from China and Russia in his demands to take over Greenland, the Arctic island overseen by NATO ally Denmark.
Caudle said he knows he needs to o er the commanders in that region “more solutions” and his “tailored force packages would be a way to get after that.”
The Patriots boys’ and girls’ teams won Mid-South titles, while the Vikings swept the Carolina Pines
North State Journal sta
THE PINECREST BOYS’ and girls’ swimming teams swept the Mid-South 8A/7A conference championships, while the Union Pines swimmers won boys’ and girls’ titles at the Carolina Pines conference meet.
The Patriots took gold in 16 of the 24 events.
In the boys’ meet, Cody Martin and Caleb Hill each won four conference titles, while Grant Larsen won three. Garren Flack won a pair.
Hill won the 200 free, 100 y and was part of the 200 medley and 400 free relay winning teams.
Martin won the 200 IM, 100 back and was part of the 200 medley and 400 free relay winning teams.
Larsen won the 50 free, 100 free and was part of the 200 medley relay winning team.
Garren Flack won the 100 breast and was part of the 200 medley relay winning team.
Chase Salvog and Liam McGroarty also won as part of the 400 free relay team.
On the girls’ side, Bethany Risseeuw and Lexi Brown won four conference titles, Lily Grieve three and Jerni Olsen two.
Risseeuw won the 100 free, 100 back and was part of the 200 medley and 400 free relay winning teams.
Brown won the 200 free, 500 free and was part of the 200 medley and 400 free relay winning teams.
Grieve won the 100 y and was part of the 200 medley and 400 free relay winning teams.
Jerni Olsen was part of the 200 medley and 400 free relay winning teams.
Edward Hill was named the Co-Coach of the Year for the Pinecrest boys’ team.
The Union Pines boys took gold in eight of the 12 events.
Liam Hicks won the 200 free and 100 free and was part of the 200 medley and 200 free relay winning teams.
Ian Hicks won the 200 IM, 100 breast and was part of the 200 medley and 200 free relay winning teams.
Cullen Cox won the 500 free and was part of the 200 medley and 200 free relay winning teams.
Klay Blue was part of the 200 medley and 400 free relay winning teams.
Andrew Davis was part of the 200 free and 400 free relay winning teams.
Riley Bishop and Caleb Dieguez were part of the 400 free relay winning team.
The girls’ team took rst in nine of the 12 events.
Ava Milkowich won the 200 IM, 100 y and was part of the 200 medley and 200 free relay winning teams.
Alayna Milkowich won the 100 free and was part of the 200 medley and 200 free relay winning teams.
Rebecca Kangas won the 50 free, 500 free and was part of the 200 medley and 200 free relay winning teams.
Riley Elwell won the 100 breast and was part of the 400 free relay winning team.
Nyah Tranel was part of the 200 medley and 200 free relay winning teams.
Ashlyn Gower, Uxia Abad and Molly Conway were part of the 400 free relay winning team.
Caleb Hill is a junior on the Pinecrest boys’ swim team.
The boys won the Mid-South 8A/7A conference meet, and Hill won all four events in which he competed. He took rst in the 200 free with a personal-best time of 2:00.31, winning by a margin of more than 22 seconds. He also won the 100 y in a personal-best 55.37, a second and a half faster than the next best swimmer.
Hill was also part of two relay champions, swimming the fastest leg in the 200 medley and also taking a gold in the 400 free relay.
The same man has done the postgame celebration for 30 years
By Donna Gordon Blankinship
The Associated Press
NOAH WINTER brags he’s been to way more Super Bowls than Tom Brady.
Brady competed in 10 — more than any other player. But Winter was part of the Super Bowl spectacle for his 30th straight year this year, not in uniform but as the guy in charge of the celebratory confetti after the game ends.
Winter’s company, Artistry in Motion, also makes confetti for rock concerts, movies, political conventions and the Olympics. But the annual blizzard of color falling onto the eld at the end of each Super Bowl is probably what he’s best known for.
It certainly is what he’s most likely to get asked about at dinner parties.
“It’s become an iconic moment,” Winter marvels, sitting in his Northridge, California, ofce and confetti factory.
Jane Gershovich, a photographer who worked for the Seattle Seahawks when they won the Super Bowl in 2014, said that when the confetti falls, everyone wants to play in it. The players and their families have been known to toss it in the air and make confetti angels.
“Just seeing the players and their kids engage with it at such a wholesome level, it brings a lot of joy to everyone on the eld,” she said.
So, what goes into planning and executing a giant confetti drop? Winter elded some questions.
What happens to the losing team’s confetti?
Artistry in Motion trucks 300 pounds of two-colored confetti for each of the teams to the Super Bowl. They bring confetti cannons onto the eld with about 4 minutes remaining, and line them up around the stadium walls.
Even if the teams stream onto the eld before the clock runs
“Over the 30 years, we never have launched the wrong color or launched too early.”
Confetti expert Noah Winter
out, the confetti waits until the timer shows the game is o cially over. And the winners’ colors get the go-ahead.
“It’s always better to be late then early,” Winter explained.
“Sometimes players go out and shake hands. We don’t launch until triple zero on the clock.
Over the 30 years, we never have launched the wrong color or launched too early.”
The color mix is not 50-50, because some colors dominate on video, so the company has to experiment to nd the correct mix.
Massachusetts company Seaman Paper has for 25 years manufactured the tissue paper that Artistry in Motion turns
into confetti, said Jamie Jones, one of Seaman’s owners. A lot of New England Patriots fans who work there are particularly excited about their part in this year’s Super Bowl.
The company makes about 150,000 pounds of tissue paper a day — mostly for gift wrapping and food service.
“It’s a very prestigious but not big order,” Jones said of the Super Bowl paper.
How do you get the best utter?
Winter has found that a rectangular shape is best for confetti because it turns on its axis and hangs in the air.
But TV viewers might not realize that there are actually two confetti drops at the Super Bowl — one at game’s end, and the other when the Vince Lombardi Trophy is presented to the winning team. That second round of confetti is cut in the silhouette of the trophy.
Messages can be printed on the tiny rectangles too. For a handful of Super Bowls, Artistry in Motion printed social media messages on each tiny ag at the request of event sponsor Twitter.
Some people ask whether the confetti is cut by hand (it isn’t), and Winter jokes that his hands get tired.
How do you get into the confetti business?
Winter studied lighting design in college and did pyrotechnic work at venues including the Hollywood Bowl before Disney asked his team to recreate leaves falling and twirling for
a live “Pocahontas” show in the mid-1980s. Soon, he was creating confetti for Disney’s daily parade at Disneyland. In 1986, Mick Jagger saw the confetti at Disney and asked Artistry in Motion to make some for a Rolling Stones’ concert at Dodgers Stadium. Then, he brought the edgling confetti company on tour. Other artists, including Bono from U2, asked that confetti be made for their shows as well.
Stadium concerts led to sporting events. The company’s rst Super Bowl was in 1997. The year before that, Winter had been a pyrotechnician at the Super Bowl, making this year’s game his 30th.
Winter wouldn’t admit to having a favorite team, but he did say he has two brothers who are New York Jets fans, and he has promised to bring them to the Super Bowl to work a confetti cannon if their team ever returns.
Nov. 10, 1936 – Feb. 8, 2026
Wayne Thomas Livengood, age 89, Carthage, transitioned peacefully to the Lord on February 8, 2026, following an extensive rehabilitation period due to a stroke. He was surrounded by his loving family.
Wayne was born in Pinehurst on November 10, 1936. He was the oldest son of Queen Esther (Hough) and Thomas (Tom) Robert Livengood of the Hillcrest area near Carthage. NC.
Wayne was a Christian, an outstanding educator, and a bluegrass musician. He was a lifelong member of the First Baptist Church of Carthage, where he was an active deacon and Sunday School teacher.
Wayne was a graduate of Farmlife High School and North Carolina State University in Raleigh. He taught shop, horticulture, and agriculture at West End High School and Aberdeen High School and technology at Pinecrest High School. He taught technology for Sandhills Community College for decades.
He was preceded in death by his parents and younger brother Robert Max Livengood.
Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of 44 years, Alice Futral Livengood, daughters Heidi Livengood Chal inch (James Brewer) of Carthage. Katrina Livengood Wallace (Brian) of Sanford and Felicia Mercer Phillips (Lee) of Carthage; ve grandchildren, Philip Picerno (Amanda) of Carthage, Caleb Chal inch (Maria) of Carthage, Maudie Chal inch Cole (Cory) of Sanford, Samuel Bennett of Carthage, and Luke Cunningham of Vass. He is also survived by four great-grandchildren, and many relatives and friends.
A memorial service will be 4 p.m. Tuesday, February 10, 2026 at Fry & Prickett Funeral Home. The family will receive friends following the service.
In lieu of owers, the family requested that family and friends consider giving contributions in Wayne’s memory to the Baptist Children’s Home of North Carolina, P.O. Box 338, Thomasville, NC 27361.
June 11, 1945 – Feb. 8, 2026
William Alan Keith, 80, of Pinehurst, passed away on February 8, 2026, at FirstHealth Hospice House. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church at 11 a.m.
In lieu of owers, memorial donations may be made to FirstHealth Hospice House 150 Applecross Road, Pinehurst, NC 28374.
Oct. 14, 1970 – Feb. 5, 2026
Melinda Gail Gri n Sosa, age 55, of Sanford, passed away on Thursday, February 5, 2025, at her home, surrounded by her loving family.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Cox Memorial Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Alex Smith o ciating.
Melinda was born in Sanford, North Carolina on October 14, 1970, to Joyce Springs Gri n and the late Gary Redonski Gri n. In addition to her father, she was preceded in death by her sister, Lori Smith.
She enjoyed going to the beach and being outdoors but most of all she loved spending time with her grandchildren. She was a loving wife, daughter, mother, aunt, grandmother and friend and will be greatly missed.
In addition to her mother, she is survived by her husband, Jesus’ Manuel Sosa-Burgos, III, daughters, Amber Lynn Dickens (Richard) of Sanford, Cammie Sosa (Luis Fierros) of Fayetteville, Jordan Corum (Garrett) also of Fayetteville; grandchildren, Zaccary, Zoey, Zadie, Lucas and many nieces and nephews.
April 13, 1935 – Feb. 8, 2026
Shirley Ellen (MacDonald) Biamonte, born on April 13, 1935, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on February 8, 2026. She was a devoted wife, loving mother, cherished grandmother and great-grandmother and a dear friend to many. Shirley shared 66 years of marriage with the love of her life Bob. Her family was the center of her world, and she took great pride in each generation. She is survived by her husband Bob and her children Mark Biamonte and his wife Trish Biamonte, her son Jake Biamonte and the love of his life Rebecca Clough, her daughter Linda Gendron and her husband Tim Gendron, her daughter Ellen Rogers and her husband Everett Rogers. She was a proud Grandmother (GG/ GMA) to Jake, Andrea, CJ, Jenni Mikayla, Jason, Louis, Nicole Brianna, Michael and his soon to be wife Abby, and a loving great grandmother to Danny and Miles who brought her endless joy. Loving aunt to Michelle, Sabina, Sean, Josiah and Lidia. Shirley was truly sel ess, always putting the needs of others before her own. She gave freely of her time, her energy, and her heart, never expecting anything in return. She was always there for her husband, her children, her grandchildren and great grandchildren ready to listen, to help to comfort and to celebrate their lives alongside them, never missing a milestone in her children’s, grandchildren’s and great grandchildren’s lives. Her love was sel ess, unconditional, and constant. She loved to play cards, word games and watch game show, but her greatest joy was spending time with her family. She was predeceased by beloved family members, her mother and father, Mildred and Joseph MacDonald, brother, Joseph MacDonald who is survived by her sister in law Virginia MacDonald, her sister Gladys Vittum and her husband Warren Vittum, and her brother David MacDonald who is survived by her sister-inlaw Marianne MacDonald. We nd comfort in knowing that she has now joined her loved ones in heaven.
A funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church, 160 E. Vermont Ave., Southern Pines on Thursday Feb. 12, at 9 a.m. In lieu of owers, donations can be made in Shirley’s memory to Saint John Paul II Catholic School, 2922 Camp Easter Rd., Southern Pines or Gentiva Hospice, 1198 Rockingham Rd. Rockingham, NC 28379 in Southern Pines.
May 11, 1932 – Feb. 7, 2026
Attorney, international traveler, passionate golfer, avid skier, voracious reader and baseball fan, Philip Henri DeTurk, 93, of Southern Pines, NC, passed away on February 7, 2026.
Phil was born in Reading, PA in 1932 to Harry DeTurk and Annie Gately. As a youth, he sold sodas at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, where he collected autographs of many legendary baseball players. He attended Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, NC and received a basketball scholarship to complete his undergraduate degree at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. in 1954. He continued at GWU and obtained his law degree in 1956. He practiced law in Puyallup, WA for over fty years. He is survived by children Sheila DeTurk, Joanne DeTurk, Denise Cox (John Cox), and John DeTurk (Heather Cook), his beloved grandchildren and greatgrandchild, sister Joan Galiardo, nephews and niece.
March 5, 1949 – Feb. 5, 2026
Judy Edwards, 76, of Pinehurst passed away peacefully on February 5, 2026 at First Health Hospice House in Pinehurst, NC.
Born on March 5, 1949 in Queens NY, she lived most of her life on Long Island. She is predeceased by her mother Rose, father Carl, sister Denise, and brother Carl. She is survived by husband Phil Husted, step daughter Patricia, and stepgrandchildren Meredith and Eloise.
Judy got her BS at St. John’s University and master’s at Adelphi University majoring in elementary education. Judy then taught for 32 years in Sachem School District, Long Island, NY.
Judy’s passions were reading, travel and golf. The latter led her to her husband Phil, where they both moved to Pinehurst after retirement in 2002. The making of like-minded friends enriched these years immeasurably. Donations in memory may be made to Friend to Friends, Carthage, NC.
July 2, 1948 – Feb. 3, 2026
Bruce Yarrington, age 77, of West End, NC passed away on February 3, 2026. Bruce was born in Neptune, NJ on July 2, 1948 to Warren Yarrington and Mabel Cotrell Yarrington.
A true people person, Bruce never met a stranger. He had a gift for conversation, a ready smile, and a genuine interest in others that made everyone feel welcome. Whether on the golf course, at work or around town, he built lasting friendships wherever he went.
His greatest joy was his family. He shared a deep and loving partnership with his wife, Sandy, and treasured the life they built together. Some of their happiest memories were made during trips to the beach. He was also the devoted companion of his beloved dog, Frazier.
Bruce took immense pride in serving his community. He played an integral role in the planning and construction of the 7Lakes Fire Department. His dedication did not stop there— he served as Fire Chief for over 20 years.
In addition to his public service, Bruce was a hardworking business owner, proudly running his business, Bruce Yarrington and Associates alongside Sandy.
Bruce is survived by his wife, Sandy Yarrington; son, Nick Yarrington; sister, Lynn Yarrington (Michael) and many nieces, nephews and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents.
A memorial service will be held Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at 1 p.m. at Seven Lakes Chapel in the Pines.
In lieu of owers, donations in his honor can be sent to Sevens Lakes Fire & Rescue, P.O. Box 588 West End, NC 27376 or the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 322 8th Ave., 16th Floor, New York, NY 10001.
March 20, 1951 – Feb. 3, 2026
Mr. Charles L. Sharpless, 74 of Sanford, North Carolina entered into eternal rest on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at Central Carolina Hospital in Sanford, North Carolina.
May 1, 1951 – Feb. 3, 2026
JoAnn Howard, age 74, of Robbins, passed away on February 3, 2026. Born May 1, 1951 in Robbins to Louella Maness.
JoAnn spent her life reaching out to and caring for her family with unwavering support. Armed with a cup of co ee and an iron will, she was unstoppable. She was an honest, hard working textile mill employee over 30 years, helping support herself and her loving family.
JoAnn married Robert Randolph Howard and together they built a wonderful life lled with travel and adventures. They enjoyed the N.C. mountains and coast line together.
She is survived by her son: Timothy Lawhorn and wife Deanna; granddaughter: Paden Lawhorn and Mike Sturdivant; sisters: Debbie Williams and Sandra Hussey.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Louella Maness; sister Dovie Lynn Warren’; her husband Robert Randolph Howard and their son Christopher Shawn Howard. May they all meet again.
Funeral service will be at 2 p.m., Sunday February 8, 2026 at Brown’s Chapel Christian Church. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m., Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Kennedy Funeral Home.
May 11, 1953 – Jan. 31, 2026
Judy Ann Parks, 72, passed away surrounded by her loving family on Saturday, January 31, 2026.
Judy was a kind and loving woman who left a lasting impression of a life dedicated to her family. Born on May 11, 1953, in Moore County, she was the daughter of the late Jack and Betty McNeill.
Judy had a lifelong enjoyment of cooking, often nding joy and fresh ingredients at the local farmers’ market. She cherished annual vacations to Long Beach and the Outer Banks and enjoyed many road trips and other travels. Known for her thoughtful and careful nature, she always showed immense compassion toward the elderly and children. Judy graduated from Sandhills Community College with an associate’s degree. For most of her career, she worked in air freight forwarding for companies such as CF Air, Kuehne & Nagel, Pilot Air Freight and, most recently, DHL.
She was a devoted wife to Earl Parks for 53 years. Judy was a proud mother to her two daughters, Melissa Starling of West End, and Erin Parks of Little River, SC, and a loving grandmother to Aleah Hyzen. She maintained a very close and loving relationship with her sisters: Sandra (David) Greiner of Pinehurst, Trudy (John) Blake of Carthage, and Jackie (Jimmy) Babb of Carthage. She was also very close to and loved by all of her in-laws over the course of her life with Earl. Judy is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be announced by the family at a later date.
Nov. 22, 1937 – Feb. 5, 2026
Willard Kenneth Hill, age 88, of Pinehurst, North Carolina, entered into the presence of his Lord and Savior on February 5, 2026. He was born on November 22, 1937, in Blue eld, West Virginia, to the late Willard and Willie B. Hill.
Known to family and friends as Ken, he graduated from Blue eld High School, Class of 1955, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech in 1960. That same year, he married his wife, Betty L. Cooke of Huntington, West Virginia. Their marriage, grounded in faith and devotion, spanned sixtyve years, and was a testimony to their love, commitment and partnership.
Ken enjoyed a long and successful career as Regional Sales Manager for Union Carbide in the Chemicals and Plastics Division, where he served for 35 years until his retirement in June of 1995. He conducted his work with integrity, humility and respect for others, building relationships that re ected his strong character.
A faithful servant of Christ, Ken lived out his faith through service to others. He was a devoted Deacon and longtime member of First Baptist Church of Pinehurst, where he faithfully supported the church and its mission. Ken volunteered with Moore Regional Hospital, drove cancer patients to radiation treatments, tutored fourthgrade boys in math at Pinehurst Elementary School, and was an active member of the Lions Club. He also loved the game of golf, not simply for the sport itself, but for the fellowship it provided and the opportunity to connect meaningfully with others.
Ken was preceded in death by his parents and his only sister, Emma June Peraldo.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Betty Hill; his children, Michael Hill (Jennifer), Michelle Owen, and Mark Hill; his grandchildren, Jonathan Hill (Katlyn), JennaMarie Wernig (Daniel), David and Jonathan Owen, Leigh Hill, Margeaux Nichols (Tim), and Julie Vasey (Brett); and his greatgrandchildren, Theodore and Kennedy Hill, Cayden and Riley Nichols. He is also survived by his brother-in-law, Roger Peraldo; nieces Angela Thompson (Scott), Alisha Brown (Mark), and Autumn Moutadaines (Rashid); great-niece Regan Thompson; and great-nephews Keller Thompson and Zachary Brown. Ken loved his family deeply and took great pride in each of them.
The family will celebrate Ken’s life privately at the beach this September during their annual family trip to Cherry Grove, giving thanks to God for a life well lived and a legacy rmly rooted in faith.
The family is deeply grateful for the compassionate care and support provided by FirstHealth Hospice during Ken’s nal days. In lieu of owers, memorial donations may be made to the Foundation of FirstHealth.
July 4, 1950 – Feb. 1, 2026
Je rey L. Kirby died peacefully on February 1, 2026, nally free from the constraints of a life lived with Alzheimer’s disease. He was born on July 4, 1950, in Petersburg, West Virginia, and was raised in a large, blended family and a Christian faith community that shaped his belief in God, his sense of responsibility, and his concern for others. Though he was not the oldest sibling, he was often a steady presence and protector.
Je developed an early love for hunting, shing and working with his hands. That instinct rst found expression in woodworking as a hobby and later, after many years as a district safety manager for Ryder Truck Rental, in a leap of faith into small home repair and minor construction - a business he built and managed until retirement.
Je was a proud father. He inspired his daughters to work hard and to believe that success is not determined by where you start. He taught them that when you get knocked down, you get back up again. Along the way, he also taught them how to throw a ball, how to shoot, and how to appreciate the outdoors-lessons delivered plainly, remembered permanently.
Unabashedly strong-willed, Je worked hard to create a full life for himself despite facing obstacles in his early years. Perhaps because of those experiences, he carried a deep compassion for helping others, especially those who most needed a helping hand.
Music was another constant in his life. He loved playing his guitars and singing and could almost always be convinced to do both - sometimes at home, sometimes out with friends, often at a local karaoke spot. He loved the outdoors, music and people, and felt most at peace where those things came together.
He is survived by his two daughters, Annette Kirby and Jennifer K. Fincher (stepsons, Drew and Scott), both of Fayetteville; and six siblings: Margaret Stinard of Ohio; Beverly Kile (Ricky) of West Virginia; Larry Colaw (Vickie) of West Virginia; Sara Lawson (John) of West Virginia; Mark Colaw (Julie) of West Virginia; and Laura Menas (Rodney) of Maryland.
The family will gather for a private memorial in the mountains he called home.
He rests now with an amazing view of the mountains he loved, where music and memory linger.
Aug. 25, 1930 – Feb. 2, 2026
Mrs. Thelma Seymore, 95, of Atlanta, Georgia (formerly of Hoke County, North Carolina) entered into eternal rest on Tuesday, February 2, 2026, at A.G. Rhodes Nursing Home and Rehabilitation in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sept. 8, 1943 – Feb. 3, 2026
Sharon Melton, age 82, passed away peacefully after a lifetime marked by courage, resilience, and unwavering faith. Having bravely battled polio in her youth and later enduring the daily challenges of post-polio syndrome, Sharon remained steadfast in her trust in God. Through years of pain, she never complained, choosing instead to live with humility, grace, and quiet strength that inspired all who knew her. Sharon was married to her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, Wayne R. Melton, for 60 years a testament to devotion, partnership, and enduring love. Together they built a beautiful family and a life grounded in faith and service. Sharon was preceded in death by her parents, Carl Milton and Hazel McDonald Kivett and brother, Carl Kivett, III. She is survived by her devoted daughter, Donna Lynne Melton and her ancé Jamie Chisholm of Carthage; three cherished grandchildren, Kellie Alyssa Ring and her husband Andrew of Carthage, Robert Justin Stevens and his wife, Breanne of Siler City, and Ethan Ryan Sercy of Carthage; two sisters, Carolyn Machonne Morrison of Beaufort, South Carolina, and Hazel Ann Moore of Greenville, South Carolina; and three beloved great grandchildren, Garrett Ring, Dawson Stevens and Seth Bowers.
A faithful and active member of Ives Memorial Baptist Church, Sharon dedicated her life to serving both her church and her community. She served on the Constitution and ByLaws Committee, the church nominating team, and the Sandhills Association Board. She chaired both the visitation and evangelism teams, served as Assistant WMU Director, and was the Senior Adult Fellowship Leader. Sharon was also a lifetime member and passionate advocate for the Girl Scouts and devoted many years as a volunteer with Quail Haven. Sharon was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and “Me Ma” to many children beyond her own family. She was richly blessed with God-given gifts, a warm spirit, a generous heart, and a remarkable ability to listen deeply and share wisdom gently. Her inner strength and abiding faith carried her through life’s trials and triumphs. Family and friends alike were blessed by her grace, compassion and gentleness. Her handwritten cards and thoughtful notes uplifted countless hearts. God gave Sharon the extraordinary gift not only of loving everyone she met, but of making sure they felt that love instantly. She was always ready with a kind word and a sincere compliment, leaving behind a legacy of faith, kindness and enduring love. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Friday, February 6, 2026, at Ives Memorial Baptist Church, 365 E. Philadelphia Ave, Pineblu , NC 28373. The entombment will take place following the service at Pinelawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 12:30 p.m. until service time at the church.
Nov. 3, 1952 – Feb. 5, 2026
Cal Edson, a loving and devoted husband, stepfather, and grandfather, passed away peacefully on February 5, 2026 unto his Lord and Savior, at the UNC Chapel Hill Neuroscience ICU unit. He was born in Pinehurst on November 3, 1952 when the population was 800. He attended Pinehurst School from rst to tenth grades. He had a wonderful childhood with Boy Scouts and playing Pinehurst #2 for free as a Jr. Golf Association member. His junior and senior high school years were spent at Oak Ridge Academy, where he excelled in sports - especially baseball and basketball - from middle school through high school.
An avid fan of NC State University, he graduated with a BS in Civil Engineering. He worked in the Texas oil eld as a surveyor before joining the US Army Corps of Engineers at Charleston then Fort Bragg, where he worked for over 40 years, rising to the rank of Resident Engineer. He was certi ed as a Professional Engineer and maintained that Certi cation until his death. He oversaw many construction projects; his favorite was a multimillion-dollar apartment complex for wounded warriors. Cal was presented the Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service for placing himself in harm’s way as a member of a four-man team of structural specialists. The team entered the bombed Oklahoma City Federal Building and designed the shoring so the remen and rescue crews could safely enter to locate and rescue survivors, including those in the childcare center. Being trained and certi ed in Search and Rescue, Cal was also called to y on a military plane on September 11 to the destroyed World Trade Centers. That ight was canceled upon knowledge of the complete building collapse. Through his beloved First Baptist Church, Cal served at Wednesday night suppers, especially when it was NC State night. He also volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and was blessed to join an Adult Mission trip to Honduras to build a safe home for an impoverished family.
Cal was married to the love of his life, Emily West Edson, for 37 years. He cherished time spent with his stepsons and their families, and especially loved attending all the sports events of his grandchildren. Cal loved golf and would play even in bad weather. He was serious about his physical tness and built his own gym downstairs in his man cave.
Cal was predeceased by his parents, Clarence Hartwell Edson and Christine McBrayer Edson, and his nephew Je Oldham. He is survived by his wife, Emily West Edson; his sister, Donie Edson Oldham (Wayne); stepsons Wes Davis (Jennifer) and Matt Davis (Kate); grandchildren Mattie Davis, Kaye Davis, Patton Davis, Oscar Davis, and Cannon Davis. He is also survived by his brothersin-laws Lane West (Pam), Bob West (Debora), and Joe West (Georgia); as well as nieces Rhonda Priest (Shaun) and Christy Greer (Morgan), and nephew Greg Oldham (Becky).
A celebration of his life will be held at First Baptist Church, 200 E. New York Ave., Southern Pines, on Saturday, February 14 at 11 a.m., with a reception at the church to follow the service. In lieu of owers, contributions can be made to First Baptist Church of Southern Pines, the Salvation Army, Samaritan’s Purse, NC Baptist Men, or NC State.
Americans’ optimism about their future is at a record low
By Linley Sanders The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Americans’ hope for their future has fallen to a new low, according to new polling.
In 2025, only about 59% of Americans gave high ratings when asked to evaluate how good their life will be in about ve years, the lowest annual measure since Gallup began asking this question almost 20 years ago.
It’s a warning about the depth of the gloom that has fallen over the country over the past few years. In the data, Gallup’s “current” and “future” lines have tended to move together over time — when Americans are feeling good about the present, they tend to feel optimistic about the future. But the most recent measures show that while current life satisfaction has declined over the last decade, future optimism has dropped even more.
The nding comes from a longstanding Gallup question that asks Americans to rate their current and future lives on a scale from 0 to 10. Those who give themselves an 8 or higher on the question about the future are categorized as optimists.
“While current life is eroding, it’s that optimism for the future that has eroded almost twice as much over the course of about that last 10 years or so,” said Dan Witters, the research director of the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index.
Gallup assesses people who rate their current life at a 7 or higher and their anticipated future at an 8 or higher as “thriving.” Fewer than half of Americans, about 48%, are now in that category.
Democrats and Hispanic Americans, in particular, were in a darker mood last year. But even with President Donald Trump back in the White
House and his party in control of both houses of Congress, Republicans aren’t feeling nearly as good about the future as they were in the last year of Trump’s rst term.
Democrats’ optimism fell signi cantly
Americans’ attitudes toward the future tend to shift when a new political party enters the White House — generally, the party in power grows more optimistic, while the party without control is more down. For instance, Democrats became more positive about the future after Joe Biden won the presi-
The bid for a sixth term could decide Senate control
By Patrick Whittle and Kimberlee Kruesi
The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine — Republican Sen. Susan Collins announced her reelection bid Tuesday, betting that she can hold onto her coveted Maine seat despite a renewed Democratic e ort to oust her in a race that could determine control of the U.S. Senate.
The campaign will test Collins’ political survival skills. The 73-year-old has won ve terms by casting herself as a re ection of Maine’s independent spirit, occasionally clashing with President Donald Trump while also largely supporting his agenda.
As she now seeks a sixth term, Collins faces outrage over immigration enforcement tactics that could become a political liability for Republican candidates across the country. A recent operation in Maine led to hundreds of arrests but also
“We are aiming to do that in Maine, North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio.”
Democrats targeting four seats to retake Senate majority
criticism that people were being rounded up even if they didn’t have criminal records.
Collins has taken credit for stopping the surge of federal agents in Maine after she spoke directly with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
However, Democrats accused Collins of not going far enough, pointing to her refusal to call for Noem’s ouster and her vote in favor of a bipartisan Homeland Security funding bill. The party needs to net four seats to retake the Senate majority, and they are aiming to do that in Maine, North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio.
Gov. Janet Mills and oyster farmer Graham Platner are among Collins’ top Democratic challengers. While many establishment Democrats and in-
uential left-leaning groups have backed Mills, Platner has gained traction with his anti-establishment image and economic equality message. He’s campaigned aggressively while facing revelations of problematic social media posts and having to cover up a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol.
Mills has accused Collins of governing “without any courage” shortly after the Republican voted in favor of funding the DHS and several other agencies in January. Platner has demanded that the agency be dismantled and said he did not believe Collins or the Trump administration’s promise to leave Maine.
Platner recently outraised both Mills and Collins in campaign fundraising, according to the latest federal lings. The rst-time candidate collected nearly $4.6 million, while Mills raised $2.7 million. Collins, who had not yet o cially launched her campaign during the ling period, had more than $8 million in cash on hand at the end of 2025.
Collins, who has said she didn’t vote for Trump in 2016,
“While current life is eroding, it’s that optimism for the future that has eroded almost twice as much over the course of about that last 10 years or so.”
Dan Witters, research director, Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index
dency, while Republicans’ outlook soured.
Witters notes that these changes typically happen “by roughly the same amount, same level of magnitude, so they cancel each other out.”
That didn’t happen in 2025.
Toward the end of Biden’s term and the start of Trump’s second term, Democrats’ optimism fell from 65% to 57%. Republicans grew more hopeful, but not enough to o set Democrats’ drop.
“The regime change in the White House almost certainly was a big driving factor in what’s happened,” Witters said. “And a lot of that was just because the people who identi ed as Democrats really took it in the chops.”
But Republicans are still quite a bit gloomier about the future than they were in the
last year of Trump’s rst term.
A January AP-NORC poll found that while the vast majority of Republicans are still behind the president, his work on the economy hasn’t lived up to many people’s expectations.
Hispanic adults grew more pessimistic
Hispanic adults’ optimism for the near future also declined during Trump’s rst year in ofce, dropping from 69% to 63%. That decrease was sharper than among white and black Americans, something that Witters said could be tied to overall cost concerns, health care worries or alarm about Trump’s recent immigration policies.
Last year, a survey by the American Communities Project found that people living in heavily Hispanic areas were feeling less hopeful about their future than in 2024. Trump’s favorability fell among Hispanics over the course of 2025, according to AP-NORC polling, which also found that Hispanic adults reported higher levels of economic stress than other groups.
A Pew Research Center poll conducted in October found that the administration’s tough immigration enforcement is highly visible in Hispanic communities. About 6 in 10 Latinos said they had seen or heard of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids or arrests in their community in the past six months.
“(Deportations are) something that everybody can see and look at with their own eyes,” Witters added. “But if you’re Hispanic, I think it’s fair to think that that might hit a little closer to home.”
voted to convict Trump after his 2021 impeachment over his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. After Collins joined a handful of Republican colleagues in backing a failed e ort to limit the president’s ability to unilaterally use force in Venezuela, Trump said on social media that they “should never be elected to ofce again.”
But Collins has also broadly backed Trump’s agenda, including his tax and spending bill, and his nominees.
Notably, Collins voted to conrm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Trump’s choice to be secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has since espoused anti-vaccine policy and ousted public health o cials at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
She has faced down tough challenges before. Democrat Sara Gideon raised $69 million in 2020, outspending Collins in a bid to help take back the Senate during a presidential election year when the Democrats won the top of the ticket. Collins defeated Gideon by more than 8 points.
Collins has remained in ofce despite Maine becoming increasingly blue. The proportion of registered Democrats has increased since her last reelection campaign, when “unenrolled” independent voters outnumbered Democrats in 2019 but now trail them in 2026. Republicans have trailed both groups for years.
North Carolina native and New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye walks o the eld after being sacked six times in a bruising loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60 on Sunday.
ICE chief defends o cers’ actions before Congress after deaths of 2 protesters
The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is defending his o cers, saying they won’t be intimidated while carrying out President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda. Todd Lyons, along with other agency leaders, faced tough questions from Democrats during a congressional hearing Tuesday. Lyons blamed elected o cials for rhetoric that endangers o cers. The hearing followed recent scrutiny after two protesters were shot and killed by Homeland Security o cers in Minneapolis.
Democrats have criticized the administration’s immigration policies, while o cials argue their actions make the country safer. The hearing marks the rst time these leaders have appeared in Congress since receiving increased funding.
Trump set to change U.S. climate change policy, environmental regulations
A White House o cial said the Trump administration is expected this week to revoke a scienti c nding that long has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and ght climate change. The EPA will issue a nal rule rescinding a 2009 Obama-era policy determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. Legal challenges are certain.
Board of Education runs into another delay related to new elementary school
The board has still not nalized design plans for the new Ashley Elementary
By Ryan Henkel Twin City Herald
WINSTON-SALEM —
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education put a bit more of a delay on the Ashley Elementary School project. At the WS/FCS Board of Education’s Feb. 10 meeting, the board voted to table a decision on a preconstruction agreement with Balfour Beatty related to the Ashley Elementary School project, a planned new elementary school in Eastern Winston-Salem that will cost around
$45 million and has met quite a few delays throughout the years.
Balfour Beatty was selected as the construction manager at risk for the project back in August and as a part of that agreement, the board also approved the allocation of $46,000 to the company for estimating services as well.
“This just approves them to provide the services once we make a nal decision on the plans,” said Executive Director of Planning and Construction Darrell Walker.
The preconstruction agreement thus includes that estimating as well as a guaranteed maximum price to the district, all totalling just under $85,000, which had been allocated from the two-thirds bond funds provided by the county.
According to district sta , the
“They’re not going to start this process until you give them the okay to move forward.”
Darrell Walker, WSFCS executive director of planning and construction
delay between the initial agreement and it coming back to them only now was due to design adjustments.
“We still need to have meetings to discuss the design, then once we nalize what we want, we give those instructions to this company, they do the process because they’re the CM, and then after they do the process, they can get us a guaran-
teed maximum price,” said Vice Chair Alex Bohannon.
However, as the board was scheduled to have small group meetings to discuss the designs and come to a nal decision, they opted to delay their decision until after those occurred.
“I’d rather have some inputs and some discussions before I move forward on this particular item,” said board member Richard Watts.
“They’re not going to start this process until you give them the OK to move forward,” Walker said in response. “This is just a checks-and-balances piece. They’re not doing any work at this point until you release this agreement, and they can’t do the estimating work until we approve the plans.”
The WSFCS Board of Education will next meet Feb. 24.
Large crowds marked the end of their 2,300-mile journey
By Ti any Stanley and Deepa Bharath The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. —
A group of Buddhist monks reached Washington, D.C., on foot Tuesday, walking single le across a bridge over the Potomac River to cap a 15-week trek from Texas that has captivated the country. The monks in their sa ron robes have become xtures on social media, along with their
rescue dog Aloka. After spending Monday night at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, they crossed over the Chain Bridge into the District of Columbia shortly after 8 a.m. on Tuesday. They walk to advocate for peace. That simple message has resonated across the U.S. as a welcome respite from con ict and political divisions. Thousands gathered along Southern roadsides — often in unusually chilly weather — to watch the monks’ quiet procession that began in late October.
Large crowds greeted them during their two-day stay in
“Join the conversation”
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
BUSINESS
David Guy, Advertising Manager
1201
Republican legislators grilled Charlotte o cials over recent rail stabbings
By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press
RALEIGH — North Carolina Republican lawmakers pressed Charlotte-area leaders on Monday about crime- ghting e orts following recent light-rail stabbings in the Democratic-led city, with a committee head citing failures in carrying out criminal justice functions.
The August fatal stabbing death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, followed in December by a nonfatal stabbing on the same Charlotte rail system, are among the chief reasons for GOP critiques of area law enforcement. The suspect in each stabbing faces charges in state and federal court.
GOP Rep. Brenden Jones, co-chairman of the state House oversight committee that took testimony from several o cials, attributed Zarutska’s killing to broad “incompetence.”
Zarutska had “come to America for a better life. She didn’t get that experience,” Jones said. “Her life was cut short not by one individual but by a system that allowed a career criminal to roam your streets.”
Decarlos Brown Jr., the man accused in Zarutska’s death, had more than a dozen prior criminal arrests before the most recent charge, and concerns had been raised about his mental health. Republican lawmakers, as well as President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, blamed Democratic leaders in Charlotte and statewide for soft-on-crime policies they allege allowed Brown to stay out of custody.
Jones kept to a similar theme, accusing the leaders in Charlotte — with a population of more than 940,000 — and surrounding Mecklenburg County of prioritizing liberal-leaning policy choic -
es over keeping people safe.
“Her blood is on your hands,” he added.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, who was among those testifying Monday, wrote soon after Zarutska’s death that it was a “tragic failure by the courts and magistrates.” She and others have since highlighted additional safety measures for the light rail system.
Most of the committee’s vitriol was targeted at the Mecklenburg County sheri , who operates the local jail.
Despite the harsh opening attack by Jones, committee members were cordial in their questioning of Lyles, new Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella Patterson and Mecklenburg District Attorney Spencer Meriweather.
During testimony, Meriweather suggested the need for more assistant prosecutors, earlier mental health interventions and combating more onerous crimes by juveniles. Patterson also outlined additional measures aimed at further reducing violent crime, building on last year’s declines.
The meeting “really lets me know that the General Assembly cares about Charlotte and they want to work with us to make our city safer,” Patterson told reporters.
Still, in a news release after the meeting, a pair of Democrats on the committee accused the panel of engaging in “cynical partisan theatre to paint Charlotte in a negative light.”
Zarutska’s death has already resulted in a new state law that bars cashless bail for certain violent crimes and many repeat o enders. It also seeks to ensure more defendants undergo mental health evaluations. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein last week issued an executive order designed in part to address mental health treatment for people whom police confront and who are incarcerated.
Sheri Garry McFadden has clashed for years with lawmakers who accused him for failing to cooperate with immigration agents seeking to apprehend defendants in his jail. A recent state law has now made it mandatory for sheri s to honor detainers, who are requests by ICE to hold an arrested immigrant so agents can take custody of them.
A federal immigration crackdown that started in November in Charlotte and spread elsewhere in North Carolina resulted in hundreds of arrests over several days. At the time, the Department of Homeland Security said about
1,400 detainers across North Carolina had not been honored since 2020.
McFadden said Monday that his jail o cials “have always followed the law in notifying ICE” but it’s up to agents to decide “what they do after that noti cation.” But Jones said later that data “indicates the sheri ’s not doing his job in Mecklenburg County.” Brown has been jailed due to the charges. A federal court ordered last month that he undergo a psychiatric examination to determine whether his legal case can proceed. A similar exam was ordered in state court months ago. Brown’s lawyers for the federal case declined comment. His state court lawyer didn’t respond to emails.
The suspect in the second light-rail attack — identied in federal records as Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia and in state court as Oscar Solarzano — is from Central America and had been transported out the country twice since 2018 — having been convicted of illegal reentry into the U.S., according to an FBI a davit.
Solarzano is also jailed, and an attorney representing him in state court didn’t respond to emails. There is no lawyer listed in his federal case.
Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: forsythcommunity@ northstatejournal.com
Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon
WALK from page A1
Washington. The Metropolitan Police Department issued a tra c advisory announcing there would be “rolling road closures” along the monks’ route to ensure safety for them and spectators.
“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and nd peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who has taught about mindfulness at stops along the way.
The monks planned to mark the last days of their Walk for Peace with outdoor appearances at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday and the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday.
“Their long journey and gentle witness invite us all to deepen our commitment to compassion and the work of peace in our communities,” said Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde, who will help host an interfaith reception for the monks at the cathedral.
The monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies. Millions have followed them online, and crowds have greeted them at numerous venues, from a church in Opelika, Al-
“In these divisive times, we saw entire towns in the Bible Belt coming out for these monks — having no idea of what Buddhism is — but being uplifted and moved by it. That’s inspirational.”
Mark Duykers, retired engineer from Michigan
abama, to City Hall in Richmond, Virginia.
Mark Duykers, a retired mechanical engineer who practices mindfulness, said he and his wife will drive 550 miles from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Washington, D.C., to see the monks.
“In these divisive times, we saw entire towns in the Bible Belt coming out for these monks — having no idea of what Buddhism is — but being uplifted and moved by it,” he said. “That’s inspirational.”
Nineteen monks began the 2,300-mile journey from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth on Oct. 26, 2025. They came from Theravada Buddhist monasteries around the globe, led by Pannakara, who is vice president of the Fort Worth temple.
While in the U.S. capital, they planned to submit a request to lawmakers to declare Vesak — Buddha’s birthday — a national holiday. But, Panna-
kara and others have emphasized that is not the goal of the walk.
Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the temple, said the walk is neither a political movement nor is it focused on advocacy or legislation.
“It’s a spiritual o ering, an invitation to live peace through everyday actions, mindful steps and open hearts,” he said. “We believe when peace is cultivated within, it naturally ripples outward into society.”
The trek has had its perils, and local law enforcement ofcers have provided security. In November outside Houston, the monks were walking on the side of a highway when their escort vehicle was hit by a truck. Two monks were injured; one had his leg amputated.
Some of the monks, including Pannakara, have walked barefoot or in socks for most of the journey to feel the ground directly and be present in the
moment. As they have pressed on through snow and cold, they’ve at times donned winter boots.
Peace walks are a cherished tradition in Theravada Buddhism. Pannakara rst encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means “divine light” in Sanskrit, during a 112-day journey across India in 2022.
The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha as core to attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection, observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and su ering.
On Tuesday, the monks will complete 108 days of walking. It’s a sacred number in Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. It represents spiritual completion, cosmic order and the wholeness of existence.
The monks’ return trip should be less arduous. After an appearance at Maryland’s Capitol, a bus will take them back to Texas, where they expect to arrive in downtown Fort Worth early on Saturday.
From there, the monks will walk together again, traversing 6 miles to the temple where their trip began.
Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
COLUMN | LARRY ELDER
Mass deportation: Who was more ‘inhumane’ — Obama or Trump?
Obama did not inherit an administration that allowed in 10 million to 15 million illegal aliens.
THOSE WHO CLAIM President Barack Obama deported illegal aliens more “humanely” make the following assertions:
a) ICE didn’t go into the streets under Obama; b) there were no street activists/ protesters/agitators; c) ICE only deported those with criminal records beyond illegal entry or illegally overstaying; d) Obama’s deportation numbers largely include “returns” or those deported at the border; e) the Obama administration did not engage in “lawlessness”; and f) ICE and/ or Customs and Border Patrol arrested only illegal aliens after rst securing a judicial warrant.
As for a), under Obama, ICE did go into the streets, including into the interior and into “sanctuary” cities like Chicago. Watch “Lost in Detention,” a 2011 episode of the PBS “Frontline” program, where, for example, an illegal alien mother stopped in Illinois for making an illegal lane change was ultimately deported back to Mexico. Consider this X post: “... As someone who worked during (the Obama administration), it’s simple. All the ‘sanctuary cities,’ including mine, cooperated fully with ICE and Homeland. ... So this, in fact, is politicians’ fault because they pick and choose who they want to cooperate with ...”
As for b), the media/Dems loved Obama, so they looked the other way. Again, under Obama, there was greater cooperation between local, state and federal o cials. In fact, several cities and states adopted sanctuary policies because of this cooperation. The think tank Niskanen Center wrote: “The Secure Communities program allowed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to issue detainers for anyone detained by local law enforcement. ... Homeland Security Secretary
Janet Napolitano (in October 2010) stated that DHS ‘did not view (Secure Communities) as an opt-in, opt-out program ...
“In response, multiple local jurisdictions, including Cook County, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., passed legislation to limit local compliance with immigration detainers, thus creating sanctuary cities.”
There was no “ICE Watch” to alert activists and protesters. And Obama did not inherit an administration that allowed in 10 million to 15 million illegal aliens.
As for c), deporting only those with “criminal records,” this is from the “nonpartisan” factcheck.org, in January 2026, about the Trump administration: “Those with criminal convictions or pending charges represented 66% of arrests, which the administration has rounded up to 70%.”
About deportations with criminal records under Obama, in April 2016, The Washington Post wrote:
“While the number of deportations of illegal immigrants with criminal records has declined in recent years, last year this group made up almost 60 percent of the total number expelled from the country, the largest percentage in recent memory.”
As for d) that Obama deportation numbers mostly included those at the border, the left-leaning fact-check site snopes.com wrote:
“The claim that immigration authorities deported more than 3 million people during the Obama administration (2009-17) is accurate based on ‘formal removal’ gures reported by the DHS. When including ‘returns’ (those removed at the border), however, the total exceeds 5 million.”
As for e), Trump’s supposed lawless deportations, economist John Lott of the Crime Prevention Research Center wrote:
Don’t abuse the word ‘protest’
If Pretti was an “observer,” he was observing how much unhinged behavior he could get away with.
ALEX PRETTI WASN’T killed while “protesting.” This is a common description of what he was doing on a Minneapolis street the fateful morning when a confrontation with federal immigration agents ended in his tragic shooting. But if Pretti had been a mere protester, he’d very likely be alive today.
Now that we’ve seen videos of an earlier struggle with federal agents and learned more about the organized nature of the anti-ICE resistance, it’s become clear that the better word for Pretti was agitator, or perhaps even operative.
A protester, as typically understood, is someone who is making a point, often as part of a gathering of other like-minded people and, usually but not always, in opposition to something.
A protester might hold a sign outside a coal- red power plant calling for it to shut down. He might go to Union Square Park to hear speeches from bullhorns whenever something happens that outrages the left. He might march against the Iraq War or the Vietnam War — or in favor of Hamas.
This kind of activity is not to everyone’s taste — personally, I hate the drums and the chants — but there is no doubt that it is a legitimate form of political advocacy. Depending on the cause, it can even be admirable. What we’ve seen in Minneapolis, though,
is often quite di erent. Run-of-the-mill protesters don’t seek out federal agents and harass and obstruct them. They don’t follow and block their vehicles or establish a robust communications network to deploy resources to create maximum disruption of their operations.
Pretti was part of this e ort, which is more a form of low-level and (by and large) nonviolent insurgency than conventional protest. In his rst confrontation, 11 days before his death, Pretti was every bit an anti-ICE street brawler. He challenged, at close quarters, an agent to assault him while screaming insults at him. He spat on a federal vehicle and kicked out its taillight.
If Pretti was an “observer,” in the euphemism preferred by anti-ICE politicians and activists, he was observing how much unhinged behavior he could get away with. There’s no doubt that at this event, he was the violent instigator.
After Pretti damaged the vehicle, agents got out and pushed him to the ground. For all the talk of ICE being the equivalent of the Gestapo, they didn’t even bother to arrest him despite his having committed a crime. If he’d been arrested and charged, Pretti might never have shown up at the other ICE operation and would still be with us today.
That Pretti, we now know, made it a practice
“The 170 ICE-detained US citizens ... included about 130 arrested for interfering with or assaulting o cers ... justi able under any reading of the law ...
“Only about 40 or so of those who were detained claimed to be US citizens accidentally or erroneously arrested by ICE. ... Most were released in a few hours. ... 40 mistakes out of 595,000 arrests amounts to an error rate of just 0.0067% — roughly one wrongful detention for every 14,925 arrests.
“By contrast (during the Obama administration) ... in scal years 2015 and 2016, ICE recorded 263 mistaken arrests, 54 mistaken detentions (book-ins), and four mistaken removals ... about one mistake for every 4,444 arrests ...
“During the course of Obama’s two terms, from 2009 to 2017, 56 individuals died in ICE custody. ... 56 deaths translates into a rate of 0.007% — roughly one death for every 14,314 detainees.
“By comparison, the rate last year under Trump was slightly lower: 0.0054%, or one death for every 18,594 detainees.
“... Trump made no erroneous deportations through November.”
This brings us to f) about judicial warrants. Snopes.com wrote: “Over the eight-year period of the Obama administration, the percentage of removals carried out without a hearing before an immigration judge ranged from approximately 58% to 84%, averaging roughly 74%.”
What a di erence an administration makes. Or rather, what a di erence the media coverage of an administration makes.
Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host.
(Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
to court violent encounters with federal agents while armed was incredibly irresponsible. He was fortunate that the rst struggle didn’t escalate into something much more hazardous to him and to others if an agent had noticed his gun. The rearm wouldn’t have been an issue in the second incident, meanwhile, if he’d really been protesting. If that were the case, he would have stayed on the sidewalk and held up a sign, or chanted, “ICE go home,” and the o cers might have been annoyed, but there never would have been an interaction to potentially go catastrophically wrong.
The calculation in Minneapolis, though, has been that this kind of benign activity is less e ective than direct action, and unfortunately — with public opinion swinging against Operation Metro Surge — this assessment looks to be accurate.
Why simply express a point of view when you can act to stop arrests and to create a hostile, threatening environment for agents?
This doesn’t mean that Pretti got what he deserved or that the o cers acted appropriately. It does mean that the state and city o cials should have been telling people not to “monitor” DHS activity, but to stay well clear of legitimate law-enforcement activities.
Reasonable people can disagree about the desirability of the goal that Pretti was pursuing, but there’s no doubt about how he was going about it, and it didn’t involve conventional protest.
Rich Lowry is editor of the National Review.
An admiral pushed for smaller deployments over big strike groups
By Konstantin Toropin The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy’s top uniformed o cer wants to convince commanders to use smaller, newer ships and other assets for missions instead of consistently turning to huge aircraft carriers — as seen now in the American military buildups o Venezuela and Iran.
Adm. Daryl Caudle’s vision — what he calls his “Fighting Instructions” — calls for the Navy to deploy more tailored groups of ships and equipment that would o er the sea service more exibility to respond to crises as they develop.
Caudle spoke to The Associated Press before the rollout of the new strategy, which comes as the Trump administration has moved aircraft carriers and other ships to regions around the world to address emerging concerns. This has disrupted standing deployment plans, scrambled ships to sail thousands of miles and put increasing strain on vessels and equipment that are already facing mounting maintenance issues.
The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, was redirected late last year from the Mediterranean Sea to the Caribbean Sea, where the crew ultimately supported last month’s operation to capture then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. And two weeks ago, the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East as tensions with Iran rise, having been pulled from the South China Sea. In an interview, Caudle said his strategy would make the Navy’s presence in regions like the Caribbean much leaner and better tailored to meet actual threats.
He said he’s already spoken with the commander of U.S. Southern Command, which encompasses the Caribbean and Venezuela, “and we’re in negotiation on what his problem set is — I want to be able to convey that I can meet that
“That
doesn’t really require a carrier strike group to do that. It’s really not a well-suited match for that mission.”
Adm. Daryl Caudle, chief of
naval operations
with a tailored package there.”
Admiral sees a smaller contingent in the Caribbean in the future
Speaking broadly, Caudle said he envisions the mission in the Caribbean focusing more on interdictions and keeping an eye on merchant shipping.
The U.S. military has already seized multiple suspicious and falsely agged tankers connected with Venezuela that were part of a global shadow eet of merchant vessels that help governments evade sanctions.
“That doesn’t really require a carrier strike group to do that,” Caudle said, adding that he believes the mission could be done with some smaller littoral combat ships, Navy helicopters and close coordination with the Coast Guard.
The Navy has had 11 ships, including the Ford and several amphibious assault ships with thousands of Marines, in South American waters for months. It is a major shift for a region that has historically seen deployments of one or two smaller Navy ships.
“I don’t want a lot of destroyers there driving around just to actually operate the radar to get awareness on motor vessels and other tankers coming out of port,” Caudle said. “It’s really not a well-suited match for that mission.”
To compensate, Caudle envisions leaning more heavily on drones or other robotic systems to o er military commanders the same capabilities but with less investment from Navy ships. He acknowledg-
es this will not be an easy sell.
Caudle said even if a commander knows about a new capability, the sta “may not know how to ask for that, integrate it, and know how to employ it in an e ective way to bring this new niche capability to bear.”
“That requires a bit of an education campaign here,” he later added.
President Donald Trump has favored large and bold responses from the Navy and has leaned heavily toward displays of repower.
Trump has referred to aircraft carriers and their accompanying destroyers as armadas and otillas. He also revived the historic battleship title for a planned type of ship that would sport hypersonic missiles, nuclear cruise missiles, rail guns and high-powered lasers.
If built, the proposed “Trump-class battleship” would be longer and larger than the World War II-era Iowa-class battleships, though the Navy has not only struggled to eld some of the technologies that Trump says will be aboard but it has had challenges building even small-
er, less sophisticated ships on time and on budget.
Given this trend, Caudle said if the Lincoln’s recent redeployment to the Middle East were to happen under his new plan, he would talk with the Indo-Paci c commander about how to compensate for the loss.
“So, as Abraham Lincoln comes out, I’ve got a three ship (group) that’s going to compensate for that,” Caudle suggested as an example.
Caudle argues that his vision already is in place and working in Europe and North America “for the last four or ve years.”
He said this could apply soon in the Bering Strait, which separates Russia and Alaska, noting that “the importance of the Arctic continues to get more and more prevalent” as China, Russia and the U.S. prioritize the region.
Trump has cited the threat from China and Russia in his demands to take over Greenland, the Arctic island overseen by NATO ally Denmark. Caudle said he knows he needs to o er the commanders in that region “more solutions” and his “tailored force packages would be a way to get after that.”
US’s largest public utility says it now doesn’t want to close two coal- red plants
TVA reverses course on ahead of Trump-appointed board meeting
By Jonathan Mattise The Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The nation’s largest public utility says it now would prefer to keep operating two coal- red power plants it had planned to shutter, changing course before a meeting of its board, which has a majority of members picked by the coal-friendly Trump administration.
In new lings, the Tennessee Valley Authority’s signaled that it wants to ditch closure dates for the Kingston Fossil Plant and Cumberland Fossil Plant in Tennessee, which would require further action from its board.
The new plan would still include introducing natural gas- red plants at both locations.
TVA had intended to shutter its remaining, aging coal plants by 2035 in an e ort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that spur climate change. But the utility, which partners with local power companies to serve roughly 10 million people in seven states, said it is rethinking the coal plant closures because of regulatory changes and increasing demand for electricity.
“As power demand grows, TVA is looking at every option to bolster our generating eet to continue providing a ordable, reliable electricity to our 10 mil-
The Kingston Fossil Plant smokestacks rise above the trees behind homes in Kingston, Tenn, Aug. 7, 2019.
lion customers, create jobs and help communities thrive,” TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks said in a statement Tuesday. But several clean energy groups said extending the coal plants would raise serious questions about TVA’s decision-making process, since the utility has said more natural gas plants were needed to retire polluting coal plants.
“Without even a public meeting, TVA is telling the people who live near these coal plants that they will breathe in toxic pollution from not one, but two major power plants for the foreseeable future,” Gabi Lichtenstein, Tennessee Program Coordinator for Appalachian Voices, said in a news release. “This decision is salt in the wound after ignor-
ing widespread calls for cleaner, cheaper replacements for the Kingston and Cumberland coal plants.”
President Donald Trump red enough TVA board members picked by his predecessor to leave the utility without a quorum. Without one, the board could only take actions needed for ongoing operations, not to jump into new areas of activity, start new programs or change the utility’s existing direction.
Trump then signed executive orders aimed at helping the coal industry. Last May, TVA’s president and CEO, Don Moul, told investors that the utility would reevaluate the lifespan of its coal plants, saying o cials were evaluating Trump’s executive orders.
The U.S. Senate con rmed
four Trump board nominees in December. With the quorum restored, TVA’s board is scheduled to meet Wednesday in Kentucky.
TVA had already faced advocates’ criticisms for planning to open more natural gas plants as the utility was winding down its eet of coal plants, instead of more quickly moving away from fossil fuels and into solar and other renewables.
TVA’s goal for years has been an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035 over 2005 levels, and net-zero emissions by 2050, with a heavy emphasis on nuclear power and hopes for next-generation reactors. Biden had gone further, calling for a carbon-pollution-free energy sector by 2035.
Clean energy groups have noted that the rapid building of data centers that support arti cial intelligence is partly to blame for growing power demand. In an investors call last week, TVA President and CEO Don Moul said data center demand grew to 18% of its industrial load in 2025, and by 2030, the utility expects it to double across the service region. Moul said the fairness of new data center pay rates is a priority for TVA. Under a 2024 nal decision, TVA planned for a 1,500-megawatt natural gas facility with 4 megawatts of solar and 100 megawatts of battery storage at the Kingston Fossil Plant, a 2,470-megawatt coal plant nished in 1955, and the site of a
massive 2008 coal ash spill. The coal plant was slated to close and the gas plant to come online by the end of 2027. The new proposal would keep the coal, gas and battery, but drop the solar. In a 2023 decision, TVA planned to mothball its two-unit Cumberland coal plant in two stages — one, by the end of 2026, to be replaced this year by the 1,450-megawatt natural gas plant; and the second, shuttered by the end of 2028, with options open on its replacement. The 2,470-megawatt Cumberland coal plant, completed in 1973, is the largest generating asset in TVA’s eet.
Trump tussled with TVA during his rst term, including when he opposed a coal plant closure. Ultimately, in 2019 the board still voted to close the Paradise Fossil Plant in Kentucky. Its last towers were demolished in 2024. In 2020, Trump red the former TVA board chairman and another board member and drove TVA to reverse course on hiring foreign labor for information technology jobs. He also criticized the pay scale for the CEO at the time, which was $7.3 million for the 2020 budget year and topped $10.5 million for 2024. TVA stressed that it doesn’t receive federal taxpayer money and instead is funded by electricity customers, and that the CEO pay fell in the bottom quartile of the power industry.
The rookie star is the key piece of Dallas’ rebuilding e ort
By Schuyler Dixon
The Associated Press
DALLAS — Cooper Flagg is in the midst of an unprecedented run for an NBA teenager just as the Dallas Mavericks are rmly declaring their rookie No. 1 pick the future face of the franchise.
The day was coming regardless. It arrived with Dallas trading Anthony Davis, the 10-time All-Star who joined the Mavs in a deal that cost them generational superstar Luka Doncic and sent their fans into a funk from which they’re still recovering.
“We have an unbelievable player in Cooper Flagg,” co-interim general manager Michael Finley, a former Mavericks player, said during the announcement of a three-team trade involving nine players and ve draft picks that are all going to Dallas.
“When you have that type of draft capital, it gives yourself the ability to go out and put the proper pieces around him to make our team, like I keep stressing, a championship contender.”
The Mavericks got Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson and Marvin Bagley III along with two rst-round picks and three second-rounders from Washington for Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum. Malaki Branham also was part of the deal for Dallas, which then traded him to Charlotte for Tyus Jones.
“It’s tough. Those are guys I came in here my rst year, they were all amazing guys to be around on and o the court,” Flagg said. “I wish them all the best. And I’m just blessed to be here. Whoever’s out there on the court with me, and the rest of
the guys, just looking forward to continuing to try to get better and compete at a really high level.”
Flagg set an NBA record for a teenager with four consecutive games with at least 30 points, ending the run with 32 points in a 135-123 loss to the San Antonio Spurs last Thursday night. The run started with the 19-year-old setting a league scoring record for a teen with 49 points against Charlotte. Flagg followed that with 34 points against Houston and 36 against Boston.
The Mavericks lost all four games during Flagg’s surge and were on a season-worst seven-game losing streak through last weekend, which helps explain why the Mavericks moved on from the oft-injured Davis, currently sidelined by a hand injury, and chose another retooling of the roster over the chance to see Davis, Flagg and star guard Kyrie Irving on the court together.
“I think, as a fan, you probably would want to see AD, Kyrie, and Cooper on the court,” said Finley, who shares the interim GM title with Matt Ric-
cardi. “But we had an opportunity to do something to give us the ultimate exibility in the future. We just felt that this was an opportunity to take advantage of that situation.”
When the Mavericks converted a 1.8% chance in the draft lottery for the right to select Flagg last summer, there was hope that the fog of losing Doncic would clear.
Instead, Davis’ injury woes returned amid a slow start by the team this season
The Mavericks red general manager Nico Harrison in November.
Now they’ve moved on from their centerpiece in that deal, but Irving is the biggest remaining piece from the team that he and Doncic led to the NBA Finals less than two years ago.
Finley indicated the Mavs still have a vision of Flagg and Irving — both one-and-done No. 1 overall picks from Duke — sharing the court at some point.
“We’ve both spoken to Kyrie at di erent points,” Finley said, referring to Riccardi. “Kyrie has the ultimate respect for Cooper. He loves the kid’s work ethic. He loves the kid’s love for the game. And I think Kyrie’s embracing the role as a mentor to Cooper. So it’s going to be amazing to have a chance to see those guys on the court and playing together.”
Coach Jason Kidd, the point guard for the franchise’s only championship team in 2011, believes Flagg has the makings of a franchise leader and the perseverance to work toward that rst postseason chance.
“The bigger the stage, the bigger the light, the better game he has,” Kidd said. “He wants to win. The 49 (points), the 36, they all have L’s behind it. He wants the change that. He wants to win. I think the great ones learn how to change those L’s into W’s, and he’s going to be one of those.”
Reagan,
Tyler Burton is a senior on the Reagan boys’ swimming and diving team.
Reagan’s boys’ team nished second in the Central Piedmont 7A/8A conference championship meet, and Burton won conference titles in all four events in which he competed — three individual and one relay.
He took rst in the 100 breast with a time of 56.03, taking the title by a 3.79-second margin. He also won the 200 IM at 1:52.32, with a 12.14-second margin of victory. He took rst in the 50 in 21.82, a 0.03-second margin. and was part of the Reagan 200 medley relay team that also took rst.
The same man has done the postgame celebration for 30 years
By Donna Gordon Blankinship
The Associated Press
NOAH WINTER brags he’s been to way more Super Bowls than Tom Brady.
Brady competed in 10 — more than any other player. But Winter was part of the Super Bowl spectacle for his 30th straight year this year, not in uniform but as the guy in charge of the celebratory confetti after the game ends.
Winter’s company, Artistry in Motion, also makes confetti for rock concerts, movies, political conventions and the Olympics. But the annual blizzard of color falling onto the eld at the end of each Super Bowl is probably what he’s best known for.
It certainly is what he’s most likely to get asked about at dinner parties.
“It’s become an iconic moment,” Winter marvels, sitting in his Northridge, California, ofce and confetti factory.
Jane Gershovich, a photographer who worked for the Seattle Seahawks when they won the Super Bowl in 2014, said that when the confetti falls, everyone wants to play in it. The players and their families have been known to toss it in the air and make confetti angels.
“Just seeing the players and their kids engage with it at such a wholesome level, it brings a lot of joy to everyone on the eld,” she said.
So, what goes into planning and executing a giant confetti drop? Winter elded some questions.
What happens to the losing team’s confetti?
Artistry in Motion trucks 300 pounds of two-colored confetti
for each of the teams to the Super Bowl. They bring confetti cannons onto the eld with about 4 minutes remaining, and line them up around the stadium walls.
Even if the teams stream onto the eld before the clock runs out, the confetti waits until the timer shows the game is o cially over. And the winners’ colors get the go-ahead.
“It’s always better to be late then early,” Winter explained.
“Sometimes players go out and shake hands. We don’t launch until triple zero on the clock. Over the 30 years, we never have launched the wrong color or launched too early.”
The color mix is not 50-50, because some colors dominate on video, so the company has to experiment to nd the correct mix.
Massachusetts company Seaman Paper has for 25 years manufactured the tissue paper that Artistry in Motion turns into confetti, said Jamie Jones, one of Seaman’s owners. A lot
of New England Patriots fans who work there are particularly excited about their part in this year’s Super Bowl. The company makes about 150,000 pounds of tissue paper a day — mostly for gift wrapping and food service.
“It’s a very prestigious but not big order,” Jones said of the Super Bowl paper.
How do you get the best utter?
Winter has found that a rectangular shape is best for confetti because it turns on its axis and hangs in the air.
But TV viewers might not realize that there are actually two confetti drops at the Super Bowl — one at game’s end, and the other when the Vince Lombardi Trophy is presented to the winning team. That second round of confetti is cut in the silhouette of the trophy. Messages can be printed on the tiny rectangles too. For a handful of Super Bowls, Artistry
Noah Winter, responsible for the confetti displays, poses for a picture after the College Football Playo national championship game.
“Over the 30 years, we never have launched the wrong color or launched too early.”
Confetti expert Noah Winter
in Motion printed social media messages on each tiny ag at the request of event sponsor Twitter.
Some people ask whether the confetti is cut by hand (it isn’t), and Winter jokes that his hands get tired.
How do you get into the confetti business?
Winter studied lighting design in college and did pyrotechnic work at venues including the Hollywood Bowl before Disney asked his team to recreate leaves falling and twirling for a live “Pocahontas” show in the mid-1980s. Soon, he was creating confetti for Disney’s daily parade at Disneyland.
In 1986, Mick Jagger saw the confetti at Disney and asked
Artistry in Motion to make some for a Rolling Stones’ concert at Dodgers Stadium. Then, he brought the edgling confetti company on tour. Other artists, including Bono from U2, asked that confetti be made for their shows as well.
Stadium concerts led to sporting events. The company’s rst Super Bowl was in 1997. The year before that, Winter had been a pyrotechnician at the Super Bowl, making this year’s game his 30th.
Winter wouldn’t admit to having a favorite team, but he did say he has two brothers who are New York Jets fans, and he has promised to bring them to the Super Bowl to work a confetti cannon if their team ever returns.
17 former NC State athletes join abuse lawsuit bringing total to 31
Raleigh Seventeen additional former N.C. State male athletes have joined a state lawsuit alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine. That pushes the total number to 31 in a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete more than three years ago. The complaint expands a case alleging years of misconduct by Robert L. Murphy Jr. Allegations include improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.
NBA Arbitrator rules
Rozier should receive
$26.6M salary despite gambling charges
Miami An arbitrator ruled
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier should receive his $26.6 million salary this season despite being on administrative leave because of federal gambling-related charges. Rozier’s paychecks are currently in an interest-bearing account. The National Basketball Players Association argued his case didn’t warrant salary withholding under the collective bargaining agreement. Rozier was arrested in October in a probe involving more than 30 people. He has pleaded not guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering charges. Rozier is due back in court in March.
NASCAR
Spire Motorsports extends Hocevar’s contract into next decade
Charlotte Spire Motorsports signed Carson Hocevar to a long-term extension, keeping him in the No. 77 Chevrolet “into the next decade.” The deal ensures the 2024 Cup Series rookie of the year stays with the team for at least four more seasons. The 23-year-old Hocevar won his rst career Cup Series pole last year and had nine top-10 nishes. Spire is now majority owned by TWG Motorsports.
Palou headlines
5 drivers to be featured on regional milk products
Indianapolis Indianapolis 500 fans will have a chance to toast one of sports’ most iconic victory celebrations — sipping milk with former race winners. Indianapolis Motor Speedway, American Dairy Association Indiana and Prairie Farms Family of Companies will team up to o er single-serve milk bottles and cartons to fans in 20 states. The products will feature race winners on ve di erent kinds of milk. Defending champion Alex Palou headlines a group that includes 2023 and 2024 race winner Josef Newgarden, four-time race winner Helio Castroneves, 2016 race winner Alex Palou and 2008 race winner Scott Dixon.
The Charlotte native is ready to race in his rst Daytona 500
By Jenna Fryer The Associated Press
CHARLOTTE — As sleet pelted Bowman Gray Stadium during NASCAR’s preseason warm-up race, multiple drivers complained about poor visibility and the wet track conditions.
One of them — the youngest driver in the eld — hit the button on his radio and grumbled it was time to get back to racing no matter the conditions.
“We’re professional race car drivers — it’s our job to go gure it out,” 19-year-old Connor Zilisch radioed to his team.
The teenager is the most hyped rookie to join the top-level Cup Series in decades.
“I would have to say Je Gordon, honestly,” AJ Allmendinger said of the four-time NASCAR champion who was 20 in his rst Cup Series season in 1992. “There was Joey (Logano) and the whole ‘Sliced Bread’ thing, but I think straight-up hype? Connor is the deal and has already delivered. He’s jumping in everything and performing at very high levels.”
Zilisch will make his Daytona 500 debut on Feb. 15 — four years after attending the race for the very rst time. He was fairly new to racing at the time, had very few connections and sat in the grandstands with tickets as a regular fan as Austin Cindric won as a rookie.
“I think it’s very cool that people think that highly of me, when you are getting compared to Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, there’s nothing to complain about — they have ve Cup championships between them,” Zilisch told The Associated Press. “If I can have a career half as good as either of them, I think that would be a successful career. But I’ve got a lot of time to get to their level. I mean, four years ago I was in the grandstands for the Daytona 500, and to think I’m now going to be in the race is just crazy.”
Not as crazy as it may seem
“Four years ago I was in the grandstands for the Daytona 500 and to think I’m now going to be in the race is just crazy.”
Connor Zilisch
considering the resume of the Charlotte native.
Zilisch started go-karting ve or six years ago and irted brie y with pursuing a career racing in Europe. That dedication has given him a maturity far behind his years that Justin Marks, owner of Trackhouse Racing, recognized immediately as he set a path to get Zilisch to the Cup Series.
In two years of racing sports cars and various NASCAR series, he’s won at almost every level. In 2024 he was part of the class-winning team that scored back-to-back victories at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and then the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the next year returned to the Rolex as teammates with Australian V8 Super Cars champions Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen.
McLaughlin is now an In-
dyCar winner for Team Penske and van Gisbergen, who made the Cup Series playo s as a rookie last year, will be Zilisch’s teammate at Trackhouse this year.
“He’s just very mature, but there’s de nitely times when you talk to him and you realize, ‘Oh yeah, you’re 18.’ Like, he’s young, but when he’s on track, he’s very smart and understands how to go about it in a respectful way,” McLaughlin said. “He’s got raw speed, he’s got no fear because he’s young, but at the same time, dudes like that are very temperamental.
“You hope a guy like that has the right environment, and it looks like a good environment for him with Trackhouse.”
Zilisch won a series-high 10 races last year in NASCAR’s second-tier national series but was denied the title in the win-
ner-take-all nale when Jesse Love beat him head to head. That format has been scrapped for 2026, but Zilisch said, after mourning the title loss for a week or so, he’s moved on and accepted Love has a trophy he never will.
The focus is fully on 2026, which is in full swing already. He was part of the second-place nishing team in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the car owned by NASCAR chairman Jim France. He’ll race this season as teammates to van Gisbergen — and he and the New Zealander should be next to unbeatable on road courses — as well as Ross Chastain, who is eager to help the teen. Zilisch replaced Daniel Suarez in the Trackhouse lineup.
“I want Connor to succeed. If he succeeds, it’s good for me,” Chastain said. “If I can’t win, a Trackhouse win is really good. De nitely want that for Connor, want that for me and want that for Shane. I’m the one clapping the loudest when they’re winning. I want to be right there competing with them and winning races.”
Jurgensen, strong-armed QB whose personality made him beloved football gure, dead at 91
The Hall of Fame quarterback was a two-way star at Duke
By Barry Wilner and Stephen Whyno The Associated Press
SONNY JURGENSEN, the Hall of Fame quarterback whose strong arm, keen wit and a able personality made him one of the most beloved gures in Washington football history, has died. He was 91.
Jurgensen’s family said he died of natural causes in Naples, Florida, after a brief stay in hospice care.
“We are enormously proud of his amazing life and accomplishments on the eld, marked not only by a golden arm but also a fearless spirit and intellect that earned him a place among the legends in Canton,” his family said in a statement. “He lived with deep appreciation for the teammates, colleagues and friends he met along the way. While he has taken his nal snap, his legacy will remain an indelible part of the city he loved and the family he built.”
Jurgensen arrived in Washington in 1964 in a surprise quarterback swap that sent Norm Snead to the Philadelphia Eagles. Over the next 11 seasons, Jurgensen rewrote the team’s record books.
He topped 3,000 yards in a season ve times, including twice with Philadelphia, in an era before rules changes opened up NFL o enses. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and remains the only Wash-
ington player to wear the No. 9 jersey in a game.
“Sonny Jurgensen is, and always will be, one of the dening legends of Washington football,” said controlling owner Josh Harris, who grew up a fan. “For me, Sonny was the embodiment of what it means to don the burgundy and gold: tough, smart and endlessly devoted to this franchise and its fans.”
Jurgensen’s four-plus decades of association with the franchise in Washington as a quarterback and then as a broadcaster made him a one -name celebrity in the nation’s capital. He was the one and only Sonny, contrary but loyal: the everyman red-headed football player with the out-of-shape belly who kept a connection with fans but could also pull out a cigar and hobnob with the team owner.
“Sonny Jurgensen is, and always will be, one of the de ning legends of Washington football.”
Josh Harris, Washington Commanders owner
Notorious for breaking curfew, Jurgensen was also known for ignoring coaches and joking about his less -than-ideal physique. He more than compensated with his pinpoint passing from the pocket, helping make the then-Redskins exciting and competitive again, leading the team to more victories in his rst three seasons than the club had won in its previous six.
“All I ask of my blockers is 4 seconds,” he once said. “I try to stay on my feet and not be forced out of the pocket. I beat people by throwing, not running.”
Jurgensen played through numerous injuries and even won over the notoriously tough Vince Lombardi, who coached Washington to its rst winning season in more than a decade in 1969. Lombardi said of Jurgensen, “He is the best I have seen.”
“Few players could rival Sonny Jurgensen’s genuine love of the game that continued long after his playing days,” Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said. “Watching Sonny throw a football was like watching a master craftsman create a work of art.”
Jurgensen nished his career with 2,433 completions for 32,224 yards and a 57.1 completion percentage. He threw 255 touchdown passes, 189 interceptions and had
a career rating of 82.6. He made the Pro Bowl ve times, led the NFL in passing yards ve times and will always be in the record books for an untoppable 99-yard touchdown pass to Gerry Allen in 1968. Washingtonians too young to remember Jurgensen as a player came to adore him for his astute observations as part of the radio broadcast.
Jurgensen wouldn’t hesitate to question decisions and performances he didn’t like, especially when it came to quarterbacks. He often pined for the days when quarterbacks were allowed to call their own plays.
Born Christian Adolph Jurgensen III in Wilmington on Aug, 23, 1934, Jurgensen was a two-way star at Duke and was drafted in the fourth round by the Eagles in 1957. He sat behind Norm Van Brocklin until 1961, when he took over the starting job and threw for 3,723 yards, 32 touchdown and 24 interceptions — all league highs.
Three years later he found himself on the way to Washington on April 1, 1964.
“Someone came in and said, ‘You were traded to the Redskins,’ ” Jurgensen said in a 2007 interview. “I said ‘No, it’s April Fools’ Day, you’re kidding.’ He said, ‘No, I’m not kidding. I just heard it on the radio.’
“So I was shocked.”
Director Richard Linklater’s “Blue Moon” lands on Net ix Saturday
The Associated Press
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET
starring as a table tennis wizard in “Marty Supreme” and Charli xcx’s soundtrack to Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights” 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: Richard Linklater’s deliciously wistful “Blue Moon” starring Ethan Hawke, Aldis Hodge returning for Season 2 of “Cross” and Nintendo may have its most frenetic tennis game yet with Mario Tennis Fever.
MOVIES TO STREAM
Pull up a chair to listen to Hawke’s Lorenz Hart hold court in Linklater’s deliciously wistful “Blue Moon” (Saturday on Net ix). Linklater’s lm spends one night with the celebrated lyricist who is watching his longtime songwriter partner, Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott) move on with the premiere of “Oklahoma!” on Broadway. Hawke is nominated for best actor by the Oscars. In his review, AP Film Writer Jake Coyle called Hawke’s Hart “extraordinarily good company.”
The A24 romance “Eternity” (Friday on Apple TV) stars Elizabeth Olsen in an afterlife conundrum. In a kind of weigh-station purgatory, she must choose how to spend her afterlife, with her longtime husband (Miles Turner) or her rst love (Callum Turner), who died in World War II. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called “Eternity” “imaginative and shrewdly whimsical with an utterly charming cast.”
Another A24 hit, “Marty Supreme,” is now streaming on premium video-on-demand. It’s the rst chance to watch one of 2025’s most acclaimed and Oscar-nominated movies at home. In her review, AP’s Jocelyn Noveck called it “a nerve-busting adren-
Timothée Chalamet poses in the press room with the award for best performance by a male actor in a motion picture — musical or comedy for “Marty Supreme” at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 11. The lm is available on premium video-on-demand.
aline jolt of a movie.” Chalamet stars as a 1950s shoe salesman in New York hellbent on becoming the world’s top professional ping-pong player.
MUSIC TO STREAM
Patience is a virtue and time is luxury, particularly for those subject to the music industry. Luckily, Jill Scott, the once-in-a-generation R&B, neo-soul-and-then-some singer, plays by her own rules. On Friday, she will release “To Whom This May Concern,” her sixth studio album and rst full-length project in a decade. Lead singles “Beautiful People” and “Pressha” make it clear that this a meditative release born of experience — lush production, live instrumentation and at its center, the intimacy of Scott’s unmistakable voice like a musical north star. The album will also feature Ab-Soul, J.I.D., Tierra Whack and Too $hort.
Charli xcx’s rst full-length album since “Brat” summer came and went is the soundtrack
to Emerald Fennell’s starry adaptation of Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights,” out Friday. It might be wise not to expect the neon chartreuse of her rave work; the rst taste came in the form of “House” featuring John Cale, an industrial, goth-
ic introduction to the romance. That song, to quote Charli quoting Cale, is both “elegant and brutal.” Other moments contain Charli’s signatures: autotuned vocals, unexpected production, shackled pop hooks. If that resonates, begin with
“Marty Supreme” is a nerve-busting adrenaline jolt of a movie.”
Jocelyn Noveck, AP Film Writer
“Wall of Sound” and “Chains of Love.”
SERIES TO STREAM
Hodge is back as Alex Cross, the detective created by novelist James Patterson, in Season 2 of “Cross” for Prime Video. In the new episodes, Cross is on the case of a serial killer hunting corrupt billionaire.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
While most of the world is watching the Winter Olympics, our friends in the Mushroom Kingdom are hitting the courts in Mario Tennis Fever. This could be Nintendo’s most frenetic tennis game yet, thanks to “fever rackets” that let you uncork reballs, lightning bolts, tornadoes and other e ects against your opponents. You can play singles or doubles matches against friends, choosing from a cast of 38 favorites like Princess Peach, Donkey Kong and Yoshi. Or you can play solo in an adventure that turns Mario and company into babies who have to learn tennis skills before they can grow up. Opening serve comes Thursday on Switch 2.
Tokyo’s Grasshopper Manufacture has built a reputation over the years with extravagantly gory games like No More Heroes and Lollipop Chainsaw. Its latest is Romeo is a Dead Man, in which the studio promises “super bloody action” and “crazy twists and turns to blow players’ minds.” Romeo Stargazer is an FBI agent hunting fugitives across multiple universes after the space-time continuum collapses. He can wield swords, guns and more futuristic weapons, and he can summon small minions to attack en masse. And yes, there is a missing girlfriend named Juliet. Let these violent delights commence on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.
Americans’ optimism about their future is at a record low
By Linley Sanders The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Americans’ hope for their future has fallen to a new low, according to new polling.
In 2025, only about 59% of Americans gave high ratings when asked to evaluate how good their life will be in about ve years, the lowest annual measure since Gallup began asking this question almost 20 years ago.
It’s a warning about the depth of the gloom that has fallen over the country over the past few years. In the data, Gallup’s “current” and “future” lines have tended to move together over time — when Americans are feeling good about the present, they tend to feel optimistic about the future. But the most recent measures show that while current life satisfaction has declined over the last decade, future optimism has dropped even more.
The nding comes from a longstanding Gallup question that asks Americans to rate their current and future lives on a scale from 0 to 10. Those who give themselves an 8 or higher on the question about the future are categorized as optimists.
“While current life is eroding, it’s that optimism for the future that has eroded almost twice as much over the course of about that last 10 years or so,” said Dan Witters, the research director of the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index.
Gallup assesses people who rate their current life at a 7 or higher and their anticipated future at an 8 or higher as “thriving.” Fewer than half of Americans, about 48%, are now in that category.
Democrats and Hispanic Americans, in particular, were in a darker mood last year. But even with President Donald Trump back in the White
House and his party in control of both houses of Congress, Republicans aren’t feeling nearly as good about the future as they were in the last year of Trump’s rst term.
Democrats’ optimism fell signi cantly
Americans’ attitudes toward the future tend to shift when a new political party enters the White House — generally, the party in power grows more optimistic, while the party without control is more down. For instance, Democrats became more positive about the future after Joe Biden won the presi-
The bid for a sixth term could decide Senate control
By Patrick Whittle and Kimberlee Kruesi
The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine — Republican Sen. Susan Collins announced her reelection bid Tuesday, betting that she can hold onto her coveted Maine seat despite a renewed Democratic e ort to oust her in a race that could determine control of the U.S. Senate.
The campaign will test Collins’ political survival skills. The 73-year-old has won ve terms by casting herself as a re ection of Maine’s independent spirit, occasionally clashing with President Donald Trump while also largely supporting his agenda.
As she now seeks a sixth term, Collins faces outrage over immigration enforcement tactics that could become a political liability for Republican candidates across the country. A recent operation in Maine led to hundreds of arrests but also
“We are aiming to do that in Maine, North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio.”
Democrats targeting four seats to retake Senate majority
criticism that people were being rounded up even if they didn’t have criminal records.
Collins has taken credit for stopping the surge of federal agents in Maine after she spoke directly with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
However, Democrats accused Collins of not going far enough, pointing to her refusal to call for Noem’s ouster and her vote in favor of a bipartisan Homeland Security funding bill. The party needs to net four seats to retake the Senate majority, and they are aiming to do that in Maine, North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio.
Gov. Janet Mills and oyster farmer Graham Platner are among Collins’ top Democratic challengers. While many establishment Democrats and in-
uential left-leaning groups have backed Mills, Platner has gained traction with his anti-establishment image and eco
nomic equality message. He’s campaigned aggressively while facing revelations of problematic social media posts and having to cover up a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol.
Mills has accused Collins of governing “without any courage” shortly after the Republican voted in favor of funding the DHS and several other agencies in January. Platner has demanded that the agency be dismantled and said he did not believe Collins or the Trump administration’s promise to leave Maine.
Platner recently outraised both Mills and Collins in campaign fundraising, according to the latest federal lings. The rst-time candidate collected nearly $4.6 million, while Mills raised $2.7 million. Collins, who had not yet o cially launched her campaign during the ling period, had more than $8 million in cash on hand at the end of 2025.
Collins, who has said she didn’t vote for Trump in 2016,
“While current life is eroding, it’s that optimism for the future that has eroded almost twice as much over the course of about that last 10 years or so.”
Dan Witters, research director, Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index
dency, while Republicans’ outlook soured.
Witters notes that these changes typically happen “by roughly the same amount, same level of magnitude, so they cancel each other out.”
That didn’t happen in 2025.
Toward the end of Biden’s term and the start of Trump’s second term, Democrats’ optimism fell from 65% to 57%. Republicans grew more hopeful, but not enough to o set Democrats’ drop.
“The regime change in the White House almost certainly was a big driving factor in what’s happened,” Witters said. “And a lot of that was just because the people who identi ed as Democrats really took it in the chops.”
But Republicans are still quite a bit gloomier about the future than they were in the
last year of Trump’s rst term.
A January AP-NORC poll found that while the vast majority of Republicans are still behind the president, his work on the economy hasn’t lived up to many people’s expectations.
Hispanic adults grew more pessimistic
Hispanic adults’ optimism for the near future also declined during Trump’s rst year in ofce, dropping from 69% to 63%. That decrease was sharper than among white and black Americans, something that Witters said could be tied to overall cost concerns, health care worries or alarm about Trump’s recent immigration policies.
Last year, a survey by the American Communities Project found that people living in heavily Hispanic areas were feeling less hopeful about their future than in 2024. Trump’s favorability fell among Hispanics over the course of 2025, according to AP-NORC polling, which also found that Hispanic adults reported higher levels of economic stress than other groups.
A Pew Research Center poll conducted in October found that the administration’s tough immigration enforcement is highly visible in Hispanic communities. About 6 in 10 Latinos said they had seen or heard of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids or arrests in their community in the past six months.
“(Deportations are) something that everybody can see and look at with their own eyes,” Witters added. “But if you’re Hispanic, I think it’s fair to think that that might hit a little closer to home.”
voted to convict Trump after his 2021 impeachment over his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. After Collins joined a handful of Republican colleagues in backing a failed e ort to limit the president’s ability to unilaterally use force in Venezuela, Trump said on social media that they “should never be elected to ofce again.”
But Collins has also broadly backed Trump’s agenda, including his tax and spending bill, and his nominees.
Notably, Collins voted to conrm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Trump’s choice to be secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has since espoused anti-vaccine policy and ousted public health o cials at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
She has faced down tough challenges before. Democrat Sara Gideon raised $69 million in 2020, outspending Collins in a bid to help take back the Senate during a presidential election year when the Democrats won the top of the ticket. Collins defeated Gideon by more than 8 points.
Collins has remained in ofce despite Maine becoming increasingly blue. The proportion of registered Democrats has increased since her last reelection campaign, when “unenrolled” independent voters outnumbered Democrats in 2019 but now trail them in 2026. Republicans have trailed both groups for years.
