North State Journal Vol. 11, Issue 14

S.C. Senate rejects Trump’s call to redraw congressional map for midterm elections

Columbia, S.C.

The South Carolina Senate has rejected President Donald Trump’s push to redraw the state’s congressional districts in hopes Republicans could gain an extra seat. The proposal passed the South Carolina House on May 20 after two days of long debate. But senators rejected the e ort Tuesday, as early inperson voting got underway for the state’s June 9 primaries. Some senators said it was simply too late to make a change. Others worried the move could back re and get an extra Democrat elected to the U.S. House.

Trump administration proposes NDAs for federal employees to stop media leaks

Washington, D.C.

The Trump administration wants all current and future federal employees to sign nondisclosure agreements, part of a continuing crackdown on leaks to the media. A proposed notice announced Tuesday on the O ce of Personnel Management website is seeking comment on a draft NDA in which federal employees would acknowledge “legal obligations to safeguard non-public, con dential, or proprietary information.” It would still preserve “the right to make disclosures authorized by law.” The proposed notice seeks comment on several questions, including whether the NDA should cover only unclassi ed information and what appropriate actions, if any, agencies should consider for employees who choose not to sign the agreement.

State elections board

proposals for campaign nance system overhaul

Vendor responses are due by June 24

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina election o cials are looking to replace their outdated campaign nance reporting platform.

“It is vital that these funds continue to ow back to Western North Carolina. Our work will continue.”

U.S. Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.)

The North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) and O ce of the State Auditor have issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a new system designed to be cloudbased, more secure and easier to navigate for campaign treasurers, election sta and the public.

The grants support more than 150 projects across Western North Carolina for repair and recovery e orts

By Jessica Taylor For North State Journal

RALEIGH — The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced a combined $97 million in funding to North Carolina for Hurricane Helene recovery e orts in a pair of announcements this month. In a May 13 press release, FEMA announced more than $38 million in assistance to the state for the ongoing recovery. The additional reim-

Lawmakers override veto, advance amendments

The General Assembly pushed through the Trump administration’s school choice tax credit

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina lawmakers overrode a veto and advanced multiple constitutional amendments during oor activity last week.

The House overrode Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of the Educational Choice for Children Act (House Bill 87), which enters the state into the Trump administration’s school choice tax credit program. The Senate is expected to complete the override this week.

House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Granite Falls) called the override a “major win” for families.

“Gov. Stein and Democrats tried to stand in the way

bursement funds will be sent to Western North Carolina communities to assist with 15 damage repair projects.

The funds are a part of the Public Assistance (PA) grant program, which works to repair public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, buildings and parks that have been damaged in the wake of a federally declared disaster. This program additionally aids with removing debris and providing emergency protective measures, emergency communications and emergency public transportation.

FEMA typically pays 75% of the costs while the remainder is paid by the state or local government. Following the

of giving families more control over their children’s education, but Republicans, yet again, stood rmly on the side of educational freedom,” Hall said in a press release. “This vote was about trusting parents and giving students more choices, because when our kids succeed, North Carolina succeeds.”

As part of the One Big Beautiful Bill, the Education Freedom Tax Credit program has zero participation cost to the state due to being a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 for individuals contributing to a 501(c)(3) scholarship-granting organization. More than half of states have already opted into the program, and earlier this year, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon made a stop in North Carolina urging Stein to get on board.

Mecklenburg County

See OVERRIDE, page A3

See HELENE, page A3

See NCSBE, page A2

Rowdy remembered

NASCAR honored Kyle Busch, who died from complications of pneumonia and sepsis last week, during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday. For more, turn to Sports.

MATT KELLEY / AP PHOTO

the word | The sin of wasting life

“So teach us to number our days aright

— that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Psalm 90:12

What is it to number our days?

One way is to keep a careful record of them. That is a mathematical numbering. Some people keep diaries and put down everything they do — where they go, what they see, whom they meet, the books they read. But mere adding of days is not the numbering that was in the thought of the Psalmist.

There are days in some lives — that add nothing to life’s treasures, and that leave nothing in the world which will make it better or richer. There are people who live year after year — and might as well never have lived at all. Simply adding days — is not living! If that is all you are going to do with the new year — you will only pile up an added burden of guilt.

Why do people not think of the sin of wasting life?

If you saw a man standing by the sea — and inging diamonds into the water — you would say he was insane. Yet some of us are standing by the sea — and inging the diamond days, one by one, into its dark oods. Mere eating and sleeping, and reading the papers, and going about the streets, and putting in the time — is not living.

Another way of numbering our days, is illustrated by the story of a prisoner who when he entered his cell, put a mark on the wall for each of the days he would be incarcerated. Then each evening he would rub o one of these marks — he had one day less to stay in prison.

Some people seem to live much in this way. Each evening — they have one day less to live.

Another day is gone, with its opportunities, its privileges, its responsibilities and its tasks — gone beyond recall. Now, if the day has been lled with duty

NC Community

and love and service — its page written all over with pure, white thoughts and records of gentle deeds — then it is well; its passing need not be mourned over. But merely to have to rub it o at the setting of the sun, leaving in it nothing but a story of idleness, uselessness, sel shness, and lost opportunities, is a sad numbering.

What is the true way of numbering our days? The prayer tells us, “So teach us to number our days aright — that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” That is, we are so to live — that we shall get some new wisdom out of each day to carry on with us.

Life’s lessons cannot all be learned from books. The lessons may be set down in books — but it is only in actual living — that we can really learn them. For example, patience. You may learn all about patience

Colleges System picks interim president

Bill Carver will be in his third stint in the role as the system continues its search to replace retiring Je Cox

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges has appointed William S. “Bill” Carver as interim president of the North Carolina Community College System, e ective July 1. Je Cox, the current president, is retiring June 30.

“Bill Carver has proven himself more than capable in this role, and we are fortunate to have someone of his experience and dedication available to lead the System during this transition,” Tom Looney, chair of the State Board of Community Colleges, said in a statement. “We are con dent in his ability to keep the work moving forward while we conduct a thorough search for our next permanent president.

“On behalf of the Board, I also want to thank Je Cox for his years of service to North Carolina’s students and communities.”

Tom Looney, State Board of Community Colleges chair

The NCCCS has experienced frequent leadership turnover over the past decade.

Scott Ralls served as president from 2008 until August 2015 and was followed by George Fouts, who served as interim president from September 2015 to July 2016.

Jimmie (James C.) Williamson then held the role from July 2016 to around October 2017, and Jennifer Haygood served as acting president from October 2017 to April 2018.

from a sermon, from a teacher, or from a book, or even from the Bible. But that will not make you patient. You can get the patience — only by long practice of the lesson, in life’s experiences. Or take gentleness. You can read in a few paragraphs what gentleness is, how it lives. But that will not make you gentle. Take thoughtfulness. You can learn in a short lesson what it is and how beautiful it is. But you will not be thoughtful, the moment you have learned the de nition. It will probably take you several years — to get the beautiful lesson learned.

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.

Carver holds a bachelor’s degree from NC State, an MBA from Campbell and a doctorate of education from Nova Southeastern University.

The NCCCS has retained national search rm Bu kin/Baker to lead its presidential search. According to the timeline on the search pro le page, a new president was supposed to be named by June 2026.

Carver served as president of Nash Community College from 2005-19. Prior to that, he held multiple roles at the college, including instructor, director of the Small Business Center, director of business and industry services, dean of continuing education and vice president of instruction.

Peter Hans was named president in May 2018 and served until June 2020, when he left to become president of the UNC System.

Carver returns to the role for the third time as the board continues a national search to replace retiring Cox.

Cox was announced as the new NCCCS president in April 2023 and assumed the role in June 2023. In August 2025, NCCCS announced Cox would retire at the end of June 2026. The search process, led by the state board and the newly formed advisory council, was detailed in mid-October 2025.

North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) tapped Carver previously to serve as interim president in 2020 following the departure of Peter Hans and again in 2022

after the resignation of Thomas Stith III. Stith served from January 2021 until July 2022. As North State Journal previously reported, Carver was appointed interim president to replace Stith during an emergency board session July 20. Sources told NSJ that Stith’s removal had been discussed during a threehour closed session July 15 and had been an ongoing conversation for several months. Documents showed Stith received the equivalent of approximately four months of salary — around $97,000 — to depart early. Prior to the NCCCS role, Stith headed the U.S. Small

“Election

“Election administrators have long heard about the limitations of the current campaign nance system and the resulting frustration of users,” NCSBE Executive Director Sam Hayes said in a press release.

The campaign nance reporting component was built for Windows and doesn’t work on Apple devices, further frustrating users.

“The goal of this modernization e ort is to address those concerns and provide North Carolinians with the best system on the market today, with the ability to make regular updates and enhancements to keep pace with technology,” Hayes said. “We also hope to

Sam

NCSBE executive director

move away from the current paper-based system, to create greater transparency and post reports faster online.”

The project was approved for $15 million in funding by the General Assembly in July 2025 as part of a broader mod-

Business Administration in North Carolina and served as a top aide to former Gov. Pat McCrory. Bu kin/Baker also led the search that resulted in Stith’s appointment. The North Carolina Community College System comprises 58 institutions and served more than 631,000 students systemwide during the 2024-25 academic year. Enrollment has grown 12% since fall 2019. The system’s current operating budget is $3.17 billion. Its mission focuses on removing barriers to postsecondary education, maximizing student success and building a globally competitive workforce.

ernization e ort that also covers the Statewide Election Information Management System (SEIMS), which was built in the late 1990s and has outdated code. In an interview earlier this year with North State Journal, Hayes stressed the system “needs to be upgraded, and it needs to be upgraded quickly.”

State Auditor Dave Boliek formed the bipartisan Modernization of Election Data Systems Commission, known as MEDS, in early March to tackle the projects involved. Vendor proposals for the campaign nance system overhaul are due by noon on June 24 with a contract award expected in August. The full RFP is available at ncsbe.gov/rfp.

Hayes,

PUBLIC DOMAIN

“Saint Jerome in His Study” is a painting by Caravaggio (circa 1605) depicting

Saint Jerome, known for his translation of the Bible into Latin. The painting is in the collection of the Galleria Borghese in Rome.

COURTESY NCCCS

Bill Carver has been named interim president of the North Carolina Community College System for a third time.

Audit nds Robbins didn’t follow nancial state provisions, guidance

The report found the Moore County town has several internal nancial weaknesses

By Jessica Taylor For North State Journal

RALEIGH — The Town of Robbins’ nancial management personnel did not fully comply with state provisions from 2021 to 2025, according to a recent Rapid Response Special Report issued by the North Carolina Ofce of the State Auditor.

The report discovered internal nancial weaknesses alongside a forged check totaling $3,570. The Town of Robbins led a police report on Aug. 20, 2025, upon discovering the forged check.

The O ce of the State Auditor (OSA) issued eight ndings regarding the weaknesses in internal nancial controls, alongside recommendations for improvements to be made in future endeavors.

The audit highlights eight errors, including failing to complete required monthly bank reconciliations and engaging a third party to catch up with these reconciliations, not adhering to its own purchasing policies for approving and canceling invoices, as well as improperly shredding voided checks in violation of applicable public records law.

OVERRIDE from page A1

Reps. Carla Cunningham and Nasif Majeed, the two former Democrats who recently changed to una liated after losing their primary bids, joined Republicans in the override.

Four constitutional amendment proposals saw action last week, including two on taxes. Constitutional amendment proposals passed by the legislature are not subject to the governor’s veto.

Amendments which have passed both chambers and will now go to voters include Senate Bill 1080 and House Bill 1089. The proposals passed down party lines, with Cunningham and Majeed voting in favor on both.

Polling from the right-leaning Americans for Prosperity shows overwhelming voter support — 79% and 73%, respectively — for both measures.

S.B. 1080 would change the maximum state personal income tax rate from the current 7% cap set by voters in 2018 to a maximum of 3.5%.

North Carolina’s personal income tax rate is already scheduled to drop to 3.49% in 2027 under the current tax rate reduction schedule. The recently announced budget frame-

from page A1

aftermath of Helene, the federal cost share has been 90% for related approved PA grants.

“I’m grateful to announce that over $38 million in additional FEMA reimbursements are heading to communities across Western North Carolina,” U.S. Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) said in the press release. “Over the past 18 months, recovery e orts have continued, with new projects completed almost weekly. It is vital that these funds continue to ow back to Western North Carolina. Our work will continue.”

Budd’s press release detailed previous PA grants across numerous entities, including Yancey, Mitchell, Watauga, Buncombe and McDowell counties, as well as to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the North Carolina Emergency Management, the Mountain Electric Cooperative and the French Broad Electric Membership Corporation.

The grants will assist with permanent repairs and debris removal operations in the aftermath of Helene. The grants were authorized under numer-

Additionally, the audit found information regarding payee and amounts in the accounts payable register did not match the corresponding issued checks, the town did not issue checks in sequential order and failed to strictly exercise the dual check signer requirement prescribed by law.

The town also did not report and remit outstanding checks more than one year old to the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer as unclaimed property and did not complete annual audits in a timely manner.

work agreement between the two chambers includes altering those triggers.

Primary sponsors for the amendment — Sens. Lisa Barnes (Nash), Michael Lee (New Hanover) and Benton Sawrey (Johnston) — have framed the proposed amendment as providing long-term certainty and rewarding scal responsibility. Stein has criticized it, claiming it would create a “ nancial straitjacket” for funding public schools and public safety.

H.B. 1089 saw the longest debate. House Democrats contended that permanently locking in the lower rate cap would starve state revenue, impacting education, roads, healthcare and public safety, and would shift costs onto local taxes. Various Democrats also argued it would bene t the wealthy and corporations.

“A vote for this bill is a vote for toll roads. A vote for this bill is a vote for higher sales taxes. A vote for this bill is a vote for higher property taxes and even more decay,” said Rep. Phil Rubin (D-Wake). In rebuttal to Rubin and other Democrats, Rep. Neal Jackson (R-Moore) reminded members the General Assembly has a “15-year track record of cutting taxes with responsible spend-

ous sections of the Robert T.

Sta ord Act, a federal law that authorizes the president to issue emergency disaster declarations, allowing FEMA to provide nancial assistance.

In addition to the $38 million in PA funding, FEMA announced $59 million in funding to North Carolina in a May 11 press release. Those funds will support projects that mitigate ood risks at properties that were damaged in the aftermath of Helene.

More than 150 damaged properties will be purchased by the state, converted to green space and deed restricted to protect the land and prevent future disaster damage. This will provide further relief to homeowners whose properties were severely damaged following Helene.

According to FEMA, this funding will go toward several acquisition projects across Western North Carolina, including $51.7 million for 142 damaged properties in Buncombe County, $2.4 million for 11 damaged properties in Haywood County and $2.4 million for nine damaged properties in Mitchell County.

management policy follows relevant provisions and guidelines.

• Require sta conduct monthly comparisons of internal records against bank statements to ensure matching transactions and implement a two-person review process for the comparisons.

• Require all checks be issued and recorded in numerical order, compare checks to bank statements to identify any missing or improperly issued, and provide check-handling and procedure training to nancial sta .

• Determine and document if forgoing the dual-signature requirement under state law is appropriate. If so, implement mitigations that prevent unauthorized disbursements; if not, reinforce the dual-signature requirement.

The OSA recommended Robbins:

• Perform timely and complete bank reconciliations while also verifying account balance and proper authorization to personnel.

• Approve all invoices and mark them as “paid” to prevent duplication, document and date discovered errors, and implement formal procedures to pursue, document and track overpayments.

• Mark and physically deface voided checks, maintain a chronological le of cleared checks, and ensure all record

“Ronald

Reagan says the most feared words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

State Sen. Neal Jackson (R-Moore)

ing,” leading to North Carolina being No. 1 in the country for tax climate.

“One party wants to grow government. One party wants to restrict government. One party believes government is the answer, and the other party believes government is the problem,” Jackson said. “Ronald Reagan says the most feared words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’ Never once have I had a constituent come and say, ‘Neal, I want more government and I want more taxes’.”

The Property Tax Levy Limit amendment passed down party lines in both chambers, with only one Democrat voting in favor — Wake County Sen. Dan Blue. If approved by voters, it would give the General Assembly authority to put limits on property tax increases by

• Implement recordkeeping and related training to clearly mark voided, reissued or canceled checks, and resolve items more than a year old. Additionally, report uncashed checks at least one year old to the North Carolina Department of the State Treasurer.

• Create an audit completion timeline and require the third-party auditor to provide monthly reports until all audits are issued. Once the issues are provided, a copy should be given to the Local Government Commission in accordance

local governments with “some exceptions.”

House Democrats argued the amendment would handcu locally elected o cials who they claim already fund state-mandated services due to Republican tax policies.

A related tax relief bill, Senate Leader Phil Berger’s (R-Eden) Property Tax Reappraisal Moratorium bill, has been sent to the House for consideration. That bill seeks to delay the impact of new property tax valuations in counties that conducted reappraisals e ective Jan. 1, 2026.

A third amendment proposal, House Bill 443, was approved by the House down partisan lines and awaits action in the Senate. Cunningham and Majeed also voted yes for the measure.

It would shift vacancy appointments to the Council of State from a gubernatorial appointment to the same process used to ll vacancies at the legislature, which is by recommendation from an individual’s political party at the time they were elected.

The Council of State positions include secretary of State, auditor, treasurer, superintendent of Public Instruction, attorney general, and the commissioners of Agriculture, Labor and In-

FEMA will provide the funds to North Carolina, which will then distribute them to local governments. The money is sourced from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).

HMGP provides funds to state, local, tribal and territorial governments for creating risk reduction programs to improve

with state law. The Town con rmed to the OSA that it lacked a nance o cer for several years before 2021, resulting in annual audits, bank reconciliation and federal construction projects failing to comply with relevant provisions and guidance. Financial management sta experienced frequent turnover after the current town manager was hired in 2021.

The OSA acknowledged these small-town di culties but a rmed the importance of maintaining these practices and procedures to reduce risks of errors and fraud.

The Town of Robbins said it would work to implement many of these changes, including:

• Ensuring invoices are marked as “paid” and that a credit memo is received in the future regarding any other use of funds.

• Using a two-person review process.

• Adding an internal control of manual logging and verication of check numbers before being loaded for printing.

• Adhering to state law to ensure dual signatures unless waived in writing.

• Reporting unclaimed property to the state treasurer as required by state law.

“We greatly appreciate the state auditor o ce’s tenacity, professionalism, and prociency throughout this investigation,” Town Manager Clint E. Mack said in a response letter. “The town is currently in its best position ever with the most quali ed personnel and culture to address all the ndings annotated and regain full nancial compliance.”

surance. Each position is elected statewide. Democrats mostly objected to the removal of those appointments from the governor but also argued against putting the words “political parties” in the state constitution and claimed changing the appointment process would confuse voters.

Other bills with constitutional amendments seeing activity include:

• House Bill 144, which would make the superintendent of Public Instruction a member and chair of the State Board of Education, as well as change governor-appointed board members to elected four-year terms. This bill is now in the House Rules Committee.

• Senate Bill 1081, which would recognize the right of the people to engage in farming, forestry and related agricultural/forestry practices. This bill is now in the Senate Rules Committee.

• Senate Bill 1082, which would constitutionally protect North Carolinians’ right to work without being pressured or required to join or pay dues to a labor union or association. North Carolina has been a right-to-work state since the 1940s. The proposal has already passed the Senate.

cal, tribal and territorial governments to receive funding for their projects, as well as purchasing properties that are at risk of certain hazards to keep owners safe. Building safe rooms in hurricane- and tornado-prone areas is another use. Additionally, HMGP can help in establishing the means for protecting infrastructure from ooding through structures like barriers and can be used to modify structures to make them resistant to natural disasters like oods, earthquakes, hurricanes and wild res.

infrastructure against hazards, develop plans to restore areas harmed by disaster and mitigate future disaster losses. Government units using the funds must establish eligible risk reduction projects to receive HMGP funding. Projects can include developing hazard mitigation plans, which is required for state, lo -

More than $146 million in HMGP funds have been approved to assist communities in North Carolina after Helene. More than $5 billion has been provided by FEMA to support the recovery e orts in North Carolina, a majority of which will assist with 2,400 recovery projects pertaining to debris removal, infrastructure reconstruction and repairs to public infrastructure. Additionally, 161,000 families have been assisted with home repairs, rent or other needs that emerged from Helene.

HELENE

COURTESY TOWN OF ROBBINS

A state audit found the Moore County town of Robbins is failing to meet state guidelines.

STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH / AP PHOTO

A construction worker holds a tra c sign as crews work to clear debris from damage caused by Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa Dececember 2024.

Brazilian government commits $617.5M to Amazon ecological investment

“We will show that Brazil remains on a path of controlling and reducing deforestation.”

João Paulo Capobianco, Brazilian environment minister

The country hopes to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2050

By Gabriela Sá Pessoa The Associated Press

PAULO

SAO

— The Brazilian government said Monday it has committed 3.1 billion reais ($617.5 million) to foster ecological investment in the Amazon region, as part of a plan to expand a federal program known as Eco Invest that was announced during COP30 — the annual United Nations climate summit it hosted last year.

The resources are expected to go toward businesses that support sustainable tourism, improve infrastructure in the Amazon and expand the “bioeconomy” — the so-called economic activity based on natural resources that preserves the forest.

The model uses a blended nance approach in which the National Treasury lends funds to banks at an annual rate of 1%. In return, banks must mobilize at least four times that amount in private investment, with foreign investors accounting for at least 60%. So far, the program has committed 140 billion reais ($28 billion) in combined public and private resources.

The National Treasury allocated 3.1 billion reais ($617.5 million) Monday and eight banks committed another 10.1 billion reais ($2 billion) in the latest auction of the Eco Invest program, the Ministry of Environment said.

Carina Pimenta, the national secretary for the bioeconomy at the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, said the credit could support cooperatives producing Amazon products such as acai and Brazil nuts, as well as tourism infrastructure in conservation areas.

The Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, plays a critical role in regulating the global climate. Brazil holds more than 60% of the forest, much of it spanning some of the country’s poorest states. Projects in the region are often costly and risky for investors, and the administration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva designed the Eco Invest program, which launched in 2024, to reduce that risk by o ering guarantees.

João Paulo Capobianco, Brazil’s environment minister, said Eco Invest supports Brazil’s path to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 by creating nancial incentives for economic activities in the Amazon that do not rely on deforestation. While agricultural expansion has historically been a major driver of deforestation, Capobianco said Brazil has reduced forest loss without compromising productivity since 2023.

The investment announcement comes after a week of setbacks for Brazil’s environmental policy.

Last week, the lower house — largely conservative and aligned with agribusiness interests — approved fast-tracked bills that weaken e orts to combat environmental crimes, including one that hinders enforcement against illegal deforestation based solely on satellite monitoring.

The policy has been a pillar of Brazil’s environmental enforcement and, according to Brazil’s natural resources agency known as IBAMA, helped drive a roughly 50% drop in Amazon deforestation since 2023.

The measures still need Senate approval and require a sign-o from Lula, but have caused concern among environmentalists.

“By weakening oversight tools, territorial protection and environmental governance, the measures reduce the Brazilian state’s ability to prevent, control and respond to the economic, social and climate impacts of climate change,” Climate Observatory, a network of environmental nongovernmental associations, said in a statement Monday.

Capobianco said that while such congressional initiatives may raise doubts about Brazil’s environmental policies, the country is still committed to staying on track with its climate pledges.

“We will show that Brazil remains on a path of controlling and reducing deforestation,” he said.

Federal court blocks Alabama redistricting plan

The new congressional districts were poised to help Republicans

By Kim Chandler and David A. Lieb

The Associated Press

FEDERAL JUDGES on Tuesday temporarily blocked Alabama’s plan to use a new congressional map that could give Republicans an advantage in a key U.S. House race in the midterm elections.

A three-judge panel in the state’s long-running redistricting case issued the preliminary injunction that prevents the state, at least for now, from switching maps. It requires Alabama to continue using the same court-ordered districts under which congressional representatives were elected in 2024.

Lawyers representing black voters in the state’s lengthy redistricting case had sought the preliminary injunction, arguing the same panel in 2023 found the state map was intentionally discriminatory against black voters. They also argued Alabama was creating chaos by trying to change lines in the middle of an election year.

The ruling was a defeat for state Republicans who want to use a map for the November midterms that will give the GOP a chance to reclaim the

Seats in Congress for Alabama, ve currently held by the GOP

seat now held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures. However, the state could appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court order is the latest development in the twisting legal and political saga following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a black-majority district in Louisiana and weakened the federal Voting Rights Act. That ruling has led Republicans in several Southern states, including Alabama, to take steps to reshape voting districts with large minority populations that have elected Democrats.

The redistricting frenzy is part of a broader push by President Donald Trump to try to hold on to Republicans’ slim House majority in the November elections.

Other states also have considered adjustments to their primary elections to allow time for congressional redistricting after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision a ecting the Voting Rights Act. Louisiana’s congressional primaries, scheduled for May 16, were postponed un-

til later this summer by Republican Gov. Je Landry so that state lawmakers could consider a new U.S. House map that would eliminate a majority-black district.

In South Carolina, the Republican-led legislature considered a plan that would throw out the votes from its June 9 congressional primary and instead hold a new primary in August under revised districts that could improve Republicans’ chances of winning an additional seat.

Tennessee also moved quickly to enact new U.S. House districts after the Supreme Court’s ruling by carving up a black-majority district based in Memphis that had elected the state’s only Democratic representative. The new map gives Republicans a chance to sweep all nine of the state’s seats. As part of the plan, Tennessee temporarily reopened the candidate qualifying period for its August congressional primaries, allowing new candidates to enter the race and existing ones to either switch districts or drop out.

Since Trump rst urged Texas to redraw its U.S. House districts last summer, about a half-dozen Republican-led states have enacted new voting districts, though some still face legal challenges. Democrats countered with new districts in California and also expect to gain a seat from new court-imposed districts in Utah.

A demonstrator holds up a sign outside the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama, on May 7.

NCDOT HOSTING A PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE A PROPOSAL TO REPLACE THE BRIDGE ON VANDORA SPRINGS ROAD OVER U.S. 70 IN WAKE COUNTY

STIP Project No. B-5681

GARNER - The N.C. Department of Transportation is hosting a public meeting to discuss the proposal to replace the bridge on Vandora Springs Road over U.S. 70 in the Town of Garner. The purpose of this meeting is to provide interested citizens with information on the project and gather public input on the proposed design.

Project details and maps can be found on NCDOT’s project input website at publicinput.com/vandoraspringsrd-us70. The information will be available at the meeting allowing for one-on-one discussions with NCDOT staff, but there will be no formal presentation.

The meeting will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m on June 9 at Garner Town Hall, 900 7th Avenue, in Garner

People may also submit comments by phone at 984-205-6615 project code 6509, email vandoraspringsrd-us70@publicinput.com, or mail at the address shown below by Ju , 2026

By Mail: Martha Hodge,

AICP, PMP NCDOT Project Management Unit –Pro Manager 1582 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1582

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled people who wish to participate in this meeting. Anyone requiring special services should contact Tony Gallagher, Environmental Analysis Unit, at 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1598, 919-707-6069 or magallagher@ncdot.gov as early as possible so arrangements can be made.

Those who do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand

may receive interpretive services upon request prior by calling 1-800-481-6494.

ERALDO PERES / AP PHOTO

A shing boat sails at the mouth of the Uaca River near the mangrove and biodiversity conservation area of Cabo Orange in Oiapoque, Brazil, on March 12.

KIM CHANDLER / AP PHOTO

NATION & WORLD

Heat wave shatters records, brings deaths across Europe

Temperatures are 20 degrees higher than normal

By Jill Lawless The Associated Press

LONDON — Temperature records toppled as a spring heat wave continued to scorch parts of Western Europe on Tuesday, triggering government warnings about risks to life. Several drownings were reported in Britain and France as people tried to cool down.

A temperature of 95 Fahrenheit was recorded at London’s Kew Gardens and Heathrow Airport, Britain’s Met O ce weather service said, breaking the 94.6 F record set a day earlier. The provisional readings smashed the previous record of 91.4 F set in 1922 and 1944.

London also recorded a rare “tropical night,” de ned as one in which the temperature does not fall below 68 F.

Records also fell in France, where temperatures reached 97 F on Monday in the country’s southwest and widely remained above 68 F at night.

The national weather service, Météo-France, said a “heat dome,” with heat held in place by a high-pressure weather front, was producing temperatures more than 10 degrees Celsius above what used to be usual for this time of year.

Unpredictable and extreme weather is becoming more frequent as Earth’s warming builds. Experts say unprecedented and deadly weather extremes that sometimes strike at abnormal times and in unusual places are putting more people in danger.

After a U.K. long weekend that sent people ocking to beaches, pools and shady parks, London commuters sweltered on Tuesday in subway carriages without air conditioning. Trains to and from the busy Waterloo station were

disrupted by a report of smoke on the tracks.

In Scotland, re ghters worked through the night to douse a grass re that sent smoke billowing from Arthur’s Seat, the rocky hill that looms over Edinburgh.

The U.K. Health Security Agency issued an amber health alert for large parts of the country through Thursday, warning of a potential health risk, particularly among older people, at the hottest times of the day. The U.K. is used to moderate temperatures, and many homes, schools and businesses do not have air conditioning.

At least three teenagers died in apparent drownings in U.K. lakes and reservoirs, and a 60-year-old man died in the sea in southwest England, authorities said.

French government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said

Amid peace talks, Iran condemns US strikes

The nation’s foreign ministry said it was a show of “bad faith” and warned of consequences

The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran on Tuesday denounced U.S. strikes a day earlier as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations continue toward a possible deal to end the war.

The U.S. military has characterized Monday’s strikes in southern Iran as defensive, saying targets included missile launch sites and boats placing mines, and said the U.S. acted with “restraint” in light of the weekslong cease re.

Iran’s foreign ministry called the strikes a ceasere violation and warned that Washington would bear responsibility for “all consequences,” without details.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran will leave no act of aggression unanswered,” it added in a statement.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard on Tuesday said it had shot down and deterred drones and a ghter jet that entered its airspace, according to Iran’s o cial Mizan news agency, which did not specify when the incident occurred.

It wasn’t immediately clear what the developments would mean for negotiations. The

strikes came after Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf went to Qatar as part of the talks, which U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday were “proceeding nicely.”

The strikes were the latest are-up in the fragile ceasere that began April 7 and has largely held.

Negotiations center in part on the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway o southern Iran through which a fth of the world’s crude oil and natural gas passed before the war began with U.S.-Israeli strikes in February. Tehran retaliated by e ectively closing the strait, stranding hundreds of ships and shocking the global economy.

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Center said an explosion was reported Tuesday morning aboard a tanker in the Gulf of Oman, which lies near the strait. No one was injured in the blast; there was no immediate information on the cause.

Besides disrupting energy markets, the strait’s closure is also squeezing fertilizer supplies worldwide. The full impact might not become clear until harvests that are months away. U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Qu Dongyu warned at an event in Rome on Tuesday that “the decisions we make now will determine whether this remains a man-

“We nd ourselves with temperatures we normally see in the middle of the summer now in the month of May.”

Rubén del Campo, Spanish weather service spokesperson

there have been reports of at least seven deaths potentially related to high temperatures, including ve drownings and two deaths in sports competitions.

The early heat wave has struck before the annual summer window when lifeguards watch over bathers at popular beaches, increasing risks.

On France’s Atlantic seaboard, where magni cent

beaches have powerful riptides, o cials reported a rash of emergencies in the surf, with two drowning deaths on Sunday at popular resorts in the Gironde region in the southwest.

The top regional administrator, Sophie Brocas, urged beachgoers “to exercise the utmost caution.”

The unseasonable heat extended to Spain, where weather service spokesperson Rubén del Campo said, “We nd ourselves with temperatures we normally see in the middle of the summer now in the month of May.”

He said Seville hit 100 F over the weekend, while large parts of the Iberian Peninsula saw temperatures 5 to 10 degrees Celsius higher than normal.

And in Rome, temperatures were expected to reach 89.6 F on Tuesday.

Calif. evacuation orders lifted near damaged chemical tank

Garden Grove, Calif. Emergency o cials lifted an evacuation order Monday for some of the people who live near a damaged tank containing a hazardous chemical in Southern California after temperatures inside the tank fell enough to eliminate the risk of a catastrophic explosion. There is still a chance for a smaller blast or a re at the GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems plant in Garden Grove, o cials said. Residents of Garden Grove, near Los Angeles, were ordered to evacuate their homes Thursday after the tank overheated, and by the weekend about 50,000 residents had been told to leave.

Black lawmakers press companies to oppose GOP redistricting Washington, D.C.

The Congressional Black Caucus on Tuesday called on major corporations across the U.S., including those that previously expressed support for voting rights and racial justice, to oppose redistricting e orts by Republican-led states that seek to eliminate majorityblack U.S. House districts. In a letter sent to more than 250 companies, members of the Black Caucus urged them to condemn the redistricting e orts, which the lawmakers describe as “coordinated e orts to silence Black voices at the ballot box.”

3 dead in South Korea overpass collapse

Seoul, South Korea

Three people were killed and three others were injured Tuesday when a decades-old overpass undergoing demolition partially collapsed in the South Korean capital, Seoul, re o cials said. The accident occurred during a safety inspection after workers halted demolition work upon noticing that a part of the structure had slightly sunk while concrete slabs were being cut, said Lee Jong-woon, an o cial at Seoul’s Seodaemun District Fire Station. The victims were crushed by debris and other wreckage after a section of a bridge deck suddenly collapsed, o cials said. Built in 1966, the overpass had been undergoing demolition since August last year over safety concerns.

4 dead after train, minibus collide in Belgium

Buggenhout, Belgium

ageable shock or evolves into a deeper global food security crisis in 2026 and 2027 and beyond.”

The strait has become a powerful lever for Tehran in talks, joining the long-running issue of Iran’s nuclear program and highly enriched uranium. Iran, in turn, wants the U.S. to lift its military blockade of Iranian ports that began April 17.

“What we are witnessing today is not only a geopolitical crisis; it is a systemic shock to the global agrifood system,” Qu said Tuesday.

Trump has introduced a new angle in negotiations for a deal on the war, saying any agreement to end the war should include a requirement for several additional countries, including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, to join the

Abraham Accords, a series of U.S.-brokered diplomatic, economic and security agreements aimed at normalizing relations with Israel.

Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates became the rst countries to join in 2020; Sudan, Morocco and Kazakhstan have followed. Egypt and Jordan already formally recognize Israel and have long-standing peace treaties. Turkey rst recognized Israel in 1949.

Israel’s conduct against Palestinians, including in the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, has alienated Gulf Arab states and the wider Muslim world, but Trump has been keen to build on the Abraham Accords, forged during his rst term. He has even suggested that Iran eventually could sign on.

A train traveling at high speed hit a minibus crossing a railway in Belgium on Tuesday, killing four people, including two children, and badly injuring ve other children in what o cials called one of the worst rail accidents in the country’s history. It appeared that the minibus drove through the closed crossing barrier, o cials said. A security camera showed the bus, carrying nine people, was moving when the train hit it. The collision happened during morning rush hour near Buggenhout, about 20 miles northwest of Brussels. The bus driver and an escort were killed along with two children aged 12 and 15, and the injured children were hospitalized in serious condition, o cials said.

ALEX BRANDON / AP PHOTO

President Donald Trump, pictured speaking during the 158th National Memorial Day Observance on Monday in Arlington, Virginia, is continuing negotiations to end the war with Iran.

GREGORIO BORGIA / AP PHOTO

A man drinks water at a fountain in downtown Rome on Tuesday as temperatures climb to recrod highs across Europe.

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Don’t meet me in St. Louis, Louie!

In the early days of the 20th century, St. Louis certainly seemed to have the advantage as the “Gateway to the West”

ONE OF MY WIFE’S favorite movies is the 1944 romantic musical comedy “Meet Me in St. Louis” starring Judy Garland. It is about the travails and joys of four daughters of businessman Alonzo Smith in the year leading up to the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.

Garland debuts such classics as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “The Trolley Song” and “The Boy Next Door.” The movie was MGM’s most successful musical of the wartime era. There was such innocence and optimism about the time period that even the typical youthful trials of love and acceptance could be endured with the sense that all is going to be well in the future.

There is one scene on the trolley where two men are deeply engaged in how wonderful St. Louis is. One propounds solemnly, “St. Louis must be the greatest city in the country!”

In the early days of the 20th century, St. Louis certainly seemed to have the advantage as the “Gateway to the West” given all the growth forthcoming on the West Coast.

If there was a remake of this movie today, which city would producers select to make it about? Which city or state projects such an optimistic outlook for the future that everyone would agree it was the greatest place in America today? Would it be St. Louis? Detroit? Minneapolis? Portland, Oregon? Seattle?

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

New York City? Any city in California?

After watching news of the mayhem that has come out of each of those cities the past six years, which venue jumps to mind as being the perfect setting for a joyful musical millions of people would pay to watch or, more importantly, want to visit or relocate their family or business?

Would North Carolina’s two major metropolitan areas, Charlotte/Mecklenburg and Raleigh/Wake County be on the list? If not, why? What needs to be done to make both tied for the top slot in America’s greatest areas to live and work today?

Cities and counties of all sizes have to explain to new prospective companies and residents why they are not going to be the next St. Louis or Detroit before a decision is made on a new investment. Why would a company invest billions of dollars in a new investment in any city or state if they were not 100% assured their investment would be protected by law enforcement? Or that they were not going to be taxed or regulated to death so their enterprise could be pro table and sustainable for the long term?

Businesses don’t exist merely to provide jobs for people in any new geographical area, simply to be altruistic about it, contrary to what many on the progressive left want to believe and want to direct and dictate. As long as businesses are convinced a new city and site will be pro table to them and their shareholders, they will invest millions

Trump’s fighting spirit seen in LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt

The devastating 2025 Palisades re destroyed his family’s cherished home, along with thousands of others.

NORMALLY, PEOPLE in other parts of the country would not have much interest in the Los Angeles mayoral race. But just like the 2025 mayoral contest in New York City, more people than usual are paying attention to the one in LA, in part because one candidate stands out a lot more than the rest.

In the NYC race, the candidate we were hearing a lot about nationally was then-New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, an admitted Democratic Socialist who was di erent because he was so shockingly radical, even for a city that had pretty much seen it all. Most notably, he was unapologetically anti-Israel in a city that is not only the most populous in America but also has the largest population of Jewish people in the world.

Many of us were thinking, “There’s no way a guy like that could get elected in NYC, right?” Well, it happened, with just under 51% of those who voted selecting Mamdani, who became the city’s rst Muslim-American mayor. And what’s happened since then could be the subject of not one but several columns.

Los Angeles is the next biggest city in America in terms of population, and, like NYC, it is one of our country’s most iconic.

The mayoral o ce is considered a “nonpartisan” o ce, but the last four mayors

have been Democrats because, well, it’s Los Angeles. Former U.S. Congresswoman Karen Bass is the current mayor, and she’s running for a second term.

The two other main candidates are LA City Council member Nithya Raman — who, like Mamdani, is a Democratic Socialist — and Spencer Pratt, a former reality show star who became a Republican after receiving so many threats to himself and his family during his reality show days that he had to get security and a gun.

“The only people who supported a CCW (concealed carry weapon permit) were the Republicans,” Pratt told CNN in a recent interview. “That was what I aligned with — my safety, my personal safety, my family’s safety.”

Though it’s not a comparison most people would make, I see a bit of President Donald Trump’s ghting spirit in Pratt, in terms of style, ambition and being a highly unconventional “outsider” in many ways.

Though Trump associated with some pretty powerful people from all walks of life, he was successful in his own right and didn’t need the headache of running for public o ce. But he did anyway because he wanted to bust up the D.C. establishment and change the way business was done in our nation’s

of dollars in a business and then generate millions of dollars of tax revenue to the city and state over the years by bringing or generating thousands of new jobs — a much-desired byproduct. Once a community or state and their elected leaders forget this basic happy equation of economics and business success, they will follow the sad examples of other major cities that have tumbled and never fully recovered.

St. Louis and Detroit are the only U.S. cities in American history to have reached more than or close to 1 million in population only to retreat back down to close to half that number over a very few short decades.

Besides major uctuations in market demand for products or services provided by a city such as St. Louis or Detroit, there are other major reasons why such cities often nd themselves unable to prevent such steep drop-o s in population or ever fully recover the vibrant economy they previously enjoyed. Most of them come from decisions made by local mayors, members of town councils and county commissions that help determine if their city is going to be the greatest city in the nation or not.

If they make the right decisions, the businesses and the families who work there will ourish and stay, and others will want to move there to join them. If they don’t make the right decisions and work with business leaders to solve the problems far ahead of time, every large city and smaller local municipality will face the same question of whether anyone will want to meet in their city or simply just put them in the same category of St. Louis or Detroit today.

capital in a way that actually bene ted the people.

We’ve seen that to some extent in Pratt too, but he has some additional motivation to keep him going: The devastating 2025 Palisades re destroyed his family’s cherished home, along with thousands of others. He wants those in government whom he feels are most responsible (like Bass) to be held accountable in the court of public opinion, where it matters most to entrenched Democrats for whom virtue signaling about “community” is paramount over the safety and security of the people.

Pratt has been turning heads and getting a lot of the right kind of attention. He is also polling remarkably well, so much so that his opponents (including those in the press) have been reduced to attacking his residency. Astonishing, really, when one thinks about how he lost his home.

The Los Angeles mayoral primary is June 2. Because “jungle primary” rules are in place, the top two will head to a runo election in the fall (unless the rst-place candidate receives more than 50%, which would mean they win the race).

Could Pratt win? Stranger things have happened in the City of Angels, that’s for sure. It’s going to be interesting to watch how this shakes out.

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

How news aggregators reinforce political ignorance

THE OTHER DAY, a young lady got on the elevator and promptly whipped out her smartphone and began scrolling.

“Excuse me,” I said, “can I ask you where you get your news?”

She said, “You mean like news about what’s going on in the world?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, TikTok.”

This reminded me of a dinner conversation I once had with economist Thomas Sowell. We discussed the overwhelming consensus among economists that the minimum wage does more damage than good. He called the minimum wage perhaps one of the most studied topics in the eld.

Sowell talked about a 1987 New York Times editorial with the headline, “The Right Minimum Wage: $0.00.” It said:

“There’s a virtual consensus among economists that the minimum wage is an idea whose time has passed. Raising the minimum wage by a substantial amount would price working poor people out of the job market.

Large numbers of Americans do not know this. If the news aggregators have anything to say about it, many Americans never will.

“An increase in the minimum wage to, say, $4.35 would restore the purchasing power of bottom-tier wages. It would also permit a minimum-wage breadwinner to earn almost enough to keep a family of three above the o cial poverty line. There are catches, however. It would increase employers’ incentives to evade the law, expanding the underground economy. More important, it would increase unemployment: Raise the legal minimum price of labor above the productivity of the least skilled workers and fewer will be hired.”

Now The New York Times has since reversed its position. But Economics 101 has not been repealed.

“Given this consensus,” I asked Sowell, “why does the minimum wage remain so popular even among some Republican politicians? Why haven’t you economists won this argument?”

He said, “Because many people, especially on the left, have never heard the arguments against the minimum wage. They get their information from TV news, and they’re not interested in the downside of the minimum wage.”

This conversation about this “ignorance bubble” took place about 25 years ago. Today, most people no longer get their news from the evening newscasts on ABC, CBS and NBC.

News aggregators like Microsoft, Apple, Google, Yahoo, TikTok and YouTube now serve as primary news conveyors and deliver the news feeds that pop

up on smartphones. As aggregators, they select stories from news outlets and serve them to consumers based on what the platforms think users want to see.

This means the aggregators increasingly prioritize stories that reinforce a user’s preexisting worldview. Their goal is to keep the user glued to the phone. The best way to do this is to tell people what they want to hear and give “news” that con rms what they already believe. And that’s the problem: People increasingly consume information that con rms their beliefs instead of challenging them.

AllSides is a company that measures media bias, whether from the left or the right. This is from a recent analysis: “AllSides conducted news aggregator bias analyses in late 2025. Among the most biased remain Google News and Apple News — in 2025, Google News (Lean Left) curated 73% of articles from outlets with a bias on the left and just 1% of articles from outlets on the right. Apple News (Lean Left) curated 50% from the left and just 2% from the right.

“Most news aggregators curate primarily from media outlets with an AllSides Media Bias Rating of Lean Left or Left. Our 2025 analyses found that most curate less than 10% of articles from news outlets rated Lean Right or Right. Aggregators tend to source from legacy media outlets that Americans and expert bias reviewers on average rate Lean Left or Left, like CNN (Lean Left), AP (Left bias), and The New York Times (Lean Left).”

Take one narrative pushed by the likes of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani: “The rich don’t pay their fair share in taxes.” In fact, the top 10% of earners pay nearly 75% of all federal income taxes. The top 1% pay more than 40% while earning roughly 20% of the nation’s income. These numbers certainly undermine the narrative that “the rich don’t pay their fair share.” Indeed, based on their share of the nation’s income versus their share of federal taxes paid, one could argue that the rich are overtaxed.

Large numbers of Americans do not know this. If the news aggregators have anything to say about it, many Americans never will.

Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

When political violence becomes acceptable, it becomes inevitable

A SOCIETY that begins to excuse political violence should not be surprised when political violence multiplies.

Once you create a moral framework in which violence is not merely understandable but righteous — once you argue that certain institutions are so corrupt, so “murderous,” that the people who participate in them deserve to be killed — you are no longer condemning violence. You are licensing it.

And when that cultural permission structure meets a criminal justice system increasingly designed to favor perpetrators over victims, the results are predictable: more criminals walking free, more public cynicism and more people tempted to believe that vigilantism is the only remaining form of accountability.

You are no longer condemning violence. You are licensing it.

Consider the case of Luigi Mangione, accused in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. A New York judge ruled this week that while the murder weapon will be admissible at trial, several other pieces of evidence seized during Mangione’s arrest will be suppressed.

The admissible items include a gun, a 3D -printed silencer and a red notebook reportedly lled with incriminating writing. But the judge excluded other evidence found in Mangione’s backpack: his phone, passport, gun magazine, wallet and a computer chip.

The rationale is the kind of procedural hair-splitting that leaves normal Americans wondering whether the system has lost its mind. The defense argued that the backpack was searched unconstitutionally because it had been moved away from Mangione’s immediate reach before o cers searched it. The judge agreed.

What makes it stranger is that the search occurred in Pennsylvania — inside a McDonald’s — yet the judge ruled that New York law governs suppression issues because Mangione is being tried in New York. In other words, a police o cer in Pennsylvania is apparently expected to know the intricate procedural rules of New York criminal law while making an arrest in real time.

This is not a recipe for justice. If Mangione was caught in California, would cops there be expected to know New York law to properly do their job?

These kinds of rulings are the downstream consequence of decades of doctrine that has steadily shifted the criminal justice system away from protecting the public and toward protecting defendants. Mapp v. Ohio established the exclusionary rule, which bars evidence obtained through unconstitutional searches. The practical

result is simple: When the police make a mistake, the public pays the price.

The deeper problem in the Mangione case, however, is cultural.

Mangione has loud supporters, and they are not operating in a vacuum. They are the product of a long-running ideological campaign — largely from the political left — that frames American institutions not as awed systems in need of reform but as evil systems maintained by evil people. This worldview has been building for years. Occupy Wall Street in 2011 was a turning point. Instead of focusing anger on government policy, bailouts and political corruption, activists targeted “Wall Street” itself — the private sector, the idea of pro t and the legitimacy of business power. Today, this mentality is embedded in the rhetoric of politicians like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who recently argued that government should use its power to lower prices and make life more a ordable. The underlying assumption is always the same: If people are su ering, the private sector must be guilty, and government must be the savior.

That ideological re ex produces what activists now call “social murder” — the claim that private-sector actors are morally responsible for deaths caused by imperfect systems. Under this logic, a CEO operating legally within a awed health care structure is the moral equivalent of a killer.

Outside Mangione’s proceedings, self-described “Mangionistas” reportedly proclaimed that Thompson’s children were “better o without him” and compared Thompson to Osama bin Laden. One even praised the idea of “heroic violence.”

This is moral psychosis. Bin Laden orchestrated mass murder. Thompson ran an insurance company. To equate the two is not just wrong — it is the kind of rhetoric that turns political disagreement into justi cation for assassination.

When a culture begins to rationalize murder as justice, it will get more murder.

If you want more political violence in the United States, keep telling people that political opponents are not merely mistaken but murderous — and that killing them is “heroic.”

Ben Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

COLUMN

JAMES CARTER Washington bureaucrats get corporate taxes wrong — again

WASHINGTON’S TAX BUREAUCRATS want you to believe you can tax your way to prosperity. History says otherwise.

The Congressional Research Service’s April 21 report, “Corporate Taxation: The Revenue-Maximizing Tax Rate,” uses a model to estimate the corporate tax rate at which corporate tax revenue is maximized.

Under its baseline assumptions, that peak occurs at roughly 70% or higher. The exercise is explicitly narrow, as it only examines corporate tax revenue in isolation, not total federal revenue or broader economic e ects.

It warrants a serious rebuttal.

So what did the CRS actually do? It revisited the 2007 studies by Alex Brill and Kevin Hassett, now President Donald Trump’s National Economic Council director, and Kimberly Clausing, a Biden Treasury appointee — both of which nd revenue-maximizing corporate tax rates in the mid-20s to low-30s range.

The CRS ultimately labeled those studies “biased” after adopting a model that produces a di erent result.

The Brill-Hassett study examined OECD countries from 1980 to 2005 and found robust statistical evidence of a corporate tax La er curve, with the revenue-maximizing point declining over time toward approximately 26%. It re ects a real-world phenomenon that no amount of xed-e ects modeling can wish away: capital is mobile, and it moves toward opportunity.

In a globalized economy, the average OECD corporate tax rate has fallen from 47% in 1980 to 23% today because capital goes where it is treated well. That competitive pressure ultimately produced a global minimum tax agreement among 137 countries — a policy response that only makes sense if capital is mobile.

And what happened when the United States cut its corporate rate from 35% to 21% under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017? The CRS would have you believe it was a giveaway with no growth dividend. The evidence says otherwise.

A Tax Foundation analysis concluded the TCJA grew the domestic private capital stock by 6.4% by 2025, boosted wages by 1.7% and raised long-run GDP by 3%. A peer-reviewed study comparing U.S. rms with Canadian counterparts found investment signi cantly increased for American rms following the rate cut, particularly in capital-intensive industries that create the most jobs.

Before the TCJA, American corporations spent years restructuring overseas to escape one of the highest corporate tax rates in the developed world. After the rate cut, the Federal Reserve con rmed that U.S. rms repatriated $777 billion in overseas earnings in 2018 alone, roughly 78% of the estimated stock of o shore cash holdings.

The corporate inversion epidemic stopped cold as well. As the American Action Forum noted, “this phenomenon largely ceased following the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017; since the TCJA’s passage, not a single major inversion has been reported.”

The CRS report’s central mistake is simple and damning: revenue-maximizing and economically optimal are not the same thing.

Economists have long recognized that the revenue-maximizing point on a La er curve sits well above the growth-maximizing point. A rate can keep squeezing additional revenue past the point where it begins seriously discouraging investment, productivity and wages.

Collecting the most possible revenue from a shrinking economy is not a tax policy. It is a liquidation strategy.

A landmark 2008 OECD study concluded that corporate taxes are the single most harmful form of taxation for long-run economic growth. A government chasing peak revenue extraction from the most growth-destructive tax in the modern economy is optimizing for the wrong variable.

The CRS report also leans heavily on static revenue estimates and gives little weight to dynamic e ects. It says raising the corporate rate from 21% to 28% would produce a “static revenue increase” of 33%, then argues that behavioral responses are too small to matter. Yet the behavioral response is everything and static scoring misses that.

As former National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow argues, tax policy should be judged not by static revenue projections but by its e ects on growth.

What policymakers should care about is not how much revenue a tax collects next year but how the tax structure shapes incentives to build, invest, hire and expand going forward. Capital formation drives productivity, wages and innovation over time. A government that maximizes short-run revenue extraction at the expense of long-run capital formation is not governing wisely. Instead, it’s eating its seed corn.

Those who advocate dramatically higher corporate tax rates will cite the CRS report as intellectual cover for a policy that real-world evidence does not support. Don’t let econometric complexity obscure a simple truth: When governments tax success, they get less of it. And when they treat capital as a captive resource to be extracted at will, it exits.

America does not have a revenue problem. It has a growth problem. And no government in history has taxed its way into prosperity.

James Carter is principal and policy director at Navigators Global, and he is a former senior economic and policy o cial at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the National Economic Council and the U.S. Senate Budget Committee. (Copyright 2026 Daily Caller News Foundation)

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

Drivers see gas price impacts across NC

AAA’s latest North Carolina gas price map shows fuel costs continuing to climb across the state as global oil market tensions push prices higher. As of May 24, the statewide average for regular gasoline is about $4.19 per gallon, slightly below the national average of $4.52, according to AAA. The map highlights noticeable regional di erences. Urban and mountain areas, including Asheville and parts of the Triangle, are seeing some of the highest averages, often above $4.23 per gallon. Coastal and eastern counties remain elevated as well, while some of the lowest prices are appearing in counties around Fayetteville and portions of the Piedmont, where averages are closer to $4.04. AAA says prices have risen steadily in recent weeks because of higher crude oil costs tied to instability in the Middle East and increased seasonal travel demand ahead of summer vacations and Memorial Day travel. Analysts note that North Carolina prices are still lower than many states on the East Coast, though drivers are paying roughly 30 cents more than they were a month ago.

PIEDMONT

Two children rescued from apartment re Forsyth County

to $4.17

to $4.15

to $4.10

EAST

School system announces summer dates for free meal service

cancer

According to a news release, Pardee Physical Therapy, a Department of Pardee Hospital (Oncology Rehab), opened a specialized rehabilitation space designed to support patients throughout treatment and recovery May 11. Pardee Health said bringing the services under one roof makes it easier for patients to receive specialized care as part of their routine cancer treatments. The oncology rehabilitation program will o er physical therapy services speci cally to t the needs of cancer patients, with a key focus of the program being the treatment of lymphedema in both the upper and lower extremities. The other key focus is improving upper extremity mobility for patients undergoing or recovering from radiation and breast cancer treatments. The new facility also includes new out tted treatment rooms designed for oncology rehabilitation.

NSJ

Two children are recovering after an early morning apartment re, according to the Winston-Salem Fire Department. On Sunday just before 2 a.m., crews were called to the 100 block of Inverness Street. Fire ghters said they rescued two children. According to o cials, when EMS crews arrived, re ghters directed them to two girls, ages 11 and 8, deemed to be in serious condition. A man was also evaluated at the scene but refused treatment. Fire ghters have not said what caused the re. WXII

Police identify victim of fatal shooting in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood

Mecklenburg County

A woman who died last week following a shooting in the NoDa area has been identi ed as 38-year-old Taylor Sylver. CMPD said the family has been noti ed of her death. Just after 2 a.m. last Thursday, o cers responded to reports of a shooting in the 3200 block of North Davidson Street, near East 35th Street. Sylver was found with life-threatening injuries and taken to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, where she died. CMPD has con rmed that the incident was a homicide.

QUEEN CITY NEWS

Online marketplace seeks to connect community, farmers Randolph County A new e ort in Randolph County is aiming to make buying local food easier through an online marketplace giving shoppers one place to buy fresh products directly from local farmers. Starting Thursday morning, people will be able to shop online from nearly 20 local farms through the new Randolph County Food Hub and then pick it up at the hub located at the Randolph County Agricultural Center. The Randolph County Food Hub is operated by NC Rooted Community Agriculture, a local nonpro t. The project has been years in the making, according to organizers, who note they’ve already seen many people signing up ahead of the launch date. On the online marketplace, shoppers will nd produce, meats, eggs and more that are all grown locally, and the hub will run daily starting at 8 a.m., through Sunday at 6 p.m. Orders will then be packed by farmers at the beginning of the week for pickup.

NSJ

Beaufort County Beaufort County Schools will begin its 2026 Summer Food Service Program June 15, o ering free meals for children 18 and younger across multiple locations in Beaufort County. According to the school system, the program will run Mondays through Thursdays through Aug. 14. School o cials said all open sites are noncongregate, meaning meals may be picked up and taken home. Only parents, legal guardians and caregivers may pick up meals.

NSJ

Visitors must keep safe distance from wild horses or face legal consequences

Crews ght hot tub re in Morehead City

Carteret County Fire crews in Morehead City responded to an early morning hot tub re Sunday. Just after midnight, Morehead City Fire-EMS were called to a reported structure re on Mayberry Loop Road. Crews arrived and found a hot tub on re on a detached deck. The re was under control within minutes; however the hot tub is a total loss, and there was signi cant damage to that area of the deck. No injuries were reported, and

Currituck County The Corolla Wild Horse Fund is reminding summer visitors that it is illegal to intentionally come within 50 feet of the Corolla wild horses, even if you are inside a vehicle on the Currituck 4x4 beaches. If a horse approaches, visitors are advised to slowly move away. Wild horse advocates say feeding or approaching the animals can cause dangerous habituation, meaning the horses may become too comfortable around people, especially for young foals. “Feeding kills,” the Corolla Wild Horse Fund said in a social media post. O cials said apples, carrots and other human foods are not part of the horses’ natural diet and can cause fatal choking or colic. Anyone who sees someone violating the wild horse ordinance or behaving dangerously around the horses is asked to contact law enforcement and the Corolla Wild Horse Fund immediately at 252-453 -3633. In an emergency, call 911.

NSJ

Got to Be NC Festival sets records, crowns winners from across the state

Organizers said this year’s event set a new attendance record

By Melinda Burris North State Journal

RALEIGH — The 2026 Got to Be NC Festival, held May 1517 at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, drew its largest crowd to date, organizers said. The annual event, launched in 2008, highlights North Carolina agriculture, food and artisans, with more than 120 ven-

dors participating this year. Attractions included live music, carnival rides, an antique tractor display and a range of agricultural exhibits.

Family-focused programming centered on the Kids Corral in the Jim Graham Building, where children could take part in crafts and learn about farming through live animal exhibits, including piglets, hatching chicks and duck races.

Food competitions remained a centerpiece of the festival. Green Level Masonic Lodge No. 277 of Cary won the Carolina

Dern takes bow at Cannes with new documentary on life

The celebrated actor’s daughter, Laura Dern, was along for the ride

By Jake Coyle

The Associated Press

CANNES, France — When Bruce Dern was leaving the Actors Studio to try to make it in Los Angeles, Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg warned him that he wasn’t going to be landing leading man parts. He was going to be “the fth cowboy to the right.”

“They said, ‘Just make sure you’re the most honest, unique fth cowboy right that anyone’s ever seen,’” Dern recalled.

Dern had to play the long game. But for the actor, an avid marathon runner who used to jog from his Malibu home to set, acting has always been an endurance sport.

Dern, who turns 90 next month, came to the Cannes Film Festival this week to take a well-deserved bow.

“Dernsie: The Amazing Life of Bruce Dern,” a documentary about his long-distance career, premiered last Thursday at the festival.

“I see a journey, a long un-

interrupted journey,” Dern said in an interview alongside his daughter, Laura. “A bunch of folks got together and said, ‘Bruce Dern could play.’ That’s all I wanted.” Cannes, like most things for Dern, holds plenty of stories. He rst came here, he said, with Alfred Hitchcock for “Marnie.” In 2013, he won best actor in Cannes for one of his few leading performances, in “Nebraska,” directed by Alexander Payne.

Along the way, Laura Dern has often been there. As a child, Hitchcock gave her a mini director’s chair to sit in. On “Nebraska,” Laura — who starred in Payne’s rst feature, “Citizen Ruth” — for a week rode in the trailing van with Payne. She’s currently in the south of France to shoot the fourth season of “The White Lotus,” but she was eager to join for her dad’s moment in Cannes and help him down the red carpet.

“What I loved about witnessing dad’s career is when I was a little kid, people would come up to me and say, ‘Boy, do I love to hate your dad,’” she said. “That was a common quote, which meant they had fallen in love with this character even though he shot John Wayne or the vari-

Pig Jig barbecue cook-o , which bene ts The Masonic Home for Children at Oxford and Central Children’s Home of North Carolina. Rhamkatte Lodge No. 827 of Prince Hall earned the People’s Choice award.

Additional winners included Excelsior Lodge No. 21 of Raleigh, which took rst place in the pork category, and Green Level No. 277 of Cary, which also claimed top honors in turkey and sauce categories. Doric No. 30 – Peach of Delaware earned best dessert and multiple top-three nishes, while Unity

“Based on crowd sizes and vendors selling out early, we believe this year is our strongest attended festival yet.”

Andrea Ashby, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Lodge No. 462 received the “Big Peaches” Team Spirit Award. The festival also recognized a Young Farmer of the Day throughout the weekend, honoring Madison Costa of Fowl Creek Farms, Will Thomas of Buddy Waddell Farms and Josh Young of The Young-Outlaw Ranch. Eason and Martha Lilley of Williamston won Best in Show in the antique tractor competition for their 1968 Farmall. While attendance gures were not tracked due to free admission, organizers pointed to packed crowds and strong vendor sales as indicators of record turnout.

JOHN LOCHER / AP PHOTO

Bruce Dern poses for photographers at the photo call for the lm “Dernsie: The Amazing Life of Bruce Dern” at the 79th Cannes Film Festival on May 20.

ous things he was up to.”

“Blew up the Super Bowl,” said her father, grinning.

A character actor villain

Dern has done some terrible things on screen. He’s hit Barbara Stanwyck (“The Big Valley”). He’s lynched Clint Eastwood (“Hang ’Em High”). He killed John Wayne (“The Cowboys”), an o ense some never forgave him for. In 1977’s “Black Sunday,” Dern played a disturbed Vietnam veteran pilot who tries to blow up the Super Bowl with a blimp full of explosives. Such exploits, and the live-wire intensity that Dern brought to them, made him idolized by

“I see a journey, a long uninterrupted journey.”

Dern

Bruce

lmmakers like Quentin Tarantino. In the documentary, he calls Dern “one of the nest and most entertaining examples of great American acting.” Talking in Cannes, Dern’s free- owing topics included Hitchcock’s treatment of Tippi Hedren, his friendship with Jack Nicholson (“He was ahead of us all”), what Stanwyck said to him after slapping him (“She said, ‘I’m not going to even ask you if I hurt you’”), a jogging route to

“Based on crowd sizes and vendors selling out early, we believe this year is our strongest attended festival yet,” said Andrea Ashby of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Next year’s festival is scheduled for May 14-16, 2027.

Santa Barbara and a near wordfor-word recital of the climactic scene of “Nebraska.”

Improvising the “Dernsies”

But a through line to “Dernsie” is its title’s meaning. Throughout his career, Dern was known for his o -thecu improvisations that jolted scenes into life. The term he credits to Nicholson, who liked a nger snap Dern added during the making of Nicholson’s 1971 lm, “Drive, He Said.”

“He said, ‘I want to say something. That little snap of the ngers that he just did? He’s been doing that s--- for 10 years and no one ever gave him a chance to lm that. That’s a Dernsie,” Dern said.

During a scene with Brad Pitt in “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” Dern added a line — “You did something today that really touched me. You came to see me.” — that he said came out of how he felt to be a part of the movie.

“And afterward, Brad had tears in his eyes and picked me up like a little baby and carried me around the set,” said Dern, laughing.

“I don’t rehearse it,’ he explained. “Once the switch is on, you’re going. The Dernsies, I don’t know what they’re going to be. I take from everything that’s going on around, even if it has nothing to do with it.”

These aren’t just the reminiscences of a retired actor, either. Dern still very much has the mindset of a working actor. He plans to keep going until he drops.

COURTESY ANDREA ASHBY

Green Level Masonic Lodge No. 277 of Cary won this year’s Carolina Pig Jig barbecue cook- o , which bene ts the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford and the Central Children’s Home of North Carolina.

‘Mandalorian

and Grogu’

tops

charts, ‘Obsession’ grows in second weekend

“The Devil Wears Prada 2” slipped to the fourth spot with $12.6 million

By Lindsey Bahr

The Associated Press

AFTER NEARLY seven years away from the big screen, a new Star Wars movie drew healthy but not record-breaking crowds to global theaters this weekend. According to studio estimates on Sunday, “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” made $82 million in ticket sales from 4,300 theaters in the U.S. and Canada.

It exceeded opening weekend expectations for the movie, a continuation of Disney+ spino series “The Mandalorian,” but it’s also on the low end of Disney-era Star Wars releases, closer to “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” which made $103 million over the four-day Memorial Day frame in 2018. While “Solo” was considered a disaster, the metrics around “The Mandalorian and Grogu” are a little di erent.

The production budget for “Solo” was in the $300 million range, while “The Mandalorian and Grogu” was made for signi cantly less — a reported $165 million, not accounting for marketing and promotion costs. It makes the journey to pro tability more likely, especially when factoring in positive audience scores. Although critics were mixed to negative on the movie (it currently carries a 63% on Rotten Tomatoes), ticket buyers overall gave it an A- CinemaScore. Boys under the age of 13 are especially high on the movie: They gave it an A CinemaScore and a perfect ve on PostTrak. Parents also gave it a ve out of ve.

The Jon Favreau-directed movie stars Pedro Pascal as the titular bounty hunter and puts him and his tiny green companion on a mission to save Jabba’s son Rotta the Hutt, who is voiced by Jeremy Allen White.

“Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” could also be graded on a bit of a curve because of the streaming component, both

/ INVISION / AP

The character Grogu arrives at the premiere of “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles.

that it started as a series, and that it will eventually end up as a value add on Disney+, which was only about a month old when the last Star Wars movie, “The Rise of Skywalker,” debuted in December 2019.

Star Wars as a brand is in a time of transition under its new leadership team of Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. Earlier

Sluggish ‘Mandalorian and Grogu’ disappoints, lacks ambition

The lm might be a better t for television

By Bob Garver The Sun

“THE MANDALORIAN and Grogu” is coming at an interesting time in the history of “Star Wars.” It is a test to see if the franchise’s recent success on the small screen can translate to blockbuster status on the big screen. I have not seen “The Mandalorian” streaming series on Disney+, though I know of its massive success. I could even imagine a world where a “Mandalorian” movie makes enough money to have a legitimate place alongside classic installments like “A New Hope” and “The Empire Strikes Back.” That world just isn’t this one, not with this movie that nearly put me to sleep. The movie follows Din “The Mandalorian” Djarin (voiced and played in “face scenes” by Pedro Pascal), a helmeted human bounty hunter who resembles, but is not related to, beloved franchise character Boba Fett. His young apprentice is Grogu, a nonspeaking alien who resembles, but is not related to, beloved franchise character Yoda. I’m sure the origin of the team-up is explained in the series, but for now all I need to know is that they are a team.

The opening moments of the movie follow The Mandalori-

an and Grogu as they take out a leftover Empire loyalist (Hemky Madera) running a protection racket. The sequence is lled with action, comedy and visual spectacle on a level that the rest of the lm lacks. I’ve heard some critics saying that this lm could have been a few episodes of television; I’m saying that everything after this sequence could have been cut and the whole thing could have been a short that plays in front of another Disney feature. I know it’s wishful thinking, but it could have added some much-needed incentive to see a edgling e ort like “Wish,” come to think of it.

The rest of the story follows the team as they’re sent on a mission by their employer (Sigourney Weaver) to capture another Empire henchman who has thus far escaped justice. This person’s identity is known only to the deplorable Hutt family, and Jabba’s twin siblings won’t give up the information for free. Mando and Grogu rst have to rescue Jabba’s son Rotta (Jeremy Allen White) and return him to his aunt and uncle. It turns out that Rotta has carved out a nice little life for himself on another planet as a gladiator of sorts ghting for unscrupulous promoter Janu Coin (Jonny Coyne is the actor’s name), and he doesn’t want to leave. The “rescue” mission is going to have to be more of a “capture.”

this year it was announced that Lucas lm president Kathleen Kennedy, who produced “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” was stepping down after 13 years. The question for the industry is whether audience interest in Star Wars on the big screen might have cooled slightly, and if next year’s “Star Wars: Star ghter,” starring Ryan Gos-

“I think given the audience reaction and the scores that are coming from parents and kids, this is going to be in it for the long haul.”

Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore

ling, will provide a de nitive answer. Until then, the hope is that strong audience and exit scores will propel word-of-mouth generated enthusiasm in the coming weeks.

“The moviegoers rule,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the head of marketplace trends for Comscore. “I think given the audience reaction and the scores that are coming from parents and kids, this is going to be in it for the long haul.”

Word-of-mouth certainly helped Curry Barker’s relationship horror movie “Obsession” defy the standard box o ce trajectory and do better business in its second weekend. The Focus Features lm had an as-

tonishing 30% uptick in ticket sales, earning $22.4 million from 2,655 theaters.

“That’s really unheard of,” Dergarabedian said. “And it is a testament to how this social media buzz from younger viewers is fueling the FOMO factor.”

The studio, which acquired the microbudget movie for some $15 million, is projecting that it will have made $28.2 million by the end of Monday, bringing its running total to $58.5 million. It snagged the second-place spot, while “Michael” landed in third place with $20 million for the three-day weekend. The Michael Jackson biopic has now earned $782.4 million.

“Obsession” also did better than the new horror movie “Passenger,” a Paramount Pictures release with Melissa Leo, which grossed an estimated $8.7 million from 2,534 locations. It’s expected to earn $10.5 million over its rst four days. The movie received poor reviews from both critics (44% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences (BCinemaScore).

Boots Riley’s colorful shoplifting caper meets surreal social satire “I Love Boosters” also opened this weekend to $3.7 million.

Top 10 movies by domestic box o ce

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

1. “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” $82 million

2. “Obsession,” $22.4 million

3. “Michael,” $20 million

4. “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” $12.6 million

5. “The Sheep Detectives,” $9 million

6. “Passenger,” $8.7 million

7. “Mortal Kombat II,” $6.2 million

8. “I Love Boosters,” $3.7 million

9. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” $3.2 million

10. “Project Hail Mary,” $2.7 million

LUCASFILM LTD. /

Rotta the Hutt is voiced by Jeremy Allen White in Lucas lm’s “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.”

“The Mandalorian and Grogu” is every action movie you’ve ever seen about a shady hero dealing with shadier secondary players, including, but not limited to, other “Star Wars” movies.

At rst, I liked the adorable, Force-enabled Grogu so much that I wondered if the movie even needed The Mandalorian. Around the two-thirds mark, I got my answer when Mando was

incapacitated for a stretch. The answer is that yes, the movie very much needs The Mandalorian because with just Grogu, this movie fell apart. Bless the writers for trying to give him a solo arc and the puppeteers for trying to make him sympathetic, but he just does not have a mode other than “cute.” He works in small, scene-stealing doses, but anything more than that is a mistake.

“The Mandalorian and Grogu” is every action movie you’ve ever seen about a shady hero dealing with shadier secondary players, including, but not limited to, other “Star Wars” movies. Except it doesn’t quite have the ambition of other “Star Wars” movies. There’s too much blandness

to the settings and periphery characters. I can see where Disney thinks this property is “too big” for television, but I can’t say this movie is theater-worthy, at least on the level that a “Star Wars” movie should be. It’s stuck awkwardly between the two tiers of entertainment hierarchy. I’m sure there will be another movie, and I encourage the creative team to step up their e orts (it won’t take much, just a few extra ourishes) so that lm can unmistakably belong in theaters.

Grade: C

“The Mandalorian and Grogu” is rated PG-13 for sciviolence and action. Its running time is 132 minutes.

LUCASFILM LTD. / DISNEY VIA AP

Lucas lm’s “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” won over theatergoers over the weekend, taking in $82 million.

JORDAN STRAUSS

PHOTO

Jim Henson’s Creature Shop opens for tours of once-hidden puppet studio

The visionary craftsman and puppeteer created countless iconic characters

By Philip Marcelo

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Deep in a cavernous New York City warehouse, the artisans behind some of the world’s most beloved children’s characters have been fashioning costumes and puppets for years in relative anonymity.

Now Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, the workshop founded by the legendary creator of the Muppets, is drawing back the curtain.

This year, the company opened the doors of its Queens workshop to public tours for the rst time, allowing fans to meet a puppet builder, see a puppetry demonstration and take photos and videos with beloved and iconic characters.

Jason Weber, the shop’s creative supervisor, said the tours, which cost $150 a person, are an opportunity to celebrate the unsung craftspeople who bring these famous characters to life.

“There is a level of expertise here that we’re sharing. It’s not just going to a pop-up store or something like that,” he said during a recent visit. “Things are made one-of-a-kind, made by hand with artisans who have been trained for years and decades.”

Besides Kermit, Miss Piggy and other Muppets, Henson was the creative force behind Big Bird, Cookie Monster and other famous “Sesame Street”

denizens, as well as the “Fraggle Rock” characters. He died in 1990.

Henson originally founded the workshop in the 1960s in Manhattan and it has moved multiple times around the city since. It’s been at its current location in Queens since 2009.

The company also has a workshop in Los Angeles, though that doesn’t o er tours.

The 80-minute New York tours take place on Saturdays.

Visitors start in a large room specially created for the tour that’s lled with real show props and creations. It’s also the only spot on the tour where visitors are allowed to take photos and videos, as much of what’s in the actual workshop is still works in progress or proprietary.

“The Muppets” are now

owned by Disney. Sesame owns the rights to Big Bird and other characters Henson created for the long-running show, which lms at a nearby studio. Among the centerpieces in that rst room on the tour is an Oscar the Grouch display where the “Sesame Street” character is in his familiar trash can surrounded by heaps of fake garbage.

McCartney helps Colbert say goodbye to ‘The Late Show’ in ambitious nal show

CBS will ll “The Late Show” slot with “Comics Unleashed”

By Mark Kennedy The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Stephen Colbert chatted with Paul McCartney and joined him on stage for a raucous performance of “Hello, Goodbye” on the nal broadcast of CBS’ “The Late Show” on Thursday night, a bittersweet farewell for a canceled show that still had a few barbs left for the network that ended its 33year run.

At the top of his last show, which grew more surreal and absurd as it went on, Colbert highlighted the “joy” that he and his team felt creating more than 1,800 episodes of “The Late Show.”

“The energy that you’ve given us, we sincerely need that to have done the best possible show we could have for you for the last 11 years,” Colbert said. “You’ve given it to us. We’ve given it all right back to you.”

Colbert pretended that Pope Leo XIV, the rst U.S.-born pope, was his nal guest, but the ponti refused to come out of his dressing room because he hadn’t been supplied the correct kind of snacks, especially hot dogs.

McCartney then o ered himself as a replacement, striding across the stage as the audience screamed. “I think you’d be a perfect last guest,” Colbert said. McCartney said he happened to be in the area, doing errands. He o ered a framed photo of the Beatles at the Ed Sullivan Theater, the nal home for “The Late Show.” The two chatted about when the Beatles rst came to America in 1964, creativity, his new album and McCartney’s childhood.

Final broadcast lled with surprises

Colbert’s monologue was interrupted by Bryan Cranston,

Paul Rudd and Tim Meadows, who all pretended to be irked that they weren’t the host’snal guest. “You know what? You got what you deserved,” Meadows fumed. Other celebrities in the audience who had funny turns during Colbert’s last “Meanwhile” segment were Tig Notaro and Ryan Reynolds. Later, Colbert joined Elvis Costello, former bandleader Jon Batiste and current bandleader Louis Cato for a relaxed performance of Costello’s “Jump Up.” They all joined the house band and McCartney for the nal song of the night, a performance of “Hello, Goodbye.”

“The energy that you’ve given us; we sincerely need that to have done the best possible show we could have for you for the last 11 years.”

Stephen Colbert

“Everything we do is custom. Everything we do is bespoke.”

Melissa Creighton, shop director

There’s also a menacing black throne from “The Dark Crystal,” Henson’s 1982 live-action fantasy lm, and a full-sized working puppet of Junior Gorg, a giant from “Fraggle Rock,” which requires multiple performers to manipulate.

The workshop space itself is lled with fantastical creatures in various stages of assembly. There are drawers and bins tucked into nearly every corner brimming with colorful furs, textured fabrics and readymade puppet body parts, clothing and accessories.

“Everything we do is custom. Everything we do is bespoke,” said Melissa Creighton, the shop’s director.

On a recent visit, sta were busy preparing costumes and other pieces for a range of current projects, including a “Fraggle Rock” musical opening later this month at a theater near Times Square.

The shop’s past credits include the horror movie “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” the children’s fantasy lm “Where the Wild Things Are” and the 1990s television sitcom “Dinosaurs.”

Sierra Schoening, a senior puppet builder, said working at the shop had been her “pie-inthe-sky” dream job. Her favorite movie growing up was “The Labyrinth,” Henson’s 1986 musical fantasy lm starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly.

“I just really always wanted to know how those illusions were made,” Schoening said as she took a break from fashioning a set of new creations. “I know all the secret sauce, and I’m making the secret sauce now.”

TV. Many — including Colbert — expressed skepticism that President Donald Trump’s repeated criticism of the show wasn’t a factor. Trump’s name never came up on the show’snal broadcast.

The decision to shutter the show came after parent company Paramount’s $16 million settlement of Trump’s lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview as Paramount awaited his administration’s approval of a pending sale to Skydance Media. Colbert had called it a “big, fat bribe.” Last Thursday, he showed a clip of a sympathetic dolphin clicking with the subtitle: “It was a nancial decision.”

During the “Meanwhile” segment, Colbert mentioned that the owner of some music used in the “Peanuts” animated specials had grown litigious. Just then, the band started playing “Peanuts” music. “Oh, no, I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money,” the host said.

The nal show seemed to be marred by technical snafus, with stray sounds and glitches. Later Colbert encountered the reason in a pretaped bit — an interdimensional wormhole that astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson helpfully explained was opened because a top-rated show could also be canceled.

remade into “It’s Raining Fish.”

Last Wednesday night, Colbert was on the other end of his “The Colbert Questionnaire,” asked things like which sandwich is best and whether apples are better than oranges.

Jon Stewart also made an appearance, explaining the wormhole was a metaphor, and Colbert reunited with his fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Meyers. Elijah Wood was present for a “The Lord of the Rings” joke.

Colbert’s 11 seasons bridged the rise of Trump and his return to the White House, the pandemic, the fall of Joe Biden, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United States Capitol under attack in 2021 and the rise of arti cial intelligence.

Sta ers and audience members — including Colbert’s wife, Evie McGee Colbert — then swarmed the stage as Colbert gave the honor to McCartney to turn o the building’s power. The theater then got sucked into a vortex and turned into a snow globe.

Mark Hamill, Martha Stewart, Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro were some of the questioners. David Letterman, the show’s host when it debuted in 1993, joined Colbert on the roof of the theater to hurl furniture from the set — a nod to one of Letterman’s classic stunts.

Colbert’s show ends after 11 seasons

Guests in the nal week included Michael Keaton, Jon Stewart, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Steven Spielberg, David Byrne and Bruce Springsteen, while there’s been a wacky version of “It’s Raining Men”

CBS announced last summer that Colbert’s show would end, citing economic reasons after 11 seasons. But Colbert was the ratings leader in late-night

“At a time when algorithms are shaping so much of what people see, hear and even believe, Stephen has been a touchstone shared by millions,” former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a video tribute. “His satiric voice, backed by what is clearly a deep moral core and a love of this country, has had a way of cutting through the noise and helping show us who we are as a country.”

SCOTT KOWALCHYK / CBS VIA AP Paul McCartney speaks with host Stephen Colbert during the nal episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” last Thursday in New York.

SETH WENIG / AP PHOTO

A re- creation of an artist’s desk, with a photograph of Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog, is part of a tour at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop in New York.

NOTICE

CUMBERLAND

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Mildred Jones Johnson a/k/a Mildred J. Johnson a/k/a Mildred M. Johnson Cumberland County Estate File No. 26E000811-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Mildred Jones Johnson a/k/a Mildred J. Johnson a/k/a Mildred M. Johnson, Deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Barbara Gail Johnson, Executor of the Estate of Mildred Jones Johnson a/k/a Mildred J. Johnson a/k/a Mildred M. Johnson, at 3274 Rocky River Road, Fayetteville, NC 28312, on or before the 28th day of August, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Debtors of Mildred Jones Johnson a/k/a Mildred J. Johnson a/k/a Mildred M. Johnson are requested to make immediate payment to the Executor named above. This the 28th day of May, 2026. Barbara Gail Johnson, Executor of the Estate of Mildred Jones Johnson a/k/a Mildred J. Johnson a/k/a Mildred M. Johnson Williford McCauley - Attorney for the Estate of Mildred Jones Johnson a/k/a Mildred J. Johnson a/k/a Mildred M. Johnson Mailing address: P. O. Box 53606 Fayetteville, NC 28305 Physical address: 235 Green Street Fayetteville, NC 28301

EXECUTOR’S NOTICE

In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File # 26E000747-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND

The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Shirley B. Barefoot aka Shirley Barefoot Barefoot, Deceased of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before August 21, 2026 at 51 Bunnlevel Erwin Road, Bunnlevel, North Carolina 28323, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 21st day of May, 2026 Charles D. Nowiski, Executor Estate of Shirley B. Barefoot aka Shirley Barefoot Barefoot, deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC Post O ce Box 53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305 (910) 485-8899 05/21/2026, 05/28/2026, 06/04/2026 and 06/11/2026

NOTICE

Notice to Creditors

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the estate of Daniel Bauer, 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 August 7, 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.

Hilary Lohr 1624 Seattle Slew Lane Hope Mills, NC 28348” NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA County of Cumberland In The General Court Of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File # 26E 000568-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Randall Wayne Blackburn, 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 7th of August, 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 24th day of April 2026. Penny Woolard Blackburn Administrator/Executor 1400 Lowbranch Court Fayetteville, NC 28306 Of the Estate of Randall Wayne Blackburn, Deceased NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE NO. 26E000569-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Joyce Edwards Carter, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 2517 Raeford Road, Fayetteville, NC 28305, on or before August 28, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Dated this 28th day of May, 2026. Lela C. Clark, Executor of the Estate of Joyce Edwards Carter NICOLE A. CORLEY MURRAY & CORLEY, P.A. N.C. BAR NO. 56459 2517 RAEFORD ROAD FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28305 – 3007 (910) 483 – 4990 COUNSEL FOR EXECUTOR

Notice to Creditors

The undersigned having quali ed as executor/ administrator of the estate of Donna Kay Click of Cumberland County North Carolina does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said estate to present the to the undersigned at 3712 Gilliam st. Hope Mills, North Carolina 28348 on or before August 7, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. May 4,2026 Dawn Renea Selman Stanley Executor/Administrator 3712 Gilliam st Hope Mills, NC 28348

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File #26e000697-250 State of North Carolina County of Cumberland

The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Robert David Collier, deceased, late of Cumberland County, herby noti es all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 14th day of August, 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 14th day of May, 2026. Callista Michelle Swart, Administrator 2430 Timber Oak Dr. Hillsborough, NC, 27278 Of the Estate of Robert David Collier, deceased.

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION Administrator’s Notice 26E000405-250 The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator cta of the Estate of Calvin Curry, 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 21st day of August 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 is the 21st day of May 2026. Wanda Michelle McDonald, Administrator cta of the Calvin Curry Estate Haymount Law, PC Attorney for the Estate 1008 Hay Street Fayetteville, NC 28305 Telephone: (910) 672-4600 Publish: 05/21, 05/28, 06/04, 06/11

Notice to Creditors

In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File # 26E000691250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE The undersigned having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Tony Roosevelt Daniels, deceased, of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 14th day of August, 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 is the 5th day of May, 2026. Terry Hunter Administrator of the Estate of Tony Roosevelt Daniels 830 Beuer Drive Fayetteville, NC 28314

Notice To Creditors

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Sylvia Davis Edwards, 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 28th day of August, 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 descendent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 28th day of May, 2026. James Edward Edwards II 1075 Cashwell Rd Autryville, NC, 28318 Of the Estate of Sylvia Davis Edwards, Deceased NOTICE

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Han S. Ewing deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, ’rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before August 14, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, ’rms and corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Susy M. Techuk. Executor of the Estate of Han S. Ewing, Deceased c/o Susy M. Techuk, 473 Bristlecone Drive Fayetteville, NC 28311 Publish: Beginning May 14, 2026 – August 14 2026.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Estate of Betty Parker Hobson a/k/a Betty P. Hobson Cumberland County Estate File No. 26E000662-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Betty Parker Hobson a/k/a Betty P. Hobson, Deceased, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to Jennifer Moss Davis, Co-Executor of the Estate of Betty Parker Hobson a/k/a Betty P. Hobson, at 1628 Squire Davis Road, Kernersville, NC 27284, or Kimberly Moss Donaldson, Co-Executor of the Estate of Betty Parker Hobson a/k/a Betty P. Hobson, at 260 Devereux Downs, Roswell, GA 30075, on or before the 7th day of August, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Debtors of Betty Parker Hobson a/k/a Betty P. Hobson are requested to make immediate payment to one or both of the CoExecutors named above.

This the 7th day of May, 2026.

Jennifer Moss Davis, Co-Executor of the Estate of Betty Parker Hobson a/k/a Betty P. Hobson

Kimberly Moss Donaldson, Co-Executor of the Estate of Betty Parker Hobson a/k/a Betty P. Hobson

Williford McCauley - Attorney for the Estate of Betty Parker Hobson a/k/a Betty P. Hobson

Mailing Address: P. O. Box 53606 Fayetteville, NC 28305 Physical Address: 235 Green Street Fayetteville, NC 28301

NOTICE

Legal Notice: Estate of Muriel Hogue

Notice is hereby given that on the 19th day of May 2026, Letters Testamentary/Administration were granted to the undersigned by the Cumberland County, North Carolina Probate Court for the Estate of Muriel Hogue, deceased (Estate File/Docket Number: 26E000827250) All persons having claims against the estate are required to present them to the undersigned at the address below on or before August 28th, 2026, or be forever barred. May 28st, 2026 Deborah Bushway P.O. Box 62 Acworth, NH 03601

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In The General Court Of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File # 26E000768-250 Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor/ Administrator of the estate of Carol T. Holloway, 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 15th day of August, 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 12th day of May, 2026.

Lori Holloway Administrator/Executor 4930 High Branch Court Address Stedman, North Carolina 28391 City, State, Zip Of the Estate of Carol T. Holloway, Deceased

NOTICE TO CREDITORS:

All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of the deceased David Lonnie Jerkins of Fayetteville, North Carolina of Cumberland County are hereby noti ed to present them veri ed to the listed address below on or before 8/28/26, or this notice will be pleaded in bar for their recovery. All persons indebted to the said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Executor of Estate: David Matthew Jerkins (Executor of Estate of David Lonnie Jerkins) Address: 4565 River Pkwy Atlanta, Ga 30339 Apt E.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as Chasity Johnson of the Estate of Margaret Johnson, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before August 21st, 2026, (which is the date 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 the 21st day of May, 2026.

Chasity Johnson Administrator / Executor

6277 Lakehaven Drive Fayetteville, NC 28304 In the Matter of the Estate of Margaret Johnson, Deceased.

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In The General Court

Of Justice County of Cumberland

Superior Court Division

26E000-250

Estate File #

Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Marjorie Petty Johnson, decease, 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 28th day of August, 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 22nd day of May, 2026.

Melissa Johnson Bradley

Administrator/Executor 5220 Merriman Road Address Roanoke, VA 24018 City, State, Zip Of the Estate of Marjorie Petty Johnson, Deceased

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division County of Cumberland

Estate File # 26E000814-250

Administrator’s/Executor’s Notice

The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Mary Elouise Lambert a/k/a Mary Hudson Lambert , 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 28th day of August, 2026, (which is three months after the day of the rst publication of this Notice) or the Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 28th day of May, 2026.

Stephen B. Lambert

Administrator 3910 Stone Street Hope Mills, NC 28348 Of the Estate of Mary Elouise Lambert a/k/a Mary Hudson Lambert, Deceased

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF DONALD GLENN LEWIS

CUMBERLAND County

Estate File No. 25E001064-250

All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Donald Glenn Lewis, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to the Administrator Kelly Lewis, 25 Berkley Pl, Apt 1, Savannah, GA 31405 on or before the 15th day of August, 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 6th day of May, 2026.

Kelly Lewis Administrator of the Estate of Donald Glenn Lewis

Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm

Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311

Run dates: May 14, May 21, May 28 and June 4, 2026

Notice to Creditors

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Abadesa Ramos, deceased, late of Cumberland County, hearby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 28th day of August, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All debtors of the decedant are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 28th day of May, 2026

Olivia Jean-Louis 1108 Contanche St., Apt. A, Greenville, NC, 27858 Of the Estate of Abadesa Ramos, Deceased

Notice to Creditors

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Billy Earl Robinson, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the decedent to the undersigned at the address below on or before August 21, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate please make immediate payment. This the 14th day of May 2026. Sabrina Robinson, Executor Estate of Billy Earl Robinson 7616 Oakberry Drive Raleigh NC 27616

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA County of Cumberland Estate of Jacqueline Shew In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File# 26E000672-250 Administrator’s/Executors’s Notice The undersigned, having quali ed as administrator of the Estate of Jacqueline Shew, 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 15th day of August, 2026, (which date is three months after the

Jencks Executor of the Estate of Virginia Lee Terry.

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION State of North Carolina Cumberland County In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Lerlene Walcott (Petitioner) v. Gale Walcott and Keith Walcott, Jr. (Respondents) File No. 25SP000894-250 To: GALE WALCOTT 928 East 81st Street Brooklyn, NY 11236 Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you have been led in the above-entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is Petition to Partition real property located at 848 Durwood Drive, Fayetteville, Cumberland County, NC, Parcel ID 0429-48-6398 and being further described as follows: BEING all of Lot 78, ROLLINGWOOD, SECTION 2, according to the plat thereof, recorded in Book of Plats 36, Page 23, in the o ce of the Register of Deeds of Cumberland County, North Carolina. You are required to make a defense to such pleading no later than July 7, 2026, which is forty (40) days from the rst date of publication. Upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the relief sought. This the 28th day of May, 2026. By: Eric M. Ditmore, Esq. Attorney for Petitioner Haymount Law 1008 Hay Street Fayetteville, NC 28305 (910) 672-4600 Publish: 5/28/2026, 6/4/2026, 6/11/2026

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK Estate File: 26E000746-250 ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Roy Wayne Walters, 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 August 28, 2026, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleased in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 19th day of May,

of the Estate of PAULEAN WILLIFORD , deceased, late of Cumberland County, hereby noti es all persons, rms and corporations having clams against said estate to present their claim to the undersigned on or before the 22nd day of AUGUST 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 deceased are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 21st of May, 2026 Pauletta Williford Rawlins Administrator/Executor

DURHAM

COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of David K. Wood, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons having claims against the estate of said decedent to present them to the undersigned on or before the 28th

27514 Bar # 14261 Notice to Run: 05/21/2026, 05/28/2026, 06/04/2026 & 06/11/2026

JOHNSTON

NOTICE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF JOHNSTON NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF JAMES MICHAEL MCDONALD DECEASED 26E000502-500 Having quali ed as Executor of the Will of James Michael McDonald, deceased, late of Johnston County, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before August 21, 2026, or be barred from their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate are asked to please make immediate payment. This 21st day of May, 2026. Kevin Francis McDonald Executor c/o ELIZABETH W. MURPHY KELLY, WEST & MURPHY, P.A. Attorneys at Law 900 South Main Street Post O ce Box 1118 Lillington, North Carolina 27546

EXECUTOR’S NOTICE In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File # 26E000155-620 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF MOORE The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Sarah Elizabeth Chappell aka Sarah Sutton Chappell, Deceased of Moore County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before August 21, 2026 at 677 John Nunnery Road, Stedman, North Carolina 28391, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 21st day of May, 2026 Susan Annette Chappell, Executor Estate of Sarah Elizabeth Chappell aka Sarah Sutton Chappell, deceased c/o Gilliam Law Firm, PLLC Post O ce Box 53555 Fayetteville, NC 28305 (910) 485-8899 05/21/2026, 05/28/2026, 06/04/2026 and 06/11/2026

NEW HANOVER

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE UNDERSIGNED, Je rey R. Baker, having quali ed on the 15th day of May, 2026, as Administrator of the Estate of Iris Faye Baker (26E000610-640), deceased, does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said Estate that they must present them to the undersigned at DAVID E. ANDERSON, PLLC, 9111 Market Street, Suite A, Wilmington, North Carolina, 28411, on or before the 31st day of August, 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 28th day of May 2026. Je rey R. Baker Administrator ESTATE OF IRIS FAYE BAKER David Anderson Attorney at Law 9111 Market St, Ste A Wilmington, NC 28411 Publish: May 28, 2026 June 4, 2026 June 11, 2026 June 18, 2026

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, CHRISTOPHER BULLARD, having quali ed as the Administrator of the Estate of JOANNE HELTON BRYAN, Deceased, hereby noti es all persons, rms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said CHRISTOPHER BULLARD, at the address set out below, on or before August 20, 2026, or this notice may be pleaded in bar of any payment or recovery of same. All persons indebted to said Decedent will please make immediate payment to the undersigned at the address set out below.

This the 15th day of May, 2026. CHRISTOPHER BULLARD Administrator OF ESTATE OF JOANNE HELTON BRYAN c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS

Having quali ed as Personal Representative of the Estate of Dolores H. Carpenter, deceased, late of New Hanover County, North Carolina, the undersigned hereby noti es all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them, duly veri ed, to the undersigned, care of their attorney, on or before August 14, 2026 (which date is at least three (3) months from the rst publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make immediate settlement with the undersigned, care of their attorney. This the 14th day of May, 2026. Joseph Kevin Carpenter, III, Executor of the Estate of Dolores H. Carpenter c/o Randall S. Hoose, Jr. Hoose Law, PLLC 705 Princess Street Wilmington, NC 28401-4146 Please publish 5/14, 5/21, 5/28, 6/4

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned, JASMINE GAYNELL COOPER, having quali ed as the Administrator of the Estate of VELMA GAYNELL COOPER, Deceased, hereby noti es all persons, rms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said JASMINE GAYNELL COOPER, at the address set out below, on or before August 14, 2026, or this notice may be pleaded in bar of any payment or recovery of same. All persons indebted to said Decedent will please make immediate payment to the undersigned at the address set out below. This the 8th day of May, 2026.

JASMINE GAYNELL COOPER Administrator OF ESTATE OF VELMA GAYNELL COOPER c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION FILE NO. 24CVS000935-640

JAMES LIONELLE, CHRISTIE LIONELLE.and GINA GITTO, Individuals Plainti s, Vs. BONNIE L. GITTO, Absentee Defendant

AMENDED NOTICE AND ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE TO: BONNIE L. GITTO AND ALL PERSONS WHO WOULD HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE ESTATE OF BONNIE L. GITTO IF SHE WERE DECEASED: Take notice that Plainti s have led an action under N.C.G.S. Chapter 28A alleging that Defendant BONNIE L. GITTO has been missing from her place of residence since May of 2018 and that her whereabouts remain unknown. Plainti s demand that the Court appoint JAMES LIONELLE as the permanent receiver of Defendant’s property and that the Court ultimately determine whether Defendant has died, and if so, issue a nding that she is dead. The Court has appointed JAMES LIONELLE temporary receiver and he has led the required inventory of Defendant’s property. All persons who claim an interest in Defendant’s property if she were dead shall le a written statement of the nature and extent of the interest claimed in the property with the New Hanover County Clerk of Superior Court, 316 Princess Street, Wilmington, N.C. 28401 not later than June 26, 2026. The Defendant and all such persons shall appear before the Court at the New Hanover County Courthouse, 316 Princess Street, Wilmington, N.C. on July 6, 2026 at 10:00 A.M. and show cause why a permanent receiver should not be appointed to hold and dispose of the property under the provisions of Chapter 28C. This hearing will be held in courtoom 400.

THIS the 22nd of May, 2026

Superior Court Judge Ricardo Jensen

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, CAROLINE STODDART, having quali ed as the Administrator of the Estate of ANNE CECILIA PRATA, Deceased, hereby noti es all persons, rms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said CAROLINE STODDART, at the address set out below, on or before August 20, 2026, or this notice may be pleaded in bar of any payment or recovery of same. All persons indebted to said Decedent will please make immediate payment to the undersigned at the address set out below.

This the 15th day of May, 2026.

CAROLINE STODDART Administrator OF ESTATE OF ANNE CECILIA PRATA c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405

5/22/2026 10:35:27 AM Superior Court Judge Ricardo Jensen

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Remembering Kyle Busch, B3

the Thursday SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA SPORTS Tax lings: ACC paid average of $47.1M to full-share member schools, Big 12 paid average of $39.5M

The ACC and Big 12 reported record revenues for the 202425 sports season, though they lag behind massive gains for the Big Ten and SEC. The ACC reported $826.5 million in revenue, a sixth straight year with a record total. The Big 12 reported $610.9 million. The ACC paid an average of nearly $47.1 million to its schools. The Big 12 paid an average of $39.5 million.

MLS Toklomati, Kahlina lift Charlotte to 1-0 victory over Revolution

Charlotte Idan Toklomati scored a goal for Charlotte and Kristijan Kahlina made it stand in a 1-0 victory over New England. Toklomati used assists from rookie defender Will Cleary and Pep Biel to score his fourth goal in the 16th minute. Kahlina nished with three saves for Charlotte (6-6-3). The 33-year-old entered with one clean sheet through 14 starts after posting 12 in each of the two previous seasons.

NBA

NBA All-Rookie 1st team: Flagg, Knueppel, Edgecombe, Harper, Coward

Dallas’ Cooper Flagg, Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel and Philadelphia’s VJ Edgecombe were unanimous rst-team selections for the NBA’s All-Rookie team. Also making rst-team All-Rookie: San Antonio’s Dylan Harper and Memphis’ Cedric Coward. Those ve players were also the only ones to get votes in the Rookie of the Year balloting, where Flagg edged Knueppel, both former Blue Devils for top honors. Coward also committed to transfer to Duke before leaving for the NBA instead.

Suarez wins shortened Coca-Cola 600 at CMS

Carolina dropped Game 1 but has limited the Canadiens to a combined 25 shots in the last two games

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

MONTREAL — When the horn sounded on the Canadiens’ 6-2 Game 1 win in the Eastern Conference nal, whispers of the Hurricanes’ nal four curse got louder. Carolina fell to 1-13 in that round under coach Rod Brind’Amour, and Montreal’s spirited and youthful lineup skated circles around the Hurricanes. What a di erence a few days make.

The Hurricanes have since won back-to-back overtime games, and they did it with style — or, perhaps, su ocation. The Canadiens, known for their free-wheeling, skill-laden o ensive attack, were limited to 12 shots in Game 2, which ended on a Montreal-esque

rush goal by speedy Carolina winger Nikolaj Ehlers on Saturday in Raleigh.

Two days later in Montreal, the Hurricanes put on a repeat performance. Carolina never trailed, and while the Canadiens did twice manage to tie the score, it was again the Hurricanes who came out on top.

Andrei Svechnikov turned a mistake by Montreal star defenseman Lane Hutson into the winning goal in front of a stunned Bell Centre crowd, and worries of the Carolina curse quickly morphed into the realization that the team is two wins away from the Stanley Cup nal.

“I think the last few games we’ve been all around it with great chances,” said right wing Seth Jarvis, who assisted on Svechnikov’s game winner.

It was Jarvis’ second point of the series — he scored in the opening minute of the otherwise dreadful Game 1 — while Carolina’s rst goal of the game came from defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, another player looking to increase his offensive production while be-

NASCAR honored the late Kyle Busch at Charlotte Motor Speedway

By Steve Reed The Associated Press

CONCORD — When Daniel Suarez was struggling to make his name in auto racing, he would often get phone calls from Kyle Busch o ering words of encouragement and urging him to keep working.

That made his crown jewel Cup Series victory Sunday night all the more special.

Suarez bene ted from a crucial pit call, then caught a break from Mother Nature to win the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600, capping an emotional day in which the racing world remembered the late Busch.

Suarez became the rst

Mexican-born driver to win the Coke 600. It was his third Cup Series win and rst since 2024.

The victory was especially emotional for Suarez, who previously raced for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

“Kyle, he was special,” Suarez said as he teared up. “I was doing this for Kyle, for (his wife) Samantha, for (his children) Brexton and Lennix and for all of his family.”

A non-factor for most of the race, Suarez gambled and took two tires during a late pit stop, then held o Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin on restarts before the race was called when the sky opened up and rain drenched the track shortly before midnight Eastern time. NASCAR quickly made the decision to call the race with 27 laps remaining. Bell nished second; Hamlin was third.

The two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates had a chance to catch Suarez on the two restarts, but couldn’t clear his No. 7 Chevrolet.

“It’s a bummer,” Bell said,

See RACING, page B3

ing more than satis ed that the Hurricanes are 10-1 this postseason. While an elusive Stanley Cup nal berth is peeking over the horizon, Gostisbehere — whose goal was his rst of the playo s — and the Hurricanes are sticking to focusing on each day.

“We’ve got an old group in there, a veteran group, and we know the task at hand,” Gostisbehere said Tuesday. “It’s cliche, but it’s one game at a time. We know there’s a lot of hockey left in this series, and you feel like

CHRISTINNE MUSCHI / THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP

Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (20) celebrates Andrei Svechnikov’s winning goal in overtime on Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes (75) as teammate Seth Jarvis (24) reacts in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference nal Monday in Montreal.

JASON JACKSON FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

The pit crew for Timmy Hill tries to ght a re between stages three and four at the Coca-Cola 600. Hill was unhurt, but his car was knocked out of the race.

JASON JACKSON FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Daniel Suarez displays a hat honoring Kyle Busch’s No. 8 car at the Coca-Cola 600.

THURSDAY

5.28.26

TRENDING

John Blackwell:

The former Wisconsin guard is withdrawing from the NBA Draft and will play at Duke next season.

Blackwell averaged 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season. The 6-foot-4 guard shot 39% from 3-point range, helping the Badgers go 24-11 and reach the NCAA Tournament for a third straight year.

Blackwell averaged 15.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 2024-25.

Kevin Harvick:

The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion and winner of 60 races at the sport’s top level has been selected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with fellow drivers Je Burton and Larry Phillips. The induction ceremony is set for Jan. 22, 2027, bringing the total number to 73 Hall of Fame inductees. In 2001, Harvick replaced Dale Earnhardt Sr. after the seven-time champion’s death.

Chase Solesky:

The 28-year-old right-hander made his MLB debut with the Tampa Bay Rays. Solesky pitched 126 games in the minors since 2019, including stints in Winston-Salem, Kannapolis and Charlotte. He had a 3-2 record with the Durham Bulls at the time of his callup. Solesky pitched three innings in a Tampa win over the Orioles, striking out four.

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

“In hockey, we don’t travel extra people because we’re not on vacation.”

Hurricanes owner, and new owner of the Trail Blazers, Tom Dundon, after he initially told Portland’s inactive players they couldn’t travel with the team during the playo s.

“You’re being an idiot a--hole for the sake of being an idiot a--hole”

An anonymous college basketball coach on Will Wade, pictured, after the new LSU coach announced plans to sign G-League player RJ Luis.

PRIME NUMBER

Regular season wins in North Carolina Courage history. The NWSL team reached the century mark with a 2-1 win over Louisville. Ashley Sanchez scored her seventh goal of the season, Evelyn Ijeh had her second in two games and the Courage (4-3-3) won their second straight match.

INDYCAR

Felix Rosenqvist found a way to pass David Malukas to win the closest Indianapolis 500 in history by a margin of 0.0233 seconds. Malukas passed race leader Marcus Armstrong with one lap to go while Rosenqvist and Armstrong battled wheel to wheel through the nal turn. Rosenqvist had just enough power to pull away from Armstrong and snake behind Malukas before making the decisive pass in the nal 50 feet.

Richard Childress Racing is temporarily retiring Kyle Busch’s No. 8 Cup Series car — at least until the late driver’s 11-year-old son Brexton is ready to take over behind the wheel. Austin Hill will replace Busch in the driver’s seat. Brexton Busch won the Tulsa Shootout Jr. Sprint Championship last year.

Berlin’s state parliament gave the go-ahead for the city’s bid to rehost the Olympics on the 100th anniversary of the 1936 games staged by the Nazis. Mayor Kai Wegner rst presented the plan last year in the stadium where Jesse Owens de ed Adolf Hitler. Berlin’s senate has approved.

Bam Adebayo won the NBA’s Social Justice Champion award, receiving the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy. The NBA will make a $100,000 charitable donation on his behalf. Adebayo’s foundation invested more than $563,000 across 18 initiatives this season, promoting educational equity, food security or youth development in underserved communities across South Florida and North Carolina.

JENNY KANE / AP PHOTO

REBECCA BLACKWELL / AP PHOTO

Dichotomy of Busch: More than villain or greatest NASCAR driver of generation

The former Cup Series champion died suddenly last week

By Mark Long The Associated Press

KYLE BUSCH grew to expect — even appreciate — the boos.

The driver nicknamed Wild Thing, Outlaw, Rowdy and KFB over his 26-year NASCAR career was more comfortable than anyone might imagine with a checkered ag in one hand and fans jeering all around. He leaned into the villain role as the wins mounted — and boy did they — and even started encouraging his haters, trying to get the howling to a fever pitch before delivering his signature bow.

It was Busch at his best.

And it’s the way he should be remembered.

The two-time Cup Series champion, who won more races than anyone across NASCAR’s three national series, died Thursday at age 41. Tributes poured in, with many echoing the sentiment that racing had lost one of its ercest competitors.

Busch was that — and so much more.

He was arguably the greatest driver of his generation, displaying unrivaled success. He notched a combined 234 wins — 63 in the top-tier Cup Series and another 171 in NASCAR’s two feeder series, O’Reilly (102) and Trucks (69).

He was a devoted husband, a side that became public when he and wife Samantha chronicled their struggle to become parents and later founded the Bundle of Joy Fund, which is dedicated to advancing access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) care and provid-

ing support so others don’t have to navigate infertility alone. The fund has raised more than $2 million and has celebrated the birth of 111 babies.

He was a loving father, who tirelessly tried to teach his 11-year-old son, Brexton, everything he could about racing and even sold his successful Truck Series team to help raise money to support his son’s budding career.

He was even one of NASCAR’s most popular — some would say polarizing — drivers thanks to his longtime M&M’s sponsorship. Kids ocked to Busch and his colorful No. 18 Toyota at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Older fans might not have been as supportive, and it was evident every time Busch took the checkered ag and responded to booing with a mocking bow.

“This is a devastating loss and one that is hard for the NASCAR community to process.

Kyle was a erce competitor who demanded the very best from himself each time he put on the helmet,” four-time Cup Series champion Je Gordon said. “As teammates, I saw rsthand the passion and intensity he brought to the sport every single day.

“He was a champion and a proli c racer who made a tremendous impact on NASCAR and was a lifelong advocate for all forms of motor sports. But beyond the track, he loved his family deeply and was incredibly proud of Samantha, Brexton and Lennix.”

Busch had become sort of a sympathetic gure in recent years, a series champion in the worst slump of his career and a sure re Hall of Famer who never got to celebrate a Daytona

500 victory. Both skids bothered him, no doubt, the rst more than the second.

Busch’s last Cup Series victory came at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois in 2023. Busch won three of the rst 15 races that season, his rst with Richard Childress Racing. RCR had built the Next Gen prototype, so the team had an early advantage with the new car.

But once everyone else caught up, Busch and RCR lagged behind. He was winless in hisnal 105 starts and changed crew chiefs twice this season while searching for a winning combination. The most trying part: Feeling like he was letting Brexton down week after week.

“It’s no secret, right? And seeing my son and his passion that he has; he really is probably my biggest cheerleader,” Busch said at Daytona International Speedway in February. “And he wants

Avent announces retirement

Chris Hart was picked to be NC State’s new skipper

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

LONGTIME NC State baseball coach Elliott Avent announced his retirement last week after a storied 30 years with the program.

The announcement was made last Thursday following what many thought might be the conclusion of NC State’s 2026 season after a rst-round ACC Tournament loss to Duke, but it seems like Avent and the Wolfpack are getting one last ride as the No. 3 seed in the Auburn Regional.

“Not many people get the chance to do what they love at a place that means so much to them,” said Avent in a press release. “I’ve been lucky enough to have that opportunity and I’ve loved every minute of it.”

Avent, a Nash County native who attended NC State as a student, was rst hired to be the Wolfpack’s head coach in 1996 and over his 30-year stint, he became the winningest coach in program history with a total of 1,103 victories.

He’s led the Wolfpack to the NCAA Tournament 23 times and advanced to the College World Series three times as well.

RACING from page B1

who won the rain-shortened 2024 Coca-Cola 600. “It wasn’t meant to be today. That’s 2026 for us.”

Hamlin said he was “just a little unlucky.”

“The 20 car (Bell) and us were just really battling because we knew whoever could clear him (would win the race),” Hamlin said. “We were really good all day. We just didn’t get to see it through.”

The race came just three days after Busch’s death sent shockwaves throughout the motorsports world and beyond. The 41-year-old Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed

The NC State skipper has seen 40 of his players earn All-American honors throughout his tenure and 137 of his players were also selected in the MLB draft.

“Elliott has built a lasting legacy at NC State and in the sport of college baseball, enjoying competitive success while touching so many lives in the process,” said NC State Athletics Director Boo Corrigan. “He has been a wonderful representative of our department and university and will forever be a part of our story.”

Avent was named the National Coach of the Year in 2003

into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming complications, according to a statement released by his family.

The two-time Cup Series champion and winner of a record 234 races across NASCAR’s three national series had become unresponsive while practicing in a Chevrolet simulator Wednesday, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no details were released by the family.

Busch’s family attended the race and NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell told them they are part of the NASCAR community and “we got you.”

and USA Baseball’s Coach of the Year in 2021 and he’s one of just 24 coaches all time to have 1,300 career wins in DI college baseball.

Beyond his time at NC State, Avent spent eight years as a head coach at New Mexico State University and also spent time as an assistant coach at North Carolina Wesleyan, Old Dominion, VCU, Louisburg Junior College and William & Mary.

He was even recognized by NC Governor Josh Stein with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award last year as well.

NASCAR and CMS honored Busch with his No. 8 and signature on the frontstretch grass and a highway billboard near the main entrance of the track.

The U.S. Army Golden Knights carried a Busch ag prior to the race and each of the 39 cars in the eld carried a small, black No. 8 decal. Kyle Larson won the rst stage of the race, Hamlin won the second and Bell the third.

Crashing out

Defending champion Ross Chastain crashed out when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. clipped his car in Turn 2 with 81 laps remaining in the race.

end of a Cup Series race at Watkins Glen and asked a doctor to give him a “shot” when he nished the race. Busch had been struggling with a sinus cold exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the New York road course, broadcasters said.

Busch nished that race eighth. He competed at Dover last weekend and — maybe ttingly — won his last Truck Series start for Spire. He then nished 17th in the NASCAR All-Star race, his nal event.

Busch stormed into the Cup Series in 2005 and won Rookie of the Year honors. He was at Hendrick Motorsports at the time, a job he was red from to make room for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

to see me run well. He wants to see me win races. He wants to celebrate in victory lane like he sees other drivers’ kids being able to do.

“So there’s nothing more that drives me every single weekend than seeing him see me and be proud of me.”

Busch died after being hospitalized with a severe illness. It came three days before he was to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details have not been disclosed by Busch’s team or family.

Busch’s death came 11 days after he radioed his crew near the

“It’s hard to say goodbye to something that has been such a big part of my life, but I leave with a full heart and so much gratitude,” Avent said. “This game is about teammates and memories. My memories will be a constant companion and our players, coaches, sta , and fans are teammates I’ll hold in my heart forever. So long from #9.”

NC State already had a succession plan worked out for Avent’s successor though, as associate head coach Chris Hart was selected to be the 17th head coach in program history, with the announcement coming just a day after the retirement went public.

Hart had been on Avent’s sta for the previous 22 seasons, also having served as the Director of Operations, recruiting coordinator and hitting coach. The former Florida State letterman was named Baseball America National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2021 and he was recognized in 2016 by D1Baseball as one of the top 30 recruiters in the country.

“I am thrilled and honored to be named head coach at a place that I love and that has become home,” Hart said in a press release. “NC State is a special place, and this baseball program means so much to me. I understand the standard of excellence that comes with being a part of NC State Athletics, and I’m excited to build on the strong foundation established by incredible leaders like Elliott Avent,

“Kyle, he was special. I was doing this for Kyle.”

Daniel Suarez

Connor Zilisch and Austin Cindric only made it 52 laps before getting caught up in a crash. Cindric got turned around and Zilisch came crashing into the side of his No. 2 Ford, ending both drivers’ day. Chase Elliott, a two-time winner this year, hit the outside wall and ping-ponged into the inside wall on Lap 90. That car was beyond repair and he nished 37th.

His career, though, was as much de ned by post-race ghts, feuds with other drivers and outlandish behavior as all the trips to victory lane.

Nonetheless, Busch won championships in 2015 and 2019 for Joe Gibbs Racing. His rst title came after he missed part of the season while recovering from two broken legs. He was let go from JGR in 2022 after losing his M&M’s sponsor and with the team looking to make room for Ty Gibbs, the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs.

Busch landed at RCR, where he ranked a disappointing 24th in Cup Series points after 12 races. But an indelible image was his nal victory. And he celebrated that Truck Series win with two bows amid a scattering of boos.

“You take whatever you can get, man,” Busch said. “You never know when the last one is going to be, so cherish them all — trust me.”

“Not many people get the chance to do what they love at a place that means so much to them.”

Elliott Avent

Ray Tanner, and Sam Esposito.”

“As I’ve watched Chris over the years, I’ve been more and more impressed with him in many ways,” Corrigan said. “He’s a nationally-recognized recruiter, has a wealth of baseball knowledge and is a great representative of our program. He loves NC State and has chosen to stay, despite numerous opportunities to leave. We could go out and search nationally for our new head coach, but I’m so glad that we didn’t have to because the best man for the job was right here.”

For the rst time in a long time, it’ll be the start of a new chapter at NC State.

Avent has been the face of the program for quite a long time and has built many relationships throughout the state and country thanks to his charisma and charm.

He embodied what it meant to represent the NC State Wolfpack and his legacy will continue to live on for many years to come.

But for now, he and the program get one nal dance together in yet another NCAA Tournament bid.

“I was trying to make something happen and I stepped over the line,” Elliott said.

Replacing Busch

Austin Hill, a regular driver in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for Richard Childress Racing, took Busch’s spot in the race and nished 26th. He drove the No. 33 car after RCR temporarily retired the No. 8 until Busch’s 11-year-old son Brexton is ready to drive. Austin Dillon went behind the wall with damage to the front of his car with 56 laps to go, ending any hope of an emotional win for RCR. He nished 32nd.

MARK HUMPHREY / AP PHOTO

Kyle Busch waits for the start of a 2021 NASCAR X nity Series race.

REBECCA S. GRATZ / AP PHOTO

NC State head coach Elliott Avent looks on from the dugout during the 2021 College World Series.

TST soccer festival returns to Cary for fourth year

The six-day event has become a global draw

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

CARY — Soccer fans have descended on WakeMed Soccer Park this week as The Soccer Tournament (TST) returns to Cary for its fourth year with an expanded format, international eld and three $1 million prizes on the line.

The six-day event began Wednesday and runs through Monday, bringing together professional clubs, former international standouts, celebrity-backed teams and rising players for a festival-style competition built around fast-paced 7-on-7 soccer.

This year’s tournament features three separate winnertake-all competitions: a 48team men’s eld, a 16-team women’s eld and a new 12-team mixed division. Each champion will receive $1 million.

“It’s pretty special to see this kind of soccer excitement coming back to Cary,” Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said in a statement. “With the World Cup on the horizon, TST gives fans from Cary, across North Carolina, and beyond a chance to experience world-class soccer right here at WakeMed Soccer Park. We’re proud to welcome the players, families and visitors who will make Cary feel like the center of the soccer world for six days.”

Since launching in 2023, TST has grown from a new concept into one of the more up-and-

current and former professional players, past and present rosters have included former college players, athletes from other sports and celebrity entrants.

This year’s lineup includes names familiar to American and international soccer fans, including Landon Donovan, Hope Solo, Sergio Aguero, Arturo Vidal and Gerard Pique. Donovan is playing for Sneaky FC, a team organized by his former LA Galaxy teammate and former MLS MVP Mike Magee.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to compete in The Soccer Tournament and represent Sneaky FC alongside a great group of players,” Donovan said. “The format is unique and highly competitive, and with so many talented players involved, it should be a fantastic experience for everyone participating and watching. I’m looking forward to being part of it.”

O’Reilly, Jessica McDonald and Allie Long.

The women’s bracket doubles in size this year to 16 teams. Along with U.S. Women and Solo FC, the eld includes Club America, North Carolina Courage and KC Current II. A matchup between Solo FC and North Carolina Courage is among the women’s games scheduled for Friday.

The new mixed tournament gives TST another wrinkle.

The 12-team competition features men and women alternating quarters while playing under the same rules as the men’s and women’s brackets. Teams in the mixed eld include Sneaky FC, Solo FC, Wrexham Red Dragons and Hashtag United.

coming summer soccer events in the country.

Organizers said last year’s tournament drew a record 51,730 fans to WakeMed Soccer Park, with this year’s version adding more teams, more athletes and another $1 million competition.

The 2026 eld includes teams representing 15 countries and eight professional leagues across four continents. Among the organizations and teams set to appear are Wrexham AFC, Villarreal CF, Club America, North Carolina Courage, KC Current II and Hashtag United.

“This year’s festival is going to be bigger and better than ever,” TST CEO Jon Mugar said. “We have over 2,000 athletes ying

COLLEGE DIAMOND ROUNDUP

UNC to host ECU in baseball regional

Duke softball gets eliminated in the Super Regional

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

Second-seeded UNC fell short of an ACC Tournament title with a 13-6 loss to top-seeded Georgia Tech in the championship game Sunday.

The Tar Heels’ pitching didn’t have much for arguably the best o ense in college baseball as the Yellow Jackets recorded 14 hits, including two home runs from Drew Burress and Ryan Zuckerman. Alex Hernandez also had a solid outing for Georgia Tech, going 3 for 5 with two doubles and four RBIs.

“They’re good,” UNC coach Scott Forbes said following the loss. “You know, you have to make pitches against them. And I think when I go back and watch the tape, I think we made a ton of mistakes. I think we had too many free passes. We didn’t defend at the level we normally defend at. So, I thought that was the di erence.”

Prior to the tournamentnal, UNC dominated 14th-seeded Pitt 13-5 in the semi nal and defeated seventh-seeded Virginia Tech 10-4 in the quarter nal.

Wake Forest, the No. 6 seed, had a one-and-done showing as it was upset by Pitt 7-4 in the second round.

Before losing to No. 8-seed

CANES from page B1

you’re going out there having great games, but it’s just enough every night.

“You can look at the shots, you can look at everything, but you know the scores — they’re tight games. So for us, obviously (there’s) no chance we’re going to look ahead, and it’s always just the next game.”

Goalie Frederik Andersen has had to be perhaps the most patient Hurricanes player.

Virginia 6-4 in the second round, lowest-seeded Duke set the program record for most runs in an ACC Tournament game in a 21-12 rst-round win over No. 9-seed NC State.

NCAA Tournament Field

For the third straight season, North Carolina’s quest for a national title will begin in Chapel Hill.

UNC earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will host a regional eld including Tennessee, East Carolina and VCU from Friday to Monday. The Tar Heels will begin the double elimination stage against Atlantic 10 champions VCU Friday at 5 p.m., and the Pirates, the American Conference champions, will start their postseason against the Volunteers Friday at noon. The Tar Heels run-ruled VCU 13-3 in February. UNC and ECU met for a three-game series in February. The in-state foes split Games 1 and 2 and tied in Game 3 due to weather cutting the game short. This weekend, either team has a chance at the last laugh. The last time the teams met in the NCAA Tournament was in 2012 when UNC eliminated ECU 5-3 in the regional at Boshamer Stadium.

Wake Forest will head to the Morgantown Regional consisting of No. 16-seed and host West Virginia, Kentucky and Binghamton. The Demon Deacons, making the Tournament for the fth straight season, will start with Kentucky Friday at noon.

While Carolina has smothered the Canadiens and limited their opportunities in the o ensive zone, Andersen has had to stay sharp waiting for Montreal’s opportunism to manifest.

“That’s just part of being a goalie,” Andersen said Tuesday. “It’s something you’ve got to learn. As you get older, you get more experience with it, and playing behind this team, we have the puck a lot. We pressure hard, so these kind of games, they happen quite often. It’s just

“I’m excited for the opportunity to compete in The Soccer Tournament and represent Sneaky FC alongside a great group of players.”

Donovan

Landon

in from all over the world, three million-dollar goals on the line and food vendors from across the country.”

The tournament has become known for blending competitive soccer with a looser festival environment. In addition to

One of the weekend’s highlighted matchups will feature Donovan’s Sneaky FC against Solo FC, led by former U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Hope Solo, on Saturday. Solo is involved in both the women’s and mixed competitions, with Solo FC entered as a women’s team and as a mixed squad.

The women’s tournament has quickly become one of TST’s main attractions since being introduced.

U.S. Women, a team made up of former U.S. women’s national team players, won the women’s titles in both 2024 and 2025 and returns this year with a roster that includes Heather

All three tournaments use TST’s Target Score Time format, which is designed to avoid ties and guarantee a game-winning goal. Near the end of each match, a target score is set, and play continues until one team reaches it.

Group-stage matches are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, followed by knockout rounds Friday and Saturday. Semi nals are set for Sunday, with championship games scheduled for Monday.

For Cary, the tournament brings another major soccer event to a venue that has long been central to the sport in North Carolina.

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching, TST also gives WakeMed Soccer Park a high-pro le showcase on the broader soccer calendar, even though North Carolina will not host World Cup matches.

NC State is in the Tournament for the fourth straight year, landing in the Auburn Regional alongside No. 4-seed Auburn, Milwaukee and UCF. The Wolfpack will take on the Knights Friday at 6 p.m. SOFTBALL

Not much went Duke’s way in its Super Regional best-of-three series against Arkansas over the weekend.

The hosting Razorbacks swept the Blue Devils, winning by run-rule fashion in Games 1 (14-5) and 2 (10-2) to clinch their rst trip to the Women’s College World Series.

In both games, Duke struggled to limit explosive innings from Arkansas’ o ense.

The Blue Devils led 3-2 through 1.5 innings in Game 1, thanks to a two-run homer from

take that experience and battle with yourself to be focused on what’s next.”

What’s next for the Hurricanes is a chance to do something the franchise hasn’t done since 2006, when Brind’Amour captained the team to its only Stanley Cup. Regardless of the outcome of Game 4 (which was Wednesday in Montreal after press time), Carolina has reclaimed home-ice advantage in the series. And its sloppy Game 1 performance against the Ca-

Kairi Rodriguez in the top of the second inning. A four-hour rain delay interrupted Duke’s atbat, which ended with a pop out when play resumed. Yet, the advantage was short-lived.

Facing two outs and bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, Arkansas’ Tianna Bell smashed a grand slam to center eld to put the Razorbacks back in front. Dakota Kennedy immediately followed with another home run to center eld, giving Arkansas a 7-3 lead going into the third inning.

“(Bell)’s a great hitter, and again, making quality pitches against their best hitters is really important,” Duke coach Marissa Young said after Game 1. “We left a couple pitches right over the middle, and they did damage.”

Duke got outscored 3-2 in the next two innings yet remained

nadiens is the only blemish on the Hurricanes’ otherwise perfect postseason resume. But again, the team and its coach aren’t ready to look ahead at what may be in their near future.

“These three games are done,” Brind’Amour said. “It’s ‘what about the next game?’ How do we keep playing our game or get to our game? So it’s a little bit less on what (Montreal) is doing. We’ve got to maintain a level of play.”

within ve runs. In the bottom of the fth inning, Arkansas made the Blue Devils pay for three straight walks and put the game away with a three-run homer by Karlie Davison.

Trailing 4-2 after four innings in Game 2, the Blue Devils were in much better position to stay alive. While Duke struggled to hit o second team All-SEC pitcher Payton Burnham, who allowed three hits and struck out six batters in a complete game, Arkansas left 10 runners on base in the rst four innings. The Razorbacks began to bring them home in the game-deciding fth inning in which they ripped o four hits, including another three-run homer from Davison, and six runs to end the Blue Devils’ season. Duke nished the year 43-17, notching at least 40 wins for the sixth season in a row.

The supposed curse that has been brought up endlessly since Brind’Amour led his rst team in 2018 to a surprising Eastern Conferencenal bid only to be swept by the Bruins appears dead — Carolina has now won three of its last ve games as a nal four team — but there’s still more to achieve.

“It’s the greatest moment of our lives,” Jarvis said. “This is the best time. … You want to make memories.”

COURTESY THE SOCCER TOURNAMENT

U.S. Women player Ali Krieger, left, poses with Heather O’Reilly, center, and Carli Lloyd with their 2025 TST championship trophy.

COURTESY ACC

UNC’s Jake Scha ner, 2, and Macon Winslow urge a teammate to slide during the ACC Championship Game.

the O ce of the Register of Deeds of Cumberland County, North Carolina, and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door or other usual place of sale in Cumberland County, North Carolina, at 1:30 on June 3rd, 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 Hope Mills, Rock sh Township, Cumberland County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 36 in a subdivision known as Fairway Forest East, according to a plat of same duly recorded in Book of Plats 89, Page 113, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Being the same property conveyed to Allen C. Miller and wife, Shawn M. Miller by deed from Edward Acosta and wife, Kathleen Acosta recorded 03/18/2002 in Deed Book 5703 Page 356, in the Register of Deeds O ce of Cumberland County, North Carolina. Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 5516

26SP000095-250

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale

contained in that certain Deed of Trust

executed by Scott D. Jacobi to Steve Bunce, Attorney at Law, Trustee(s), which was dated October 31, 2023 and recorded on October 31, 2023 in Book 11849 at Page 650, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale

25SP001367-250 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Wayne Curtis Barnes and Kendra Denise Feggins to Brock and Scott, Trustee(s), which was dated March 19, 2024 and recorded on March 26, 2024 in Book 11933 at Page 900, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on June 10, 2026 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following

on June 3, 2026 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit:

Being all of Lot 612, Ponderosa, Section 13 according to a map duly recorded in Book 34, Page 62, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 310 Glen Canyon Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28303.

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.

described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING ALL OF LOT NO. SEVENTY SEVEN (77), IN A SUBDIVISION AS “REVISION OF LOT 43, AND ADDITION OF LOTS 6180, CAR-MILT, SECTION 3” PER PLAT OF THE SAME DULY RECORDED IN BOOK OF PLATS 78, PAGE 89, CUMBERLAND COUNTY REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA. TOGETHER WITH IMPROVEMENTS LOCATED THEREON; SAID PROPERTY BEING LOCATED AT 3216 ANSLEY DRIVE, HOPE MILLS, NORTH CAROLINA.

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

Said property is commonly known as 3216 Ansley Dr, Hope Mills, NC 28348. 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

on June 10, 2026 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit:

of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Garland D. Edge a/k/a Garland Daniel Edge , A single person, His Heirs, Successors and Assigns to Trustee Services of Carolina, Trustee(s), which was dated March 13, 2013 and recorded on March 20, 2013 in Book 9141 at Page 489, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale

Being all of Lot Number 25 in a Subdivision known as Kamenbury, Phase 2 and the same being duly recorded in Book of Plats 108, at Page 86, Cumberland, North Carolina Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 1102 Re ex Street, Fayetteville, NC 28311.

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

Ballentine Street, Hope Mills, NC 28348 Tax ID: 0414-00-2538 Third party purchasers must pay the recording costs of the trustee’s deed, any land transfer taxes, the excise tax, pursuant North Carolina General Statutes §105228.30, in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00) per each Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof, and the Clerk of Courts fee, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §7A-308, in the amount 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,

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 Scott D. Jacobi.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into

AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

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

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property

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

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into

environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being o ered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments, land transfer taxes, if any, and encumbrances of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Allen C. Miller. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §45-21.29

or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated

THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE

Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Cumberland County courthouse at 10:30AM on June 1, 2026, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Joshua Watson and Heather M. Watson, dated June 15, 2012 to secure the original principal amount of $195,250.00, and recorded in Book 8935 at Page 132 of the Cumberland County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modi ed by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 3714 Hillcrest Street, Hope Mills, NC 28348 Tax Parcel ID: 0414-75-5180

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

Parcel ID: 0405-78-1252

pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the e ective date of the termination.

Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote bids placed by bidders not physically present at the place of sale, which may be accepted by the person conducting the sale, or their agent”.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in

or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the e ective date of the termination.

Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote bids placed by bidders not physically present at the place of sale, which may be accepted by the person conducting the sale, or their agent”.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. If the transaction is subject to the FinCEN Residential Real Estate Reporting Rule (“RRE”) issued pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act, information necessary to

of ve percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to

associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of

(5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner

The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Gene Graham Jr and Amanda J Graham. The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property o ered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer

18

Fabien and Ramonia Fabien to David W. Allred, Trustee(s), which was dated February 5, 2004 and recorded on February 11, 2004 in Book 6424 at Page 865 - 880, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county

Under

25SP001149-250 AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by John M Bannach to Neuse, Incorporated, Trustee(s), which was dated January 31, 2019 and recorded on February 1, 2019 in Book 10441 at Page 581, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale

24SP000405-250

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Anne W Alred a/k/a Ann W. Alred to BB&T Collateral Service Corporation, Trustee(s), which was dated September 21, 2018 and recorded on November 9, 2018 in Book 10403 at Page 0854, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on June 2, 2026 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit: A CERTAIN TRACT OR PARCEL OF LAND IN PEARCES MILL TOWNSHIP, CUMBERLAND COUNTY, STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, ADJOINING THE LANDS OF AND OTHERS AND BOUNDED AS FOLLOWS, VIZ:

BEGINNING AT A STAKE IN THE WESTERN MARGIN OF LAKELAND DRIVE, THE

courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on June 10, 2026 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING ALL OF LOT NO. 4, IN A SUBDIVISION KNOWN AS JACKS FORD, SECTION 5, PART 1, ACCORDING TO A PLAT OF THE SAME DULY RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK 89, PAGE 169, CUMBERLAND COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA REGISTRY.

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

Said property is commonly known as 1993 Wheeling Street, Fayetteville, NC 28303. 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

the line of the 3

tract, and as the

of Jerald Cotton S. 64 deg. 18 min. E. 244.77 feet to an iron stake, the SE

for

tract at the west edge of a 30

road; thence as the road N. 31 deg. 39 min. E. 89.0 feet to a point; thence a computed line N. 64 deg. 19 min. 10 sec. W. 263.18 feet to a point in the western line of the 3 acre tract; thence as the line of the 3 acre tract South 19 deg. 48 min. W. 89.0 feet to the point of beginning and contains 0.51 acres more or less.

3

TRACT TWO: Beginning at an iron stake in the western line of a 30 ft. road, said stake being located N. 31 deg. 39 min. E. 178 feet from the SE corner for the 3 acre tract shown on a map titled Paul Langdon Property, and dated Sept. 22, 1970, and runs N. 64 deg. 19 min. W. 281.56 feet to an iron stake; thence South 19 degrees 48 min. W. 89.0 feet to a point; thence a computed line S. 64 deg. 19 min. 10 sec. E. 263.18 feet to a point in the western edge of a 30 ft. street; thence as the road N. 31 deg. 39 min. E. 89.0 feet to the point of beginning and contains 0.52 acres more or less.

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

on June 3, 2026 at 01:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, to wit:

BEING all of Lot 71, in a subdivision known as Lake Rim North, Section Two Revised, and the same being duly recorded in Plat Book 100, Page 25, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

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

Said property is commonly known as 9515 Deep Swamp Lane, Fayetteville, NC 28314.

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

COMMON PROPERTY LINE BETWEEN LOTS 10 AND 11 AND RUNNING THENCE WITH SAID LINE NORTH 68 DEGREES 40 MINUTES WEST 140.1 FEET TO A STAKE IN THE HIGHWATER MARK OF LAKE FRANCIS; THENCE WITH THE HIGHWATER MARK OF SAID LAKE NORTH 10 DEGREES 00 MINUTES WEST 106.5 FEET; THENCE SOUTH 60 DEGREES 50 MINUTES EAST 164.9 FEET TO A STAKE IN THE WESTERN MARGIN OF LAKELAND DRIVE; THENCE WITH SAID MARGIN SOUTH 22 DEGREES 69 MINUTES WEST 82.4 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING, AND BEING ALL OF LOT 11 OF LAKELAND PARK, SECTION l, ACCORDING TO A PLAT OF THE SAME DULY RECORDED IN THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY REGISTRY IN BOOK OF PLATS 18, PAGE 26. AND BEING THE SAME PROPERTY CONVEYED TO S. DAVID PARNELL AND WIFE, JEAN H. PARNELL BY DEED DATED FEBRUARY 27, 1956, DULY RECORDED IN THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY REGISTRY IN BOOK 692, PAGE 141.

SUBJECT, HOWEVER, TO RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS RUNNING WITH THE LAND AND APPEARING OF RECORD IN THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY REGISTRY IN BOOK 680, PAGE 572 AND AMENDMENTS TO DECLARATION OF RESTRICTIONS DULY RECORDED IN THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY REGISTRY IN BOOK 800, PAGE 263.

SUBJECT TO AN EASEMENT TO THE CITY OFFAYETTEVILLE, DATED MAY 11, 1956 FOR ELECTRIC LINE POLES AND GUY WIRES TO BE LOCATED ALONG FRONT PROPERTY LINES WITHIN 10 FEET OF STREETS; TRACT OF LAND BEING KNOWN

courthouse door or other usual place of sale in Cumberland County, North Carolina, at 1:30PM on June 10, 2026, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit:

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 Donavan Fabien and Romonia Fabien.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is

Said property is commonly known as 4041 Rebel Rd, Linden, NC 28356.

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

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 John M. Bannach, a.k.a John Marshall Bannach.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into

AND DESIGNATED AS LAKELAND PARK

SUBDIVISION ON CHARLES WALKER FARM.

SUBJECT TO EASEMENT TO CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE, DATED OCTOBER 24, 1958 FOR ONE POWER POLE AND 2 GUY WIRES TO BE, LOCATED ON TRACTS OF LAND LOCATED ON NORTH SIDE OF CUMBERLAND MILLS ROAD DULY RECORDED IN THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY REGISTRY IN BOOK 767, PAGE 150.

SUBJECT TO EASEMENT TO CAROLINA

TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY, DATED MARCH 25, 1954, FOR RURAL LINE PERMIT, DULY RECORDED IN THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY REGJSTRY IN BOOK 578, PAGE 555.

SUBJECT TO EASEMENT TO CITY

OFFAYETTEVILLE FOR ELECTRIC LINES, DULY RECORDED IN BOOK 662, PAGE 108. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 4316 Wavetree Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28306.

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,

sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)].

owner(s) of the property is/are All Lawful

Heirs of Fidelis Gordon.

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

or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the e ective date of the termination.

Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote bids placed by bidders not physically present at the place of sale, which may be accepted by the person conducting the sale, or their agent”.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement

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

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

Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale

of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return

may be subject to remote bids placed by bidders not physically present at the place of sale, which may be accepted by the person conducting the sale, or

original amount of $56,119.00, payable to Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., dated April 3, 2007 and recorded on April 10, 2007 in Book 7554, Page 173, modi ed by Loan Modi cation recorded on July 2, 2020 in Book 10809, Page 487, Cumberland County Registry.

Default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Anchor Trustee Services, LLC having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds of Cumberland County, North Carolina, and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the

Being all of Lot 42, in a subdivision known as Recombination of Lots 41-43, Bethany South, Section 3, according to a plat of same duly recorded in Book of Plats 93, Page 185, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

This conveyance is made subject to restrictive covenants, easements and rights-of-way of record.

Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 6716 Tennis Drive, Stedman, NC 28391. Tax ID: 0497-37-8069 Third party purchasers must pay the excise tax, pursuant North Carolina General Statutes §105-228.30, in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00) per each Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof, and the Clerk of Courts fee, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §7A-308, in the amount of Forty- ve Cents (0.45) per each One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or fractional part thereof with a maximum amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts will be immediately due and owing. Said property to be o ered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS WHERE IS. There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being o ered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments, land transfer taxes, if any, and encumbrances of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owners of the property is Melisa S. Adkins. 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, 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

Substitute Trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Anchor Trustee Services, LLC Substitute Trustee By: _______________________________ David Neill, NCSB #23396 McMichael Taylor Gray, LLC Attorney for Anchor Trustee Services, LLC 3550 Engineering Drive, Suite 260 Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 404-474-7149 (phone) 404-745-8121 (fax) dneill@mtglaw.com

JOSEPH

ALBERTA B. HARVEY DATED FEBRUARY 29, 1988 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 1634 AT PAGE 4170 AND MODIFIED BY AGREEMENT RECORDED OCTOBER 20, 2016 IN BOOK 3313, PAGE 3609 IN THE FORSYTH COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE

Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the above-referenced deed of trust and because of default in

25SP001820-330 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, FORSYTH COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Teresa G Whitehead to Netco Title Company, Trustee(s), which was dated August 30, 2024 and recorded on September 5, 2024 in Book 3824 at Page 3932, Forsyth County Registry, North Carolina.

to

situated in the Township of Winston in the County of Forsyth and State of North Carolina, being more fully described in a deed dated 08/11/1976 and recorded 08/16/1976, among the land records of the County and State set forth above, in Deed Volume 1181 and Page 366. Tax map or parcel Id No 2938-221. Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 3017 Airport Road, Winston Salem, NC 27105 Tax ID: 6847-01-7197.000 Third party purchasers must pay the recording costs of the trustee’s deed, any land transfer taxes, the excise tax, pursuant North Carolina General Statutes §105228.30, in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00) per each Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof, and the Clerk of Courts fee, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes

The Estate of Donnell Julius

payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Forsyth County courthouse at 11:00AM on June 4, 2026, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Forsyth County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Barbara J. Williams and Joseph Harvey and Alberta B. Harvey, dated February 29, 1988 to secure the original principal amount of $48,734.00, and recorded in Book 1634 at Page 4170 of the Forsyth County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modi ed by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 2105 Northeast 24th Street, Winston Salem, NC 27105

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

This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments, land transfer taxes, if any, and encumbrances of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Tammy Coleman. PLEASE TAKE

The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are The Estate of Donnell Julius. The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the

Tax Parcel ID:

6846-05-2119.00 Present Record Owners: The Heirs of Barbara J. Williams and Joseph Harvey The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are The Heirs of Barbara J. Williams and Joseph Harvey.

The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property o ered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and

encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any resale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale

Said property is commonly known as 3547 OLD GRIST COURT, Winston Salem, NC 27103.

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

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on June 11, 2026 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Forsyth County, North Carolina, to wit: Being known and designated as Lot 78 in Building 20 of Millhaven Landing (“as Built” Building 20) map and plat of which is recorded in Plat Book 63, Page 73 in the O ce of the Register of Deeds of Forsyth County, North Carolina, reference to which map is hereby made for a more particular description. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

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 Teresa G. Whitehead.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is

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

Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this

be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on June 4, 2026 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Forsyth County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING all of Lot 17, Haddington Subdivision, per plat and survey thereof recorded in Plat Book 64, Pages 64-66, and revised in Book 65, at Page 199, inclusive, Forsyth County Registry, to which plat reference is hereby made for a more particular description. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record. Said property is commonly known as 1623 Haddington Point Dr, Kernersville, NC 27284.

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

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

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

of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Stephanie N. Krupsky. 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

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

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 26SP000148-500

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Josh Townsend and Victoria Townsend (PRESENT RECORD

OWNER(S): Josh Townsend and Victoria Townsend) to Investor Title Insurance Company, Trustee(s), dated May 24, 2022, and recorded in Book No. 6264, at Page 604 in Johnston County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds Johnston County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 26SP000140-500 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Kevin Ringler and Ashly Clayborne (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Kevin Ringler and Ashly Clayborne) to Netco Inc, Trustee(s), dated May 28, 2012, and recorded in Book No. 4122, at Page 975 in Johnston County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds Johnston County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in Smith eld, Johnston County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:00 AM on June 2, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Willow Spring in the County of Johnston, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows:

NEW HANOVER

and recorded in Book 5153, Page 1193 of the New Hanover 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 New Hanover County, North Carolina, in Book RB 6811, Page 1250, 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 New Hanover County, North Carolina, or the customary location

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

25SP001582-660

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Christopher Beasley (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Christopher Beasley) to John B Third, Trustee(s), dated June 30, 2020, and recorded in Book No. 5201, at Page 966 in Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on June 3, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Jacksonville in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 25SP001589-660 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Michael Cameron and Alexis Cameron (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Michael Cameron and Alexis Cameron) to Donald G. Walton, Jr., Trustee(s), dated December 30, 2020, and recorded in Book No. 5350, at Page 365 in Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on June 10, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Jacksonville in the

courthouse door in Smith eld, Johnston County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:00 AM on June 2, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Clayton in the County of Johnston, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING ALL of Lot 5, Oak Hill Farms Subdivision, as shown on a map recorded in Plat Book 93, Pages 14 through 16, Johnston County Registry, to which reference is hereby made for certainty of description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 107 Pond Mountain Drive, Clayton, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to three hours as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). Should the property be purchased by a third party, 31 CFR 1031.320 requires certain qualifying residential real estate transactions to be reported to the federal government. If you are the successful bidder in this proceeding, you may be required to provide all applicable identifying information about yourself and, if applicable, any entity or trust purchasing the property. 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

Being all of Lot 22, South Creek Subdivision, according to a survey entitled, “Subdivision & Recombination Plat South Creek,” by Benton W Dewar & Assoc., recorded in Plat Book 33, at Page 187, Johnston County register of deeds, reference to which is hereby made for a more complete and accurate description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 8405 South Creek Road, Willow Spring, North Carolina. Being the same property or a portion of the same property conveyed to Kevin Ringler and Ashly Clayborne by Instrument dated July 24, 2008 from Branch Banking & Trust Company led on July 25, 2008 as Document Number 2008225901 and in Book 3580 at Page 163-165 in the Johnston County records. Together with the Manufactured Home situated thereon which is a xed to the aforementioned real property and incorporated herein. Said Manufactured Home is identi ed as follows: Year/Make/Model: 1997 Tita Serial/VIN Number(s): 49974830774AB Commonly known as: 8405 South Creek Road, Willow Spring, NC 27592 in the County of Johnston Parcel Number: 13-B-01-028-E

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

designated for foreclosure sales, on June 9, 2026 at 11:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of New Hanover, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER(S): R07213-008-008-000 ADDRESS: 130 WHIPPORWILL LN WILMINGTON, NC 28409 PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): UNKNOWN HEIRS OF WANTA SHEREE

PEELE THE LAND DESCRIBED HEREIN IS SITUATED IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER, AND IS DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK 5153, PAGE 1193, AS FOLLOWS: BEING ALL OF LOT 8, SECTION 1, OF TANGLEWOOD SUBDIVISION, ACCORDING TO A MAP RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 7, PAGE 29, NEW HANOVER REGISTER OF DEEDS, REFERENCE TO WHICH MAP BEING MADE FOR A MORE PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of FortyFive Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

being more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at an iron stake in the northeastern right of way line of US Highway 258 and NC Highway 24, said beginning point lying north 75 degrees east 50 feet from a point in the center of said highway, said center point being located, when measured down the centerline of US Highway 258 and NC Highway 24 in a northwesterly direction 73.7 feet from the point where the said centerline of US Highway 258 and NC Highway 24 intersects the centerline of State Road No. 1258 (Carole Drive) running thence from said beginning point and with the said northeasterly right of way line of US Highway 258 and NC Highway 24 north 15 degrees west 70 feet; thence leaving said right of way line and running thence north 75 degrees east 273 feet to an iron stake; thence south 30 degrees 30 minutes west 99.7 feet to an iron stake; thence south 75 degrees west 196.4 feet to an iron stake in the aforementioned highway right of way line, the point of beginning, and being all the property described in two deeds to Hal B. Macon, Sr. and wife, Ethel B. Macon, dated December 8, 1954, and November 27, 1957, and recorded in Book 252, Page 292, and Book 271, Page 295, Onslow County Registry, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 3612 Richlands

County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 8, Block L, as shown on that certain plat entitled, “Subdivision Map No. 7 showing a part of Northwoods, Jacksonville, North Carolina”, recorded in Map Book 4, Page 63, Onslow County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 908 Barn Street, Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Subject to Restrictive Covenants recorded in Book 252, page 600, Onslow County Registry.

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). Should the property be purchased by a third party, 31 CFR 1031.320 requires certain qualifying

releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price,

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). Should the property be purchased by a third party, 31 CFR 1031.320 requires certain qualifying residential real estate transactions to be reported to the federal government. If you are the successful bidder in this proceeding, you may be required to provide all applicable identifying information about yourself and, if applicable, any entity or trust purchasing the property. 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

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

Highway, Jacksonville, North Carolina.

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

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1).

Should the property be purchased by a third party, 31 CFR 1031.320 requires certain qualifying residential real estate transactions to be reported to the federal government.

If you are the successful bidder in this proceeding, you may be required to provide all applicable identifying information about yourself and, if applicable, any entity or trust purchasing the property. 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,

residential real estate transactions to be reported to the federal government. If you are the successful bidder in this proceeding, you may be required to provide all applicable identifying information about yourself and, if applicable, any entity or trust purchasing the property. 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

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

to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement,

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

the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the e ective date of the termination. 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 BANK-RUPTCY PROCEEDING, THIS NOTICE IS GIVEN TO YOU PURSUANT TO STATUTORY REQUIREMENT AND FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES AND IS NOT INTENDED AS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT OR AS AN ACT TO COLLECT, ASSESS, OR RECOVER ALL OR ANY PORTION OF THE DEBT FROM YOU PERSONALLY.

Sarah A. Waldron or Terrass Scott Misher, Esq ROBERTSON, ANSCHUTZ, SCHNEID, CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Attorneys for the Substitute Trustee 13010 Morris Rd., Suite 450 Alpharetta, GA 30004 Telephone: (470) 321-7112

being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family

NOTICE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION UNION COUNTY 26SP000064-890 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY RICHARD E. BONAVITA, II AND ELIZABETH N. BYRUM DATED OCTOBER 31, 2003 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 3274 AT PAGE 335 IN THE UNION COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE

Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the abovereferenced deed of trust and because of default in payment of the secured debt and failure to perform the agreements

contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the secured debt, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Union County courthouse at 11:00AM on June 4, 2026, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Union County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Richard E. Bonavita, II and Elizabeth N. Byrum, dated October 31, 2003 to secure the original principal amount of $83,700.00, and recorded in Book 3274 at Page 335 of the Union County Public Registry. The terms of the said Deed of Trust may be modi ed by other instruments appearing in the public record. Additional identifying information regarding the collateral property is below and is believed to be accurate, but no representation or warranty is intended. Address of property: 8012 Walkup Road, Waxhaw, NC 28173 Tax Parcel ID: 05129010C

property situated in Union County, North Carolina, to wit:

All that certain lot or parcel of land situated in the Town of Waxhaw, Union County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows:

BEING all of Lot 1369 on “Final Plat of a Portion of Millbridge Phase 2E and 4A Map 1” recorded in Plat Cabinet M, Files 984-986, Union County Registry, reference to which is hereby made for a more particular description.

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

Deed

by

and

undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on June 2, 2026 at 12:30 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described

26SP000458-910

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Sharon Brinkley Shadrick fka Sharon B. Greene aka Sharon Brinkley Whit eld (Deceased) and David M. Whit eld (Deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Sharon Brinkley Whit eld and David Whit eld) to Greg Williams, Trustee(s), dated March 22, 2007, and recorded in Book No. 012457, at Page 02759 in Wake 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 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 Wake County Courthouse door, the Salisbury Street entrance in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on June 1, 2026 and will sell to the highest

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

18SP002771-910

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Elizabeth Deane, Lenna F. Deane, Horace A. Deane and David Deane (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Elizabeth Deane) to A. Grant Whitney, Trustee(s), dated November 2, 2015, and recorded in Book No. 016201, at Page 02491 in Wake 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 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 Wake County Courthouse door, the Salisbury Street entrance in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, or the customary

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

26SP000534-910

Said property is commonly known as 4013 Millbridge Parkway, Waxhaw, NC 28173.

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

bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Creedmoor in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows:

All that piece, parcel, tract or lot of land lying in New Light Township Wake County, State of North Carolina and described as follows:

Being that certain one-acre tract of land situate in New Light Township according to a plat recorded in Book of Maps 1976 Volume 2, Page 149, Wake County Registry, Wake County, North Carolina. And being and including a perpetual easement and right-of-way over, on and under the surface of a certain tract of land as shown on recorded plat in Book of Maps 1976, Volume 2, Page 149, Wake County Registry, Wake County, North Carolina. This easements is granted for the purpose of ingress and egress to the above described one-acre tract of land.

Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 4819 Old Weaver Trail, Creedmoor, North Carolina. Being the same property conveyed by Fee Simple Deed from Lehman Mayton Brinkley and Joyce Hayes Brinkley husband and wife to Sharon Brinkley Shadrick (formerly Sharon B Greene), by Quit Claim Deed dated 02/06/1981 recorded on 02/18/1981 in Book 2902, Page 623 in Wake County records, State of NC and from William Sidney Greene to Sharon Lynn Brinkley Greene by Deed dated 01/15/1980 and recorded 02/28/1980 in Book 2811 Page 943.

location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on June 1, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Raleigh in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 8, Chester Place 2 Subdivision, recorded in Map Book 1998, Page 2079, Wake County, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 2309 Elmsford Way, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to three hours as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). Should the property be purchased by a third party, 31 CFR 1031.320 requires certain qualifying residential real estate transactions to be reported to the federal government. If you are the successful bidder in

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Shannon McGowan (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Shannon McGowan) to ServiceLink LLC, Trustee(s), dated January 6, 2021, and recorded in Book No. 018285, at Page 01983 in Wake 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 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 Wake County Courthouse door, the Salisbury Street entrance in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on June 1, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Apex in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 169, as shown on that plat entitled “Parkside at Bella Casa PUD Phases 4B and 4C, Town of Apex, Buckhorn Township, Wake County, North Carolina” recorded in Book of Maps 2014, Pages 1351-1353, Wake County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 2704 Sugar Mountain Way, Apex, North Carolina. Assessor’s Parcel No: 0721540397 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). Should the property be purchased by a third party, 31 CFR 1031.320 requires certain qualifying residential real estate transactions to

Present Record Owners: Richard E. Bonavita, II and heirs of Elizabeth N. Byrum The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Richard E. Bonavita, II and heirs of Elizabeth N. Byrum. The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS, WHERE IS. Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property o ered for sale. Any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. Cash will not be accepted. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all remaining amounts are IMMEDIATELY DUE AND OWING. Failure to remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any re-sale. If

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 Jon E. White and spouse, Kristine N. White.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or

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). Should the property be purchased by a third party, 31 CFR 1031.320 requires certain qualifying residential real estate transactions to be reported to the federal government. If you are the successful bidder in this proceeding, you may be required to provide all applicable identifying information about yourself and, if applicable, any entity or trust purchasing the property. 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

renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the e ective date of the termination. Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote bids placed by bidders not physically present at the place of sale, which may be accepted by the person conducting the sale, or their agent”. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit.

arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not

this proceeding, you may be required to provide all applicable identifying information about yourself and, if applicable, any entity or trust purchasing the property. The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being o ered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in

be reported to the federal government. If you are the successful bidder in this proceeding, you may be required to provide all applicable identifying information about yourself and, if applicable, any entity or trust purchasing the property. The property to be o ered pursuant to this notice of sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the o cers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being o ered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition are expressly disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or prior encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

25CV010913-910 AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in a judgment bearing the caption “PennyMac Loan Services, LLC, Plainti , v. Wilt Derrick Spivey; Felicia Anne Spivey; Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; North College Park Homeowners Association, Inc.; and Substitute Trustee Services, Inc., Substitute Trustee; Defendants” 25CV010913-910 Wake County and pursuant to the terms of the judgment, the undersigned Commissioner will o er for sale that certain property as described below. Said sale will be held in the City of Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina at 1:30 p.m. on June 1, 2026 at the Wake County Courthouse door 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: Tax ID Number(s): 1737515802

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

26SP000538-910

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Shirley L. Gardner (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Shirley L. Gardner) to Heather Lovier, Trustee(s), dated September 3, 2019, and recorded in Book No. 017566, at Page 02498 in Wake 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 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 Wake County Courthouse door, the Salisbury Street entrance in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on June 1, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Zebulon in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows:

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, WAKE COUNTY 25 SP 001088-910

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Iyerechinma Y Fiabema, Mortgagor(s), in the original amount of $100,000.00, to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., (“MERS”) as bene ciary, as nominee for Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., Mortgagee, dated April 21st, 2006 and recorded on April 21st, 2006 in Book 011918, Page 01725, 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,

25SP001317-910 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, WAKE COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Reginald Miller to William R. Echols, Trustee(s), which was dated November 29, 2007 and recorded on November 29, 2007 in Book 012854 at Page 02287, Wake County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on June 3, 2026 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Wake County, North

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

26SP000408-910

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Wenzhen Yang (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Wenzhen Yang) to Stewart Title Guaranty Company, Trustee(s), dated June 30, 2022, and recorded in Book No. 019080, at Page 00361 in Wake 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 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 Wake County Courthouse door, the Salisbury Street entrance in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on June 1, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Raleigh in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described

Tax Id Number(s): 1795535259

Land situated in the Town of Zebulon in the County of Wake in the State of NC Being all of Lot 146, Section III, Pineview Estates, Phase I as shown on the map recorded in Book of Maps 1993, Page 1288, Wake County Registry, reference to which is made for a more particular description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1137 Spruce Drive, Zebulon, North Carolina. Commonly known as: 1137 Spruce Drive, Zebulon, NC 27597-6709 The Property Address and Tax Parcel Identi cation Number listed are provided solely for informational purposes Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to three hours as provided in N.C.G.S. §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by N.C.G.S. §7A-308(a)(1). Should the property be purchased by a third party, 31 CFR 1031.320 requires certain qualifying residential real estate transactions to be reported to the federal government. If you are the successful bidder in

North Carolina, at 2:00 PM on June 11th, 2026, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: Being all of Unit G, Building 3B, University Commons Lake Park Condominium, as identi ed in the Declaration of University Commons Lake Park, A Condominium, which Declaration is recorded in Book 7612, Page 207, and amended in Book 7799, Page 510; Book 8069, Page 1036; Book 8107, Page 1068; Book 8107, Page 1075; and Book 8107, Page 1083, all in the O ce of the Wake County Register of Deeds (The ``Declaration”), and more particularly described in the Plat and Plans of the Condominium led in Condominium File No. 179, Wake County Registry, which Declaration, Plat, and Plans are incorporated herein by reference, together with an undivided 0.6944 percent interest in the Common Elements as referred to in Article 1.5 of the Declaration. Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 1220 University Court, Apt. 201, Raleigh, NC 27606 Tax ID: 0244667 Third party purchasers must pay the recording costs of the trustee’s deed, any land transfer taxes, the excise

Carolina, to wit: BEING all of Lot 42, Phase 2, NORTH COLLEGE PARK SUBDIVISION, as shown on a map recorded in Book of Maps 1998, Page 1244, Wake County Registry.

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

Said property is commonly known as 7409 Ivy League Lane, Raleigh, NC 27616.

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

as follows:

Being all of Lot 307 of 540 West Subdivision Phase 3, as shown on a plat of survey entitled “Final Plat 540 West Subdivision - Phase 3 & Lot 421, Phase 1” recorded in Book of Maps 2021, Pages 993 through 1000, Wake County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1504 Garden Passage Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina. Being the same property conveyed to Wenzhen Yang, unmarried by Special Warranty Deed from Pulte Home Company, LLC, dated March 3, 2022, recorded on March 3, 2022 as Book 18941, Page 2257. APN: 0000485671, 1744281802 Commonly known as: 1504 Garden Passage Drive, Raleigh, NC 27604

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). Should the property be purchased by a third party, 31 CFR

Land situated in the City of Raleigh in the County of Wake in the State of NC Land situated in the Township of Neuse in the County of Wake in the State of NC BEING ALL OF LOT 91, PHASE 4, NORTH COLLEGE PARK SUBDIVISION, AS DEPICTED IN MAP BOOK 1999, PAGE 1226, WAKE COUNTY REGISTRY. Commonly known as: 6620 Professor St, Raleigh, NC 27616 THE PROPERTY ADDRESS AND TAX PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER LISTED ARE PROVIDED SOLELY FOR

this proceeding, you may be required to provide all applicable identifying information about yourself and, if applicable, any entity or trust purchasing the property. 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

tax, pursuant North Carolina General Statutes §105-228.30, in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00) per each Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof, and the Clerk of Courts fee, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §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

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 Reginald Miller.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10

1031.320 requires certain qualifying residential real estate transactions to be reported to the federal government. If you are the successful bidder in this proceeding, you may be required to provide all applicable identifying information about yourself and, if applicable, any entity or trust purchasing the property. 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.

INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES.

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

undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are The Heirs of Iyerechinma Y. Fiabema. 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

days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the e ective date of the termination.

Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote bids placed by bidders not physically present at the place of sale, which may be accepted by the person conducting the sale, or their agent”.

and

If

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. If the transaction is subject to the FinCEN Residential Real Estate Reporting Rule (“RRE”) issued pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act, information necessary to comply with the RRE Rule must be obtained and provided to the Reporting Person, as de ned in the RRE Rule, prior to closing.

A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in its sole discretion, if it believes the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 19-05528-FC02

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, WAKE COUNTY 25 SP 002166-910 Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Stephen M. Cooper and Michelle D. Cooper, Mortgagor(s), in the original amount of $175,757.00, to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., (“MERS”)as bene ciary as nominee for River Community Bank, N.A., a National Association, its successors and assigns, Mortgagee, dated February 11th, 2014 and recorded on February 11th, 2014 in Book 015578, Page 01775, and subsequently modi ed by Loan Modi cation recorded on April 7th, 2025 in Book 019872 at Page 00482, 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 10:00 AM on June 8th, 2026, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: BEING all of Lot 91, in Green Valley Subdivision, as shown on map thereof recorded in Book of Maps 1959, Page 315, Wake County Registry, to which map reference is hereby made for a more particular description. Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 2521 Friendly Trail, Raleigh, NC 27610 Tax ID: 0064689 Third party purchasers must pay the recording costs of the trustee’s deed, any land transfer taxes, the excise tax, pursuant North Carolina General Statutes §105-228.30, in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00) per each Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof, and

following described property situated in Wake County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING all of Lot 92, Forestville Farms, Phase 5, as shown on plat recorded in Book of Maps 1996, Page 1734, Wake County Registry. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 4115 Breadfruit Court, Raleigh, NC 27616. 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.

location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on June 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the

Said property to be o ered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS

AND PAPER PURSUITS

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 Kathryn Martin.

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

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

rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a

the BRIEF this week

Democrats feud over stock trading in e ort to sharpen anti-corruption case against Trump

Democrats are increasingly critiquing each other over their personal stock trades as the party looks to hone its anti- corruption message against President Donald Trump in the midterm elections. In primary races across the country, Democrats are critiquing individual stock trades and the personal wealth of their rivals in a bid to build credibility with voters. The debates have scrambled ideological lines inside the party, with some more moderate lawmakers attacking progressive rivals over past stock trades. Progressives express skepticism that Democrats who have recently highlighted the issue are o ering genuine critiques about money in politics.

Trump: Everything checked out “perfectly” at his medical exam

President Donald Trump had another medical exam on Tuesday, putting his health under renewed public scrutiny. The 79-year- old president spent more than three hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for what the White House described as preventive medical and dental checkups. It was Trump’s fourth publicly disclosed medical exam since he returned to o ce for a second term. In a social media post after the visit, Trump said that he had just nished his “6 month physical” and that “Everything checked out PERFECTLY.” Trump, turns 80 next month.

$2.00

American Legion Post 93 in Siler CIty is closing after 100 years in operation.

On Memorial Day at a celebration of the post, attendees honored 100-year-old Albert McClain, the oldest veteran in Chatham County.

The Chatham County budget is balanced at about $303 million

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO — The Chatham County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing for the recommended FY 2027 budget at its May 18 meeting.

Blue Sky Robotics would bring around 150 new jobs to the town

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

CHAPEL HILL — The Chapel Hill Town Council met May 20 for its regular business meeting.

The budget is balanced at about $303 million, an increase of around $15 million from the previous year.

“As we move forward into the next scal year, I am condent this budget will enable us to address current challenges, seize opportunities for growth and innovation, and continue building a stronger, more resilient Chatham County,” said County Manager Bryan Thompson.

“When you think race car driver... Kyle Busch is probably one of the rst that comes to your mind.”

Joey Logano, Cup Series driver

The board held a public hearing for an economic incentive agreement for a project entitled “Project Stark Tower.”

“This is a priority industry for the town, it is a local business in fact, a high-impact project, and it also presents a high-growth opportunity, especially in our downtown central business district,” said Economic Develop-

Kyle Busch died last Thursday at 41 from pneumonia that progressed into sepsis

By Steve Reed and Michael Marot The Associated Press

CONCORD — NASCAR

CEO Steve O’Donnell honored Kyle Busch’s widow, Samantha, and the couple’s children, Brexton and Lennix, before the start of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday in an emotional speech.

The budget also calls for the maintaining of the current property tax rate of $0.60 per $100 valuation. While Thompson described the budget as a “maintain budget,” there are still steady increases in multiple areas of funding.

ment Director David Putnam.

The company, which Putnam revealed to be Blue Sky Robotics, is an advanced robotics and precision software company that designs, builds and deploys automated robot solutions for complex problems in elds such as logistics, manufacturing, healthcare and hospitality.

Major features of the recommended budget include an additional $3.1 million increase in funding for Chatham County Schools, a $1.7 million increase in sheri ’s o ce funding

The company is also proposing to headquarter at town property located downtown at 136 E Rosemary St.

“They would take over a

The company is proposing to add 152 new jobs with an average wage of about $77,000 and invest around $1.5 million over the course of ve years.

Standing on the frontstretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway, O’Donnell looked directly at the Busch family and said, “Samantha, I want you to know that this sport stands with you, and that you and your children are NASCAR family forever. And Brexton and Lennix, your dad loved you with all his heart. Everyone gathered here, everyone behind you, everybody watching on TV, and all those people up in that grandstand are your family — and we’ve got you. ”

LEE MOODY FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

CRIME LOG

May 18

• Luis Enrique Bustamante-Chigo, 29, was arrested for driving while impaired, hit-and-run leaving the scene of property damage, no operator’s license and other charges.

Isaiah Xavier Liggett, 27, was arrested for assault on a female and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Mario Escorza, 30, was arrested for habitual impaired driving.

May 19

• Alivia King, 33, was arrested for misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Zachary Robert Shaw, 41, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.

May 20

Phillip James Collins, 42, was arrested for misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and being intoxicated in a park.

Michelle Lynn Fritz, 45, was arrested for misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

• Joshua Anthony Bjorklund, 26, was arrested for ctitious or altered title, registration card or tag; driving on a revoked license; no liability insurance and other charges.

Trey Madison Conway, 31, was arrested for communicating threats.

May 21

Anthony Lamont Sanders, 61, was arrested for possession of stolen goods and misdemeanor aiding and abetting.

Cheryl Elaine Smith, 59, was arrested for exploitation of a disabled or elderly person and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

• Cameron MacKenzie Cagle, 29, was arrested for accessing computers, simple assault, communicating threats and other charges.

Eddie Dean Justice, 33, was arrested for identity theft and obtaining property by false pretense.

Supreme Court rejects Florida’s bid to sue Western states over truck licenses for immigrants

The ruling allows states to continue issuing commercial licenses to noncitizens

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Florida’s long shot attempt to sue California and Washington state over the issuance of commercial driver licenses to truckers who don’t speak English and are not authorized to be in the United States.

The case stems from a crash in Florida last year that killed three people. The driver, Harjinder Singh, is accused of making an illegal U-turn that caused the accident. Singh, who is from India, was carrying a valid commercial driver’s license from

BUDGET from page A1

and a $1.2 million increase for emergency operations.

“This budget focuses on funding increases for education and public safety,” Thompson said.

The budget also includes a 3% salary increase for county sta .

“While many expenses are necessary to continue movement toward our goals, competitive salaries are essential to attracting and retaining our greatest asset, which is talented professional sta ,” Thompson said.

The goal is for the budget to

COUNCIL from page A1

signi cant amount of space over time in this building, reaching nearly full occupancy,” Putnam said. In exchange, the proposed incentive package from the town includes $261,000 in parking credits and a $57,000 cash grant portioned out in annual sums over the course of ve years as well.

The package is performance based, and the company will be required to provide evidence of employment. According to Putnam, the town is expecting to see a posi-

SCOTT APPLEWHITE / AP PHOTO

California and had earlier been granted one by Washington state. Republican-led Florida has accused the Western states, led by Democrats, of openly defying immigration laws and asked the justices to rule that states lack

be nalized for board approval on June 15.

The board also continued a hearing on a request to rezone approximately 370 acres of property located o of 724 Andrews Store Road for the development of the Fearrington Reserve compact community.

The proposed development, which was brought before the board already on April 20, is planned to have more than 600 residential units split among single-family detached units and two-story condo units.

However, commissioners and sta were still left unsatis ed and with questions per-

tive cash ow from the company in year one and overall, it’s estimated to bring in around $2 million in new revenue by 2036.

Following the hearing, the board approved the request.

The council also approved a conditional zoning modi cation application for 11 White Oak Drive to change the previously approved maximum build height of the project, which was previously approved in June 2025.

The height was previously capped at 62 feet, however, the applicant requested adjusting it to 69.5 feet.

CHATHAM happening

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

the authority to issue CDLs to people who are not citizens or legal permanent residents.

The Supreme Court typically hears appeals of lower-court decisions, but it sometimes takes on what are known as original lawsuits in which states sue each other in the nation’s highest court.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from Tuesday’s order, as they often do when the court rejects an original lawsuit, saying that the court has no choice but to hear such cases.

Separately, a federal appeals court has blocked a Trump administration proposal to impose new restrictions that would severely limit which immigrants can get commercial driver’s licenses to drive a semitrailer truck or bus.

taining to multiple elements of the site plan. As such, the board once again continued the item to July 27.

“I’m personally not really satis ed with this application,” said Vice Chair Franklin Gomez Flores. “It’s kind of an unnished packet, and I feel like we’re going to be at the same place next month and so that would kind of be time wasted. I think they’ve had enough time to provide the answers to us and the public and to work with sta to come up with agreements.“

The Chatham County Board of Commissioners will next meet June 15.

The purpose for the request is to break up the massing of the building and to help create a more varied facade.

“We really wanted to have these buildings naturally step with the grade of the site and lean into the site instead of grading it out completely at,” said Dwell Design Studio Project Manager Bryan Harris, the architect of record.

The request does not include any changes to the oor areas, dwelling unit count, setbacks or anything of that nature.

The Chapel Hill Town Council will next meet June 3.

Central Electric providing grants to local educators to fund innovative projects

Teachers, are you looking for new opportunities to fund projects for your classroom?

Central Electric is awarding up to $15,000 in Bright Ideas education grants to local educators in K-12 classrooms for the 2026-27 school year. Educators in K-12 classrooms with creative ideas for learning projects are encouraged to apply for a grant up to $2,000.

Grant applications will be accepted through Sept. 15. However, it pays to apply early.

All teachers who submit their applications by the early bird deadline of Aug. 15 will be entered into a drawing for one of ve $100 Visa gi cards. Scan the QR code or visit NCBrightIdeas.com for more information or to apply!

May 29

Beach Music Series: The Extraordinaires

7 p.m.

The Extraordinaires bring beach, soul and Motown classics to the MOSAIC outdoor stage in the free 2026 Beach Music Series powered by Brightspeed. Lawn opens at 6 p.m. Free tickets required through the MOSAIC website.

Philip H. Kohl MOSAIC Family Commons 457 Freedom Parkway Pittsboro

The Old Ceremony

7 p.m.

Chapel Hill folk-rock band

The Old Ceremony, led by singer-songwriter Django Haskins, performs as part of the Bynum Front Porch Summer Music Series at the historic Bynum General Store. The show is free; donations are accepted for the performers.

Bynum Front Porch 950 Bynum Road Bynum

May 30

“Say His Name: Jim Becomes James” Presentation

11 a.m.

Chatham Community Library presents “Say His Name: Jim Becomes James,” a one-hour program at the Holmes Family Meeting Room. The event is free and open to the public.

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

May 31

Pittsboro Summer Fest 2-6 p.m.

The Pittsboro Business Association’s annual summer festival features live music, food trucks, artisan vendors, a decorated bicycle parade and family activities including a watermelon seed-spitting contest, pie contest and beard contest. The event is free.

Pittsboro Pop-Up Park West Salisbury Street Pittsboro

June 5

Jack the Radio

7 p.m.

Jack the Radio performs as part of the 2026 Bynum Front Porch Summer Music Series at the historic Bynum General Store. The show is free with donations accepted for the performer.

Bynum Front Porch 950 Bynum Road Bynum

SpaceX launches biggest, most beefed-up Starship test ight yet

This upgraded version avoided the catastrophic midair explosions of previous test ights

By Marcia Dunn The Associated Press

SPACEX LAUNCHED its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test ight last Friday, an upgraded version that NASA is counting on to land astronauts on the moon.

The redesigned mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he’s taking the company public. It blasted o from the southern tip of Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites that were released midway through the hourlong spaceight that stretched halfway around the world.

The spacecraft reached its nal destination — the Indian Ocean — despite some engine trouble, before erupting in ames upon impact. That last part was not unexpected, according to SpaceX.

Musk called it “an epic” launch and landing.

“You scored a goal for humanity,” he told his team via X.

It’s the 12th test ight of the rocket that Musk is building to get people to Mars one day. But rst comes the moon and NASA’s Artemis program.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman ew in for the launch, saying Starship is now one step closer to the moon.

The last of the old space-skimming Starships lifted o in October. SpaceX’s third-generation Starship — a souped-up version dubbed V3 — soared from a brand-new launch pad at Starbase, near the Mexican border. Last-minute pad issues thwarted Thursday evening’s launch attempt.

SpaceX was hoping to avoid the reworks it experienced during back-to-back launches last year when midair explosions rained wreckage down on the Atlantic. Earlier ights also ended in ames.

There was no reball this time until the very end. The spacecraft plummeted upright into the Indian Ocean under seemingly full control, then toppled over and ignited.

While the lifto itself went well, not all of the engines red as the booster attempted a con-

trolled return. The spacecraft also had to make do with fewer engines but kept heading eastward 120 miles up. A pair of modi ed, camera-equipped Starlinks ejected from Starship provided brief views of the spacecraft in ight — a remarkable rst.

At 407 feet, the latest model eclipses the older Starship lines by several feet and packs more engine thrust.

The revamped booster sports fewer but bigger and stronger grid ns for steering it back to Earth following lifto , and a larger and more robust fuel transfer line to feed the 33 main engines. This fuel line is the size of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rst-stage booster. The retro-looking, stainless steel spacecraft also has more of everything — more cameras, and more navigation and computer power — as well as docking cones for future rendezvous and moon missions.

Starship is meant to be fully reusable, with giant mechanical arms at the launch pads to catch the returning rocket stages. But on this latest trial run, nothing was being recovered.

The Gulf of Mexico marked the end of the road for the redesigned rst-stage booster, and the Indian Ocean for the spacecraft and its satellite demos.

NASA is paying SpaceX billions of dollars — and also Je Bezos’ Blue Origin — to provide the lunar landers that will be used to land Artemis astronauts on the moon.

The two companies are scrambling to be rst.

While Starship has reached

the fringes of space on multiple ights lasting an hour at most, Bezos’ Blue Moon has yet to lift o , although a prototype is being readied for a moonshot later this year.

NASA is following April’s successful lunar yaround by four astronauts with a docking trial run in orbit around Earth planned for next year. For that Artemis III mission, astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with Starship, Blue Moon or both.

A moon landing by two astronauts — Artemis IV — could follow as soon as 2028 using either Starship or Blue Moon, whichever lander is safer and ready rst. It will be NASA’s rst lunar landing with a crew since 1972’s Apollo 17. The goal this time is a moon base near the lunar south pole, sta ed by astronauts as well as robots. SpaceX is already taking reservations for private ights to the moon and Mars on Starship.

The world’s rst space tourists, California businessman Dennis Tito and his wife, signed up 31⁄2 years ago for a ight around the moon. The timing is uncertain.

This week, another wealthy space tourist — Chinese-born bitcoin investor Chun Wang — announced he will y to Mars on Starship’s rst interplanetary mission. Wang previously chartered a SpaceX polar ight in a Dragon capsule last year and, along with his hand-picked crew, became the rst to orbit above the north and south poles.

No price tag or date was revealed for his Mars cruise.

AUCTION

Saturday, May 30th – 9:00am – Rain or shine

Location: 356 Mt. Vernon – Hickory Mt. Rd., Siler City, NC

(Personal property)

Barry & Melissa Milholen are downsizing their collectibles

There will be guns, coins, pottery, quilts, tools, antiques, etc.

For photos & listing, go to: auctionzip.com

Preview on Friday, May 29th, 12:00pm – 6:00pm

Church News

OAKLEY BAPTIST CHURCH

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.

May 31 – Gary McCollough

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.

FELLOWSHIP HOUSE OF GOD

All Covenant Gathering

Bishop Willie Gilmore & Pastor Faye Gilmore 444 Stage Road Carthage, NC

Sunday, May 31 — 11 a.m.

Praise Church Of Deliverance Ministries will be in charge of the service.

We are one of the bishop’s churches. We are pastors James Peoples and Prophetess Callie Peoples

We are on Facebook every Sunday at 7 p.m. for our worship service, and every Wednesday at 7 p.m. for Bible study. We also have service in Carthage once a month and other places.

If You are interested in counseling or have another problem in life, call us and make an appointment to set up a meeting.

(984-368-2942 – 984-270-3011)

We are a nondemomination deliverance ministry.

You may be interested in fellowshipping with us. we are state certi ed for a church. If we can be any help, please let us know.

To get us on Facebook, search my name, James Peoples. If you are interested in any of our services, just give us a call.

Prophetess phone — 984-368-2942 (Callie) Pastor’s phone — 984-270-3011 (James)

SUPPORT OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT!

Bible study: Ephesians 6:10-20 Church of Living Water; Pastor: James Mitchell.

Let us be thankful for our Law Enforcement! Thank you, Heavenly

ERIC GAY / AP PHOTO

SpaceX’s mega rocket Starship makes a test ight from Starbase, Texas, Friday, May 22, 2026.

ERIC GAY / AP PHOTO

SpaceX’s mega rocket Starship makes a test ight from Starbase, Texas, last Friday.

THE CONVERSATION

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

A hell of a commencement address

We confuse maturity and responsibility with joy and happiness.

THE SCHOOL YEAR is nearing its end. I smile at each of the yard signs congratulating a high school graduate.

Recently, I came across a commencement address given by Tom Robbins in 1974. The author spoke to a small class and their loved ones on Whidbey Island in Washington. Nevertheless I found his words instructive for our time and place.

Robbins noted that, while notions of heaven and hell are considered exact opposites, “an astonishing number of people seem to be confused about which is which.”

Speci cally, we confuse maturity and responsibility with joy and happiness: “The sad funny truth is adults are nothing but tall children who have forgotten how to play.

… And if that isn’t one hell of a note, it’s certainly one note of hell.”

A de nition of “play” is any activity done for its own sake rather than an outcome or product. It’s not about earning or completing. Another way to think of play is whatever causes you to lose track of time. Play is the opposite of punching a clock. It is time out of time.

When I was in high school and college, I worked a series of minimum wage jobs, including as a lifeguard and a waiter. It was not a lot of fun, but I had bills to pay.

I also learned how to play guitar and smoke cigarettes. Thankfully, only the healthier of these two habits stuck with me. Around this time, my loved ones had to

COLUMN | BOB WACHS

endure my brooding phase when I considered myself a songwriter. I was jolted from this navel-gazing by a puppy whose daily needs brought me out of existential angst and into the world of walks by the pond, taking care to avoid the geese and their calling cards. I switched from writing tortured poetry to silly limericks.

There once was a man with a dog, who took his furry friend for a jog, they hurried past a goose, who ew away with a poop, and the man had to leap like a frog.

Robbins told the graduates, “Remember that life is much too serious to take seriously — so never forget how to play.” Sure, everyone has taxes and bills, but no one makes it out of life alive. And I doubt that many folks regret their times of silliness, magic or awe.

Over the years, my poop jokes have morphed into dad jokes. My children are my gurus about discovering heaven on earth, but before I was blessed with them, dogs reminded me not to take life too seriously. And every limerick I’ve ever written has made me smile as other people have cringed.

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.

Shutting out the outside means losing things inside

Eventually Mama and Daddy got a big honking window air conditioner about the size of a small bus.

SOME RECENT NIGHTTIME temperatures have been good, even outstanding — in the 50s and 60s with little or no humidity.

That meant that I could throw up the windows and count sheep to my heart’s content or for 15 seconds, whichever came rst before I went to see the Sandman.

Those after-dark lullabies are a great thing. They call up memories of my childhood when Mama and Daddy did not have air conditioning in the ol’ homestead, and I listened to Grandpa Bullfrog down on Wallace Farrell’s pond across our backyard as I drifted o to Dreamland. Throughout much of my childhood, I was my daddy’s right-hand man when we went frog hunting, but I knew enough to leave that one alone and I prayed nobody else knew about him.

I know I never told anyone he was there. I guess he just nally went o to where old bullfrogs go.

Anyway, he was part of the evening melody I listened to for years — him and the crickets and the whining tree bugs and the croaking toads and even Jimmy Capps on WPTF’s “Our Best to You.” Actually, Jimmy wasn’t part of Mother Nature’s chorus, but he was still part of the total evening package.

It was great stu . There was a lot about the world I didn’t understand or know, but I knew my mama and daddy were in the house and that’s all I needed to know. I didn’t know about terrorists blowing up airplanes and unemployment and Middle East tensions and stu like that.

But somewhere along the line that all changed — both the deal with the windows and the size of my world of knowledge. Eventually Mama and Daddy got a big honking window air conditioner about the size of a small bus. It was great. Sat in a window at the front of the house, coming inside near the dining room table. That meant whoever sat in front of it would nd their back ice cold and

turning blue after Sunday dinner, but it was OK.

At least we were cool.

It was so big it would cool the entire house even though it wasn’t centrally located. Later on — I don’t know why for sure — they got a smaller unit that went into a window in the back bedroom where I slept and listened to the outdoors chorus … except now with A/C I couldn’t leave the windows open, so I lost out on my nighttime buddies.

When our troop moved into our current location, we asked the builders to install central air, which they said they would but we would have to pay for it — both to be installed and to operate. Still, we were pretty sure it would be worth it all.

Now I keep the thing cranked down to 70 or so, and I know all the Green Movement People will tell me how wasteful I am. Guess what. It’s staying on 70 … except when there are nights like some recent ones when the temps are so good, we can cut o the A/C and ing up the windows.

Then hearing Grandpa Frog’s grandson singing “Knee Deep, Knee Deep” on the banks of our pond, along with an assorted chorus of katydids, tree frogs, whatchamacallits, no-see-ums and other things chiming in, I nd I’m relaxed, even with in ation, double-talk from the politicians and being (or at least feeling) double-crossed on other fronts, that I don’t care.

And once again, I’m content. I’m pretty sure if some of the folks making decisions today would spend an evening listening to bullfrogs croak, they’d be in a better state of mind and maybe make some sane decisions once in a while.

Couldn’t hurt.

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

COLUMN | ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN

A confetti practitioner?

The Golden Fleece is my symbolic and penultimate job description in this life.

I, JAN, AM A confetti practitioner.

Uh-oh, do I hear rumbles from the peanut gallery? Has Jan gone bonkers? Wait, she doesn’t even drink or smoke, does she? So what is this confetti practitioner business? A late in life crisis?

Hold on, just hold your horses, all ye who judge! In the making for beaucoup years, I’ve nally ( nally!) found my Golden Fleece. Whoops, not exactly true. I’ve possessed said Golden Fleece for quite a few years without realizing its tangible, human-sized value in our world. (I’m sometimes slow on the uptake.) Wait, you don’t know about the Golden Fleece? Have you not seen that ancient 1963 movie “Jason and the Argonauts”? (It’s on Tubi.) Possessing the putative Golden Fleece is the symbol of a richly rewarding endeavor. Of course, it has 4,000-plus other diverse de nitions online. Take your pick. This is mine.

The Golden Fleece is my symbolic and penultimate job description in this life. Yeah, but what is that Golden Fleece-bearing job description of which you’re so proud? And, come on, what the heck is a confetti practitioner? Please, get to the point! OK, OK, legitimizing explanation on the way … I like making people feel good. No, no, not codependency — that’s just so old-school. Sharing small (often teeny-tiny) ongoing amounts of uplifting goodness. With all and sundry. Like what?

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

Hold onto your judgments, please, inclusive of my own. I often feel guilty regarding my small, small o erings to our world. The word paltry occurs to me frequently. Am I doing enough?

Uh-oh, this is sounding a bit like drivel. This is the chosen Golden Fleece meaning you’ve chosen to represent you in the world?

Here am I, sounding brave (although, honestly, feeling quite timid), “Yep, my teeny-tiny, conscious and uplifting o erings to our world constitute my Golden Fleece.”

Truthfully, though, I can’t begin to tell you how many years I’ve felt as if my o erings were never big enough. Small pickings in a needy world. Then, boom, I bumped into the words of the late, beloved folk singer Pete Seeger. (Thanks, Pete.)

“Who knows where some good little thing that you’ve done may bring results years later that you never dreamed of?”

Each time I return to Seeger‘s quote, I begin breathing again. All my chosen confetti, i.e., smiles, hellos, quickie compliments and simple acknowledgments of others (lots and lots of them) are my proudly worn Golden Fleece. Confetti practitioner, at your service.

Who, of us, as Pete Seeger notes, ever really knows what the impact of all our small goodnesses (confetti) are in the lives of others. I don’t, but I do so love being a confetti queen, and I have faith in Pete!

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

Can Trump handle the world he has changed?

The cheap drones that Ukrainians have invented and produced in astonishing numbers — some 60,000 per day.

TEN YEARS AGO this month, Donald Trump clinched the Republican nomination for president, with a platform that was vastly di erent on trade and foreign policy from other recent presidents, Republican and Democratic alike.

How fares America — and the world — 10 years later?

In some important ways, things have moved in Trump’s direction. In 2016 and since, he complained constantly that Europeans were not contributing their fair share to NATO. That had been the position of previous administrations, but none emphasized it as Trump did.

Early in Trump’s rst term, only ve NATO allies met the stated goal of spending 2% of GDP on defense. A decade later, the goal has risen to 5%, and most NATO allies are moving toward that goal.

And as Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened his neighbors, previously neutral (for nearly 75 years!) Finland and Sweden, with their highly competent militaries, have decided to join NATO and have made the Baltic Sea just beyond Putin’s hometown of St. Petersburg a NATO lake. In the Middle East, Trump has also made a di erence. His predecessors’ policy was based on the hoary assumption that the key to stability was to pressure Israel to make a peace agreement with the Palestinians. So America’s task was to pressure Israel to make concessions.

Trump saw it di erently. He pushed the Abraham Accords, diplomatic relations between Israel, Saudi Arabia and Persian Gulf oil producers. Progress has been uneven but palpable. Israel’s paci cation of Gaza has not prevented the Saudis and United Arab Emirates from supporting Trump’s e orts, cooperating with Israel, to disarm and destabilize the regime in Iran.

On trade, Trump’s on-again, o -again threats, impositions and adjustments of tari rates have resulted in channeling trade in di erent patterns. The days of a jointly dependent “Chimerica” (historian Niall Ferguson’s phrase) seem to be waning. Not everything has gone Trump’s way. His xation on unproblematic trade “de cits” has led him to impose tari s that have fed in ation and eroded his job approval at home. His initiatives in Iran, without persuasive explanations to voters or any attempt at buyin by the political opposition, have also hurt him politically — although regime collapse in Iran remains possible and could put things in a di erent light.

More importantly, the world has changed, sometimes in line with his expectations, sometimes to the contrary. The prime example is Russia’s war on Ukraine. As Trump has noted, Putin launched his 2014 attacks on

IN TOUCH

BE

What went wrong for Democrats

FOR MONTHS NOW, Democrats have been arguing about whether to release the “autopsy” the National Committee commissioned on what went wrong in 2024. The report was completed but then not released; under pressure, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin released the report this week, but only with the caveat that it didn’t meet the committee’s standards, whatever that means.

The real issue for Democrats is not why they lost the last election, but how they are going to avoid losing the next one.

In truth, the report nds plenty of blame. That’s the problem with losing a close election — and 2024, no matter how many times President Donald Trump describes it as a landslide, it wasn’t — is that almost everything you did “wrong” could have made the di erence. Which doesn’t necessarily tell you what to do right, the next time around, or address the very real divides inside the Democratic Party.

The report faults almost everyone. The Biden White House is faulted for not doing enough during the rst term and the 2022 midterms to prepare Kamala Harris to lead the ticket, which, of course, would not have mattered so much had former President Joe Biden not waited so long to bow out, but that’s another story.

Donbas and his 2022 march toward Kyiv when Democrats were president. And former President Joe Biden’s restrictions on aid to Ukraine — especially bans on lobbing attacks on Russian territory — limited Ukraine’s defense.

As analysts of various stripes have concluded, Ukraine has developed drone warfare as a barrier to Russian advance and to make advances itself.

Ukraine has had one advantage Putin didn’t count on in 2022: morale, a sense of national pride and resolve that is unquanti able but has enabled seemingly ordinary people to adapt with extraordinary speed and inventiveness reminiscent of the best of American examples in World War II. It’s interesting that Trump, for all his emphasis on building America’s national morale, has been deaf to the importance of that factor in Ukraine.

The cheap drones that Ukrainians have invented and produced in astonishing numbers — some 60,000 per day — have routinely destroyed much more expensive Russian missiles and have enabled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to destroy energy infrastructure in Perm, 1,000 kilometers beyond the Russian border, and prompted Putin to downsize his WWII victory parade in Moscow.

It is clear that the Trump policy of pressuring Ukraine to accept Russian control of provinces it hasn’t occupied is as obsolete as Trump’s predecessors’ policies of pressuring Israel to accept Palestinian control of territory from which the Palestinians could launch attacks like those of Oct. 7, 2023.

It seems clear as well that the remnants of the Iranian regime are unwilling to abandon their 47-year hostilities toward the U.S., and that Trump’s eagerness to deploy “the art of the deal,” even under the auspices of a hostile Pakistan, is encouraging their continued resistance. And in the meantime, will the drawdown of America’s expensive smart weapons in the Persian Gulf reduce American deterrence against Chinese aggression against Taiwan?

The nal verdict on Trump’s foreign policies cannot be written now, with 32 months left in his term and so many kinetic events in unpredictable motion. But perhaps it can be said that while his departures from his predecessors’ policies have had some successes in reshaping the world, it is not clear that he has developed policies adapted to the world he has done so much to change.

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)

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

The Harris campaign is faulted for writing o rural voters, relying too much on identity politics and not being tough enough on Trump. When the other side runs a negative campaign and wins, as Trump did here, the response is always that you should have hit back harder. With what, is the question.

One of the most striking conclusions and the most troubling is about the e cacy of the ad Trump ran attacking Harris on transgender issues — in this case, on her previous statement of support for taxpayer-funded gender - a rming surgeries for prison inmates.

The report cites the ad as “very e ective,” and says that internal pollsters believed that “if the Vice President would not change her position — and she did not — then there was nothing which would have worked as a response.” Are Democrats in fact too far out front of voters on transgender issues?

Do Democrats rely too much on identity politics, an argument that works better with the base of the Democratic party than it does with more moderate, independent voters, whom they need to attract?

According to the report, “Harris wrote o rural America, assuming urban/ suburban margins would compensate. The math doesn’t work. ... You can’t lose rural areas by overwhelming margins and make it up elsewhere when rural voters are a signi cant share of the electorate. If Democrats are to reclaim leadership in the Heartland or the South, candidates must perform well in rural turf. Show up, listen and then do it again.”

As for male voters, the report argues that “Male voters require direct engagement. The gender gap can be narrowed. Deploy male messengers, address economic concerns and don’t assume identity politics will hold male voters of color.”

The release of the autopsy and all the discussion about why it took so long to release it coincides with a new New York Times/Siena College poll showing Democrats with a strong advantage going into the midterms, but also with deep divides and disillusionment within the party. While the left is the loudest force on the Democratic side, it may not be the most popular: a majority of Democratic supporters said that they were generally happy with the party’s ideological positioning, but 52% said the next Democratic presidential candidate should move the party to the center in order to win. Only a quarter said the next candidate should move the party to the left.

The Times found that more than half of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents expressed frustration with the party: “unhappiness spanned almost every part of the party’s coalition — including young, white, Black and college-educated voters — and was especially strong among Democrats least attached to the party, who are the most likely to swing elections.”

The real issue for Democrats is not why they lost the last election, but how they are going to avoid losing the next one.

Susan Estrich is a feminist legal scholar and the rst woman to run a U.S. presidential campaign. She has written eight books. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

obituaries

Betty Joe Robinson Alston

April 7, 1942 – May 19, 2026

Betty Joe Robinson Alston, age 84, of Apex, died Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

Betty was born in Harnett County on April 7, 1942, to the late Lindwood Robinson and Callie McLaughlin Robinson. She was also preceded in death by her husband John Henry Alston, two brothers; Charles Robinson, Jimmy Robinson, one sister; Ines

IN MEMORY

Robinson, and one brotherin-law; Raymond Harris. Surviving relatives include one son, Leon Alston and wife Twyla Alston of Morrisville, daughter Debra Mangum of Apex, two grandchildren, Ti any and Larry Mangum Jr., two great-grandchildren, Legend and Ali Mangum, one brother; Exel Robinson, three sisters; Annie Ruth Mckenzie and husband Bud, Peggy Leathers and husband Oris, one sister; Judy Robinson, two brother in laws; Joseph Harris and wife Lydia, James Harris, and one sister in law Claretta Harris. The funeral service will be held Friday, May 29, 2026, at 11AM at Mitchell’s Chapel Church with Rev. Little presiding.

Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Condolences may be made at www.donaldsonfunerals.

com

Donaldson Funeral Home & Crematory is honored to serve the Alston family.

AMEL ALLEN DECKER

MAY 4, 2026

Amel Allen Decker, 62 of Bonlee, NC, passed away on May 4th, 2026. He Will Be So Missed!

HELEN MARIE WRIGHT BRADY

AUG.22, 1934 – MAY 18, 2026

Helen Marie Wright Brady, 91, of Bennett, passed away on Monday, May 18, 2026, at the Siler City Center.

The funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at Bennett Baptist Church with Rev. Tim Strider presiding. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends in the Narthex one hour prior to the service and will return to the fellowship hall following the committal. Joyce-Brady Chapel will be open from 1:00-5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 22, 2026 for friends to sign the register.

Helen was born on August 22, 1934 to Harvey and Bonnie Davis Wright. She graduated from Coleridge High School in 1953 and worked at McCrary Hosiery Mill for 13 years. She was a faithful member of Bennett Baptist Church. Helen operated Brady’s Grill in Bennett for 44 years where she served the best hot dogs with her homemade chili and slaw. She also meticulously cleaned the church as long as her health allowed.

She was a former owner of Joyce-Brady Chapel. Helen was a kind and gentle lady who always greeted everyone with a smile. She loved her church, her community and her family.

In addition to her parents, Helen was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Andrew “Jack” Brady and her brother, Olin Wright. Helen is survived by her sons, Michael Alan Brady (Lori) and Patrick Dwayne Brady (Lorriann); grandchildren, Meghan Brady McLeod (Josh), Dylan Brady (Ireland), Anna Brady, Nicole Brown (Jason) and Leigh Ann Sumner; great-grandchildren, Kayleigh Brown and Easton Brown; sister, Lucy Emerson (Louis); sister-inlaw, Myrldeen Wright and a host of family and friends.

The family extends their thanks to the sta of The Siler City Center for the care and compassion shown to Helen. Condolences may be o ered online at www.joycebradychapel. com Joyce-Brady Chapel of Bennett is honored to serve the Brady family.

Carol Duncan Esau

May 21, 2026

Carol Duncan Esau, 62, passed away peacefully on May 21, 2026, surrounded by loving family and friends after ghting a courageous battle with cancer. Carol is survived by her brother Ron Duncan (Debbie) along with nieces Ryanne

Duncan and Paige Duncan-Libby (Keillor), all of Salem, Virginia. She was preceded in death by her loving parents, Richard (Buck) and Wanda Duncan.

Carol moved through the world with an unshakeable optimism. After graduating from Salem High School in 1982 and Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!) in 1986, she enjoyed a successful career at Northern Telecom, Progress Software and Verint. She was most known for her leadership and genuine care for her employees around the globe.

Carol spent twenty- ve years of her life in Pittsboro, North Carolina. She kept a very active social life upon moving to Pinehurst and retirement, enjoying book club, Bunco, concerts, mahjong, golf and bible study. Carol’s unwavering faith sustained her throughout

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

her life and many bene tted from her servant heart. She was known for her kindness and dedication to her friends and community.

Special thanks to Dr Michael Sundborg, Dr. Chasse BaileyDorton, Taylor Galford and Tammy Haywood of FirstHealth Cancer Center and Michelle Bruntz of FirstHealth Hospice.

Carol loved celebrating in all its forms, and we ask that you honor Carol in your own way.

A Celebration of Life is being planned for a later date.

Memorials can be made to Pittsboro United Methodist Church PO, Box 716, Pittsboro NC 27312.

Online condolences may be made at www.

BolesFuneralHome.com

Services are entrusted to Boles Funeral Home of Pinehurst.

Rob Base ‘It Takes Two’ rapper, who helped bring hip-hop mainstream, dead at 59

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Rob Base, a rapper and one half of the Harlem hip-hop duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 59.

Base, whose real name was Robert Ginyard, was best known for the 1988 chart-topper “It Takes Two,” a blend of hip-hop and house music that helped bring both genres into the mainstream.

“Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world,” read a statement on his Instagram announcing his death. “Beyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten.”

His creative counterpart, Rodney “Skip” Bryce — who

went by the stage name DJ E-Z Rock — died in 2014 at age 46 of complications from diabetes.

The two met as fth grade students in Harlem and said they were inspired to make music by the success of another Harlem-based group, Crash Crew. They signed in 1987 with Pro le Records, one of the earliest hip-hop labels.

The following year, “It Takes Two” landed in the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Club Songs chart. The song has since been sampled by other artists, including Snoop Dogg and The Black Eyed Peas, and has appeared in several lms. It has been certi ed platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

The duo’s next single, “Get on the Dance Floor,” saw similar success on the club songs chart.

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

ROB GRABOWSKI / AP PHOTO

Rob Base performs during the “I Love The 90’s” tour on Aug. 7, 2022, at RiverEdge Park in Aurora, Illinois.

Dang Van Phuoc, AP combat photographer who lost eye covering Vietnam War, dead at 91

The fearless photojournalist documented Vietnam’s civilian toll after surviving ve combat wounds

By Gillian Flaccus and Hannah Schoenbaum

The Associated Press

IRVINE, Calif. — Former Associated Press photographer

Dang Van Phuoc, who was injured multiple times during the Vietnam War and returned to capture the action even after losing an eye in an explosion, has died. He was 91.

Phuoc died Saturday in Southern California after collapsing suddenly, his nephew, Van Nguyen, said.

Phuoc was hired in 1965 by AP’s former photo chief, Horst Faas, to replace another local hire who had been killed on assignment. He quickly gained a reputation among other journalists and the U.S. and South Vietnamese troops for his uncanny ability to nd the thick of the action.

Phuoc was born in a Vietnamese village near Quang Ngai, south of Da Nang, in 1935 and was the youngest of many siblings. When he was about 10, his father was killed by local members of the Viet Cong insurgen-

cy. A few years later, his mother died, leaving him homeless.

“He was a really very extraordinary man who grew up from very bad treatment when he was a boy,” Nguyen said.

As a young man, Phuoc volunteered to help carry equipment at a Saigon lm studio where Nguyen’s mother worked as a cook. It was there that Phuoc rst picked up a camera and taught himself photography, his nephew said.

Phuoc, who was dubbed the AP’s “secret weapon” by his boss, was known for walking with the “point man” on combat

patrols, putting him in position to get excellent photographs — but also exposing him to grave danger.

He was injured at least ve times during his 10 years with the AP in Vietnam, the rst time just ve months after he was hired. A grenade explosion left him with shrapnel in his chest and leg, but he was back on duty within a few months covering the drawn-out civil war between the Communist forces of North Vietnam and the U.S.-backed South Vietnamese military.

In 1968, he sustained a con-

cussion when he was hit in the head by a rocket while covering street ghting in Saigon. That same year, Phuoc risked sniper re to carry a wounded U.S. soldier to safety and received a commendation from the Ninth U.S. Army Infantry Division for saving the man’s life.

Phuoc lost his right eye in a grenade explosion in 1969 while on patrol with a Ranger battalion south of Da Nang, along Vietnam’s central coast. He learned to shoot with one eye and returned to work.

In a 2011 interview for AP’s archives, Phuoc described the di culty of working with one eye when he had to look through the camera while also watching for silent hand gestures from the soldiers with whom he was patrolling.

His colleague in AP’s Saigon bureau, Huỳnh Công “Nick” Út, described Phuoc as fearless and resourceful in the eld. Behind the scenes, he was a giving man and loyal friend who treated Út like a brother.

“Everyone loved him so much,” Út said. “When I heard, I cried, ‘My brother, he’s gone.’” Despite his reputation for shooting action, the photos that touched Phuoc were those that evoked the plight of civilians caught in the cross re. In the 2011 interview, he compared himself to a “small grain of

BUSCH from page A1

Tears rolled down Samantha Busch’s cheek as she wrapped her arm tightly around 11-year-old Brexton, an aspiring racer. Both wore black T-shirts that read “Battle of the Busches.” Busch’s older brother and former Cup Series champion, Kurt, and his parents, Tom and Gaye, also attended the tribute.

“Kyle Busch is NASCAR,” O’Donnell added. “He was one of a kind, and there will never be another.” A moment of silence followed O’Donnell’s speech. Auto racing’s biggest day became a Memorial Day weekend tribute to Busch from Indianapolis to CMS. Busch died last Thursday at 41 after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming complications, according to a statement released by his family, and his loss sent shockwaves through the motorsports world and beyond.

Charlotte Motor Speedway honored the two-time Cup Series champion with a large, black No. 8 and his signature on the frontstretch grass and a photo on the videoboard.

The U.S. Army Golden Knights carried Busch’s ag during prerace festivities. Each of the 39 cars in the eld carried Busch’s decal. On the pace lap, the cars formed the missing man formation.

The speedway’s public address system and the television commentators went silent on the eighth lap of the race. On Saturday night, Layne Riggs celebrated his Truck Series win at Charlotte by imitating Busch’s traditional bows to the crowd after the race, and Ross Chastain did the same after capturing the rain-shortened O’Reilly Auto Parts race.

“When you think race car

sand” who used his pictures to bring their stories to the world.

When Saigon fell in 1975, Phuoc ed with his family with little more than the clothes on their back and a bottle of milk. His family was rescued from a refugee camp in Guam with the help of AP reporter Linda Deutsch, who was covering the tent city, and own to Camp Pendleton.

Phuoc then returned to Asia and worked brie y for the AP in Hong Kong before leaving the company and settling permanently in Southern California with his family.

He went on to become a professional portrait photographer in Orange County, which is home to Little Saigon, the largest single community of South Vietnamese refugees in the world. His great-nephew, Kim Nguyen, looked back Tuesday at the portraits Phuoc shot of him as a baby and reminisced about bringing his own son to see Phuoc’s work on display at a museum in Vietnam.

In California, Phuoc was a founding member of The Artistic Photography Association and trained young photographers. He also was a civilian volunteer for the Los Angeles County Sheri ’s Department and in 1994 was named the county’s volunteer of the year.

driver and what that person should be like, Kyle Busch is probably one of the rst that comes to your mind on the type of racer he was,” Cup Series driver Joey Logano said.

Fans at CMS arrived in droves Sunday with shirts that read “Rowdy” and “KFB.”

Earlier in the day at the Indianapolis 500, Dale Coyne Racing changed the font of Romain Grosjean’s No. 18 car to replicate the font the two -time Brickyard 400 winner used during his 14 seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing in his No. 18 car.

Then came the opening prayer, in which Busch was mentioned by name. And on lap 18, race o cials lit up the scoring pylon next to pit lane with Busch’s name, his birth year and 2026.

Even with the pageantry of Indianapolis’ big IndyCar race, Busch, who had a record 234 victories across NASCAR’s three national series, was never far from the thoughts of people in the city that dubs itself the “Racing Capital of the World.”

“It’s desperately sad. It’s also one of those things where you try not to think about it or let it in because you’ve got so much to do, you can’t let yourself get emotional,” Katherine Legge said. “But honestly, racing has lost one of the greatest drivers, in my opinion, of all time. If you look back at the history and just — he was a legend.”

As Indy held its biggest race of the year, those who knew or competed against Busch raced with a heavy heart.

“How can you not be in shock over the situation?” two-time Indy winner Josef Newgarden said. “I think it just puts into perspective how fragile life is. You just don’t know. Makes me think of his kids, to be honest with you. Gosh, I feel terrible about — I have two sons now. That’s the thing that breaks my heart.”

DANG VAN PHUOC / AP PHOTO

A wounded soldier is carried during ghting on Highway 13, north of Saigon, where government troops are trying to reopen road to the Lai Khe base, on Oct. 14, 1972.

MATT KELLEY / AP PHOTO

A decal is displayed on Denny Hamlin’s car in honor of late driver Kyle Busch on Sunday in Charlotte.

REAL ESTATE

LEARN ABOUT LAND - Chatham Land Experts, www.learnaboutland.com - 919-3626999.

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FOR RENT

POWELL SPRINGS APTS. Evergreen Construction introduces its newest independent living community for adults 55 years or older, 1 and 2 bedroom applications now being accepted. O ce hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 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.

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AUCTIONS

RICKY ELLINGTON AUCTIONEERSEquipment, business, liquidation, estates, land, houses, antiques, personal property, coins, furniture, consignments, bene ts, etc., NCAL #7706, 919-548-3684, 919-663-3556. Jy6,tfnc

SERVICES

RAINBOW WATER FILTERED VACUUMS, Alice Cox, Cox’s Distributing - Rainbow - Cell: 919548-4314, Sales, Services, Supplies. Serving public for 35 years. Rada Cutlery is also available. A26,tfnc

JUNK CARS PICKED UP Free of charge. Due to many months of low steel prices and unstable steel markets, we cannot pay for cars at this time. Cars, trucks, and machinery will be transported and environmentally correctly recycled at no charge. 919-5422803. A2,tfnc

LETT’S TREE SERVICE - tree removal, stump grinding, lot clearing. Visa & Master Card accepted. Timber. Free estimates. 919-2583594. N9,tfnc

CASH PAID FOR JUNK CARS AND PICKUPS –Call – 336-581-3423

M7,14,21,28p

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

Oak View Apartments

Siler School Square Apartments

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM

In the Chatham County General Court of Justice District Court Division Ocampo v. Ocampo File No: 26CV000448-180 To: Alejandro Mondragon Ocampo TAKE NOTICE

That a pleading seeking relief against you has been led in the above-entitled action. The nature of the relief sought is as follows: Absolute Divorce and Equitable Distribution.

You are required to make a defense to such pleading not later than June 23, 2026 which is forty-days (40) from the rst publication of this notice. Upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought. This the 14th day of May, 2026. Dana Bellingrath Triangle Divorce Lawyers 109 N. Boylan Avenue Raleigh, North Carolina 27603 919-303-2020

Notice of Public Hearings

Town of Siler City

The following items will be considered by the Siler City Board of Commissioners as legislative hearings. The hearings will be conducted during the Board of Commissioner’s regular meeting on Monday, June 1, 2026, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the court room located in the Siler City Town Hall at 311 N. 2nd Ave.

CASE TA26-001: The Town of Siler City is requesting an amendment that will repeal the Uni ed Development Ordinance adopted August 1, 1993, and will hold a Public Hearing for the adoption of a revised Uni ed Development Ordinance.

CASE S26-001: Request to rename Hill Street, an existing town-maintained street, to McClain Street.

Legislative Public Hearings

The proposed item is available for review by contacting Tim Garner at tgarner@ silercity.gov or 919-726-8628. All persons interested in the outcome of this item are invited to attend the legislative hearing and present comments, testimony, and exhibits on the above referenced item.

Interested parties may also submit written comments. Written comments can be submitted by email to tgarner@ silercity.gov. Individuals desiring to speak may sign up by registering their name and information on the sign-up sheet, located outside the entry doors to the court room.

The Town of Siler City will make appropriate arrangements to ensure that disabled persons are provided other accommodations, such arrangements may include, but are not limited to, providing interpreters for the deaf, providing taped cassettes of materials for the blind, or assuring a barrier-free location for the proceedings. This information is available in Spanish or any other language upon request. Please contact Briana Martinez at 919-726-8620, 311 North Second Avenue, Siler City, North Carolina 27344, or bmartinez@ silercity.gov for accommodations for this request. Esta información está disponible en español o en cualquier otro idioma bajo petición. Por favor, póngase en contacto con Kimberly Pickard al bmartinez@ silercity.gov o 919-726-8625 o en 311 North Second Avenue, Siler City, North Carolina 27344 de alojamiento para esta solicitud.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Thomas Earle Tillman, Deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ces of Munson Law Firm PLLC, P.O. Box 1811, Pittsboro, NC 27312, on or before the 19th of August, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment.

This May 21, 2026. Gillian Tillman, Executor Estate of Thomas Earle Tillman

Moncure Fire Dept Annual Meeting

The Moncure Fire Department will be holding its annual meeting on Monday, June 22, 2026 at Moncure Fire Dept Station #8, 2389 Old US 1, Moncure NC 27559. The meeting will begin at 6:30 pm and cover the state of the re department, nancial report, and Board of Directors elections. If you reside in the Moncure Fire District and are a taxpayer, you are a member and invited to attend.

23SP000024-180 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CHATHAM COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Laura R Lo in, divorced to Rod Raszler, Trustee(s), which was

Notice to Creditors

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of MICHAEL JOSEPH MCCORMICK, late of Chatham County, North Carolina (26E000177-180), 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 10th day of August, 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 7th day of May 2026. Daniel Dylan McCormick Administrator of the Estate of Michael Joseph McCormick c/o Lisa M. Schreiner Attorney at Law P.O. Box 446 114 Raleigh Street Fuquay Varina, NC 27526 (For publication: 05/07, 05/14, 05/21, 05/28/26)

CREDITOR’S NOTICE

Having quali ed on the 28th day of April 2026, as Co-Executors of the Estate of Margie W. Johnson, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the decedent to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before the 7st day of August, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the estate should make immediate payment. This is the 29th day of April 2026. Eric Johnson, Co-Executor of the Estate of Margie W. Johnson 5090 Butner Drive Hickory, NC 28602 Brad Johnson, Co-Executor of the Estate of Margie W. Johnson 6307 Whedbee Road Julian, NC 27283 Attorneys: Law O ces of Doster & Brown, P.A. 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330 Publish On: May 7th, 14th 21st and 28th 2026.

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

TOWN OF PITTSBORO, NC

On Monday, June 8, 2026 at 6:00 pm, the Pittsboro Board of Commissioners will hold a legislative public hearing for the following requests at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center at 1192 Hwy 64 Business West: The Town of Pittsboro’s Development Fee Ordinance for FY 2026-2027 has been submitted to the Board of Commissioners, and a copy is available for public inspection in the o ce of the Town Clerk, Town of Pittsboro Town Hall, 287 East Street, Suite 221, Pittsboro, NC. A legislative public hearing on a voluntary, contiguous annexation petition (A-202601/PB-26-150) from Highcroft Investors, LLC, and Chatham Park Investors, LLC. The applicant is requesting to annex 95.795 acres south of Highway 64 Business and east of Chatham Park Way (PID 7310 partial, 70324, 7311 partial, and 75046 partial). The hearing will be held in person. The public can also watch the hearing live on the Town’s YouTube channel at https:// www.youtube.com/@townofpittsboronc/ streams. Members of the public must attend in person if they wish to speak at the hearing. Contact the Town Clerk, Carrie Bailey, by 4 pm on June 8, 2026 with written comments or to sign up to speak at the hearing. You can contact Carrie Bailey at cbailey@pittsboronc.gov, (919) 5424621 ext. 1104, or PO Box 759, Pittsboro, NC 27312.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

26E000227-180 ALL persons having claims against Mary T Schaumburg-Bo nger, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before Aug 07 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 7th day of May, 2026. John R Knauf, Executor C/O Beth W Bowen 590 New Waverly Place, Suite 120 Cary, NC 27518 M7, 14, 21 and 28

NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS OF CARL EUGENE RENZ

TAKE NOTICE: All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against Carl Eugene Renz, deceased, are noti ed to exhibit them to Nancy Jane Donahue, Administrator of the Estate, at the following address: c/o Harvell and Collins, P. A., 1107 Bridges Street, Morehead City, North Carolina 28557 on or before August 28, 2026, or be forever barred from their recovery. Debtors of decedent are asked to make immediate payment to the above-named Administrator.

Cecil S. Harvell

Harvell and Collins, P.A.

Attorney for the Estate of Carl Eugene Renz, Deceased 1107 Bridges Street

Morehead City, North Carolina 28557

Publish: Thursday, May 28, 2026; Thursday, June 4, 2026; Thursday, June 11, 2026; and Thursday, June 18, 2026.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION

CASE NO 26E000235-180

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Juan Carlos Gonzalez, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the Estate of said Juan Carlos Gonzalez, to present them to the undersigned on or before the 12th day of August, 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 14th day of May, 2026.

Susana Gonzalez Administrator of the Estate of Juan Carlos Gonzalez 2865 1st Street Vero Beach, FL 32968

Attorney’s Address: Stephanie M. LeBlanc, Esq. LeBlanc Law Firm, PLLC 1 Page Avenue, Suite 229 - Grove Arcade Asheville, NC 28801

Publication Dates: May 14, May 21, May 28, June 04, 2026.

Notice to creditors

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

26E000103-180

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Mark Beals, deceased, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the Estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned at the following address on or before August 28, 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 18th day of May, 2026. Ashley Hensley, Administrator Estate of Mark Beals 1761 North Main Street Goldston NC 27252

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed on the 30th day of April, 2026, as Executor of the Estate of James E. Merkel, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 21st day of August, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 21st day of May, 2026. Hugh T. Merkel, Executor of the Estate of James E. Merkel c/o Gwendolyn C. Brooks Kennon Craver, PLLC 4011 University Drive, Suite 300 Durham, North Carolina 27707

THE CHATHAM NEWS: 5/21/2026, 5/28/2026, 6/4/206, and 6/11/2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

ESTATE OF PAUL LESLIE SANDERS FILE NO. 26E000278-180

The undersigned, Regina Leigh McCoy, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Paul Leslie Sanders, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against said estate to exhibit them to the undersigned at 42 Carson Ct, Pittsboro, NC 27312 on or before the 21st day of August 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 21st day of May 2026. Chatham News & Record May 21, 28, June 4, 11, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS: Chatham County, North Carolina RE: THE ESTATE OF KENNETH CARO–26E000190-180 Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of KENNETH CARO, deceased, Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 19th of, August, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 15th day of May, 2026. Nicholas Young, Executor DSR Legal, PLLC PO Box 51596 Durham, NC 27717 5/21, 5/28, 6/4, 6/11, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CHATHAM Having quali ed as Personal Representative of the Estate of Joe David Styres aka Joe D. Styres, late of Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said decedent to present them to the undersigned attorney for the estate on or before August 7, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations in debted to the said estate are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 7th day of May 2026 Karen Louise Styres aka Karen L. Styres Personal Representative Adam G. Kerr Kerr Law, PLLC PO Box 10941 Greensboro, NC 27404 Telephone: (336) 808-5028 Fax: (336) 464-2819 May 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000257-180

The undersigned GANG NAM YOO, having quali ed on the 30TH Day of APRIL 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of CHUN CHA YOO., 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 7TH Day OF AUGUST 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 7TH DAY OF MAY 2026. GANG NAM YOO, ADMINISTRATOR 354 SKY LANE PITTSBORO, NC 27312 Run dates: M7,14,21,28p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000038-180

The undersigned SHARON GUARIGLIA, having quali ed on the 6TH Day of MAY 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of DUNCAN CRUICKSHANK, 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 14TH Day OF AUGUST 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 14TH DAY OF MAY 2026. SHARON GUARIGLIA, ADMINISTRATOR 665 REBECCA LANE SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: M14,21,28,J4p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000275-180

The undersigned, SUSAN E. WELSHARDOIN, having quali ed on the 19TH Day of MAY 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of JAMES ROTH CONRAD, 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 28TH Day OF AUGUST 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 28TH DAY OF MAY 2026. SUSAN E. WELSH-ARDOIN, EXECUTOR 5901 WHATSIT LANE RALEIGH, NC 27603 Run dates: M28,J4,11,25p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS: Chatham County, North Carolina RE: THE ESTATE OF DONNA OLSEN–26E000167-180 Having quali ed as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of Donna Olsen, aka Donna Kullman Olsen deceased, Chattam Chatham County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the 5th day of August 2026, or this

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000230-180 The undersigned DWIGHT W. WALKER, having quali ed on the 20TH Day of APRIL 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of STANLEY PARRISH WALKER, 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 7TH Day OF AUGUST 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 7TH DAY OF MAY 2026. DWIGHT W. WALKER, ADMINISTRATOR 2706 VESTAL ST. GREENSBORO, NC 27406 Run dates: M7,14,21,28p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000250-180 The undersigned DOROTHY TAYLOR, having quali ed on the 29TH Day of APRIL 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of MATTHEW TAYLOR, JR., 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 7TH Day OF AUGUST 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 7TH DAY OF MAY 2026. DOROTHY TAYLOR, EXECUTOR 300 RIVER BEND ROAD SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: M7,14,21,28p

will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on June 2, 2026 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Chatham County, North Carolina, to wit:

CERTAIN LOTS OR PARCELS OF LAND

LYING AND BEING IN THE TOWN OF SILER CITY, MATTHEWS TOWNSHIP, CHATHAM COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, AND MORE PARTICULARLY

DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: LOT 1: ALL THAT CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF LAND DESCRIBED AS LOTS NO. 1, BLOCK “C”, AS MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AND

DEFINED ON PLAT ENTITLED “OAKLAWN SILER SUBDIVISION, SILER CITY” AND RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK EN AT PAGE 39-602. REFERENCE IS MADE TO SAID PLAT FOR MORE ACCURACY AND CERTAINTY OF DESCRIPTION.

LOT 2: BEGINNING AT A POINT, SAID POINT BEING THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF LOT NO. 1, BLOCK “C’ ACCORDING TO PLAT RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK EN PAGE 39-602, CHATHAM COUNTY REGISTRY; AND RUNNING THENCE WITH THE NORTHERN LINE OF LOT NO. 1, LOT NO. 2 AND A PORTION OF LOT NO. 3 FROM THE POINT AND PLACE OF BEGINNING 125 FEET TO A POINT, BEING THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF CLARENCE GILLILAND

PROPERTY AS MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN DEED RECORDED IN BOOK 449 AT PAGE 448, CHATHAM COUNTY REGISTRY; AND RUNNING THENCE IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION PARALLEL WITH NORTH EVERGREEN AVENUE 50 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION PARALLEL WITH THE NORTHERN BOUNDARIES OF LOTS NO. 1, NO. 2 AND A PORTION OF LOT NO. 3, 125 FEET TO A POINT IN THE EASTERN MARGIN OF NORTH EVERGREEN AVENUE; THENCE IS A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION WITH THE EASTERN MARGIN OF NORTH AVENUE

50 FEET TO THE POINT AND PLACE OF BEGINNING, AND BEING THE SOUTHERNMOST 50 FEET OF LOT NO. 8, LOT NO. 9, AND A PORTION OF LOT NO. 10 AS SHOWN ON THE PLAT HEREIN REFERENCED AND BEING THE SAME AND IDENTICAL PARCEL OF PROPERTY MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS SECOND LOT IN DEED RECORDED IN BOOK 318 PAGE 311, CHATHAM

COUNTY REGISTRY AND BEING THE SAME AND IDENTICAL PROPERTY AS MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN DEED DATED FEBRUARY 6, 1950, FROM THE CHURCHILL TO STANLEY AND RECORDED IN BOOK KG PAGE 538, CHATHAM COUNTY REGISTRY, AND TO WHICH DEED REFERENCE IS MADE FOR A MORE COMPLETE DESCRIPTION. LOT 3: BEGINNING AT A POINT, SAID POINT BEING THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF LOT NO. 2, BLOCK “C’ ACCORDING TO PLAT RECORDED IN PLAT BOOK EN PAGE 39-602, CHATHAM COUNTY REGISTRY; AND RUNNING THENCE WITH THE SOUTHERN LINE OF LOT NO. 2 AND A PORTION OF LOT NO. 3, 75 FEET TO A POINT IN THE SOUTHERN MARGIN OF WEST 4TH STREET; THENCE IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION 175 FEET TO A POINT IN THE LINE BETWEEN LOT NO. 3 AND LOT NO. 10; THENCE IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION 75 FEET TO THE CORNER OF LOTS NO. 1, NO. 2, NO. 8 AND NO. 9; THENCE IN A SOUTHERLY 175 FEET TO THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF LOT NO.2, BEING THE POINT AND PLACE OF BEGINNING, AND BEING THE ENTIRETY OF LOT NO. 2 AND A PORTION OF LOT NO. 3 AS SHOWN ON THE PLAT HEREIN REFERENCED. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record. Said property is commonly known as 506 W 4TH ST, Siler City, NC 27344. A Certi ed Check ONLY (no personal checks) of ve percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing.

THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED. Said property to be o ered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being o ered for sale. Substitute Trustee does not have possession of the property and cannot grant access, prior to or after the sale, for purposes of inspection and/or appraisal. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, any unpaid land transfer taxes, special assessments, easements, rights of way, deeds of release, and any other encumbrances or exceptions of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Laura R. Lo in. An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the

Pope Leo XIV calls for robust regulation of AI in manifesto pondering future of humanity

The encyclical asked researchers to re ect on the power of AI

By Nicole Win eld, Kaitlyn Huamani and Paolo Santalucia

The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV called Monday for robust regulation of arti cial intelligence and for its developers to work for the common good rather than pro t, issuing a sweeping manifesto on safeguarding humankind as the technology impacts everything from work to war.

“Magni ca Humanitas” (Magni cent Humanity), Leo’s rst encyclical, has been eagerly awaited ever since history’s rst U.S.-born pope announced days after his election that he considered AI to be the biggest challenge facing humanity today.

In the text, Leo denounced the “culture of power” driving the AI race, especially in developing ever more sophisticated methods of remote warfare. He declared that it was “not permissible” to entrust irreversible, lethal decisions to AI systems, setting up another ash point between the American pope and the Trump administration, which has worked aggressively to deregulate AI development.

“Arti cial Intelligence now demands to be disarmed, freed from logics that turn it into an instrument of domination, exclusion and death,” the pope told a special Vatican presentation of the encyclical, one of the most authoritative types of teaching documents a pope can issue.

Experts in the tech industry, academia and Catholic morality said the document will likely become a benchmark in the debate over AI, a point of reference for policymakers, researchers and ordinary folk alike. It comes as the near-daily developments in the technology trigger concerns over AI replacing human jobs and even human intelligence.

Taylor Black, a Microsoft AI executive and director of Catholic University of America’s AI institute, said the document would prompt people “at the forefront of these tools” to ask questions such as “What does it mean to be human?”

Pope calls out AI companies even as he hosts Anthropic

The Vatican launch also included remarks by the co-founder of Anthropic, which is currently locked in a legal battle with the Trump administration over access to its AI technology. The Vatican decid-

ed to involve Anthropic as part of its decade-long e ort to engage Silicon Valley in dialogue over the human cost of AI.

And yet in his text, Leo repeatedly blasted the concentration of power and data in the hands of so few people in the private sector as a danger, especially to children and the most vulnerable, and called for external regulation of their work.

“It is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract; robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required,” he wrote. “A more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few.”

Leo appealed to AI developers and political leaders responsible for regulating them to slow down and re ect on what they are doing. He urged them to use ethical and spiritual guidelines to make the choice to work not for their own pro t or power, but the betterment of humanity.

AI competitors OpenAI and Anthropic are the second- and third-most valuable U.S. private companies, each valued at hundreds of billions of dollars, more than the GDP of many nations. Both companies are heading toward near-trillion-dollar IPOs.

Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah welcomed Leo’s criticism and concern. He said such external checks were fundamental to the technology “going well” for humankind since there is so much at stake — “a real possibility that AI will displace human labor at a very large scale.”

“We need more of the world — religious communities, civil society, scholars, governments — to do what His Holiness has done here: to take this seriously, to look closely and to push events in a better direction,” Olah said. “We need moral voices that the incentives cannot bend.”

Experts say text will become benchmark

In a methodical text, the math major pope traced the history of the Catholic Church’s social teaching and applied its core concepts — justice, solidarity, the dignity of work and the universal destination of resources — to the digital revolution.

“I am convinced that this will prove to be a de ning document for our era, a profound and prophetic document,” said Paolo Carozza, law professor at Notre Dame Law School and chair of the Meta Oversight Board.

“Pope Leo is o ering a clear, comprehensive and coherent

voice urging us to take responsibility for constructing a world in which technology will serve humans rather than degrade them,” he said.

In its strongest chapters, Leo denounced how AI had helped accelerate the “normalization of war” by desensitizing people to its cost. He didn’t name specific con icts but cited “opposing imperialisms, between powers that wish to preserve their supremacy, and those that aspire to seize that supremacy.”

He demanded transparency and accountability by AI developers so that the chain of decision-making command in ordering strikes with AI weaponry is always known. He declared that the Catholic Church’s “just war” theory, which provides speci c criteria for when force can be justi ed, was now “outdated” given the technological advances of warfare.

Text in church’s social justice tradition

Leo signed the text May 15, the 135th anniversary of the publication of “Rerum Novarum” (Of New Things), the most important teaching document of Leo’s hero and namesake, Pope Leo XIII. That document addressed workers’ rights, the limits of capitalism, and the obligations that states

NASA lays out future moon base plans with landers, buggies, drones at top of list

All this hardware should arrive before astronauts land on the moon in 2028

By Marcia Dunn

The Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.

— NASA is already ordering landers, rovers and drones for a sprawling moon base, less than two months after the Artemis II’s record-breaking lunar yaround.

The space agency outlined the rst phase of its moon base plans on Tuesday, awarding hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts to four U.S. companies.

Je Bezos’ Blue Origin will provide a pair of landers to deliver moon buggies to the lunar surface, at a spot near the moon’s south pole. These socalled lunar terrain vehicles will be built by Astrolab and Lunar Outpost. Fire y Aerospace, which landed successfully on the moon last year, will deliver

the moon, planned for as early as 2028. During April’s Artemis II mission,

“For

those waiting patiently, the grand return is close at hand and we will not slow down. We are really just getting started.”

Jared Isaacman, NASA Administrator

around the moon, traveling deeper into space than the Apollo moon crews did during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

For next year’s Artemis III, another team of astronauts will practice docking NASA’s Orion capsule in orbit around Earth with the lunar landers being developed for crews by Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

NASA is targeting Artemis III for mid-2027, with a landing by two astronauts following as soon as 2028. The moon

and employers owed workers as the Industrial Revolution was underway.

It became the foundation of modern Catholic social thought, and the current pope cited it at the start of his ponti cate in relation to the AI revolution, which he believes poses the same existential questions that the Industrial Revolution posed over a century ago. “Magni ca Humanitas” thus becomes the latest chapter in a century-long history of popes adapting “Rerum Novarum” to the social questions of their times, often dwelling on the dignity of work for human ourishing.

AI is evoking both existential fears and utopian vision amid an intensifying debate on whether it will become a catalyst that enriches humanity or a technological toxin that dulls human intelligence while wiping out millions of high-paying jobs.

“The pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacri ce jobs, because the human person is an end, not a means, and the economic order must remain subordinate to human dignity and the common good,” Leo wrote. Vatican o cials declined to say who contributed to Leo’s encyclical, but Vatican and church o cials have been engaged in a dialogue with Silicon Valley tech rms for a decade.

base’s second phase, from 2029 into the early 2030s, will start building up the permanent infrastructure, including a power grid. As for when the base will be ready to support astronauts for extended periods in specialized permanent habitats, that’s expected sometime in the 2030s, during the third phase.

“Then we’ll be able to say, ‘Hey, we’re permanently here and we’re not giving it up,’” said NASA’s moon base program executive Carlos Garcia-Galan. Garcia-Galan envisions a moon base sprawling over hundreds of square miles, with a perimeter marked by drones, dubbed MoonFall, stationed at the corners.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said these territory markers are meant to be respectful of other countries’ spacecraft and equipment that might be nearby. He expects reciprocity in the matter.

The goal of the moon base is to encourage a lunar economy while conducting scientific research and laying the foundation for a Mars expedition, Isaacman stressed.

“For those waiting patiently, the grand return is close at hand and we will not slow down,” Isaacman said. “We are really just getting started.”

moon

ALESSANDRA TARANTINO / AP PHOTO

Pope Leo XIV attends the presentation of his rst encyclical at the Vatican on Monday.

CHATHAM SPORTS

Hawks soar into rst

baseball state title berth

Chatham Charter falls to NCLA in the 1A East regional nal

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

5A EAST REGIONAL FINAL Seaforth 2, Rockingham Co. 0

PITTSBORO — The deepest playo run in Seaforth’s baseball history has reached itsnal stop.

After defeating No. 3 Rockingham County 4-0 in Game

2 of the 5A East regionalnal on May 21, the nine-seeded Hawks earned their rst state championship berth.

“It’s a special feeling,” Seaforth coach Spenser Messmore said. “There were some anxious moments not because, you know, of nerves, but more just like, ‘When is it going to end?’

Because we had the lightning delay, and then the lights went out, and we had a light delay. And then a little bit of heavy rain delay.” Game 2 ended in the bottom of the sixth inning as heavy rain caused unplayable eld conditions.

Against Rockingham County pitcher and UNC commit Nick Rumbley, junior Bryce Huneycutt led the way for Seaforth, going 2 for 3 with a team-high two RBIs. Seaforth led 1-0 when a single from Huneycutt allowed senior Jaedyn Rader to reach home in the third inning for a 2-0 advantage. Following an RBI double by senior Colin Dorney in the fth inning, Huneycutt sent a single to left eld and scored sophomore Ben Taylor for a 4-0 lead. After junior Easton Sykes grounded out in the next at-bat, lightning in the area caused a

Post 305 starts American Legion season strong

By Asheebo Rojas

more than 30-minute delay.

Junior Bauer Bowling, who got the start on the mound, junior Anthony Landano and Rader combined for a shutout and allowed three hits on the evening.

In Game 1, Huneycutt’s pitching propelled the Hawks to stealing a game on the road 6-3.

Battling the heat and what he felt was a steeper mound than he’s used to, Huneycutt struck out 10 batters and gave up a walk, four hits and three earned runs in a complete game. He allowed one hit and zero runs in the nal ve innings.

“I think the rst couple of innings, he just had to get settled in,” Messmore said. “Fastball, slider, curveball, change up mix and was able to play o of all four pitches in all counts, which at the high school level, especially, is going to go really, really far.”

At the plate, Rader went 2 for 3 with a team-best three RBIs. His two-RBI double in the second inning gave the Hawks a 4-1 advantage, and he scored junior Duncan Parker with a single to put Seaforth ahead by two in the fourth inning. Parker smashed two doubles in a 3-for-3 performance, and he scored two runs.

Seaforth will face o against No. 1 North Lincoln in a best- of-three series for the state title at Burlington Athletic Park. After Game 1 on Wednesday, Game 2 will be

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record Girls’ Soccer (state playo s)

CHAPEL HILL — Woods

Charter’s ticket to the 1A state championship game was a tale of two halves — or two days, rather.

The top-seeded Wolves and No. 2 Falls Lake were scoreless after the rst 44 minutes when a weather delay on May 21 caused the game to be postponed to Friday. In thenal 36 minutes, played nearly 24 hours later, Woods Charter turned up the heat and won 4-0, reaching its fourth state title game in ve seasons.

“It’s unbelievable,” Woods Charter coach Graeme Stewart said. “I’m just so proud of these kids, the way they performed today. It’s really tough to have an interrupted game like they did. Falls Lake, they’re a good team. Congrats to them on a great season. They’re big and physical and strong. They have a plan. They’re well coached. They’re disciplined. But we really went and did the job today.”

The Wolves broke the ice early. Three minutes into resumed play, freshman Avery Wesololoski corralled a re-

Graeme

bound and scored from close range.

About 10 minutes later, junior Lucy Poitras, who was playing through a leg injury, landed a shot from long distance to extend Woods Charter’s lead.

Shortly after that score, Poitras set up junior Annabel Unah with a behind-the-back pass, and Unah dropped a long shot over the goalkeeper’s head and into the net for a 3-0 lead.

“It started with (Leah Marshall),” Poitras said. “We had a little bit of confusion with it still, but I was like, ‘You know what? I’ll run down the line.’ I took it down the line, and Annabel was thinking ahead. She ran in the middle.”

Said Unah, “I just hit it. There wasn’t anyone on me, so I was aiming for the corner.” Freshman Leah Marshall put the nishing touches on the win with a goal in the nal 10 minutes.

senior squad won three of its

News & Record

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Seaforth’s Jaedyn

Former local athletes wrap up 2026 spring season

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

BASEBALL

Aidan Allred (William Peace University, Chatham Charter)

Allred played 33 games and made 32 starts in his sophomore season. He batted .282 with 33 hits, three doubles and 13 RBIs. In the eld, Allred recorded 46 putouts and 75 assists with a .931 elding percentage. During a season in which he helped William Peace nish as USA South conference tournament runners-up, Allred’s best game came in a 3-for-4, three-run, three-RBI performance against Rhode Island College in March.

Zach Cartrette (Guilford Tech, Chatham Charter)

Cartrette made eight starts on the mound in his freshman year with the Titans, recording a 1-4 record, a 9.36 ERA and a 1.90 WHIP. His best game came in a 15-13 win over Robeson CC in February in which he struck out eight batters and allowed four hits and two runs in ve innings.

Jackson Shaner (Guilford, Northwood)

Shaner saw the most action of his career during his junior season, appearing in 14 games and making two starts. He batted .200 with two hits and seven runs.

Luke Johnson (Mid-Atlantic Christian University, Chatham Charter)

Johnson saw few opportunities on the mound his freshman season, appearing in nine games and starting one. He threw nine strikeouts and recorded a 9.88 ERA in 132⁄3 innings. He made a larger impact in the batter’s box, nishing the year with a .279 batting average, 19 hits, 13 RBIs and four doubles. Against Virginia Peninsula Community College in February, Johnson went 3 for 3 with a home run, seven RBIs and a run.

SOFTBALL

Caleigh Warf (North Carolina Wesleyan, Chatham Central)

Warf made 26 starts in her freshman season at NC Wesley-

an. She batted .300 and logged 21 hits (including three doubles), seven RBIs and 20 runs. At catcher, Warf recorded 84 putouts, 10 assists and a .989 elding percentage. Against Averett in March, she went 3 for 4, including a double, with two RBIs and a run.

Logan Gunter (Furman, Jordan-Matthews)

Gunter returned from last year’s season-ending injury and played in 13 games (seven starts) this spring. She set career-highs in batting average (.261), slugging percentage (.391) and on-base percentage (.320).

Jaylee Williams (Maryland, Chatham Central)

Williams made six starts for the Terrapins, recording a .278 batting average with 10 hits, seven runs and three RBIs on the season.

Delana Lo in (Blue eld University, Chatham Charter)

Lo in once again played a signi cant role for the Rams, starting in a career-best 46 games. She logged career-highs in batting average (.238), hits (34), runs (20), doubles (four) and stolen bases (12).

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Ella Boecke (Campbell, Northwood)

Boecke saw the rst action of her college career this spring. The defender played in six games and caused a turnover in a win over Radford in March.

OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD

Lucas Smith (UNC Wilmington, Chatham Charter)

Smith set new personal bests in his sophomore outdoor season, including 21.68 seconds in the 200 at the UNCW Seahawk Invitational in March and 47.23 seconds in the 400 at the Raleigh Relays later in the same month. He was part of the Seahawks’ 4x400 team that placed third with a time of 3:11.50 at the CAA Championship meet on May 16.

Will Cuicchi (Charlotte, Seaforth)

Cuicchi set a new personal best in the 1,500 at the Charlotte 49er Classic in March, recording a time of 3:59.19. He placed third in the 800 at the Charlotte Invitational in April, and he competed in the same event at the American Conference Championships.

Sebastian Calderon (Campbell, Seaforth)

Calderon posted college bests of 11.38 in the 100 and 49.94 in the 400 during his freshman outdoor season.

Juana Silva Jimenez

(Meredith College, Seaforth)

Jimenez placed third in the 10,000 (40:05.22) and fth in the 5,000 (19:26.62) to help Meredith nish third in the USA South outdoor championships in April. She earned multiple top ve nishes during the season.

Anna Peeler (Catawba College, Woods Charter)

Peeler set three personal bests during her freshman outdoor season including the 800 (2:21.01), the mile (5:20.12) and the 1,500 (4:50.99).

Rachael Woods (NC Central, Jordan-Matthews)

Woods recorded her career best in the long jump with a mark of 4.85 meters (15 feet, 11 inches) at the Aggie Invitational in April.

Jack Anstrom (NC State, Seaforth)

Anstrom landed a personal best of 3:43.39 in the 1,500 at the Mount Olive First Chance Meet on May 8. During the ACC Championships a week later, he nished 35th in the 1,500 prelims with a time of 4:00.44.

COURTESY JOHN WARF

Caleigh Warf took on catching duties as a freshman at NC Wesleyan this spring.

Yardbirds fall in inaugural game, announce roster additions

Chatham County fell to Clayton in its inaugural ONSL game

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THE CHATHAM County Yardbirds’ inaugural season took ight over the weekend.

A day after their rst scheduled game against Wake Forest was canceled, the Yardbirds began their 2026 campaign with a 6-2 road loss to Clayton Sunday.

Chatham County’s bats struggled as it mustered four hits. Clayton starter Richie Paltridge and six other pitchers combined to strikeout 17 batters with four walks and one earned run.

The Clovers scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to build a 4-0 lead. During Davis Albert’s at-bat in the inning, Evan Slawinski scored on a wild pitch, and Graham Wike made it home on Albert’s sacri ce y.

Chatham County cut the de cit in half with two runs in the seventh inning. With one out, Jason Johnson scored Nick Papciak with a sac y, and immediately after, Landon Parker’s y ball caused an error that led to an Aidan McCandless score.

Clayton earned those runs right back in the next inning.

After Slawinski was hit by a pitch, Caiden Chilausky tripled to send Slawinski home. Wike stepped up to the plate and followed right behind with an RBI double to put the Clovers’ lead back to four.

After the Yardbirds’ home opener Wednesday, they’ll return to Braxton Field for a 7 p.m. game against the Raleigh Red Oaks Friday. Chatham County will get back on the road against the Danville Dairy Daddies Saturday at 7 p.m., and it’ll play at home once again Sunday at 6 p.m. against the Sanford Spinners.

The Yardbirds will play Chatham Post 305 Monday at 7 p.m. on Braxton Field.

Leading up to opening day, Chatham County announced numerous additions to its roster.

Here’s a rundown of the players signed since April 30 (college, position):

*played high school baseball in Chatham County

Jason Johnson (Guilford Tech, out elder)

Johnson batted .292 with a home run, seven RBIs and 11 runs as a redshirt freshman at Guilford Tech.

Dane O’Neill (Notre Dame, out elder) *

O’Neill played at Seaforth High School where he helped the Hawks win their rst playo game in 2024.

Luke Johnson (Mid-Atlantic Christian University, pitcher) *

Johnson, who played at Chatham Charter, made three starts for the Mustangs this spring. He logged a .279 batting average, 19 hits and 13 RBIs.

Kaden Sajorda (Middlesex College, pitcher)

Sajorda just nished his senior season at Holly Springs High School.

Jared Lehrer (Rockingham CC, in elder)

Lehrer batted .256 with 20 hits, ve doubles, 18 runs and 18 RBIs as a senior at Holly Springs High School this spring.

Julian Arreola (Gaston College, pitcher)

Arreola made six appearances (four innings pitched) on the mound during his sophomore season at Gaston College, logging a 4.50 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, ve strikeouts, ve hits and two earned runs.

Jonathan Sendziak (Guilford, pitcher)

Sendziak started 11 games on the mound for Guilford in his junior year this spring. He recorded a 2-6 record with a 7.84 ERA, 36 strikeouts and 31 walks in 491⁄3 innings pitched.

Landon Parker (New Jersey Institute of Technology, catcher)

Parker nished his sophomore season at NJIT this spring. He saw limited action this year, receiving three at-bats in seven games.

Stratton Barwick (Guilford, pitcher)

In his junior season at Guilford this spring, Barwick went 5-2 on the mound. In 401⁄3 innings, he collected a 5.58 ERA, 24 strikeouts, 10 walks and 44 hits.

Nick Papciak (Wingate, in elder)

Papciak made nine appearances and four starts on the mound as a freshman at Wingate this spring. He logged a 13.86 ERA with 11 strikeouts, 10 walks and 19 hits.

Zach Cartrette (Guilford Tech, pitcher) *

Cartrette, the former Chatham Charter pitcher, made 14 appearances and eight starts on the mound as a freshman at Guilford Tech this season. He posted a 1-4 record with a 9.36 ERA, a 1.90 WHIP, 30 strikeouts, 21 walks and 43 hits in 332⁄3 innings pitched.

Charles Puryear III (Methodist, out elder)

Puryear batted .387 with 12 hits, six RBIs, two doubles and a triple in his senior season at Jordan High School this spring.

Gabriel Ferrell (Montreat, out elder)

Ferrell made 12 starts in his freshman season at Montreat this spring. He recorded a .255 batting average with 12 hits (including three doubles), 12 runs and eight RBIs. He also stole seven bases across his 23 games played.

Anthony Lopossay (Cleveland CC, pitcher) *

Lopossay, the former Chatham Central pitcher, nished his sophomore season with Cleveland Community College this spring. He made seven appearances on the mound, logging a 9.95 ERA with 11 strikeouts, seven walks and eight hits in 61⁄3 innings.

Bryce Huneycutt

Seaforth, baseball

Seaforth junior Bryce Huneycutt earns athlete of the week honors for the week of May 18. Huneycutt put on a stellar pitching performance in the Hawks’ 6-3 win over Rockingham County in Game 1 of the 5A East regional, striking out 10 batters and allowing four hits, three earned runs and one walk in a complete game. In Game 2, Huneycutt went 2 for 3 and knocked in a team-best two RBIs to help the Hawks beat the Cougars 4-0 and clinch its rst state title berth.

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Braxton Field is home to the Chatham County Yardbirds.

Late pass sends Rosenqvist surging past Malukas for closest Indianapolis 500 win in history

Katherine Legge’s double attempt ended early with a crash

By Michael Marot

The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Felix

Rosenqvist swung to the outside of David Malukas, then found a way past the Team Penske driver to win the closest Indianapolis 500 in history by a margin of 0.0233 seconds on Sunday.

Malukas looked like he was in position to win when he passed race leader Marcus Armstrong o the nal restart with one lap to go while Meyer Shank Racing teammates Rosenqvist and Armstrong battled wheel to wheel down the back straightaway and through the fourth and nal turn.

But Rosenqvist had just enough power to pull away from Armstrong and snake behind Malukas before making the decisive outside pass in the nal 50 feet.

The closest previous nish came in 1992 when Al Unser Jr. beat Scott Goodyear across the yard of bricks by 0.043 seconds.

“The last ve years I’ve been in the front and I’ve had a good enough car to probably win it, but today there was just something more,” said Rosenqvist, who had been fast all month.

BASEBALL from page B1

“It was an absolute rocket this month and year; it was still there in the race.”

It was Rosenqvist’s second career win in 120 IndyCar races and comes after the recent birth of his rst child. His last win was on July 12, 2020, at Road America, making this his rst win on an oval. Rosenqvist joins Kenny Brack and Marcus Ericsson as the only Swedes to win the race.

The wild nish began with a red ag that came out with seven laps to go because of a scary crash involving Indy 500 rookie

played at 2 p.m. Thursday. Game 3, if necessary, will also be played Thursday.

The Hawks are the lowest seed remaining across all NCHSAA classi cations.

“We honestly don’t feel like a nine seed,” Messmore said. “We feel like a really talented team that has a ton of pitching depth, a strong lineup one through nine, plays defense really well. And when you put all those pieces together, it’s a championship-quality team.”

On its path to the state nal, Seaforth went on the road for four games. It took down three straight top four seeds including No. 1 Hunt in the third round.

ROUNDUP from page B1

Woods Charter nished the game with 11 shots, and nine of them were on goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Kori Myers recorded three saves.

Stewart said “positional changes” helped make a di erence between the two days.

“I think they worked really well,” Stewart said. “But what it comes down to, it doesn’t matter what you do with X’s and O’s, it’s about belief, and it’s about con dence and talent.”

The undefeated Wolves (22-0) will play No. 1 Summit Charter Academy in the 1A title game Thursday at 3:30 p.m. The game will be held at Durham County Memorial Stadium.

Despite being one of the state’s top soccer programs in the 2020s, Woods Charter is looking for its rst state title. Many of the Wolves’ upperclassmen were less experienced or had smaller roles on the last team that reached the nal game in 2024. Last year, the Wolves fell short of the Final Four. But over time, Stewart has seen his players develop the characteristics needed to get back to this moment.

“I’ll tell you the big di erence,” Stewart said. “Mentally,

LEGION from page B1

the bottom of the sixth inning when Moser tripled on a y ball, scoring three lead-cushioning runs.

Left elder Carson Jackson also had an impactful opening night as he went 1 for 2 with three RBIs and two runs.

Post 305 won a more defensive game over the Bull City Lollygaggers 2-0 on May 19.

Brett Phillips earned the win on the mound with six strikeouts, zero hits, zero walks and

Caio Collet. Flames billowed out of the side of his car as it skidded to a stop in the grass.

When racing resumed after a 10-minute delay, Armstrong and Malukas sped past the top two cars — Rosenqvist and Pato O’Ward. But with 3 1/2 laps left, the yellow ag came out again when Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, brushed the wall in Turn 2. On the nal restart, Lap 200, Malukas sling-shotted his way past Armstrong for the lead

Messmore believes a factor of the Hawks’ playo success is the gauntlet of a regular season schedule they played in preparation.

In the nal weeks leading up to the postseason, Seaforth took on Wake County Home School (ranked 11th in North Carolina by MaxPreps) and played two games against Grace Christian (Sanford), which is ranked second in the state by MaxPreps. The Hawks fell short in all those matchups by one run, but the experience against that caliber of competition was the most important takeaway.

“We saw a lot of good arms throughout the year,” Messmore said. “Now, it’s not the rst time we’re seeing them. We’ve seen them ve, six plus times,

this team is strong. This team’s really strong, and I think that was the di erence today. I think Leah said it that we were focused. We talk about the mental side of the game a lot. And today, we were mentally very strong. That’s what we’re going to need to do against Summit.”

Over in the 3A East bracket, No. 4 Northwood fell to No. 1 Wake Prep 3-0 in the fourth round on May 21. Inclement weather forced the game to end with 17 minutes left to play. The Chargers ended their season with a 15 - 8 -2 record.

Prior to its nal game, Northwood defeated No. 5 Bedding eld 10-1 in the third round. Senior Amelia Cherry recorded a hat trick, and seniors Sulema Arias and Mabel Collins logged two goals each. The Chargers took 31 shots and 20 landed on goal.

Girls’ lacrosse (state playo s)

In the fourth round of the 1A-6A East bracket, No. 4 Seaforth fell to No. 1 Croatan 13-10.

The Cougars landed 20 shots on goal, and senior Maddie Sutton scored six times. The Hawks, who were

a shutout in the game’s last four innings. Bubba Sims, who earned the start, also struck out six batters and allowed two hits and a walk in the rst three innings. Phillips and second baseman Simon Delgado recorded Chatham’s two RBIs. Chatham dropped its rst game of the season at Wake Forest 10-1 on May 21. After a tightly contested ve innings, Post 187 scored eight runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull away. Leighton Cash’s two-run ho -

and started pulling away from the two Meyer Shank Racing drivers. But Rosenqvist nally caught the Team Penske driver to win the biggest race of his career in the same month he became a father.

Malukas said he couldn’t think of what else he could have done to hang on to the lead.

“I was given two options: either I lift or I crash with Felix,” said Armstrong, who nished fth. “I chose to lift. I don’t know if I could have done anything di erent.”

Malukas’ teammate Scott McLaughlin was third, and Rosenqvist’s best friend in racing, O’Ward, was fourth. O’Ward had two runner-up nishes and a third place in the past four years.

“I just don’t know what else we could have done,” Malukas said. “We were driving 150% that whole time. We had the fastest car out there, loved that whole race. It was ours to win and I knew that, so I just never pushed like that my whole life.”

It was a strange day on the 2.5-mile Brickyard.

There was a 12-minute rain delay near the midway point of the race and the threat of more rain the rest of the afternoon changed strategies throughout the day. It looked like Rosenqvist and O’Ward had the advantage over the nal

and so they just have more con dence because it’s something they’ve seen before.”

1A EAST REGIONAL FINAL

North Carolina Leadership Academy 2, Chatham Charter 0 No. 2 Chatham Charter’s historic season met its end in a 7-1 loss to No. 1 North Carolina Leadership Academy in Game 2 of the 1A East regional nal on May 20.

The Knights recorded eight hits but struggled to bring runners home. Chatham Charter left ve runners on base, and in the fourth inning, the Falcons pulled away with ve runs.

“It was an absolute rocket this month and year; it was still there in the race.”

Felix Rosenqvist

25 laps because of pit strategy. But Malukas and McLaughlin fought their way back into contention as other drivers such as defending Indy champion and pole winner Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing faded to seventh.

Palou led the most laps (59), had the most on-track passes (60) and retained the points lead. Malukas, however, passed Kyle Kirkwood for second in the standings. The Chicago native trails the four-time series champion and 2025 Indy winner by 40 points.

The rain didn’t return until Rosenqvist was celebrating. Katherine Legge’s attempt to become the rst woman to complete “The Double” ended after just 17 laps when she couldn’t avoid Ryan Hunter-Reay’s spinning car. Legge’s car skidded down the track and into the inside wall in Turn 2. The English driver was checked at the track’s in eld medical care center and was released.

Game 1 saw a similar issue for the Knights as they left four runners on base in a 4-1 loss.

Nevertheless, NCLA pitcher James Reynolds played a huge part in slowing down Chatham Charter’s o ense as he struck out 12 batters and allowed four hits and one earned run in a complete game. Chatham Charter ended its season with a 22-6 record.

The Knights’ senior class of Westin Phillips, Tyner Williams, Garrison Clark, Brandon Rives and Jace Young were the program’s rst class to win four conference regular season titles, win at least one playo game in all four seasons and win 20 games in a season.

ASHEEBO ROJAS / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Woods Charter celebrates its fourth regional championship in ve seasons.

in the fourth round for the first time, were led by junior Natalie Boecke’s seven goals and freshman Ad-

mer sparked the run. Wake Forest had nine batters record a hit or reach rst base, and seven runs were scored before the second out. Chatham logged ve hits and left four runners on base.

Post 305 bounced back with a nine-inning 6-4 win at the Bull City Lollygaggers Friday. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Bull City’s Peyton Kozink popped out, but Frankie Gilchrist tagged up and scored the tying run that sent the game into extra play.

die Holloway’s three scores. Seaforth dominated No. 5 Southeast Guilford 16-3 in the third round. Boecke notched

Chatham regained its advantage in the ninth inning with an RBI single from Gavin Dodson followed by a two-RBI triple by Phillips. Bull City attempted a rally in its nal batting turn as it landed a double and two singles, which scored one run, but it was cut short by a strikeout from Sims. Sims went 3 for 5 with three runs and two RBIs from the plate. The Post 305 senior team is o to a much better start than last summer in which it dropped three of its rst four games.

seven goals, and Holloway recorded a hat trick. The Hawks finished the season with a 12-8 record.

The junior team also picked up two big wins to start the year. Chatham defeated Cary 12-3 in its season opener on May 19. It logged 14 hits, including a 3-for-4, three-RBI and one-run night from Eliel Tomas. Post 305 dominated Cary again 8-1 on May 20. Wyatt Clewis and Mason Hayes combined for eight strikeouts and zero earned runs. Will Murchison recorded a team-high three RBIs, and Kaide Davis went 2 for 3 with an RBI.

MICHAEL CONROY / AP PHOTO

Felix Rosenqvist celebrates after winning Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.

SIDELINE REPORT

TENNIS

Gotta go: Home player Gea takes emergency bathroom break during French Open debut

Paris Home player Arthur Gea ran o the court for an emergency bathroom break early in the rst set of his French Open debut. Gea told the chair umpire before hastily running o , “I need to go to the bathroom. I can’t move anymore. I’m going to (go) on the court.” The 135th-ranked Gea lost to 13th-seeded Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-0. Usually bathroom breaks are only permitted between sets. The 21-year-old Gea received a wild card invitation from Roland Garros organizers to participate in the main draw.

NBA Trail Blazers lay o employees as part of restructuring e ort

Portland, Ore. The Portland Trail Blazers laid o employees as new owner Tom Dundon cuts costs. The exact number of employees let go was not made public but included sta in both the business and basketball operations. Dundon leads the group of investors who bought the NBA franchise from the estate of Paul Allen, the co -founder of Microsoft who died in 2018. The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the sale, worth a reported $4.25 billion, in April. Dundon also owns the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL.

PWHL

Montreal Victoire win team’s rst PWHL title, beating Ottawa 4-0 in Game 4

Ottawa, Ontario Abby Roque scored twice, Ann-Renée Desbiens made 23 saves and the Montreal Victoire won their rst PWHL title, beating the Ottawa Charge 4-0 in Game 4 of the Walter Cup Finals. Maggie Flaherty and Lina Ljungblom also scored. Montreal opened the best- of- ve series at home with two overtime victories, then fell 2-1 at Ottawa. Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin was named playo MVP. She tied for the postseason lead with eight points.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Orgeron returns to LSU as special assistant to recruiting, defense

Baton Rouge, La. Ed Orgeron returned to LSU’s football program Wednesday, seven years after he coached the Tigers to the 2019 national title. LSU head coach Lane Ki n added Orgeron, 64, to the sta as a special assistant to recruiting and defense. Orgeron worked under Ki n at Southern California and Tennessee. Orgeron spent six seasons as LSU’s head coach before being red after the 2021 season.

NFL

NFL taking 2030 Super Bowl to Nashville, Titans’ new enclosed stadium Nashville, Tenn.

The NFL is taking the 2030 Super Bowl to Nashville and the Titans’ new Nissan Stadium after team owners voted to hold the league’s championship game in the Music City for the rst time. Once the Titans broke ground on the $2.1 billion enclosed stadium, a Super Bowl being played in Nashville appeared to be only a matter of time. The Titans are on schedule to nish the new stadium directly across from the current Nissan Stadium in February, completing the three-year construction.

Harvick, ’14 Cup Series champion, selected to NASCAR Hall of Fame

Je Burton and Larry Phillips will join him in January 2027 induction ceremony

By Steve Reed The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — Kevin Harvick, who captured the 2014 Cup Series championship and won 60 races at the sport’s top level, was selected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with former teammate Je Burton and Larry Phillips.

The induction ceremony is set for Jan. 22, 2027, bringing the total number of Hall of Fame inductees to 73.

Harvick received 46 of the 50 votes cast by the panel which included representatives from NASCAR, the Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders, reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson and a nationwide fan vote.

Burton received the second-most at 32% to edge out Neil Bonnett, Randy Dorton and the late Greg Bi e for the second and nal spot on the modern ballot.

Phillips received 38% of the pioneer ballot votes.

“When you talk about your reputation and the respect factor I think that speaks volumes about the things you were able to accomplish,” Harvick said of receiving 92% of the votes.

“I can say it now, I’m proud of that.”

Harvick’s career took an unexpected turn when he was selected by team owner Richard Childress to replace Dale Earnhardt after the seven-time champion was killed in a wreck at the 2001 Daytona 500.

Initially, Childress had planned to bring Harvick along slowly and have him gain experience at the sport’s lower level (then known as the Busch Series), but Earnhardt’s death accelerated his rise.

Driving the renumbered No.

46

Number of votes, out of 50, received by Kevin Harvick in the Hall of Fame balloting

29 GM Goodwrench Service Plus Chevrolet, it took Harvick only three races to nd victory lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2001, giving RCR an emotional victory. He went on to win NASCAR Rookie of the Year, establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with in the sport for years to come.

Harvick said replacing Earnhardt was di cult at the time, but he and others within RCR buried themselves in their work and “hid” from harsh reality of the star’s death.

“I think the racer’s excuse is, ‘I have to go to a race,’” Harvick said. “Whether it’s with your wife or a terrible moment like

we had with Dale, it was like, ‘Well, we gotta go to the race this week.’ We just booked like 70 or 80 races that year and we just kind of hid from everything that we did. ... (The racetrack) was really where everyone wanted to be so we didn’t want to address the other situation.”

Known as “The Closer,” Harvick, 50, went on to win the 2007 Daytona 500 and earned his only championship seven years after NASCAR turned to an elimination-style playo format.

Harvick’s 60 Cup wins over 826 starts ranks 11th all-time.

Burton, 58, was a teammate of Harvick’s at RCR for years. The calmer of the two drivers, Burton won 21 Cup races over his 20-year NASCAR career in 695 starts. He was the 1994 Rookie of the Year and his career highlights include winning the Coca-Cola 600 twice and the Southern 500. He won six Cup races in 1999. He said he was “playing a

crappy round of golf” when he received a phone call informing him that he got it.

“The generations before us, they made it all possible,” Burton said. “So to be enshrined in something that my heroes are in, that just means a lot.”

As for Phillips, who died in 2004 at 62, nobody can say for sure how many races he won because he raced everywhere from dirt to asphalt and in places where record keeping wasn’t always a priority. His crew chief, James Ince, estimated Phillips won 1,000 times; maybe 2,000, according to NASCAR.

Landmark Award winner

Lesa France Kennedy, the executive vice chair of NASCAR, was selected as the Landmark Award winner for her contributions to the sport. Kennedy spearheaded the revitalization of Phoenix Raceway and the Daytona Rising project at Daytona International Speedway.

Lone full-time spelling bee coach charges $180 per hour; champions say he’s worth it

Scott Remer has coached ve national champions

By Ben Nuckols The Associated Press

WHEN DEV SHAH won the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2023 and Faizan Zaki took the title last year, they posed for remarkably similar photos on the confetti-strewn stage. Standing next to them, beaming, was a bespectacled man in an aloha shirt, holding up a copy of his book “Words of Wisdom.”

For Scott Remer, the champion spellers’ coach, posing for a picture was more than just a celebration. It was a business necessity.

While nearly every National Spelling Bee champion over the past 15 years has worked with a coach, the 32-year-old Remer is the country’s only full-time, professional tutor for elite spellers. Most coaches are former spellers who are still in college or even high school.

“He’s probably one of the most in uential gures in spelling over the past 10 years,” said Shah, now 17. Remer has coached ve national champions, and since the bee emerged from the pandemic disruptions of 2020 and ‘21, he has scaled up the coaching profession. He claims 34 spellers as his students this year and has worked with no fewer than 29 during each of the past four bees. He charges more than other coaches: up to $180 for an hourlong private lesson. If spellers nish in the top 10

and earn a cash prize, he receives up to 10% of their winnings, which he called “a performance-based bonus.”

Many spellers and their families believe Remer is worth it — despite, or perhaps because of, the intense personality that emerges during his lessons.

Always earnest and gregarious on any spelling-related topic, Remer describes coaching as a passion that grew out of his disappointing fourth-place nish in 2008, his nal year as a speller. He says he’s motivated by sharing his knowledge, helping kids reach their potential and the challenge of discovering spelling bee-worthy words.

“This is really about the love of language and the love of the competition. Part of it is once you’re stung by the bee, there’s kind of no going back,” Remer said. “I’m not going to deny that it pays well, because it does.

“Once you’re stung by the bee, there’s kind of no going back.”

Scott Remer

But I don’t know that there’s anything wrong with that.”

The last two champions he coached say he was crucial to their victories.

“Even though his classes are more expensive, it’s de nitely worth it,” Faizan said. “I saw results.”

Faizan’s father, Zaki Anwar, said he negotiated a reduced rate of $120 an hour for Remer’s services because Faizan was already an accomplished speller. Remer took home 7% of the champion’s prize haul of $52,500 — a bonus of $3,675.

“After winning, it doesn’t really matter,” Anwar said.

Expensive and demanding, Remer is not for everyone Remer drills his students on roots, language patterns and the exceptions to those patterns. He seeks to instill a deep understanding of languages that will allow spellers to gure out a word even if they have never seen or heard it before, as Shah did with “rommack” in 2023. But Remer’s pricing, and his coaching style, have led some spellers to seek help elsewhere.

“I found it prohibitively expensive,” said Navneeth Murali, a University of Pennsylvania student who competed through 2020 and now coaches spellers, charging rough-

ly $50 for an hourlong lesson. “It wasn’t a realistic option for me.”

Remer said his goal is to be supportive while giving spellers the feedback they need to avoid repeating mistakes.

“I try to be tough but fair, and I also try to modulate my teaching methods, based on the kids’ needs and the kids’ personalities,” he said. “Whether I’m always successful at that is I guess an open question.”

From the Ivy League to fulltime spelling coach

Remer graduated from Yale in 2016 and earned a master’s degree from Cambridge a year later. His rst study guide, “Words of Wisdom: Keys to Success in the Scripps National Spelling Bee,” was published in 2010, when he was a teenager. That was also the year he coached his rst champion, Anamika Veeramani.

Scripps, the Cincinnati-based media company that has run the bee for a century, does not endorse coaching, but Corrie Loe er, the bee’s executive director, described the practice as inevitable, given the intensity of the competition.

Loe er gently pushed back at the idea that any coach should claim credit for a speller’s success.

“It’s hard work, it’s study ethic, it’s perseverance,” she said. “These kids are doing pretty incredible things at a really high level, especially at a young age, and I want them to be able to take credit for that themselves, knowing that it’s a community and they’ve had so much support along the way.”

SCOTT REMER VIA AP

Scott Remer, the country’s only full-time, professional coach for elite spellers.

TERRY RENNA / AP PHOTO

Kevin Harvick celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship series in 2014.

this week in history

Watergate Hotel burglarized, Gehrig succumbs to ALS, crackdown in Tiananmen Square

The Associated Press

MAY 28

1830: President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, forcing nearly 50,000 Native Americans primarily from the Southeast to relocate west of the Mississippi River.

1863: The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, composed of free black men, departed Boston to ght for the Union in the Civil War.

1972: Burglars connected to the Nixon White House broke into Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Hotel, installing surveillance devices; the scandal led to Nixon’s resignation.

MAY 29

1914: The RMS Empress of Ireland sank after colliding with a cargo ship in the St. Lawrence River, killing 1,012 of 1,477 on board.

1953: Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the rst climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

2020: Derek Chauvin, a red Minneapolis police ocer, was arrested for murder in George Floyd’s death. Floyd’s death sparked nationwide protests against racial injustice.

MAY 30

1431: Joan of Arc, condemned as a heretic, was burned at the stake in Rouen, France.

1935: Babe Ruth played his

last major league game for the Boston Braves, leaving after the rst inning.

2023: Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes began serving an 11-year sentence after being convicted of fraud and conspiracy.

MAY 31

1889: More than 2,200 people died in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, when the South Fork Dam collapsed, sending a massive ood through the town.

1921: A two-day massacre began in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as white mobs looted and burned the black district of Greenwood; as many as 300 black residents were killed.

1949: Former State Department o cial Alger Hiss went on trial in New York on perjury charges; his rst trial ended in a hung jury, but he was later convicted.

JUNE 1

1813: Mortally wounded

USS Chesapeake commander Capt. James Lawrence urged his crew, “Don’t give up the ship,” during a losing battle with the British frigate HMS Shannon in the War of 1812.

1916: The Senate con rmed Louis Brandeis to the U.S. Supreme Court, making him the rst Jewish justice.

1962: Former Nazi o cial Adolf Eichmann was executed after being convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

JUNE 2

1941: Lou Gehrig, baseball’s “Iron Horse,” died in New York of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS; he was 37.

1953: Queen Elizabeth II was crowned at age 27 at Westminster Abbey in London, 16 months after the death of her father, King George VI.

JUNE 3

1888: Ernest Lawrence Thayer’s poem “Casey at the Bat” was rst published in the San Francisco Daily Examiner. 1943: An altercation in Los Angeles between U.S. Navy sailors and young Mexican Americans escalated into the Zoot Suit Riots, as white mobs attacked Mexican Americans across the city, injuring more than 150 people.

1989: Chinese army troops entered Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to begin a crackdown on student-led pro-democracy demonstrations, crushing their movement.

1924: Congress passed, and President Calvin Coolidge signed, the Indian Citizenship Act, granting U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans born within the country’s territorial limits.

AP PHOTO

Queen Elizabeth II is crowned at Westminster Abbey in London on June 2, 1953.

DIRK PONS VIA WIKIPEDIA

Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the rst to summit Mount Everest on May 29, 1953.

Malek explores art, love, death in Ira Sachs’ Cannes entry ‘The Man I Love’

The lmmaker also directed “Passages” and “Love Is Strange”

By Jake Coyle The Associated Press

CANNES, France — In Ira Sachs’ 1980s-set drama “The Man I Love,” Rami Malek nds the most well-tailored role since his Oscar-winning portrayal of Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

While Sachs’ lm, which is a competition entry at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, likewise centers on a performer dying of AIDS, it’s otherwise an altogether di erent and dramatically more personal tale about art, love and death.

“It took me a minute to realize it was more about life,” Malek said in an interview alongside Sachs on a terrace in Cannes. “There’s a threat looming throughout, but it’s an undercurrent. Throughout the lm there’s a cacophony of sound and imagery and beauty that is lling your soul.”

The lm, which is for sale in Cannes, has earned Malek — an

actor who has sometimes struggled to nd well-suited roles since his breakout in “Mr. Robot” — some of the best reviews of his career.

Sachs, the New York indie lmmaker, knew he wanted an actor with an ine able star quality.

“What I saw in ‘Mr. Robot’ was a very natural actor and someone who has an ability where you don’t know how they get from one word to the next.”

In “The Man I Love,” Malek plays Jimmy George, a New York performance artist who’s trying to continue performing despite his illness. His partner

(Tom Sturridge) diligently cares for him while a man (Luke Ford) who moves into the same building immediately falls for Jimmy. It’s not a movie lled with medication and hospital visits. Instead, it captures a performer desperately trying to continue on.

Sachs said he wanted “a rapturous lm.”

“I wanted to make a lm that contained all the things that I’ll miss when I’m gone,” said the lmmaker. “I wanted it to be su used with emotion and pain and skin. It’s a sexy lm. It has color and music. You could say it’s a list of pleasures or sins.”

Some of the movie’s most overwhelming scenes are of Jimmy rehearsing or performing. In a heartbreaking showstopper, he sings the 1970 Melanie hit “What Have They Done to My Song Ma” to his family.

“It came straight from my soul,” says Malek. “It’s a moment in the lm when Jimmy has some sense of clarity as to what’s coming. There is this stubborn refusal to keep creating in the most desperate of times that emanates through this lm. It imbued me with this sense of, ‘Oh, I can be dangerous. I can take things to a limit that I haven’t before.’”

The 1980s has deep importance to the 60-year-old Sachs, who began working in New York in 1984. He was inspired by the stories of performance artists like John Kelly and John Jesurun.

“They’re the ones who told me about the last night that the comedian Frank Maya was on stage and he lost the ability to nish his act,” Sachs says.

Malek calls Sachs “a library,” whose connection to the time of “The Man I Love” fueled his curiosity.

Cannes’ amfAR Gala raises millions for AIDS research with sales of artwork, jewelry, lavish goods

The event has been raising money and awareness since 1985

By Louise Dixon

The Associated Press

ANTIBES, France — Actors and celebrities at the Cannes Film Festival were coaxed o the Croisette and up the French Riviera coast to Antibes on Thursday for dinner, performances and the annual amfAR Gala auction, which raised millions for AIDS research.

Guests were treated to a lavish reception on the Hotel Du Cap, Eden Roc, lawn, followed by performances from Robbie Williams, Zara Larsson and Lizzo over dinner. The gala was hosted by Geena Davis, who appears on this year’s festival poster, a tribute to “Thelma & Louise.”

Lizzo teased her new album on the red carpet. “I’m just so excited. I’m trying to bring back good, clean fun. Like, I just want to have fun again, people need to dance, people need to laugh.”

Other guests included Rami Malek who has a lm in competition in Cannes, Eva Longoria, Heidi Klum, So a Carson,

“I’m just so excited. I’m trying to bring back good, clean fun.”

Lizzo

Natasha Poly and Bar Refaeli.

An array of art, jewelry and experiences were auctioned.

Actor William Abadie auctioned o a walk-on part in “Emily in Paris” while con rming the sixth season will be the show’s last. After some enthusiastic bidding, two opportunities were given for a turn in the limelight, for $435,545 each.

Some of the artwork raised the bar with a famed full set of Andy Warhol screen prints of Marilyn Monroe fetching $3,252,228.

Festival sponsor Chopard donated diamond earrings that sold for $696,906. And a limited-edition Audemars Piguet watch — one of only ve — went for an eye-watering $1,684,160.

Williams performed a medley of his hits ending with “Angels” dedicated to his daughter.

A surprise lot of VIP concert tickets was split between two bidders at $255,527 each for two sets of tickets each.

closed the dinner with a high-energy perfor

The guests then moved to the afterparty around the hotel’s pool to dance and celebrate. Since 1985, amfAR has

raised nearly $950 million in support of AIDS research and programs and awarded more than 3,800 grants.

Larsson

mance that lured diners into dancing in front of the stage.

SCOTT A GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Actor Geena Davis poses for photographers upon arrival at the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS bene t at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc during the 79th Cannes Film Festival on May 21.

Rami Malek poses for portrait photographs for the lm “The Man I Love” at the 79th Cannes Film Festival on May 19.

SCOTT A GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO

famous birthdays this week

Annette Bening is 68, Brooke Shields turns 61, Pat Boone hits 92, Morgan Freeman is 89

The Associated Press THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

MAY 28

Actor Carroll Baker is 95. Singer Gladys Knight is 82. Singer John Fogerty is 81. Actor Christa Miller is 62. Singer Kylie Minogue is 58. Talk show host Elisabeth Hasselbeck is 49. Actor Jake Johnson is 48. Singer Colbie Caillat is 41. Actor Carey Mulligan is 41.

MAY 29

Composer Danny Elfman (Oingo Boingo) is 73. Actor Ted Levine (“Monk,” “The Silence of the Lambs”) is 69. Actor Annette Bening is 68. Actor Rupert Everett is 67. Singer Melissa Etheridge is 65. Guitarist Noel Gallagher (Oasis) is 59. Actor Laverne Cox (“Doubt,” “Orange Is the New Black”) is 54. Singer Melanie Brown (“Scary Spice”) of the Spice Girls is 51.

MAY 30

Singer-actor Idina Menzel is 55. Guitarist Tom Morello (Audioslave and Rage Against the Machine) is 62. Country singer Wynonna Judd is 62. Singer Cee Lo Green (Gnarls Barkley, Goodie Mob) is 51. Actor Stephen Tobolowsky is 75.

MAY 31

Actor- lmmaker Clint Eastwood is 96. Football Hall of Famer Joe Namath is 83. Actor Tom Berenger is 77. Actor-comedian Chris Elliott is 66. Actor Lea Thompson is 65. Musician Corey Hart is 64. Rapper Darryl “DMC” McDaniels is 62.

Actor Brooke Shields is 61.

JUNE 1

Singer Pat Boone is 92. Actor Morgan Freeman is 89. Actor Brian Cox is 80. Actor Jonathan Pryce is 79. Rock musician Ronnie Wood (The Rolling Stones) is 79. Country singer-songwriter Ronnie Dunn is 73.

Actor Lisa Hartman Black is 70.

JUNE 2

Actor Stacy Keach is 85. Filmmaker Lasse Hallström is 80. Actor Jerry Mathers is 78. Actor Joanna Gleason is 76. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is 74. Comedian Dana Carvey is 71. TV personality-producer Andy Cohen is 58.

JUNE 3

Former Cuban President Raúl Castro is 95. Basketball Hall of Famer Billy Cunningham is 83. Golf Hall of Famer Hale Irwin is 81. Singer Suzi Quatro is 76. Singer Deniece Williams is 76. Former rst lady Jill Biden is 75.

AMY HARRIS / INVISION / AP PHOTO Singer Gladys Knight turns 82 on Thursday.

BRANDON DILL / AP PHOTO

Actor Morgan Freeman, pictured in 2025, turns 89 on Monday.

Paul McCartney, John Travolta, Tina Fey, Latto, Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man

“Deli Boys” returns to Hulu for a second season

The Associated Press

PAUL MCCARTNEY re ecting on the “Days We Left Behind” with his 18th studio album and John Travolta writing, directing and narrating an ode to the glamorous days of 1960s air travel 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: Net ix drops Season 2 of Net ix’s “Four Seasons” starring Tina Fey, Atlanta rapper Latto returns with “Big Mama” and Nicolas Cage stars in a new live-action series inspired by Spider-Man.

MOVIES TO STREAM

Bill Skarsgård’s aggrieved everyman takes Dacre Montgomery’s mortgage executive hostage in “Dead Man’s Wire,” streaming on Net ix on Thursday. In his review for The Associated Press, Film Writer Jake Coyle wrote that “it plays a little loose with facts but the righteous rage of ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ is present enough in Gus Van Sant’s … thriller that’s as deeply 1970s as it is contemporary.”

Fresh o its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Travolta’s “Propeller One-Way Night Coach” will be streaming on Apple TV starting Friday. The actor wrote, directed and narrated this ode to the glamorous days of 1960s air travel following an aviation-obsessed 10-year-old on a cross-country trip with his mother. Running at only 60 minutes, the lm, which is based on a novel he wrote, has received mostly mixed reviews.

In “Miss You, Love You,” written and directed by Jim Rash and streaming on HBO Max on Friday, Allison Janney plays a recently widowed woman who has to plan her husband’s funeral with a stranger: Her estranged son’s assistant, played by Andrew Rannells. Also coming to HBO Max on Friday is the Charli xcx movie “The Moment,” a meta mockumentary about the end of Brat summer and grappling with otherworldly success.

by the Marvel character. Set against a gritty 1930s New York, Cage plays Ben Reilly, a P.I. who carries the weight of being the city’s only masked hero ghting rampant corruption. Viewers can choose between black-and-white and color versions. All eight episodes of “Spider-Noir” are now streaming on Prime Video.

The wild crime comedy “Deli Boys” returns to Hulu for its second season on Thursday. Two Pakistani American brothers, played by Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh, inherit a chain of delis after their father dies and think they’re set for life until the realization that those delis were really a front for smuggling drugs. Poorna Jagannathan plays their aunt who has taken over the business.

“Dead Man’s Wire” plays a little loose with facts but the righteous rage of “Dog Day Afternoon” is present enough in Gus Van Sant’s … thriller that’s as deeply 1970s as it is contemporary.”

Jake Coyle, AP lm writer

in prison for life but also helping the BAU track down other killers like himself. The big bad for Season 19 is a copycat killer, who is a fan of Voit. A number of actors from the original series return, including Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster. Connor Storrie of “Heated Rivalry” will also guest star.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Filmmakers are still trying to decide on the next actor to play James Bond, but gamers worldwide are ready to take on the role in “007 First Light.” Developer IO Interactive describes it as an origin story, as a 20-something Bond who is new to MI6 is sent in pursuit of a rogue agent. Expect plenty of exotic locations, cool weapons and gadgets, a slick wardrobe and, of course, a glamorous love interest. You can “go silent or go loud,” meaning you can take a stealthy approach to each mission or go in with sts and bullets ying. IO is best known for its globe-trotting “Hitman” series, so it’s well quali ed to take on this franchise. Pick up your license to kill on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 or PC.

MUSIC TO STREAM

McCartney re ects on the “Days We Left Behind” on his 18th studio album, “The Boys of Dungeon Lane,” out Friday.

That’s a reference to a particularly nostalgic and wistful track on the new collection, which reects on the youth of a life well lived — so, of course, it’s all soft piano and delicate harmonies.

Markiplier’s “Iron Lung” is also making its streaming debut, on YouTube, Sunday. The adaptation of the indie horror game was self- nanced and self-released in theaters where it earned more than $50 million worldwide.

If that’s not enough to inspire

a listen, perhaps this is: The album also features the rst duet of Macca and Ringo Starr, a must-play for any Beatles fan. “The world around us wasn’t safe, the place was falling down/ But it was my hometown/And it was home to us,” they sing. It’s enough to make someone weep, if it wasn’t such a jam.

SERIES TO STREAM

A Spider-Man series but make it noir. Cage stars in a new live-action series inspired

Net ix drops Season 2 of its “Four Seasons” on Thursday. It’s about a group of friends navigating relationships and life’s ups and downs. Fey is a co-creator and stars alongside Colman Domingo, Will Forte, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Marco Calvani and Erika Henningsen. It’s adapted from Alan Alda’s 1981 lm of the same name.

“Criminal Minds: Evolution” Season 19 premieres with two episodes Thursday on Paramount+.

In the new episodes, serial killer Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) is still

“Mina the Hollower” is a mouse who’s really good at burrowing, which comes in handy when she needs to run away from — or sneak up behind — the nastier critters roaming her spooky home. She can also ght back with her whip, and she can track down sidearms and trinkets that make her more of a threat. All this takes place in a colorful, pixelated 2D world reminiscent of 1980s classics like “The Legend of Zelda.” Developer Yacht Club Games, which gave us the retro indie smash “Shovel Knight,” promises a “bone-chilling yet heartwarming tale inspired by Victorian Gothic horror.”

May 29,

Dig in on Friday,

on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch, PC or Mac.

SCOTT KOWALCHYK / CBS VIA AP

Former Beatle Paul McCartney drops his 18th studio album, “The Boys of Dungeon Lane” on Friday.

EMILY V. ARAGONES / NETFLIX VIA AP

Tina Fey returns for season 2 of “The Four Seasons” on Net ix.

ROW K VIA AP

Dacre Montgomery and Bill Skarsgård star in “Dead Man’s Wire” streaming this week on Net ix.

Duplin Journal

Warsaw man charged after 130-mph chase ends in crash

Magnolia

A 33-year-old Warsaw man was arrested last week after a reported high-speed pursuit through Magnolia ended in a crash. According to the Magnolia Police Department Chief Jerry Wood, o cers observed a red 2014 Chevrolet Camaro speeding on Monk Street shortly before 11 p.m. on May 21 and attempted a tra c stop. The driver, identi ed as Milton Donovan West, allegedly did not stop and continued at a high rate of speed, at times estimated to exceed 130 mph. The pursuit ended when the vehicle left the roadway and crashed in a eld south of the House of Raeford area along U.S. 117 near the Brooks Quinn intersection. Authorities said West sustained a minor forehead injury. West was arrested and charged with multiple o enses, including felony eeing to elude arrest, driving while license revoked, speeding, reckless driving, no insurance, possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, carrying a concealed weapon and operating a vehicle without registration. He was booked into the Duplin County Jail on a $5,000 secured bond.

Magnolia sets June 9 budget hearing

Magnolia Town residents are encouraged to attend a public budget hearing scheduled for June 9 at 6 p.m. at Magnolia Town Hall. Town o cials said the meeting will provide an opportunity for residents to review the proposed budget, ask questions and o er public comment before nal adoption.

Parking enforcement near ball elds

Beulaville

The Beulaville Police Department is reminding residents that parking on sidewalks near the town’s ball elds is prohibited and will be enforced. O cials say increased parking along sidewalk areas on Jones Street and East Broad Street has created safety hazards for pedestrians. Police encourage the public to follow posted guidelines to help keep the area safe for visitors. Violations may result in citations or towing.

Duplin unveils Gold Star Memorial marker

Duplin County honored generations of military sacri ce Friday with the dedication of a new Gold Star Memorial Marker in Courthouse Square in Kenansville. Bagpipes, wreaths and tributes marked a solemn ceremony recognizing Gold Star families and their lasting legacy. Turn to A6 for the story.

$4.35M

The mayor said a proposed rate hike adds burden to residents who are already struggling

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

THE TOWN OF WAR-

SAW’S proposed $4.35 million budget for fiscal year 2026–27 is prompting debate

Policy

over rising utility costs, town employee pay increases and questions about transparency in how the spending plan was prepared and presented to the board leaving limited time for review before discussion.

Mayor Wesley Boykin said board members received the proposed budget only shortly before the meeting began, leaving little time for meaningful scrutiny ahead of the presentation. Town Manager Lea Turner introduced the budget plan, which relies heavily on property taxes, sales taxes and utility revenues to fund operations for the 2026–27 fiscal year. Property tax collections are projected at approximately $1.66 million, based on the current tax rate of 50 cents per $100 valuation and a projected 97% collection rate.

shift sparks debate over animal control o cer safety

The decision shifts long-standing practice for animal control o cers and raises questions about safety and eld operations

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

DUPLIN COUNTY o cials say nonsworn employees will no longer be authorized to carry

handguns as part of a review of departmental roles and personnel policies, directing a ected sta to return previously issued rearms.

“Non-sworn personnel are

generally not authorized to carry rearms,” the county said in a public statement, adding that the decision was made to align job duties with county policy and ensure consistency across depart-

Commissioners hear budget proposal focused on stability, operations

The recommended plan includes employee raises, EMS upgrades, sheri ’s vehicles and new county positions without raising taxes

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

“I bet if I were to ask anybody in this room other than Chelsey (Lanier, the nance o cer), I don’t think anybody could tell me what all was included in any one of those functions, that’s why this year it is recommended at the department level.”

Lisa Hughes

KENANSVILLE — With no proposed tax increase and employee raises included, Duplin County leaders unveiled a recommended $79.46 million budget during the May 18 Board of County Commissioners meeting. County Manager Lisa Hughes presented the recommended scal year 2026-27 budget totaling $79.46 million, an increase of approximately $2.5 million over the current year’s adopted budget. Revenue sources include property taxes, sales taxes, fees, intergovernmental grants and appropriated fund balance. The proposed budget appropriates $2.00

See BUDGET, page A2

ments. Animal Control O cers will continue responding to calls, enforcing ordinances, assisting residents and coordinating with law enforcement when needed.

County Manager Lisa Hughes said the decision was based on policy review and legal guidance, not any speci c incident. She said there was no triggering event that prompted the change. Hughes said the decision followed an internal review and consultations with the UNC School of Government, the county attorney, and surrounding

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BUDGET from page A1

$7,310,491 from the county’s fund balance, often referred to as the county’s “rainy day” savings account. That amount is lower than the $7,730,233 appropriated in the current year’s budget.

Hughes explained that the county has traditionally used fund balance as a mechanism to balance the general fund budget, but historically has only actually needed to spend those funds once since 2017.

“In the past when you have adopted a budget, you have adopted it for general government, public safety, environmental protection, scal development, human services, education, cultural and recreational, contributions and transfers and debt service. I bet if I were to ask anybody in this room other than Chelsey (Lanier, the nance ocer), I don’t think anybody could tell me what all was included in any one of those functions, that’s why this year it is recommended at the department level,” Hughes said.

The proposed budget maintains the current county tax rate with no increase and includes a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment for county employees. Health insurance costs are projected to increase by 4% per full-time employee and retiree, and the county is also facing mandatory increases in contributions to the Local Government Employees’ Retirement System.

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Duplin school board recognizes student, teacher achievements

Duplin school board recognizes student, teacher achievements

By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal

THE MAY Duplin County School Board meeting opened with recognition of some exceptional achievements.

Chief O cer for STEAMA Curriculum and Instruction

Nicole Murray recognized two students from Wallace-Rose Hill High School for academic achievements. Kaylon Leon was recognized for being selected to attend the North Carolina Governor’s School to study natural sciences. The Governor’s School is a fourweek summer residential program for gifted high school students, and it is the oldest statewide program of its kind in the nation. The second student, Edwardo Gonzalez, was recognized as the recipient of the 2025-26 Morehead-Cain Scholarship.

”It is one of the most prestigious undergraduate scholarships in the nation and it is awarded to exceptional students who choose to attend UNC-Chapel Hill,” Murray explained. Murray went on to share that Gonzalez was also the recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship — valued at up to $55,000 a year for four years. Accepted to multiple Ivy League schools and “hav-

The proposed budget continues all existing county services while adding one marketing and public information o cer position and three positions tied to a possible county takeover of the Wallace library.

“We currently contract with various companies to do our marketing. So, we’re going to try to bring that in house and beef that up a little bit,” Hughes said while explaining the recommendation for the public information position.

The budget also recommends eliminating positions that have remained vacant for more than one year or positions department directors requested be removed.

More than $2.5 million in capital expenditures are included in the proposed budget. Planned purchases include six sheri ’s o ce vehicles, a new cell booth for the detention center, one new ambulance, one ambulance remount and replacement of all EMS cardiac monitors. Additional purchases include one quick-response vehicle, three inspector’s trucks, one animal control truck, a new van for the animal shelter and one Department of Social Services vehicle.

Facility and recreational improvements are also included in the proposal, including restroom upgrades and a johnboat for Cabin Lake, along with concession upgrades at the county event center.

While Duplin County Public

“North Carolina is No. 1 in the country for National Board Certi ed Teachers.”

Felicia Brown

ing a resume longer than most of us here”, Murray shared that Gonzalez chose to attend Yale University.

Newly certi ed National Board teachers were also recognized.

“North Carolina is No. 1 in the country for National Board Certi ed Teachers,” said Felicia Brown, assistant superintendent for human resources. The four new National Board teachers who were recognized were East Duplin High School business teacher Tonya Powers, North Duplin High School English teacher Hannah Smith, EC Adaptive Department teacher Caroline Rocha, and North Duplin Elementary School second-grade teacher Morgan Taylor. All four teachers will receive a 12% pay increase for becoming National Board Certi ed.

The board then approved a consent agenda that included the new driver’s education pay schedule and more than $500,000 in 2026-27 agreements with several IEP service providers.

The board also approved out-of-state BETA eld trips

Schools requested a $2.8 million increase in county funding, the recommended budget keeps school funding at for the upcoming scal year.

James Sprunt Community College “did not ask for an increase for next year,” said Hughes.

Before entering closed session, Hughes recognized outgoing Deputy County Manager Carrie Shields for her signi cant contributions to county operations and budget preparation.

Hughes also highlighted recent grant successes, including approximately $1 million for James Kenan High School and $800,000 for emergency services projects. She said those funds are currently being formally processed and incorporated into the budget so the county can move forward with both projects.

Commissioners expressed appreciation for Shields’ work and acknowledged that her departure would leave a noticeable impact on county operations.

The board is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposed budget June 1, withnal adoption of the budget ordinance expected June 15.

In other business

Commissioners approved a request from Consolidated Human Services Director Angel Venecia to contract with E cient Construction Inc. for the con-

for Chinquapin Elementary School, Wallace Elementary School, B.F. Grady Elementary School, Warsaw Elementary School and Wallace-Rose Hill High School. An out-of-state trip was also approved for James Kenan High School to visit Fort Jackson.

Board member Pam Edwards recused herself from the vote to approve a 2026-27 contract for IEP services with Edwards and Associates Physical Therapy with a maximum value of $85,000. The board acknowledged donations from Lovick’s Chapel AMEZ Church and Faison Presbyterian Church for sta and teacher appreciation and end-of-year celebrations. Members also acknowledged a donation from WoodmenLife for outdoor tables and second-grade patios at Wallace Elementary School and a donation from Smith eld Foods for Wallace-Rose Hill High School’s Senior Decision Day. The board moved into a closed executive session to discuss personnel. When members returned to open session, they approved the superintendent’s recommendations from the closed session.

Duplin County Superintendent Daren Tyndall shared information about upcoming exams through May 22 and graduations scheduled for May 26-29. “I’d like to congratulate all our upcoming seniors on achieving their graduation,” Tyndall said.

struction of a new 24-by-48-foot open-air shed behind the animal services building.

The $28,300 project, which is funded within the current budget, will provide covered storage for the county’s emergency animal trailer and temporary shelter space for large animals such as horses, goats and cows taken into county care.

Venecia explained that the structure will serve a dual purpose by protecting county equipment from weather-related wear and tear while also providing a safe holding area for livestock brought into the county’s custody.

The board also approved the purchase of a new LiveScan ngerprinting system for the detention center at a cost of $32,267.

The Duplin County Sheri ’s O ce explained that the existing system, purchased in 2014, is no longer supported by the manufacturer and has been experiencing recurring technical failures that disrupt inmate intake procedures and create operational delays.

O cials said the ngerprint system is essential because it connects directly with the State Bureau of Investigation and federal immigration databases for required background checks and identity veri cation.

The approved purchase includes installation, onsite training and the rst year of maintenance, with annual maintenance costs afterward estimated at $3,933.

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

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

May

31 Gospel Concert

6 p.m.

Join the Woodland Church for a special night of Gospel Bluegrass music featuring The Penny Family singers. 2695 Tram Road, Albertson

June

5-6

Pro Rodeo returns 8 p.m.

Revenge Roughstock and Rodeo Company will host two nights of professional rodeo competition featuring bull riding, bareback riding, barrel racing and other rodeo events. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance for adults, $10 for children ages 6-12 and free for children 5 and under. A limited number of tickets will be available at the gate for $25. Tickets are available through Ticketfox.

195 Fairgrounds Drive, Kenansville

June 6

Murder Mystery Dinner Theater

5:30 - 9 p.m.

Duplin’s Murder Mystery Dinner Theater at Duplin Winery will feature an interactive, brain-teasing night of comedy, mystery and live performance with original scripts, quickwitted characters and hilarious twists. After dinner, attendees will interact with characters and work in teams to solve the mystery. The team that cracks the case wins a prize and bragging rights.

505 North Sycamore St., Rose Hill

June 13

Beach Brew & Que

The Duplin Events Center will host Beach Brew & Que, a summer kicko event featuring barbecue, live beach music and daylong entertainment. Live music includes performances by I-42 Band, The Embers and Jim Quick & Coastline.

195 Fairgrounds Drive, Kenansville

Greenevers approves funding priorities for upcoming scal year

Former Mayor Jackial Swinson was recognized for decades of community service

By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal

GREENEVERS — Mayor

Diane Brown opened the town of Greenevers meeting with a special presentation. Former commissioner and town mayor

Jackial Swinson was presented the Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award. The Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award is one of the highest honors in the state. It is awarded to individuals who have made a signi cant impact on the state of North Carolina through community service over multiple years. The award is supported by documentation submitted by peers and leaders in the community, but it is awarded at the discretion of the Governor. Swinson’s lifetime of service includes teaching for more than four decades, creating a girls’ leadership program, civic service, published works

and involvement in multiple organizations. Swinson presented a bouquet of roses to Town Clerk Emma Brinson in appreciation for all she does for the town. She also gave a short thank you speech for the award.

“I am so fortunate to have been elected for this honor… I thank all who have helped me in the visions that I have had to help the young, the needy and the elderly,” Swinson said as she recognized several individuals who have been of signicance to her journey.

Continuing in public session, the board discussed a need for new water spigots on Hargrove Drive. They voted against the town paying for them. They then discussed the extension of the waterline project. Additional funding from other projects became available, allowing the town to extend the waterline project into Pasture Branch Road.

The CDBG-R reconstruction project has completed its paperwork, but no demolitions have begun. Brinson said that the project managers are work-

ing on obtaining county permits to build, once the demolitions are complete; they want to secure the permits before any demos start.

Brown asked about progress on the subdivision ordinance. Brinson con rmed that the planning board has not been able to meet to discuss it or other requests awaiting their approval. Brown asked for them to set a date to meet.

“There is a lot of movement and people interested in property right now; the town needs to be able to have a foundation to move forward,” Brown said.

Brinson shared that Adams & Company has o ered to help the town establish a budget in association with grants the town will be applying for. The application — due in August — will be for $50,000 of the NC Rural Development Grant to help make needed repairs to the community center.

The board discussed the 2026-27 scal budget in detail and made a list of priorities for funding. The board approved the following sev-

en priorities: 1. An auger for maintenance for sta to clear plumbing lines, 2. A new lawnmower because the current one is constantly in need of repair, 3. A pressure washer for maintenance, 4. A second truck for maintenance with a $15,000 cap cost, 5. A business phone for maintenance, 6. A new phone system for town hall, 7. A new printer for town hall. The board also approved an increase to payroll and bene ts.

Town employees will have a 2% increase in pay and their retirement match will increase from 3% to a 3.5% match. The overall annual cost increase for the bene ts package is $4,838.87 annually.

The board discussed the need to increase rental rates at the community center in order to maintain the building and be more comparable to rates in other towns. The board approved raising the rent from $200 to $275 with a $100 refundable deposit if the renters clean the building.

The board also discussed the use of the community center

to host soccer games on Sundays. The board approved allowing grounds-only rentals for for-pro t events at a rate of $50 per event. The board discussed the results of the investigation into faulty water meters. The meters were found to be functioning properly so the board plans to bill the resident for all pastdue charges. Another residential problem was also discussed concerning 150 Cedar Lane. Extreme grease buildup in the pipes is forcing the town to hire a professional septic company to pump out the lines.

“It is killing our town’s septic pumps,” Brinson explained. The board discussed the town’s need to update its policies, and they agreed to issue a letter telling the resident that they will pay half of the cost this time but the resident will be fully responsible for any future needed services.

Brinson shared that interest in water and sewer services has been expressed for a residential development coming to more than 20 acres on Highway 11. The development is still in the planning phases.

Brinson shared the town’snancial report for April. The general fund reported $29,905 in revenue and $16,768.79 in expenses — leaving a net pro t of $13,136.21. The meeting ended in closed session shortly thereafter.

Magnolia proposes $991K budget without raising taxes

O cials plan to increase spending on public safety, streets, parks and community projects while maintaining current tax and utility rates

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

MAGNOLIA — With infrastructure projects underway and new community investments on the horizon, Magnolia leaders presented a proposed 2026–27 budget that modestly increases spending without raising taxes or utility fees.

Town Manager Charles Banks reported steady, sustainable growth of 1.5% to 2%, with infrastructure projects progressing and expected to improve services, attract businesses, and strengthen the town’s future over the next three to ve years.

“The town is actually moving in a very positive direction,” said Banks. “Growth has been slow in the area, but we’re still moving ahead. We’re factoring in 1.5% to 2% growth, which I think is sustainable. And that’s the biggest thing with us right now.”

The proposed general fund budget increased from about $960,000 to $991,025, allowing for additional community projects, public safety funding, parks improvements and operational support.

General government opera-

tions were allocated $399,950, while public safety funding increased to $300,150. The streets department received $85,125 for maintenance and repairs, and the volunteer re department was budgeted at $34,800. Recreation and park funding increased to $7,475 to support ball elds, soccer elds, and park improvements. The town also allocated $5,000 for community engagement activities, including holiday events and public programs, along with smaller investments in the community center and heritage garden. O cials noted that these increases would help advance projects already underway, including the completion of the community center and improvements to public spaces.

On the revenue side, Magnolia’s property valuation rose from approximately $32.4 million last year to about $35.3 million this year. As a result, projected property tax revenue is expected to increase from roughly $219,000 to approximately $225,000. Despite this growth, the town chose not to increase its tax rate, which will remain at 67 cents per $100 valuation. While the town con-

sidered a “revenue neutral” rate of 64 cents, o cials determined that the 3-cent di er

ence was necessary to prevent the town from running a de cit due to thin margins.

“We know people are still trying to recover from over the last year with the valuations and the tax increases,” Banks said. “So we’re doing everything we can on our side to try to keep them as low as we can.”

Sales tax revenue remains the town’s largest source of income, projected at approximately $365,000 for the coming year. Additional revenue sources include $45,000 from motor vehicle taxes, approximately $150,000 from utility and sanitation service charges, and an estimated $22,500 in annual interest earnings generated through the town’s Capital Management Trust investments. Town leaders highlighted that these investments have grown signi cantly over recent months, increasing from roughly $570,000 to more than $607,000.

The water and sewer fund also showed signs of nancial improvement and there are no planned increases for water, sewer, or tap fees. In-town water remains at a base rate of $22.50 per 1,000 gallons, while in-town sewer is a at rate of $28 per 1,000 gallons. Garbage collec-

“We know people are still trying to recover from over the last year with the valuations and the tax increases. So we’re doing everything we can on our side to try to keep them as low as we can.”

Charles Banks

tion fees remain $25 per month for in-town residents and $41 for out-of-town residents. Connection fees and deposits will remain at current levels.

O cials projected total water and sewer appropriations at $690,500, including repayment of past support borrowed from the general fund when the utility department previously operated at a loss. Water and sewer revenues are expected to total approximately $320,500 each, with additional income generated from connection fees and miscellaneous revenues. Town leaders credited the public works department for careful nancial management and infrastructure maintenance that helped stabilize the utility system.

A public hearing on the proposed budget is sched-

uled for June 9 for residents to o er comments before nal adoption.

In other business

O cials discussed plans to use Powell Bill funding for pothole repairs and replacement street signs, while also addressing ongoing waterline replacement projects. In addition, the town recently spent approximately $37,000 to repair a leak in the water tower, a repair o cials said is expected to extend the tower’s usable life by 15 to 20 years. Town leaders also noted concerns about aging public works equipment, including a backhoe with a failed transmission that may require major repairs or replacement. Renovations to the community building are nearing completion and are expected to be nished before summer. This facility will host a summer kids’ crafts program starting June 8.

The mayor announced plans for a weekly “Mayor’s Minute” video update to keep residents informed about town projects and developments.

O cials began discussing long-term plans for Magnolia’s 175th anniversary celebration in 2030 alongside park and gym revitalization e orts.

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

Reflecting on 100 days of purpose, partnership, student success

Hearing directly from students about the impact of scholarships and educational opportunities was a powerful reminder of why our mission matters.

AS I REFLECT on my rst 100 days as president of James Sprunt Community College, I am reminded just how quickly time passes when you are surrounded by purpose and progress. May was lled with meaningful moments that highlighted the strength of our students, faculty, sta and community partners.

At JSCC, student success remains at the center of everything we do. One of the most impactful events this spring was our Apprenticeship Luncheon, which brought together workforce leaders, local employers, ApprenticeshipNC, NCWorks and Duplin County Schools to discuss expanding apprenticeship opportunities in our region. These partnerships are essential as we continue preparing

| MICHAEL BARONE

students for meaningful careers and strengthening our local workforce.

I also had the privilege of attending my rst President’s Reception, where we celebrated the generosity of donors whose support changes students’ lives every day. Hearing directly from students about the impact of scholarships and educational opportunities was a powerful reminder of why our mission matters. At the conclusion of our event, being able to raise over $5,000 in new scholarship funding in a three-minute text-a-thon event demonstrated the compassion and commitment for JSCC and our students!

Another highlight was representing JSCC at Community College Day at the North Carolina General Assembly

alongside our electrical systems technology program, one of the college’s fastest-growing programs. We were honored to spend time with Rep. Jimmy Dixon and Sen. Brent Jackson, whose continued support of our college is deeply appreciated.

Of course, the greatest celebration of all was commencement for the Class of 2026. Across our nursing, curriculum, and continuing education ceremonies, we celebrated students whose dedication and perseverance brought them to this milestone moment. Watching our graduates walk across the stage was a reminder of the transformational power of education and the bright future ahead for both our students and our college. With this being my rst of many graduations at JSCC, I found myself overwhelmed with emotion, gratitude and excitement for our students’ accomplishments throughout the ceremonies.

Shannon Hair is president of James Sprunt Community College.

Can Trump handle the world he has changed?

The cheap drones that Ukrainians have invented and produced in astonishing numbers — some 60,000 per day.

TEN YEARS AGO this month, Donald Trump clinched the Republican nomination for president, with a platform that was vastly di erent on trade and foreign policy from other recent presidents, Republican and Democratic alike.

How fares America — and the world — 10 years later?

In some important ways, things have moved in Trump’s direction. In 2016 and since, he complained constantly that Europeans were not contributing their fair share to NATO. That had been the position of previous administrations, but none emphasized it as Trump did.

Early in Trump’s rst term, only ve NATO allies met the stated goal of spending 2% of GDP on defense. A decade later, the goal has risen to 5%, and most NATO allies are moving toward that goal.

And as Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened his neighbors, previously neutral (for nearly 75 years!) Finland and Sweden, with their highly competent militaries, have decided to join NATO and have made the Baltic Sea just beyond Putin’s hometown of St. Petersburg a NATO lake.

In the Middle East, Trump has also made a di erence. His predecessors’ policy was based on the hoary assumption that the key to stability was to pressure Israel to make a peace agreement with the Palestinians. So America’s task was to pressure Israel to make concessions.

Trump saw it di erently. He pushed the Abraham Accords, diplomatic relations between Israel, Saudi Arabia and Persian Gulf oil producers. Progress has been uneven but palpable. Israel’s paci cation of Gaza has not prevented the Saudis and United Arab Emirates from supporting Trump’s e orts, cooperating with Israel, to disarm and destabilize the regime in Iran. On trade, Trump’s on-again, o -again

threats, impositions and adjustments of tari rates have resulted in channeling trade in di erent patterns. The days of a jointly dependent “Chimerica” (historian Niall Ferguson’s phrase) seem to be waning.

Not everything has gone Trump’s way. His xation on unproblematic trade “de cits” has led him to impose tari s that have fed in ation and eroded his job approval at home. His initiatives in Iran, without persuasive explanations to voters or any attempt at buy-in by the political opposition, have also hurt him politically — although regime collapse in Iran remains possible and could put things in a di erent light.

More importantly, the world has changed, sometimes in line with his expectations, sometimes to the contrary. The prime example is Russia’s war on Ukraine. As Trump has noted, Putin launched his 2014 attacks on Donbas and his 2022 march toward Kyiv when Democrats were president. And former President Joe Biden’s restrictions on aid to Ukraine — especially bans on lobbing attacks on Russian territory — limited Ukraine’s defense.

As analysts of various stripes have concluded, Ukraine has developed drone warfare as a barrier to Russian advance and to make advances itself.

Ukraine has had one advantage Putin didn’t count on in 2022: morale, a sense of national pride and resolve that is unquanti able but has enabled seemingly ordinary people to adapt with extraordinary speed and inventiveness reminiscent of the best of American examples in World War II. It’s interesting that Trump, for all his emphasis on building America’s national morale, has been deaf to the importance of that factor in Ukraine.

The cheap drones that Ukrainians have

invented and produced in astonishing numbers — some 60,000 per day — have routinely destroyed much more expensive Russian missiles and have enabled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to destroy energy infrastructure in Perm, 1,000 kilometers beyond the Russian border, and prompted Putin to downsize his WWII victory parade in Moscow.

It is clear that the Trump policy of pressuring Ukraine to accept Russian control of provinces it hasn’t occupied is as obsolete as Trump’s predecessors’ policies of pressuring Israel to accept Palestinian control of territory from which the Palestinians could launch attacks like those of Oct. 7, 2023.

It seems clear as well that the remnants of the Iranian regime are unwilling to abandon their 47-year hostilities toward the U.S., and that Trump’s eagerness to deploy “the art of the deal,” even under the auspices of a hostile Pakistan, is encouraging their continued resistance. And in the meantime, will the drawdown of America’s expensive smart weapons in the Persian Gulf reduce American deterrence against Chinese aggression against Taiwan?

The nal verdict on Trump’s foreign policies cannot be written now, with 32 months left in his term and so many kinetic events in unpredictable motion. But perhaps it can be said that while his departures from his predecessors’ policies have had some successes in reshaping the world, it is not clear that he has developed policies adapted to the world he has done so much to change.

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)

COLUMN | SHANNON HAIR

COLUMN

The proposed budget includes a significant increase in the tax base of more than $27.3 million in projected tax base growth driven by annexations, development and revaluations. Officials estimate that each penny on the tax rate would generate roughly $33,370 in revenue.

Local sales and use taxes are expected to generate another $1.33 million, making them one of the town’s largest single revenue sources. Additional revenues include $480,000 in service fees, nearly $198,000 from utility franchise taxes, $150,000 in investment income, about $227,000 in recreation revenues, and more than $158,000 categorized as miscellaneous and other revenues, which include rental income, police-related fees and surplus property sales. The budget also projects $300,000 in revenue from industrial waste surcharges.

Employee-related expenses were a major focus during discussion. The proposal includes a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for all employees.

“The county is giving a 2.5% adjustment. The federal government is recommending 2.5%. You are asking for more than both,” said Boykin, questioning Turner’s rationale. Staff maintained that the proposed raises were modest compared to the town’s existing wage gap. Employee insurance premiums also became a

POLICY from page A1

counties, which led o cials to conclude that non-sworn personnel should not routinely carry sidearms. She emphasized that the move was not nancially motivated and said the county remains committed to supporting animal control o cers in the eld.

The county said o cers will still have access to shotguns in situations involving active threats to human safety, along with other protective equipment. Previously issued handguns will either be transferred to the sheri ’s o ce or sold at market value.

Hughes said animal control o cers are trained to avoid immediate-threat situations when possible and coordinate with law enforcement when danger is anticipated.

“While most calls involve stray animals, o cers will continue carrying protective equipment and tools that meet, and in some cases exceed, industry standards to help ensure their safety in unexpected situations,” Hughes told Duplin Journal.

She said shotguns are generally viewed as “safer and more e ective in animal control situations,” citing “greater accuracy, stability in high-pressure situations and reduced risk of overpenetration compared to sidearms.”

While county o cials say the change strengthens policy alignment and safety standards, it has raised concerns among animal control personnel and their families, who argue the decision could create safety risks and a ect eld operations for o cers who frequently work alone, often re-

central focus during the budget discussion as Turner revealed that the town’s monthly health insurance cost is projected to rise to approximately $24,811 per month, or nearly $1,100 per employee. Turner said the increase reflects a projected 16% rise in health insurance premiums for the upcoming fiscal year, though final renewal numbers are still pending. Officials also noted that supplemental insurance plans for retirees increased by approximately 35%, further adding pressure to the town’s personnel budget.

Concerns were raised, however, about whether the town can continue absorbing rising costs long term without reducing bene ts or nding alternative plans.

“The budget is balanced. So I’m not afraid that we can’t pay that fee,” said Turner.

Turner also proposed a 5% increase in water and sewer rates, raising the minimum residential bill from $67.10 to $71.25 per month. Water and sewer operations are budgeted at nearly $3.1 million, with Turner citing in ation, infrastructure maintenance and future capital needs as reasons for the increase. Stormwater fees would remain unchanged at $4 per customer, generating about $63,000 annually.

In an interview with Duplin Journal, Boykin characterized the proposed increase as a “slap in the face” to residents, given the town’s high default

“The thought of him losing a form of protection he has carried for the past six years was deeply concerning for our family.”

Tammie

Santiago

sponding to calls at night and in isolated areas. In some cases, law enforcement response times may vary depending on distance, sta ng levels, or concurrent calls for service.

Animal Control O cer Brandon Santiago said o cers may encounter unpredictable situations where immediate backup is not available.

“Administration is not wanting us to put ourselves into dangerous situations,” said Santiago. “But the issue is we are not always going to know what may transpire at any particular call. And calling for LEO assistance may not always be fast enough.”

According to Santiago, the county appears to want animal control o cers to operate similarly to EMS personnel, with law enforcement rst securing scenes where there are immediate safety concerns and responding if situations become violent. However, he questioned whether that approach is realistic given the department’s workload.

According to Santiago, Duplin County’s four animal control o cers handled “over 400 calls for service” in September 2025 alone — a volume he said is “more than LEO, EMS, re, and probation combined. Logistically I don’t think it will work well,” he said.

“The county is giving a 2.5% adjustment. The federal government is recommending 2.5%. You are asking for more than both.”

Wesley Boykin, Warsaw mayor

rates and frequent water cuto s. The mayor expressed concern that residents already struggling with high default rates and water cuto s are now being asked to pay more to fund salary increases.

He said the proposal was particularly di cult to justify given the town’s ongoing issues with water billing disputes, shuto s and public complaints over penalties and collections.

“How are you now going to say to the same people that you’re cutting o their water … now you’re going to hit them with an increase in the same water bill?” he said.

Several capital and departmental expenditures were highlighted, including $176,870 for re department operations, $677,725 for streets, $346,400 for sanitation and $326,425 for parks and recreation. The town also proposed allocating $63,000 toward stormwater repairs and maintenance, $97,440 for contracted maintenance services and $212,000 for Powell Bill street funding, including a proposed $100,000 transfer from reserves.

The town’s proposed zoning and permitting fee structure also generated discussion. Of-

Santiago said the decision “felt like a slap in the face,” adding that o cers who work in the eld daily were not adequately considered during the decision-making process. “No higher-ups have been out in the eld with us to see the job we do rsthand,” he said.

Tammie Santiago, Brandon Santiago’s wife, told Duplin Journal that the change has created fear and frustration at home.

“The thought of him losing a form of protection he has carried for the past six years was deeply concerning for our family,” she said. “He is trusted to handle dangerous and unpredictable situations every day, yet now it seems that trust no longer extends to allowing him the protection he has responsibly carried without issue. I also questioned why leadership felt the need to change something that, for over two decades, has not created problems for the county.”

Tammie Santiago told Duplin Journal that she believes the risks associated with the job have been signi cantly underestimated and questioned the practicality of relying on weapons stored in vehicles.

“Anyone who understands how quickly dangerous situations can unfold knows there would not always be time for Brandon to run back to his truck,” she said.

The Santiagos said they plan to attend the June 1 county commissioners’ meeting to share their concerns.

As the county moves forward with the change, one question continues to linger: Could the policy expose the county to new safety concerns instead of reducing them?

cials projected the new fee schedule would generate approximately $101,300 in revenue against roughly $120,000 in estimated operating costs, keeping the program below full cost recovery as required by law.

The Police Department is the largest expense at approximately $1.7 million. This includes $6,000 allocated for upgrading o cer uniforms. The re department would receive a 5% operational increase. Street operations also represent one of the town’s largest departmental expenditures at approximately $677,725, followed by sanitation services at $346,400 and parks and recreation at $326,425.

The budget also includes funding for drainage and stormwater improvements, with o cials proposing $63,000 for stormwater-related repairs, maintenance and equipment. Water and sewer system operations are budgeted at more than $2.8 million, plus an additional $276,375 in debt service. The town also plans to spend $212,000 through Powell Bill funding, including a proposed $100,000 transfer from reserves to support pav-

ing and street repair projects.

Beyond core operating costs, the proposed budget includes several targeted expenditures. Among the highlighted expenditures is $97,440 for contracting mowing and grounds maintenance.

The budget also allocates $63,000 for stormwater drainage repairs and maintenance, including equipment purchases intended to improve the town’s response to drainage complaints and ooding concerns.

The town also budgeted $5,000 for marketing and special event e orts, which can be used for festivals, advertising, promotions and other public events.

Outside agencies and community organizations would continue receiving town support under the proposal. The budget includes $10,000 for the Warsaw Chamber of Commerce and $6,000 for the Warsaw Veterans Day Parade. It represents a $1,000 increase for parade funding from the previous year.

Recreation and development projects were another area of focus. O cials conrmed that approximately $220,000 remains available in ARPA funds for the Memorial Park expansion project after a recent budget amendment. Those funds may be used for engineering, grant matches or other project-related expenses as planning continues.

The public hearing for the proposed 2026-2027 budget is scheduled for June 6.

Duplin adds Gold Star Memorial to Veterans Park

It is the 11th Gold Star Memorial Marker installed in North Carolina

By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — Bagpipes, ags and solemn ceremony lled Courthouse Square in Kenansville on Friday as Duplin County dedicated a new Gold Star Memorial Marker honoring generations of military families.

The service opened with a bagpipe procession from the Wilmington Police Drum and Bagpipes. The procession marched along the sidewalk past memorials honoring the fallen and past the Patriot Guard Riders who stood stoically by ags lining the walk.

The Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard presented the colors. Corazon Ngo sang the National Anthem, and JoAnn Stroud led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. Earl Hardy of the Duplin County Historical Society welcomed guests and o cials and thanked the County Commissioners and Stroud for supporting the pursuit of the Gold Star Memorial.

North Carolina Garden Club Chair for Blue and Gold Star Markers Paula Hartman presented the history of the markers and explained how they can only be installed through the sponsorship of a garden club.

“At the close of World War II, National Garden Clubs were

ly after losing his own brother in Vietnam.

“These monuments represent their immutable testimony of courage, sacri ce, duty and service for the common good, but today we honor their families. Families are no less warriors and servers than the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines that they o er up to this country,” McNeill said. “Duplin County is a family of families, and what we are doing today is right to recognize these families.” Giving insight into the importance of memorials, Gen. McNeill shared a quote attributed to an unknown source, “A person dies twice. The rst time they die is when they stop breathing; the second time they die is when they are not remembered.”

Hardy re ected on the 250 years of America’s existence and said that the memorial was for all the families that have sacriced along the path of that 250year history. He shared the story of John Grady who gave his life in the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge in 1776.

“Duplin County has had Gold Star families since that time. We have given warriors to the freedom of this country since that time,” Hardy said. Mark Grady, a direct descendant of John Grady, spoke about several family members who have served the country.

“It’s an honor to be a descendant of heroes,” Grady said. Grady then assisted two chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution with placing ower wreaths beside the Gold Star Marker.

Hardy thanked everyone in-

Appalachian State University, Auburn University, Campbell University, Cape Fear Community College, Charleston Southern University, Christopher Newport University Clark Atlanta University Clemson University Coastal Carolina University East Carolina University Fayetteville Technical Community College, Hawaii Pacific University, High Point University, James Sprunt Community College, Johnston Community College, Liberty University, Meredith College, Methodist University, New York Institute of Technology, New York University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina State University North Carolina Wesleyan University Pace University Pitt Community College Sampson Community College Southeastern Community College SUNY Buffalo State University, The University of Alabama, University of Mississippi, University of Mount Olive, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, University of North Carolina Wilmington University of South Carolina University of Tennessee Virginia Tech Wake Technical Community College West Virginia State University, Western Carolina University, William Peace University, Wingate University

PHOTOS BY REBECCA WHITMAN COOKE

The Carolina Patriots and Battle of Rock sh Chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution were assisted by Mark Grady in placing wreaths at the memorial.

Left, Wendell Murphy introduces the keynote speaker Friday during the Gold Star Memorial dedication in Courthouse Square in Kenansville. Right, the Wilmington Police Drum and Bagpipes played patriotic music before and leading into the ceremony.

DUPLIN SPORTS

CLUTCH IN CRUNCH TIME

“We

thought the game was over, but we never gave up,”

Marissa Bernal, ND center elder

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CALYPSO — North Duplin may have had an informal “passing of the guard” last week during a 10-9 comeback win over Manteo to clinch an East Region title. While a six-run outburst in the sixth inning gave the Rebels the lead, senior Lilly Fulghum had reached her limit in the circle, putting freshman Gracie Higginbotham in a bases loaded, no-out pickle in the seventh.

The southpaw responded by inducing a yout to right elder Sara Smith, a line drive that was stabbed by Ady Spence and striking out Peedee Barry for the nal out in Game 3 of an extremely close series. The Rebels are the only team in 2025-26 in Duplin County to make a nals appearance. ND returns to its classication championship for the rst time since 2023 — when Fulghum was the Rebels’ star hurler. “This was a very emotional

game, and I can’t say enough about my teammates in the eld and Gracie,” said Fulghum, who hit a home run in the rst and gave the Rebels all she had in the circle. “And this shows why we need two pitchers.”

Spence knocked in a run to trim ND’s de cit to 5-4 in the fth, but the Redskins (20-8) got to Fulghum for four runs to secure a seemingly safe 9-4 edge.

The bottom four hitters in

Bulldogs’ Obie, Rebels’ Fulghum unstoppable headline performers

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CALYPSO — The MVP and 2A championship trophies go through Lilly Fulghum and her Rebels and Karrie Obie and her Bulldogs.

Both Division I-bound players have been virtually unstoppable this spring, and when the opposition walks either senior, their respective supportive casts have stepped up to the plate.

The state title is at stake in this week’s best-ofthree series as West champ Roxboro Community (23-3) is hitting .414, while East champ North Duplin (18-2) is at .358.

The series runs May 27-28 at Duke University’s softball complex.

Obie, who will play at UNC Greensboro next spring, is hitting .655 with three doubles, two triples, 13 home runs, 26 walks and 36 RBIs.

Her 21 home runs last season snapped Karli Godwin’s all-time NCHSAA single-season record. Godwin played at East Columbus and is currently at Oklahoma State. Fulghum, a UNC Charlotte signee, is hitting .615 with 11 doubles, three triples, ve ‘round-trippers, 13 walks, 36 runs and 37 RBIs.

Panthers make fourth round exit for second straight season

East Duplin fell to No. 1 First Flight for its rst loss in 15 matches

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — A soccer season of success for East Duplin was quickly disintegrating with each goal by No. 1 First Flight.

Ella Ray Reece struck for a hat trick.

Savanna Smith and Leighton Dutt also connected as the Knighthawks lived up to their advanced billing with a 5-0 triumph over the No. 6 Panthers in the fourth round of the 4A playo s.

FF (19-3-1) hosts No. 2 Carrboro (20-1-3) for the East Region title. The winner plays the survivor of the West championship between No. 2 Hibriten (20-2-2) and No. 8 Lake Norman Charter (17-4-3).

“They were good and I’d have to put them on another level,” said longtime Panther coach Joey Jones. “I love what my girls accomplished this year, but this team was just too much. The majority of their girls play out of Virginia Beach with high-level travel teams.

“They’re fast up front and it doesn’t take long for them to nd an extra gear and to then get o a shot. They had us on our heels.”

The loss was the rst for ED since falling 2-1 to Trask on March 24. Since that time the Panthers have gone 14-0-1. ED nished 17-7-2 to tie the 2024 team for the most wins in the past 15 years.

The Panthers have gone 8341-11 since 2021 and have been especially hot in the past three seasons. They were 17-6-2 in ’24 with a third-round playo exit and 13-9-2 the following spring after a fourth-round loss.

“To me, the girls have outdone themselves the past three years,” Jones said. “We started out by struggling against

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

ND returns to the state nals best-of-three series for the rst time since 2023.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Anastan Holley has been a key player for the ED defense.

ND rallied from a ve-run de cit in Game 3 behind Gracie Higginbotham, Wyllow Holmes, Ady Spence and Marissa Bernal to beat Manteo 10-9

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

The only way to stop Lilly Fulghum is to walk the senior, who is hitting .615 with 19 extra-base hits and 37 RBIs.

A season-ending 1-0 loss to Princeton recharged WRH’s soccer program

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

TEACHEY — It’s not so much how many matches the Wallace-Rose Hill soccer team won this season.

The best measuring stick might be how competitive the Bulldogs were the last half of the spring.

While a 1-0 loss in Princeton ended their season, it stands as one of the best in school history. A history rst-year coach Dennis Ly sees as full of sunlight.

WRH nished 13-8 after Princeton captured the rubber game of its series in the third round of the 3A playo s.

But words such as playo s, third round and more wins than losses are a new concept in Teachey.

“It was a battle between good teams as to who will move on,” Ly said. “We played hard and I was proud of our defense to score a nice goal. But No. 9 slipped by and got us.”

Sophomore Libbie Forbey, who wears that number on her jersey, pounced on a ball o the foot of Makenzie Alexander for the lone goal late in the second half.

“It was extremely hot that day and the arti cial turf gave Princeton an advantage,” Ly said. “But we don’t make excuses. I was proud of our e ort. Most of our girls gave 110%. Princeton

STATE from page B1

the ND lineup started the rally as a bloop single by Hannah Gonzalez scored Gizelle Bernal.

Holmes, who scored in the fth, singled in Raegan Herring after Fulghum was walked and Higginbotham followed with a two-run shot to make it 9-8.

Marissa Bernal’s y ball was misplayed in right eld with two outs and ND had its only lead of the game.

“We thought the game was over, but we never gave up,” said the senior center elder, who made a pair of outstanding catches in a game that featured two rain delays.

Indeed, ND needed to be resilient as Manteo hitters battled throughout.

Kayla Austin hit a three-run homer in the rst to stake the Redskins to an early lead.

Spence tied it in the third by doubling in Marissa Bernal and then scoring on a groundout.

Manteo added a run in each of the next two frames to stay ahead on the scoreboard.

“I feel great pride in what our girls accomplished,” said ND head coach Jaime Higginbotham. “This was one of the best games I’ve seen.”

Spence said ND wasn’t surrendering.

“We don’t crack and always do our best,” said Spence, who hasn’t hit as well as she did a season ago, but had three hits in Game 3 and drove in three runs in the 7-5 win in Game 1. “This is the playo s and we all have to play and hit well. We must

was the better team that night.

“We have a freshman goalkeeper and only lose four seniors (Brianna Maradiaga, Salma Sabillon, Kaylee Guzman, Yaslin Melendez). I like what we have going on and our energy to become a better team.”

The Bulldogs made huge strides to become competitive this spring, a building block for the future after going 10-8 in ’24 and 9-9 in ’25. WRH went 50-128 from 2012 to 2023.

WRH will bring back its top two scoring threats as Bayleen Flores (20 goals, four assists) and Gabby Debnam (11 goals, three assists) and other key members of the rising senior class that also includes midelder Nathalie Paredes, who scored the winning goal in a second-round triumph over James Kenan and defenders Angela Rosales and Kaylann Leon.

WRH split with JK and Princeton during the regular season. Yet the ’Dawgs got o to a 3-5 start before going 10-3 from March 24 to the nal kick last week in Johnston County.

No. 3 Princeton (16-5-3) was crushed 7-1 in the fourth round by No. 2 NC School of Math and Science (19-4).

The Unicorns face No. 1 Wake Prep (21-2-1) in the East Region nal this week, while No. 1 Pine Lake Prep (18-3) meets No. 2 Henderson (21-2-1) for the West title.

And speaking of titles, WRH shared the Swain Valley Conference with James Kenan and Princeton. No Bulldog team from the past can make that claim.

be at our best on every play.”

Higginbotham, a coach at the University of Mount Olive for more than a decade, liked her team’s defensive e ort.

“We made three clutch defensive plays,” she said. “Ady at second with the line drive, an out eld catch and a few smart

moves getting the lead runners. Smart softball. That was also a great e ort by our freshman pitcher. Those are things and plays you can’t teach.”

Spence’s three-run double in the rst gave ND the lead in the series opener. It was the lone hit of the frame. Higginbotham

and Fulghum drew walks and a sacri ce bunt by Holmes and two errors played into the jam for Manteo.

ND (18-2) thrived o Manteo’s miscues in the third as four runs came across with only Fulghum and Holmes driving the ball out of the in eld.

Up 7-2, the Redskins scored twice in the fth and once in the seventh.

Winning pitcher Fulghum struck out the nal out in the rst, second, third, sixth and seventh innings.

Spunky Redskins squeeze out Game 2 win

One bad inning and a home run by the No. 9 hitter led to Manteo’s 6-5 win in the second game of the series in Dare County.

Errors and a two-run homer by Haley Wescott gave the Redskins a 5-1 lead. But Higginbotham recovered from a leado triple in the second and did not allow a run.

Higginbotham and Raegan Herring each singled in a run in ND’s third inning and Marissa Bernal smacked a tworun shot into the right-center gap as the Rebels tied it at 5-5.

But a solo homer by No. 9 hitter Hurley Williams in the fourth was the di erence.

Fulghum gave ND a 1-0 lead and ied out to deep left eld in the seventh, as the ball was caught three feet short of the fence.

The long balls came with the help of an outgoing wind of more than 15 mph.

While struggling in the second, Higginbotham used whi s to end the rst and third innings. Fulghum struck out Bella Huntingford to end the sixth with runners at second and third.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL Kaylee Guzman was one of four seniors on the Bulldogs’ soccer squad.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Seniors Ady Spence, Marissa Bernal and Lilly Fulghum each scored during the Rebels’ six-run rally to beat Manteo in Game 3.

NCHSAA approves girls’ ag football, boys’ volleyball

Prep organizing body votes down cutting of classi cations and the use of a shot clock for basketball

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — Foot-

ball, boys’ soccer and girls’ tennis rule the fall prep season.

Baseball, softball, girls’ soccer and track and eld are in the crowded spring, while basketball is the only game in Duplin towns in the winter.

Look for two other sports to become attractive options for student-athletes in the state as the NCHSAA Board of Directors has approved startup programs for girls’ ag football in the fall and boys’ volleyball in the spring.

Both will be integrated into the calendar and have a state championship.

There are 35 schools with ag football teams and 120 schools with boys’ volleyball programs.

The vote for football passed by a 9-8 vote. A 13-4 tally made it a fall sport.

Currently, more than 70,000 females play the sport in 30 states, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association.

Additionally, colleges are o ering ag football for girls, which will certainly enhance the appeal for girls playing the sport in high school.

Internationally, the sport received a big boost with the announcement that it will be on the dockets for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Boys’ volleyball passed by a

PLAYERS from page B1

Chances are both will be awarded intentionally free passes to rst base if possible.

And both will play against one another at the next level as UNCG and UNCC collide annually.

Given that both could be on rst base seconds after stepping into the batter’s box, the contributions of teammates that follow will be a key to the series.

The Bulldogs’ bats have outscored foes 326-86 behind the following players: Katie Mann (.508, seven doubles, three triples, seven HRs), Leah Grifn (.422, seven doubles, a triple, ve HRs), Karlie Barringer (.414, 11 walks, second in runs with 31) and Kylie Powers (.422, 22 RBIs).

Seven players have 20 or more RBIs.

Roxboro’s lone loss to a 2A school came against South Stanly in the West Region series. Its other setbacks were to 8A Laney on March 7 and 5A Eastern Alamance on Feb. 25.

Junior hurler Kaylan Pope is 19-1 with 113 strikeouts, 41 walks and a 2.65 ERA in 118 innings this season. Pope, the NC Softball Coaches’ Association’s Pitcher of the Year in District 2, went 16-6 last season with a .388 ERA.

SOCCER from page B1

mainly Onslow County and the more we played the more our girls became uni ed.”

The connection led the Panthers to an ECC title. ED has captured at least a share of the league crown four times in the past six seasons. The Panthers won it outright this spring and in ’24 and ’22 and shared it with Clinton in ’21. After a rst-round bye, ED squashed North Pitt 5-0 and then pushed past North Johnston 6-4. The Panthers had a 4-1 lead on NJ at halftime and Anamarie Rodriguez and her counterpart on the other side of the eld, Ella Williams, each red in a hat trick of goals. Rodriguez nished the season with 30 goals via just 37 shots.

That’s sharpshooting.

ED opened up its o ense with scores by Joselin Ma-

ED females.

10-7 margin as North Carolina became the 36th state to have the sport.

The North Carolina Boys Volleyball Association started in 2017 with four teams. The organization expects 200 teams next year, including 133 public schools that count toward sanctioning requirements, leaving the sport well above the threshold needed to be a sport in the NCHSAA.

Watered down brackets to continue

The NCHSAA, which this year increased its classi cations from four to eight, is holding rm on allowing 48 teams to participate in the playo s in each classi cation. That’s 24 for the East and the West Regions, which has fre -

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Roxboro’s Karrie Obie has hit 13 home runs this season after setting a state record of 21 in 2025.

The two teams have met once before, ironically in the season ND won its only state title — 2015.

The Rebels won the second-round a air 7-1 and roared to the 1A title behind Haley Brogden, Rylee Pate, Mikayla Koch and Shaily McCarty.

And with that a new tradition started in Calypso. ND lost to Princeton in the East Region

ta-Aguilar, Laneace Hernandez and Marley Segundo. Two scores by Rodriguez and another by Mata-Aguilar put ED in front 3-1. Segundo’s jackpot ve minutes before halftime made it 4-1 at the break with her 18th score of the spring.

Rodriguez’s third goal was the rst of the second half. Sydney Daughtrey red in her 62nd and 63rd scores of the season in the nal 17 minutes of play.

It might have looked like an upset win over No. 3 NJ (17-43), but the second-place team to Washington in the Three Rivers 4A Conference played inferior competition to what the Panthers faced – Richlands (18-6), Swansboro (10-8-3), White Oak (14-10-2) and Cape Fear Academy (18-1-1).

Mata-Aguilar, mid elder Kayleigh Chase and stopper Zoe Cavanaugh played their nal match for the Panthers, a team that will return

quently led to as many as eight teams in each classi cation earning a rst-round bye.

The vote to reduce playo teams from 48 to 32 failed by a 10-7 vote.

Cost of shot clock shoots down resolution

One day a shot clock will come to prep basketball.

That day isn’t xed on the calendar as a measure to allow a shot clock for scrimmages, invitational tournament and special events was axed by the NCHSAA.

The main reason for the rejection was a tentative cost of $5,000-$6,000 to purchase and install the clocks.

The board said smaller schools would be burdened by the cost.

nal the next spring and has ruled the Carolina Conference. The Rebels are back in thenals after nishing runner-up to Union Academy in 2023. ND and Roxboro have nearly clashed the past two seasons.

Hitters that are expected to come through if Fulghum is walked include Gracie Higginbotham, Wyllow Holmes, Marissa Bernal and Ady Spence. Higginbotham (.614, nine doubles, four triples, HR, 19 walks, 37 runs, 16 RBIs) and Holmes (.453, 32 runs, 15 RBIs) are freshmen upstarts, Bernal (.362, eight doubles, four triples, ve HRs, 21 runs, 26 RBIs) and Spence (.271, four doubles, triple, 14 runs, 20 RBIs) are returning senior leaders.

In the circle, ND puts its trust in Higginbotham, a southpaw, and Fulghum, a right-hander, who pitched the Rebels to the nals as a freshman in 2022.

Last season, ND lost to Bear Grass in the second round and then whipped Roxboro. Northside-Pinetown beat ND and Roxboro in the fourth round and East Region nal, respectively, in 2024.

Roxboro head coach Michael Clark is 63-26 since taking over in 2022.

Rebel coach Higginbotham is 85-19 in the past ve seasons.

the bulk of its roster in 2027.

“Kayleigh’s been so solid the last two years and as good a player as you could ask for,” Jones said. “Zoe’s been the one to mark the other team’s best scorer, which is obviously a big assignment every night.”

Segundo, a transfer from Spring Creek, was a big surprise for the Panthers.

In a way, so was junior goalie Kimberlynn Guzman and Sosa Hernandez-Espino, who scored nine goals and had a Duplin County-high 15 assists.

Tabor and Anastan Holley were steady defensively and in the mid eld.

“We have a lot of experienced players returning next season,” Jones said. Rodriguez returned to form following a knee injury, though she still hasn’t reached her full potential.

That’s scary for opponents and a power play-like feeling for the Panthers.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK SPONSORED BY BILL CARONE

Wyllow Holmes

North Duplin, softball

Not many freshmen are ready to perform in primetime. Wyllow Holmes is among a handful of softball players in the region who immediately showed the skills to be a star — this season.

The lefty-swinging frosh lashed seven hits in 15 playo at-bats, including a two-hit, two-run game against Manteo in the clinching game of a best-of-three series for the 2A East Region crown. Holmes, a slap hitter in the No. 2 spot in the lineup, also had a sacri ce bunt and drove in a run as North Duplin rallied from a ve-run de cit for a 10-9 win.

She’s hitting .453 with 29 hits, 32 runs and an on-base mark of .493.

Bat control has helped her hit safely in 15 of 20 games while striking out three times in 72 chances.

She’s also stolen 12 bases and only committed one error in the out eld.

Holmes is third to all-state in elder Lilly Fulghum and classmate Gracie Higginbotham in several statistical categories.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

THURMAN PARKER FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

Playing ag football during Powder Pu week is very popular among

NCAA FOOTBALL

Orgeron returns to LSU as special assistant to recruiting, defense

Baton Rouge, La. Ed Orgeron returned to LSU’s football program Wednesday, seven years after he coached the Tigers to the 2019 national title. LSU head coach Lane Ki n added Orgeron, 64, to the sta as a special assistant to recruiting and defense. Orgeron worked under Ki n at Southern California and Tennessee. Orgeron spent six seasons as LSU’s head coach before being red after the 2021 season.

TOWN OF WALLACE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The public and all interested parties are hereby noti ed that the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Budget has been submitted to the Town Council and is available for inspection at the Town Hall. A public hearing to receive citizen comments will be held on Thurs., June 11, 2026 starting after 6:00 PM at the Wallace Women’s Club, 216 NE Railroad St, Wallace, NC. Anyone having an interest in this matter is invited by the Town Council to attend the public hearing and provide public comments. Persons requiring additional information about the public hearing are asked to call the o ce of the Town Manager at (910) 285-4136 for assistance.

Rob Taylor, Town Manager

TOWN OF WALLACE

TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

March 12, 2026, after 6:00 PM

NOTICE IS HEARBY GIVEN that the Town Council of theTown of Wallace has called for a Quasi-Judicial Public Hearing on a Special Use Permit Application at the Wallace Women’s Club, located at 216 N. East Railroad Street, Wallace, NC 28466, on Thursday, June 11, 2026, after 6:00 PM for the following:

The applicant is seeking to construct multi-family apartments on SE Railroad Street; zoned R-6 (residential, minimum lot size 6,000 sq.ft.), Parcel ID 09-2693. Persons wishing to speak on the issues are invited to attend and be heard at the scheduled public hearing. Persons having questions may contact Rod Fritz, Planning Director at (910) 285-4136 or rfritz@wallacenc.gov.

TOWN OF WALLACE

TOWN COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

June 11, 2026, after 6:00 PM

NOTICE IS HEARBY GIVEN that the Town Council of theTown of Wallace has called for a Public Hearing at the Wallace Women’s Club, located at 216 N. East Railroad Street, Wallace, NC 28466, on Thursday, June 11, 2026, after 6:00 PM for the following: The applicant is seeking to rezone 2.66 acres, Pin 3314-35-68270000 located at 10771 US Hwy 117 N, from HB (highway business) to R-6C (residential, minimum lot size 6,000 sq.ft., conditional). Persons wishing to speak on the issues are invited to attend and be heard at the scheduled public hearing.

Persons having questions may contact Rod Fritz, Planning Director at (910) 285-4136 or rfritz@wallacenc.gov.

TOWN OF WALLACE PUBLIC NOTICE – CODE VIOLATION

TOWN OF WALLACE, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF VIOLATION – CHAPTER 92 (HEALTH & SANITATION / NUISANCE)

To: Brenda Ingram

Property Address: 1204 N. Norwood Street, Wallace, NC 28466

TAKE NOTICE that the above-referenced property has been found to be in violation of the Code of Ordinances of the Town of Wallace, speci cally Chapter 92 – Health and Sanitation / Public Nuisance. An inspection by the Town’s

cer has determined that conditions

on the property constitute a public nuisance, including but not limited to: - Accumulation of debris, junk or solid waste - Overgrown vegetation and/or unsanitary conditions

Pursuant to §92.18 of the Town Code, you are hereby ordered to abate and correct the violation within thirty (30) days from the date of this notice. Failure to comply within the prescribed time period will result in the Town taking corrective action to remove or remedy the nuisance. All costs incurred, including

This notice is given in accordance with the procedures established by the Town of Wallace Code of Ordinances. Service is deemed su cient by publication when other methods of service have failed or are impractical.

For questions or to con rm compliance, please contact: Town of Wallace Code Enforcement 120 Municipal Drive • Wallace, NC 28466

Phone: (910) 285-4136

POSITION VACANCY TOWN OF ROSE HILL

WATER DISTRIBUTION / WASTEWATER COLLECTION SYSTEM MAINTENANCE WORKER / EQUIPMENT OPERATOR III

The Town of Rose Hill Public Utilities Department is seeking an individual to ll a permanent full-time position. Employee will perform skilled manual labor related to but not limited to, the installation, maintenance and repair of both the water distribution and wastewater collection systems. Employee will demonstrate a high level of specialized skill in the operation of a backhoe for various installation, maintenance and repair activities. Employee will be required to work some nights, weekends and holidays on a rotating basis. Must have the capability to provide “on call” services.

QUALIFICATIONS: A valid NC driver’s license is required (a CDL is preferred). A criminal background check and drug screening will be required. Due to job related requirements, the applicant must

be able to perform work in hot and cold weather conditions, able to lift and carry items weighing up to 50 lbs., possess the ability to utilize clear and concise language skills, follow written and verbal instructions and complete certain logs/ reports. Water and/or sewer certi cations are preferred, but not required.

STARTING SALARY: $34,283.48/yr.; however, negotiable based on current certi cations. Bene ts provided include retirement, medical, dental, vision insurance, paid vacation, paid sick leave, and 12 paid holidays per year.

INTERESTED APPLICANTS:(POSITION WILL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL FILLED) Submit application by mail, email or in person to Town Hall attn.: Blake Parker, Public Utilities Director, 103 SE RR St., P.O. Box 8, Rose Hill, NC 28458; bparker@townofrosehillnc.com ; Phone (910)289-2000. EOE, AAE

obituaries

Luther Gates Sr.

May 17, 2026

Luther Allen Coy Gates Sr., 69, passed away Sunday, May 17, 2026, at ECU Health Duplin in Kenansville, NC.

A graveside service will be held at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at Devotional Gardens in Warsaw, NC.

Mr. Gates is survived by one son, Luther Gates, Jr., and his wife, Amy, of LaGrange, NC.

Mr. Gates was preceded in death by his parents, Coy P. and Mable Turner Gates; brother, Gary “Speedy” Smith.

Memorial donations may be made toward funeral expenses at Community Funeral Home or by mail to Community Funeral Home of Warsaw, Inc, P. O. Box 336, Warsaw, NC 28398.

Betty Mae Bradshaw

May 1, 1947 – May 17, 2026

Mrs. Betty Mae Du Bradshaw of the Northeast community of Wallace departed her life here on earth on the afternoon of Sunday, May 17, 2026, while in the Novant Health NHRMC in Wilmington (NC). Born May 1, 1947, she is the daughter of the late Robert Edward and Maggie Davis Du , who lived in Wallace. Also preceding her in death are siblings—Jimmy Du , Robert Du , and Bonnie Gunter.

Left to cherish her memory are her husband—David Royal Bradshaw; children— Christy Bradshaw Cantrell and husband Gary of Wallace and Penny Bradshaw of Wallace; grandchildren—Jada Ann Parham and husband Alan of Wallace and Landon William Cantrell of Wallace; siblings—Terry Du and wife Deleane of Wallace and Tommy Brown of Rocky Point; sister-in-law—Connie Du of Wallace; many nieces and nephews and many great nieces and nephews who adored her; special friend—Faye English; and “her back row church sisters”.

Mrs. Betty’s entire life was lived in the Wallace area. After marriage to her “sweetheart” David Bradshaw, the two spent sixty wonderful years together in the Northeast Community outside of Wallace. Family was the center of her world whether it was her children, her grandchildren, her siblings, or her nieces and nephews. They were all especially dear to her, and they knew it. She worked twenty-plus years in banking before retiring. For many years, she was a loyal member of the Northeast Church, where she was a devoted Sunday School teacher for children for more than thirty years. Over the years, she and Ms. Faye English spent a lot of their Sunday afternoons visiting the sick and shut-ins of the community.

A service to celebrate her life is set for 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 21, 2026, in the chapel of Padgett Funeral Home in Wallace, with visitation at 10:00 a.m. prior to the service. Interment will follow in the Little Creek Cemetery at 360 Hanchey Road in the Northeast community. O ciating will be Pastor Aubrey Avery. Family relates that owers are welcome or please consider a contribution to the Northeast Church Building Fund.

Frank Dobinson Russ Jr.

Oct. 2, 1954 – May 17, 2026

Frank Dobinson Russ Jr. of Atkinson, NC, died on May 17, 2026, at his mother’s home in Watha. Frank was born in Burgaw on October 2, 1954. He is survived by his mother, Barbara Woodcock Russ Honeycutt, as well as numerous cousins and friends who were as close as family. He was predeceased by his father, Frank D. Russ, Sr., and two infant brothers.

Frank knew early on that he was called to ministry. He was licensed to preach in 1974 by what is now the Atkinson Baptist Church and ordained to ministry by the Ivanhoe Baptist Church in 1976. He served as youth director of the Burgaw Baptist Church and attended Southeastern Seminary, where he earned a Master of Divinity in 1981. As he continued to discern his calling, he pursued additional education and was awarded a Diploma in Anglican Studies. He was ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church in 1991. Frank served churches in Southport, Clinton, and Goldsboro, as well as parishes in Virginia, New York, and South Carolina. Frank loved to entertain. Nothing made him happier than lling the little house on Point Caswell Road with friends and family and food. Many looked forward to his annual Christmas Open House. He had the old packhouse on the property converted to a gathering place. He enjoyed the monthly suppers with his extended group of cousins and cherished that time with family. He liked to travel and took trips to Georgia and Hawaii as long as he was able. But his real home was North Carolina, and he was proud of the work he did to restore his Woodcock family’s home. For many years, it was one of the homes featured in the Atkinson Christmas House Tour.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 29, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.at Caswell Presbyterian Church in Atkinson. Ashes will be interred at Atkinson Cemetery following the service. In lieu of owers, those wishing to honor Frank’s memory may contribute to a hospice of their choice.

Gerardo Gonzalez

Feb. 22, 1994 – May 17, 2026

Gerardo Favela Gonzalez,32, passed away Sunday, May 17, 2026. Mr. Gonzalez was born on February 22, 1994, to Jesus Gerardo Favela Ruiz and Matilde Gonzalez Torres. He is survived by his parents, Jesus Gerardo Favela Ruiz and Matilde Gonzalez Torres, girlfriend, Ann Cristal Loa Pineda of Goldsboro; sisters, Ashly Favela Gonzalez and Ana Favela Gonzalez, both of Warsaw; and brothers, Irving Favela Gonzalez and Leonardo Favela Gonzalez, both of Warsaw. A private service will be held.

James Dewey Lanier

Nov. 5, 1942 – May 20, 2026

James Dewey Lanier, 83, passed away on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in ECU Duplin Hospital, Kenansville

He is preceded in death by his parents, Dewey and Sabrah Lanier.

The funeral service will be Saturday, May 23, 2026, at 6 p.m., followed by visitation at Community Funeral Home in Beulaville, NC.

A graveside service will be Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 10 a.m. at East Duplin Memorial Gardens in Beulaville, NC.

He is survived by wife Betty Lanier of Beulaville, NC; daughters Yvonne Lanier Nishimura (Ray) and Pam Lanier Preast, both of Beulaville, NC; and grandson Will Preast of Virginia.

In lieu of owers donations may be made to Cedar Fork Baptist Church Building Fund, 668 Cedar Fork Church Road, Beulaville, NC 28518 or Cedar Fork Community Club,1336 Cedar Fork Road, Beulaville, NC.

Mabel Brown Lanier

Aug. 25, 1934 – May 20, 2026

Mabel Brown Lanier, 91, passed away on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, in Dayspring of Wallace.

She is preceded in death by her spouse, Allen “Warren” Lanier, and a son, Allen Lanier, Jr.

A funeral service will be Sunday, May 24, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Community Funeral Home in Beulaville, NC. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service.

Interment will be at Roe Lanier Cemetery in Beulaville, NC.

She is survived by sons Keith Wade Lanier (Connie) of Albertson, NC, and Corey Lanier (Christy) of Beulaville, NC; grandchildren Destey Lanier, Chelsey Lanier and Kayla Moody; and great-grandchildren Cam Moody, Brenna Allen and Clay Lanier.

Roscoe Gene Swinson

Nov. 12, 1942 – May 19, 2026

Roscoe Gene Swinson, age 83, died Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in ECU Health Duplin Hospital in Kenansville. He is preceded in death by his son, Jonathan Edward Swinson.

Mr. Swinson is survived by his wife Elaine E. Swinson of Beulaville; daughter Katina S. Holmes of Summerville, SC; daughter-in-law Stacy Teddar of Black Creek; sisters, Louise Morgan of TX, Jeanette Dixon of Maple Hill; brother, Donald Swinson of Maple Hill; three grandchildren, Dustin Holmes, Abigail Swinson, Chloe Holmes; and three great grandchildren, Kainen Moore, Avery Holmes, and Daniel Swinson. A funeral service will be held Friday, May 22, 2026, at 3 p.m. at Serenity Funeral Home in Beulaville with visitation one hour before the service.

Interment will be at East Duplin Memorial Gardens in Beulaville, NC.

In lieu of owers, donations can be made to the memorial fund at Beulaville Baptist Church, P.O. Box 394, Beulaville, NC 28518.

Mary Lou Kintyle

Sept. 13, 1964 – May 23, 2026

Mary Lou Kintyle, 61, went to her home in GLORY on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at her home. She was born September 13, 1964, in Marion, Indiana, the daughter of Tex William Kintyle and Barbara Ann Mitchell Carrico. Mary is survived by her sons, Ricky Champion (Fern); daughter, Shauna Meadors (Joe); eight grandchildren; sister, Cristie Hitchens; brother, Kenny Kintyle (Jenny); several nieces and nephews and many extended family and friends. Mary loved her family and was a wonderful mother, grandmother, and sister. Her grandchildren were a bright and shining light in her life. She had two special canine companions, Kipper and Zipper, that brought her much joy and entertainment. Mary enjoyed crafting, gardening, and canning the fruits of her gardening labors. Mary’s place at our family table will be empty, but we will cherish so many fond memories of Mary. A memorial service is being planned and will soon be announced.

Jon Sikes

Jan.9, 1950 – May 18, 2026

Jon Sikes, age 76, of Wallace, North Carolina, passed peacefully from his earthly body to his new glori ed body in heaven on Monday, May 18, 2026, after a long and painful illness.

He was born on January 9, 1950, in New Hanover County to the late Joseph Earl and Launa Harrell Sikes. Jon was also preceded in death by his rst wife, Janice James Sikes; his second wife, Peggy Foy Sikes; his son, Kevin Sikes; and his sister, Bonita Chiquita Clayton. Jon attended and ministered at many di erent churches near and far, but Wallace Pentecostal Holiness Church was his home church.

Surviving to cherish his memory are his two stepsons whom he considered his own sons, Guy W. Croom and wife Janeth of Wallace and Donald Croom, Jr. of Wallace; his grandchildren Tyler Brett Sikes, Logan Croom, Garrett Croom and Brandon Parker and wife Jordon, sister Martha Sikes Thompson; brother Joseph Earl Sikes, Jr., nieces and nephews Tammy Bishop, Chris Clayton, Lindsay Souza, Amy Johnson, Patrick Watkins, Brandon Sikes and Courtney Sikes; special aunt and uncle Linda and Charles Harrell; special friends from Pennsylvania - Sid, Linda, Sidney Sr., Nicole, Kim, Sid Jr., Ethan, Evan, Estella, Pastor Karl Horne, Robin Horne, Lou and Brandon and extended family and friends that loved Jon dearly.

Jon was a wonderful father, stepfather, grandfather and brother who loved his family with all his heart. He was a simple man who enjoyed the simple things in life, but his greatest joy was spending time with those he loved. He was a small man in stature but had a big heart and was always willing to help anyone in need. Jon loved people and was loved in return. With a kind spirit and compassion for others, Jon had numerous friends that reaches across the United States. He was a hard worker and a good provider for his family. Jon was also a man of great determination. When he set his mind on something, you could not change it. He was determined to do it his way. Jon was a talker who loved to share stories, opinions, jokes and the Lord with others. He loved life and gave fully. Most of all, Jon loved his Savior, Jesus Christ, and his faith carried him through his lengthy and di cult illness. Jon will surely be missed but treasured memories will forever remain in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.

Memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 22, 2026, at Wallace Pentecostal Holiness Church with Pastor Bobby Smith o ciating. A special “Thank You” to Charlie Register, Kayla Maready and Brett Sikes for the exceptional care you gave to Jon during the past months and for making his life more comfortable during his last days on earth.

Harrells Christian Academy Congrats Class of 2026!

A rural venue with big-city appeal

The Kenansville venue continues to grow as a destination for concerts, rodeos and community events

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

WHETHER YOU LIVE in Duplin County or visit the area, the response to seeing the Duplin Event Center in Kenansville for the rst time is usually the same; it has quite a “wow factor.” It is a complex you would expect to see in a major city, not in a rural area.

Duplin Journal visited with Duplin Event Center Director Amanda Pope last week. She has been in the position for ve years. She says the venue has evolved since it was constructed in 2005.

“The original plan was for a livestock-type facility,” Pope said, adding the original ooring was dirt.

“From my understanding, they did have a concert on the dirt oors,” she said. “They decided if they were going to do concerts, they needed to cover the dirt up” and pour concrete on it.

Concerts continue to be popular events at the Duplin Event Center. In recent years, artists who have performed there include Travis Tritt, Tracy Lawrence, Justin Moore, Tracy Byrd and Scotty McCreery.

The building has plenty of room for almost any event. The facility totals 75,000 square feet in size and seats 1,875 in the xed seating area on each side. Adding oor seating increases the capacity to more

than 4,200. The building has been used for weddings, festivals and trade shows, in addition to rodeos and concerts.

That’s just the inside part of the Duplin Event Center. The property also has an arena for outdoor rodeos.

Pope came to Duplin County after working in the parks and recreation department for Sampson County for a little over 10 years. She began with Duplin County working in tourism before being offered the director position at the Duplin Event Center.

A great time to visit the Duplin Event Center in the near future is during a pro rodeo event on June 5 and 6, or during Beach, Brew and Que on June 13. Details can be found on the Duplin Event Center website or by visiting its Facebook page.

Memorial Day crowd stands in tribute to fallen heroes

Community members stood in the rain Monday as the names of local military members killed in war were read aloud at the courthouse

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

KENANSVILLE — As the names of fallen soldiers, sailors and Marines were being read during Monday’s Memorial Day observance at the Duplin County Courthouse, it began to rain. No one moved. It was a moving, tting tribute to Duplin County service members of the military who made the ultimate sacri ce ghting for freedom.

Names of all the fallen from Duplin County during World War I through Vietnam were read by local retired members of the military, as well as representatives from area American Legion posts, the VFW and the Daughters of the American Revolution.

The raising of the ag was presented by members of Boy

Scout Troop 48 of Faison, which has a wartime history of its own. The troop was founded on the eve of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

In an interview with Duplin Journal after the ceremony, the organizer of the event, retired attorney Charles Ingram, said it is important to continue these events no matter how small the crowd may be.

“It means we still care,” Ingram said, adding that the Memorial Day observances are not as well attended as they used to be, which saddens him.

“I think about it when we have these ceremonies, and they are certainly not as well attended as they ought to be,” he said. “If I was one of these 165 men lying in a grave somewhere, I’d be angry that I had made the supreme sacri ce for people who don’t seem to care. At least they know some of us do care, the ones here today. Memorial Day is not just a day about going to the beach and having a barbecue. It’s a day of remembering these men.”

MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

Duplin Event Center Director Amanda Pope came to Duplin County from Sampson County. She was with Duplin County Tourism before being promoted to director.

COURTESY HARRELLS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

Mascots pictured on the front are Avery Nye and Alex Aguirre.

MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

Retired U.S. Army Maj. Harvey Knowles of Wallace reads the names of Duplin County’s fallen during World War II during the Memorial Day observance at the Duplin County Courthouse while event organizer Charles Ingram looks on. The number of fallen heroes in World War II from Duplin County totaled 102.

Stanly NewS Journal

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Democrats feud over stock trading in e ort to sharpen anti-corruption case against Trump Democrats are increasingly critiquing each other over their personal stock trades as the party looks to hone its anti- corruption message against President Donald Trump in the midterm elections. In primary races across the country, Democrats are critiquing individual stock trades and the personal wealth of their rivals in a bid to build credibility with voters. Polls show the public takes a dim view of insider trading in Washington and supports more guardrails against corruption. The debates have scrambled ideological lines inside the party, with some more moderate lawmakers attacking progressive rivals over past stock trades. Progressives express skepticism that Democrats who have recently highlighted the issue are o ering genuine critiques about money in politics.

Trump: Everything checked out “perfectly” at his medical exam

Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump had another medical exam on Tuesday, putting his health under renewed public scrutiny as he has worked to dismiss concerns over his age and stamina. The 79-yearold president spent more than three hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for what the White House described as preventive medical and dental checkups. It was Trump’s fourth publicly disclosed medical exam since he returned to o ce for a second term, and it comes as he tries to project strength ahead of midterm elections that will test his sway with voters. In a social media post after the visit, Trump said that he had just nished his “6 month physical” and that “Everything checked out PERFECTLY.” Trump, a Republican, turns 80 next month and was the oldest person elected U.S. president. His immediate predecessor, President Joe Biden, a Democrat, was 82 when he left o ce, dropping out of the 2024 presidential race because of widespread concerns he was too old for the job.

Bridging the way

City Lake Park to host Stanly’s rst drone show for America 250

The event will follow Food Truck Friday

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The America 250 celebration will take to the skies next week with a rst-of-its-kind event for Stanly County. Set at Albemarle’s City Lake Park, America 250 NC Stanly County will host its “Lights of Liberty” drone show June 5 at 9 p.m.

Badin Opera House remembered with new post o ce display

A

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

BADIN — A historic image of one of Badin’s former landmarks is now on display where the building once stood.

On May 19, a large-scale photograph of the Badin Opera House was presented to Postmaster Robert Carr Sr. at the Badin United States Post O ce, which was constructed on the site of the former theater.

Mayor Demar Huntley was joined at the dedication ceremony by members of the Badin Town Council, Better Badin and the Badin Historic Museum.

“The cooperative e orts returned a visible piece of the town’s past to the very site where the landmark once stood,” Better Badin and the Badin Historic Museum announced in a joint news release Sunday. “The newly installed image allows residents and visitors to glimpse the elegance and ambition of

The free event, located at 815 Concord Road, will follow Albemarle Parks and Recreation’s Food Truck Friday concert, giving residents an evening of food, music and patriotic visuals. Organizers describe the presentation as a modern, storytelling-style alternative to reworks, with 250 illuminated drones creating moving images and patriotic scenes across the night sky, all choreographed to narration and music. As one of Stanly County’s

historic photo honors the former theater site

COURTESY OPEN SKY DRONE LIGHT SHOWS Stanly County’s rst drone show is set for June 5 at City Lake Park in Albemarle.

The Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway bridge, pictured earlier this month, crosses the Pee Dee River in front of the Lake Tillery hydroelectric dam, looking towards Norwood. MY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR STANLY NEWS JOURNAL

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

NASCAR CEO O’Donnell tells Busch family ‘we got you’ before Coca-Cola 600

Kyle Busch died last Thursday at 41 from pneumonia that progressed into sepsis

By Steve Reed and Michael Marot The Associated Press

CONCORD — NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell honored Kyle Busch’s widow, Samantha, and the couple’s children, Brexton and Lennix, before the start of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday in an emotional speech.

Standing on the frontstretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway, O’Donnell looked directly at the Busch family and said, “Samantha, I want you to know that this sport stands with you, and that you and your children are NASCAR family forever. And Brexton and Lennix, your dad loved you with all his heart. Everyone gathered here, everyone behind you, everybody watching on TV, and all those people up in that grandstand are your family — and we’ve got you. ”

Tears rolled down Samantha Busch’s cheek as she wrapped her arm tightly around 11-year-old Brexton, an aspiring racer. Both wore black T-shirts that read “Battle of the Busches.”

Busch’s older brother and former Cup Series champion, Kurt, and his parents, Tom and Gaye, also attended the tribute.

“Kyle Busch is NASCAR,” O’Donnell added. “He was one of a kind, and there will never be another.”

A moment of silence followed O’Donnell’s speech.

Auto racing’s biggest day became a Memorial Day weekend tribute to Busch from Indianapolis to CMS.

Busch died last Thursday at 41 after severe pneumo -

“When you think race car driver and what that person should be like, Kyle Busch is probably one of the rst that comes to your mind on the type of racer he was.”

Joey Logano, Cup Series driver

nia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming complications, according to a statement released by his family, and his loss sent shockwaves through the motorsports world and beyond.

Charlotte Motor Speedway honored the two-time Cup Series champion with a large, black No. 8 and his signature on the frontstretch grass and a photo on the videoboard.

The U.S. Army Golden Knights carried Busch’s ag during prerace festivities. Each of the 39 cars in the eld carried Busch’s decal. On the pace lap, the cars formed the missing man formation.

The speedway’s public address system and the television commentators went silent on the eighth lap of the race.

On Saturday night, Layne Riggs celebrated his Truck Series win at Charlotte by imitating Busch’s traditional bows to the crowd after the race, and Ross Chastain did the same after capturing the rain-shortened O’Reilly Auto Parts race.

“When you think race car driver and what that person should be like, Kyle Busch is probably one of the rst that comes to your mind on the

type of racer he was,” Cup Series driver Joey Logano said.

Fans at CMS arrived in droves Sunday with shirts that read “Rowdy” and “KFB.”

Earlier in the day at the Indianapolis 500, Dale Coyne Racing changed the font of Romain Grosjean’s No. 18 car to replicate the font the two -time Brickyard 400 winner used during his 14 seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing in his No. 18 car.

Then came the opening prayer, in which Busch was mentioned by name. And on lap 18, race o cials lit up the scoring pylon next to pit lane with Busch’s name, his birth year and 2026.

Even with the pageantry of Indianapolis’ big IndyCar race, Busch, who had a record 234 victories across NASCAR’s three national series, was never far from the thoughts of people in the city that dubs itself the “Racing Capital of the World.”

“It’s desperately sad. It’s also one of those things where you try not to think about it or let it in because you’ve got so much to do, you can’t let yourself get emotional,” Katherine Legge said. “But honestly, racing has lost one of the greatest drivers, in my opinion, of all time. If you look back at the history and just — he was a legend.”

As Indy held its biggest race of the year, those who knew or competed against Busch raced with a heavy heart.

“How can you not be in shock over the situation?” two-time Indy winner Josef Newgarden said. “I think it just puts into perspective how fragile life is. You just don’t know. Makes me think of his kids, to be honest with you. Gosh, I feel terrible about — I have two sons now. That’s the thing that breaks my heart.”

May 28

May 30 Summertime

Albemarle

“The Minecraft Movie” – Summer Movie Night 6 p.m. Vendors and food trucks are on-site. The movie will be shown at sunset.

Locust City Hall Backyard 186 Ray Kennedy Drive

Now through June 6

Stanly Arts Guild Presents Spring Garden and Craft Show

Tuesday – Friday: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A celebration of the season with an exhibit of yard art.

330 N. 2nd St. Albemarle

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

What went wrong for Democrats

The real issue for Democrats is not why they lost the last election, but how they are going to avoid losing the next one.

FOR MONTHS NOW, Democrats have been arguing about whether to release the “autopsy” the National Committee commissioned on what went wrong in 2024. The report was completed but then not released; under pressure, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin released the report this week, but only with the caveat that it didn’t meet the committee’s standards, whatever that means.

In truth, the report nds plenty of blame. That’s the problem with losing a close election — and 2024, no matter how many times President Donald Trump describes it as a landslide, it wasn’t — is that almost everything you did “wrong” could have made the di erence. Which doesn’t necessarily tell you what to do right, the next time around, or address the very real divides inside the Democratic Party.

The report faults almost everyone. The Biden White House is faulted for not doing enough during the rst term and the 2022 midterms to prepare Kamala Harris to lead the ticket, which, of course, would not have mattered so much had former President Joe Biden not waited so long to bow out, but that’s another story.

The Harris campaign is faulted for writing o rural voters, relying too much on identity politics and not being tough enough on Trump. When the other side runs a negative campaign and wins, as Trump did here, the response is always that you should have

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

hit back harder. With what, is the question.

One of the most striking conclusions and the most troubling is about the e cacy of the ad Trump ran attacking Harris on transgender issues — in this case, on her previous statement of support for taxpayer-funded gender-a rming surgeries for prison inmates.

The report cites the ad as “very e ective,” and says that internal pollsters believed that “if the Vice President would not change her position — and she did not — then there was nothing which would have worked as a response.”

Are Democrats in fact too far out front of voters on transgender issues?

Do Democrats rely too much on identity politics, an argument that works better with the base of the Democratic party than it does with more moderate, independent voters, whom they need to attract?

According to the report, “Harris wrote o rural America, assuming urban/suburban margins would compensate. The math doesn’t work. ... You can’t lose rural areas by overwhelming margins and make it up elsewhere when rural voters are a signi cant share of the electorate. If Democrats are to reclaim leadership in the Heartland or the South, candidates must perform well in rural turf. Show up, listen and then do it again.”

As for male voters, the report argues that “Male voters require direct engagement. The gender gap can be narrowed. Deploy male messengers, address economic concerns and

don’t assume identity politics will hold male voters of color.”

The release of the autopsy and all the discussion about why it took so long to release it coincides with a new New York Times/Siena College poll showing Democrats with a strong advantage going into the midterms, but also with deep divides and disillusionment within the party. While the left is the loudest force on the Democratic side, it may not be the most popular: a majority of Democratic supporters said that they were generally happy with the party’s ideological positioning, but 52% said the next Democratic presidential candidate should move the party to the center in order to win. Only a quarter said the next candidate should move the party to the left.

The Times found that more than half of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents expressed frustration with the party: “unhappiness spanned almost every part of the party’s coalition — including young, white, Black and college-educated voters — and was especially strong among Democrats least attached to the party, who are the most likely to swing elections.”

The real issue for Democrats is not why they lost the last election, but how they are going to avoid losing the next one.

Susan Estrich is a feminist legal scholar and the rst woman to run a U.S. presidential campaign. She has written eight books.

(Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

Can Trump handle the world he has changed?

The cheap drones that Ukrainians have invented and produced in astonishing numbers — some 60,000 per day.

TEN YEARS AGO this month, Donald Trump clinched the Republican nomination for president, with a platform that was vastly di erent on trade and foreign policy from other recent presidents, Republican and Democratic alike.

How fares America — and the world — 10 years later?

In some important ways, things have moved in Trump’s direction. In 2016 and since, he complained constantly that Europeans were not contributing their fair share to NATO. That had been the position of previous administrations, but none emphasized it as Trump did.

Early in Trump’s rst term, only ve NATO allies met the stated goal of spending 2% of GDP on defense. A decade later, the goal has risen to 5%, and most NATO allies are moving toward that goal.

And as Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened his neighbors, previously neutral (for nearly 75 years!) Finland and Sweden, with their highly competent militaries, have decided to join NATO and have made the Baltic Sea just beyond Putin’s hometown of St. Petersburg a NATO lake. In the Middle East, Trump has also made a di erence. His predecessors’ policy was based on the hoary assumption that the key to stability was to pressure Israel to make a peace agreement with the Palestinians. So America’s task was to pressure Israel to make concessions. Trump saw it di erently. He pushed the Abraham Accords, diplomatic relations between Israel, Saudi Arabia and Persian Gulf oil producers. Progress has been uneven but palpable. Israel’s paci cation of Gaza has not prevented the Saudis and United Arab Emirates from supporting Trump’s e orts, cooperating with Israel, to disarm and destabilize the regime in Iran.

On trade, Trump’s on-again, o -again

threats, impositions and adjustments of tari rates have resulted in channeling trade in di erent patterns. The days of a jointly dependent “Chimerica” (historian Niall Ferguson’s phrase) seem to be waning.

Not everything has gone Trump’s way. His xation on unproblematic trade “de cits” has led him to impose tari s that have fed in ation and eroded his job approval at home. His initiatives in Iran, without persuasive explanations to voters or any attempt at buy-in by the political opposition, have also hurt him politically — although regime collapse in Iran remains possible and could put things in a di erent light. More importantly, the world has changed, sometimes in line with his expectations, sometimes to the contrary. The prime example is Russia’s war on Ukraine. As Trump has noted, Putin launched his 2014 attacks on Donbas and his 2022 march toward Kyiv when Democrats were president. And former President Joe Biden’s restrictions on aid to Ukraine — especially bans on lobbing attacks on Russian territory — limited Ukraine’s defense.

As analysts of various stripes have concluded, Ukraine has developed drone warfare as a barrier to Russian advance and to make advances itself.

Ukraine has had one advantage Putin didn’t count on in 2022: morale, a sense of national pride and resolve that is unquanti able but has enabled seemingly ordinary people to adapt with extraordinary speed and inventiveness reminiscent of the best of American examples in World War II. It’s interesting that Trump, for all his emphasis on building America’s national morale, has been deaf to the importance of that factor in Ukraine.

The cheap drones that Ukrainians have invented and produced in astonishing numbers

— some 60,000 per day — have routinely destroyed much more expensive Russian missiles and have enabled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to destroy energy infrastructure in Perm, 1,000 kilometers beyond the Russian border, and prompted Putin to downsize his WWII victory parade in Moscow.

It is clear that the Trump policy of pressuring Ukraine to accept Russian control of provinces it hasn’t occupied is as obsolete as Trump’s predecessors’ policies of pressuring Israel to accept Palestinian control of territory from which the Palestinians could launch attacks like those of Oct. 7, 2023.

It seems clear as well that the remnants of the Iranian regime are unwilling to abandon their 47-year hostilities toward the U.S., and that Trump’s eagerness to deploy “the art of the deal,” even under the auspices of a hostile Pakistan, is encouraging their continued resistance. And in the meantime, will the drawdown of America’s expensive smart weapons in the Persian Gulf reduce American deterrence against Chinese aggression against Taiwan?

The nal verdict on Trump’s foreign policies cannot be written now, with 32 months left in his term and so many kinetic events in unpredictable motion. But perhaps it can be said that while his departures from his predecessors’ policies have had some successes in reshaping the world, it is not clear that he has developed policies adapted to the world he has done so much to change.

Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime coauthor of “The Almanac of American Politics.” (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

This upgraded version avoided the catastrophic midair explosions of previous test ights

By Marcia Dunn

The Associated Press

SPACEX LAUNCHED its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test ight last Friday, an upgraded version that NASA is counting on to land astronauts on the moon.

The redesigned mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he’s taking the company public. It blasted o from the southern tip of Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites that were released midway through the hourlong spaceight that stretched halfway around the world.

The spacecraft reached its nal destination — the Indian Ocean — despite some engine trouble, before erupting in ames upon impact. That last part was not unexpected, according to SpaceX.

Musk called it “an epic” launch and landing.

“You scored a goal for humanity,” he told his team via X.

It’s the 12th test ight of the rocket that Musk is building to get people to Mars one day. But rst comes the moon and NASA’s Artemis program.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman ew in for the launch, saying Starship is now one step closer to the moon.

The last of the old space-skimming Starships lifted o in October. SpaceX’s third-generation Starship — a souped-up version dubbed V3 — soared from a brand-new launch pad at Starbase, near the Mexican border. Last-minute pad issues thwarted Thursday evening’s launch attempt.

SpaceX was hoping to avoid the reworks it experienced during back-to-back launch-

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early Badin, when the company town ourished with theaters, concerts, civic gatherings and community events tied to the booming aluminum industry.”

The Badin Opera House was built in 1918 and stood for more than four decades as one of the town’s cultural centers before its demolition in 1959.

Designed by Pittsburgh architect H.E. Kennedy, the 750 -seat theater included an elegant ballroom and became a destination for traveling performers arriving by rail. Its stage hosted what were billed as “high-class theatricals,” along with concerts, civic programs, silent lms and other community gatherings.

“Where the post o ce now sits was once the grand Opera House, built in the year 1918,” the Stanly County Convention and Visitors Bureau said in a statement. “It is said that this theater was once the center of the community, as well as what drew much attention from tourists.”

The opera house was originally built for Alcoa workers who lived in Badin during the town’s early years, but it also became a gathering place for the wider community. Among

“You scored a goal for humanity.”

Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO

es last year when midair explosions rained wreckage down on the Atlantic. Earlier ights also ended in ames.

There was no reball this time until the very end. The spacecraft plummeted upright into the Indian Ocean under seemingly full control, then toppled over and ignited.

While the lifto itself went well, not all of the engines red as the booster attempted a controlled return. The spacecraft also had to make do with fewer engines but kept heading eastward 120 miles up. A pair of modi ed, camera-equipped Starlinks ejected from Starship provided brief views of the spacecraft in ight — a remarkable rst.

At 407 feet, the latest model eclipses the older Starship lines by several feet and packs more engine thrust. The revamped booster sports fewer but bigger and stronger grid ns for steering it back to Earth following lifto , and a larger and more robust fuel transfer line to feed the 33 main engines. This fuel line is the size of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rst-stage booster. The retro-looking, stainless steel spacecraft also has more of everything — more cameras, and more navigation and computer power — as well as docking cones for future rendezvous and moon missions. Starship is meant to be fully reusable, with giant mechanical arms at the launch pads to catch the returning rocket stages. But on this latest trial run, nothing was being recovered. The Gulf of Mexico marked the end of the road for the redesigned rst-stage booster, and the Indian Ocean

for the spacecraft and its satellite demos.

NASA is paying SpaceX billions of dollars — and also Je Bezos’ Blue Origin — to provide the lunar landers that will be used to land Artemis astronauts on the moon.

The two companies are scrambling to be rst.

While Starship has reached the fringes of space on multiple ights lasting an hour at most, Bezos’ Blue Moon has yet to lift o , although a prototype is being readied for a moonshot later this year.

NASA is following April’s successful lunar yaround by four astronauts with a docking trial run in orbit around Earth planned for next year. For that Artemis III mission, astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with Starship, Blue Moon or both.

A moon landing by two astronauts — Artemis IV — could follow as soon as 2028 using either Starship or Blue Moon, whichever lander is safer and ready rst. It will be NASA’s rst lunar landing with a crew since 1972’s Apollo 17. The goal this time is a moon base near the lunar south pole, sta ed by astronauts as well as robots.

SpaceX is already taking reservations for private ights to the moon and Mars on Starship.

The world’s rst space tourists, California businessman Dennis Tito and his wife, signed up 31⁄2 years ago for a ight around the moon. The timing is uncertain.

This week, another wealthy space tourist — Chinese-born bitcoin investor Chun Wang — announced he will y to Mars on Starship’s rst interplanetary mission. Wang previously chartered a SpaceX polar ight in a Dragon capsule last year and, along with his hand-picked crew, became the rst to orbit above the north and south poles. No price tag or date was revealed for his Mars cruise.

the entertainers connected to the venue were W.C. Fields and Mae West, along with Fisher Hendley and the Aristocratic Pigs, Badin concert bands and local singers. Organizers said the new display is part of a broader effort to preserve and interpret Badin’s industrial and cultural history. That e ort also includes renewed attention to historic railbeds recently rediscov-

ered across Morrow Mountain State Park. Those rail corridors once carried materials, workers and a self-propelled railcar that linked sections of the industrial community and surrounding region.

Better Badin and the Badin Historic Museum said they hope the display will encourage additional preservation initiatives and renewed pride in Badin’s transportation, industrial and cultural history.

COURTESY EMELIA IRELAND, IRELAND MONTROY PHOTOGRAPHY

A photo of the historic Badin Opera House is now on-site at the Badin post o ce.

Pope Leo XIV calls for robust regulation of AI in manifesto pondering future of humanity

The encyclical asked researchers to re ect on the power of AI

By Nicole Win eld, Kaitlyn Huamani and Paolo Santalucia

The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV called Monday for robust regulation of arti cial intelligence and for its developers to work for the common good rather than pro t, issuing a sweeping manifesto on safeguarding humankind as the technology impacts everything from work to war.

“Magni ca Humanitas” (Magni cent Humanity), Leo’s rst encyclical, has been eagerly awaited ever since history’s rst U.S.-born pope announced days after his election that he considered AI to be the biggest challenge facing humanity today.

In the text, Leo denounced the “culture of power” driving the AI race, especially in developing ever more sophisticated methods of remote warfare. He declared that it was “not permissible” to entrust irreversible, lethal decisions to AI systems, setting up another ash point between the American pope and the Trump administration, which has worked aggressively to deregulate AI development.

“Arti cial Intelligence now demands to be disarmed, freed from logics that turn it into an instrument of domination, exclusion and death,” the pope told a special Vatican presentation of the encyclical, one of the most authoritative types of teaching documents a pope can issue.

Experts in the tech industry, academia and Catholic morality said the document will likely become a benchmark in the

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signature America 250 programs, the event will commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The rst 800 cars to arrive will receive a free LED light-up American ag, courtesy the City of Albemarle Electric Division and ElectriCities.

“We are grateful to Uwharrie

debate over AI, a point of reference for policymakers, researchers and ordinary folk alike. It comes as the near-daily developments in the technology trigger concerns over AI replacing human jobs and even human intelligence.

Taylor Black, a Microsoft AI executive and director of Catholic University of America’s AI institute, said the document would prompt people “at the forefront of these tools” to ask questions such as “What does it mean to be human?”

Pope calls out AI companies even as he hosts Anthropic

The Vatican launch also included remarks by the co-founder of Anthropic, which is currently locked in a legal battle with the Trump administration over access to its AI technology. The Vatican decided to involve Anthropic as part of its decade-long e ort to engage Silicon Valley in dialogue over the human cost of AI.

And yet in his text, Leo repeatedly blasted the concentration of power and data in the hands of so few people in the private sector as a danger, especially to children and the most vulnerable, and called for external regulation of their work.

“It is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract; robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required,” he wrote. “A more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few.”

Leo appealed to AI developers and political leaders responsible for regulating them to slow down and re ect on what they are doing. He urged them to use ethical and spiritual guidelines to make the choice to work not for their own pro t or power,

Bank for funding this memorable event, and we certainly hope that you will join us,” said Bain Jones, chair of the America 250 NC Stanly County Committee and president of the Stanly County Historical Society. “This will be something that has really never been seen in our state.”

Food Truck Friday will run 5:30-9 p.m. at the park, featuring food trucks, open lawn seating and live music. The con-

but the betterment of humanity.

AI competitors OpenAI and Anthropic are the second- and third-most valuable U.S. private companies, each valued at hundreds of billions of dollars, more than the GDP of many nations. Both companies are heading toward near-trillion-dollar IPOs.

Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah welcomed Leo’s criticism and concern. He said such external checks were fundamental to the technology “going well” for humankind since there is so much at stake — “a real possibility that AI will displace human labor at a very large scale.”

“We need more of the world — religious communities, civil society, scholars, governments — to do what His Holiness has done here: to take this seriously, to look closely and to push events in a better direction,” Olah said. “We need moral voices that the incentives cannot bend.”

Experts say text will become benchmark

In a methodical text, the math major pope traced the history of the Catholic Church’s social teaching and applied its core concepts — justice, sol-

cert will feature Heart Breaker, a Mooresville-based classic rock tribute act specializing in the music of Heart and Led Zeppelin.

Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets.

Because parking at City Lake Park is limited, organizers are asking attendees to arrive early, carpool when possible or use a free shuttle from Market Station at 501 W. Main St. in Al-

Election Day: Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Time: Meeting 1 pm - 2 pm Voting will end at 4 pm Location: 507 Old Charlotte Rd

in joining Gaston

Contribute to Strategic Plan & Organizational Direction Serve as Liaison to the communities represented

Pope Leo XIV attends the presentation of his rst encyclical at the Vatican on Monday.

idarity, the dignity of work and the universal destination of resources — to the digital revolution.

“I am convinced that this will prove to be a de ning document for our era, a profound and prophetic document,” said Paolo Carozza, law professor at Notre Dame Law School and chair of the Meta Oversight Board.

“Pope Leo is o ering a clear, comprehensive and coherent voice urging us to take responsibility for constructing a world in which technology will serve humans rather than degrade them,” he said.

In its strongest chapters, Leo denounced how AI had helped accelerate the “normalization of war” by desensitizing people to its cost. He didn’t name specific con icts but cited “opposing imperialisms, between powers that wish to preserve their supremacy, and those that aspire to seize that supremacy.”

He demanded transparency and accountability by AI developers so that the chain of decision-making command in ordering strikes with AI weaponry is always known. He declared that the Catholic Church’s “just war” theory, which provides speci c criteria for when force can be justi ed, was now

bemarle. Shuttles will run continuously 6-10 p.m., with an estimated ve-minute ride to the park. The America 250 NC Airstream traveling exhibit also will be on-site for visitors to tour, featuring interactive displays connected to the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Additional events on the America 250 NC Stanly County Committee’s 2026 schedule in-

“outdated” given the technological advances of warfare.

Text in church’s social justice tradition

Leo signed the text May 15, the 135th anniversary of the publication of “Rerum Novarum” (Of New Things), the most important teaching document of Leo’s hero and namesake, Pope Leo XIII. That document addressed workers’ rights, the limits of capitalism, and the obligations that states and employers owed workers as the Industrial Revolution was underway. It became the foundation of modern Catholic social thought, and the current pope cited it at the start of his ponti cate in relation to the AI revolution, which he believes poses the same existential questions that the Industrial Revolution posed over a century ago. “Magni ca Humanitas” thus becomes the latest chapter in a century-long history of popes adapting “Rerum Novarum” to the social questions of their times, often dwelling on the dignity of work for human ourishing.

AI is evoking both existential fears and utopian vision amid an intensifying debate on whether it will become a catalyst that enriches humanity or a technological toxin that dulls human intelligence while wiping out millions of high-paying jobs.

“The pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacri ce jobs, because the human person is an end, not a means, and the economic order must remain subordinate to human dignity and the common good,” Leo wrote.

Vatican o cials declined to say who contributed to Leo’s encyclical, but Vatican and church o cials have been engaged in a dialogue with Silicon Valley tech rms for a decade.

clude patriotic music programs June 21 in Albemarle, Locust’s America 250 Celebration concert with The Tams and reworks June 27, Oakboro’s 68th annual Fourth of July celebration, and a July 18 program in Norwood marking the 246th anniversary of the Battle of Colson’s Mill.

The full schedule is available to view online at stanlycountyamerica250.org.

ALESSANDRA TARANTINO / AP PHOTO

OBITUARIES

PEGGY SUE BURRIS

NOV. 13, 1929 – MAY 22, 2026

Our beloved matriarch, Peggy Sue Lowder Burris, 96, ran into the arms of our Lord and Savior on Friday, May 22, 2026. Born on November 13, 1929, in Union County. Mrs. Burris was the daughter of the late Arlie Raeford and Eva Lugenia Tarlton Lowder.

Mrs. Burris was a graduate of Endy School. She received her bachelor’s degree in education from Pfei er University and her master’s degree from UNC-Charlotte. She taught school for 33 years at Oakboro Elementary School, where she taught 2nd and 4th grade. She could teach anyone to read and took great pride in her career. She also loved working in her yard tending her owers, going to church, teaching Sunday school, spending time reading her Bible, enjoying her beach home, playing bridge and being with her family and friends.

In addition to her parents, Mrs. Burris was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, Joe Burris, in 1995, her grandson, Damon Smith, in 1996, her brother, Jack Lowder, in 2006, and her son-in-law, Gary Medlin, in 2019.

She leaves to cherish her memory, daughters, Pam Medlin, Rita Gri n (Don) of Albemarle and Marilyn Hatley (David) of N. Myrtle Beach, SC. A ectionately referred to as Nan, she is also survived by four grandchildren, Chad Hatley (Jackie), Aaron Medlin, Blair Smith and Neil Medlin; six great-grandchildren, Gavin Smith Whitley (Ellen), Sam Kimmer, Sawyer Kimmer, Joe Medlin (Shana), Hunter Medlin, and Amelia Hatley. She was also blessed with six great-great grandchildren, Rayna and Lena Kimmer, Haevyn Batten, and Nate, Thea, and Jesse Smith Whitley. She is further survived by two beloved nieces, Sandy (Charles) Page and Cindy Russell.

In lieu of owers, the family requests donations be made to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church building fund, 17236 Frog Pond Road, Oakboro, NC, 28129, Tillery Compassionate Care, 960 N. 1st Street, NC 28001, or the charity of their choice

The family will receive friends at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church at 1 pm on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, followed by the service at 2 pm. A private internment will follow at Stanly Gardens of Memory.

MITCHELL WAYNE LOVE SR.

MAY 18, 1962 – MAY 23, 2026

Mitchell Wayne Love Sr., 64, of Marshville, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on May 23, 2026, surrounded by his loving family and friends.

Family and friends are invited to attend a visitation on Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care in Locust, North Carolina.

Born on May 18, 1962, Mitchell was the son of the late John Wayne Love Sr. and Mary Smith.

Mitchell will be lovingly remembered by his children, Julie Bailey (David), Mitchell Love Jr. (Rochelle), Matt Love (Jennifer), and Brian Love (Rebekah); his brothers, Rex Love (Kim) and John Love Jr. (Rhonda); his sister, Marie Daniels (David); his 11 grandchildren; his three great-grandchildren; along with many extended family members and dear friends who will forever cherish his memory.

For 35 years, Mitchell was a dedicated and hardworking employee of Simpson Eggs, where he built many lasting friendships throughout the years. Outside of work, he found joy in carp shing, spending time outdoors, and simply enjoying life doing the things he loved most. Above all else, Mitchell loved his family deeply. He was a wonderful father, proud grandfather, and someone who could always make others smile with his playful sense of humor and joking spirit.

The family greatly appreciates the many prayers, acts of kindness, and support shown during this di cult time and the family would also like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the sta and employees of Simpson Eggs for the love, care, friendship, and support they showed Mitchell throughout his 35 years with the company.

Mitchell’s kindness, laughter, and love for his family will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

JOEL RUSSELL

JAN. 29, 1939 – MAY 23, 2026

Joel Willis Russell, 87, of Albemarle, passed away Saturday, May 23, 2026, at his home surrounded by family.

Joel was born January 29, 1939, in North Carolina to the late Alfred Hill Russell and the late Evelyn Mae Russell.

The family will receive friends from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm, Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle. A graveside service will be held on Wednesday at 2:30 pm at Fairview Memorial Park in Albemarle, o ciated by Rev. Don Burleyson. Burial will follow at the Fairview Memorial Park at 1425 East Main Street, Albemarle.

Survivors include wife, Vicky Diane Russell; son, Jerry Russell; grandson, Jacob Russell; granddaughter, Regan Russell; sister, Patricia Lowder; niece, Leslee Lowder Berlin; sister-in-Law, Bonnie Helms; and nephews, Je Helms and Kevin Helms. In Lieu of owers, memorials may be shared to Tillery Compassionate Care, 960 N 1st St, Albemarle, NC 28001.

DARLENE COLEY

DEC. 21, 1963 – MAY 23, 2026

Barbara Darlene Coley, 62, of Aquadale, passed away on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at her home, one day after her 44th wedding anniversary.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, June 1, 2026, at 7:00 PM at Edwards Funeral Home in Norwood. Rev. Brandon King will o ciate. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.

Barbara was born on December 21, 1963, to the late Richard and Joann Harward. After high school, Darlene completed cosmetology school and later went on to work as a sewer. She was a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her daughter, Ashley Nichole Coley and her brother Michael.

She is survived by her husband, Ricky Coley, her grandson, Caleb Mabry, and her sister, Sharon.

In lieu of owers, donations to the funeral costs may be made to Edwards Funeral Home.

PATRICIA FESPERMAN

NOV. 1, 1956 – MAY 23, 2026

Patricia Ritchie Fesperman, 69, of Albemarle, NC, passed away Saturday, May 23, 2026, at her home in Albemarle.

She was born on November 1, 1956, in North Carolina to Claud and Rosa Ritchie. She was preceded in death by her parents, Claud and Rosa Ritchie, and her brother Ron Ritchie. She is survived by her husband of 51 years, Jack Fesperman of Albemarle, and three sons and four grandchildren: Daniel Fesperman, Smyrna GA, Mark Fesperman (Megan, Ryan, Devin, Samantha) of Clover, SC; and Jason Fesperman (Dan, Daniel) of Maggie Valley, NC. She is also survived by her sister Brenda Gerolstein (Paul) of Marietta, GA, and brother Lewis Ritchie (Peg) of Greensboro, NC.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 - 8:00 pm, Thursday, May 28, 2026, at Hartsell Funeral Home 522 N. 2nd Street Albemarle NC 28001. The memorial service will be 6:00 pm, Friday, May 29, 2026, at First Baptist Church of Albemarle 202 N 2nd St Albemarle NC 28001 and will be o ciated by Dr. Kendell Cameron. Pat retired in February 2024 after 33 years at the Stanly County Tax Collectors O ce. She was known by many for her smile and loving personality. She loved to spend time with her family and friends. She also enjoyed cooking, hanging out at the pool and spending time at her favorite place, the beach. She also enjoyed watching the birds and tending her rose bushes.

Memorials can be made to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the American Cancer Society Relay for Life in her honor in lieu of owers.

DEBORAH LEE GADDY

MAY 8, 1955 – MAY 24, 2026

Deborah Lee Gaddy, 71, of Albemarle, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at Tucker Hospice House in Kannapolis.

A memorial service to celebrate Deborah’s life will be held at 3:00 PM on Sunday, July 5, 2026, at Stanly Funeral Home Chapel in Albemarle, o ciated by Pastor Jason Almond. The family will receive friends from 2:00 PM until 2:45 PM prior to the service.

Deborah was born on May 8, 1955, in Ohio to the late Donald and Barbara Atkin. She is lovingly survived by her children, Robert Gaddy, Melissa Parsons (Je rey), Rachel Nix (William), and Tim Gaddy (Amanda); her cherished grandchildren, Benjamin Parsons, Logan Lewis, Christian Nix, Samuel Parsons, Connor Curry, Jacob Gaddy, and Henry Gaddy; her sister, Denise Douglas (Je ); and numerous beloved nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, Deborah was preceded in death by her husband, Larry Wayne Gaddy in 2024; her sisters, Diane Whittenburg and Jennifer Holly.

Deborah was a devoted mother and grandmother whose greatest joy was her family. She faced life’s challenges and su ering with grace, strength, and unwavering faith, raising her children to know and love Jesus. Deborah was known for her quick wit, intelligence, and wonderful sense of humor that brought laughter to those around her. She enjoyed playing spades, working crossword puzzles, and spending time with family. She was also a gifted cook whose meals brought everyone together around the table. Above all, Deborah treasured her grandchildren and loved praise and worship music.

The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the sta of Tillery Compassionate Care, Atrium Health Hospice of Cabarrus County, and Andrea Lillie for the love, care, and support shown to Deborah during her declining health.

In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to Tillery Compassionate Care, 960 N. First Street, Albemarle, NC 28001.

While she will be deeply missed, Deborah leaves behind a legacy of faith, love, and beautiful memories that will continue to bring comfort for years to come.

‘It Takes Two’ rapper Rob Base, who helped bring hip-hop mainstream, dead at 59

The

NEW YORK — Rob Base, a rapper and one half of the Harlem hip-hop duo Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 59.

Base, whose real name was Robert Ginyard, was best known for the 1988 chart-topper “It Takes Two,” a blend of hip-hop and house music that helped bring both genres into the mainstream.

“Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world,” read a statement on his Instagram announcing his death. “Beyond the stage, he was a loving father,

“Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world.”

Family statement

family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten.”

His creative counterpart, Rodney “Skip” Bryce — who went by the stage name DJ E-Z Rock — died in 2014 at age 46 of complications from diabetes. The two met as fth grade

students in Harlem and said they were inspired to make music by the success of another Harlem-based group, Crash Crew. They signed in 1987 with Prole Records, one of the earliest hip-hop labels.

The following year, “It Takes Two” landed in the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Club Songs chart. The song has since been sampled by other artists, including Snoop Dogg and The Black Eyed Peas, and has appeared in several lms. It has been certied platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

The duo’s next single, “Get on the Dance Floor,” saw similar success on the club songs chart.

Associated Press

ROB GRABOWSKI / AP PHOTO

Rob Base performs during the “I Love The 90’s” tour on Aug. 7, 2022, at RiverEdge Park in Aurora, Illinois.

STANLY SPORTS

West Stanly’s softball players and coaches pose after winning the 2026 4A Western Regional on Friday.

West Stanly softball reaches 4A state championship series

The Colts will face Southwestern Randolph in Greensboro

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

RED CROSS — West Stan-

ly’s softball team will take its season to the state’s nal stage this weekend in Greensboro.

The Colts, the 2026 4A Western Regional champions, are set to face Southwestern Randolph in the NCHSAA 4A softball state championship series at UNC Greensboro Softball Stadium.

Game 1 is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday, followed by Game 2 at 11 a.m. Saturday. If the

best-of-three series goes the distance, Game 3 will be played Saturday at 5 p.m.

The state nals matchup gives West Stanly a chance to add another championship chapter to its postseason run as the Colts (26-6) and Cougars (23-4) meet in Greensboro for the 4A title.

West Stanly is aiming for the seventh state championship in program history after previously winning NCHSAA titles in 1997, 2013, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

“We are thankful to our community for supporting us and rallying for us.”

West Stanly softball

“These girls are your 4A Western Regional champions! Next stop: state championship series,” West Stanly softball said in a team statement. “We are thankful to our community for supporting us and rallying for us. Go Colts!” Against Southwestern Randolph, West Stanly will face a Cougars team that’s currently on a seven-game winning streak. Southwestern Randolph won both the Four Rivers regular-season and tournament titles before sweeping its state playo opponents to reach the championship series.

The Colts, who won the Rocky River Conference regular-season title, are 5-1 since losing to Mount Pleasant in the RRC Tournament championship.

West Stanly, the No. 4 seed in the 4A West bracket, earned its trip to Greensboro by taking two of three games from No. 11 Foard (19-9) in the regionalnal series.

The Colts opened the series May 19 in Red Cross with a 3-0 win before Foard answered a day later in Newton. The Tigers broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the bottom of the sixth inning, winning 3-2 and forcing a deciding Game 3 back in Red Cross.

In Friday’s winner-take-all matchup, West Stanly trailed 2-0 entering the bottom of the

second inning before taking the lead with three runs. The Colts held Foard scoreless the rest of the night, adding one run in the fourth and another in the sixth to secure a 5-2 regional-clinching win.

Junior Katie Broadway powered the West Stanly o ense with two home runs and four RBIs, while six Colts recorded hits in the victory.

West Stanly was one of three Stanly County teams to reach the regional nal round of the state playo s, joining South Stanly softball and North Stanly baseball.

Top-seeded South Stanly (25- 4) moved within one win of a state championship berth after splitting the rst two games of the 2A regional nal with No. 2 Roxboro Community, but the Bulls came up short in an 11-8 home loss over the weekend. In the 3A baseball bracket, No. 1 North Stanly (25-6) was knocked out of the state playo s after a 4-3 road loss to No. 2 East Rutherford (24-5) on Thursday.

The sophomore sprinter nished fth in the 200-meter title race

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

MISENHEIMER — Pfei er sophomore Jordan Jones added another milestone to his breakout season Saturday, earning All-America honors at the 2026 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Jones, a sprinter from Gastonia, nished fth in the 200-meter dash at the Veteran’s Memorial Field Sports Complex in La Crosse, Wisconsin, clocking a time of 21.20 seconds to earn rst-team All-America honors.

The performance capped a weekend in which Jones qualied for the national meet in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes.

He advanced to the 200-meter nal after running a 21.28 in the preliminary heats earlier in the weekend. Jones also competed in the 100-meter dash Friday, nishing 11th in the preliminary round with a time of 10.49 and earning him second-team All-America honors.

“Jordan Jones etched his name into the Pfei er history books this afternoon,” Pfei er Athletics said in a statement

Saturday. “The sophomore from Gastonia has become one of the most decorated men’s track and eld athletes in Pfei er’s history.” The NCAA outdoor meet

marked Jones’ second national championship appearance of the year.

In March, he became the rst indoor track and eld All-American in Pfei er his-

tory after nishing fth in the 60-meter dash at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field

“Jordan Jones etched his name into the Pfei er history books this afternoon.”

Pfei er Athletics

Jones is now a three-time All-American, earning rst-team honors in the indoor 60 meters and outdoor 200 meters, along with second-team honors in the outdoor 100 meters.

“Jordan Jones took

COURTESY WEST STANLY ATHLETICS

TENNIS

Gotta go: Home player Gea takes emergency bathroom break during French Open debut

Paris Home player Arthur Gea ran o the court for an emergency bathroom break early in the rst set of his French Open debut. Gea told the chair umpire before hastily running o , “I need to go to the bathroom. I can’t move anymore. I’m going to (go) on the court.” The 135th-ranked Gea lost to 13th-seeded Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-0. Usually bathroom breaks are only permitted between sets. The 21-year-old Gea received a wild card invitation from Roland Garros organizers to participate in the main draw.

NBA Trail Blazers lay o employees as part of restructuring e ort Portland, Ore.

The Portland Trail Blazers laid o employees as new owner Tom Dundon cuts costs. The exact number of employees let go was not made public but included sta in both the business and basketball operations. Dundon leads the group of investors who bought the NBA franchise from the estate of Paul Allen, the co -founder of Microsoft who died in 2018. The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the sale, worth a reported $4.25 billion, in April. Dundon also owns the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL.

PWHL

Montreal Victoire win team’s rst PWHL title, beating Ottawa 4-0 in Game 4

Ottawa, Ontario

Abby Roque scored twice, Ann-Renée Desbiens made 23 saves and the Montreal Victoire won their rst PWHL title, beating the Ottawa Charge 4-0 in Game 4 of the Walter Cup Finals. Maggie Flaherty and Lina Ljungblom also scored. Montreal opened the best- of- ve series at home with two overtime victories, then fell 2-1 at Ottawa. Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin was named playo MVP. She tied for the postseason lead with eight points.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Orgeron returns to LSU as special assistant to recruiting, defense

Baton Rouge, La.

Ed Orgeron returned to LSU’s football program Wednesday, seven years after he coached the Tigers to the 2019 national title. LSU head coach Lane Ki n added Orgeron, 64, to the sta as a special assistant to recruiting and defense. Orgeron worked under Ki n at Southern California and Tennessee. Orgeron spent six seasons as LSU’s head coach before being red after the 2021 season.

NFL

NFL taking 2030 Super Bowl to Nashville, Titans’ new enclosed stadium

Nashville, Tenn.

The NFL is taking the 2030 Super Bowl to Nashville and the Titans’ new Nissan Stadium after team owners voted to hold the league’s championship game in the Music City for the rst time. Once the Titans broke ground on the $2.1 billion enclosed stadium, a Super Bowl being played in Nashville appeared to be only a matter of time. The Titans are on schedule to nish the new stadium directly across from the current Nissan Stadium in February, completing the three-year construction.

Weekly deadline is Monday at noon

North Stanly baseball lost in the state semi nals, dropping two games to East Rutherford. They now move on without their four seniors, who saw their high school careers end two steps from a state title. That group includes Solomon Hudson, Jayce Huneycutt, Charlie Shaver and Heath Klingensmith.

South Stanly softball also made it to the state semi nals before falling to Roxboro Community. That closes the high school books on three seniors, including team hits, runs and RBIs leader Ashelyn Tucker, triples leader Lily Coakley and elding percentage leader Piper Huneycutt.

Late pass sends Rosenqvist surging past Malukas for closest Indianapolis 500 win in history

Legge’s

attempt ended early with a crash

By Michael Marot

The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Felix

Rosenqvist swung to the outside of David Malukas, then found a way past the Team Penske driver to win the closest Indianapolis 500 in history by a margin of 0.0233 seconds on Sunday.

Malukas looked like he was in position to win when he passed race leader Marcus Armstrong o the nal restart with one lap to go while Meyer Shank Racing teammates Rosenqvist and Armstrong battled wheel to wheel down the back straightaway and through the fourth and nal turn.

But Rosenqvist had just enough power to pull away from Armstrong and snake behind Malukas before making the decisive outside pass in the nal 50 feet.

The closest previous nish came in 1992 when Al Unser Jr. beat Scott Goodyear across the yard of bricks by 0.043 seconds.

“The last ve years I’ve been in the front and I’ve had a good enough car to probably win it, but today there was just something more,” said Rosenqvist, who had been fast all month. “It was an absolute rocket this month and year; it was still there in the race.”

It was Rosenqvist’s second career win in 120 IndyCar races and comes after the recent birth of his rst child. His last win was on July 12, 2020, at Road America, making this his rst win on an oval. Rosenqvist joins Kenny Brack and Marcus Ericsson as the only Swedes to win the race.

The wild nish began with a red ag that came out with seven laps to go because of a scary

crash involving Indy 500 rookie Caio Collet. Flames billowed out of the side of his car as it skidded to a stop in the grass. When racing resumed after a 10-minute delay, Armstrong and Malukas sped past the top two cars — Rosenqvist and Pato O’Ward. But with 3 1/2 laps left, the yellow ag came out again when Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, brushed the wall in Turn 2.

On the nal restart, Lap 200, Malukas sling-shotted his way past Armstrong for the lead and started pulling away from the two Meyer Shank Racing drivers. But Rosenqvist nally caught the Team Penske driver to win the biggest race of his career in the same month he became a father.

Malukas said he couldn’t think of what else he could have done to hang on to the lead.

“I was given two options: ei-

ther I lift or I crash with Felix,” said Armstrong, who nished fth. “I chose to lift. I don’t know if I could have done anything di erent.”

Malukas’ teammate Scott McLaughlin was third, and Rosenqvist’s best friend in racing, O’Ward, was fourth. O’Ward had two runner-up nishes and a third place in the past four years.

“I just don’t know what else we could have done,” Malukas said. “We were driving 150% that

“It was an absolute rocket this month and year; it was still there in the race.”

Felix Rosenqvist

whole time. We had the fastest car out there, loved that whole race. It was ours to win and I knew that, so I just never pushed like that my whole life.”

It was a strange day on the 2.5-mile Brickyard.

There was a 12-minute rain delay near the midway point of the race and the threat of more rain the rest of the afternoon changed strategies throughout the day. It looked like Rosenqvist and O’Ward had the advantage over the nal 25 laps because of pit strategy.

But Malukas and McLaughlin fought their way back into contention as other drivers such as defending Indy champion and pole winner Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing faded to seventh.

Palou led the most laps (59), had the most on-track passes (60) and retained the points lead. Malukas, however, passed Kyle Kirkwood for second in the standings. The Chicago native trails the four-time series champion and 2025 Indy winner by 40 points.

The rain didn’t return until Rosenqvist was celebrating.

Katherine Legge’s attempt to become the rst woman to complete “The Double” ended after just 17 laps when she couldn’t avoid Ryan Hunter-Reay’s spinning car. Legge’s car skidded down the track and into the inside wall in Turn 2. The English driver was checked at the track’s in eld medical care center and was released.

Katherine

double

MICHAEL CONROY / AP PHOTO

Felix Rosenqvist celebrates after winning Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.

NOTICE

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NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000191-830

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as the Executor of the Estate of DONNA DAVIS FREEMAN, of Chester eld, South Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of DONNA DAVIS FREEMAN to present them to the undersigned on or before August 27, 2026, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate, please make immediate payment.

This is the 27th day of May, 2026.

Emsley D. Freeman 994 Carey Freeman Road, Cheraw, SC 29520 Executor of the Estate of Donna Davis Freeman

Sweeny, Wingate & Barrow, PA

ATTN: David Thomas, esq. 1515 Lady Street, Columbia, SC 29201

NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000194-830

NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY

Having quali ed as Co-Administrators of the Estate of the late, MICHAEL TODD HOWELL, 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 August 4, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment.

This the 6th day of May, 2026. Scarborough Law, PLLC Whitney T. Scarborough 107 A East Wade Street Wadesboro, NC 28170

Brandon Todd Howell 213 Kelty Ave. Norwood, NC 28128 Brandi Howell Talbert 1355 Hwy 109N Troy, NC 27371 STANLY NEWS AND PRESS

PUBLICHEARING

In accordance withNorth Carolina General Statutes, notice ishereby given thatthe Town ofRed Cross will conduct a Public Hearing during its regular Town Board meeting on June 8, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.

1.134 acres, more or less, all as shown on a Boundary Survey of New Lot for Starkey Hill by Dennis Land Surveying, Inc., Terry M. Dennis, Jr., PLS, dated May 25,2006 Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 32891 NC 49 Hwy, New London, NC 28127. 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 Brianna Kay Vanbuskirk and husband Asher Gabriel Street.

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

terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the e ective date of the termination.

Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote bids placed by bidders not physically present at the place of sale, which may be accepted by the person conducting the sale, or their agent”.

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

If the transaction is subject to the FinCEN Residential Real Estate Reporting Rule (“RRE”) issued pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act, information necessary to comply with the RRE Rule must be obtained and provided to the Reporting Person, as de ned in the RRE Rule, prior to closing.

Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC Substitute Trustee Brock & Scott, PLLC Attorneys for Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC 5431 Oleander Drive Suite 200 Wilmington, NC 28403 PHONE: (910) 392-4988 File No.: 26-08259-FC01

NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000172-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Executor of the estate of James Austin Henson deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said James Austin Henson to present them to the undersigned on or before August 22, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 20th day of May 2026. Je rey A. Henson 1122 Timber Drive Greenville, NC 27858 Executor

NOTICE

The purpose ofthis hearing is to receive public comment, both for and against, regarding a proposed rezoning ofthe property located at 420 Peach Tree Road, owned by Teresa Curry. The applicant has requested thattheproperty berezoned from Rural Agriculture (RA) to R-20 Residential to permit the construction ofa single-family residence. Additional information is available at Red Cross Town Hall or by calling 704-4852002. This notice shall bepublished in a local newspaper on May 20, 2026, and May 27, 2026.

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA

STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000201-830

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Executor of the estate of Reba Starnes Bowers deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Reba Starnes Bowers to present them to the undersigned on or before August 14, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 13th day of May 2026. Amanda Bowers Thompson 36827 Reba Drive Albemarle, NC 28001

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000107-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Administratrix of the estate of Daniel Leroy Christian deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Daniel Leroy Christian to present them to the undersigned on or before August 14, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment.

This the 13th day of May 2026. Charlie Bell Christian 132 Carpenter Avenue Albemarle, NC 28001 Administratrix

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000494-830

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Executrix of the estate of Donald Gordon Furr deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Donald Gordon Furr to present them to the undersigned on or before August 14, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment.

This the 13th day of May 2026. Mary Jo Furr 25838 Lingerfelt Road Albemarle, NC 28001 Executrix

Paul McCartney, John Travolta, Tina Fey, Latto, Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man

“Deli Boys” returns to Hulu for a second season

The Associated Press

PAUL MCCARTNEY re ecting on the “Days We Left Behind” with his 18th studio album and John Travolta writing, directing and narrating an ode to the glamorous days of 1960s air travel 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: Net ix drops Season 2 of Net ix’s “Four Seasons” starring Tina Fey, Atlanta rapper Latto returns with “Big Mama” and Nicolas Cage stars in a new live-action series inspired by Spider-Man.

MOVIES TO STREAM

Bill Skarsgård’s aggrieved everyman takes Dacre Montgomery’s mortgage executive hostage in “Dead Man’s Wire,” streaming on Net ix on Thursday. In his review for The Associated Press, Film Writer Jake Coyle wrote that “it plays a little loose with facts but the righteous rage of “Dog Day Afternoon” is present enough in Gus Van Sant’s … thriller that’s as deeply 1970s as it is contemporary.” Fresh o its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Travolta’s “Propeller One-Way Night Coach” will be streaming on Apple TV starting Friday. The actor wrote, directed and narrates this ode to the glamorous days of 1960s air travel following an aviation-obsessed 10-year-old on a cross-country trip with

NOTICES

PA, Trustee(s), which was dated September 9, 2024 and recorded on September 9, 2024 in Book 1862 at Page 780, Stanly County Registry, North Carolina.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on June 2, 2026 at 11:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following

25SP000124-830

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, STANLY COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale

contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Jeron Chester to John B Third, Trustee(s), which was dated December 28, 2023 and recorded on December 29, 2023 in Book 1840 at Page 1637, Stanly County Registry, North Carolina. Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on June 2, 2026 at 11:00 AM, and will sell

his mother. Running at only 60 minutes, the lm, which is based on a novel he wrote, has received mostly mixed reviews.

In “Miss You, Love You,” written and directed by Jim Rash and streaming on HBO Max on Friday, Allison Janney plays a recently widowed woman who has to plan her husband’s funeral with a stranger: Her estranged son’s assistant, played by Andrew Rannells. Also coming to HBO Max on Friday is the Charli xcx movie “The Moment,” a meta mockumentary about the end of Brat summer and grappling with otherworldly success.

Markiplier’s “Iron Lung” is also making its streaming debut, on YouTube, Sunday. The adaptation of the indie horror game was self- nanced and self-released in theaters where it earned more than $50 million worldwide.

MUSIC TO STREAM

McCartney re ects on the “Days We Left Behind” on his 18th studio album, “The Boys of Dungeon Lane,” out Friday. That’s a reference to a particularly nostalgic and wistful track on the new collection, which reects on the youth of a life well lived — so, of course, it’s all soft piano and delicate harmonies. If that’s not enough to inspire a listen, perhaps this is: The album also features the rst duet of Macca and Ringo Starr, a must-play for any Beatles fan. “The world around us wasn’t safe, the place was falling down/But it was my hometown/And it was home to us,” they sing. It’s enough to make someone weep, if it wasn’t such a jam.

described property situated in Stanly County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING all of Lot 6, containing 1.06 acres, more or less, as shown on a plat entitled “Subdivision of Land for James A. Owens”, dated Jully 7, 1995, surveyed and platted by Rogell E. Hunsucker, RLSL, and recorded in Plat Book 17 at Page 7, Stanly County Registry, to which plat reference is hereby made for a more particular description of said lot by metes and bounds.

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

Said property is commonly known as 44192 Danville Road, New London, NC 28127.

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

to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Stanly County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING all of Lot 227 Morgan Hills Map 2 as shown on that plat recorded in Plat Book 30, Pages 104-111 Stanly County Registry. Being the same property conveyed to the Borrower(s) herein by Deed recorded contemporaneously herewith. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record. Said property is commonly known as 1242 Freeman View Dr, Albemarle, NC 28001. 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

SERIES TO STREAM

A Spider-Man series but make it noir. Cage stars in a new live-action series inspired by the Marvel character. Set against a gritty 1930s New York, Cage plays Ben Reilly, a P.I. who carries the weight of being the city’s only masked hero ghting rampant corruption. Viewers can choose between black-and-white and color versions. All eight episodes of “Spider-Noir” are now streaming on Prime Video.

The wild crime comedy “Deli Boys” returns to Hulu for its second season on Thursday. Two Pakistani American brothers, played by Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh, inherit a chain of delis after their father dies and think they’re set for life until the realization that those delis were really a front for smuggling drugs. Poorna Jagannathan plays their aunt who has taken over the business.

Net ix drops Season 2 of its “Four Seasons” on Thursday. It’s about a group of friends navigating relationships and life’s ups and downs. Fey is a co-creator and stars alongside Colman Domingo, Will Forte, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Marco Calvani and Erika Henningsen. It’s adapted from Alan Alda’s 1981 lm of the same name.

“Criminal Minds: Evolution” Season 19 premieres with two episodes Thursday on Paramount+. In the new episodes, serial killer Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) is still in prison for life but also helping the BAU track down other killers like himself. The big bad for Season 19 is a copycat killer, who is a fan of Voit. A number of actors from the original series return, in-

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 Kristie Marie Meadows.

An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property

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 Jeron Chester. An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to G.S. 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into

cluding Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster. Connor Storrie of “Heated Rivalry” will also guest star.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Filmmakers are still trying to decide on the next actor to play James Bond, but gamers worldwide are ready to take on the role in “007 First Light.” Developer IO Interactive describes it as an origin story, as a 20-something Bond who is new to MI6 is sent in pursuit of a rogue agent. Expect plenty of exotic locations, cool weapons and gadgets, a slick wardrobe and, of course, a glamorous love interest. You can “go silent or go loud,” meaning you can take a stealthy approach to each mission or go in with sts and bullets ying. IO is best known for its globe-trotting “Hitman” se -

pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the e ective date of the termination.

Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote bids placed by bidders not physically present at the place of sale, which may be accepted by the person conducting the sale, or their agent”.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the ling of a bankruptcy petition prior to the con rmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan

or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination [NCGS § 45-21.16A(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the e ective date of the termination. Pursuant to NCGS §45-21.25A, this sale may be subject to remote bids placed by bidders not physically present at the place of sale, which may be accepted by the person conducting the sale, or their agent”. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to,

ries, so it’s well quali ed to take on this franchise. Pick up your license to kill on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 or PC.

“Mina the Hollower” is a mouse who’s really good at burrowing, which comes in handy when she needs to run away from — or sneak up behind — the nastier critters roaming her spooky home. She can also ght back with her whip, and she can track down sidearms and trinkets that make her more of a threat. All this takes place in a colorful, pixelated 2D world reminiscent of 1980s classics like “The Legend of Zelda.” Developer Yacht Club Games, which gave us the retro indie smash “Shovel Knight,” promises a “bone-chilling yet heartwarming tale inspired by Victorian Gothic horror.” Dig in on Friday, May 29, on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch, PC or Mac.

without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. If the transaction is subject to the FinCEN Residential Real Estate Reporting Rule (“RRE”) issued pursuant to the Bank Secrecy

ROW K VIA AP

Dacre Montgomery and Bill Skarsgård star in “Dead Man’s Wire” streaming this week on Net ix.

Solution to last week’s puzzle

Solution to this week’s puzzles

Remembering

A U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter ies over the crowd at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte on Sunday.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Democrats feud over stock trading in e ort to sharpen anti-corruption case against Trump Democrats are increasingly critiquing each other over their personal stock trades. In primary races across the country, Democrats are critiquing individual stock trades and the personal wealth of their rivals. The debates have scrambled ideological lines inside the party, with some more moderate lawmakers attacking progressive rivals over past stock trades. Progressives express skepticism that Democrats who have recently highlighted the issue are o ering genuine critiques about money in politics.

Trump: Everything checked out “perfectly” at his medical exam

WSFCS Board of Education reduces meeting schedule

The lone regular business meeting will be held the fourth Tuesday of every month

By Ryan Henkel Twin City Herald

WINSTON-SALEM — The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education met May 26 for its regular business meeting.

The board approved the changing of its meeting schedule from two regular business meetings a month down to one, with that date being the fourth Tuesday of every month.

“We’re one of the only districts in the state that does two board meetings a month,” said board member Leah Crowley. “We used to be at one and moved to two because our meetings never could seem to nish before

11 p.m., and the two meetings haven’t helped us get out much earlier.”

In place of the regular business meeting, the board will instead hold a work session on the second Tuesday of every month, which would still be open to the public but no formal actions nor decisions would occur at those meetings.

“It’s di cult to prepare for a board meeting and then two weeks later, you have another board meeting and preparation,” said Superintendent Don Phipps. “The ability to do the work session and give our board ample opportunity to digest and have that information and be operating on a di erent cadence will hopefully allow you to be more informed and work on a better schedule than what we currently have.”

However, some board members opposed the change as they

“It’s di cult to prepare for a board meeting and then two weeks later, you have another board meeting and preparation.”

Superintendent Don Phipps

felt the decision should be made by the next sitting board.

“While I think we do need to make changes, I think at this point it’s too little too late for this board, and we just need to pause and let the next board make the changes,” said board member Sabrina Coone.

Despite that, the motion passed 6-3 with Coone, Robert Barr and Trevonia Brown-Gaither voting against it.

The board also approved a contract extension with NC Driving School for the provision of driver’s education services for the FY 2026-27 in an amount not to exceed $85,000.

WSFCS charges students a $45 fee to take driver’s ed.

Finally, the board approved two policy changes related to student fees.

The rst was an increase in the K-6 Summer Enrichment Program and Theatre Summer Enrichment Program Fees, as both increased from $550 to $600.

“This is a re ection of an increase in the costs associated with operating those programs, as well as to align with the fees that have already been broadcasted and families are aware of as part of the registration process,” said Chief Legal Counsel Dionne Jenkins.

The second was a change to the optional voluntary student accident insurance rates.

“This again is a change to reect our current policies and the program that we o er now with our current vendor,” Jenkins said.

The WSFCS Board of Education will next meet June 9.

NASCAR CEO O’Donnell tells Busch family ‘we got you’ before Coca-Cola 600

Kyle Busch died last Thursday at 41 from pneumonia that progressed into sepsis

By Steve Reed and Michael Marot The Associated Press

CONCORD — NASCAR

President Donald Trump had another medical exam on Tuesday, putting his health under renewed public scrutiny. The 79-year- old president spent more than three hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for what the White House described as preventive medical and dental checkups. It was Trump’s fourth publicly disclosed medical exam since he returned to o ce for a second term. In a social media post after the visit, Trump said that he had just nished his “6 month physical” and that “Everything checked out PERFECTLY.” Trump, turns 80 next month. $2.00

CEO Steve O’Donnell honored Kyle Busch’s widow, Samantha, and the couple’s children, Brexton and Lennix, before the start of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday in an emotional speech. Standing on the frontstretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway, O’Donnell looked directly at the Busch family and said, “Samantha, I want you to know that this sport stands with you, and

that you and your children are NASCAR family forever. And Brexton and Lennix, your dad loved you with all his heart. Everyone gathered here, everyone behind you, everybody watching on TV, and all those people up in that grandstand are your family — and we’ve got you. ”

Tears rolled down Samantha Busch’s cheek as she wrapped her arm tightly around 11-year- old Brexton, an aspiring racer. Both wore black T-shirts that read “Battle of the Busches.”

Busch’s older brother and former Cup Series champion, Kurt, and his parents, Tom and Gaye, also attended the tribute.

“Kyle Busch is NASCAR,” O’Donnell added. “He was one of a kind, and there will never be another.”

“When you think race car driver and what that person should be like, Kyle Busch is probably one of the rst that comes to your mind on the type of racer he was.”

Joey Logano, Cup Series driver

A moment of silence fol-

lowed O’Donnell’s speech. Auto racing’s biggest day became a Memorial Day weekend tribute to Busch from Indianapolis to CMS.

Busch died last Thursday at 41 after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming complications, according to a statement released by his family, and his loss sent shockwaves through the motorsports world and beyond.

Charlotte Motor Speedway honored the two-time Cup Series champion with a large, black No. 8 and his signature on the frontstretch grass and a photo on the videoboard.

The U.S. Army Golden Knights carried Busch’s ag during prerace festivities. Each of the 39 cars in the eld carried Busch’s decal. On the pace lap, the cars formed the missing man formation.

See BUSCH, page A2

JASON JACKSON FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

THURSDAY

(USPS 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365) Trip

SpaceX launches biggest, most beefed-up Starship test ight yet

This upgraded version avoided the catastrophic midair explosions of previous test ights

By Marcia Dunn The Associated Press

SPACEX LAUNCHED its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test ight last Friday, an upgraded version that NASA is counting on to land astronauts on the moon.

The redesigned mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he’s taking the company public. It blasted o from the southern tip of Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites that were released midway through the hourlong spaceight that stretched halfway around the world.

The spacecraft reached its nal destination — the Indian Ocean — despite some engine trouble, before erupting in ames upon impact. That last part was not unexpected, according to SpaceX.

Musk called it “an epic” launch and landing.

“You scored a goal for humanity,” he told his team via X. It’s the 12th test ight of the rocket that Musk is building to get people to Mars one day. But rst comes the moon and NASA’s Artemis program.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman ew in for the launch, saying Starship is now one step closer to the moon.

The last of the old space-skimming Starships lifted o in October. SpaceX’s third-generation Starship — a souped-up version dubbed V3 — soared from a brand-new launch pad at Starbase, near the Mexican border. Last-minute pad issues thwarted Thursday evening’s launch attempt.

SpaceX was hoping to avoid the reworks it experienced during back-to-back launches last year when midair explosions rained wreckage down on the Atlantic. Earlier ights also ended in ames.

There was no reball this time until the very end. The spacecraft plummeted upright into the Indian Ocean under seemingly full control, then toppled over and ignited.

While the lifto itself went well, not all of the engines red as the booster attempted a controlled return. The spacecraft also had to make do with fewer engines but kept heading

The speedway’s public address system and the television commentators went silent on the eighth lap of the race.

On Saturday night, Layne Riggs celebrated his Truck Series win at Charlotte by imitating Busch’s traditional bows to the crowd after the race, and Ross Chastain did the same after capturing the rain-shortened O’Reilly Auto Parts race.

“When you think race car driver and what that person should be like, Kyle Busch is probably one of the rst that comes to your mind on the type of racer he was,” Cup Series driver Joey Logano said. Fans at CMS arrived in droves Sunday with shirts that read “Rowdy” and “KFB.”

Earlier in the day at the Indianapolis 500, Dale Coyne Racing changed the font of Romain Grosjean’s No. 18 car to replicate the font the two -time

eastward 120 miles up. A pair of modi ed, camera-equipped Starlinks ejected from Starship provided brief views of the spacecraft in ight — a remarkable rst.

At 407 feet, the latest model eclipses the older Starship lines by several feet and packs more engine thrust. The revamped booster sports fewer but bigger and stronger grid ns for steering it back to Earth following lifto , and a larger and more robust fuel transfer line to feed the 33 main engines. This fuel line is the size of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rst-stage booster. The retro-looking, stainless steel spacecraft also has more of everything — more cameras, and more navigation and computer power — as well as docking

cones for future rendezvous and moon missions.

Starship is meant to be fully reusable, with giant mechanical arms at the launch pads to catch the returning rocket stages. But on this latest trial run, nothing was being recovered.

The Gulf of Mexico marked the end of the road for the redesigned rst-stage booster, and the Indian Ocean for the spacecraft and its satellite demos.

NASA is paying SpaceX billions of dollars — and also Je Bezos’ Blue Origin — to provide the lunar landers that will be used to land Artemis astronauts on the moon.

The two companies are scrambling to be rst.

While Starship has reached the fringes of space on multiple ights lasting an hour at most,

Brickyard 400 winner used during his 14 seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing in his No. 18 car. Then came the opening prayer, in which Busch was mentioned by name. And on lap 18, race o cials lit up the scoring pylon next to pit lane

with Busch’s name, his birth year and 2026. Even with the pageantry of Indianapolis’ big IndyCar race, Busch, who had a record 234 victories across NASCAR’s three national series, was never far from the thoughts of

Bezos’ Blue Moon has yet to lift o , although a prototype is being readied for a moonshot later this year.

NASA is following April’s successful lunar yaround by four astronauts with a docking trial run in orbit around Earth planned for next year. For that Artemis III mission, astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with Starship, Blue Moon or both.

A moon landing by two astronauts — Artemis IV — could follow as soon as 2028 using either Starship or Blue Moon, whichever lander is safer and ready rst. It will be NASA’s rst lunar landing with a crew since 1972’s Apollo 17. The goal this time is a moon base near the lunar south pole, sta ed by astronauts as well as robots.

SpaceX is already taking reservations for private ights to the moon and Mars on Starship.

The world’s rst space tourists, California businessman Dennis Tito and his wife, signed up 31⁄2 years ago for a ight around the moon. The timing is uncertain.

This week, another wealthy space tourist — Chinese-born bitcoin investor Chun Wang — announced he will y to Mars on Starship’s rst interplanetary mission. Wang previously chartered a SpaceX polar ight in a Dragon capsule last year and, along with his hand-picked crew, became the rst to orbit above the north and south poles. No price tag or date was revealed for his Mars cruise.

people in the city that dubs itself the “Racing Capital of the World.”

“It’s desperately sad. It’s also one of those things where you try not to think about it or let it in because you’ve got so much to do, you can’t let yourself get emotional,” Katherine Legge said. “But honestly, racing has lost one of the greatest drivers, in my opinion, of all time. If you look back at the history and just — he was a legend.”

As Indy held its biggest race of the year, those who knew or competed against Busch raced with a heavy heart.

“How can you not be in shock over the situation?” two -time Indy winner Josef Newgarden said. “I think it just puts into perspective how fragile life is. You just don’t know. Makes me think of his kids, to be honest with you. Gosh, I feel terrible about — I have two sons now. That’s the thing that breaks my heart.”

MATT KELLEY / AP PHOTO

A decal is displayed on Denny Hamlin’s car in honor of late driver Kyle Busch on Sunday in Charlotte. BUSCH from page

ERIC GAY / AP PHOTO

SpaceX’s mega rocket Starship makes a test ight from Starbase, Texas, last Friday.

ERIC GAY / AP PHOTO

Starship V3 is larger and signi cantly more powerful than the prior iterations of the rocket.

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

What went wrong for Democrats

The real issue for Democrats is not why they lost the last election, but how they are going to avoid losing the next one.

FOR MONTHS NOW, Democrats have been arguing about whether to release the “autopsy” the National Committee commissioned on what went wrong in 2024. The report was completed but then not released; under pressure, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin released the report this week, but only with the caveat that it didn’t meet the committee’s standards, whatever that means.

In truth, the report nds plenty of blame. That’s the problem with losing a close election — and 2024, no matter how many times President Donald Trump describes it as a landslide, it wasn’t — is that almost everything you did “wrong” could have made the di erence. Which doesn’t necessarily tell you what to do right, the next time around, or address the very real divides inside the Democratic Party.

The report faults almost everyone. The Biden White House is faulted for not doing enough during the rst term and the 2022 midterms to prepare Kamala Harris to lead the ticket, which, of course, would not have mattered so much had former President Joe Biden not waited so long to bow out, but that’s another story.

The Harris campaign is faulted for writing o rural voters, relying too much on identity politics and not being tough enough on Trump. When the other side runs a negative campaign and wins, as Trump did here, the response is always that you should have

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

hit back harder. With what, is the question.

One of the most striking conclusions and the most troubling is about the e cacy of the ad Trump ran attacking Harris on transgender issues — in this case, on her previous statement of support for taxpayer-funded gender-a rming surgeries for prison inmates.

The report cites the ad as “very e ective,” and says that internal pollsters believed that “if the Vice President would not change her position — and she did not — then there was nothing which would have worked as a response.”

Are Democrats in fact too far out front of voters on transgender issues?

Do Democrats rely too much on identity politics, an argument that works better with the base of the Democratic party than it does with more moderate, independent voters, whom they need to attract?

According to the report, “Harris wrote o rural America, assuming urban/suburban margins would compensate. The math doesn’t work. ... You can’t lose rural areas by overwhelming margins and make it up elsewhere when rural voters are a signi cant share of the electorate. If Democrats are to reclaim leadership in the Heartland or the South, candidates must perform well in rural turf. Show up, listen and then do it again.”

As for male voters, the report argues that “Male voters require direct engagement. The gender gap can be narrowed. Deploy male messengers, address economic concerns and

don’t assume identity politics will hold male voters of color.”

The release of the autopsy and all the discussion about why it took so long to release it coincides with a new New York Times/Siena College poll showing Democrats with a strong advantage going into the midterms, but also with deep divides and disillusionment within the party. While the left is the loudest force on the Democratic side, it may not be the most popular: a majority of Democratic supporters said that they were generally happy with the party’s ideological positioning, but 52% said the next Democratic presidential candidate should move the party to the center in order to win. Only a quarter said the next candidate should move the party to the left.

The Times found that more than half of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents expressed frustration with the party: “unhappiness spanned almost every part of the party’s coalition — including young, white, Black and college-educated voters — and was especially strong among Democrats least attached to the party, who are the most likely to swing elections.”

The real issue for Democrats is not why they lost the last election, but how they are going to avoid losing the next one.

Susan Estrich is a feminist legal scholar and the rst woman to run a U.S. presidential campaign. She has written eight books.

(Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

Can Trump handle the world he has changed?

The cheap drones that Ukrainians have invented and produced in astonishing numbers — some 60,000 per day.

TEN YEARS AGO this month, Donald Trump clinched the Republican nomination for president, with a platform that was vastly di erent on trade and foreign policy from other recent presidents, Republican and Democratic alike.

How fares America — and the world — 10 years later?

In some important ways, things have moved in Trump’s direction. In 2016 and since, he complained constantly that Europeans were not contributing their fair share to NATO. That had been the position of previous administrations, but none emphasized it as Trump did.

Early in Trump’s rst term, only ve NATO allies met the stated goal of spending 2% of GDP on defense. A decade later, the goal has risen to 5%, and most NATO allies are moving toward that goal.

And as Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened his neighbors, previously neutral (for nearly 75 years!) Finland and Sweden, with their highly competent militaries, have decided to join NATO and have made the Baltic Sea just beyond Putin’s hometown of St. Petersburg a NATO lake. In the Middle East, Trump has also made a di erence. His predecessors’ policy was based on the hoary assumption that the key to stability was to pressure Israel to make a peace agreement with the Palestinians. So America’s task was to pressure Israel to make concessions. Trump saw it di erently. He pushed the Abraham Accords, diplomatic relations between Israel, Saudi Arabia and Persian Gulf oil producers. Progress has been uneven but palpable. Israel’s paci cation of Gaza has not prevented the Saudis and United Arab Emirates from supporting Trump’s e orts, cooperating with Israel, to disarm and destabilize the regime in Iran.

On trade, Trump’s on-again, o -again

threats, impositions and adjustments of tari rates have resulted in channeling trade in di erent patterns. The days of a jointly dependent “Chimerica” (historian Niall Ferguson’s phrase) seem to be waning.

Not everything has gone Trump’s way. His xation on unproblematic trade “de cits” has led him to impose tari s that have fed in ation and eroded his job approval at home. His initiatives in Iran, without persuasive explanations to voters or any attempt at buy-in by the political opposition, have also hurt him politically — although regime collapse in Iran remains possible and could put things in a di erent light.

More importantly, the world has changed, sometimes in line with his expectations, sometimes to the contrary. The prime example is Russia’s war on Ukraine. As Trump has noted, Putin launched his 2014 attacks on Donbas and his 2022 march toward Kyiv when Democrats were president. And former President Joe Biden’s restrictions on aid to Ukraine — especially bans on lobbing attacks on Russian territory — limited Ukraine’s defense.

As analysts of various stripes have concluded, Ukraine has developed drone warfare as a barrier to Russian advance and to make advances itself.

Ukraine has had one advantage Putin didn’t count on in 2022: morale, a sense of national pride and resolve that is unquanti able but has enabled seemingly ordinary people to adapt with extraordinary speed and inventiveness reminiscent of the best of American examples in World War II. It’s interesting that Trump, for all his emphasis on building America’s national morale, has been deaf to the importance of that factor in Ukraine.

The cheap drones that Ukrainians have invented and produced in astonishing numbers

— some 60,000 per day — have routinely destroyed much more expensive Russian missiles and have enabled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to destroy energy infrastructure in Perm, 1,000 kilometers beyond the Russian border, and prompted Putin to downsize his WWII victory parade in Moscow.

It is clear that the Trump policy of pressuring Ukraine to accept Russian control of provinces it hasn’t occupied is as obsolete as Trump’s predecessors’ policies of pressuring Israel to accept Palestinian control of territory from which the Palestinians could launch attacks like those of Oct. 7, 2023.

It seems clear as well that the remnants of the Iranian regime are unwilling to abandon their 47-year hostilities toward the U.S., and that Trump’s eagerness to deploy “the art of the deal,” even under the auspices of a hostile Pakistan, is encouraging their continued resistance. And in the meantime, will the drawdown of America’s expensive smart weapons in the Persian Gulf reduce American deterrence against Chinese aggression against Taiwan?

The nal verdict on Trump’s foreign policies cannot be written now, with 32 months left in his term and so many kinetic events in unpredictable motion. But perhaps it can be said that while his departures from his predecessors’ policies have had some successes in reshaping the world, it is not clear that he has developed policies adapted to the world he has done so much to change.

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)

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

Pope Leo XIV calls for robust regulation of AI in manifesto pondering future of humanity

The encyclical asked researchers to re ect on the power of AI

By Nicole Win eld, Kaitlyn Huamani and Paolo Santalucia

The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV called Monday for robust regulation of arti cial intelligence and for its developers to work for the common good rather than pro t, issuing a sweeping manifesto on safeguarding humankind as the technology impacts everything from work to war.

“Magni ca Humanitas” (Magni cent Humanity), Leo’s rst encyclical, has been eagerly awaited ever since history’s rst U.S.-born pope announced days after his election that he considered AI to be the biggest challenge facing humanity today.

In the text, Leo denounced the “culture of power” driving the AI race, especially in developing ever more sophisticated methods of remote warfare. He declared that it was “not permissible” to entrust irreversible, lethal decisions to AI systems, setting up another ash point between the American pope and the Trump administration, which has worked aggressively to deregulate AI development.

“Arti cial Intelligence now demands to be disarmed, freed from logics that turn it into an instrument of domination, exclusion and death,” the pope told a special Vatican presentation of the encyclical, one of the most authoritative types of teaching documents a pope can issue.

Experts in the tech industry, academia and Catholic morality said the document will likely become a benchmark in the debate over AI, a point of reference for policymakers, researchers and ordinary folk alike. It comes as the near-daily developments in the technology trigger concerns over AI replacing human jobs and even human intelligence.

Taylor Black, a Microsoft AI executive and director of Catholic University of America’s AI institute, said the document would prompt people “at the forefront of these tools” to ask questions such as “What does it mean to be human?”

Pope calls out AI companies even as he hosts Anthropic

The Vatican launch also included remarks by the co-founder of Anthropic, which is currently locked in a legal battle with the Trump administration over access to its AI technology. The Vatican decided to involve Anthropic as part of its decade-long e ort to engage Silicon Valley in dialogue over the human cost of AI.

And yet in his text, Leo repeatedly blasted the concentration of power and data in the hands of so few people in the private sector as a danger, especially to children and the most vulnerable, and called for external regulation of their work.

“It is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract; robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required,” he wrote. “A more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few.”

Leo appealed to AI developers and political leaders responsible for regulating them to slow down and re ect on what they are doing. He urged them to use ethical and spiritual guidelines to make the choice to work not for their own pro t or power, but the betterment of humanity.

AI competitors OpenAI and Anthropic are the second- and third-most valuable U.S. private companies, each valued at hundreds of billions of dollars, more than the GDP of many nations. Both companies are heading toward near-trillion-dollar IPOs.

Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah welcomed Leo’s

Pope Leo XIV attends the presentation of his rst encyclical at the Vatican on Monday.

“It is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract.”

Pope Leo XIV

criticism and concern. He said such external checks were fundamental to the technology “going well” for humankind since there is so much at stake — “a real possibility that AI will displace human labor at a very large scale.”

“We need more of the world — religious communities, civil society, scholars, governments — to do what His Holiness has done here: to take this seriously, to look closely and to push events in a better direction,” Olah said. “We need moral voices that the incentives cannot bend.”

Experts say text will become benchmark

In a methodical text, the math major pope traced the history of the Catholic Church’s social teaching and applied its core concepts — justice, solidarity, the dignity of work and the universal destination of resources — to the digital revolution.

“I am convinced that this will prove to be a de ning document for our era, a profound and prophetic document,” said Paolo Carozza, law professor at Notre Dame Law School and chair of the Meta Oversight Board.

“Pope Leo is o ering a clear, comprehensive and coherent voice urging us to take responsibility for constructing a world in which technology will serve humans rather than degrade them,” he said.

In its strongest chapters, Leo denounced how AI had helped accelerate the “normalization of war” by desensitizing people to its cost. He didn’t name specific con icts but cited “opposing imperialisms, between powers that wish to preserve their supremacy, and those that aspire to seize that supremacy.”

He demanded transparency and accountability by AI developers so that the chain of decision-making command

ALESSANDRA

Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah speaks during the presentation of Pope Leo XIV’s rst encyclical, “Magni ca humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Arti cial Intelligence,” at the Vatican on Monday.

in ordering strikes with AI weaponry is always known. He declared that the Catholic Church’s “just war” theory, which provides speci c criteria for when force can be justi ed, was now “outdated” given the technological advances of warfare.

Text in church’s social justice tradition

Leo signed the text May 15, the 135th anniversary of the publication of “Rerum Novarum” (Of New Things), the most important teaching document of Leo’s hero and namesake, Pope Leo XIII. That document addressed workers’ rights, the limits of capitalism,

and the obligations that states and employers owed workers as the Industrial Revolution was underway. It became the foundation of modern Catholic social thought, and the current pope cited it at the start of his ponti cate in relation to the AI revolution, which he believes poses the same existential questions that the Industrial Revolution posed over a century ago. “Magni ca Humanitas” thus becomes the latest chapter in a century-long history of popes adapting “Rerum Novarum” to the social questions of their times, often dwelling on the dignity of work for human ourishing. AI is evoking both existen-

tial fears and utopian vision amid an intensifying debate on whether it will become a catalyst that enriches humanity or a technological toxin that dulls human intelligence while wiping out millions of high-paying jobs.

“The pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacri ce jobs, because the human person is an end, not a means, and the economic order must remain subordinate to human dignity and the common good,” Leo wrote. Vatican o cials declined to say who contributed to Leo’s encyclical, but Vatican and church o cials have been engaged in a dialogue with Silicon Valley tech rms for a decade.

ALESSANDRA TARANTINO / AP PHOTO

TARANTINO / AP PHOTO

Forsyth SPORTS

LSU has agreement to sign recent NBA G League pro Luis Jr.

Former NC State coach

Will Wade is stirring up controversy with veteran acquisitions

By Brett Martel

The Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. — Recently rehired LSU coach Will Wade is in the process of signing former professional player RJ Luis Jr., a person with knowledge of the move said Tuesday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because LSU had not announced or acknowledged the move, which is expected to result in a petition to the NCAA to restore Luis’ eligibility.

Luis played three seasons in college — one at UMass and two at St. John’s. He declared for the NBA draft in 2025 after being named the Big East player of the year.

After going undrafted, the 6-foot-7 Luis signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz and was traded to the Boston Celtics. However, Luis never appeared in a game in either the NBA or the G League, and that is expected to be an element of his argument as to why the NCAA should allow him to suit up for Wade’s Tigers.

Luis played in 85 games with 52 starts and averaged 14.1 points per game during his college career. During hisnal season at St. John’s, he averaged 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 47.5% overall and 33.6% from 3-point range.

While there is precedent for the NCAA granting eligibility to international students who have played professionally overseas, the NCAA last season denied former G League player Charles Bediako’s bid

to resume his college career at Alabama.

Bediako sued to have his eligibility restored and was able to play ve games for the Crimson Tide while a temporary restraining order was in e ect, but he was barred from nishing the season when a judge denied his petition for injunctive relief.

Wade, who was forced to take a year o from coaching at the college level after being red with cause by LSU in March of 2022, returned as the Tigers’ coach in March after coaching one season at NC State.

While Wade’s teams were successful on the court at LSU, his career was brie y derailed by a recruiting scandal surrounding payments to players that were not permitted at the time, but are now.

After Wade served his suspension, he was hired as the coach at McNeese in Louisiana. He led the Cowboys to two NCAA Tournament appearances before moving on to NC State.

Since coming back to the Bayou, Wade has gone about overhauling LSU’s roster.

While LSU currently is not listing any players on its 2026 -27 roster, 22-year-old Mo Dioubate has announced his intention to transfer from Kentucky. And Wade reportedly is in the process of signing a half-dozen experienced players, including: 25-year- old Israeli pro Yam Madar; 23-year- old EuroLeague pro Brice Dessert of France; 23-year- old EuroLeague player Marcio Santos of Brazil; 23-year-old UTSA transfer Austin Nunez; 22-yearold Kansas State transfer Abdi Bashir; and 20-year- old Michigan State transfer Divine Ugochukwu.

The moves have not been accepted with approval from Wade’s colleagues. One anonymous college basketball head coach told national writer Je Goodman that Wade was “ being an idiot ***hole for the sake of being an idiot ***hole. What you’re doing is f***ing it up for everyone else.”

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Jackson Ingram

R.J. Reynolds, boys’ lacrosse

Jackson Ingram is a junior attacker on the R.J. Reynolds boys’ lacrosse team. The Demons saw their season end one win shy of the nal four in the NCHSAA class 7A playo s. Ingram came up big in all three games of the postseason run. In a win over Jack Britt, he scored four goals. Against Cuthbertson, he added two more, and in the loss to Weddington, he had three goals and two assists. Ingram tallied points in every game this season and had multiple goals in the last 12 games of the year. He nished 15th in the nation in goals scored this year.

Late pass sends Rosenqvist surging past Malukas for closest Indianapolis 500 win in history

Katherine Legge’s double attempt ended early with a crash

By Michael Marot

The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Felix

Rosenqvist swung to the outside of David Malukas, then found a way past the Team Penske driver to win the closest Indianapolis 500 in history by a margin of 0.0233 seconds on Sunday.

Malukas looked like he was in position to win when he passed race leader Marcus Armstrong o the nal restart with one lap to go while Meyer Shank Racing teammates Rosenqvist and Armstrong battled wheel to wheel down the back straightaway and through the fourth and nal turn.

But Rosenqvist had just enough power to pull away from Armstrong and snake behind Malukas before making the decisive outside pass in the nal 50 feet.

The closest previous nish came in 1992 when Al Unser Jr. beat Scott Goodyear across the yard of bricks by 0.043 seconds.

“The last ve years I’ve been in the front and I’ve had a good enough car to probably win it, but today there was just something more,” said Rosenqvist, who had been fast all month. “It was an absolute rocket this month and year; it was still there in the race.”

It was Rosenqvist’s second career win in 120 IndyCar races and comes after the recent birth of his rst child. His last win was on July 12, 2020, at Road America, making this his rst win on an oval. Rosenqvist joins Kenny Brack and Marcus Ericsson as the only Swedes to win the race.

The wild nish began with a red ag that came out with sev-

en laps to go because of a scary crash involving Indy 500 rookie Caio Collet. Flames billowed out of the side of his car as it skidded to a stop in the grass. When racing resumed after a 10-minute delay, Armstrong and Malukas sped past the top two cars — Rosenqvist and Pato O’Ward. But with 31⁄2 laps left, the yellow ag came out again when Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, brushed the wall in Turn 2.

On the nal restart, Lap 200, Malukas sling-shotted his way past Armstrong for the lead and started pulling away from the two Meyer Shank Racing drivers. But Rosenqvist nally caught the Team Penske driver to win the biggest race of his career in the same month he became a father.

Malukas said he couldn’t think of what else he could have done to hang on to the lead.

“I was given two options: either I lift or I crash with Felix,”

said Armstrong, who nished fth. “I chose to lift. I don’t know if I could have done anything di erent.” Malukas’ teammate Scott McLaughlin was third, and Rosenqvist’s best friend in racing, O’Ward, was fourth. O’Ward had two runner-up nishes and a third place in the past four years.

“I just don’t know what else we could have done,” Malukas said. “We were driving 150% that whole time. We had the

“It was an absolute rocket this month and year; it was still there in the race.”

Felix Rosenqvist

fastest car out there, loved that whole race. It was ours to win and I knew that, so I just never pushed like that my whole life.”

It was a strange day on the 2.5-mile Brickyard.

There was a 12-minute rain delay near the midway point of the race and the threat of more rain the rest of the afternoon changed strategies throughout the day. It looked like Rosenqvist and O’Ward had the advantage over the nal 25 laps because of pit strategy.

But Malukas and McLaughlin fought their way back into contention as other drivers such as defending Indy champion and pole winner Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing faded to seventh.

Palou led the most laps (59), had the most on-track passes (60) and retained the points lead. Malukas, however, passed Kyle Kirkwood for second in the standings. The Chicago native trails the four-time series champion and 2025 Indy winner by 40 points.

The rain didn’t return until Rosenqvist was celebrating. Katherine Legge’s attempt to become the rst woman to complete “The Double” ended after just 17 laps when she couldn’t avoid Ryan Hunter-Reay’s spinning car. Legge’s car skidded down the track and into the inside wall in Turn 2. The English driver was checked at the track’s in eld medical care center and was released.

NOAH K. MURRAY / AP PHOTO

St. John’s guard RJ Luis Jr. wants to join Will Wade and LSU.

MICHAEL CONROY / AP PHOTO

Felix Rosenqvist celebrates after winning Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.

SIDELINE REPORT

TENNIS

Gotta go: Home player

Gea takes emergency bathroom break during French Open debut

Paris Home player Arthur Gea ran o the court for an emergency bathroom break early in the rst set of his French Open debut. Gea told the chair umpire before hastily running o , “I need to go to the bathroom. I can’t move anymore. I’m going to (go) on the court.” The 135th-ranked Gea lost to 13th-seeded Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-0. Usually bathroom breaks are only permitted between sets. The 21-year-old Gea received a wild card invitation from Roland Garros organizers to participate in the main draw.

NBA

Trail Blazers lay o employees as part of restructuring e ort Portland, Ore. The Portland Trail Blazers laid o employees as new owner Tom Dundon cuts costs. The exact number of employees let go was not made public but included sta in both the business and basketball operations. Dundon leads the group of investors who bought the NBA franchise from the estate of Paul Allen, the co -founder of Microsoft who died in 2018. The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the sale, worth a reported $4.25 billion, in April. Dundon also owns the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL.

PWHL

Montreal Victoire

win team’s rst PWHL title, beating Ottawa 4-0 in Game 4

Ottawa, Ontario Abby Roque scored twice, Ann-Renée Desbiens made 23 saves and the Montreal Victoire won their rst PWHL title, beating the Ottawa Charge 4-0 in Game 4 of the Walter Cup Finals. Maggie Flaherty and Lina Ljungblom also scored. Montreal opened the best- of- ve series at home with two overtime victories, then fell 2-1 at Ottawa. Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin was named playo MVP. She tied for the postseason lead with eight points.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Orgeron returns to LSU as special assistant to recruiting, defense

Baton Rouge, La.

Ed Orgeron returned to LSU’s football program Wednesday, seven years after he coached the Tigers to the 2019 national title. LSU head coach Lane Ki n added Orgeron, 64, to the sta as a special assistant to recruiting and defense. Orgeron worked under Ki n at Southern California and Tennessee. Orgeron spent six seasons as LSU’s head coach before being red after the 2021 season.

NFL

NFL taking 2030 Super Bowl to Nashville, Titans’ new enclosed stadium

Nashville, Tenn.

The NFL is taking the 2030 Super Bowl to Nashville and the Titans’ new Nissan Stadium after team owners voted to hold the league’s championship game in the Music City for the rst time. Once the Titans broke ground on the $2.1 billion enclosed stadium, a Super Bowl being played in Nashville appeared to be only a matter of time. The Titans are on schedule to nish the new stadium directly across from the current Nissan Stadium in February, completing the three-year construction.

Harvick, ’14 Cup Series champion, selected to NASCAR Hall of Fame

Je Burton and Larry Phillips will join him in the January 2027 induction ceremony

By Steve Reed The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — Kevin Harvick, who captured the 2014 Cup Series championship and won 60 races at the sport’s top level, was selected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with former teammate Je Burton and Larry Phillips.

The induction ceremony is set for Jan. 22, 2027, bringing the total number of Hall of Fame inductees to 73.

Harvick received 46 of the 50 votes cast by the panel which included representatives from NASCAR, the Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders, reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson and a nationwide fan vote.

Burton received the second-most at 32% to edge out Neil Bonnett, Randy Dorton and the late Greg Bi e for the second and nal spot on the modern ballot.

Phillips received 38% of the pioneer ballot votes.

“When you talk about your reputation and the respect factor I think that speaks volumes about the things you were able to accomplish,” Harvick said of receiving 92% of the votes.

“I can say it now, I’m proud of that.”

Harvick’s career took an unexpected turn when he was selected by team owner Richard Childress to replace Dale Earnhardt after the seven-time champion was killed in a wreck at the 2001 Daytona 500.

Initially, Childress had planned to bring Harvick along slowly and have him gain experience at the sport’s lower level (then known as the Busch Series), but Earnhardt’s death accelerated his rise.

Driving the renumbered No.

we had with Dale, it was like, ‘Well, we gotta go to the race this week.’ We just booked like 70 or 80 races that year and we just kind of hid from everything that we did. ... (The racetrack) was really where everyone wanted to be so we didn’t want to address the other situation.”

29 GM Goodwrench Service Plus Chevrolet, it took Harvick only three races to nd victory lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2001, giving RCR an emotional victory. He went on to win NASCAR Rookie of the Year, establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with in the sport for years to come.

Harvick said replacing Earnhardt was di cult at the time, but he and others within RCR buried themselves in their work and “hid” from the harsh reality of the star’s death.

“I think the racer’s excuse is, ‘I have to go to a race,’” Harvick said. “Whether it’s with your wife or a terrible moment like

Known as “The Closer,” Harvick, 50, went on to win the 2007 Daytona 500 and earned his only championship seven years after NASCAR turned to an elimination-style playo format.

Harvick’s 60 Cup wins over 826 starts ranks 11th all-time.

Burton, 58, was a teammate of Harvick’s at RCR for years. The calmer of the two drivers, Burton won 21 Cup races over his 20-year NASCAR career in 695 starts. He was the 1994 Rookie of the Year and his career highlights include winning the Coca-Cola 600 twice and the Southern 500. He won six Cup races in 1999. He said he was “playing a

crappy round of golf” when he received a phone call informing him that he got it.

“The generations before us, they made it all possible,” Burton said. “So to be enshrined in something that my heroes are in, that just means a lot.”

As for Phillips, who died in 2004 at 62, nobody can say for sure how many races he won because he raced everywhere from dirt to asphalt and in places where record keeping wasn’t always a priority. His crew chief, James Ince, estimated Phillips won 1,000 times; maybe 2,000, according to NASCAR.

Landmark Award winner

Lesa France Kennedy, the executive vice chair of NASCAR, was selected as the Landmark Award winner for her contributions to the sport. Kennedy spearheaded the revitalization of Phoenix Raceway and the Daytona Rising project at Daytona International Speedway.

Lone full-time spelling bee coach charges $180 per hour; champions say he’s worth it

Scott Remer has coached ve national champions

By Ben Nuckols The Associated Press

WHEN DEV SHAH won the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2023 and Faizan Zaki took the title last year, they posed for remarkably similar photos on the confetti-strewn stage. Standing next to them, beaming, was a bespectacled man in an aloha shirt, holding up a copy of his book “Words of Wisdom.”

For Scott Remer, the champion spellers’ coach, posing for a picture was more than just a celebration. It was a business necessity.

While nearly every National Spelling Bee champion over the past 15 years has worked with a coach, the 32-year-old Remer is the country’s only full-time, professional tutor for elite spellers. Most coaches are former spellers who are still in college or even high school.

“He’s probably one of the most in uential gures in spelling over the past 10 years,” said Shah, now 17. Remer has coached ve national champions, and since the bee emerged from the pandemic disruptions of 2020 and ‘21, he has scaled up the coaching profession. He claims 34 spellers as his students this year and has worked with no fewer than 29 during each of the past four bees. He charges more than other coaches: up to $180 for an hourlong private lesson. If spellers nish in the top 10

and earn a cash prize, he receives up to 10% of their winnings, which he called “a performance-based bonus.”

Many spellers and their families believe Remer is worth it — despite, or perhaps because of, the intense personality that emerges during his lessons.

Always earnest and gregarious on any spelling-related topic, Remer describes coaching as a passion that grew out of his disappointing fourth-place nish in 2008, his nal year as a speller. He says he’s motivated by sharing his knowledge, helping kids reach their potential and the challenge of discovering spelling bee-worthy words.

“This is really about the love of language and the love of the competition. Part of it is once you’re stung by the bee, there’s kind of no going back,” Remer said. “I’m not going to deny that it pays well, because it does.

“Once you’re stung by the bee, there’s kind of no going back.”

Scott Remer

But I don’t know that there’s anything wrong with that.”

The last two champions he coached say he was crucial to their victories.

“Even though his classes are more expensive, it’s de nitely worth it,” Faizan said. “I saw results.”

Faizan’s father, Zaki Anwar, said he negotiated a reduced rate of $120 an hour for Remer’s services because Faizan was already an accomplished speller. Remer took home 7% of the champion’s prize haul of $52,500 — a bonus of $3,675.

“After winning, it doesn’t really matter,” Anwar said. Expensive and demanding, Remer is not for everyone. Remer drills his students on roots, language patterns and the exceptions to those patterns. He seeks to instill a deep understanding of languages that will allow spellers to gure out a word even if they have never seen or heard it before, as Shah did with “rommack” in 2023. But Remer’s pricing, and his coaching style, have led some spellers to seek help elsewhere.

“I found it prohibitively expensive,” said Navneeth Murali, a University of Pennsylvania student who competed through 2020 and now coaches spellers, charging rough-

ly $50 for an hourlong lesson. “It wasn’t a realistic option for me.”

Remer said his goal is to be supportive while giving spellers the feedback they need to avoid repeating mistakes.

“I try to be tough but fair, and I also try to modulate my teaching methods, based on the kids’ needs and the kids’ personalities,” he said. “Whether I’m always successful at that is I guess an open question.”

Remer graduated from Yale in 2016 and earned a master’s degree from Cambridge a year later. His rst study guide, “Words of Wisdom: Keys to Success in the Scripps National Spelling Bee,” was published in 2010, when he was a teenager. That was also the year he coached his rst champion, Anamika Veeramani.

Scripps, the Cincinnati-based media company that has run the bee for a century, does not endorse coaching, but Corrie Loe er, the bee’s executive director, described the practice as inevitable, given the intensity of the competition.

Loe er gently pushed back at the idea that any coach should claim credit for a speller’s success.

“It’s hard work, it’s study ethic, it’s perseverance,” she said. “These kids are doing pretty incredible things at a really high level, especially at a young age, and I want them to be able to take credit for that themselves, knowing that it’s a community and they’ve had so much support along the way.”

SCOTT REMER VIA AP

Scott Remer, the country’s only full-time, professional coach for elite spellers.

TERRY RENNA / AP PHOTO

Kevin Harvick celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship series in 2014.

Number of votes, out of 50, received by Kevin Harvick in the Hall of Fame balloting

Paul McCartney, John Travolta, Tina Fey, Latto, Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man

“Deli Boys” returns to Hulu for a second season

The Associated Press

PAUL MCCARTNEY re ecting on the “Days We Left Behind” with his 18th studio album and John Travolta writing, directing and narrating an ode to the glamorous days of 1960s air travel 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: Net ix drops Season 2 of Net ix’s “Four Seasons” starring Tina Fey, Atlanta rapper Latto returns with “Big Mama” and Nicolas Cage stars in a new live-action series inspired by Spider-Man.

MOVIES TO STREAM

Bill Skarsgård’s aggrieved everyman takes Dacre Montgomery’s mortgage executive hostage in “Dead Man’s Wire,” streaming on Net ix on Thursday. In his review for The Associated Press, Film Writer Jake Coyle wrote that, “it plays a little loose with facts but the righteous rage of “Dog Day Afternoon” is present enough in Gus Van Sant’s … thriller that’s as deeply 1970s as it is contemporary.”

Fresh o its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Travolta’s “Propeller One-Way Night Coach” will be streaming on Apple TV starting Friday. The actor wrote, directed and narrated this ode to the glamorous days of 1960s air travel following an aviation-obsessed 10-year-old on a cross-country trip with his mother. Running at only 60 minutes, the lm, which is based on a novel he wrote, has received mostly mixed reviews.

In “Miss You, Love You,” written and directed by Jim Rash and streaming on HBO Max on Friday, Allison Janney plays a recently widowed woman who has to plan her husband’s funeral with a stranger: her estranged son’s assistant, played by Andrew Rannells. Also coming to HBO Max on Friday is the Charli xcx movie “The Moment,” a meta mockumentary about the end of Brat summer and grappling with otherworldly success.

by the Marvel character. Set against a gritty 1930s New York, Cage plays Ben Reilly, a P.I. who carries the weight of being the city’s only masked hero ghting rampant corruption. Viewers can choose between black-and-white and color versions. All eight episodes of “Spider-Noir” are now streaming on Prime Video.

The wild crime comedy “Deli Boys” returns to Hulu for its second season on Thursday. Two Pakistani American brothers, played by Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh, inherit a chain of delis after their father dies and think they’re set for life until the realization that those delis were really a front for smuggling drugs. Poorna Jagannathan plays their aunt who has taken over the business.

“Dead Man’s Wire” plays a little loose with facts but the righteous rage of “Dog Day Afternoon” is present enough in Gus Van Sant’s … thriller that’s as deeply 1970s as it is contemporary.”

Jake Coyle, AP lm writer

in prison for life but also helping the BAU track down other killers like himself. The big bad for Season 19 is a copycat killer, who is a fan of Voit. A number of actors from the original series return, including Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster. Connor Storrie of “Heated Rivalry” will also guest star.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Filmmakers are still trying to decide on the next actor to play James Bond, but gamers worldwide are ready to take on the role in “007 First Light.” Developer IO Interactive describes it as an origin story, as a 20-something Bond who is new to MI6 is sent in pursuit of a rogue agent. Expect plenty of exotic locations, cool weapons and gadgets, a slick wardrobe and, of course, a glamorous love interest. You can “go silent or go loud,” meaning you can take a stealthy approach to each mission or go in with sts and bullets ying. IO is best known for its globe-trotting “Hitman” series, so it’s well quali ed to take on this franchise. Pick up your license to kill on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 or PC.

MUSIC TO STREAM McCartney re ects on the “Days We Left Behind” on his 18th studio album, “The Boys of Dungeon Lane,” out Friday.

That’s a reference to a particularly nostalgic and wistful track on the new collection, which reects on the youth of a life well lived — so, of course, it’s all soft piano and delicate harmonies.

Markiplier’s “Iron Lung” is also making its streaming debut, on YouTube, Sunday. The adaptation of the indie horror game was self- nanced and self-released in theaters where it earned more than $50 million worldwide.

If that’s not enough to inspire

a listen, perhaps this is: The album also features the rst duet of Macca and Ringo Starr, a must-play for any Beatles fan. “The world around us wasn’t safe, the place was falling down/ But it was my hometown/And it was home to us,” they sing. It’s enough to make someone weep, if it wasn’t such a jam.

SERIES TO STREAM

A Spider-Man series but make it noir. Cage stars in a new live-action series inspired

Net ix drops Season 2 of its “Four Seasons” on Thursday. It’s about a group of friends navigating relationships and life’s ups and downs. Fey is a co-creator and stars alongside Colman Domingo, Will Forte, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Marco Calvani and Erika Henningsen. It’s adapted from Alan Alda’s 1981 lm of the same name.

“Criminal Minds: Evolution” Season 19 premieres with two episodes Thursday on Paramount+. In the new episodes, serial killer Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) is still

“Mina the Hollower” is a mouse who’s really good at burrowing, which comes in handy when she needs to run away from — or sneak up behind — the nastier critters roaming her spooky home. She can also ght back with her whip, and she can track down sidearms and trinkets that make her more of a threat. All this takes place in a colorful, pixelated 2D world reminiscent of 1980s classics like “The Legend of Zelda.” Developer Yacht Club Games, which gave us the retro indie smash “Shovel Knight,” promises a “bone-chilling yet heartwarming tale inspired by Victorian Gothic

horror.” Dig in on Friday, May 29, on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch, PC or Mac.

SCOTT KOWALCHYK / CBS VIA AP

Former Beatle Paul McCartney drops his 18th studio album, “The Boys of Dungeon Lane “on Friday.

EMILY V. ARAGONES / NETFLIX VIA AP

Tina Fey returns for season 2 of “The Four Seasons” on Net ix.

ROW K VIA AP

Dacre Montgomery and Bill Skarsgård star in “Dead Man’s Wire” streaming this week on Net ix.

STATE & NATION

America’s tech- lled classrooms facing backlash against school-assigned devices

Parents question whether billion-dollar device investments improve student learning

By Jocelyn Gecker

The Associated Press

JUST A FEW YEARS ago, America’s public schools were rushing to get every child a laptop. Los Angeles middle school teacher Anna So er remembers it well: “The idea was that technology is the future, so we need to put tech in every child’s hands.”

Now, the conversation has ipped. After pouring billions of dollars into laptops, tablets and learning apps, many schools are facing a digital reckoning. Classrooms have become saturated with screens, and a growing number of parents, teachers and school districts are saying it is time to scale back.

“The Chromebook is just a world of distraction,” says Soffer, who teaches sixth grade English and history. She favors pen-and-paper assignments but is required to use laptops and online apps for certain activities.

“Every day, I’m battling, ’Who would you rather listen to, Ms. So er or Minecraft?’”

The Los Angeles Uni ed School District, where So er teaches, recently became the rst major school district to say it will stop giving devices to its youngest students. It is part of a new screen time policy taking e ect in the fall across the country’s second-largest school system.

A sweeping resolution passed last month by the Los Angeles school board requires the district to eliminate devices until second grade; set daily and weekly screen limits for all higher grades; block YouTube on school devices; and ban the use of devices at lunch and recess in elementary and middle school. The district will also audit its education technology contracts, which the teachers’ union says amount to $1.6 billion.

The Los Angeles crackdown is adding momentum to calls for reform emerging around the country. In many cases, parents lobbied a few years ago for school cellphone bans, which have now become the norm. Realizing phones weren’t the only classroom distraction, they pivoted to a new target: school-issued devices.

The campaign for change is becoming a public policy issue. At least 14 states have proposed laws to limit screen time in schools, according to Ballotpedia. The federal government issued an advisory last week warning that excessive screen use among youth is becoming a growing public health concern.

Parents say school-issued devices undermine screen limits at home

In Los Angeles, concerned parents last year formed a group, Schools Beyond Screens,

“My daughter went to middle school and was sent home with a screen addiction in her backpack.”

Katie Pace, Schools Beyond Screens member

and pressured the district by speaking out at school board meetings, on social media and in private talks with administrators. Many are frustrated by trying to curb screen time at home, only to have screens mandated by school.

As a mother of three, Katie Pace does everything in her power to limit screens. There is one family iPad and one television at home, no screen time during the week and no screens allowed in bedrooms. Her eighth grade daughter, Clementine, does not have a phone.

But as soon as Clementine gets on the Wi-Fi-enabled school bus, her day takes a turn for the digital.

For the 30-minute ride to school, Clementine watches YouTube videos on her school Chromebook.

In Spanish class, assignments are on the app Duolingo, but many students use Google Translate for answers, Clementine said. Often, kids are playing games on their phones, which are supposed to be locked away. In algebra, Clementine writes with her nger on a touch screen to solve equations. In history, quizzes, tests and writing assignments are on the computer.

Almost all homework is on-

line. Until recently, Clementine would come home and read a book, her mother said, but not anymore. On her daughter’s device history, Pace sees she spends hours a day streaming music, making Spotify playlists, and watching makeup tutorials and cat videos on YouTube.

“It makes me furious,” said Pace, a member of Schools Beyond Screens. “My daughter went to middle school and was sent home with a screen addiction in her backpack.”

The pandemic supercharged student access to devices

A push to put a device in every child’s hand and close the “digital divide” started over a decade ago, but it accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overnight, education shifted online in March 2020. Schools raced to get kids the devices needed to connect to school. When the 2021-2022 school year started, 96% of U.S. public schools reported they had given digital devices to students who needed them, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Many schools switched funding away from textbooks, workbooks and paper printouts to digital alternatives. Educational technology, or “edtech,” exploded into a multibillion-dollar industry.

“During the pandemic, getting kids devices was a lifeline. Now, it’s time that we reset,” said Nick Melvoin, the LAUSD school board member who drafted the new resolution.

Melvoin estimates that few Los Angeles classrooms are using screens e ectively in ways that bene t learning. Too of-

ten, he said, teachers are replacing instruction with online apps and using screens “as a crutch.”

Some schools are introducing new limits

The challenge, educators say, is that technology has become so entwined with learning, especially for older students, that unplugging from screens at school is complicated.

In the a uent Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion, parents launched a petition campaign for the right to opt their children out of digital devices during school, citing questions about edtech’s bene ts. The district has said that opting out is not possible.

“If there’s really no evidence that it helps, and in fact there’s evidence that it’s harmful, what are we doing? Test scores are at their lowest point,” said Alex Bird Becker, one of the founders of the group PA Unplugged.

Other schools are nding that it makes nancial sense to stop sending a device home with every child.

Fresno Uni ed School District, the third-largest in California, is spending $4 million a year to repair and replace laptops. Partly to cut costs, the district has told its 40,000 elementary school students to return their take-home laptops and it will shift computer access to in-class only in the fall, spokesperson AJ Kato said.

The Simi Valley Uni ed School District, near Los Angeles, stopped sending devices home for its younger students this year, partly because of costly repairs but also because they were being used for “inappropriate Google searches” and video games, according to a memo to

parents. The district now stores the devices in carts at school. A group of parents in Arlington, Virginia, gathered on a recent Saturday night to share their children’s struggles with screen addictions and other side e ects of school-issued devices.

“None of us are Luddites. I know that technology adds value, but I also don’t want my son on YouTube all the time,” said LuAnn Oliver, who hosted the group in her living room. Her sixth grade son struggles to keep track of online assignments and resist the temptation the iPad offers for video games. “We get reports on websites he’s visited. He’s visiting a game site in nearly every class.”

The Arlington School District has stopped giving iPads out before rst grade and is setting new limits in elementary school, but students in sixth to 12th grades will still be required to have school-issued devices.

Another mother, Jenny Sullivan, said she has noticed her fourth grade son capitalizing random letters and not getting corrected because there is so little work on paper. She also worries about social implications: Her sixth grader doesn’t want to go to the after-school program because everyone is on their iPad. “I’d rather be home,” he tells his mother.

After a three-hour gathering, the parents made a plan to approach the school in the fall with a uni ed request to “opt out of technology and opt in to textbooks and paper.”

“Ten years from now,” said one of the mothers, Kristina Jackson, “I can’t imagine us looking back with any other reaction than: How could we have been so naive that we just handed these devices to our kids.”

KEVIN WOLF / AP PHOTO

LuAnn Oliver’s son demonstrates earlier this month how he uses an iPad for his classes during a meeting where a group of school parents discussed ways to push back against screen time at the children’s school in Arlington, Virginia.

Randolph record

In remembrance

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Democrats feud over stock trading in e ort to sharpen anti-corruption case against Trump

Democrats are increasingly critiquing each other over their personal stock trades as the party looks to hone its anti- corruption message against President Donald Trump in the midterm elections. In primary races across the country, Democrats are critiquing individual stock trades and the personal wealth of their rivals in a bid to build credibility with voters. Polls show the public takes a dim view of insider trading in Washington and supports more guardrails against corruption. The debates have scrambled ideological lines inside the party, with some more moderate lawmakers attacking progressive rivals over past stock trades.

Trump: Everything checked out “perfectly” at his medical exam

Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump had another medical exam on Tuesday, putting his health under renewed public scrutiny as he has worked to dismiss concerns over his age and stamina. The 79-year-old president spent more than three hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for what the White House described as preventive medical and dental checkups. It was Trump’s fourth publicly disclosed medical exam since he returned to o ce for a second term, and it comes as he tries to project strength ahead of midterm elections that will test his sway with voters. In a social media post after the visit, Trump said that he had just nished his “6 month physical” and that “Everything checked out PERFECTLY.”

Food hub launches to unite shoppers, farmers

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The new Randolph County Food Hub is launching this week with the goal of boosting area farmers and the community.

Lindsey Poe, a founder of NC Rooted Community Agriculture, said the emphasis is on enhancing regional food access.

“This project is about more than just food,” Poe said. “It’s about building a stronger and more resilient local food system for Randolph County and the surrounding areas.”

This is an online marketplace with food distributed weekly from the Randolph County Agricultural Center on U.S. 64 East in Asheboro. NC Rooted, a 501(c)(3) nonpro t organization, is the operator.

Here’s how it works: Customers shop online Thursdays through 6 p.m. Sunday. From there, farmers harvest and prepare the orders Monday and Tuesday, when they’ll deliver products to Asheboro. Customers make pickups from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesdays.

The online marketplace is located at Shop Local Food. Shoppers can begin making selections through this weekend with the rst pickup is slated for next week (June 3).

There’s no fee to shop, but simple registration is required, Poe said. The food hub is being touted as the rst of its kind in Randolph County.

“We’ve been working on this for a long time,” Poe said. “There have been a lot of moving pieces.

Kyle Busch died last Thursday at 41 from pneumonia that progressed into sepsis

By Steve Reed and Michael Marot The Associated Press

CONCORD — NASCAR

CEO Steve O’Donnell honored Kyle Busch’s widow, Samantha, and the couple’s children, Brexton and Lennix, before the start of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday in an emotional speech.

Standing on the frontstretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway, O’Donnell looked directly at the Busch family and said, “Samantha, I want you to know that this sport stands with you, and that you and your children are NASCAR family forever. And Brexton and Lennix, your dad loved you with all his heart. Everyone gathered here, everyone behind you, everybody watching on TV, and all those people up in that grandstand are your

family — and we’ve got you.”

Tears rolled down Samantha Busch’s cheek as she wrapped her arm tightly around 11-year-old Brexton, an aspiring racer. Both wore black T-shirts that read “Battle of the Busches.”

Busch’s older brother and former Cup Series champion, Kurt, and his parents, Tom and Gaye, also attended the tribute.

“Kyle Busch is NASCAR,” O’Donnell added. “He was one of a kind, and there will never be another.”

A moment of silence fol-

lowed O’Donnell’s speech. Auto racing’s biggest day became a Memorial Day weekend tribute to Busch from Indianapolis to CMS.

Busch died last Thursday at 41 after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming complications, according to a statement released by his family, and his loss sent shockwaves through the motorsports world and beyond.

Charlotte Motor Speedway honored the two-time Cup Series champion with a large, black No. 8 and his signature on the frontstretch grass and a photo on the videoboard.

The U.S. Army Golden Knights carried Busch’s ag during prerace festivities. Each of the 39 cars in the eld carried Busch’s decal. On the pace lap, the cars formed the missing man formation.

The speedway’s public address system and the television

The setup is being touted as the rst of its kind in Randolph County

Flags y over the Randolph County Veterans Memorial on Memorial Day on Monday near the courthouse in Asheboro.

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

COURTESY PHOTO

Lindsey and Robert Poe are operators of the Randolph County Food Hub.

MATT KELLEY / AP PHOTO

A decal is displayed on Denny Hamlin’s car in honor of late driver Kyle Busch on Sunday in Charlotte.

RCEDC adds sta member with Bennett retiring

The newcomer worked previously for Asheboro company Markham Metals Inc.

Randolph Record sta

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Economic Development Corporation has welcomed Malynda Shumaker to its sta to replace a soon-to-be retiring longtime sta member.

Shumaker began her role with the organization last month. Lisa Bennett, manager of marketing and research, retires at the end of May after 24 years with the RCEDC.

According to the RCEDC, Shumaker will support inter -

WEEKLY CRIME

May 18

• Justin Taylor Crabtree, 45, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for misdemeanor larceny.

• Kimberly Ladawn Ellison, 39, of Ramseur, was arrested by NC P&P for maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled substance.

• Chasen John Filmer, 29, of Spring Hill, was arrested by RCSO for resisting a public o cer and carrying a concealed weapon.

• Mahriyah Jahnae Green, 19, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for obtaining property by false pretense and felony conspiracy.

• Chad Steven Morrison, 38, of Pleasant Garden, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver methamphetamine; possession of methamphetamine; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Brittany Bianca Muehlbach, 38, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for driving while impaired, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia, and other charges.

• Racquel Perez, 23, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for assault in icting serious injury.

• Christopher Michael Price, 48, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for non-support of a child.

May 19

• Daren Ray Biddix, 29, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Rigoberto Arita Cruz, 45, of Bennett, was arrested by RCSO for felony eeing and eluding arrest with a motor vehicle, reckless driving to endanger and exceeding the posted speed limit, and other charges.

• Harlee Dakota Jessup, 30, of Bennett, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Benjamin Lee Kenyon, 38, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for resisting a public o cer.

29

SATURDAY MAY 30

SUNDAY MAY 31

MONDAY JUNE 1

TUESDAY JUNE 2

WEDNESDAY JUNE 3

nal operations, nancial processes, and organizational initiatives that enhance service delivery to existing and

• Aaron Dean Passmore, 34, of Randleman, was arrested by NC P&P for possession of methamphetamine, a domestic violence protective order violation and injury to personal property, and other charges.

• Trey’Quan Jameek Phelps, 21, of Liberty, was arrested by Asheboro PD for carrying a concealed gun.

• David Anthony Reese, 32, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for false imprisonment, assault on a female and communicating threats, and other charges.

• Timothy Clyde Reitzel, 47, of Randleman, was arrested by Randleman PD for possession of methamphetamine, misdemeanor larceny and possession of stolen property.

May 20

• Cortney Devon Baker, 39, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for breaking and entering to terrorize or injure, assault on a female and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

• Connseula Reyes Bautista, 21, of Ramseur, was arrested by RCSO for assault in icting serious injury and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

• Nael Bautista Reyes, 39, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for assault on a female, a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and interfering with emergency communications.

• Federico Saldierna Calixto, 53, of Trinity, was arrested by RCSO for assault on a female.

• Jachin Arthur Edwards, 34, of Archdale, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession of a rearm by a felon, communicating threats and carrying a concealed gun, and other charges.

• Tristan Delmar McRae, 41, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession of methamphetamine, simple possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, and other charges.

• Mikayla Dawn Rosser, 32, of Lexington, was arrested by RCSO for simple assault and injury to real property.

FOOD from page A1

It’s a vision that has been in the making for a few years.”

Much of the planning has come through networking with farmers. Poe said there are 20 farmers on board “and ready to go for the launch.”

Products available will include meats, eggs, baked goods, owers, honey and other locally produced items.

Poe said through NC Rooted it can be an ideal bridge for farmers seeking more stability and outlets for their products. Participating farmers can come from within a 100-mile radius.

“A majority of our farm-

“There have been a lot of moving pieces.

It’s a vision that has been in the making for a few years.”

Lindsey Poe, NC Rooted founder

ers are right here in Randolph (County),” Poe said.

The best scenario will be to have a wide variety of produce available.

“We don’t want to oversaturate any categories,” Poe said.

prospective industries. Her expertise in budgeting, payroll, compliance, and administrative leadership will help ensure the organization continues to operate at a high level while advancing its strategic economic development goals.

Shumaker most recently served as chief operating ocer of Markham Metals Inc., an Asheboro company. She played a role in overseeingnancial management, human resources, compliance, and day-to-day operations for an organization with more than 30 employees.

RCEDC president Kevin Franklin said Shumaker’s background and attention to detail are going to be a boost to the organization.

• Martin Cridge, 36, was arrested by RCSO for felony eeing and eluding arrest with a motor vehicle, possession of methamphetamine and larceny of a motor vehicle, and other charges.

• John Clay Jackson, 42, of Charlotte, was arrested by RCSO for obtaining property by false pretense and failing to work after being paid.

• Keanu Jaheim Stover, 25, of Archdale, was arrested by Archdale PD for intentional child abuse in icting serious bodily injury and assault with a deadly weapon in icting serious injury.

• Michael Shawn Walton, 51, of High Point, was arrested by Archdale PD for eeing the scene of an accident involving injury or death.

May 21

• Donald Durane Baker, 56, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for felony possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a revoked license.

• Terry Lynn Davis, 68, of Concord, was arrested by RCSO for possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Russell Keith Siebens, 34, of Sophia, was arrested by Asheboro PD for felony possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Amber Elizabeth Walker, 39, of Greensboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for sexual act with a student, indecent liberties with a student and accessing computers.

• Matthew Edward Wrike, 38, of Greensboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for driving while impaired, driving on a revoked license and failure to reduce speed, and other charges.

May 22

• Jordan Tyler Adams, 34, of Randleman, was arrested by Asheboro PD for failure to stop at the scene of an accident with property damage, driving on a revoked license and failure to reduce speed, and other charges.

• Nathaniel Belk Jr., 58, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for habitual larceny, possession of stolen property and driving on a revoked license, and other charges.

Poe said NC Rooted is working to make the food hub eligible for shoppers in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. That might be in place by autumn, she said. Poe and her husband, Robert Poe, are spearheading the program.

“We’ve been farmers for 12 years now,” Lindsey Poe said. “We understand the struggles it takes.”

The Poes are both high school graduates of Asheboro, so they note their deep connections to Randolph County. They operate Poe Family Farm, which is a commercial ower farm located in Liberty just across the county line in Guilford County.

Randolph Guide

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

May 30

Car Show for the Kids 8 a.m.

The fourth annual charity car show raises money to buy Christmas gifts for children in need in the Archdale-Trinity community. New car categories and additional awards are featured this year, with the award presentation at 2 p.m. Preregistration is $15; day-of registration is $20.

Creekside Park 214 Park Drive Archdale

Zoo City Summer Classic Youth Soccer Tournament

The inaugural Zoo City Summer Classic draws U9-U19 boys' and girls' teams from across North Carolina for a full- eld tournament over two days. Girls' divisions compete Saturday, boys' divisions on Sunday, across 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11 formats. The event bene ts Kits for Kicks, a program providing soccer equipment to players in need.

Cone Health ZooCity Sportsplex 2981 Zoo Parkway Asheboro

June 1

Crash Radio: Bold Edition 7 p.m.

RhinoLeap Productions presents a ticketed live edition of its Crash Radio series, featuring local musicians, writers and storytellers in an intimate performance setting. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

RhinoLeap Productions Studio 130 S. Church St. Asheboro

June 5

Market & Music: The Holiday Band 7 p.m.

The rst Market & Music concert of the summer season lls downtown Randleman with live music and food trucks. Vendors and the farmers market open at 5 p.m.; The Holiday Band performs from 7-10 p.m.

Commerce Square Park 122 Commerce Square Randleman

June

6

Seagrove Wood Fire NC Studio Tour

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More than a dozen Seagrove-area pottery studios open for a free, self-guided tour showcasing new wood- red work, with kiln demonstrations at select locations. The tour runs both Saturday and Sunday. Maps of participating studios are available in town.

Multiple studios throughout Seagrove area Seagrove

COURTESY PHOTO

Lisa Bennett

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

What went wrong for Democrats

The real issue for Democrats is not why they lost the last election, but how they are going to avoid losing the next one.

FOR MONTHS NOW, Democrats have been arguing about whether to release the “autopsy” the National Committee commissioned on what went wrong in 2024. The report was completed but then not released; under pressure, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin released the report this week, but only with the caveat that it didn’t meet the committee’s standards, whatever that means.

In truth, the report nds plenty of blame. That’s the problem with losing a close election — and 2024, no matter how many times President Donald Trump describes it as a landslide, it wasn’t — is that almost everything you did “wrong” could have made the di erence. Which doesn’t necessarily tell you what to do right, the next time around, or address the very real divides inside the Democratic Party.

The report faults almost everyone. The Biden White House is faulted for not doing enough during the rst term and the 2022 midterms to prepare Kamala Harris to lead the ticket, which, of course, would not have mattered so much had former President Joe Biden not waited so long to bow out, but that’s another story.

The Harris campaign is faulted for writing o rural voters, relying too much on identity politics and not being tough enough on Trump. When the other side runs a negative campaign and wins, as Trump did here, the response is always that you should have

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

hit back harder. With what, is the question.

One of the most striking conclusions and the most troubling is about the e cacy of the ad Trump ran attacking Harris on transgender issues — in this case, on her previous statement of support for taxpayer-funded gender-a rming surgeries for prison inmates.

The report cites the ad as “very e ective,” and says that internal pollsters believed that “if the Vice President would not change her position — and she did not — then there was nothing which would have worked as a response.”

Are Democrats in fact too far out front of voters on transgender issues?

Do Democrats rely too much on identity politics, an argument that works better with the base of the Democratic party than it does with more moderate, independent voters, whom they need to attract?

According to the report, “Harris wrote o rural America, assuming urban/suburban margins would compensate. The math doesn’t work. ... You can’t lose rural areas by overwhelming margins and make it up elsewhere when rural voters are a signi cant share of the electorate. If Democrats are to reclaim leadership in the Heartland or the South, candidates must perform well in rural turf. Show up, listen and then do it again.”

As for male voters, the report argues that “Male voters require direct engagement. The gender gap can be narrowed. Deploy male messengers, address economic concerns and

don’t assume identity politics will hold male voters of color.”

The release of the autopsy and all the discussion about why it took so long to release it coincides with a new New York Times/Siena College poll showing Democrats with a strong advantage going into the midterms, but also with deep divides and disillusionment within the party. While the left is the loudest force on the Democratic side, it may not be the most popular: a majority of Democratic supporters said that they were generally happy with the party’s ideological positioning, but 52% said the next Democratic presidential candidate should move the party to the center in order to win. Only a quarter said the next candidate should move the party to the left.

The Times found that more than half of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents expressed frustration with the party: “unhappiness spanned almost every part of the party’s coalition — including young, white, Black and college-educated voters — and was especially strong among Democrats least attached to the party, who are the most likely to swing elections.”

The real issue for Democrats is not why they lost the last election, but how they are going to avoid losing the next one.

Susan Estrich is a feminist legal scholar and the rst woman to run a U.S. presidential campaign. She has written eight books.

(Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

Can Trump handle the world he has changed?

The cheap drones that Ukrainians have invented and produced in astonishing numbers — some 60,000 per day.

TEN YEARS AGO this month, Donald Trump clinched the Republican nomination for president, with a platform that was vastly di erent on trade and foreign policy from other recent presidents, Republican and Democratic alike.

How fares America — and the world — 10 years later?

In some important ways, things have moved in Trump’s direction. In 2016 and since, he complained constantly that Europeans were not contributing their fair share to NATO. That had been the position of previous administrations, but none emphasized it as Trump did.

Early in Trump’s rst term, only ve NATO allies met the stated goal of spending 2% of GDP on defense. A decade later, the goal has risen to 5%, and most NATO allies are moving toward that goal.

And as Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened his neighbors, previously neutral (for nearly 75 years!) Finland and Sweden, with their highly competent militaries, have decided to join NATO and have made the Baltic Sea just beyond Putin’s hometown of St. Petersburg a NATO lake. In the Middle East, Trump has also made a di erence. His predecessors’ policy was based on the hoary assumption that the key to stability was to pressure Israel to make a peace agreement with the Palestinians. So America’s task was to pressure Israel to make concessions. Trump saw it di erently. He pushed the Abraham Accords, diplomatic relations between Israel, Saudi Arabia and Persian Gulf oil producers. Progress has been uneven but palpable. Israel’s paci cation of Gaza has not prevented the Saudis and United Arab Emirates from supporting Trump’s e orts, cooperating with Israel, to disarm and destabilize the regime in Iran.

On trade, Trump’s on-again, o -again

threats, impositions and adjustments of tari rates have resulted in channeling trade in di erent patterns. The days of a jointly dependent “Chimerica” (historian Niall Ferguson’s phrase) seem to be waning.

Not everything has gone Trump’s way. His xation on unproblematic trade “de cits” has led him to impose tari s that have fed in ation and eroded his job approval at home. His initiatives in Iran, without persuasive explanations to voters or any attempt at buy-in by the political opposition, have also hurt him politically — although regime collapse in Iran remains possible and could put things in a di erent light.

More importantly, the world has changed, sometimes in line with his expectations, sometimes to the contrary. The prime example is Russia’s war on Ukraine. As Trump has noted, Putin launched his 2014 attacks on Donbas and his 2022 march toward Kyiv when Democrats were president. And former President Joe Biden’s restrictions on aid to Ukraine — especially bans on lobbing attacks on Russian territory — limited Ukraine’s defense.

As analysts of various stripes have concluded, Ukraine has developed drone warfare as a barrier to Russian advance and to make advances itself.

Ukraine has had one advantage Putin didn’t count on in 2022: morale, a sense of national pride and resolve that is unquanti able but has enabled seemingly ordinary people to adapt with extraordinary speed and inventiveness reminiscent of the best of American examples in World War II. It’s interesting that Trump, for all his emphasis on building America’s national morale, has been deaf to the importance of that factor in Ukraine.

The cheap drones that Ukrainians have invented and produced in astonishing numbers

— some 60,000 per day — have routinely destroyed much more expensive Russian missiles and have enabled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to destroy energy infrastructure in Perm, 1,000 kilometers beyond the Russian border, and prompted Putin to downsize his WWII victory parade in Moscow.

It is clear that the Trump policy of pressuring Ukraine to accept Russian control of provinces it hasn’t occupied is as obsolete as Trump’s predecessors’ policies of pressuring Israel to accept Palestinian control of territory from which the Palestinians could launch attacks like those of Oct. 7, 2023.

It seems clear as well that the remnants of the Iranian regime are unwilling to abandon their 47-year hostilities toward the U.S., and that Trump’s eagerness to deploy “the art of the deal,” even under the auspices of a hostile Pakistan, is encouraging their continued resistance. And in the meantime, will the drawdown of America’s expensive smart weapons in the Persian Gulf reduce American deterrence against Chinese aggression against Taiwan?

The nal verdict on Trump’s foreign policies cannot be written now, with 32 months left in his term and so many kinetic events in unpredictable motion. But perhaps it can be said that while his departures from his predecessors’ policies have had some successes in reshaping the world, it is not clear that he has developed policies adapted to the world he has done so much to change.

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)

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

Pope Leo XIV calls for robust regulation of AI in manifesto pondering future of humanity

The encyclical asked researchers to re ect on the power of AI

By Nicole Win eld, Kaitlyn Huamani and Paolo Santalucia

The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV called Monday for robust regulation of arti cial intelligence and for its developers to work for the common good rather than pro t, issuing a sweeping manifesto on safeguarding humankind as the technology impacts everything from work to war.

“Magni ca Humanitas” (Magni cent Humanity), Leo’s rst encyclical, has been eagerly awaited ever since history’s rst U.S.-born pope announced days after his election that he considered AI to be the biggest challenge facing humanity today.

In the text, Leo denounced the “culture of power” driving the AI race, especially in developing ever more sophisticated methods of remote warfare. He declared that it was “not permissible” to entrust irreversible, lethal decisions to AI systems, setting up another ash point between the American pope and the Trump administration, which has worked aggressively to deregulate AI development.

“Arti cial Intelligence now demands to be disarmed, freed from logics that turn it into an instrument of domination, exclusion and death,” the pope told a special Vatican presentation of the encyclical, one of the most authoritative types of teaching documents a pope can issue.

Experts in the tech industry, academia and Catholic morality said the document will likely become a benchmark in the debate over AI, a point of reference for policymakers, researchers and ordinary folk alike. It comes as the near-daily developments in the technology trigger concerns over AI replacing human jobs and even human intelligence.

Taylor Black, a Microsoft AI executive and director of Catholic University of America’s AI institute, said the document would prompt people “at the forefront of these tools” to ask questions such as “What does it mean to be human?”

Pope calls out AI companies even as he hosts Anthropic

The Vatican launch also included remarks by the co-founder of Anthropic, which is currently locked in a legal battle with the Trump administration over access to its AI technology. The Vatican decid-

ed to involve Anthropic as part of its decade-long e ort to engage Silicon Valley in dialogue over the human cost of AI.

And yet in his text, Leo repeatedly blasted the concentration of power and data in the hands of so few people in the private sector as a danger, especially to children and the most vulnerable, and called for external regulation of their work.

“It is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract; robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required,” he wrote. “A more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few.”

Leo appealed to AI developers and political leaders responsible for regulating them to slow down and re ect on what they are doing. He urged them to use ethical and spiritual guidelines to make the choice to work not for their own pro t or power, but the betterment of humanity.

AI competitors OpenAI and Anthropic are the second- and third-most valuable U.S. private companies, each valued at hundreds of billions of dollars, more than the GDP of many nations. Both companies are heading toward near-trillion-dollar IPOs.

Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah welcomed Leo’s criticism and concern. He said such external checks were fundamental to the technology “going well” for humankind since there is so much at stake — “a real possibility that AI will displace human labor at a very large scale.”

“We need more of the world — religious communities, civil society, scholars, governments — to do what His Holiness has done here: to take this seriously, to look closely and to push events in a better direction,” Olah said. “We need moral voices that the incentives cannot bend.”

Experts say text will become benchmark

In a methodical text, the math major pope traced the history of the Catholic Church’s social teaching and applied its core concepts — justice, solidarity, the dignity of work and the universal destination of resources — to the digital revolution.

“I am convinced that this will prove to be a de ning document for our era, a profound and prophetic document,” said Paolo Carozza, law professor at Notre Dame Law School and chair of the Meta Oversight Board.

“Pope Leo is o ering a clear, comprehensive and coherent

voice urging us to take responsibility for constructing a world in which technology will serve humans rather than degrade them,” he said.

In its strongest chapters, Leo denounced how AI had helped accelerate the “normalization of war” by desensitizing people to its cost. He didn’t name specific con icts but cited “opposing imperialisms, between powers that wish to preserve their supremacy, and those that aspire to seize that supremacy.”

He demanded transparency and accountability by AI developers so that the chain of decision-making command in ordering strikes with AI weaponry is always known. He declared that the Catholic Church’s “just war” theory, which provides speci c criteria for when force can be justied, was now “outdated” given the technological advances of warfare.

Text in church’s social justice tradition

Leo signed the text May 15, the 135th anniversary of the publication of “Rerum Novarum” (Of New Things), the most important teaching document of Leo’s hero and namesake, Pope Leo XIII. That document addressed workers’ rights, the limits of capitalism, and the obligations that states

and employers owed workers as the Industrial Revolution was underway.

It became the foundation of modern Catholic social thought, and the current pope cited it at the start of his ponti cate in relation to the AI revolution, which he believes poses the same existential questions that the Industrial Revolution posed over a century ago. “Magni ca Humanitas” thus becomes the latest chapter in a century-long history of popes adapting “Rerum Novarum” to the social questions of their times, often dwelling on the dignity of work for human ourishing.

AI is evoking both existential fears and utopian vision amid an intensifying debate on whether it will become a catalyst that enriches humanity or a technological toxin that dulls human intelligence while wiping out millions of high-paying jobs.

“The pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacri ce jobs, because the human person is an end, not a means, and the economic order must remain subordinate to human dignity and the common good,” Leo wrote. Vatican o cials declined to say who contributed to Leo’s encyclical, but Vatican and church o cials have been engaged in a dialogue with Silicon Valley tech rms for a decade.

ALESSANDRA TARANTINO / AP PHOTO

Pope Leo XIV attends the presentation of his rst encyclical at the Vatican on Monday.

obituaries

Kenneth “Ken” Hugh Lamb

Feb. 19, 1947 – May 18, 2026

Kenneth (Ken) Hugh Lamb, 79, of Asheboro, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family, in the early morning hours of Monday, May 18, 2026. Ken was born on February 19, 1947, in Asheville, North Carolina, to Charles and Fannie Lamb, who preceded him in death. Ken was one of ve children. Ken was

Helen Brady

Aug. 22, 1934 – May 18, 2026

Helen Marie Wright Brady, 91, of Bennett, passed away on Monday, May 18, 2026, at the Siler City Center. The funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at Bennett Baptist Church with Rev. Tim Strider presiding. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends in the Narthex one hour prior to the service and will return to the fellowship hall following the committal. Joyce-Brady Chapel will be open from 1:00-5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 22, 2026, for friends to sign the register.

Helen was born on August 22, 1934, to Harvey and Bonnie Davis Wright. She graduated from Coleridge High School in 1953 and worked at McCrary Hosiery Mill for 13 years. She was a faithful member of Bennett Baptist Church. Helen operated Brady’s Grill in Bennett for 44 years where she served the best hot dogs with her homemade chili and slaw. She also meticulously cleaned the church as long as her health allowed. She was a former owner of Joyce-Brady Chapel. Helen was a kind and gentle lady who always greeted everyone with a smile. She loved her church, her community and her family.

In addition to her parents, Helen was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Andrew “Jack” Brady and her brother, Olin Wright. Helen is survived by her sons, Michael Alan Brady (Lori) and Patrick Dwayne Brady (Lorriann); grandchildren, Meghan Brady McLeod (Josh), Dylan Brady (Ireland), Anna Brady, Nicole Brown (Jason) and Leigh Ann Sumner; great-grandchildren, Kayleigh Brown and Easton Brown; sister, Lucy Emerson (Louis); sister-in-law, Myrldeen Wright and a host of family and friends.

The family extends their thanks to the sta of The Siler City Center for the care and compassion shown to Helen.

married to the love of his life, Carol Lamb, for thirty-four amazing years. Ken spent much of his life as a truck driver. Ken loved traveling the United States while driving for himself. Ken was also known for being a man who could x almost anything.

Ken is preceded in death by his two brothers and a sister.

Ken is survived by his loving wife, Carol. He is also survived by his two sons, Ricky Lamb and Joe (Sandy) Lamb. He is also survived by his daughter, Donna Hunt. Ken is survived by his grandchildren, Riley Lamb, Jacob Hunt, Katie Hunt-Evans and Sadie Hunt-Hill. Ken is also survived by six greatgrandchildren. Ken is survived by his sister, Sandy Roberts.

The Family will receive friends on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, from 12:00 pm-2:00 pm at the Glenn “Mac” Pugh Chapel, 437 Sunset Ave, in Asheboro. A funeral Service will follow at 2 pm. A burial will follow at Boone Family Cemetery at 1123 Boone Farm Rd in Asheboro.

Terry Cheyenne Lewallen

Nov. 2, 1957 – May 19, 2026

Terry Cheyenne Lewallen, 68, of Asheboro, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on May 19, 2026, at his home.

Terry was born on November 2, 1957, in Asheboro. Terry was known for his love of Green Bay Packers football and watching the games with his late sister. Terry was an avid college athletics fan, always supporting his UNC Tarheels and LenoirRhyne Bears. He also loved softball and basketball, often coaching his girls’ teams. He also shared a love of wrestling with his mom. He also had a love of heavy metal music, road trips, and attending concerts with his beloved daughters, who were his everything. He loved to ride dirt bikes and race 3-wheelers and shared that love with his brother Larry. He was also an auto body repairman taught by his father.

Terry graduated from Asheboro High School in 1976 and went on to do many thingshis most recent, a 32-year-long career with the Town of Ramseur Wastewater Treatment Facility. Terry was a loving husband, father, brother, nephew, and cousin.

He is survived by his wife, B.J., and two daughters, Tamara and Terra, both of the home. Also his brother, Larry and wife Susan. His beloved dog “Thor” and his favorite grand-pup, Cirice, who he a ectionately called “NonFriend,” and a multitude of aunts, uncles, cousins and many lifelong friends.

Terry is preceded in death by his late parents, Larry Sr., and Norma, as well as his younger sister, Rhonda. He is also preceded in death by his “ rst child” dog-Conan, his cat “Idgit”, and beloved Doberman, Gypsy.

The family would like to express a special thank you to Brady Barker with Amedisys Home Health and Nicole Harlee with Amedisys Hospice for their care and compassion.

The family will receive friends on Saturday, May 23, 2026, from 6:00-8:00 pm at Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue in Asheboro. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at 3:30 pm at the Glenn “Mac” Pugh Chapel with Pastor Todd Brown o ciating. Memorials may be made to Brown Middle School Softball, 1140 Kendall Mill Rd., Thomasville, NC 27360.

Marie Brinson Bulla

March 25, 1935 –May 21, 2026

Mrs. Marie Brinson Bulla, 91, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, passed away Thursday, May 21, 2026. Services are being planned to be held in Virginia Beach and then a graveside service to be held at 11:00 AM Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at Charlotte Methodist Church, Asheboro, NC. Further details regarding the funeral service in Virginia will be published as soon as they become available.

Frances Barker Varner

Aug. 20, 1924 – May 17, 2026

Frances Barker Varner, 101, of Asheboro, passed away on May 17, 2026, at Clapp’s Nursing Home in Asheboro, NC. She was born on August 20, 1924, in Trinity, NC, to Charlie Barker and Mary Kirk Barker. Frances will be remembered as a beloved mother, motherin-law, and grandmother. She grew up in the Tabernacle area of Randolph County. After graduating from Trinity High School, she became a secretary for the Federal Government in conservation services. She was known for her organization and meticulous work. After retiring, she loved to garden, especially owers, and spend time with friends and family. Frances’ memory will live on in each of our hearts.

Frances is survived by her daughter, Doris Allred (Eddie) of Asheboro; stepsons, Sam Varner, David Varner, Gene Varner; grandchildren, Lorie Steed (John), Scottie Allred (Stephanie), great-grandchildren, Kaley Ledwell (Keishawn), Garrett Allred (Amber Hampton), Kyla Willis, Kaci Willis; greatgreat-grandchild, Rylee Ledwell; brother, Leo “Pete” Barker. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husbands, Carl Cheek and Andy Varner; daughter, Donna Willeby; three brothers, and one sister. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, from 1:00 - 1:50 PM at Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue, Asheboro. Funeral services start at 2:00 PM in the Glenn “Mac” Pugh Memorial Chapel with Pastor Thomas Smith o ciating. Burial will follow at Randolph Memorial Park.

Mary Magdalene Owens

July 26, 1935 – May 21, 2026

Mary Magdalene Owens, age 90, of Asheboro, North Carolina, passed away on May 21, 2026, at Randolph Hospice House.

Mary was born on July 26, 1935, to the late J.A. Van Owens and Mattie Craven Owens.

Mary was a faithful member of First Baptist Church until her health no longer allowed her to attend. She loved the babies and young children in her family and had a special love for dogs. Mary was known for her sweet spirit, simple nature, and strong Christian faith.

She was a hard worker who carried the values instilled in her by her mother throughout her life.

Mary was strong, independent, and devoted to her family, especially her mother, whom she faithfully stayed by the side of for many years.

Mary was blessed to have a wonderful Sunday school class who loved and visited her on a regular basis.

The family is forever grateful for the love and care that she had at Crossroads Memory Care.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sisters, Martha Broadway and Juanita Williams.

Mary is survived by her nephews, Michael Broadway, Daniel Broadway, Samuel Broadway, and David Williams; as well as family friend, Phyllis Barnes.

Miss Owens will lie in repose on Sunday, May 24, 2026 from noon5:00 pm at Pugh Funeral Home, 437 Sunset Avenue in Asheboro.

A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Oaklawn Cemetery, weather permitting. In the event of inclement weather, the service will be moved to the Glenn “Mac” Chapel.

STATE & NATION

America’s tech-

lled classrooms facing backlash against school-assigned devices

Parents

question whether billion-dollar device investments improve student learning

By Jocelyn Gecker

The Associated Press

JUST A FEW YEARS ago, America’s public schools were rushing to get every child a laptop. Los Angeles middle school teacher Anna So er remembers it well: “The idea was that technology is the future, so we need to put tech in every child’s hands.”

Now, the conversation has ipped. After pouring billions of dollars into laptops, tablets and learning apps, many schools are facing a digital reckoning. Classrooms have become saturated with screens, and a growing number of parents, teachers and school districts are saying it is time to scale back.

“The Chromebook is just a world of distraction,” says Soffer, who teaches sixth-grade English and history. She favors pen-and-paper assignments but is required to use laptops and online apps for certain activities. “Every day, I’m battling, ’Who would you rather listen to, Ms. So er or Minecraft?’”

The Los Angeles Uni ed School District, where So er teaches, recently became the rst major school district to say it will stop giving devices to its youngest students. It is part of a new screen time policy taking e ect in the fall across the country’s second-largest school system.

A sweeping resolution passed last month by the Los Angeles school board requires the district to eliminate devices until second grade; set daily and weekly screen limits for all higher grades; block YouTube on school devices; and ban the use of devices at lunch and recess in elementary and middle school. The district will also audit its education technology contracts, which the teachers’ union says amount to $1.6 billion.

The Los Angeles crackdown is adding momentum to calls for reform emerging around the country. In many cases, parents lobbied a few years ago for school cellphone bans, which have now become the norm. Realizing phones weren’t the only classroom distraction, they piv-

BUSCH from page A1

commentators went silent on the eighth lap of the race.

On Saturday night, Layne Riggs celebrated his Truck Series win at Charlotte by imitating Busch’s traditional bows to the crowd after the race, and Ross Chastain did the same after capturing the rain-shortened O’Reilly Auto Parts race.

“When you think race car driver and what that person

oted to a new target: school-issued devices.

The campaign for change is becoming a public policy issue. At least 14 states have proposed laws to limit screen time in schools, according to Ballotpedia. The federal government issued an advisory last week warning that excessive screen use among youth is becoming a growing public health concern.

Parents say school-issued devices undermine screen limits at home

In Los Angeles, concerned parents last year formed a group, Schools Beyond Screens, and pressured the district by speaking out at school board meetings, on social media and in private talks with administrators. Many are frustrated by trying to curb screen time at home, only to have screens mandated by school.

As a mother of three, Katie Pace does everything in her power to limit screens. There is one family iPad and one television at home, no screen time during the week and no screens allowed in bedrooms. Her eighth grade daughter, Clementine, does not have a phone.

But as soon as Clementine gets on the Wi-Fi-enabled school bus, her day takes a turn for the digital.

For the 30-minute ride to school, Clementine watches YouTube videos on her school Chromebook.

should be like, Kyle Busch is probably one of the rst that comes to your mind on the type of racer he was,” Cup Series driver Joey Logano said.

Fans at CMS arrived in droves Sunday with shirts that read “Rowdy” and “KFB.”

Earlier in the day at the Indianapolis 500, Dale Coyne Racing changed the font of Romain Grosjean’s No. 18 car to replicate the font the two-time Brickyard 400 winner used during his 14

In Spanish class, assignments are on the app Duolingo, but many students use Google Translate for answers, Clementine said. Often, kids are playing games on their phones, which are supposed to be locked away. In algebra, Clementine writes with her nger on a touch screen to solve equations. In history, quizzes, tests and writing assignments are on the computer.

Almost all homework is online. Until recently, Clementine would come home and read a book, her mother said, but not anymore. On her daughter’s device history, Pace sees she spends hours a day streaming music, making Spotify playlists, and watching makeup tutorials and cat videos on YouTube.

“It makes me furious,” said Pace, a member of Schools Beyond Screens. “My daughter went to middle school and was sent home with a screen addiction in her backpack.”

The pandemic supercharged student access to devices

A push to put a device in every child’s hand and close the “digital divide” started over a decade ago, but it accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overnight, education shifted online in March 2020. Schools raced to get kids the devices needed to connect to school. When the 2021-2022 school year started, 96% of U.S. public

seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing in his No. 18 car.

Then came the opening prayer, in which Busch was mentioned by name. And on lap 18, race o cials lit up the scoring pylon next to pit lane with Busch’s name, his birth year and 2026.

Even with the pageantry of Indianapolis’ big IndyCar race, Busch, who had a record 234 victories across NASCAR’s three national series, was never far

“My daughter went to middle school and was sent home with a screen addiction in her backpack.”

Katie Pace, Schools Beyond Screens member

schools reported they had given digital devices to students who needed them, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Many schools switched funding away from textbooks, workbooks and paper printouts to digital alternatives. Educational technology, or “edtech,” exploded into a multibillion-dollar industry.

“During the pandemic, getting kids devices was a lifeline. Now, it’s time that we reset,” said Nick Melvoin, the LAUSD school board member who drafted the new resolution.

Melvoin estimates that few Los Angeles classrooms are using screens e ectively in ways that bene t learning. Too often, he said, teachers are replacing instruction with online apps and using screens “as a crutch.”

Some schools are introducing new limits

The challenge, educators say, is that technology has become so entwined with learning, especially for older students, that unplugging from screens at school is complicated.

In the a uent Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion, parents launched a petition campaign for the right to opt their children out of digital devices during school, citing questions about edtech’s bene ts. The district has said that opting out is not possible.

“If there’s really no evidence that it helps, and in fact there’s evidence that it’s harmful, what are we doing? Test scores are at their lowest point,” said Alex Bird Becker, one of the founders of the group PA Unplugged.

Other schools are nding that it makes nancial sense to stop sending a device home with every child. Fresno Uni ed School District, the third-largest in California, is spending $4 million a year

from the thoughts of people in the city that dubs itself the “Racing Capital of the World.”

“It’s desperately sad. It’s also one of those things where you try not to think about it or let it in because you’ve got so much to do, you can’t let yourself get emotional,” Katherine Legge said.

“But honestly, racing has lost one of the greatest drivers, in my opinion, of all time. If you look back at the history and just — he was a legend.”

to repair and replace laptops. Partly to cut costs, the district has told its 40,000 elementary school students to return their take-home laptops and it will shift computer access to in-class only in the fall, spokesperson AJ Kato said.

The Simi Valley Uni ed School District, near Los Angeles, stopped sending devices home for its younger students this year, partly because of costly repairs but also because they were being used for “inappropriate Google searches” and video games, according to a memo to parents. The district now stores the devices in carts at school.

A group of parents in Arlington, Virginia, gathered on a recent Saturday night to share their children’s struggles with screen addictions and other side e ects of school-issued devices.

“None of us are Luddites. I know that technology adds value, but I also don’t want my son on YouTube all the time,” said LuAnn Oliver, who hosted the group in her living room. Her sixth grade son struggles to keep track of online assignments and resist the temptation the iPad offers for video games. “We get reports on websites he’s visited. He’s visiting a game site in nearly every class.”

The Arlington School District has stopped giving iPads out before rst grade and is setting new limits in elementary school, but students in sixth to 12th grades will still be required to have school-issued devices.

Another mother, Jenny Sullivan, said she has noticed her fourth grade son capitalizing random letters and not getting corrected because there is so little work on paper. She also worries about social implications: Her sixth grader doesn’t want to go to the after-school program because everyone is on their iPad. “I’d rather be home,” he tells his mother.

After a three-hour gathering, the parents made a plan to approach the school in the fall with a uni ed request to “opt out of technology and opt in to textbooks and paper.”

“Ten years from now,” said one of the mothers, Kristina Jackson, “I can’t imagine us looking back with any other reaction than: How could we have been so naive that we just handed these devices to our kids.”

As Indy held its biggest race of the year, those who knew or competed against Busch raced with a heavy heart.

“How can you not be in shock over the situation?” two-time Indy winner Josef Newgarden said. “I think it just puts into perspective how fragile life is. You just don’t know. Makes me think of his kids, to be honest with you. Gosh, I feel terrible about — I have two sons now. That’s the thing that breaks my heart.”

KEVIN WOLF / AP PHOTO

LuAnn Oliver’s son demonstrates earlier this month how he uses an iPad for his classes during a meeting where a group of school parents discussed ways to push back against screen time at the children’s school in Arlington, Virginia.

RandolpH SPORTS

this

Cougars eye second state softball title in 3 years

Southwestern Randolph and Randleman met in the regional nals

Randolph Record sta

ASHEBORO — Some of Southwestern Randolph’s best o ensive work of the season came at an ideal time for the Cougars in the Class 4A East Regional softball nals.

The third-seeded Cougars had a relentless assault on top-seeded Randleman’s pitch-

ing to sweep the best- of-three series and advance to this week’s state championship round.

Southwestern Randolph won 16-1 in Game 1 at Randleman and followed that a night later with an 11-7 home triumph, sending the Cougars to the state nals for the second time in three years.

The Cougars (23-4) meet West Stanly (26-6), which needed three games to advance past Foard in the West Region nals. The state nals will be

Special postseason

The Southwestern Randolph team couldn’t break through enough against Bunn

Randolph Record sta

ASHEBORO — Southwestern Randolph’s baseball team couldn’t generate enough offense in the Class 4A East Region nals.

Top-seeded Bunn defeated the Cougars 4-2 in Game 1 and 9-4 in Game 2 to sweep the best-of-3 series last week.

In the road loss, Southwestern Randolph was held to two hits, including Logan Weidman’s double.

The Cougars scored on runs batted in by Weston Reed and Brady Arm eld, who had a sacri ce y. Matthew Blankenship took the loss despite throwing a complete game.

At home in the second game, Southwestern Randolph was blanked for the nal six innings. Its 4-0 rst-inning lead held up until Bunn went ahead in the fth inning. Weidman, the starting pitcher, gave up six runs before he was relieved by Lane Poole.

Grant Kirk drove in two runs and Poole and Carson Coltrane each had two hits for the Cougars. Blankenship also knocked in a run.

While compiling its rst winning season since 2021, Southwestern Randolph (19 -9) hadn’t advanced to a regional nal in baseball in at least a quarter-century. Bunn took a 24-3 record into the state nals against Burns (25-3), with that series assigned for Wednesday and Thursday of this week in Holly Springs.

at 5 p.m. Friday for Game 1 and the other games at 11 a.m. Saturday and, if necessary, 5 p.m. Saturday at UNC Greensboro.

Southwestern Randolph captured a 2024 state title with that championship series vs. Midway conducted at UNCG.

Southwestern Randolph and West Stanly haven’t met since they had one meeting in consecutive seasons from 2022-24. West Stanly won in 2022 and Southwestern Randolph won in each of the next

two years, with all the matchups coming during the regular season.

In the opener of the regional nals vs. Randleman, Southwestern Randolph racked up nine rst-inning runs, aided by Alyssa Harris’ two-run single. She also smacked a three -run home run.

Chloe Eudy, Bristol Marine, Kami Dunn and Maddie Strider, who drove in three runs, all scored two runs. Katelyn West was the winning pitcher.

In Game 2, the Cougars built an 8-2 lead on their home eld and held on. West, the winning pitcher, had a two-run home run among her four hits and knocked in ve runs.

Strider scored four runs, Harris drove in three runs, Dunn added two runs batted

in and Nauttica Parrish scored twice.

Randleman closed an 8-2 hole to 8-7. Losing pitcher Kinzie Ivey knocked in three runs, Kaylee Phillips had two runs batted in and scored two runs. The teams split two regular-season meetings, so three of the four losses this year for Randleman (25-4) were administered by Southwestern Randolph.

The Class 5A state nals also will be conducted Friday and Saturday at UNCG. That pits East Region champion West Carteret against West Region winner Enka. Those games are slated for 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Saturday (or 5 p.m. Saturday if the Class 4A nals is decided in two games).

ZooKeepers set to launch season

Asheboro’s team in the Coastal Plain League has some local avor

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The Asheboro ZooKeepers play their home opener Friday night against the Forest City Owls at McCrary Park.

The ZooKeepers have listed more than 45 players as joining the summer collegiate baseball team this year. After recent years of some player shortages, the Coastal Plain League team appears to be bulking up its roster.

Mark Weidemaier, a Liberty resident, is the rst-year coach of the ZooKeepers.

The roster includes a few players with area ties. Former Randleman players Seth Way (Liberty), Braxton Walker (Wingate) and Hunter Atkins (Catawba) are listed. Way and Walker are pitchers, while Atkins, a past player for the ZooKeepers, is a utility player.

Atkins won’t be with the ZooKeepers right away because Catawba is playing in the Division II World Series, which begins Friday in Cary.

Here’s a breakdown of other players who could play for the ZooKeepers at some point this season: Pitchers: Miles Corcor-

an (Spartanburg Methodist), Hutson Trobaugh (Chipola CC), Landon Lucas (UNC Pembroke), McCall Biemiller (Florida), Nathan McKissick (Midway), Caydon Laird (Southern Indiana), Ian Anderson (Southern Indiana), Brenden Cole (Midway), Takuma Sato (Union), Nathanael Volk (North Carolina Wesleyan), Quinn Saunders (Case Western), Reilly Byers (East Tennessee State), Ryan Beebe (Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland), Robert Ahlgren (Kalamazoo), Carlos Gomez (Campbellsville), Bennett Holdener (Wabash Valley), Luke Czarnomski (Marietta), Mark Salicco (High Point), Thomas Egbert (Pennsylvania), Kyle Rudolph (Michigan State), Ben Shepherd (USC Aiken), Joseph Yamamoto (North Greenville), Max Whitmer (Georgetown), Tyler Stillson (Case Western).

Corcoran is a past player with the ZooKeepers. Lucas and Stillson are also in elders.

BOB SUTTON / RANDOLPH RECORD

Southwestern Randolph will hope for another large fan turnout

week in Greensboro like here when the Cougars won in the 2024 softball state nals.

ASHEBORO ZOOKEEPERS PHOTO Mark Weidemaier

Mirianna Corea

Eastern Randolph, girls’ track and eld

Corea completed a distinguished high school career earlier this month when she won two individual state championships.

The senior thrower won the shot put and discus in the Class 3A state meet. It marked the third year in a row that she won at least one of those events in an outdoor state meet. Corea also won an indoor state championship in the shot put in February.

So she’s a ve-time state champion.

Corea will join the NC State women’s track and eld program after signing with the Wolfpack in November.

ZOOKEEPERS from page B1

Catchers: Josh Martinez (UNC Wilmington), Damwoo Kim (New Mexico Military Institute), Will Oates (Shippensburg).

In elders: Reggie Sharpe (Michigan State), Matt Procopio (Lenoir-Rhyne), Chazz Grossington (Winthrop), Calvin Cook (Middle Tennessee State), Brady McGuire (Seton Hill), Jackson Hood (UNC Wilmington), rst baseman Dane Harvey (Ohio State), rst baseman/out elder Brady Schallmoser (Wabash Valley), Daniel Stephens (UNC Pembroke).

Out elders: Blake Brookins (Florida), Cameron Austin Jr. (USC Aiken), Wyatt Bush

(UNC Greensboro), Tyler Peller (Wabash Valley), Trent Murchison (Lenoir-Rhyne), Leandro Hernandez (Wabash Valley).

Asheboro posted a 24-24 CPL record last year. Forest City was the 2025 West Division champion. It’s the 30th season of the CPL, expanding from six teams in 1997 in eastern North Carolina to 15 teams across four states.

The newest team is the Zebulon Devil Dogz. That team occupies the formerly named Five County Stadium, which had been home of the minor-league Carolina Mudcats.

Friday’s home opener will be followed with a reworks show, one of three scheduled at McCrary Park this year.

Playo runs ended for girls’ teams

The Wheatmore and Trinity teams were eliminated in the same round

Randolph Record sta

THE GIRLS’ SOCCER season ended for Randolph County teams with Wheatmore and Trinity losing in the third

round of the Class 3A state playo s last week. Wheatmore, seeded No. 4 in the West Region, fell 3-0 to No. 12 seed Union Academy despite 13 saves

from goalkeeper Kinsley Davis.

The Warriors nished with a 13-7 record.

Sixth-seeded Trinity dropped a 6-1 decision at third-seeded Polk County, which received two goals from Reeve Carroll and Gabby Savaia. The Bulldogs ended up 13-3-4.

Mitchell to stay as Trinity’s AD

The alum of the school has been in the position for more than a decade

Randolph Record sta

TRINITY — Robert Mitchell will remain as Trinity’s athletics director af-

LSU

has

ter announcing earlier this spring that he would step down from the position in June.

“I will be waiting another year on retirement from athletics,” Mitchell said. “After meeting with (principal Brian Toth), I will be coming back for at least one more year

agreement to

as AD before stepping away.” Mitchell, 38, is finishing his 13th year as athletics director at the school. He’s a past assistant coach with the boys’ basketball team.

The 2006 Trinity graduate had planned to finish AD duties before a vacation next month.

sign

recent NBA G League pro Luis Jr.

Former NC State coach Will Wade is stirring up controversy with veteran acquisitions

By Brett Martel The Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. — Recently rehired LSU coach Will Wade is in the process of signing former professional player RJ Luis Jr., a person with knowledge of the move said Tuesday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because LSU had not announced or acknowledged the move, which is expected to result in a petition to the NCAA to restore Luis’ eligibility.

Luis played three seasons in college — one at UMass and two at St. John’s. He declared for the NBA draft in 2025 after being named the Big East player of the year.

After going undrafted, the 6-foot-7 Luis signed a twoway contract with the Utah Jazz and was traded to the Boston Celtics. However, Luis never appeared in a game in either the NBA or the G League, and that is expected to be an element of his argument as to why the NCAA should allow him to suit up for Wade’s Tigers.

Luis played in 85 games with 52 starts and averaged 14.1 points per game during

“What you’re doing is (messing) it up for everyone else.”

Anonymous college coach on Will Wade

his college career. During his nal season at St. John’s, he averaged 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 47.5% overall and 33.6% from 3-point range. While there is precedent for the NCAA granting eligibility to international students who have played professionally overseas, the NCAA last season denied former G League player Charles Bediako’s bid to resume his college career at Alabama.

Bediako sued to have his eligibility restored and was able to play ve games for the Crimson Tide while a temporary restraining order was in e ect, but he was barred from nishing the season when a judge denied his petition for injunctive relief.

Wade, who was forced to take a year o from coaching at the college level after being red with cause by LSU in March of 2022, returned as the Tigers’ coach in March after coaching one season at NC State.

While Wade’s teams were successful on the court at

LSU, his career was brie y derailed by a recruiting scandal surrounding payments to players that were not permitted at the time, but are now.

After Wade served his suspension, he was hired as the coach at McNeese in Louisiana. He led the Cowboys to two NCAA Tournament appearances before moving on to NC State.

Since coming back to the Bayou, Wade has gone about overhauling LSU’s roster. While LSU currently is not listing any players on its 2026-27 roster, 22-year-old Mo Dioubate has announced his intention to transfer from Kentucky. And Wade reportedly is in the process of signing a half-dozen experienced players, including: 25-year - old Israeli pro Yam Madar; 23-year - old EuroLeague pro Brice Dessert of France; 23-year - old EuroLeague player Marcio Santos of Brazil; 23-year-old UTSA transfer Austin Nunez; 22-year-old Kansas State transfer Abdi Bashir; and 20-year-old Michigan State transfer Divine Ugochukwu. The moves have not been accepted with approval from Wade’s colleagues. One anonymous college basketball head coach told national writer Je Goodman that Wade was “being an idiot ***hole for the sake of being an idiot ***hole. What you’re doing is f***ing it up for everyone else.”

COURTESY PHOTO

NOAH K. MURRAY / AP PHOTO

St. John’s guard RJ Luis Jr. wants to join Will Wade and LSU.

pen & paper pursuits

this week in history

Watergate Hotel burglarized, Gehrig succumbs to ALS, crackdown in Tiananmen Square

The Associated Press

MAY 28

1830: President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, forcing nearly 50,000 Native Americans primarily from the Southeast to relocate west of the Mississippi River.

1863: The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, composed of free black men, departed Boston to ght for the Union in the Civil War.

1972: Burglars connected to the Nixon White House broke into Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Hotel, installing surveillance devices; the scandal led to Nixon’s resignation.

MAY 29

1914: The RMS Empress of Ireland sank after colliding with a cargo ship in the St. Lawrence River, killing 1,012 of 1,477 on board.

1953: Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the rst climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

2020: Derek Chauvin, a red Minneapolis police ocer, was arrested for murder in George Floyd’s death. Floyd’s death sparked nationwide protests against racial injustice.

MAY 30

1431: Joan of Arc, condemned as a heretic, was burned at the stake in Rouen, France.

1935: Babe Ruth played his last major league game for the Boston Braves, leaving after the rst inning.

2023: Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes began serving an 11-year sentence after being convicted of fraud and conspiracy.

Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became

“Don’t give up the ship.”

Capt. James Lawrence

MAY 31

1889: More than 2,200 people died in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, when the South Fork Dam collapsed, sending a massive ood through the town.

1921: A two-day massacre began in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as white mobs looted and burned the black district of Greenwood; as many as 300 black residents were killed.

1949: Former State Department o cial Alger Hiss went on trial in New York on perjury charges; his rst trial ended in a hung jury, but he was later convicted.

JUNE 1

1813: Mortally wounded USS Chesapeake commander Capt. James Lawrence urged his crew, “Don’t give up the ship,” during a losing battle with the British frigate HMS Shannon in the War of 1812.

1916: The Senate con rmed Louis Brandeis to the U.S. Supreme Court, making him the rst Jewish justice.

1962: Former Nazi o cial Adolf Eichmann was execut-

ed after being convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

JUNE 2

1924: Congress passed, and President Calvin Coolidge signed, the Indian Citizenship Act, granting U.S. citizenship to all Native Americans born within the country’s territorial limits.

1941: Lou Gehrig, baseball’s “Iron Horse,” died in New York of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS; he was 37.

1953: Queen Elizabeth II was crowned at age 27 at Westminster Abbey in London, 16 months after the death of her father, King George VI.

JUNE 3

1888: Ernest Lawrence Thayer’s poem “Casey at the Bat” was rst published in the San Francisco Daily Examiner.

1943: An altercation in Los Angeles between U.S. Navy sailors and young Mexican Americans escalated into the Zoot Suit Riots, as white mobs attacked Mexican Americans across the city, injuring more than 150 people.

1989: Chinese army troops entered Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to begin a crackdown on student-led pro-democracy demonstrations, crushing their movement.

AP PHOTO

Queen Elizabeth II is crowned at Westminster Abbey in London on June 2, 1953.

DIRK PONS VIA WIKIPEDIA

the rst to summit Mount Everest on May 29, 1953.

Rami Malek poses for portrait photographs for the lm “The Man I Love” at the 79th Cannes Film Festival on May 19.

Malek explores art, love, death in Ira Sachs’ Cannes entry ‘The Man I Love’

The lmmaker also directed “Passages” and “Love Is Strange”

By Jake Coyle The Associated Press

CANNES, France — In Ira Sachs’ 1980s-set drama “The Man I Love,” Rami Malek nds the most well-tailored role since his Oscar-winning portrayal of Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

While Sachs’ lm, which is a competition entry at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, likewise centers on a performer dying of AIDS, it’s otherwise an altogether di erent and dramatically more personal tale about art, love and death.

“It took me a minute to realize it was more about life,” Malek said in an interview alongside Sachs on a terrace in Cannes. “There’s a threat looming throughout, but it’s an undercurrent. Throughout the lm there’s a cacophony of sound and imagery and beauty that is lling your soul.”

The lm, which is for sale in Cannes, has earned Malek — an actor who has sometimes struggled to nd well-suited roles since his breakout in “Mr. Robot” — some of

“It came straight from my

the best reviews of his career.

Sachs, the New York indie lmmaker, knew he wanted an actor with an ine able star quality.

“What I saw in ‘Mr. Robot’ was a very natural actor and someone who has an ability where you don’t know how they get from one word to the next.”

In “The Man I Love,” Malek plays Jimmy George, a New York performance artist who’s trying to continue performing despite his illness. His partner (Tom Sturridge) diligently cares for him while a man (Luke Ford) who moves into the same building immediately falls for Jimmy. It’s not a movie lled with medication and hospital visits. Instead, it captures a performer desperately trying to continue on.

Sachs said he wanted “a rapturous lm.”

“I wanted to make a lm that contained all the things that I’ll miss when I’m gone,” said the lmmaker. “I wanted it to be

su used with emotion and pain and skin. It’s a sexy lm. It has color and music. You could say it’s a list of pleasures or sins.”

Some of the movie’s most overwhelming scenes are of Jimmy rehearsing or performing. In a heartbreaking showstopper, he sings the 1970 Melanie hit “What Have They Done to My Song Ma” to his family.

“It came straight from my soul,” says Malek. “It’s a moment in the lm when Jimmy has some sense of clarity as to what’s coming. There is this stubborn refusal to keep creating in the most desperate of times that emanates through this lm. It imbued me with this sense of, ‘Oh, I can be dangerous. I can take things to a limit that I haven’t before.’”

The 1980s has deep importance to the 60-year-old Sachs, who began working in New York in 1984. He was inspired by the stories of performance artists like John Kelly and John Jesurun.

“They’re the ones who told me about the last night that the comedian Frank Maya was on stage and he lost the ability to nish his act,” Sachs says.

Malek calls Sachs “a library,” whose connection to the time of “The Man I Love” fueled his curiosity.

Bam! Pow! Krakoom! Everlasting allure American comic books

Candy for the eyes, candy for the mind

By Joseph Wilson The Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain — Pick one up. Be seduced by its glossy cover. Gaze upon the impossibly muscular body clad in a skin-tight suit. Our hero or heroine will surely be soaring, shouting, blasting a villain into next week.

They are ridiculous. They are addictively great. Comic books, of the superhero variety, are 100% American. Compare the thin comic book to Europe’s graphic novels, and they come o looking imsy, infantile. Compare the American comic to Japanese Manga and they appear innocent in their xation with heroism; they hark back to a departed American age.

Once a nickel, a dime, a quarter, now the price of a latte, they are objects of American consumer capitalism. The comic is literature in junk-food version.

Yet what truly makes them American objects is what plays out in their 32 pages month after month, decade upon decade.

When the Fantastic Four took their fateful space journey in 1961 and “cosmic rays” transformed the quartet into unwilling superheroes, comics entered a weird realm where the all-powerful were also the unwilling, decidedly modern victims of science and circumstance.

Spider-Man, the Hulk, Wolverine (the list goes on) were given supernatural abilities that made them outcasts, obliging them to be awed messiahs.

They were, by some quirk of the American character, bound to Peter Parker’s moral imperative: “With great power comes great responsibility.”

They are versions of an American Sisyphus, bound to saving us over and over again.

What could be more American — that might, when lashed to a sense of justice, eventually, makes right? So honorable, so naïve.

To this day, though the tone is darker, Marvel and DC, the two mammoths of comics, continue to reimagine the American character.

Once side attractions in a world of leading white men, Gwen Stacy, Jean Grey and Susan Storm have in recent

years emerged as leaders to reinvigorate the Spider-Man, X-Men and Fantastic Four sagas. Absolute Wonder Woman has broken ground with beautiful art. Miles Morales is Spidey for a new generation. Yet the central ssures remain.

Bruce Wayne can’t connect with anyone other than his butler; he is the lonely individual in an atomized America. Steve Rogers bears the burden of representing the “Greatest Generation” from World War II. He is a Captain America forever out of place, even in his own land. And could there be a more iconic tech magnate toying with humanity’s fate than Superman’s nemesis Lex Luthor and his delusions of grandeur? If only our world had a bespectacled Clark Kent keeping an eye on things. Just in case.

DARIO LOPEZ-MILLS / AP PHOTO Famous comic book superhero gurines stand next to facsimile copies of old comic book issues in Phoenix on May 14.

soul.”

Rami Malek

SCOTT A. GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO

famous birthdays this week

Annette Bening is 68, Brooke Shields turns 61, Pat Boone hits 92, Morgan Freeman is 89

The Associated Press THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

MAY 28

Actor Carroll Baker is 95. Singer Gladys Knight is 82. Singer John Fogerty is 81. Actor Christa Miller is 62. Singer Kylie Minogue is 58. Talk show host Elisabeth Hasselbeck is 49. Actor Jake Johnson is 48. Singer Colbie Caillat is 41. Actor Carey Mulligan is 41.

MAY 29

Composer Danny Elfman (Oingo Boingo) is 73. Actor Ted Levine (“Monk,” “The Silence of the Lambs”) is 69. Actor Annette Bening is 68. Actor Rupert Everett is 67. Singer Melissa Etheridge is 65. Guitarist Noel Gallagher (Oasis) is 59. Actor Laverne Cox (“Doubt,” “Orange Is the New Black”) is 54. Singer Melanie Brown (“Scary Spice”) of the Spice Girls is 51.

MAY 30

Singer-actor Idina Menzel is 55. Guitarist Tom Morello (Audioslave and Rage Against the Machine) is 62. Country singer Wynonna Judd is 62. Singer Cee Lo Green (Gnarls Barkley, Goodie Mob) is 51. Actor Stephen Tobolowsky is 75.

MAY 31

Actor- lmmaker Clint Eastwood is 96. Football Hall of Famer Joe Namath is 83. Actor Tom Berenger is 77. Actor-comedian Chris Elliott is 66. Actor Lea Thompson is 65. Musician Corey Hart is 64. Rapper Darryl “DMC” McDaniels is 62. Actor Brooke Shields is 61.

JUNE 1

Singer Pat Boone is 92. Actor Morgan Freeman is 89. Actor Brian Cox is 80. Actor Jonathan Pryce is 79. Rock musician Ronnie Wood (The Rolling Stones) is 79. Country singer-songwriter Ronnie Dunn is 73.

Actor Morgan Freeman, pictured in 2025, turns 89 on Monday.

Singer Gladys Knight turns 82 on Thursday.

Actor Lisa Hartman Black is 70.

JUNE 2

Actor Stacy Keach is 85. Filmmaker Lasse Hallström is 80. Actor Jerry Mathers is 78. Actor Joanna Gleason is 76. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is 74. Comedian Dana Carvey is 71. TV personality-producer Andy Cohen is 58.

JUNE 3

Former Cuban President Raúl Castro is 95. Basketball Hall of Famer Billy Cunningham is 83. Golf Hall of Famer Hale Irwin is 81. Singer Suzi Quatro is 76. Singer Deniece Williams is 76. Former rst lady Jill Biden is 75.

AMY HARRIS / INVISION / AP PHOTO

BRANDON DILL / AP PHOTO

the stream

Paul McCartney, John Travolta, Tina Fey, Latto, Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man

“Deli Boys” returns to Hulu for a second season

The Associated Press

PAUL MCCARTNEY re ecting on the “Days We Left Behind” with his 18th studio album and John Travolta writing, directing and narrating an ode to the glamorous days of 1960s air travel 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: Net ix drops Season 2 of Net ix’s “Four Seasons” starring Tina Fey, Atlanta rapper Latto returns with “Big Mama” and Nicolas Cage stars in a new live-action series inspired by Spider-Man.

MOVIES TO STREAM

Bill Skarsgård’s aggrieved everyman takes Dacre Montgomery’s mortgage executive hostage in “Dead Man’s Wire,” streaming on Net ix on Thursday. In his review for The Associated Press, Film Writer Jake Coyle wrote that “it plays a little loose with facts but the righteous rage of “Dog Day Afternoon” is present enough in Gus Van Sant’s … thriller that’s as deeply 1970s as it is contemporary.”

Fresh o its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, Travolta’s “Propeller One-Way Night Coach” will be streaming on Apple TV starting Friday. The actor wrote, directed and narrated this ode to the glamorous days of 1960s air travel following an aviation obsessed 10-year-old on a cross-country trip with his mother. Running at only 60 minutes, the lm, which is based on a novel he wrote, has received mostly mixed reviews.

In “Miss You, Love You,” written and directed by Jim Rash and streaming on HBO Max on Friday, Allison Janney plays a recently widowed woman who has to plan her husband’s funeral with a stranger: her estranged son’s assistant, played by Andrew Rannells. Also coming to HBO Max on Friday is the Charli xcx movie “The Moment,” a meta mockumentary about the end of Brat summer and grappling with otherworldly success.

Markiplier’s “Iron Lung” is also making its streaming debut, on YouTube, Sunday. The adaptation of the indie horror game was self- nanced and self-released in theaters where

it earned more than $50 million worldwide.

MUSIC TO STREAM McCartney re ects on the “Days We Left Behind” on his 18th studio album, “The Boys of Dungeon Lane,” out Friday.

That’s a reference to a particularly nostalgic and wistful track on the new collection, which reects on the youth of a life well lived — so, of course, it’s all soft piano and delicate harmonies. If that’s not enough to inspire

a listen, perhaps this is: The album also features the rst duet of Macca and Ringo Starr, a must-play for any Beatles fan. “The world around us wasn’t safe, the place was falling down/ But it was my hometown/And it was home to us,” they sing. It’s enough to make someone weep, if it wasn’t such a jam.

SERIES TO STREAM

A Spider-Man series but make it noir. Cage stars in a new live-action series inspired

by the Marvel character. Set against a gritty 1930s New York, Cage plays Ben Reilly, a P.I. who carries the weight of being the city’s only masked hero ghting rampant corruption. Viewers can choose between black-and-white and color versions. All eight episodes of “Spider-Noir” are now streaming on Prime Video.

The wild crime comedy “Deli Boys” returns to Hulu for its second season on Thursday. Two Pakistani American brothers, played by Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh, inherit a chain of delis after their father dies and think they’re set for life until the realization that those delis were really a front for smuggling drugs. Poorna Jagannathan plays their aunt who has taken over the business. Net ix drops Season 2 of its “Four Seasons” on Thursday. It’s about a group of friends navigating relationships and life’s ups and downs. Fey is a co-creator and stars alongside Colman Domingo, Will Forte, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Marco Calvani and Erika Henningsen. It’s adapted from Alan Alda’s 1981 lm of the same name.

“Criminal Minds: Evolution” Season 19 premieres with two episodes Thursday on Paramount+. In the new episodes, serial killer Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) is still

“Dead Man’s Wire” plays a little loose with facts but the righteous rage of “Dog Day Afternoon” is present enough in Gus Van Sant’s … thriller that’s as deeply 1970s as it is contemporary.”

Jake Coyle, AP lm writer

in prison for life but also helping the BAU track down other killers like himself. The big bad for Season 19 is a copycat killer, who is a fan of Voit. A number of actors from the original series return, including Joe Mantegna, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez and Paget Brewster. Connor Storrie of “Heated Rivalry” will also guest star.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Filmmakers are still trying to decide on the next actor to play James Bond, but gamers worldwide are ready to take on the role in “007 First Light.” Developer IO Interactive describes it as an origin story, as a 20-something Bond who is new to MI6 is sent in pursuit of a rogue agent. Expect plenty of exotic locations, cool weapons and gadgets, a slick wardrobe and, of course, a glamorous love interest. You can “go silent or go loud,” meaning you can take a stealthy approach to each mission or go in with sts and bullets ying. IO is best known for its globe-trotting “Hitman” series, so it’s well quali ed to take on this franchise. Pick up your license to kill on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 or PC.

“Mina the Hollower” is a mouse who’s really good at burrowing, which comes in handy when she needs to run away from — or sneak up behind — the nastier critters roaming her spooky home. She can also ght back with her whip, and she can track down sidearms and trinkets that make her more of a threat. All this takes place in a colorful, pixelated 2D world reminiscent of 1980s classics like “The Legend of Zelda.” Developer Yacht Club Games, which gave us the retro indie smash “Shovel Knight,” promises a “bone-chilling yet heartwarming tale inspired by

Victorian Gothic horror.” Dig in on Friday, May 29, on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch, PC or Mac.

SCOTT KOWALCHYK / CBS VIA AP

Former Beatle Paul McCartney drops his 18th studio album, “The Boys of Dungeon Lane” on Friday.

EMILY V. ARAGONES / NETFLIX VIA AP

Tina Fey returns for season 2 of “The Four Seasons” on Net ix.

ROW K VIA AP

Dacre Montgomery and Bill Skarsgård star in “Dead Man’s Wire” streaming this week on Net ix.

HOKE COUNTY

Remembering

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Democrats feud over stock trading in e ort to sharpen anti-corruption case against Trump Democrats are increasingly critiquing each other over their personal stock trades as the party looks to hone its anti- corruption message against President Donald Trump in the midterm elections. In primary races across the country, Democrats are critiquing individual stock trades and the personal wealth of their rivals. The debates have scrambled ideological lines inside the party, with some more moderate lawmakers attacking progressive rivals over past stock trades. Progressives express skepticism that Democrats who have recently highlighted the issue are o ering genuine critiques about money in politics.

Trump: Everything checked out “perfectly” at his medical exam

President Donald Trump had another medical exam on Tuesday, putting his health under renewed public scrutiny. The 79-year- old president spent more than three hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for what the White House described as preventive medical and dental checkups. It was Trump’s fourth publicly disclosed medical exam since he returned to o ce for a second term. In a social media post after the visit, Trump said that he had just nished his “6 month physical” and that “Everything checked out PERFECTLY.” Trump, turns 80 next month.

Local businessman recognized by commission for charitable donations

David Hasan pledged $8,000 between the county and the local school system

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RAEFORD — The Hoke County Board of Commissioners met May 18 for its regular business meeting.

The board recognized two donations made by local businessman David Hasan, the COO of Msquare Construction.

The rst donation was for $7,000 to help support the acquisition of an arson dog for the Hoke County Fire Marshal’s O ce.

“I live in Hoke County and I do business in Hoke County as well,” Hasan said. “My

“It takes all of us as a village to come together to celebrate our community.”

Harry Southerland, vice chair

goal is to give back to this community.”

According to Emergency Services Deputy Director Andrew Jacobs, the county has a need for an ignitable liquids canine as there will soon be no local option as the closest one in Moore County is set to retire.

“My o ce currently does about 100 investigations a year, and this arson canine, their nose is a lot better than ours and it can key in on the

types of evidence we might need to collect,” Jacobs said.

According to Jacobs, the total cost for purchase and training is around $13,500.

Hasan also committed to donating $1,000 to Hoke County Schools to support its back-to-school programs.

“I talk a lot about communities working together and the county government could not do everything it needs to do on its own,” said Vice Chair Harry Southerland. “It takes all of us as a village to come together to celebrate our community.”

The board was also provided with a list of upcoming autumn events, including some of the early plans for the NC Fall Festival.

The county is set to host a variety of other events, such as a Sept. 11 memorial and recep -

tion, the annual Turley Bowl, the Marvin Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament, Senior Bingo and more.

According to Fall Festival President Dee Inman, this year’s festival is set to include bull riding, a climbing wall, a kids zone, 27 food vendors, and dozens of arts and crafts vendors.

“Every event that we have is free other than paying to get into the ballgame,” Inman said. “We have multiple activities for children of all ages. We’re going to have an activity bus again this year, as well, for all ages. Everything is supplied free of charge, and we can do that because of you. You have provided us with the funds to be able to do that.”

The Hoke County Board of Commissioners will next meet June 1.

NASCAR CEO O’Donnell tells Busch family

‘we got you’ before Coca-Cola 600

Kyle Busch died last Thursday at 41 from pneumonia that progressed into sepsis

By Steve Reed and Michael Marot The Associated Press

CONCORD — NASCAR

CEO Steve O’Donnell honored Kyle Busch’s widow, Samantha, and the couple’s children, Brexton and Lennix, before the start of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday in an emotional speech. Standing on the frontstretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway, O’Donnell looked directly at the Busch family and said, “Samantha, I want you to know that this sport stands with you, and that you and your chil-

dren are NASCAR family forever. And Brexton and Lennix, your dad loved you with all his heart. Everyone gathered here, everyone behind you, everybody watching on TV, and all those people up in that grandstand are your family — and we’ve got you. ” Tears rolled down Samantha Busch’s cheek as she wrapped her arm tightly around 11-year- old Brexton, an aspiring racer. Both wore black T-shirts that read “Battle of the Busches.”

Busch’s older brother and former Cup Series champion, Kurt, and his parents, Tom and Gaye, also attended the tribute.

“Kyle Busch is NASCAR,” O’Donnell added. “He was one of a kind, and there will never be another.”

A moment of silence followed O’Donnell’s speech.

“When you think race car driver and what that person should be like, Kyle Busch is probably one of the rst that comes to your mind on the type of racer he was.”

Joey Logano, Cup Series driver

Auto racing’s biggest day became a Memorial Day weekend tribute to Busch from Indianapolis to CMS. Busch died last Thursday at 41 after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming

complications, according to a statement released by his family, and his loss sent shockwaves through the motorsports world and beyond.

Charlotte Motor Speedway honored the two-time Cup Series champion with a large, black No. 8 and his signature on the frontstretch grass and a photo on the videoboard.

The U.S. Army Golden Knights carried Busch’s ag during prerace festivities. Each of the 39 cars in the eld carried Busch’s decal. On the pace lap, the cars formed the missing man formation.

The speedway’s public address system and the television commentators went silent on the eighth lap of the race.

On Saturday night, Layne Riggs celebrated his Truck

THE HOKE COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Sharon McNeil Burnette sings the national anthem at the Memorial Day Observance in Raeford on Monday.

ELAINA J. MARTIN FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

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Supreme Court rejects Florida’s bid to sue Western states over truck licenses

The ruling allows states to continue issuing commercial licenses to noncitizens

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Florida’s long shot attempt to sue California and Washington state over the issuance of commercial driver licenses to truckers who don’t speak English and are not authorized to be in the United States.

The case stems from a crash in Florida last year that killed three people. The driver, Harjinder Singh, is accused of making an illegal U-turn that caused the accident. Singh, who is from India, was carrying a valid commercial driver’s license from California and had earlier been granted one by Washington state.

Republican-led Florida has accused the Western states, led by Democrats, of openly defying immigration laws and asked the justices to rule that states lack the authority to issue CDLs to

Series win at Charlotte by imitating Busch’s traditional bows to the crowd after the race, and Ross Chastain did the same after capturing the rain-shortened O’Reilly Auto Parts race.

“When you think race car driver and what that person should be like, Kyle Busch is probably one of the rst that comes to your mind on the type of racer he was,” Cup Series driver Joey Logano said.

Fans at CMS arrived in droves Sunday with shirts that read “Rowdy” and “KFB.”

Earlier in the day at the Indianapolis 500, Dale Coyne Racing changed the font of Romain Grosjean’s No. 18 car to replicate the font the two -time Brickyard 400 winner used during his 14 seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing in his No. 18 car.

Then came the opening

people who are not citizens or legal permanent residents.

The Supreme Court typically hears appeals of lower-court decisions, but it sometimes takes on what are known as original lawsuits in which states sue each other

in the nation’s highest court. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from Tuesday’s order, as they often do when the court rejects an original lawsuit, saying that the court has no choice but to hear such cases.

prayer, in which Busch was mentioned by name. And on lap 18, race o cials lit up the scoring pylon next to pit lane with Busch’s name, his birth year and 2026.

Even with the pageantry of

decal is

e ort to sue other states over commercial trucking licenses.

Indianapolis’ big IndyCar race, Busch, who had a record 234 victories across NASCAR’s three national series, was never far from the thoughts of people in the city that dubs itself the “Racing Capital of the World.”

Separately, a federal appeals court has blocked a Trump administration proposal to impose new restrictions that would severely limit which immigrants can get commercial driver’s licenses to drive a semitrailer truck or bus.

“It’s desperately sad. It’s also one of those things where you try not to think about it or let it in because you’ve got so much to do, you can’t let yourself get emotional,” Katherine Legge said. “But honestly, racing has lost one of the greatest drivers, in my opinion, of all time. If you look back at the history and just — he was a legend.”

As Indy held its biggest race of the year, those who knew or competed against Busch raced with a heavy heart.

“How can you not be in shock over the situation?” two -time Indy winner Josef Newgarden said. “I think it just puts into perspective how fragile life is. You just don’t know. Makes me think of his kids, to be honest with you. Gosh, I feel terrible about — I have two sons now. That’s the thing that breaks my heart.”

J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE / AP PHOTO

The Supreme Court ruled against Florida in its

MATT KELLEY / AP PHOTO

A

displayed on Denny Hamlin’s car in honor of late driver Kyle Busch on Sunday in Charlotte.

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

What went wrong for Democrats

The real issue for Democrats is not why they lost the last election, but how they are going to avoid losing the next one.

FOR MONTHS NOW, Democrats have been arguing about whether to release the “autopsy” the National Committee commissioned on what went wrong in 2024. The report was completed but then not released; under pressure, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin released the report this week, but only with the caveat that it didn’t meet the committee’s standards, whatever that means.

In truth, the report nds plenty of blame. That’s the problem with losing a close election — and 2024, no matter how many times President Donald Trump describes it as a landslide, it wasn’t — is that almost everything you did “wrong” could have made the di erence. Which doesn’t necessarily tell you what to do right, the next time around, or address the very real divides inside the Democratic Party.

The report faults almost everyone. The Biden White House is faulted for not doing enough during the rst term and the 2022 midterms to prepare Kamala Harris to lead the ticket, which, of course, would not have mattered so much had former President Joe Biden not waited so long to bow out, but that’s another story.

The Harris campaign is faulted for writing o rural voters, relying too much on identity politics and not being tough enough on Trump. When the other side runs a negative campaign and wins, as Trump did here, the response is always that you should have

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

hit back harder. With what, is the question.

One of the most striking conclusions and the most troubling is about the e cacy of the ad Trump ran attacking Harris on transgender issues — in this case, on her previous statement of support for taxpayer-funded gender-a rming surgeries for prison inmates.

The report cites the ad as “very e ective,” and says that internal pollsters believed that “if the Vice President would not change her position — and she did not — then there was nothing which would have worked as a response.”

Are Democrats in fact too far out front of voters on transgender issues?

Do Democrats rely too much on identity politics, an argument that works better with the base of the Democratic party than it does with more moderate, independent voters, whom they need to attract?

According to the report, “Harris wrote o rural America, assuming urban/suburban margins would compensate. The math doesn’t work. ... You can’t lose rural areas by overwhelming margins and make it up elsewhere when rural voters are a signi cant share of the electorate. If Democrats are to reclaim leadership in the Heartland or the South, candidates must perform well in rural turf. Show up, listen and then do it again.”

As for male voters, the report argues that “Male voters require direct engagement. The gender gap can be narrowed. Deploy male messengers, address economic concerns and

don’t assume identity politics will hold male voters of color.”

The release of the autopsy and all the discussion about why it took so long to release it coincides with a new New York Times/Siena College poll showing Democrats with a strong advantage going into the midterms, but also with deep divides and disillusionment within the party. While the left is the loudest force on the Democratic side, it may not be the most popular: a majority of Democratic supporters said that they were generally happy with the party’s ideological positioning, but 52% said the next Democratic presidential candidate should move the party to the center in order to win. Only a quarter said the next candidate should move the party to the left.

The Times found that more than half of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents expressed frustration with the party: “unhappiness spanned almost every part of the party’s coalition — including young, white, Black and college-educated voters — and was especially strong among Democrats least attached to the party, who are the most likely to swing elections.”

The real issue for Democrats is not why they lost the last election, but how they are going to avoid losing the next one.

Susan Estrich is a feminist legal scholar and the rst woman to run a U.S. presidential campaign. She has written eight books.

(Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

Can Trump handle the world he has changed?

The cheap drones that Ukrainians have invented and produced in astonishing numbers — some 60,000 per day.

TEN YEARS AGO this month, Donald Trump clinched the Republican nomination for president, with a platform that was vastly di erent on trade and foreign policy from other recent presidents, Republican and Democratic alike.

How fares America — and the world — 10 years later?

In some important ways, things have moved in Trump’s direction. In 2016 and since, he complained constantly that Europeans were not contributing their fair share to NATO. That had been the position of previous administrations, but none emphasized it as Trump did.

Early in Trump’s rst term, only ve NATO allies met the stated goal of spending 2% of GDP on defense. A decade later, the goal has risen to 5%, and most NATO allies are moving toward that goal.

And as Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened his neighbors, previously neutral (for nearly 75 years!) Finland and Sweden, with their highly competent militaries, have decided to join NATO and have made the Baltic Sea just beyond Putin’s hometown of St. Petersburg a NATO lake. In the Middle East, Trump has also made a di erence. His predecessors’ policy was based on the hoary assumption that the key to stability was to pressure Israel to make a peace agreement with the Palestinians. So America’s task was to pressure Israel to make concessions. Trump saw it di erently. He pushed the Abraham Accords, diplomatic relations between Israel, Saudi Arabia and Persian Gulf oil producers. Progress has been uneven but palpable. Israel’s paci cation of Gaza has not prevented the Saudis and United Arab Emirates from supporting Trump’s e orts, cooperating with Israel, to disarm and destabilize the regime in Iran.

On trade, Trump’s on-again, o -again

threats, impositions and adjustments of tari rates have resulted in channeling trade in di erent patterns. The days of a jointly dependent “Chimerica” (historian Niall Ferguson’s phrase) seem to be waning.

Not everything has gone Trump’s way. His xation on unproblematic trade “de cits” has led him to impose tari s that have fed in ation and eroded his job approval at home. His initiatives in Iran, without persuasive explanations to voters or any attempt at buy-in by the political opposition, have also hurt him politically — although regime collapse in Iran remains possible and could put things in a di erent light. More importantly, the world has changed, sometimes in line with his expectations, sometimes to the contrary. The prime example is Russia’s war on Ukraine. As Trump has noted, Putin launched his 2014 attacks on Donbas and his 2022 march toward Kyiv when Democrats were president. And former President Joe Biden’s restrictions on aid to Ukraine — especially bans on lobbing attacks on Russian territory — limited Ukraine’s defense.

As analysts of various stripes have concluded, Ukraine has developed drone warfare as a barrier to Russian advance and to make advances itself.

Ukraine has had one advantage Putin didn’t count on in 2022: morale, a sense of national pride and resolve that is unquanti able but has enabled seemingly ordinary people to adapt with extraordinary speed and inventiveness reminiscent of the best of American examples in World War II. It’s interesting that Trump, for all his emphasis on building America’s national morale, has been deaf to the importance of that factor in Ukraine.

The cheap drones that Ukrainians have invented and produced in astonishing numbers

— some 60,000 per day — have routinely destroyed much more expensive Russian missiles and have enabled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to destroy energy infrastructure in Perm, 1,000 kilometers beyond the Russian border, and prompted Putin to downsize his WWII victory parade in Moscow.

It is clear that the Trump policy of pressuring Ukraine to accept Russian control of provinces it hasn’t occupied is as obsolete as Trump’s predecessors’ policies of pressuring Israel to accept Palestinian control of territory from which the Palestinians could launch attacks like those of Oct. 7, 2023.

It seems clear as well that the remnants of the Iranian regime are unwilling to abandon their 47-year hostilities toward the U.S., and that Trump’s eagerness to deploy “the art of the deal,” even under the auspices of a hostile Pakistan, is encouraging their continued resistance. And in the meantime, will the drawdown of America’s expensive smart weapons in the Persian Gulf reduce American deterrence against Chinese aggression against Taiwan?

The nal verdict on Trump’s foreign policies cannot be written now, with 32 months left in his term and so many kinetic events in unpredictable motion. But perhaps it can be said that while his departures from his predecessors’ policies have had some successes in reshaping the world, it is not clear that he has developed policies adapted to the world he has done so much to change.

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)

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

Pope Leo XIV calls for robust regulation of AI in manifesto pondering future of humanity

The encyclical asked researchers to re ect on the power of AI

By Nicole Win eld, Kaitlyn Huamani and Paolo Santalucia

Associated Press

The

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV called Monday for robust regulation of arti cial intelligence and for its developers to work for the common good rather than pro t, issuing a sweeping manifesto on safeguarding humankind as the technology impacts everything from work to war.

“Magni ca Humanitas” (Magni cent Humanity), Leo’s rst encyclical, has been eagerly awaited ever since history’s rst U.S.-born pope announced days after his election that he considered AI to be the biggest challenge facing humanity today.

In the text, Leo denounced the “culture of power” driving the AI race, especially in developing ever more sophisticated methods of remote warfare. He declared that it was “not permissible” to entrust irreversible, lethal decisions to AI systems, setting up another ash point between the American pope and the Trump administration, which has worked aggressively to deregulate AI development.

“Arti cial Intelligence now demands to be disarmed, freed from logics that turn it into an instrument of domination, exclusion and death,” the pope told a special Vatican presentation of the encyclical, one of the most authoritative types of teaching documents a pope can issue.

Experts in the tech industry, academia and Catholic morality said the document will likely become a benchmark in the debate over AI, a point of reference for policymakers, researchers and ordinary folk alike. It comes as the near-daily developments in the technology trigger concerns over AI replacing human jobs and even human intelligence.

Taylor Black, a Microsoft AI executive and director of Catholic University of America’s AI institute, said the document would prompt people “at the forefront of these tools” to ask questions such as “What does it mean to be human?”

Pope calls out AI companies even as he hosts Anthropic

The Vatican launch also included remarks by the co-founder of Anthropic, which is currently locked in a legal battle with the Trump administration over access to its AI technology. The Vatican decided to involve Anthropic as part of its decade-long e ort to engage Silicon Valley in dialogue over the human cost of AI.

And yet in his text, Leo repeatedly blasted the concen-

“It is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract.”

Pope

Leo XIV

tration of power and data in the hands of so few people in the private sector as a danger, especially to children and the most vulnerable, and called for external regulation of their work.

“It is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract; robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required,” he wrote. “A more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few.”

Leo appealed to AI developers and political leaders responsible for regulating them to slow down and re ect on what they are doing. He urged them to use ethical and spiritual guidelines to make the choice to work not for their own pro t or power, but the betterment of humanity.

AI competitors OpenAI and Anthropic are the second- and third-most valuable U.S. private companies, each valued at hundreds of billions of dollars, more than the GDP of many nations. Both companies

Employee of the Month

Robert

are heading toward near-trillion-dollar IPOs.

Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah welcomed Leo’s criticism and concern. He said such external checks were fundamental to the technology “going well” for humankind since there is so much at stake — “a real possibility that AI will displace human labor at a very large scale.”

“We need more of the world — religious communities, civil society, scholars, governments — to do what His Holiness has done here: to take this seriously, to look closely and to push events in a better direction,” Olah said. “We need moral voices that the incentives cannot bend.”

Experts say text will become benchmark

In a methodical text, the math major pope traced the history of the Catholic Church’s social teaching and applied its core concepts — justice, solidarity, the dignity of work and the universal destination of resources — to the digital revolution.

“I am convinced that this will prove to be a de ning document for our era, a profound and prophetic document,” said Paolo Carozza, law professor at Notre Dame Law School and chair of the Meta Oversight Board.

“Pope Leo is o ering a clear,

Resident of the Month

Helen Preaster

Helen Preaster is always full of joy. Her sweet and kind nature shines through in everything she does.

comprehensive and coherent voice urging us to take responsibility for constructing a world in which technology will serve humans rather than degrade them,” he said.

In its strongest chapters, Leo denounced how AI had helped accelerate the “normalization of war” by desensitizing people to its cost. He didn’t name specific con icts but cited “opposing imperialisms, between powers that wish to preserve their supremacy, and those that aspire to seize that supremacy.”

He demanded transparency and accountability by AI developers so that the chain of decision-making command in ordering strikes with AI weaponry is always known.

He declared that the Catholic Church’s “just war” theory, which provides speci c criteria for when force can be justi ed, was now “outdated” given the technological advances of warfare.

Text in church’s social justice tradition

Leo signed the text May 15, the 135th anniversary of the publication of “Rerum Novarum” (Of New Things), the most important teaching document of Leo’s hero and namesake, Pope Leo XIII. That document addressed workers’ rights, the limits of capitalism, and the obligations that states

and employers owed workers as the Industrial Revolution was underway.

It became the foundation of modern Catholic social thought, and the current pope cited it at the start of his ponti cate in relation to the AI revolution, which he believes poses the same existential questions that the Industrial Revolution posed over a century ago. “Magni ca Humanitas” thus becomes the latest chapter in a century-long history of popes adapting “Rerum Novarum” to the social questions of their times, often dwelling on the dignity of work for human ourishing.

AI is evoking both existential fears and utopian vision amid an intensifying debate on whether it will become a catalyst that enriches humanity or a technological toxin that dulls human intelligence while wiping out millions of high-paying jobs.

“The pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacri ce jobs, because the human person is an end, not a means, and the economic order must remain subordinate to human dignity and the common good,” Leo wrote.

Vatican o cials declined to say who contributed to Leo’s encyclical, but Vatican and church o cials have been engaged in a dialogue with Silicon Valley tech rms for a decade.

Juanita is a compassionate PCA who puts the residents’ needs before her own. She provides professional care and always meets the needs of the residents. Integrity Open Arms wants to thank you!

Mrs. Florence Herbert has been a resident here since May 2021. She moved to North Carolina from Pennsylvania to escape the bad

Florence enjoys word searches, BINGO, watching TV and spending time with her friends on the Special Care Unit at

Mrs. Betty Purcell is from Raeford, North

She moved into our assisted living this past June. Besides being the mother of two, she worked for many years at Burlington Mills. Betty enjoys church, watching youtube and doing word searches.

Juanita Smith

ALESSANDRA TARANTINO / AP PHOTO

Pope Leo XIV attends the presentation of his rst encyclical at the Vatican on Monday.

HOKE SPORTS

End of school year means recognition, celebration

Hoke County athletes and coaches wrap up a successful 2025-26 campaign

North State Journal sta

HOKE SOFTBALL picked up several individual honors after its historic season. The 19-6 Bucks boasted the Mid-South 7A/8A conference pitcher and player of the year in Niya Jones, who also picked up our Athlete of the Week honor this week.

Coach Heather Glass won the conference coach of the

year award, while Jones, catcher McKenzie Freeman and outelder Annabelle Lee, utility players Victoria Brock and Kennedi Bowman, and shortstop Shaniya McLean won spots on the all-conference team. Jones led the conference in wins, ERA and strikeouts on the mound, while Brock was the Mid-South’s RBI leader and McLean led the league in runs.

Hoke County had its year- end sports banquet, honoring its student athletes and coaches. Wrestling coach Brandon Locklear won the school’s coach of the year award.

The end-of-school year events also included a unique volleyball exhibition as the Hoke County boys’ and girls’ teams squared o . The game featured the conference champions on both sides of the nets, as the Bucks boys and girls both brought home banners.

The Bucks athletics program also has plenty of talent on the way in a number of sports. The latest addition to the trophy case is by Sandy Grove Middle School, whose boys’ soccer team nished an undefeated season with a Southeastern Conference championship.

The two Bucks volleyball teams show o their matching conference banners.

Lone full-time spelling bee coach charges $180 per hour; champions say he’s worth it

Scott Remer has coached ve national champions

By Ben Nuckols

The Associated Press

WHEN DEV SHAH won the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2023 and Faizan Zaki took the title last year, they posed for remarkably similar photos on the confetti-strewn stage. Standing next to them, beaming, was a bespectacled man in an aloha shirt, holding up a copy of his book “Words of Wisdom.”

For Scott Remer, the champion spellers’ coach, posing for a picture was more than just a celebration. It was a business necessity.

While nearly every National Spelling Bee champion over the past 15 years has worked with a coach, the 32-year-old Remer is the country’s only full-time, professional tutor for elite spellers. Most coaches are former spellers who are still in college or even high school.

SCOTT REMER VIA AP

Scott Remer, the country’s only full-time, professional coach for elite spellers.

“He’s probably one of the most in uential gures in spelling over the past 10 years,” said Shah, now 17. Remer has coached ve national champions, and since the bee emerged from the pandemic disruptions of 2020 and ‘21, he has scaled up the coaching

“Once you’re stung by the bee, there’s kind of no going back.”

Scott Remer

profession. He claims 34 spellers as his students this year and has worked with no fewer than 29 during each of the past four bees.

He charges more than other coaches: up to $180 for an hourlong private lesson. If spellers nish in the top 10 and earn a cash prize, he receives up to 10% of their winnings, which he called “a performance-based bonus.”

Many spellers and their families believe Remer is worth it — despite, or perhaps because of, the intense personality that emerges during his lessons.

Always earnest and gregarious on any spelling-related

See SPELLING, page B2

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Niya Jones

Hoke County softball

Niya Jones is a junior pitcher on the Hoke County softball team and a multiple winner of our Athlete of the Week award. She nished an outstanding season as the Lady Bucks broke through with a school best 19-6 record. She ranked ninth in NCHSAA in pitching strikeouts as well as wins. Her win total led class 8A, and she was also fourth in 8A in ERA.

After leading the Mid-South 7A/8A conference in all three pitching categories, Jones was named the conference pitcher of the year and player of the year, sweeping both awards.

SIDELINE REPORT

TENNIS

Gotta go: Home player

Gea takes emergency bathroom break during French Open debut

Paris Home player Arthur Gea ran o the court for an emergency bathroom break early in the rst set of his French Open debut. Gea told the chair umpire before hastily running o , “I need to go to the bathroom. I can’t move anymore. I’m going to (go) on the court.” The 135th-ranked Gea lost to 13th-seeded Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-0. Usually bathroom breaks are only permitted between sets. The 21-year-old Gea received a wild card invitation from Roland Garros organizers to participate in the main draw.

NBA Trail Blazers lay o employees as part of restructuring e ort

Portland, Ore. The Portland Trail Blazers laid o employees as new owner Tom Dundon cuts costs. The exact number of employees let go was not made public but included sta in both the business and basketball operations. Dundon leads the group of investors who bought the NBA franchise from the estate of Paul Allen, the co -founder of Microsoft who died in 2018. The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the sale, worth a reported $4.25 billion, in April. Dundon also owns the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL.

PWHL

Montreal Victoire win team’s rst PWHL title, beating Ottawa 4-0 in Game 4 Ottawa, Ontario Abby Roque scored twice, Ann-Renée Desbiens made 23 saves and the Montreal Victoire won their rst PWHL title, beating the Ottawa Charge 4-0 in Game 4 of the Walter Cup Finals. Maggie Flaherty and Lina Ljungblom also scored. Montreal opened the best- of- ve series at home with two overtime victories, then fell 2-1 at Ottawa. Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin was named playo MVP. She tied for the postseason lead with eight points.

Harvick, ’14 Cup Series champion, selected to NASCAR Hall of Fame

Je Burton and Larry Phillips will join him in the January 2027 induction ceremony

By Steve Reed The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — Kev-

in Harvick, who captured the 2014 Cup Series championship and won 60 races at the sport’s top level, was selected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with former teammate Je Burton and Larry Phillips.

The induction ceremony is set for Jan. 22, 2027, bringing the total number of Hall of Fame inductees to 73.

Harvick received 46 of the 50 votes cast by the panel which included representatives from NASCAR, the Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders, reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson and a nationwide fan vote.

Burton received the second-most at 32% to edge out Neil Bonnett, Randy Dorton and the late Greg Bi e for the second and nal spot on the modern ballot.

Phillips received 38% of the pioneer ballot votes.

“When you talk about your reputation and the respect factor I think that speaks volumes about the things you were able to accomplish,” Harvick said of receiving 92% of the votes.

“I can say it now, I’m proud of that.”

Harvick’s career took an unexpected turn when he was selected by team owner Rich-

SPELLING from page B1

topic, Remer describes coaching as a passion that grew out of his disappointing fourth-place nish in 2008, his nal year as a speller. He says he’s motivated by sharing his knowledge, helping kids reach their potential and the challenge of discovering spelling bee-worthy words.

“This is really about the love of language and the love of the competition. Part of it is once you’re stung by the bee, there’s kind of no going back,” Remer said. “I’m not going to deny that it pays well, because it does. But I don’t know that there’s anything wrong with that.”

The last two champions he coached say he was crucial to their victories.

“Even though his classes are more expensive, it’s de nite-

ard Childress to replace Dale Earnhardt after the seven-time champion was killed in a wreck at the 2001 Daytona 500.

Initially, Childress had planned to bring Harvick along slowly and have him gain experience at the sport’s lower level (then known as the Busch Series), but Earnhardt’s death accelerated his rise.

Driving the renumbered No. 29 GM Goodwrench Service Plus Chevrolet, it took Harvick only three races to nd victory lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2001, giving RCR an emotional victory. He went on to win NASCAR Rookie of the Year, establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with in

ly worth it,” Faizan said. “I saw results.”

Faizan’s father, Zaki Anwar, said he negotiated a reduced rate of $120 an hour for Remer’s services because Faizan was already an accomplished speller. Remer took home 7% of the champion’s prize haul of $52,500 — a bonus of $3,675.

“After winning, it doesn’t really matter,” Anwar said.

Expensive and demanding, Remer is not for everyone Remer drills his students on roots, language patterns and the exceptions to those patterns. He seeks to instill a deep understanding of languages that will allow spellers to gure out a word even if they have never seen or heard it before, as Shah did with “rommack” in 2023.

But Remer’s pricing, and his coaching style, have led some

the sport for years to come.

Harvick said replacing Earnhardt was di cult at the time, but he and others within RCR buried themselves in their work and “hid” from the harsh reality of the star’s death.

“I think the racer’s excuse is, ‘I have to go to a race,’” Harvick said. “Whether it’s with your wife or a terrible moment like we had with Dale, it was like, ‘Well, we gotta go to the race this week.’ We just booked like 70 or 80 races that year and we just kind of hid from everything that we did. ... (The racetrack) was really where everyone wanted to be so we didn’t want to address the other situation.”

spellers to seek help elsewhere.

“I found it prohibitively expensive,” said Navneeth Murali, a University of Pennsylvania student who competed through 2020 and now coaches spellers, charging roughly $50 for an hourlong lesson. “It wasn’t a realistic option for me.”

Remer said his goal is to be supportive while giving spellers the feedback they need to avoid repeating mistakes.

“I try to be tough but fair, and I also try to modulate my teaching methods, based on the kids’ needs and the kids’ personalities,” he said. “Whether I’m always successful at that is I guess an open question.”

Remer graduated from Yale in 2016 and earned a master’s degree from Cambridge a year later. His rst study guide, “Words of Wisdom: Keys to Success in the Scripps National Spelling Bee,” was published

Known as “The Closer,” Harvick, 50, went on to win the 2007 Daytona 500 and earned his only championship seven years after NASCAR turned to an elimination-style playo format.

Harvick’s 60 Cup wins over 826 starts ranks 11th all time.

Burton, 58, was a teammate of Harvick’s at RCR for years.

The calmer of the two drivers, Burton won 21 Cup races over his 20-year NASCAR career in 695 starts. He was the 1994 Rookie of the Year and his career highlights include winning the Coca-Cola 600 twice and the Southern 500. He won six Cup races in 1999. He said he was “playing a crappy round of golf” when he received a phone call informing him that he got it.

“The generations before us, they made it all possible,” Burton said. “So to be enshrined in something that my heroes are in, that just means a lot.”

As for Phillips, who died in 2004 at 62, nobody can say for sure how many races he won because he raced everywhere from dirt to asphalt and in places where record keeping wasn’t always a priority. His crew chief, James Ince, estimated Phillips won 1,000 times; maybe 2,000, according to NASCAR.

Landmark Award winner

Lesa France Kennedy, the executive vice chair of NASCAR, was selected as the Landmark Award winner for her contributions to the sport. Kennedy spearheaded the revitalization of Phoenix Raceway and the Daytona Rising project at Daytona International Speedway.

in 2010, when he was a teenager. That was also the year he coached his rst champion, Anamika Veeramani.

Scripps, the Cincinnati-based media company that has run the bee for a century, does not endorse coaching, but Corrie Loe er, the bee’s executive director, described the practice as inevitable, given the intensity of the competition. Loe er gently pushed back at the idea that any coach should claim credit for a speller’s success.

“It’s hard work, it’s study ethic, it’s perseverance,” she said. “These kids are doing pretty incredible things at a really high level, especially at a young age, and I want them to be able to take credit for that themselves, knowing that it’s a community and they’ve had so much support along the way.”

TERRY RENNA / AP PHOTO

Kevin Harvick celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship series in 2014.

Charles Brown Jr.

Aug. 13, 1972 – May 20, 2026

Mr. Charles Brown Jr., age 53, went home to be with his Heavenly Father on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

The Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. at 11:00 AM at McLauchlin Chapel, AME Zion Church. Charles will be greatly missed.

May 31, 1956 – May 22, 2026

With profound sadness and loving remembrance, we announce the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother, and loved one, Ella Ransom, who peacefully entered eternal rest on May 22, 2026.

Ella was a devoted Christian woman whose life was a re ection of her deep and unwavering faith in God. She faithfully served the Lord and was a dedicated Sunday School teacher who found great joy in teaching God’s Word and encouraging others in their walk with Christ. Her church was not just a place of worship, but a second home, and she loved her church family as her own.

She was known for her kind heart, gentle spirit, and unconditional love. She touched many lives through her prayers, wisdom, generosity, and compassionate spirit. Her presence brought comfort, and her faith inspired all who knew her.

Above all, she cherished her family. She was a loving mother, grandmother, and “grammy” whose greatest joy was spending time with her loved ones and creating lasting memories.

She is preceded in death by her loving husband, Lenon Ransom, and her beloved son, Lenon Ray Ransom. She leaves to cherish her memory her daughters: Denise Locklear (late husband Gideon Locklear), Tracie McMillan (husband Michael McMillan), Naomi Locklear, and Karri Ransom (Alex Hatzianoglou); her grandchildren: Patrick Chavis (Carla) Bethany Locklear, Samuel Locklear, Chayna Locklear, and Chancy Locklear; and her greatgrandchildren: Carlionna Chavis, Brayston Strong, and Brayleigh Strong. She also leaves behind her beloved fur babies, Luna and Trooper, who brought her much joy and companionship.

Though our hearts are heavy, we nd comfort in knowing she is resting peacefully in the arms of her Savior.

Favorite Bible Verse:

6 Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus!”Philippians 4:6-7

“Well done, good and faithful servant.” – Matthew 25:23.

obituaries

Annie Cummings

April 23, 1946 – May 15, 2026

Mrs. Annie Cummings was born on April 23, 1946, to her father and mother, Kenny and Mary Bell Chavis, and passed into her heavenly home on May 15, 2026.

Along with her parents, she is preceded in death by three sisters: Pearl Clark, Margaret Locklear, Shelia McLean, four brothers: Howard Chavis, Donnie Chavis, Leonard Chavis, Tommy Chavis, one daughter: Rachel Cummings, and one grandson: Dale Alton Locklear Jr.

Mrs. Annie Cummings loved singing in the church for many years with her daughters and nieces. She sang for many years at Temple Baptist Church, where she was also a member for many years. She also enjoyed going to yard sales every Saturday with her friends, Betty and Nobalene. She loved working outside, planting owers and a garden. She also loved shing. She leaves to cherish her memories, three daughters: Patty Cummings of Red Springs, NC, Juanita Cummings of Raeford, NC, Threasa Chavis, one son: Larry Dean Chavis (Kristy) of Rowland, NC, ve sisters: Mary Sturdivant of Raeford, NC, Pattie Faye Chavis of Raeford, NC, Caroline Chavis of Red Springs, NC, Jane Ellen Jacobs (Arnold) or Laurinburg, NC, Kathy Rogers of Red Springs, NC, two brothers: James Chavis of Red Springs, NC, and Larry Chavis of St. Pauls, NC. Ten grandchildren: Natavia and Selena, of the home, Samantha (Malcolm) of Sanford, NC, Brandon (Jayah) and Josh of Red Springs, NC, Tanesha and Marvin of Raeford, NC, Dewayne, Austin, and Natalie of Rowland, NC, two great-grandchildren: Zih’Meir and Hunter, special friends: Elaina Locklear and Nobalene Locklear, and a host of other relatives and friends. Special thanks to the ladies from Liberty Hospice Care: Espandonsa Locklear, Ashley Bullard, Lyndsay Revels, Heather Locklear, and Ms. Donna.

Michael Revels

April 22, 1959 – May 16, 2026

Mr. Michael Revels, age 67, was born on April 22, 1959, to Mr. Ander and Rosie Lee Revels. He departed this life into his Heavenly home on May 16, 2026, at the home place, Pembroke, NC. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ander Revels and Rosie Lee Revels and his only son, Winston Paul Revels, better known as (Hot Rod); who he missed dearly.

He leaves to cherish his memories, his four daughters: Miranda (Edward) Locklear of Pembroke, NC, Angelina Revels of Red Springs, NC, Evelyn Rose Revels of Pembroke, NC, and Beonna Revels of Red Springs, NC, his grandchildren: Chloe, Hunter, Edwin, Miley, Chance (CJ), Deonna, Vincent (Jr.), and Colton, and siblings: Patsy Hair, Gerald Revels, Rosetta Jacobs, Dale Revels, and Clara Faye Oxendine.

Michael Revels retired from the Department of Correction in 2021. He was a hardworking man and a dedicated welder whose hands help build and shape the world around him. Known for his strong work ethic and steady determination, Daddy took pride in his craft; spending many years mastering the trade and earning the respect of those who worked beside him. He was also a faithful attendant of Evergreen Holiness Church in Pembroke, NC.

Our Daddy taught us many things. When any of us needed anything, Daddy was the one to call. If he couldn’t do it or x it, he knew someone who could and would.

After our brother’s death, we promised each other to work together on Saturdays to learn and make memories together. Saturday morning, May 16th, was a little di erent. He had a di erent meeting; not with his daughters and grandkids…But with the Master (the Man who knew everything).

Dang Van Phuoc, AP photographer who lost eye covering Vietnam, dead at 91

The fearless photojournalist documented the war’s civilian toll after surviving ve combat wounds

By Gillian Flaccus and Hannah Schoenbaum

The Associated Press

IRVINE, Calif. — Former Associated Press photographer Dang Van Phuoc, who was injured multiple times during the Vietnam War and returned to capture the action even after losing an eye in an explosion, has died. He was 91.

Phuoc died Saturday in Southern California after collapsing suddenly, his nephew, Van Nguyen, said.

Phuoc was hired in 1965 by AP’s former photo chief, Horst Faas, to replace another local hire who had been killed on assignment. He quickly gained a reputation among other journalists and the U.S. and South Vietnamese troops for his uncanny ability to nd the thick of the action.

Phuoc was born in a Vietnamese village near Quang Ngai, south of Da Nang, in 1935 and was the youngest of many siblings. When he was about 10, his father was killed by local members of the Viet Cong insurgency. A few years later, his mother died, leaving him homeless.

“He was a really very extraordinary man who grew up from very bad treatment when he was a boy,” Nguyen said.

As a young man, Phuoc volunteered to help carry equipment at a Saigon lm studio where Nguyen’s mother worked as a cook. It was there that Phuoc rst picked up a camera and taught himself photography, his nephew said.

Phuoc, who was dubbed the AP’s “secret weapon” by his boss, was known for walking with the “point man” on combat patrols, putting him in position to get excellent photographs — but also exposing him to grave danger.

He was injured at least ve times during his 10 years with the AP in Vietnam, the rst time just ve months after he was hired. A grenade explosion left him with shrapnel in his chest and leg, but he was back on duty within a few months covering the drawnout civil war between the Communist forces of North Vietnam and the U.S.-backed South Vietnamese military.

In 1968, he sustained a concussion when he was hit in the head by a rocket while covering street ghting in Saigon. That same year, Phuoc risked sniper re to carry a wounded U.S. soldier to safety and received a commendation from the Ninth U.S. Army Infantry Division for saving the man’s life.

“Everyone loved him so much. When I heard, I cried, ‘My brother, he’s gone.’” Huỳnh Công “Nick” Út, AP photographer

Phuoc lost his right eye in a grenade explosion in 1969 while on patrol with a Ranger battalion south of Da Nang, along Vietnam’s central coast. He learned to shoot with one eye and returned to work.

In a 2011 interview for AP’s archives, Phuoc described the di culty of working with one eye when he had to look through the camera while also watching for silent hand gestures from the soldiers with whom he was patrolling.

His colleague in AP’s Saigon bureau, Huỳnh Công “Nick” Út, described Phuoc as fearless and resourceful in the eld. Behind the scenes, he was a giving man and loyal friend who treated Út like a brother.

“Everyone loved him so much,” Út said. “When I heard, I cried, ‘My brother, he’s gone.’” Despite his reputation for shooting action, the photos that touched Phuoc were those that evoked the plight of civilians caught in the cross re. In the 2011 interview, he compared himself to a “small grain of sand” who used his pictures to bring their stories to the world.

When Saigon fell in 1975, Phuoc ed with his family with little more than the clothes on their back and a bottle of milk. His family was rescued from a refugee camp in Guam with the help of AP reporter Linda Deutsch, who was covering the tent city, and own to Camp Pendleton.

Phuoc then returned to Asia and worked brie y for the AP in Hong Kong before leaving the company and settling permanently in Southern California with his family. He went on to become a professional portrait photographer in Orange County, which is home to Little Saigon, the largest single community of South Vietnamese refugees in the world.

His great-nephew, Kim Nguyen, looked back Tuesday at the portraits Phuoc shot of him as a baby and reminisced about bringing his own son to see Phuoc’s work on display at a museum in Vietnam.

In California, Phuoc was a founding member of The Artistic Photography Association and trained young photographers. He also was a civilian volunteer for the Los Angeles County Sheri ’s Department and in 1994 was named the county’s volunteer of the year.

Ella Ransom

DANG VAN PHUOC / AP PHOTO

A wounded soldier is carried during ghting on Highway 13, north of Saigon, where government troops are trying to reopen road to the Lai Khe base, on Oct. 14, 1972.

STATE & NATION

America’s tech- lled classrooms facing backlash against school-assigned devices

Parents question whether billion-dollar device investments improve student learning

By Jocelyn Gecker

The Associated Press

JUST A FEW YEARS ago, America’s public schools were rushing to get every child a laptop. Los Angeles middle school teacher Anna So er remembers it well: “The idea was that technology is the future, so we need to put tech in every child’s hands.”

Now, the conversation has ipped. After pouring billions of dollars into laptops, tablets and learning apps, many schools are facing a digital reckoning. Classrooms have become saturated with screens, and a growing number of parents, teachers and school districts are saying it is time to scale back.

“The Chromebook is just a world of distraction,” says Soffer, who teaches sixth grade English and history. She favors pen-and-paper assignments but is required to use laptops and online apps for certain activities.

“Every day, I’m battling, ’Who would you rather listen to, Ms. So er or Minecraft?’”

The Los Angeles Uni ed School District, where So er teaches, recently became the rst major school district to say it will stop giving devices to its youngest students. It is part of a new screen time policy taking e ect in the fall across the country’s second-largest school system.

A sweeping resolution passed last month by the Los Angeles school board requires the district to eliminate devices until second grade; set daily and weekly screen limits for all higher grades; block YouTube on school devices; and ban the use of devices at lunch and recess in elementary and middle school. The district will also audit its education technology contracts, which the teachers’ union says amount to $1.6 billion.

The Los Angeles crackdown is adding momentum to calls for reform emerging around the country. In many cases, parents lobbied a few years ago for school cellphone bans, which have now become the norm. Realizing phones weren’t the only classroom distraction, they pivoted to a new target: school-issued devices.

The campaign for change is becoming a public policy issue. At least 14 states have proposed laws to limit screen time in schools, according to Ballotpedia. The federal government issued an advisory last week warning that excessive screen use among youth is becoming a growing public health concern.

Parents say school-issued devices undermine screen limits at home

In Los Angeles, concerned parents last year formed a group, Schools Beyond Screens,

“My daughter went to middle school and was sent home with a screen addiction in her backpack.”

Katie Pace, Schools Beyond Screens member

and pressured the district by speaking out at school board meetings, on social media and in private talks with administrators. Many are frustrated by trying to curb screen time at home, only to have screens mandated by school.

As a mother of three, Katie Pace does everything in her power to limit screens. There is one family iPad and one television at home, no screen time during the week and no screens allowed in bedrooms. Her eighth grade daughter, Clementine, does not have a phone. But as soon as Clementine gets on the Wi-Fi-enabled school bus, her day takes a turn for the digital.

For the 30-minute ride to school, Clementine watches YouTube videos on her school Chromebook.

In Spanish class, assignments are on the app Duolingo, but many students use Google Translate for answers, Clementine said. Often, kids are playing games on their phones, which are supposed to be locked away. In algebra, Clementine writes with her nger on a touch screen to solve equations. In history, quizzes, tests and writing assignments are on the computer. Almost all homework is on-

line. Until recently, Clementine would come home and read a book, her mother said, but not anymore. On her daughter’s device history, Pace sees she spends hours a day streaming music, making Spotify playlists, and watching makeup tutorials and cat videos on YouTube.

“It makes me furious,” said Pace, a member of Schools Beyond Screens. “My daughter went to middle school and was sent home with a screen addiction in her backpack.”

The pandemic supercharged student access to devices

A push to put a device in every child’s hand and close the “digital divide” started over a decade ago, but it accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overnight, education shifted online in March 2020. Schools raced to get kids the devices needed to connect to school. When the 2021-2022 school year started, 96% of U.S. public schools reported they had given digital devices to students who needed them, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Many schools switched funding away from textbooks, workbooks and paper printouts to digital alternatives. Educational technology, or “edtech,” exploded into a multibillion-dollar industry.

“During the pandemic, getting kids devices was a lifeline. Now, it’s time that we reset,” said Nick Melvoin, the LAUSD school board member who drafted the new resolution.

Melvoin estimates that few Los Angeles classrooms are using screens e ectively in ways that bene t learning. Too of-

ten, he said, teachers are replacing instruction with online apps and using screens “as a crutch.”

Some schools are introducing new limits

The challenge, educators say, is that technology has become so entwined with learning, especially for older students, that unplugging from screens at school is complicated.

In the a uent Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion, parents launched a petition campaign for the right to opt their children out of digital devices during school, citing questions about edtech’s bene ts. The district has said that opting out is not possible.

“If there’s really no evidence that it helps, and in fact there’s evidence that it’s harmful, what are we doing? Test scores are at their lowest point,” said Alex Bird Becker, one of the founders of the group PA Unplugged.

Other schools are nding that it makes nancial sense to stop sending a device home with every child.

Fresno Uni ed School District, the third-largest in California, is spending $4 million a year to repair and replace laptops. Partly to cut costs, the district has told its 40,000 elementary school students to return their take-home laptops and it will shift computer access to in-class only in the fall, spokesperson AJ Kato said.

The Simi Valley Uni ed School District, near Los Angeles, stopped sending devices home for its younger students this year, partly because of costly repairs but also because they were being used for “inappropriate Google searches” and video games, according to a memo to

parents. The district now stores the devices in carts at school.

A group of parents in Arlington, Virginia, gathered on a recent Saturday night to share their children’s struggles with screen addictions and other side e ects of school-issued devices.

“None of us are Luddites. I know that technology adds value, but I also don’t want my son on YouTube all the time,” said LuAnn Oliver, who hosted the group in her living room. Her sixth grade son struggles to keep track of online assignments and resist the temptation the iPad offers for video games. “We get reports on websites he’s visited. He’s visiting a game site in nearly every class.”

The Arlington School District has stopped giving iPads out before rst grade and is setting new limits in elementary school, but students in sixth to 12th grades will still be required to have school-issued devices.

Another mother, Jenny Sullivan, said she has noticed her fourth grade son capitalizing random letters and not getting corrected because there is so little work on paper. She also worries about social implications: Her sixth grader doesn’t want to go to the after-school program because everyone is on their iPad. “I’d rather be home,” he tells his mother.

After a three-hour gathering, the parents made a plan to approach the school in the fall with a uni ed request to “opt out of technology and opt in to textbooks and paper.”

“Ten years from now,” said one of the mothers, Kristina Jackson, “I can’t imagine us looking back with any other reaction than: How could we have been so naive that we just handed these devices to our kids.”

KEVIN WOLF / AP PHOTO

LuAnn Oliver’s son demonstrates earlier this month how he uses an iPad for his classes during a meeting where a group of school parents discussed ways to push back against screen time at the children’s school in Arlington, Virginia.

MOORE COUNTY

Remembering

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Democrats feud over stock trading in e ort to sharpen anti-corruption case against Trump Democrats are increasingly critiquing each other over their personal stock trades as the party looks to hone its anti- corruption message against President Donald Trump in the midterm elections. In primary races across the country, Democrats are critiquing individual stock trades and the personal wealth of their rivals. The debates have scrambled ideological lines inside the party, with some more moderate lawmakers attacking progressive rivals over past stock trades. Progressives express skepticism that Democrats who have recently highlighted the issue are o ering genuine critiques about money in politics.

Trump: Everything checked out “perfectly” at his medical exam

President Donald Trump had another medical exam on Tuesday, putting his health under renewed public scrutiny. The 79-year- old president spent more than three hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for what the White House described as preventive medical and dental checkups. It was Trump’s fourth publicly disclosed medical exam since he returned to o ce for a second term. In a social media post after the visit, Trump said that he had just nished his “6 month physical” and that “Everything checked out PERFECTLY.” Trump, turns 80 next month.

NASCAR CEO O’Donnell tells Busch family ‘we got you’ before Coca-Cola 600

Kyle Busch died last Thursday at 41 from pneumonia that progressed into sepsis

By Steve Reed and Michael Marot The Associated Press

CONCORD — NASCAR

CEO Steve O’Donnell honored Kyle Busch’s widow, Samantha, and the couple’s children, Brexton and Lennix, before the start of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday in an emotional speech.

Standing on the frontstretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway, O’Donnell looked directly at the Busch family and said, “Samantha, I want you to know that this sport stands with you, and that you and your chil-

dren are NASCAR family forever. And Brexton and Lennix, your dad loved you with all his heart. Everyone gathered here, everyone behind you, everybody watching on TV, and all those people up in that grandstand are your family — and we’ve got you. ”

Tears rolled down Samantha Busch’s cheek as she wrapped her arm tightly around 11-year-old Brexton, an aspiring racer. Both wore black T-shirts that read “Battle of the Busches.”

Busch’s older brother and former Cup Series champion, Kurt, and his parents, Tom and Gaye, also attended the tribute.

“Kyle Busch is NASCAR,” O’Donnell added. “He was one of a kind, and there will never be another.”

A moment of silence fol-

“When you think race car driver and what that person should be like, Kyle Busch is probably one of the rst that comes to your mind on the type of racer he was.”

Joey Logano, Cup Series driver

lowed O’Donnell’s speech.

Auto racing’s biggest day became a Memorial Day weekend tribute to Busch from Indianapolis to CMS. Busch died last Thursday at 41 after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, result-

ing in rapid and overwhelming complications, according to a statement released by his family, and his loss sent shockwaves through the motorsports world and beyond.

Charlotte Motor Speedway honored the two-time Cup Series champion with a large, black No. 8 and his signature on the frontstretch grass and a photo on the videoboard.

The U.S. Army Golden Knights carried Busch’s ag during prerace festivities. Each of the 39 cars in the eld carried Busch’s decal. On the pace lap, the cars formed the missing man formation.

The speedway’s public address system and the television commentators went silent on the eighth lap of the race.

On Saturday night, Layne

See BUSCH, page A2

Trump administration proposes NDAs for federal employees to stop media leaks

The proposal con icts with a federal law already prohibiting employer NDAs

By Gary Fields The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

The Trump administration wants all current and future federal employees to sign nondisclosure agreements, part of a continuing crackdown on leaks to the media.

A proposed notice, announced Tuesday on the Ofce of Personnel Management website, is expected to be ocially published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, seeking comment on a draft NDA to be used by federal agencies for “both new and existing employees.” “The form is intended to

document Federal employees’ acknowledgment of, and agreement to comply with, current legal obligations to safeguard non-public, condential, or proprietary information, created or obtained through their o cial duties, while expressly preserving the right to make disclosures authorized by law,” the notice said.

The proposed notice seeks comment on several questions, including whether the NDA should cover only unclassied information and what appropriate actions, if any, agencies should consider for new or current employees who choose not to sign the agreement.

The OPM noted “several recent instances” where internal agency communications related to rulemaking and policy development were disclosed without authorization. It also

discussed speci c instances in which federal employees at the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security disclosed information about planned immigration enforcement actions without authorization.

In one case, The New York Times and The Washington Post received unauthorized information on the U.S. raid on Venezuela this past January and delayed “publishing what they knew to avoid endangering U.S. troops,” the OPM request for comment said.

A Washington Post spokesperson declined to comment.

Charles Stadtlander, executive director of media relations and communications for the Times, said in an email that the paper had extensive reporting on operations targeting Venezuela and preparations for land-based military operations. “Contrary to some

claims, however, The Times did not have veri ed details about the pending operation to capture Maduro or a story prepared, nor did we withhold publication at the request of the Trump administration.”

Ferreting out leaks that the administration deems harmful to its messaging has been a priority across multiple agencies since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. As part of that crackdown, the FBI in January seized the electronic devices of a Washington Post reporter, a move that alarmed media organizations and advocates of press freedom. One other notable incident occurred last year when dozens of reporters turned in their access badges at the Pentagon, rejecting new rules

A U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter ies over the crowd at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte on Sunday.

JASON JACKSON FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

5.28.26

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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

SpaceX launches biggest, most beefed-up

This upgraded version avoided the catastrophic midair explosions of previous test ights

By Marcia Dunn The Associated Press

SPACEX

LAUNCHED its biggest, most powerful Starship yet on a test ight last Friday, an upgraded version that NASA is counting on to land astronauts on the moon.

The redesigned mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he’s taking the company public. It blasted o from the southern tip of Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites that were released midway through the hourlong space ight that stretched halfway around the world.

The spacecraft reached its nal destination — the Indian Ocean — despite some engine trouble, before erupting in ames upon impact. That last part was not unexpected, according to SpaceX.

Starship test ight yet

“You scored a goal for humanity.”

Elon Musk, SpaceX CEO

sions rained wreckage down on the Atlantic. Earlier ights also ended in ames.

There was no reball this time until the very end. The spacecraft plummeted upright into the Indian Ocean under seemingly full control, then toppled over and ignited.

While the lifto itself went well, not all of the engines red as the booster attempted a controlled return. The spacecraft also had to make do with fewer engines but kept heading eastward 120 miles up. A pair of modi ed, camera-equipped Starlinks ejected from Starship provided brief views of the spacecraft in ight — a remarkable rst.

At 407 feet, the latest model eclipses the older Starship lines by several feet and packs more engine thrust.

NASA is paying SpaceX billions of dollars — and also Je Bezos’ Blue Origin — to provide the lunar landers that will be used to land Artemis astronauts on the moon.

The two companies are scrambling to be rst.

While Starship has reached the fringes of space on multiple ights lasting an hour at most, Bezos’ Blue Moon has yet to lift o , although a prototype is being readied for a moonshot later this year.

NASA is following April’s successful lunar yaround by four astronauts with a docking trial run in orbit around Earth planned for next year. For that Artemis III mission, astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with Starship, Blue Moon or both.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Moore County.

May

28

Live music at BHAWK featuring Amy Gerhartz

5-8 p.m.

This is a showcase for local musicians occurring every Thursday and Sunday.

175 Yadkin Road Southern Pines

May

29

May 18

Edmund Ray Clifton, 24, of Walnut Cove, was arrested by Pineblu PD for misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Morgan Olivia Miller, 26, of Pineblu , was arrested by Pineblu PD for misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Caleb Joshua Sistare, 23, of Cameron, was arrested by MCSO for possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver methamphetamine; possession of methamphetamine; and resisting a public o cer.

Ramiro Medina Vargas, 31, of Troy, was arrested by MCSO for identity theft, possession of a fraudulent identi cation and resisting a public o cer, and other charges.

May 19

• Mark Derek Boler, 63, of West End, was arrested by MCSO for resisting a public o cer.

• Nicholas Allan Chang, 37, of Aberdeen, was arrested by MCSO for misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

• Lacy Bradley Locklear, 32, of Shannon, was arrested by MCSO for felony possession of a controlled substance.

• Talia Dawn Singletary, 33, of Asheboro, was arrested by MCSO for possession of a controlled substance on prison/jail premises, possession of methamphetamine and identity theft, and other charges.

• Mitchell Carlton Willard, 63, of Vass, was arrested by MCSO for resisting a public o cer and misuse of the 911 system.

• Malik Anthony Williams, 29, of Raeford, was arrested by MCSO for murder, possession of a rearm by a felon and maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for controlled substances.

May 20

• Malikiah Timothy Johnson, 20, of Taylortown, was arrested by MCSO for second-degree trespass.

May 21

• Jitto Attupuram Sebastion, 36, of Saint Francis, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for second-degree trespass.

• Kebrina Natasha Walker, 33, of Aberdeen, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

May 22 Tyler Sweeney Dawson, 36, of Southern Pines, was arrested by MCSO for resisting a public o cer.

• Sherri Lynn Dow, 64, of Carthage, was arrested by MCSO for possession of methamphetamine, simple possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, and other charges. CRIME LOG

Musk called it “an epic” launch and landing.

“You scored a goal for humanity,” he told his team via X. It’s the 12th test ight of the rocket that Musk is building to get people to Mars one day. But rst comes the moon and NASA’s Artemis program.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman ew in for the launch, saying Starship is now one step closer to the moon.

The last of the old space-skimming Starships lifted o in October. SpaceX’s third-generation Starship — a souped-up version dubbed V3 — soared from a brand-new launch pad at Starbase, near the Mexican border. Last-minute pad issues thwarted Thursday evening’s launch attempt.

SpaceX was hoping to avoid the reworks it experienced during back-to-back launches last year when midair explo -

LEAKS from page A1

imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that would leave journalists vulnerable to expulsion if they sought to report on information — classied or otherwise — that had not been approved by Hegseth for release.

Michael L. Vogelsang Jr., an attorney at the Employment Law Group, said he has questions, among them: “What gap is an NDA sup -

BUSCH from page A1

Riggs celebrated his Truck Series win at Charlotte by imitating Busch’s traditional bows to the crowd after the race, and Ross Chastain did the same after capturing the rain-shortened O’Reilly Auto Parts race.

“When you think race car driver and what that person should be like, Kyle Busch is probably one of the rst that comes to your mind on the type of racer he was,” Cup Series driver Joey Logano said. Fans at CMS arrived in droves Sunday with shirts that read “Rowdy” and “KFB.”

Earlier in the day at the Indianapolis 500, Dale Coyne Racing changed the font of Romain Grosjean’s No. 18

The revamped booster sports fewer but bigger and stronger grid ns for steering it back to Earth following lifto , and a larger and more robust fuel transfer line to feed the 33 main engines. This fuel line is the size of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rst-stage booster. The retro-looking, stainless steel spacecraft also has more of everything — more cameras, and more navigation and computer power — as well as docking cones for future rendezvous and moon missions.

Starship is meant to be fully reusable, with giant mechanical arms at the launch pads to catch the returning rocket stages. But on this latest trial run, nothing was being recovered. The Gulf of Mexico marked the end of the road for the redesigned rst-stage booster, and the Indian Ocean for the spacecraft and its satellite demos.

posed to ll that doesn’t already exist?”

He noted that statutes already exist regarding the leaking of classi ed and sensitive information. There’s also a law passed by Congress, he noted, that prohibits employers from implementing or enforcing an NDA.

He said: “So Congress has already said NDAs are a no -go. So how can OPM make a regulation that violates the law?”

car to replicate the font the two -time Brickyard 400 winner used during his 14 seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing in his No. 18 car.

Then came the opening prayer, in which Busch was mentioned by name. And on lap 18, race o cials lit up the scoring pylon next to pit lane with Busch’s name, his birth year and 2026.

Even with the pageantry of Indianapolis’ big IndyCar race, Busch, who had a record 234 victories across NASCAR’s three national series, was never far from the thoughts of people in the city that dubs itself the “Racing Capital of the World.”

“It’s desperately sad. It’s also one of those things where you try not to think about it or

A moon landing by two astronauts — Artemis IV — could follow as soon as 2028 using either Starship or Blue Moon, whichever lander is safer and ready rst. It will be NASA’s rst lunar landing with a crew since 1972’s Apollo 17. The goal this time is a moon base near the lunar south pole, sta ed by astronauts as well as robots.

SpaceX is already taking reservations for private ights to the moon and Mars on Starship.

The world’s rst space tourists, California businessman Dennis Tito and his wife, signed up 31⁄2 years ago for a ight around the moon. The timing is uncertain.

This week, another wealthy space tourist — Chinese-born bitcoin investor Chun Wang — announced he will y to Mars on Starship’s rst interplanetary mission. Wang previously chartered a SpaceX polar ight in a Dragon capsule last year and, along with his hand-picked crew, became the rst to orbit above the north and south poles.

No price tag or date was revealed for his Mars cruise.

The American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley said in a statement that OPM’s proposed rule is part of a continuing e ort to silence federal employees.

“This proposed NDA is another attempt by the administration to purge the civil service of nonpartisan career employees and replace them with loyalists who won’t speak out against waste, fraud, and abuse,” Kelley said.

let it in because you’ve got so much to do, you can’t let yourself get emotional,” Katherine Legge said. “But honestly, racing has lost one of the greatest drivers, in my opinion, of all time. If you look back at the history and just — he was a legend.”

As Indy held its biggest race of the year, those who knew or competed against Busch raced with a heavy heart.

“How can you not be in shock over the situation?” two-time Indy winner Josef Newgarden said. “I think it just puts into perspective how fragile life is. You just don’t know. Makes me think of his kids, to be honest with you. Gosh, I feel terrible about — I have two sons now. That’s the thing that breaks my heart.”

Free Drum Circle Class

2-3 p.m.

This weekly class is taught by Matthew Bahr. Open to participants 18 and up. Free.

E.S. Douglass Community Center

1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave. Southern Pines

May 30

Colonial Day at the Shaw House 10 a.m.

The Moore County Historical Association presents a free public event with period reenactors in costume, blacksmith demonstrations and hourly talks on Colonial history. Food and drinks will be provided by the Pinecrest High School Wrestling Club. Shaw House 110 W. Morganton Road Southern Pines

Jeremiah House of Hope 5K 8 a.m.

The annual charity run along the Aberdeen Lake Trail bene ts the Sandhills Jeremiah Project, which supports single pregnant women and mothers facing homelessness. A one-mile option and a one-hour repeat-mile fun run are also o ered; packet pickup is May 29 at High Octane Co ee in Aberdeen.

Aberdeen Lake Park

301 Lake Park Crossing Aberdeen

June 1

The Glenn Miller Orchestra The Glenn Miller Orchestra performs classic big-band hits at Sandhills Community College’s Barbara Barker Performing Arts Center. Sandhills Community College BPAC 3395 Airport Road Pinehurst

THE CONVERSATION

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

VISUAL VOICES

What went wrong for Democrats

The real issue for Democrats is not why they lost the last election, but how they are going to avoid losing the next one.

FOR MONTHS NOW, Democrats have been arguing about whether to release the “autopsy” the National Committee commissioned on what went wrong in 2024. The report was completed but then not released; under pressure, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin released the report this week, but only with the caveat that it didn’t meet the committee’s standards, whatever that means.

In truth, the report nds plenty of blame. That’s the problem with losing a close election — and 2024, no matter how many times President Donald Trump describes it as a landslide, it wasn’t — is that almost everything you did “wrong” could have made the di erence. Which doesn’t necessarily tell you what to do right, the next time around, or address the very real divides inside the Democratic Party.

The report faults almost everyone. The Biden White House is faulted for not doing enough during the rst term and the 2022 midterms to prepare Kamala Harris to lead the ticket, which, of course, would not have mattered so much had former President Joe Biden not waited so long to bow out, but that’s another story.

The Harris campaign is faulted for writing o rural voters, relying too much on identity politics and not being tough enough on Trump. When the other side runs a negative campaign and wins, as Trump did here,

COLUMN | MICHAEL BARONE

the response is always that you should have hit back harder. With what, is the question.

One of the most striking conclusions and the most troubling is about the e cacy of the ad Trump ran attacking Harris on transgender issues — in this case, on her previous statement of support for taxpayer-funded gender-a rming surgeries for prison inmates.

The report cites the ad as “very e ective,” and says that internal pollsters believed that “if the Vice President would not change her position — and she did not — then there was nothing which would have worked as a response.”

Are Democrats in fact too far out front of voters on transgender issues?

Do Democrats rely too much on identity politics, an argument that works better with the base of the Democratic party than it does with more moderate, independent voters, whom they need to attract?

According to the report, “Harris wrote o rural America, assuming urban/suburban margins would compensate. The math doesn’t work. ... You can’t lose rural areas by overwhelming margins and make it up elsewhere when rural voters are a signi cant share of the electorate. If Democrats are to reclaim leadership in the Heartland or the South, candidates must perform well in rural turf. Show up, listen and then do it again.”

As for male voters, the report argues that “Male voters require direct engagement. The

gender gap can be narrowed. Deploy male messengers, address economic concerns and don’t assume identity politics will hold male voters of color.”

The release of the autopsy and all the discussion about why it took so long to release it coincides with a new New York Times/Siena College poll showing Democrats with a strong advantage going into the midterms, but also with deep divides and disillusionment within the party. While the left is the loudest force on the Democratic side, it may not be the most popular: a majority of Democratic supporters said that they were generally happy with the party’s ideological positioning, but 52% said the next Democratic presidential candidate should move the party to the center in order to win. Only a quarter said the next candidate should move the party to the left.

The Times found that more than half of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents expressed frustration with the party: “unhappiness spanned almost every part of the party’s coalition — including young, white, Black and college-educated voters — and was especially strong among Democrats least attached to the party, who are the most likely to swing elections.”

The real issue for Democrats is not why they lost the last election, but how they are going to avoid losing the next one.

Susan Estrich is a feminist legal scholar and

Can Trump handle the world he has changed?

The cheap drones that Ukrainians have invented and produced in astonishing numbers — some 60,000 per day.

TEN YEARS AGO this month, Donald Trump clinched the Republican nomination for president, with a platform that was vastly di erent on trade and foreign policy from other recent presidents, Republican and Democratic alike.

How fares America — and the world — 10 years later?

In some important ways, things have moved in Trump’s direction. In 2016 and since, he complained constantly that Europeans were not contributing their fair share to NATO. That had been the position of previous administrations, but none emphasized it as Trump did.

Early in Trump’s rst term, only ve NATO allies met the stated goal of spending 2% of GDP on defense. A decade later, the goal has risen to 5%, and most NATO allies are moving toward that goal.

And as Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened his neighbors, previously neutral (for nearly 75 years!) Finland and Sweden, with their highly competent militaries, have decided to join NATO and have made the Baltic Sea just beyond Putin’s hometown of St. Petersburg a NATO lake. In the Middle East, Trump has also made a di erence. His predecessors’ policy was based on the hoary assumption that the key to stability was to pressure Israel to make a peace agreement with the Palestinians. So America’s task was to pressure Israel to make concessions. Trump saw it di erently. He pushed the Abraham Accords, diplomatic relations between Israel, Saudi Arabia and Persian Gulf oil producers. Progress has been uneven but palpable. Israel’s paci cation of Gaza has not prevented the Saudis and United Arab Emirates from supporting Trump’s e orts, cooperating with Israel, to disarm and destabilize the regime in Iran.

On trade, Trump’s on-again, o -again

threats, impositions and adjustments of tari rates have resulted in channeling trade in di erent patterns. The days of a jointly dependent “Chimerica” (historian Niall Ferguson’s phrase) seem to be waning.

Not everything has gone Trump’s way. His xation on unproblematic trade “de cits” has led him to impose tari s that have fed in ation and eroded his job approval at home. His initiatives in Iran, without persuasive explanations to voters or any attempt at buy-in by the political opposition, have also hurt him politically — although regime collapse in Iran remains possible and could put things in a di erent light. More importantly, the world has changed, sometimes in line with his expectations, sometimes to the contrary. The prime example is Russia’s war on Ukraine. As Trump has noted, Putin launched his 2014 attacks on Donbas and his 2022 march toward Kyiv when Democrats were president. And former President Joe Biden’s restrictions on aid to Ukraine — especially bans on lobbing attacks on Russian territory — limited Ukraine’s defense.

As analysts of various stripes have concluded, Ukraine has developed drone warfare as a barrier to Russian advance and to make advances itself.

Ukraine has had one advantage Putin didn’t count on in 2022: morale, a sense of national pride and resolve that is unquanti able but has enabled seemingly ordinary people to adapt with extraordinary speed and inventiveness reminiscent of the best of American examples in World War II. It’s interesting that Trump, for all his emphasis on building America’s national morale, has been deaf to the importance of that factor in Ukraine.

The cheap drones that Ukrainians have invented and produced in astonishing numbers

— some 60,000 per day — have routinely destroyed much more expensive Russian missiles and have enabled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to destroy energy infrastructure in Perm, 1,000 kilometers beyond the Russian border, and prompted Putin to downsize his WWII victory parade in Moscow.

It is clear that the Trump policy of pressuring Ukraine to accept Russian control of provinces it hasn’t occupied is as obsolete as Trump’s predecessors’ policies of pressuring Israel to accept Palestinian control of territory from which the Palestinians could launch attacks like those of Oct. 7, 2023.

It seems clear as well that the remnants of the Iranian regime are unwilling to abandon their 47-year hostilities toward the U.S., and that Trump’s eagerness to deploy “the art of the deal,” even under the auspices of a hostile Pakistan, is encouraging their continued resistance. And in the meantime, will the drawdown of America’s expensive smart weapons in the Persian Gulf reduce American deterrence against Chinese aggression against Taiwan?

The nal verdict on Trump’s foreign policies cannot be written now, with 32 months left in his term and so many kinetic events in unpredictable motion. But perhaps it can be said that while his departures from his predecessors’ policies have had some successes in reshaping the world, it is not clear that he has developed policies adapted to the world he has done so much to change.

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)

COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH

Pope Leo XIV calls for robust regulation of AI in manifesto pondering future of humanity

The encyclical asked researchers to re ect on the power of AI

By Nicole Win eld, Kaitlyn Huamani and Paolo Santalucia

The Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV called Monday for robust regulation of arti cial intelligence and for its developers to work for the common good rather than pro t, issuing a sweeping manifesto on safeguarding humankind as the technology impacts everything from work to war.

“Magni ca Humanitas” (Magni cent Humanity), Leo’s rst encyclical, has been eagerly awaited ever since history’s rst U.S.-born pope announced days after his election that he considered AI to be the biggest challenge facing humanity today.

In the text, Leo denounced the “culture of power” driving the AI race, especially in developing ever more sophisticated methods of remote warfare. He declared that it was “not permissible” to entrust irreversible, lethal decisions to AI systems, setting up another ash point between the American pope and the Trump administration, which has worked aggressively to deregulate AI development.

“Arti cial Intelligence now demands to be disarmed, freed from logics that turn it into an instrument of domination, exclusion and death,” the pope told a special Vatican presentation of the encyclical, one of the most authoritative types of teaching documents a pope can issue.

Experts in the tech industry, academia and Catholic morality said the document will likely become a benchmark in the debate over AI, a point of reference for policymakers, researchers and ordinary folk alike. It comes as the near-daily developments in the technology trigger concerns over AI replacing human jobs and even human intelligence.

Taylor Black, a Microsoft AI executive and director of Catholic University of America’s AI institute, said the document would prompt people “at the forefront of these tools” to ask questions such as “What does it mean to be human?”

Pope calls out AI companies even as he hosts Anthropic

The Vatican launch also included remarks by the co-founder of Anthropic, which is currently locked in a legal battle with the Trump administration over access to its AI technology. The Vatican decided to involve Anthropic as part

of its decade-long e ort to engage Silicon Valley in dialogue over the human cost of AI.

And yet in his text, Leo repeatedly blasted the concentration of power and data in the hands of so few people in the private sector as a danger, especially to children and the most vulnerable, and called for external regulation of their work.

“It is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract; robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required,” he wrote. “A more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few.”

Leo appealed to AI developers and political leaders responsible for regulating them to slow down and re ect on what they are doing. He urged them to use ethical and spiritual guidelines to make the choice to work not for their own pro t or power, but the betterment of humanity.

AI competitors OpenAI and Anthropic are the second- and third-most valuable U.S. private companies, each valued at hundreds of billions of dollars, more than the GDP of many nations. Both companies are heading toward near-trillion-dollar IPOs.

Anthropic co-founder Chris-

topher Olah welcomed Leo’s criticism and concern. He said such external checks were fundamental to the technology “going well” for humankind since there is so much at stake — “a real possibility that AI will displace human labor at a very large scale.”

“We need more of the world — religious communities, civil society, scholars, governments — to do what His Holiness has done here: to take this seriously, to look closely and to push events in a better direction,” Olah said. “We need moral voices that the incentives cannot bend.”

Experts say text will become benchmark

In a methodical text, the math major pope traced the history of the Catholic Church’s social teaching and applied its core concepts — justice, solidarity, the dignity of work and the universal destination of resources — to the digital revolution.

“I am convinced that this will prove to be a de ning document for our era, a profound and prophetic document,” said Paolo Carozza, law professor at Notre Dame Law School and chair of the Meta Oversight Board.

“Pope Leo is o ering a clear, comprehensive and coherent voice urging us to take respon-

sibility for constructing a world in which technology will serve humans rather than degrade them,” he said.

In its strongest chapters, Leo denounced how AI had helped accelerate the “normalization of war” by desensitizing people to its cost. He didn’t name specific con icts but cited “opposing imperialisms, between powers that wish to preserve their supremacy, and those that aspire to seize that supremacy.”

He demanded transparency and accountability by AI developers so that the chain of decision-making command in ordering strikes with AI weaponry is always known.

He declared that the Catholic Church’s “just war” theory, which provides speci c criteria for when force can be justied, was now “outdated” given the technological advances of warfare.

Text in church’s social justice tradition

Leo signed the text May 15, the 135th anniversary of the publication of “Rerum Novarum” (Of New Things), the most important teaching document of Leo’s hero and namesake, Pope Leo XIII. That document addressed workers’ rights, the limits of capitalism, and the obligations that states and employers owed workers as

the Industrial Revolution was underway.

It became the foundation of modern Catholic social thought, and the current pope cited it at the start of his ponti cate in relation to the AI revolution, which he believes poses the same existential questions that the Industrial Revolution posed over a century ago. “Magni ca Humanitas” thus becomes the latest chapter in a century-long history of popes adapting “Rerum Novarum” to the social questions of their times, often dwelling on the dignity of work for human ourishing.

AI is evoking both existential fears and utopian vision amid an intensifying debate on whether it will become a catalyst that enriches humanity or a technological toxin that dulls human intelligence while wiping out millions of high-paying jobs.

“The pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacri ce jobs, because the human person is an end, not a means, and the economic order must remain subordinate to human dignity and the common good,” Leo wrote. Vatican o cials declined to say who contributed to Leo’s encyclical, but Vatican and church o cials have been engaged in a dialogue with Silicon Valley tech rms for a decade.

ALESSANDRA TARANTINO / AP PHOTO

Pope Leo XIV attends the presentation of his rst encyclical at the Vatican on Monday.

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Vikings soccer nished its season just shy of the championship match

North State Journal sta

THE UNION PINES girls’ soccer team saw its championship quest end two matches shy of the title game. The 3-seed Vikings fell in the state quarter nals, losing 2-0 to 2-seed Jacksonville. The loss snapped a 13-match win streak and ended the season at 20-5-1. After an opening-round bye, Union

Pines beat No. 19 Felton Grove 2-1 in overtime, then stopped No. 6 East Chapel Hill 2-1. Avery Leach and McKynlie Roett scored the goals in the opening win o assists from Maddie Huttmann and Kylie DiMayo, while Hope Wortham had eight saves. Jaleesa Eichel and Allison Webb found the net in the next win, with Huttmann getting another assist. Wortham stopped seven shots in the winning e ort.

The Vikings now part with ve seniors: captain Lila Walker, Jaleesa Eichel — who n-

ished third on the team in goals — goalkeeper Aubrey Tortora, and defender/midelders Yamilet Espinola and Avery Huber. Union Pines softball is the last county high school team still playing. The Vikings will play for the NCHSAA Class 6A title Friday at Smith Family Stadium in Durham, home of Duke’s softball team. The top-seeded Vikings got a rst-round bye and then beat No. 17 Western Harnett 11-3, No. 9 South Johnston 12-6 and No. 14 Gray’s Creek 14-3 to reach the best-of-three state semi nals against J.H. Rose. Union Pines took the rst game 13-4, lost the second 9-2 and won the rubber game in extras 4-3. Now the Vikings face No. 2 South Caldwell in another best of three.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Kileigh Cameron

Union Pines, softball

Kileigh Cameron is a senior on the Union Pines softball team. She also plays volleyball for the Vikings and has committed to Carson-Newman to play college softball. The Vikings reached the state championship with a two-games-toone win over J.H. Rose in the state semis. Cameron came up big in all three games. In a series-opening win, she went 1 for 2 with a triple, two runs scored, an RBI, three walks and a steal. In a loss in Game 2, she went 1 for 2 with a walk, a steal and a solo home run. In the series-clinching win, she went 1 for 3 with another solo home run, two runs scored, a walk and a steal. For the season, she led the state in home runs and was second in RBIs.

Late pass sends Rosenqvist surging past Malukas for closest Indianapolis 500 win in history

Katherine Legge’s double attempt ended early with a crash

By Michael Marot

The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Felix Rosenqvist swung to the outside of David Malukas, then found a way past the Team Penske driver to win the closest Indianapolis 500 in history by a margin of 0.0233 seconds on Sunday.

Malukas looked like he was in position to win when he passed race leader Marcus Armstrong o the nal restart with one lap to go while Meyer Shank Racing teammates Rosenqvist and Armstrong battled wheel to wheel down the back straightaway and through the fourth and nal turn.

But Rosenqvist had just enough power to pull away from Armstrong and snake behind Malukas before making the decisive outside pass in the nal 50 feet.

The closest previous nish came in 1992 when Al Unser Jr. beat Scott Goodyear across the yard of bricks by 0.043 seconds.

“The last ve years I’ve been in the front and I’ve had a good enough car to probably win it, but today there was just something more,” said Rosenqvist, who had been fast all month. “It was an absolute rocket this month and year; it was still there in the race.”

It was Rosenqvist’s second career win in 120 IndyCar races and comes after the recent birth of his rst child. His last win was on July 12, 2020, at Road America, making this his rst win on an oval. Rosenqvist joins Kenny Brack and Marcus Ericsson as the only Swedes to win the race.

The wild nish began with a red ag that came out with seven laps to go because of a scary crash involving Indy 500 rookie Caio Collet. Flames billowed out of the side of his car as it skidded to a stop in the grass.

When racing resumed after a 10-minute delay, Armstrong and Malukas sped past the top two cars — Rosenqvist and Pato O’Ward. But with 3 1/2 laps left, the yellow ag came out

“It was an absolute rocket this month and year; it was still there in the race.”

Felix Rosenqvist

again when Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, brushed the wall in Turn 2. On the nal restart, Lap 200, Malukas sling-shotted his way past Armstrong for the lead and started pulling away from the two Meyer Shank Racing drivers. But Rosenqvist nally caught the Team Penske driver

to win the biggest race of his career in the same month he became a father.

Malukas said he couldn’t think of what else he could have done to hang on to the lead.

“I was given two options: either I lift or I crash with Felix,” said Armstrong, who nished fth. “I chose to lift. I don’t know if I could have done anything di erent.”

Malukas’ teammate Scott McLaughlin was third, and Rosenqvist’s best friend in racing, O’Ward, was fourth. O’Ward had two runner-up nishes and a third place in the past four years.

“I just don’t know what else we could have done,” Malukas said. “We were driving 150%

that whole time. We had the fastest car out there, loved that whole race. It was ours to win and I knew that, so I just never pushed like that my whole life.”

It was a strange day on the 2.5-mile Brickyard.

There was a 12-minute rain delay near the midway point of the race and the threat of more rain the rest of the afternoon changed strategies throughout the day. It looked like Rosenqvist and O’Ward had the advantage over the nal 25 laps because of pit strategy.

But Malukas and McLaughlin fought their way back into contention as other drivers such as defending Indy champion and pole winner Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing faded to seventh.

Palou led the most laps (59), had the most on-track passes (60) and retained the points lead. Malukas, however, passed Kyle Kirkwood for second in the standings. The Chicago native trails the four-time series champion and 2025 Indy winner by 40 points. The rain didn’t return until Rosenqvist was celebrating. Katherine Legge’s attempt to become the rst woman to complete “The Double” ended after just 17 laps when she couldn’t avoid Ryan Hunter-Reay’s spinning car. Legge’s car skidded down the track and into the inside wall in Turn 2. The English driver was checked at the track’s in eld medical care center and was released.

Union Pines poses with their regional title.

MICHAEL CONROY / AP PHOTO

Felix Rosenqvist celebrates after winning Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.

SIDELINE REPORT

TENNIS

Gotta go: Home player

Gea takes emergency bathroom break during French Open debut

Paris Home player Arthur Gea ran o the court for an emergency bathroom break early in the rst set of his French Open debut. Gea told the chair umpire before hastily running o , “I need to go to the bathroom. I can’t move anymore. I’m going to (go) on the court.” The 135th-ranked Gea lost to 13th-seeded Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-0. Usually bathroom breaks are only permitted between sets. The 21-year-old Gea received a wild card invitation from Roland Garros organizers to participate in the main draw.

NBA Trail Blazers lay o employees as part of restructuring e ort Portland, Ore. The Portland Trail Blazers laid o employees as new owner Tom Dundon cuts costs. The exact number of employees let go was not made public but included sta in both the business and basketball operations. Dundon leads the group of investors who bought the NBA franchise from the estate of Paul Allen, the co -founder of Microsoft who died in 2018. The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the sale, worth a reported $4.25 billion, in April. Dundon also owns the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL.

PWHL

Montreal Victoire win team’s rst PWHL title, beating Ottawa 4-0 in Game 4

Ottawa, Ontario

Abby Roque scored twice, Ann-Renée Desbiens made 23 saves and the Montreal Victoire won their rst PWHL title, beating the Ottawa Charge 4-0 in Game 4 of the Walter Cup Finals. Maggie Flaherty and Lina Ljungblom also scored. Montreal opened the best- of- ve series at home with two overtime victories, then fell 2-1 at Ottawa. Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin was named playo MVP. She tied for the postseason lead with eight points.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Orgeron returns to LSU as special assistant to recruiting, defense

Baton Rouge, La. Ed Orgeron returned to LSU’s football program Wednesday, seven years after he coached the Tigers to the 2019 national title. LSU head coach Lane Ki n added Orgeron, 64, to the sta as a special assistant to recruiting and defense. Orgeron worked under Ki n at Southern California and Tennessee. Orgeron spent six seasons as LSU’s head coach before being red after the 2021 season.

NFL

NFL taking 2030 Super Bowl to Nashville, Titans’ new enclosed stadium Nashville, Tenn.

The NFL is taking the 2030 Super Bowl to Nashville and the Titans’ new Nissan Stadium after team owners voted to hold the league’s championship game in the Music City for the rst time. Once the Titans broke ground on the $2.1 billion enclosed stadium, a Super Bowl being played in Nashville appeared to be only a matter of time. The Titans are on schedule to nish the new stadium directly across from the current Nissan Stadium in February, completing the three-year construction.

Harvick, ’14 Cup Series champion, selected to NASCAR Hall of Fame

Je Burton and Larry Phillips will join him in January 2027

induction

ceremony

By Steve Reed The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE — Kevin Harvick, who captured the 2014 Cup Series championship and won 60 races at the sport’s top level, was selected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with former teammate Je Burton and Larry Phillips.

The induction ceremony is set for Jan. 22, 2027, bringing the total number of Hall of Fame inductees to 73.

Harvick received 46 of the 50 votes cast by the panel which included representatives from NASCAR, the Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders, reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson and a nationwide fan vote.

Burton received the second-most at 32% to edge out Neil Bonnett, Randy Dorton and the late Greg Bi e for the second and nal spot on the modern ballot.

Phillips received 38% of the pioneer ballot votes.

“When you talk about your reputation and the respect factor I think that speaks volumes about the things you were able to accomplish,” Harvick said of receiving 92% of the votes.

“I can say it now, I’m proud of that.”

Harvick’s career took an unexpected turn when he was selected by team owner Richard Childress to replace Dale Earnhardt after the seven-time champion was killed in a wreck at the 2001 Daytona 500.

Initially, Childress had planned to bring Harvick along slowly and have him gain experience at the sport’s lower level (then known as the Busch Series), but Earnhardt’s death accelerated his rise.

Driving the renumbered No.

46

out of

of

29 GM Goodwrench Service Plus Chevrolet, it took Harvick only three races to nd victory lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2001, giving RCR an emotional victory. He went on to win NASCAR Rookie of the Year, establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with in the sport for years to come.

Harvick said replacing Earnhardt was di cult at the time, but he and others within RCR buried themselves in their work and “hid” from harsh reality of the star’s death.

“I think the racer’s excuse is, ‘I have to go to a race,’” Harvick said. “Whether it’s with your wife or a terrible moment like

we had with Dale, it was like, ‘Well, we gotta go to the race this week.’ We just booked like 70 or 80 races that year and we just kind of hid from everything that we did. ... (The racetrack) was really where everyone wanted to be so we didn’t want to address the other situation.”

Known as “The Closer,” Harvick, 50, went on to win the 2007 Daytona 500 and earned his only championship seven years after NASCAR turned to an elimination-style playo format.

Harvick’s 60 Cup wins over 826 starts ranks 11th all-time. Burton, 58, was a teammate of Harvick’s at RCR for years. The calmer of the two drivers, Burton won 21 Cup races over his 20-year NASCAR career in 695 starts. He was the 1994 Rookie of the Year and his career highlights include winning the Coca-Cola 600 twice and the Southern 500. He won six Cup races in 1999. He said he was “playing a

crappy round of golf” when he received a phone call informing him that he got it.

“The generations before us, they made it all possible,” Burton said. “So to be enshrined in something that my heroes are in, that just means a lot.”

As for Phillips, who died in 2004 at 62, nobody can say for sure how many races he won because he raced everywhere from dirt to asphalt and in places where record keeping wasn’t always a priority. His crew chief, James Ince, estimated Phillips won 1,000 times; maybe 2,000, according to NASCAR.

Landmark Award winner

Lesa France Kennedy, the executive vice chair of NASCAR, was selected as the Landmark Award winner for her contributions to the sport. Kennedy spearheaded the revitalization of Phoenix Raceway and the Daytona Rising project at Daytona International Speedway.

Lone full-time spelling bee coach charges $180 per hour; champions say he’s worth it

Scott Remer has coached ve national champions

By Ben Nuckols The Associated Press

WHEN DEV SHAH won the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2023 and Faizan Zaki took the title last year, they posed for remarkably similar photos on the confetti-strewn stage. Standing next to them, beaming, was a bespectacled man in an aloha shirt, holding up a copy of his book “Words of Wisdom.”

For Scott Remer, the champion spellers’ coach, posing for a picture was more than just a celebration. It was a business necessity.

While nearly every National Spelling Bee champion over the past 15 years has worked with a coach, the 32-year-old Remer is the country’s only full-time, professional tutor for elite spellers. Most coaches are former spellers who are still in college or even high school.

“He’s probably one of the most in uential gures in spelling over the past 10 years,” said Shah, now 17. Remer has coached ve national champions, and since the bee emerged from the pandemic disruptions of 2020 and ‘21, he has scaled up the coaching profession. He claims 34 spellers as his students this year and has worked with no fewer than 29 during each of the past four bees. He charges more than other coaches: up to $180 for an hourlong private lesson. If

spellers nish in the top 10 and earn a cash prize, he receives up to 10% of their winnings, which he called “a performance-based bonus.”

Many spellers and their families believe Remer is worth it — despite, or perhaps because of, the intense personality that emerges during his lessons.

Always earnest and gregarious on any spelling-related topic, Remer describes coaching as a passion that grew out of his disappointing fourth-place nish in 2008, his nal year as a speller. He says he’s motivated by sharing his knowledge, helping kids reach their potential and the challenge of discovering spelling bee-worthy words.

“This is really about the love of language and the love of the competition. Part of it is once you’re stung by the bee, there’s kind of no going back,” Remer

“Once you’re stung by the bee, there’s kind of no going back.”

Scott Remer

said. “I’m not going to deny that it pays well, because it does. But I don’t know that there’s anything wrong with that.”

The last two champions he coached say he was crucial to their victories.

“Even though his classes are more expensive, it’s de nitely worth it,” Faizan said. “I saw results.”

Faizan’s father, Zaki Anwar, said he negotiated a reduced rate of $120 an hour for Remer’s services because Faizan was already an accomplished speller. Remer took home 7% of the champion’s prize haul of $52,500 — a bonus of $3,675.

“After winning, it doesn’t really matter,” Anwar said. Expensive and demanding, Remer is not for everyone. Remer drills his students on roots, language patterns and the exceptions to those patterns. He seeks to instill a deep understanding of languages that will allow spellers to gure out a word even if they have never seen or heard it before, as Shah did with “rommack” in 2023. But Remer’s pricing, and his coaching style, have led some spellers to seek help elsewhere.

“I found it prohibitively expensive,” said Navneeth Murali, a University of Pennsylvania student who competed

through 2020 and now coaches spellers, charging roughly $50 for an hourlong lesson. “It wasn’t a realistic option for me.”

Remer said his goal is to be supportive while giving spellers the feedback they need to avoid repeating mistakes.

“I try to be tough but fair, and I also try to modulate my teaching methods, based on the kids’ needs and the kids’ personalities,” he said. “Whether I’m always successful at that is I guess an open question.”

Remer graduated from Yale in 2016 and earned a master’s degree from Cambridge a year later. His rst study guide, “Words of Wisdom: Keys to Success in the Scripps National Spelling Bee,” was published in 2010, when he was a teenager. That was also the year he coached his rst champion, Anamika Veeramani.

Scripps, the Cincinnati-based media company that has run the bee for a century, does not endorse coaching, but Corrie Loe er, the bee’s executive director, described the practice as inevitable, given the intensity of the competition.

Loe er gently pushed back at the idea that any coach should claim credit for a speller’s success.

“It’s hard work, it’s study ethic, it’s perseverance,” she said. “These kids are doing pretty incredible things at a really high level, especially at a young age, and I want them to be able to take credit for that themselves, knowing that it’s a community and they’ve had so much support along the way.”

SCOTT REMER VIA AP

Scott Remer, the country’s only full-time, professional coach for elite spellers.

TERRY RENNA / AP PHOTO

Kevin Harvick celebrates after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship series in 2014.

Number

votes,

50, received by Kevin Harvick in the Hall of Fame balloting

Brian Scott

Oct. 2, 1936 – May 16, 2026

Brian Scott, 89, beloved father and grandfather, greatgrandfather, and friend, went home to God on May 16, 2026, with his son and daughter by his bedside.

With his wife, Carole, Brian came to Pinehurst, N.C., in 1998, having retired as chief actuary of Aetna Life & Casualty Co. after 33 years with the company.

Brian Edward Scott was born on October 2, 1936, in Akron, Ohio, to Parker Andrew Scott and Tressa Agnes Richards. His father, born in Dublin, Ireland, was a laboratory technician at the National Standard Wiring Co. in Akron.

Brian spent his early years in Worcester, Mass., growing up with his mother and two sisters, Patricia and Susan. His mother supported the family working at a shoe store before the family returned to Akron.

He enlisted in the Army in 1955, served in Germany, and was honorably discharged in 1958. He then majored in mathematics at Kent State University, graduating in 1962. While in school, he also worked as a car salesman for an Akron dealership.

Brian was married to Carole Agnes Leiser on August 27, 1960, in Barberton, Ohio. The couple moved two years later to Connecticut. Brian assumed

Nov. 24, 1952 – May 19, 2026

Emily

an actuarial position at Aetna Life & Casualty Co. in Hartford. He would go on to hold many property casualty leadership positions in his career and was named chief actuary in 1991.

They raised three children, David, James, and Kelly, in Avon, Conn. Brian was also active in the community, serving on the town planning board and as president of the Golf Club of Avon.

Retiring to Pinehurst, Brian was an early member and resident of the Forest Creek Golf Club. In 2002, he was accepted for membership in the Wolves, one of the country’s oldest contract bridge clubs, and he continued to play regularly until the time of his death.

Brian was a faithful Roman Catholic, and with his late wife, a longtime parishioner at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Southern Pines. He served on the parish council and as a Eucharistic minister.

Brian was preceded in death by his parents, Parker and Tressa, his wife, Carole, his son, James, his granddaughter, Shannon, and his two sisters, Patricia and Susan.

He is survived by his children David Scott (wife Sarah) of Altadena, Calif., and Kelly Molloy (partner Ross Corder) of Abington, Mass.; seven grandchildren: Hannah Swenson, Cecilia Blackwell, Brigid Scott, Jacob Scott, Charles Scott, Bobby Molloy, and Kaitlyn Molloy; and seven great-grandchildren: Chloe, Thea, Sarah, and Wesley Swenson, Cassius and Oliver Blackwell, and Francesca Scott. His funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 160 E. Vermont Ave., in Southern Pines on Friday, May 29 at 9 am.

In lieu of owers, please consider donating to the Sandhills Coalition for Human Care, 1117 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines, NC 28387.

Alice McKinnon

Jan. 14, 1939 – May 19, 2026

Alice McKinnon, 87, of Cameron, NC, passed away on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at First Health Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, NC.

Kelsi Nicole Williams

Oct. 5, 1988 – May 17, 2026

Kelsi Nicole Williams, beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend, passed away on May 17, 2026, surrounded by her family, after a courageous battle with leukemia. She was 37 years old.

Born on October 5, 1988, in Shreveport, Louisiana, Kelsi brought joy, strength, and determination everywhere she went. Kelsi met her husband, Remington, while attending high school in Owasso, Oklahoma, and together they built a beautiful life centered on faith, love, and community. Inspired by the compassion shown to her during her battle with breast cancer more than ve years ago, Kelsi pursued a nursing degree with the hope of caring for others the way she had once been cared for herself.

Above all else, Kelsi’s faith in Jesus Christ was the foundation of her life. Her salvation and trust in Christ shaped the way she loved her family, served others, and faced every season with courage, grace, and hope.

Kelsi cherished her role as a wife and mother. She and Remington shared 17 beautiful years of marriage, creating a Christ-centered home lled with love, laughter, and unwavering devotion to their four children: Patrick Wesley (“Wes”), Sarah Jane (“Sarah”), Jonathan Edward (“Jonathan”), and Alison Elizabeth (“Allie”).

She is also survived by her parents, John and Gayla (Pittman) Hein of Jenks, Oklahoma; her sister, Stephanie (Angie); her brother, John Michael Hein (Kayla); her parents-in-law, Pat and Sharon Williams; brothers-in-law Sam Williams (Christy) and Truth Williams (Mika); sisters-inlaw Bethany Bickford (Matt), Sarah Williams, Molly Atchison (Trevor), Becky George (Ben), Blessing Lozano (Brant), Hannah McMillan (Michael), Faithful Ricketts (Ozzie), and Kindness George (Matt); as well as many nieces and nephews.

Known for her big smile, competitive spirit, and ability to bring humor and joy into any circumstance, Kelsi built friendships that felt like family and leaves behind a community forever changed by her example. Her strength in the face of su ering was extraordinary. Though her absence leaves an immeasurable void, those who knew and loved her are comforted by the knowledge that she is no longer su ering and is now healthy, whole, and with Jesus.

Visitation for family and friends will be held at Boles Funeral Home on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, from 4 PM to 6 PM. Funeral services for Kelsi will be held at Christ Community Church on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at 11 AM.

Thelma Wylie Buehler

Feb. 19, 1937 – May 16, 2026

Thelma Wylie Buehler, 89, of Aberdeen, North Carolina, passed away peacefully at home on May 16, 2026.

Born on February 19, 1937, in Fair eld, Illinois, she was the daughter of the late Forest and Evelyn Wiley.

Thelma was a warm and social person who never met a stranger. She loved spending time with her family in North Carolina and enjoyed meaningful conversations with everyone she met. She had a creative spirit and spent many happy hours doing ceramics, knitting, sewing, and quilting. She also loved gardening and birdwatching and found great comfort in caring for her beloved cat, Leia, a ectionately known as “Puss,” as well as her dogs. An avid reader, Thelma especially enjoyed novels by James Patterson.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 44 years, Charles H. Buehler, who passed away in 2004.

She is survived by her loving daughter, Leanore Shepherd; grandchildren, Mary Addis (Bob), George Shepherd (Ashley), and Crystal Long (Je rey); and greatgrandchildren, Alexia Shepherd, Samantha Addis, Emily GloverEarhart (James), Robert Addis Jr., Jared Baker, Damion Long, and Caleb Long.

The family will hold a celebration of life at a later date.

In lieu of owers, memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Kenneth “Ken” McSmith

Dec. 26, 1965 – May 21, 2026

Kenneth Troy McSmith, age 60, of Vass (Woodlake), passed away on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at his home, surrounded by his loving family.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 1:00 pm at Cox Memorial Funeral Home Chapel with Military Honors.

Ken was born in New Mexico on December 26, 1965, to Troy Lee McSmith and the late Louise Burks McSmith. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by sisters, Brenda, Debbie and Susie.

He is survived by his wife, Teresa McSmith; children, Brandon McSmith (Krystal) of Spring Lake, Kristina McSmith of High Point, Logan Campbell (DesiRae) of Florida; grandchildren, Dalton, McKinley, Naomi, Levi, Lettie and Luka; sisters, Cheryl Hagan (Phillip) of Texas, Michelle Ursua of California, Angie Gilmore of Kansas; brothers, Je McSmith (Michelle) of Arizona, Je Gilmore (Lisa) of Oklahoma, William Gilmore (Bobbie Jo) of Oklahoma; he is also survived by his furry friends/companions, Lily, Willow, Hope (Kitty Kitty). Ken proudly served his country in the U.S. Army. He was an avid NASCAR fan but his greatest pleasures were spending time with his kids and grandkids and planning the next camping trip. For his working career, he spent 20 years with Goodyear Tire & Rubber in Fayetteville.

In Lieu of owers, donations may be made to FirstHealth Hospice of Pinehurst.

Emily Tyson Davis

Tyson Davis, 73, formerly of the Carthage Needmore Community, passed away on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at her home in Fox re, N.C.

STATE & NATION

America’s tech- lled classrooms facing backlash against school-assigned devices

Parents question whether billion-dollar device investments improve student learning

By Jocelyn Gecker The Associated Press

JUST A FEW YEARS ago, America’s public schools were rushing to get every child a laptop. Los Angeles middle school teacher Anna So er remembers it well: “The idea was that technology is the future, so we need to put tech in every child’s hands.”

Now, the conversation has ipped. After pouring billions of dollars into laptops, tablets and learning apps, many schools are facing a digital reckoning. Classrooms have become saturated with screens, and a growing number of parents, teachers and school districts are saying it is time to scale back.

“The Chromebook is just a world of distraction,” says Soffer, who teaches sixth grade English and history. She favors pen-and-paper assignments but is required to use laptops and online apps for certain activities.

“Every day, I’m battling, ’Who would you rather listen to, Ms. So er or Minecraft?’”

The Los Angeles Uni ed School District, where So er teaches, recently became the rst major school district to say it will stop giving devices to its youngest students. It is part of a new screen time policy taking e ect in the fall across the country’s second-largest school system.

A sweeping resolution passed last month by the Los Angeles school board requires the district to eliminate devices until second grade; set daily and weekly screen limits for all higher grades; block YouTube on school devices; and ban the use of devices at lunch and recess in elementary and middle school. The district will also audit its education technology contracts, which the teachers’ union says amount to $1.6 billion.

The Los Angeles crackdown is adding momentum to calls for reform emerging around the country. In many cases, parents lobbied a few years ago for school cellphone bans, which have now become the norm. Realizing phones weren’t the only classroom distraction, they pivoted to a new target: school-issued devices.

The campaign for change is becoming a public policy issue. At least 14 states have proposed laws to limit screen time in schools, according to Ballotpedia. The federal government issued an advisory last week warning that excessive screen use among youth is becoming a growing public health concern.

Parents say school-issued devices undermine screen limits at home

In Los Angeles, concerned parents last year formed a group, Schools Beyond Screens,

“My daughter went to middle school and was sent home with a screen addiction in her backpack.”

Katie Pace, Schools Beyond Screens member

and pressured the district by speaking out at school board meetings, on social media and in private talks with administrators. Many are frustrated by trying to curb screen time at home, only to have screens mandated by school.

As a mother of three, Katie Pace does everything in her power to limit screens. There is one family iPad and one television at home, no screen time during the week and no screens allowed in bedrooms. Her eighth grade daughter, Clementine, does not have a phone.

But as soon as Clementine gets on the Wi-Fi-enabled school bus, her day takes a turn for the digital.

For the 30-minute ride to school, Clementine watches YouTube videos on her school Chromebook.

In Spanish class, assignments are on the app Duolingo, but many students use Google Translate for answers, Clementine said. Often, kids are playing games on their phones, which are supposed to be locked away. In algebra, Clementine writes with her nger on a touch screen to solve equations. In history, quizzes, tests and writing assignments are on the computer.

Almost all homework is on-

line. Until recently, Clementine would come home and read a book, her mother said, but not anymore. On her daughter’s device history, Pace sees she spends hours a day streaming music, making Spotify playlists, and watching makeup tutorials and cat videos on YouTube.

“It makes me furious,” said Pace, a member of Schools Beyond Screens. “My daughter went to middle school and was sent home with a screen addiction in her backpack.”

The pandemic supercharged student access to devices

A push to put a device in every child’s hand and close the “digital divide” started over a decade ago, but it accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overnight, education shifted online in March 2020. Schools raced to get kids the devices needed to connect to school. When the 2021-2022 school year started, 96% of U.S. public schools reported they had given digital devices to students who needed them, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Many schools switched funding away from textbooks, workbooks and paper printouts to digital alternatives. Educational technology, or “edtech,” exploded into a multibillion-dollar industry.

“During the pandemic, getting kids devices was a lifeline. Now, it’s time that we reset,” said Nick Melvoin, the LAUSD school board member who drafted the new resolution.

Melvoin estimates that few Los Angeles classrooms are using screens e ectively in ways that bene t learning. Too of-

ten, he said, teachers are replacing instruction with online apps and using screens “as a crutch.”

Some schools are introducing new limits

The challenge, educators say, is that technology has become so entwined with learning, especially for older students, that unplugging from screens at school is complicated.

In the a uent Philadelphia suburb of Lower Merion, parents launched a petition campaign for the right to opt their children out of digital devices during school, citing questions about edtech’s bene ts. The district has said that opting out is not possible.

“If there’s really no evidence that it helps, and in fact there’s evidence that it’s harmful, what are we doing? Test scores are at their lowest point,” said Alex Bird Becker, one of the founders of the group PA Unplugged.

Other schools are nding that it makes nancial sense to stop sending a device home with every child.

Fresno Uni ed School District, the third-largest in California, is spending $4 million a year to repair and replace laptops. Partly to cut costs, the district has told its 40,000 elementary school students to return their take-home laptops and it will shift computer access to in-class only in the fall, spokesperson AJ Kato said.

The Simi Valley Uni ed School District, near Los Angeles, stopped sending devices home for its younger students this year, partly because of costly repairs but also because they were being used for “inappropriate Google searches” and video games, according to a memo to

parents. The district now stores the devices in carts at school. A group of parents in Arlington, Virginia, gathered on a recent Saturday night to share their children’s struggles with screen addictions and other side e ects of school-issued devices.

“None of us are Luddites. I know that technology adds value, but I also don’t want my son on YouTube all the time,” said LuAnn Oliver, who hosted the group in her living room. Her sixth grade son struggles to keep track of online assignments and resist the temptation the iPad offers for video games. “We get reports on websites he’s visited. He’s visiting a game site in nearly every class.”

The Arlington School District has stopped giving iPads out before rst grade and is setting new limits in elementary school, but students in sixth to 12th grades will still be required to have school-issued devices.

Another mother, Jenny Sullivan, said she has noticed her fourth grade son capitalizing random letters and not getting corrected because there is so little work on paper. She also worries about social implications: Her sixth grader doesn’t want to go to the after-school program because everyone is on their iPad. “I’d rather be home,” he tells his mother.

After a three-hour gathering, the parents made a plan to approach the school in the fall with a uni ed request to “opt out of technology and opt in to textbooks and paper.”

“Ten years from now,” said one of the mothers, Kristina Jackson, “I can’t imagine us looking back with any other reaction than: How could we have been so naive that we just handed these devices to our kids.”

KEVIN WOLF / AP PHOTO

LuAnn Oliver’s son demonstrates earlier this month how he uses an iPad for his classes during a meeting where a group of school parents discussed ways to push back against screen time at the children’s school in Arlington, Virginia.