North State Journal Vol. 11, Issue 17

Perfect storm

Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker kisses the Stanley Cup after Carolina beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in Sunday’s Game 6 of the Stanley Cup nal to win their rst championship in 20 years.

the

BRIEF

this week

Leicester chef wins James Beard Award

New York

The culinary world’s equivalent of the Oscars were announced Monday, and a Buncombe County chef was among those honored. Taylor Montgomery of Montgomery Sky Farm in Leicester was named Best Chef in the Southeast, one of 25 categories of restaurants, chefs and others that were honored at the ceremony for the James Beard Awards in Chicago. The James Beard Foundation established the awards in 1990. Restaurants apply for the awards. Judges, who mostly remain anonymous, try the cuisine before voting.

Blanche set for July con rmation hearings for attorney general Washington, D.C.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled con rmation hearings for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in mid-July, even as some Republicans remain undecided about whether to support him for the post.

President Donald Trump nominated Blanche to lead the Justice Department this month, shortly after Blanche sparred with Republican senators in a contentious meeting about a $1.776 billion settlement fund. Blanche later testi ed that the fund would not go forward. But some Republican senators say they want more assurances from Blanche before they vote to con rm him as the nation’s chief law enforcement o cer.

Trump red his rst attorney general of this term, Pam Bondi, in April, and elevated Blanche to be acting attorney general.

Property tax bill heads to Stein

The legislation would put a one-year moratorium on county reappraisals

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A bill placing a one-year moratorium on county property tax reappraisals is headed to Gov. Josh Stein’s desk.

Senate Bill 889 passed the Senate by a vote of 35-8 in ear-

ly May and was passed by the House on June 10 by a vote of 70-42.

Four House Democrats voted with Republicans for passage: Reps. Maria Cervania (Wake), Garland Pierce (Scotland), Dante Pittman (Wilson) and Shelly Willingham (Edgecombe).

For the 2026-27 scal year, certain counties will have to use property values from the

Stevens resigns House seat

The Surry County Republican is shifting focus to her Supreme Court campaign

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina House Rep. Sarah Stevens (R-Surry) resigned Tuesday so she can shift her focus to her campaign for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court.

“After careful consideration, I have decided to devote my full time and energy to my campaign for the North Carolina Supreme Court,” Stevens wrote. “I believe this next step will allow me to continue serving the people of North Carolina and upholding the rule of law in a new capacity.”

Stevens said it was “one of the greatest honors of my life to serve the people of North Carolina in the House of Representatives.” She also said she was “deeply grateful” for the trust the citizens of the counties she served, as well as the friendships and partnerships

Senate bill addresses social media, AI, kids

“This legislation really is a simple truth that our children need protection and our parents need additional tools in their toolbox to protect their children.”

Sen. Dana Jones (R-Forsyth)

The legislation targets social media use by children under 16 and would require formal AI policies and training in K-12 schools

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A bill aimed at protecting children 16 and under from “addictive” social media received approval from the North Carolina Senate last week.

House Bill 301 would set up new rules for social media platforms while also including arti cial intelligence (AI) education and safety standards for the state’s K-12 public schools.

The bill was led by Sen. Dana Jones (R-Forsyth), who spoke on the measure before the Senate unanimously passed it by a vote of 48-0.

“This legislation really is a simple truth that our children need protection and our parents need additional tools in their toolbox to protect their children,” Jones said.

The social media portion of the bill creates a new law dening “addictive” platforms as those built around endless scrolling, unblockable push alerts, auto-play videos, live streaming and reaction counters.

De nitions also include algorithms that push content speci cally on sites where at

she gained while at the General Assembly.

“I am especially proud of the work we accomplished together on judicial reform, infrastructure improvements, education initiatives, foster care reform, and e orts to make state government more e ective and accountable to the people we serve,” Stevens wrote.

Republican Party chairs for Stevens’ district will nominate her replacement, likely to be Dan Kiger, who won the March 3 primary for the District 90 seat with nearly 52% of the vote.

In an exclusive interview with North State Journal, Stevens con rmed her departure after 17 years at the legislature was to concentrate on her state Supreme Court candidacy. Stevens is challenging Associate Justice Anita Earls this November.

Stevens said there were “numerous reasons” why she was leaving o ce but admitted “fundraising is an issue” as her campaign war chest lags behind Earls. First-quarter reports for

JOHN LOCHER / AP PHOTO

the word | No victory without a battle

The goal of noble living, is to gather new virtue and grace from all life’s struggles, cares and sorrows. A mark of a noble character is a desire to do hard things.

The man who seeks only easy things will never make much of his life. One who is afraid of hard work will never achieve anything worthwhile.

In an art gallery, before a lovely masterpiece, a young artist said to Ruskin, “Ah! If only I could put such a dream on canvas.” “Dream on canvas!” growled the old master. “It will take ten thousand touches of the brush on the canvas to put your dream there.” No doubt, many beautiful dreams die in the brains and hearts of people for lack of e ort to make them realities.

In all departments of life — this indolent, easy-going way of getting on in life — is working its mischief. People do only what is easy and never grapple with anything that is hard.

Indolence is the bane of countless lives. They do not rise because they have not the courage and persistence to climb. There are too many people who try to shirk the hard things. They want to get along as easily as possible. They have ambition of a certain sort but it is ambition to have the victory without the battle; to get the gold without digging for it. They would like to be learned and wise but they do not care to toil in study, and burn the midnight oil, as they must do if they would realize their desire. They may have a certain longing to be noble and Christlike, with a character that will command respect and con dence but they have not the spirit of self-denial and of earnest moral purpose, which alone can produce such a character.

They may want to be godly and to grow into worthy manhood but lack that passionate earnestness which alone will yield vigorous piety, and manly virtue, and the heroic qualities of true Christlikeness.

Mere “holy dreaming” will yield nothing better than spiritual e eminacy. No religion is worthy which does not seek to attain the best things; and the best can be won only by the bravest struggle and the most persistent striving.

We should not forget, that no one ever did anything of great value in this world without cost. A quaint old proverb says, “One cannot have an omelet without breaking eggs.” If we would do anything really worth while, that will be a blessing in the world — we must put into it, not merely easy e orts, languid sympathies, conventional good wishes, and courtesies that cost nothing.

We must put into it thought, time, patience, self-denial, sleepless nights, and exhausting toil.

There is a legend of an artist who had

found the secret of a wonderful “red” which no other artist could imitate. The secret of his “color” died with him. But after his death an old wound was discovered over his heart. This revealed the source of the matchless hue in his pictures. The lesson of the legend is no great achievement can be made, no lofty attainment can be reached, nothing of much value to the world can be done except at the cost of heart’s blood.

“I labor struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me!” Colossians 1:29

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.

Green launches Parent Advisory Council

The council aims to strengthen family engagement in education

By Jessica Taylor For North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina State Superintendent Mo Green launched the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council on June 4, according to a recent press release.

The council is a statewide initiative that aims to strengthen family engagement in public education and contribute to implementing the state’s Strategic Plan. It is not intended to serve as a body that establishes statewide education policy priorities.

“As we continue to implement our Strategic Plan, it is critical that we engage families not just as stakeholders, but as informed partners,” Green said in the release. “This Council will help us build a strong group of leaders who understand our system and can provide meaningful input to improve outcomes for students.”

The council hopes to connect parents from across the state. Parent leaders will serve as ad-

COURTESY @MOGREENNCDPI / X State Superintendent Mo Green, right during an April visit to a Scotland County middle school, announced the creation of the new Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council.

visers according to their alignment with the eight State Board of Education regions. The application is available for parents and caregivers interested in serving on the council. The application period opened

prior reappraisal instead of any newly updated ones that might have a potentially higher value.

Speci cally, counties with a population of 15,000 or greater that conducted a reappraisal and adopted a new value schedule effective Jan. 1, 2026, are covered in the bill’s language.

Those counties will be required to pause implementing that reappraisal and instead use the previous schedule for the taxable year beginning July 1, 2026.

A county meeting the criteria to delay its 2026 property reappraisal must use the schedule of values that were supposed to take e ect on Jan. 1, 2026, and begin using them for 2027.

Property owners will retain the right to appeal their 2026 valuations during 2027.

There were 12 North Carolina counties with property reappraisals e ective Jan. 1, 2026: Anson, Bladen, Buncombe, Chowan, Clay, Davidson, Guilford, Harnett, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender and Scotland.

The bill was spearheaded by Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) and joined by Sens. Brent Jackson (R-Sampson) and Steve Jarvis (R-Davidson) as primary sponsors.

In the House, Guilford Republican Reps. John Blust and Alan Branson supported the measure despite pushback from their Democratic colleagues who represent parts of the county and claim the move will hamstring services.

“Guilford County’s revaluation numbers make it clear that lower- and middle-income families will be hit the hardest by rising property taxes at a time when many are barely able to make ends meet,” Blust said in a statement. “If property taxes increase to the point where people can no longer a ord their homes, then we have a serious problem. This moratorium gives Guilford homeowners breathing room so families aren’t taxed out of their own communities.”

Guilford County has seen a spike in reappraisal appeals from citizens, receiving more

June 4 and closes Sept. 15. From the pool of applicants, 16 to 24 will be selected and ensure representation from each of the eight state board regions.

Selected members will serve and attend for two years and

“This Council will help us build a strong group of leaders who understand our system and can provide meaningful input to improve outcomes for students.” Mo Green, state superintendent

share the perspectives from surrounding communities, provide guidance, analyze and evaluate presentations, and identify both challenges and opportunities regarding implementation e orts.

The council will meet quarterly, in November, February, May and August. Meetings will be virtual and are expected to last about two hours. Members will additionally participate in virtual orientation led by state education leaders on topics like school governance and funding, state and local education systems, accountability and performance measures,

than 14,000 so far this year, a 243% increase over the prior cycle.

“I’ve spent years running a small business and serving the people of Guilford County, and I know what happens when lo-

cal government starts treating taxpayers like an endless source of revenue,” Branson said. “The issues facing our county won’t be solved by sending our people higher property tax bills. That’s why I support this legislation to

and Strategic Plan priorities.

The Strategic Plan for North Carolina Public Schools focuses on numerous goals, with eight pillars that emphasize e orts for improving education for students.

The pillars include preparing students for their next phases in life, uplifting public school educators, enhancing support from parents and communities, ensuring secure learning environments, optimizing operations, leading change, celebrating excellence in public education and increasing investments in public schools.

Former State Superintendent Catherine Truitt created a similar commission focused on strengthening parent and family involvement in education. The former commission received 3,500 applications, which was narrowed down to 150 candidates. Forty-eight parents were selected. Truitt’s council met virtually on a quarterly basis.

The makeup included two traditional public schools, one charter public school, one homeschool, one private school and one at-large public school member from the largest county in each region.

Green’s communications department did not respond to a request for comment on the di erences between the two initiatives.

protect the hardworking families who simply want to stay in their homes.”

A bill that would amend and add to the Senate Bill 889 is still working its way through the legislature.

Senate Bill 474, which was originally the “DAVE Act,” was gutted June 9, and a preferred committee substitute containing the current language was inserted.

Senate Bill 474 adds targeted exemptions from Senate Bill 889 for counties with very low populations with fewer than 12,000 people and for certain small counties with fewer than 150,000 people that are in a third year following a mandatory reappraisal notice. It also carves out exemptions for those areas that had high tax rates recently, as well as exempting some counties impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Senate Bill 474 passed with a unanimous 110-0 vote on its second reading in the House and was set to be heard again on the House oor Tuesday.

CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO

State Rep. Dante Pittman (D-Nash), pictured in October 2025, was one of four Democrats who voted with Republicans on a bill that would impose a one-year moratorium on property reappraisals.

PUBLIC DOMAIN

“Our Banner in the Sky” by Frederic Edwin Church (1861).

State lawmakers want to ‘Make E-Verify Great Again’

The bill covers businesses with 25 or more employees

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A bill that would enact stronger E-Verify requirements for certain employers is making its way through various committees at the legislature.

House Bill 1214, called Make E-Verify Great Again, was rst led in April and revised through a Proposed Committee Substitute (PCS) last week. That PCS was approved by the House Judiciary 2 Committee and was rereferred to the Committee on Agriculture and Environment.

Prior to the approval of the PCS, the main sponsor, Rep. Karl Gillespie (R-Macon), acknowledged the measure as a Department of Labor (DOL) agency bill, meaning the department requested the legislation. He also noted businesses had helped with input on the bill.

“I’d like to acknowledge North Carolina Farm Bureau, the Ag Group for restaurant and lodging groups, North Carolina Chamber and, of course, DOL for their willingness to continue to come to the table and work through this language and get to some language that we can all be happy with,” Gillespie said.

The only criticism of the bill came from Rep. Deb Butler (D-New Hanover), who said she thought the bill would create administrative burdens and have a “chilling e ect on hiring.”

Mason Barefoot, a representative from the DOL, thanked the bill sponsors and said the department believes the measure “strikes an appropriate balance between encouraging compliance, ensuring commonsense protections for job creators trying to do the right thing and strengthening enforcement of North Carolina E-Verify laws.”

Lobbyist Kevin Wilkinson of the Southern Group spoke

in support of approving the PCS on behalf of the Associated Builders and Contractors in the Carolinas. Wilkinson said they had “some initial concerns,” but the DOL and Commissioner Luke Farley worked with them to address their questions. Compared to the original version, the PCS changes the employer threshold to use the federal E-Verify system back to 25 from the broader ve or more employees in the original bill, limits checks to random only with stronger safeguards and streamlines penalties. Most provisions would take e ect upon becoming law, with funding starting July 1. In addition to private employers, state agencies, counties, municipalities and other local governments must also use E-Verify, and employers must retain veri cation records for the length of employment plus one year.

A “good-faith safe harbor” provision protects employers who properly enroll in E-Verify, follow procedures and do not knowingly accept fake documents — even if an employee provides fraudulent paperwork that may be hard to spot. The bill also adds protections against retaliation for good-faith employee reports. Enforcement includes random compliance checks by the Labor commissioner, us-

ing a neutral weighted sample of employers by size and industry. Checks would be limited to once per year, require written notice and focus only on records with no warrantless physical inspections of private property. The Department of Labor would get $448,195 in recurring funds for the 2026 -2027 scal year to fund ve full-time positions to assist in the enforcement.

First violations would get a 30-day cure period to x issues. Penalties are graduated and capped, starting at up to $1,000 per missed veri cation and a maximum of $3,000 initially, with higher tiers for repeat violations of up to $25,000. The North Carolina bill is like that of other states that already passed or have active bills with expanded E-Verify requirements, such as Idaho, Indiana and West Virginia. As of 2026, states requiring E-Verify for nearly all private employers, regardless of size, include Alabama, Arizona, Mississippi and South Carolina. Employee thresholds like North Carolina’s proposal include Georgia (10 or more) and Florida (25 or more), while neighboring Tennessee has a higher threshold of 35 and up. During its current session, Florida’s House passed a bill now pending in the Senate to drop the threshold entirely.

Stein urges NC congressional delegation to expedite $10B in Helene recovery funds

The request is an update following the $3 billion received by the state

By Jessica Taylor For North State Journal

RALEIGH — North Carolina

Gov. Josh Stein met with members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation in Washington, D.C., last week to reiterate his request for Hurricane Helene funding in western North Carolina.

Stein’s original ask was for $13 billion, and his renewed ask now sits at $10 billion following the state’s receipt of about $3 billion.

Stein’s letter to North Carolina’s congressional members highlights the damage caused by Helene, current e orts made to mitigate the hurricane’s impacts and a re ned request for funds that re ects current needs.

Stein’s renewed request calls for:

• $3.07 billion to repair/rebuild damaged homes

• $1.03 billion to rebuild water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure

• $3.05 billion to rebuild local infrastructure

• $1.56 billion to support economic recovery

• $300 million to restore private roads and bridges

• $560 million to repair federal highways

• $600 million to support local governments and communities

“North Carolina is grateful for every dollar the federal government has put toward Hurricane Helene recovery, and we’re putting those dollars to work,” said Gov. Josh Stein in the press release.

“I am encouraged by today’s meetings with North Carolina’s congressional delegation, and I look forward to working with

“North Carolina is grateful for every dollar the federal government has put toward Hurricane Helene recovery, and we’re putting those dollars to work.”

Gov. Josh Stein

them to deliver more federal resources to western North Carolina,” Stein said.

The same day Stein sent his letter, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced another $298 million was headed to North Carolina. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-Flat Rock), whose district covers counties hit by the storm, also issued a detailed press release of the projects receiving funding.

“Securing these funds is critical to nally moving from recovery to rebuilding,” Edwards said in the release. “These resources allow us to get to work restoring our roads, rebuilding our bridges, and repairing the infrastructure Western North Carolina depends on every single day to keep communities connected and moving forward.”

North Carolina has allocated about $2.4 billion in state appropriations, with $395 million included to match federal dollars. The funding appropriated by the state is more than for any other past disaster.

State agencies have additionally provided $2 billion toward Helene recovery in anticipation of federal reimbursement. Private insurance has paid about $5 billion, and nonpro t and philanthropic agencies have contributed about $1.4 billion.

Not including the $300 million announced on June 10, the federal government has awarded $8.3 billion to the state for Helene related recovery. The storm was estimated to have had a nearly $60 billion damage impact.

Stablecoin bill passes House with bipartisan support

The legislation brings North Carolina in line with federal Genius Act on stablecoin

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A bill that would allow state-chartered banks and credit unions to offer digital asset services passed the House with wide bipartisan support during last week’s legislative session.

House Bill 1029 passed by a vote of 112-3 in the House. The bill passed a rst reading in the Senate and now sits with

that chamber’s rules committee.

The bill’s primary sponsors include Reps. Allen Chesser (R-Nash), Davis Willis (R-Union), Stephen Ross (R-Alamance) and Mike Schietzelt (R-Wake).

and cybersecurity requirements.

112-3

Vote on House Bill 1029

“What this bill does is primarily two things: It allows our state chartered banks and credit unions to participate in an industry that their federally chartered counterparts already get to participate in — And that is the custodian role for digital assets for their customers,” Chesser said before the vote. “And then it establishes the stablecoin structure that is the state equivalent of the federal structure that is provided by the Genius Act that was enacted last year.”

Staking is a commitment of digital assets supporting operations of a blockchain network. In return for that commitment, staking rewards can be made, such as additional tokens paid out as interest or similar compensation.

The bill has two main sections: the Digital Asset Financial Act and the North Carolina Stablecoin Act. The Digital Asset Financial Act would authorize state-chartered banks and credit unions to o er digital asset custody, staking and transaction services.

Institutions participating must keep 100% reserves of each digital asset held for customers, conduct independent annual audits and provide clear disclosures distinguishing duciary from non duciary custody. Certain safeguards are included, such as bans on lending out customer assets, detailed risk disclosures for staking, and robust anti-money laundering

Part two of the bill, the North Carolina Stablecoin Act, aligns with the federal Genius Act. The bill would set up a licensing regime for “payment stablecoins,” which are dollar-pegged digital assets used for payments and settlements.

Issuers would be required to back every stablecoin they issue with real dollar-equivalent reserves. They will also need to make regular public disclosures and follow anti-money laundering rules, as well as be licensed and supervised by the North Carolina Commissioner of Banks. Violations can result in nes and criminal penalties.

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Power you can count on, now and always.

Learn more at NCElectricCooperatives.com

CHRIS CARLSON / AP PHOTO

Workers build a home in Marshall in Madison County in September 2023.

THE CONVERSATION

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

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

The Carolina Hurricanes won it all, Dad-o

I still have the beanie, as a reminder of better days.

BACK IN JANUARY, I wrote a column about the family-sports connection and how watching sports is a great way to connect or strengthen bonds with family members and friends.

It was inspired in part by the NFL wild card game that was played between the Los Angeles Rams and the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium earlier that month.

Though the game ended in a heartbreaking 34-31 loss for the Panthers, it reminded me of how much my dad and I enjoyed watching Panthers games together, with me trying to learn his secret for understanding what penalty would be called before the refs called it, and him rooting for his other favorite NFL team, the Atlanta Falcons, just to get a rise out of me on game days whenever the two played each other.

Another team we liked watching together was the Carolina Hurricanes. Neither one of us understood a lot about hockey in terms of what some of the penalties meant (like we could never quite gure out what constituted “icing”), but we knew the main thing: getting the puck in the opposing team’s net meant we scored.

We weren’t as religious about watching NHL games as we were NFL games, but we did watch quite a few games during the

EDITORIAL | MICHAEL BARONE

Canes’ magical 2006 Stanley Cup run, when team captain Rod Brind’Amour hoisted the Stanley Cup as a player on home ice after the Hurricanes bested the Edmonton Oilers in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup nal.

At a certain point in my dad’s life, it became a little more challenging to see what was happening on the screen, so when we’d watch hockey games together, I’d sometimes have to explain what was going on. He had a 55” TV, so while he generally could see it when goals were scored, he couldn’t always tell where the puck was and who had it.

In May 2022, the Hurricanes again were in the playo s, and in the second round, they faced the New York Rangers. Dad was at a physical rehab/nursing home facility to try to get his legs strong enough that he could return home. There was a Sunday game between the Hurricanes and the Rangers, and I told him that my mom and I would visit him that day so we could watch some of the game together.

I also wanted to gift him a Carolina Hurricanes beanie I got for him to wear for when he went to the dialysis center, where he said sometimes his head would get cold due to how cool they ran the air conditioning. It ended up not being a not-so-great day. While he liked the beanie, he couldn’t see

much of the game at all because it was on a much smaller screen than what he and Mom had at home. And he didn’t seem to take much enjoyment out of me doing a play-by-play of what was happening on the ice. It was the last Hurricanes game we ever watched together. The Hurricanes ended up losing the series, but Dad still proudly wore his Canes beanie to the dialysis center, even on the last visit he ever made to it, which was in early June 2022. I still have the beanie as a reminder of better days.

After the Brind’Amour-coached Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup this past Sunday after a 20-year drought, I looked at a picture of my dad we have on the living room wall and said, “They did it, Dad-o.” And then I thought about the fact that he was probably watching it because he undoubtedly had the best seat in the house up in heaven. Happy Father’s Day in heaven, Dad. We love you and still miss you so much.

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.

Gordon Wood and the historians who told the real story of the founders

They read the patriots’ words more carefully and took their arguments seriously.

THE SUDDEN DEATH of historian Gordon Wood, just weeks before the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, is one more mark of the closure of a golden age of the historiography of the revolutionary era. It’s an occasion to re ect on the uniqueness, indeed the idiosyncrasy, of the emergence of the primacy of this United States among the nations of the world.

As the historian Walter McDougall has pointed out, a catalog of world civilizations in the year 1600 looks, with one exception, much like the world today. There is a prosperous and populous China at one end of Eurasia and a prosperous and populous Europe at the other. There is a bustling Indian subcontinent and a vast and little-visited Africa, and large Euro-indigenous cultures in Mexico and South America.

The great di erence is the emergence, from what was a sparsely populated and isolated realm, of the great world power of the United States of America.

How this nation emerged, and how it was formed and uni ed in the pivotal nal years of the 18th century, has come to be understood anew thanks to a generation of historians who began their work in the postwar decades more than 50 years ago and continued it into their 90s. Among the pioneers was Wood, who died this week at 92, and his thesis adviser, Bernard Bailyn, who died in 2020 at 97.

Before their generation, American historiography often was more about the presumptions of the writers than the makers of history. Early 19th-century historians glori ed, even mythologized, the Founding Fathers. The tragic losses of the Civil War prompted Northerners to lament antebellum statesmen’s failure to compromise and Southerners to canonize the champions of the Lost Cause.

Early 20th-century progressives, in uenced by Marxist assumptions about economic class warfare, tried to prove that colonists led a revolution against Britain and then wrote a constitution all to protect their wealth against redistribution. Then, in what I have called the “Midcentury Moment” during and after World War II, some historians abjured class warfare and argued that Americans shared a consensus all along. Bailyn and Wood did something else. They read the patriots’ words more carefully and took their arguments seriously. They studied the numerous pamphlets from the revolutionary 1760s and 1770s, as well as the debates over

the new republic in the 1780s and 1790s.

They understood that Americans, imbued with British ideas of freedom but blessedly distant from British authorities, could write with more frankness than past political theorists under the close supervision of monarch and church, and with no motive to conceal motivation from the then-nonexistent Marxian or Freudian theorists. They did the real work of history: understanding a society familiar in some respects but strange in so many others.

“The approach of many historians to the American Revolution, it seemed, had too often been deeply ahistorical; there had been too little sense of the irretrievability and di erentness of the eighteenth-century world,” Wood wrote in 1969 in his preface to “The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787.” “When I began to compare the debates surrounding the Revolutionary constitution-making of 1776 with those surrounding the formation of the Constitution of 1787, I realized that a fundamental transformation of political culture had taken place.”

This is a history of unanticipated events changing minds. As Bailyn wrote in 1967 in “The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution,” “The details of this new world were not as yet clearly depicted; but faith ran high that a better world than any that had ever been known could be built where authority was distrusted and held in constant scrutiny; where the status of men owed from their achievements and from their personal qualities, not from distinctions ascribed to them at birth; and where the use of power over the lives of men was jealously guarded and severely restricted.”

Wood’s central thesis in his 1992 Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Radicalism of the American Revolution” was that the revolution declared in 1776 had transformed the character of the American people. They realized that what held them together “could not be the traditional ethnic, religious, and tribal loyalties of the Old World” and instead “found new democratic adhesives in the actual behavior of plain ordinary people — in the everyday desire to make money and pursue happiness in the here and now.”

Writing in National Review last January, Wood celebrated “ ve signi cant words that came to de ne American culture — ‘all men are created equal.’” This prompted them to create “numerous learned academies and historical societies,” including “mechanic societies, humane societies, societies for the prevention of pauperism, orphans’ asylums, missionary societies, marine societies,

tract societies, Bible societies, temperance associations, Sabbatarian groups, peace societies, societies for the suppression of vice and immorality, societies for the relief of poor widows, societies for the promotion of industry.”

Wood was among the multiple leading historians who criticized The New York Times’ Nikole Hannah-Jones’ argument that 1619, the importation of the rst slave in the colonies, was the real founding of America. Instead, he argued it was the revolution that led to the unraveling of slavery.

“Although many modern historians have called the Revolution’s inability to free all the slaves its greatest failure, they have committed the great sin of anachronism by assuming that everyone in the past must have known that slavery was an evil,” he wrote in January. “These historians have not fully appreciated that the Revolution de ed a world that for the millennia had taken slavery for granted. It was the Revolution that for the rst time in history made slavery a problem, and it led to the rst instance of states’ abolishing the practice.”

Wood has been critical as well of the notion, recently mentioned without disapproval by Vice President JD Vance, that those with American ancestors in the Civil War era are somehow more American than those whose ancestors arrived later. Contrary to Europe, “There is no American ethnicity to back up the state,” he said in his November 2025 Irving Kristol lecture at the American Enterprise Institute. “To be an American is not to be someone, but to believe in something.” Such as “the powerful sense of equality” that “is what makes us one people.”

We are unlikely to hear much more from the last survivors of the two generations of academic and popular historians who made the nal third of the 20th century a golden age for the history of the founding. In the universities, most have been replaced by academics with di erent interests and a more adversarial approach to the nation whose bounty and freedoms make their work possible.

But on the 251st Fourth of July upcoming, and in months and years to come, it should be refreshing to dip into their rich works and gain more knowledge of, and appreciation for, the wondrous deeds of those who came before us and of whom we are the fortunate, if too often the ungrateful, heirs.

Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner and longtime co-author of “The Almanac of American Politics.” (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

Political but not partisan?

What drew us in was a vision for the common good, a public good for the public square.

WHILE IT SEEMS impossible to even imagine in the year 2026, so hard-edged we have become — where battle lines are blood sport among us — there are people who see it di erently and who long for our life together to be di erent.

A few days ago, I spent time with some of them, a remarkable gathering of serious men and women from across America who are willing to do the hard work of rethinking what is and what might be. Under the banner of the Center for Christianity and Public Life — below Pikes Peak and near the Garden of the Gods — we prayed and ate, thought and talked, committed in our own unique ways to another future for the United States as a nation in and for the world.

There wasn’t a romantic in the room, as each one was culturally, politically and socially engaged, even a few with occupational commitments on one side or the other of the partisan divide; what drew us in was a vision for the common good, a public good for the public square — in our very di erent ways all of us wanting a deeper understanding of the vocation of our lives, born as must be by deeper commitments and loves than the prescribed political partisanship can imagine, by deeper loyalties formed by rst loves.

I am rarely in a room with the honest diversity represented by CCPL’s labor of love. Ecclesially and ethnically, politically and socially, vocationally and professionally,

COLUMN | PAUL STAM

yearning to know more so that we could love more; not in abstraction, but instead with a willingness to listen and learn about a deeper, truer vision of “e pluribus unum” that is intellectually and morally sustainable for our political well-being.

As is often true, I remembered again the hard-won wisdom of the groundbreaking work of Robert Bellah et al in “Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life”: “We nd ourselves not independently of other people and institutions but through them. We never get to the bottom of ourselves on our own. We discover who we are face to face and side by side with others in work, love, and learning.”

When all was said and done, more could have been said because more will be done. But it was a true gift to step away for even a brief shining moment into a room where the hope and dream was for what could be, for what should be, for what someday will be.

“What does the Lord require of you? To do justice, to love mercy, to walk humbly with God.” Always and everywhere.

A teacher of many people in many places, Steven Garber is the senior fellow for Vocation and Common the Good for the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and the author of several book, his most recent, “Hints of Hope: Essays on Making Peace with the Proximate.” He lives among family, friends and owers in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Rebuttal to Public Ed Works

Two-thirds of the scholarship money goes to Tier One (poor) and Tier Two (getting by) families.

PUBLIC ED WORKS published “Bringing Back Exclusion: NC’s School Voucher Program.” This article is full of factual errors and economic and logical fallacies. It warrants rebuttal. It is written by J. Drew Tonissen, author of “The Resegregation Racket.”

Tonissen claims that in 2013 Opportunity Scholarships were sold to the public under the guise of helping “low income” and “disabled” students, starting out with $10 million and a low-income cap as “bait” for a much-expanded program for white wealthy parents. The 2013 legislation was constrained by scal limits. Proponents at the time wanted a program that would serve low- and middle-income families who needed the scholarships to a ord tuition. Appropriators were not sure that the program would actually save the state and county money, so they chose to start small with a pilot program.

Disabled students are covered by a separate program, ESA+, that began two years earlier in 2011 with much larger grants. That program never had an income cap. It was never challenged in court nor legislatively. It is hugely popular.

Tonissen claims that there are negative educational outcomes for scholarship students, that there are no measures of accountability and no information is available to the public about whether such students have made academic progress or have fallen behind. Not true. A study conducted by professors at NC State University and the Friday Institute found that Opportunity Scholars scored higher on standardized tests in reading, math and language compared to their public school peers. The researchers wrote that Opportunity Scholars showed a “positive, large and statistically signi cant” e ect in math, reading and language. The authors cautioned that test participants comprised only a small percentage of the students then receiving the scholarships.

In a 2016 Friedman Foundation Report by Greg Forster, 31 out of 33 peer-reviewed studies found that a school choice program improves the outcome for public-school students in the neighboring area. One report found no e ect and one found a negative e ect.

Tonissen complains that discrimination on the basis of race is the same as the purpose of, many schools which started in the late ’50s and early ’60s, and that purpose is still present. Does he not realize that the statute creating Opportunity Scholarships forbids “discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin?” Does he not realize that 21% of Opportunity Scholars are African American or Hispanic?

In 2023 and 2024, I represented two dozen private Christian schools which were required to give depositions or produce documents about their policies on discrimination. My review of their records showed all but one was thoroughly integrated by race. One exception was a small school oriented only to disadvantaged students. It was all African American in practice but wants to integrate.

Tonissen claims that the Opportunity Scholarship is mostly about helping wealthy

white families who don’t need it. Does he not realize that two-thirds of the scholarship money goes to families in Tier One (poor) and Tier Two (getting by)? The maximum income for a family of four is $61,050 and $122,160, respectively. Does he not realize that Tier Four (wealthy) families only receive 11% of the funding although they are 18% of the scholarships? Tier Three families with a household income limit of $274,725 for a family of four (doing ne but not wealthy) receive 23% of the scholarship money.

Tonissen claims that “average” yearly tuition for private schools in North Carolina is $13,177. Where did he get that number? It is wildly too high. Very expensive private schools generally do not accept Opportunity Scholarships. A group of top academic quality schools, Thales Academies in expensive Wake County charge tuition and fees of around $7,000. Catholic schools generally charge $9,640. Other Christian schools average $6,708 to $7,870 (depending on grade level). Some private Christian schools charge $10,000 and accept Opportunity Scholarships. Generally they also provide nancial aid of their own on top of the Opportunity Scholarships.

Tonissen claims that schools “lose funding for every student who leaves with a voucher leaving our traditional schools hollowed out.” Does he not realize that public schools also lose the expense of educating that child? When savings to counties for capital and for local supplements are considered, with savings to the state, public schools lose no funding.

Tonissen claims that Opportunity Scholarship schools lack accountability. Many point out that private schools need not be accredited. True. But public schools also are not required to be accredited. Most Opportunity Scholars are in elementary school. Accreditation for public elementary schools is rare. Accreditation is often meaningless. Forty-three traditional public high schools were committing “academic genocide,” declared Judge Manning in Leandro. These 43 schools were also “accredited.” Accreditation can be a worthy goal, depending on the criteria used. It can also be a useless expense if it measures inputs rather than outputs.

Private schools do not administer the state “end-of-grade” tests. But private schools are required to administer nationally normed tests on grammar, reading and math (annually for Opportunity Scholars). Nationally normed tests paint a truer picture than the state “end-of-grade” test. I urge our public schools to use nationally normed tests. We can then compare performance on these tests with the academic performance of Opportunity Scholars.

Public Ed Works should face up to reality and not employ misinformed ideologues as writers.

Paul was a member of the North Carolina House for 16 years, the last 10 as Republican leader and speaker pro tem. He practices law in Apex.

U.S. natural gas in a dominant position for decades to come

THE U.S. ENERGY Information Administration dropped its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook this week, and the numbers clearly demonstrate that America’s shale revolution isn’t slowing down — it’s accelerating, and the world is better o for it.

Marketed natural gas production is projected to jump 3.3% in 2026, adding roughly 3.9 billion cubic feet per day, with another solid 2.5% gain in 2027. Much of that growth comes from associated gas in the proli c Permian Basin, supplemented by the Haynesville Shale feeding Gulf Coast demand.

Dry gas output should hit 111 Bcf/d next year and 113.6 Bcf/d in 2027. That’s a whole lot of reliable, a ordable molecules keeping Henry Hub prices reasonable — around $3.34 per MMBtu in 2026 and $3.46 for 2027 — while domestic consumption gets comfortably outpaced and inventories stay healthy.

This good news didn’t just materialize by accident. It’s the direct result of decades of innovation, smart policy in producing states, and the determination of the American oil and gas industry to deliver despite constant headwinds from Washington bureaucrats and green zealots.

This unrivaled abundance lines up perfectly with the explosion in U.S. LNG export capacity. As recent industry reports detailed, three major Gulf Coast projects hit nal investment decision in 2026: Venture Global’s CP2 Phase 2, Commonwealth LNG and Del n Midstream’s oating LNG project o Louisiana. Add in prior FIDs, and we’re talking nearly 17 Bcf/d of new capacity coming online, pushing total Gulf Coast export potential toward 33 Bcf/d. Del n’s FLNG setup already has strong o take agreements lined up with players like Vitol, Expand Energy, Centrica and Gunvor. It’s an object lesson for how to turn resource abundance into real economic and geopolitical muscle.

The virtuous cycle here is obvious to those not blinded by net-zero fever dreams: Cheap, abundant domestic gas feedstock makes LNG projects more economic, which drives more exports, which incentivizes even more upstream drilling.

Unlike constrained suppliers exposed to geopolitical blackmail, the U.S. o ers scale, transparency and the ability to quickly respond to market signals. It’s energy reality writ large.

Asian buyers get it. Countries like Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, India and others facing real energy security challenges are lining up for 20-year supply deals with U.S. exporters. They see American LNG as a strategic hedge — reliable, competitively priced and backed by vast shale resources that can ramp up when needed. These long-term contracts provide the revenue certainty developers require while shielding buyers from spot market volatility.

But it’s a di erent story in Europe. Despite the hard lessons of 2022, when Russian pipeline gas got weaponized, many European nations remain stubbornly reluctant to ink similar longterm commitments. Developers come home from meetings with polite interest but few signatures. Germany, now sourcing the vast majority of its LNG from the U.S., talks a big game about diversi cation while chasing evermore aggressive decarbonization targets that cast doubt on future gas demand.

The result? Greater reliance on spot cargoes, higher exposure to price spikes and headaches for U.S. project nancing that Asian demand is more than happy to ll.

This transatlantic divergence highlights the di erence between one continent which lives in energy reality and another still genu ecting to the energy transition narratives concocted ve years ago. Europe’s hesitation re ects a deeper ideological commitment to intermittent renewables — largely driven by heavy-handed regulations out of Brussels – that simply cannot deliver the reliability modern economies demand. America’s shale producers and LNG exporters, by contrast, operate in the real world as it exists along with their increasingly Asian customers.

The bottom line is clear: The U.S. natural gas and LNG industry sits in an enviably dominant global position heading into the future. Production growth fuels export expansion, which secures long-term partnerships in highgrowth Asian markets. Domestic consumers and manufacturers bene t from stable, a ordable energy that supports jobs and economic competitiveness. Globally, American LNG helps displace coal in Asia, bolstering energy security where it’s welcomed.

Policymakers in Washington would do well to stay out of the way and keep working to streamline permitting, remove punitive regulations and let the industry do what it does best. In a world fraught with energy uncertainties, America’s shale-powered LNG machine isn’t just keeping the lights on. It’s reshaping global markets and strengthening America’s geopolitical leverage for decades to come.

David Blackmon is an energy writer and consultant based in Texas.

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Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

Celebrate blue-tiful ENC

The North Carolina Blueberry Festival is one of the state’s best-known agricultural festivals and is held each year in historic downtown Burgaw, about 35 miles northwest of Wilmington. The 2026 festival takes place June 19 -20, with a kicko day on Friday and the main festival on Saturday.

The main festival spreads family fun throughout downtown Burgaw, widely considered the state’s blueberry capital.

As the heart of North Carolina’s blueberry industry, the southeastern coastal plain counties — particularly Pender, Sampson, Duplin, Columbus and Cumberland counties — are known for the acidic sandy soils and climate that blueberries thrive in. This year’s festival will o er a variety of blueberry-centered activities and contests, including a pie-eating contest, live music, farm tours, local foods, arts and crafts. The proceeds from this annual event help fund scholarships for students from North Carolina’s blueberry-producing counties.

EAST

PIEDMONT

Vigil held for teen killed in Uwharrie crash

six months and older throughout Sunday as the shelter addresses an increase in animal intakes. According to a news release, the nonpro t no-kill shelter is at capacity with dogs, cats, puppies and kittens. The adoption fee waiver is intended to help more shelter animals move into permanent homes while also creating space for incoming animals. While there is no adoption fee for dogs and cats six months and older, the standard adoption applications and approval process still apply. According to the release, adopted animals come spayed or neutered, microchipped, dewormed and up to date on age-appropriate vaccines. Anyone considering adopting an animal is encouraged to visit the shelter to view available animals and complete the adoption application.

NSJ

Montgomery County The community gathered to remember a 14-year-old who died in a car crash in Montgomery County. On Sunday, friends organized a candlelit vigil to honor 14-year-old Kinsley Seay, of High Point, at Creekside Park in Archdale. Investigators say Seay was killed in a crash just before 8 p.m. on June 5 on Moccasin Creek Road, a gravel road near Deep Water Trail in Uwharrie National Forest. Another 14-year-old girl was behind the wheel of an SUV, and Seay was a passenger.

WGHP

Man charged with murder after woman’s disappearance

Stokes County A Stokes County man faces a murder charge after authorities found blood inside a rural home and the 62-year- old homeowner missing, the Stokes County Sheri ’s O ce said Saturday.

NC’s top blueberry farms

Original high school building demolished, students pay tribute

Greene County Graduates spanning decades returned to Greene County on Monday to say goodbye to the original Greene Central High School building as demolition crews began tearing down the longtime campus. Former students gathered outside the school, sharing memories of the building that was the county’s only high school for more than 60 years.

Sudden storm brings severe damage to ENC counties

Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup parade set for Saturday in downtown Raleigh

Wake County A parade celebrating the Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup championship will roll through downtown Raleigh Saturday starting at 11 a.m. Mayor Janet Cowell has proclaimed the day “Carolina Hurricanes Day.” The route begins at Hillsborough and St. Mary’s streets, heads east toward the Capitol, turns south on Salisbury, east on Morgan, then south on Fayetteville Street, ending at Davie Street for a fan rally in City Plaza.

NSJ

Deputies responded Friday to a home on Moore eld Road in Danbury after receiving a report of a possible breaking and entering. Upon arrival, a patrol deputy found blood inside the residence and discovered that the homeowner, Terri Leedy, and her vehicle were missing. Leedy’s vehicle was later found on Jewel Road, creating a second crime scene. After investigators executed search warrants at both locations and consulted with the District Attorney’s O ce, the evidence pointed to Evan Samuel Johnson, 30, as responsible for Leedy’s death. Johnson is not related to Leedy but lived at the Moore eld Road residence with his mother, authorities said.

WFMY

School o cials said bricks salvaged from the demolition will be sold, with proceeds bene ting programs at Lenoir Community College campus.

WCTI

Woman arrested after falling asleep in drive-thru

Lenoir County Law enforcement o cers with the Kinston Police Department arrested a Deep Run woman Saturday after she allegedly fell asleep in the McDonald’s drive-thru on W. Vernon Avenue. As o cers responded to a report about a person asleep in the drive-thru, they reportedly found 37-year-old Kristen Styron asleep in the driver’s seat of a car. O cers reported that they conducted a DWI investigation after they saw signs of impairment, and Styron was arrested and charged with driving while impaired and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Beaufort County Strong winds left power line and tree damage down a Beaufort County road, with one home reported to lose half of its roof, deputies told local outlets. According to the Beaufort County Sheri ’s O ce, a signi cant amount of trees and power lines are down along Long Ridge Road all the way to the Beaufort County line. O cials said that deputies responded to a home along Long Ridge Road Sunday evening nding signi cant roof damage from high winds. Three other homes along the road sustained minor damage as well, locals reported. According to the Tideland Electric outage map at the time of the storm burst, 230 Beaufort County homes were without power, and residents were advised to avoid the area as rst responders made it on scene. Onslow County Emergency Management o cials also reported that the roof was ripped o a boat lift along the New River in Jacksonville due to high wind speeds.

NSJ

US, Iran reach tentative deal to end war NATION & WORLD

President Donald Trump ordered an end to the naval blockade

The Associated Press

ISLAMABAD — The United States and Iran reached an initial agreement early Monday to open the Strait of Hormuz and further extend a shaky ceasere in the Iran war, potentially allowing desperately needed oil and natural gas to reach the global market.

Details of the deal were not immediately released and Iran signaled implementation would not start until the signing, which key mediator Pakistan said would occur Friday in Switzerland. It could provide a way to end a war that killed thousands across the Middle East, including the top leaders of Iran’s theocracy, and sparked a historic energy crisis.

But the memorandum of understanding over the war already faced intense challenges. Israel’s continued hostilities with the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, where Israel bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs Sunday, nearly derailed the negotiations. Meanwhile, the deal gives just 60 days to resolve what to do about Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and its atomic program. That took years to resolve in Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from that accord in his rst term, setting the stage for the tensions that culminated in the war.

“Congratulations to all!” Trump wrote on social media as

he celebrated his 80th birthday Sunday with a UFC cage match ght at the White House.

He added, “I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade,” which was imposed in retaliation for Iran’s grip on the crucial waterway.

He soon hedged, however, saying the strait wouldn’t open until Friday’s signing.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, conrmed the agreement on state television but said Iran would not start implementing it until it was signed Friday. He said the deal followed talks with Qatar, another mediator.

Israel, which has insisted it be allowed a free hand to pursue Hezbollah as it occupies south-

BILL from page A1

least 10% of daily U.S. users under the age of 16 spend an average of two or more hours a day. If enacted, beginning Jan. 1, 2027, these platforms must prohibit children under 14 from creating accounts and must shut down any existing ones after a 30-day appeal window, followed by permanently deleting any personal data. For 14- and 15-year-olds, accounts would require active parent or guardian consent; without it, the platform must terminate the account after giving notice, and parents can also request deletion required to take e ect within 10 business days.

this year show total receipts for Earls of more than $2.468 million to Stevens’ $245,620.

She said she had been asked since around mid-May to resign to work on her campaign, but as Judiciary Committee chair, she wanted to nish the work she began in that area.

Stevens said she decided to run for the Supreme Court seat because it is “an important and critical spot.”

“While I have been at the General Assembly all of this time, I have seen what the liberal courts were doing to the legislation we were passing,” said Stevens. “They were not staying in their lane. Their job is not to make law, it’s to simply follow the law.”

Stevens, who has practiced law for 40 years, added, “And, particularly, my opponent is an expert at not doing that. She’s done several opinions or taken several cases where she’s actually made law instead of following the law that was there.”

Earls has made comments while campaigning in recent months on cases that have come before her while on the court, such as Duke Energy’s rate hikes, which she criticized for not putting “people over pro ts.”

Earls has also made arguably partisan remarks on the topics

Platforms must verify every user’s age using an anonymous third-party method that doesn’t keep or share personal details before allowing anyone under 16 to sign up. Platforms would also be barred from using a child’s data to personalize content feeds or ads and from selling that data, with narrow exceptions. Violations would be considered unfair and deceptive trade practices, and the attorney general could bring enforcement actions on behalf of children, with civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation plus attorneys’ fees and court costs. Courts can also add punitive damages if a platform shows a consistent pattern of knowing or reckless violations.

ern Lebanon and has extended its military operations into areas its forces haven’t been in a quarter century, did not immediately comment. Israel joined the U.S. in launching the war on Feb. 28.

Pakistan rst announced the deal, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying, “Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” It remains unclear whether Israel, which relies on the U.S. but has launched wars against its enemies since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, agreed to that term.

He added that mediators this week will facilitate meetings to “lay the foundation for the technical talks.”

Broader negotiations on outstanding issues like Iran’s nu-

“We have seen time and again: War cannot change the Iranian regime.”

U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.)

clear program would continue over the next 60 days, two senior Pakistani o cials said earlier Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. If the sides fail to reach a resolution within that time, the timeline could be extended.

Iranian state television cited the secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council saying the war on all fronts “will end immediately and permanently beginning tonight” — but that the U.S. blockade “will be terminated immediately and in full.”

Qatari mediators later left Tehran following 17 hours of negotiations, said an o cial briefed on the developments who spoke on condition of anonymity due to sensitivity of the talks. Separate preparatory meetings with each side will take place in Doha this week, the o cial said. It was not clear who from Iran would sign the deal on Friday. U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News the White House was still guring out who would attend. “I certainly plan to be there, but it’s possible the president himself could be there,” Vance said.

But concern among Republicans in the U.S. already could be seen. They included U.S. Sen.

Through their parents or guardians, children could also have a private right to sue for up to $10,000 in damages plus legal fees if the platform knowingly or recklessly breaks the rules, and claims would need to be led within one year of discovering a violation.

On the AI education side, the bill directs the North Carolina State Board of Education to add age-appropriate AI literacy standards into K-12 computer science classes for implementation during the 2028-29 school year. The classes would cover ethical use, AI’s limits, how to check outputs for accuracy, data privacy and how to have a safe interaction with chatbots.

of abortion and partisan gerrymandering. Prior to her time on the court, Earls had sued the state over redistricting and Voter ID while heading up the Southern Coalition for Social Justice alongside fellow current Justice Allison Riggs. Stevens pointed out Earls refused to recuse herself from those types of cases, adding Earls “still voted on them, and she voted consistent with her own clearly advocated for position — those are things that bother me.”

“As a judiciary chair for the last 14 years, I’ve had a lot of opportunity to see this,” Stevens said. “I know what it takes to make law, and it takes 170 people and a variety of opinions. We’re not supposed to have a king that sits on the court and makes law.”

Earls’ recent comments are not a one-o . In 2025, she was called out for making partisan comments about immigration law. Additionally, in August 2023, the N.C. Judicial Standards Commission initiat-

Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who described Vance as “the architect of the deal.”

“I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems di erent than what the American negotiating team is claiming,” Graham wrote online.

U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign A airs Committee, said Congress would exercise oversight on any accord with Iran.

“We have seen time and again: War cannot change the Iranian regime,” he said.

The rst strike of the war killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Khamenei’s son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, is now supreme leader. He has not been seen in public since the war began, but his approval was needed for Iran to sign o on the deal.

There was apparent friction inside Iran in the hours before the announcement, as the government warned that division at home over the deal weakened its negotiating position.

The deal likely returns the region to a status that existed before the war, but with Iran having proven its ability to disrupt shipping in the strait. The waterway is crucial to signi cant shipments of oil, natural gas and related products like fertilizer, and its e ective closure rocked the global economy.

Even with a deal, it will take months for oil and gas supplies to ow freely enough for the world’s needs to be met because shipping and insurance companies want to be con dent the agreement will last, energy experts said.

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is directed to create a model AI policy for schools by Dec. 31 to be made available to districts by mid-January 2027.

The AI policy must include de nitions, student and sta AI literacy, cover nonconsensual intimate imagery, data security and academic integrity standards. Additionally, every district would have to adopt its own version by June 30, 2027.

Under the bill, NCDPI would also need to build an ongoing evaluation framework for generative AI tools used in classrooms that focuses on privacy, curriculum alignment and accessibility. That policy would also in-

“I think the di erence is the judicial philosophy. I think that’s what’s important.”

Rep. Sarah Stevens (R-Surry)

ed a Judicial Code of Conduct investigation into Earls following a June 2023 interview. Earls fought the case, which was later dropped.

Stevens said Riggs and Earls are “big on expressing their own opinion and wanting to write opinions to justify their way.”

She cited an example of Earls penning an opinion overturning a double life sentence for a man convicted of two rst-degree murders in 2001.

“She spent 90 pages justifying overturning that and saying because of his age, he should only get 25 years,” Stevens said.

Stevens also addressed the North Carolina Democratic Party trying to link her to a former sex o ender, a past district chair named Harvey West, who held annual fundraisers for judicial candidates. West was convicted more than 20 years ago and is no longer on the sex o ender registry.

Stevens said she didn’t even

clude maintaining public lists of reviewed and currently used AI tools.

Finally, NCDPI would set up a partnership with NC State’s Friday Institute to develop at least 10 hours of self-paced, online training modules for teachers on AI basics. Focus areas would include responsible classroom use, fact-checking outputs, spotting bias, supporting students with disabilities or language needs, and ethical decision-making.

The bill requires all the AI-related resources to be ready by June 30, 2027. All teachers in traditional public schools, charters and lab schools would be required to complete the related training by June 30, 2028.

know West, much less his history.

“I had no idea he was on a sexual o ender registry … or that he was put there 24 years ago,” Stevens said. “When I go to an event with 150 people, I don’t check everybody’s criminal history for their lifetime.”

Stevens recounted being harassed over the issue, with protesters showing up with a banner tying her to West at a church group event she attended. She also said she and a few other House members were accosted by one such protester, who followed her to her o ce.

The Surry County lawmaker also said her judicial record speaks for itself, including bills to keep predators away from kids. She also highlighted her work xing the foster care system by creating “a reasonable, prudent parent standard,” allowing foster parents the same kind of rights as other parents, such as permitting a child in their care to engage in school sports, go on vacations, get car insurance and other guardian-related activities.

“I think the di erence is the judicial philosophy. I think that’s what’s important,” Stevens said on why voters should choose her this fall. “I think the ve that are there show judicial restraint, and they follow the law of the Constitution. They stay in their

lane.”

STEVENS from page A1

VAHID SALEMI / AP PHOTO

Demonstrators wave Iranian ags as they chant slogans against Iran and U.S. talks at the Islamic Revolution square in Tehran, Iran, on Sunday.

MAKIYA SEMINERA / AP PHOTO

State Rep. Sarah Stevens (R-Surry), right with state Sen. Eddie Settle (R-Wilkes) in June 2025, has resigned her seat to focus on her run for the state Supreme Court.

features Crescent City conjures daring new sound with The Drupes’ debut

The songs are inspired by love, drugs, midlife crises and sci- movies

By Dan Reeves North State Journal

NEW ORLEANS — As

someone who is routinely asked about new music, likely because of my long history of writing and talking about it, I often have little to say. I’ve become the middle-aged guy — cantankerous and jaded. Still, part of the job is keeping an eye and ear out for new sounds. Lately, that search has mostly turned up overproduced, unoriginal slop designed to tickle my algorithmic fancy. Every now and then, though, something cuts through the clamor. The Drupes, a New Orleans-based four-piece combo described as “’60s revivalist pop, one-part sparkling jangles, one-part sharp angles,” have done exactly that.

Originality and authenticity can’t be manufactured. “The Drupes are a band from New Orleans. It’s really hard to tell if we’re a serious band or not,” joked bassist Lem Sanders. “But when people ask, I take that as a compliment.”

It’s that blithe disposition that makes The Drupes, de nitively a DIY band, what they

“We’ve been together for a long time, so even though the songs don’t stylistically t into a neat bucket, there’s hopefully some musical cohesion from the years we’ve spent playing out.”

Devin Johnson, The Drupes

are and what oozes from their self-titled debut album.

Recorded and produced by Nick Pope of The Fruit Machines and Island Days and released through LastHope Records, the 13-track album is anchored by the wistful, lovetorn lamentations and interstellar phantasms of vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter Devin Johnson.

“Devin is by far the most unique songwriter I’ve ever played with,” Sanders said.

In opening track “Arial Narrow 7.5,” Johnson audaciously charges that “the revolution didn’t start in a mall / if you don’t write it, it won’t start at all / you gotta keep your copy short and sweet / and your layout looking sharp and neat.”

Read in black and white, di-

vorced from the music, those lyrics could go in any direction. To my surprise and delight, what unfolds is layered, lush and, most importantly, authentic rock. Johnson’s songwriting is propelled by Chris Menge’s searing lead guitar, Sanders’ driving bass, Pablo Gonzalez’s steady, un inching drums and studio guest Sean Spada’s shimmering keyboards.

Each song, from the anger, angst and disappointment of “Don’t Have Time,” in which Johnson sings, “no more pictures to go through, no more pictures left of you, like I’d never seen them fall for the world’s worst last laugh again,” to the supercilious “Long Time to Die” — “you got a telepathic ego, a crystalline libido, a shhook for an id and it wants to get you good” — is delivered with the kind of sharp-eyed, sarcastic wit that gives the album much of its charm.

“We’ve been together for a long time, so even though the songs don’t stylistically t into a neat bucket, there’s hopefully some musical cohesion from the years we’ve spent playing out,” said Johnson.

Through it all, the mysterious ethos of New Orleans — the bayou, the voodoo and the city’s peculiar magic — seeps through. The Drupes transcend the ready-made, carbon-copy music of today. The in uences of Big Star, R.E.M. and the Velvet Underground are obvious, but this band doesn’t beg, borrow or steal. The Drupes are the genuine article. The Drupes’ self-titled debut album hits streaming services Friday.

Action, suspense heavy ‘Disclosure Day’ mis res

Spielberg’s late-career blockbuster falls at

By Bob Garver The Sun

ALL-TIME-GREAT director

Steven Spielberg is back with a lm built around one of his most popular subjects: aliens. From the man that brought us “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” comes “Disclosure Day,” a lm about a small group of people deciding that it is time to let the rest of humanity know that they are not alone in the universe. After deeply personal project “The Fabelmans,” this is Spielberg’s return to blockbuster lmmaking. And I do see this movie as a blockbuster, just not much of one.

The lm essentially follows six characters: hacker Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) and his girlfriend Jane (Eve Hewson), TV newswoman Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) and her boyfriend Jackson (Wyatt Russell), organizer of key players Hugo (Colman Domingo), and shady coverup leader Scanlon (Colin Firth). Kellner has ash drives with evidence of alien activity on Earth dating back decades. Margaret suddenly has powers that are not of this world. Hugo has a full-sized replica of Margaret’s childhood home for some reason. Scanlon has alien tech that he’s ironically using against the aliens and their allies. Let the race to expose or bury the truth begin.

Following a botched drop to get back a kidnapped Jane from Scanlon, Kellner goes on

the run with sketchy help from Hugo in a storyline reminiscent of recent Oscar winner “One Battle After Another.” Jane is shocked to learn that her boyfriend knows the truth about aliens, and he’s shocked to learn that she once aspired to be a nun. At rst, she’s a liability to Kellner because she’s blissfully ignorant, then she’s a liability because she doesn’t agree with his cause, then she’s a liability because Scanlon gets to her. Kellner knows the score with the aliens, but Margaret doesn’t. She doesn’t know why she suddenly speaks every language or knows the personal life of everyone she sees or can’t help but speak an alien tongue on air. All she knows is that some bad people are after her because of it, and the skeptical Jackson is reluctantly along for the ride.

Could it have something to do with repressed childhood memories about unconvincing CGI forest animals? Kellner and Margaret meet up to have an action scene with a speeding train. We know from “The Fabelmans” that Spielberg loves speeding trains almost as much as he loves crashing them.

For a movie called “Disclosure Day,” there’s a lot of suspense around whether or not the truth will be disclosed. Spoiler alert: It will be, so don’t worry about it. If you want to worry about something, worry about the individual characters making it to the end alive, which isn’t a lock. Though these characters are so dull that I couldn’t get too invested in their survival.

Spielberg usually makes good decisions about the way this lm looks and sounds (Yes, frequent

collaborator John Williams is doing the score), but I don’t agree with how he has the story unfold. Instead of exploring the rich potential for how humanity will respond to this mind-blowing news about aliens, he focuses on the buildup to the news, which isn’t that interesting. There’s a brief mention of how people will react if their deeply held religious beliefs are shaken, but it’s brushed aside in favor of chase antics. I would have put the disclosure at the beginning of this lm and given the bulk of the runtime to the fallout.

Grade: C

“Disclosure Day” is rated PG-13 for action/violence, some bloody images and strong language. Its running time is 145 minutes.

Colman Domingo, from left, Tommy Martinez, Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor star in “Disclosure Day.”

COURTESY LAST HOPE RECORDS

The Drupes — from left, Devin Johnson, Lem Sanders, Chris Menge and Pablo Gonzalez — were formed in New Orleans in 2017.

storm watching

watch parties

While the Hurricanes were winning the Stanley Cup in Las Vegas, a city watched intently back home. Huge crowds ocked to watch parties inside and outside of Lenovo Center, as well as Red Hat Amphitheater, the Rialto Theater and Zebulon Devil Dogs Stadium, as well as dozens of other locations.

Lenovo Center

Lenovo Center outside Carter-Finley Stadium

Rialto Theater

Red Hat Amphitheater

present them to the undersigned on or before the 18th day of September 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 18th day of June 2026.

Sue Barefoot, Executor

Having quali ed as the representative of the Estate of Mrs. Darlene S. Myrick, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the Estate of Mrs. Darlene S. Myrick, who died on March 17, 2026, to present their claims to the undersigned representative on or before the deadline (September 18, 2026) required by law, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the Estate are requested to make immediate payment to the undersigned.

Claims and correspondence should be directed to:

Mr. Gordon Myrick 7864 Loxley Drive Fayetteville, NC 28314

Email: cml7gee@aol.com

Representative of the Estate of Mrs. Darlene S. Myrick

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 NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION Administrator’s Notice

25E000075-250 The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Ella Jeanne Arno, deceased late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 11th day of September 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 11th day of June 2026. Jennifer L. Arno, Administrator of the Ella Jeanne Arno Estate Haymount Law Attorneys for the Estate 1008 Hay Street Fayetteville, NC 28305 Telephone: (910) 672-4600 Publish: 06/11, 06/18, 06/25, 07/02

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Wilbert Barefoot, deceased, of Cumberland County, North Caroliina, this is to notify all persons, rms, and corporation having claims against Wilbert Barefoot to present their claims in care of the undersigned Executor at the below address shown on or before September 10, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons, rms and corporation indebted to Wilbert Barefoot, please make immediate payment to the Estate of Wilbert Barefoot. This the 4th day of June, 2026. Name of Fiduciary: Sylvia B. Maxwell Fiduciary Capacity: Executor ESTATE OF WILBERT BAREFOOT, Deceased Sylvia B. Maxwell 600 Carolina Village Road, Apt. 279 Hendersonville, NC 28792 PUBLISH ON THE FOLLOWING DATES: June 4, 2026, June 11,2026, June 18, 2026 and June 25, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor/Administrator of the Estate of Michael David Batson, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the estate to exhibit them to the undersigned on or before the September 11, 2026 deadline, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate are requested to make immediate payment. This the 11th day of June 2026. Jacob Lee Michael Batson, Personal Representative 1235 Tom Starling Road, Fayetteville, NC 28306 Estate of Michael David Batson, Deceased

Notice to Creditors

The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Su K Bowman, 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 the 18th day of September, 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 18th day of June, 2026 Paul Bowman, Administrator PO Box 25361 Fayetteville, NC 28314 Of the Estate of Su K Bowman, Deceased

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 TO CREDITORS

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Before the Clerk Estate File No. 26E000303-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR NOTICE

The undersigned having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of ERIC ALAN GORE, deceased, late of Cumberland County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 4th day of September, 2026 (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 4th day of June, 2026. Erica Marie Gore Administrator of the Estate of Eric Alan Gore 121 Aviation Way Lebanon, TN 37090 910-920-5856

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 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

NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NUMBER: 26E000861-250

In the Matter of the Estate of: JAMES DARRELL, JR. Deceased. EXECUTOR’S NOTICE

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of James Darrell, Jr., 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 September 18, 2026 (which is three (3) months after the day of the rst publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. THIS the 11th day of June, 2026. Bernard Jerome Darrell, Administrator of the Estate of James Darrell. Jr., Deceased c/o J. Thomas Neville Yarborough, Winters & Neville, P.A. P.O. Box 705

Fayetteville, NC 28302-0705

Publish: 06/18/2026, 06/25/2026, 07/02/2026 and 07/09/2026

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

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA In The General Court Of Justice County of Cumberland Superior Court Division Estate File # 26E000-250 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

NORTH CAROLINA

CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION Administrator’s Notice 26E000849-250 The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Grace Elizabeth Jones, deceased late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 4th day of September 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 4th day of June 2026.

Karla Dunigan, Administrator for Grace Elizabeth Jones Estate Haymount Law Attorneys for the Estate 1008 Hay Street Fayetteville, NC 28305 Telephone: (910) 672-4600 Publish: 06/04, 06/11, 06/18, 06/25

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

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

NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION Administrator’s Notice 26E000755-250

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Lisa M. Marchant, deceased late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 4th day of September 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 4th day of June 2026. John Warok, Executor for Lisa M. Marchant Estate Haymount Law Attorneys for the Estate 1008 Hay Street Fayetteville, NC 28305 Telephone: (910) 672-4600 Publish: 06/04, 06/11, 06/18, 06/25

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION Administrator’s Notice 21E001283-250

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Dorothy Howell Ray, deceased late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 4th day of September 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 4th day of June 2026. Alice Marie Shipman Fozard, Executor for Dorothy Howell Ray Estate Haymount Law Attorneys for the Estate 1008 Hay Street Fayetteville, NC 28305 Telephone: (910) 672-4600 Publish: 06/04, 06/11, 06/18, 06/25

NOTICE

In the general court of Justice Superior Court Division before the Clerk Estate File #25E000677-250 State of North Carolina Cumberland County Administrator Notice The undersigned having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Kenneth Wendell Peterson, deceased, January 14, 2025 of Cumberland County. This is to notify all persons having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 4th day of September, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 4th day of June, 2026. Mailing Address for Claims Probate Court CUMBERLAND PO Box 363 Fayetteville NC 28302 Administrator of the Estate of Kenneth Wendell Peterson

ADMINISTRATOR’S

EXECUTOR’S NOTICE

In The General Court of Justice Superior Court Division Estate File #26E000870-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA County of Cumberland The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of John H. Morrison, John Henry Morrison, deceased, late of Cumberland County, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before the 4th day of September, (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice) or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This 4th day of June 2026. Betty Morrison 511 Canyon Court Fayetteville, NC 28303 Executor of the estate of John H. Morrison, John Henry Morrison, Deceased

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE NO. 26E000790-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Rubin Wayne McLaurin, 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 September 18, 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 18th day of June, 2026. Tonya McLaurin Page, Administrator of the Estate of Rubin Wayne McLaurin NICOLE A. CORLEY MURRAY & CORLEY, P.A. N.C. BAR NO. 56459 2517 RAEFORD ROAD FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28305 – 3007 (910) 483 – 4990 COUNSEL FOR ADMINISTRATOR

NOTICE TO CREDITORS ESTATE OF DOROTHY MCNUTT RIDDLE CUMBERLAND County Estate File No. 26E000904-250 All persons, rms and corporations having claims against Dorothy McNutt Riddle, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to the Executor DeAnn Hodges on or before the 19th day of September, 2026 (which date is three months after the day of the rst publication of this notice), or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Debtors of the Decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Executor named above. This the 8th day of June, 2026. DeAnn Hodges Executor of the Estate of Dorothy McNutt Riddle Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: June 18, June 25, July 2 and July 9,

Mary Jean Stuard, of Cumberland County, North Carolina, are noti ed to present their claims to the Administrator Davis W. Puryear on or before the 5th day of September, 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 29th day of May, 2026. Davis W. Puryear Administrator of the Estate of Mary Jean Stuard Davis W. Puryear Hutchens Law Firm Attorneys for the Estate 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, NC 28311 Run dates: June 4, June 11, June 18 and June 25, 2026

NOTICE IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION ESTATE FILE #25E001964-250 STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA 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 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 persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. Dated this

to exhibit same to the said KENDRIC MURPHY, at the address set out below, on or before September 23, 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 June, 2026

KENDRIC MURPHY Administrator of the Estate of LORETTA BRADLEY MURPHY. c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS

THE UNDERSIGNED, LeeAnn G. Hocker, having quali ed on the 12th day of June, 2026, as Executor of the Estate of Pamela D. Gontz (26E000684-640), 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 21st day of September, 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 18th day of June 2026.

LeeAnn G. Hocker Executor ESTATE OF PAMELA D. GONTZ

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

Publish:

June 18, 2026 June 25, 2026 July 2, 2026 July 9, 2026

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 (26E000610640), 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

NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE UNDERSIGNED, Monica A. Carroll, having quali ed on the 3rd day of June, 2026, as Executor of the Estate of Marilyn F. Collins (26E000657-640), 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 14th day of September, 2026, or the claims will be forever barred thereafter, and this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make prompt payment to the undersigned at the above address. This 11th day of June 2026. Monica A. Carroll Executor ESTATE OF MARILYN F. COLLINS David Anderson Attorney at Law 9111 Market St, Ste A Wilmington, NC 28411 Publish: June 11, 2026 June 18, 2026 June 25, 2026 July 2, 2026

NEW HANOVER

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NEW HANOVER COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS THE UNDERSIGNED, Je rey P. Hamill, having quali ed on the 29th day of May, 2026, as Executor of the Estate of Jo A. Hamill (26E000635-640), 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 14th day of September, 2026, or the claims will be forever barred thereafter, and this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons, rms, and corporations indebted to said Estate will please make prompt payment to the undersigned at the above address. This 11th day of June 2026. Je rey P. Hamill

Executor ESTATE OF JO A. HAMILL

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

Publish: June 11, 2026

June 18, 2026

June 25, 2026 July 2, 2026

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

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

NOTICE

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, HEATHER LYNN

JERNIGAN having quali ed as the Executor of the Estate of THOMAS GRADY PRESLEY, JR, Deceased, hereby noti es all persons, rms or corporations having claims against the Decedent to exhibit same to the said HEATHER LYNN JERNIGAN, at the address set out below, on or before September 18, 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 11th day of June, 2026

HEATHER LYNN JERNIGAN

Executor of the Estate of Thomas Grady Presley, Jr. c/o ROBERT H. HOCHULI, JR. 219 RACINE DR., SUITE #A6 Wilmington, NC 28405

RANDOLPH

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Wayne Reginald Brooks of Randolph County, NC, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned Executor at the Law O ce of Andrew J. Weiner, 113 Worth Street, Asheboro, NC 27203 on or before September 14th 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of heir recovery. All persons indebted to said estate please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 11th day of June 2026. Jason Wesley Brooks Wayne Reginald Brooks Estate Andrew J Weiner, Attorney Gavin & Cox 113 Worth Street Asheboro, NC 27203 Telephone: 336-629-2600

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Administrator CTA of the Estate of Vicki Ellen White Buie aka Vicki Ellen Buie, late of Randolph County, North Carolina and Volusia County, Florida, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of the decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ce of Ivey & Eggleston, Attorneys at Law, 111 Worth Street, Asheboro, North Carolina 27203, on or before September 7, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar

McQuaid, Attorney IVEY & EGGLESTON, ATTORNEYS AT LAW 111 Worth Street Asheboro, NC 27203 (336) 625-3043

PUBL/DATES: 06/04/26 06/11/26 06/18/26 06/25/26

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Administrator CTA of the Estate of Henry Gunnar Carlson, Jr., late of Randolph County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of the decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ce of Ivey & Eggleston, Attorneys at Law, 111 Worth Street, Asheboro, North Carolina 27203, on or before September 14, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms or corporations indebted to said estate should make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 11th day of June, 2026

Cynthia Jeanne Carlson Administrator CTA of the Estate of Henry Gunnar Carlson, Jr. Marion “Beth” McQuaid, Attorney IVEY & EGGLESTON, ATTORNEYS AT LAW 111 Worth Street Asheboro, NC 27203 (336) 625-3043 PUBL/DATES: 06/11/26 06/18/26 06/25/26 07/02/26

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Esther Susan Hooper Howlett aka Esther Hooper Howlett, late of Randolph County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of the decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at 787 Seashore Drive, Atlantic, NC 28511, on or before August 31, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms or corporations indebted to said estate should make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This 28th day of May, 2026

Michelle Renee Taylor Executor of the Estate of Esther Susan Hooper Howlett aka Esther Hooper Howlett 787 Seashore Dr. Atlantic, NC 28511

PUBL/DATES: 05/28/26 06/04/26 06/11/26 06/18/26

NOTICE

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of RANDALL EUGENE MAJOR, late of Randolph County, North Carolina, the undersigned does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of the decedent to exhibit them to the undersigned at the o ce of TAYLOR B. CALLICUTT,

WAKE

pen & paper pursuits

26-124973

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION CABARRUS COUNTY

26SP000181-120

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

SHARPE-HUGHES AKA KAREN ASHLEY

SHARPE-HUGHES AND REMASHAUN DELEON HUGHES, SR. DATED JANUARY 20, 2022 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 15798 AT PAGE 134 IN THE CABARRUS 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 Cabarrus County courthouse at 11:00AM on June 30, 2026, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Karen Sharpe-Hughes aka Karen Ashley Sharpe-Hughes and Remashaun Deleon Hughes, Sr., dated January 20, 2022 to secure the original principal amount of $325,000.00, and recorded in Book 15798 at Page 134 of the Cabarrus 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: 5208

described property situated in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING ALL OF LOT 3-39 AS SHOWN ON PLAT ENTITLED “FINAL PLAT OF PHASE 3 MAP 2 THE VILLAGE AT KELLSWATER BRIDGE”, RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 82, PAGES 11-13 IN THE REGISTER OF DEEDS OF CABARRUS COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA.

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

Said property is commonly known as 3532 Tully Ave, Kannapolis, NC 28081.

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 30, 2026 at 01:00 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following

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.

Teakwood Drive, Kannapolis, NC 28083 Tax Parcel ID: 56435670590000 Present Record Owners: Ann Dunn and Michael Dunn The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Ann Dunn and Michael Dunn. 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,

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 Toniann Nastasi.

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

CABARRUS

UNC o to fast start at CWS, B3

the Thursday SIDELINE REPORT

NCAA ATHLETICS

Judge dismisses lawsuit by 31 former NC State athletes against ex-head trainer

Raleigh

A state judge dismissed a lawsuit led by 31 former NC State male athletes alleging sexual abuse and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine. The claims against Robert M. Murphy Jr. and multiple school athletics o cials tied to their oversight rules were dismissed over procedural reasons, including an expired statute of limitations on claims dating back as early as 2013. The players plan to appeal.

WORLD CUP

World Cup referee Artan to receive full fee from FIFA despite being denied entry into U.S.

Atlanta The Somali referee who was denied entry to the United States for the World Cup will still be paid his full tournament fee. Omar Artan is still entitled to payment despite not o ciating any games at the near six-week-long event. The fee would be determined after the tournament concludes next month.

NBA Harden arrested on misdemeanor charge of carrying weapon in motor vehicle

Houston Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden was arrested in Houston on a misdemeanor charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon in a motor vehicle. Harden was arrested at 3:41 a.m. Saturday and booked just before 5 a.m. Harden had a handgun in plain view that was not in a holster. His arraignment is scheduled for June 22, according to the clerk’s o ce website.

Hurricanes win Stanley Cup

Carolina shut out Vegas 3-0 to clinch its second championship

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

LAS VEGAS — The Caroli-

na Hurricanes are back on top of the NHL.

Twenty years after winning the franchise’s only Stanley Cup, the Hurricanes defeated the Golden Knights 3-0 in Sunday’s Game 6 in Las Vegas to win the series four games to two and bring a championship back to Raleigh.

“I think it was our time,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We were not going to be denied.”

Carolina did it with a familiar formula.

The Hurricanes’ second line of Logan Stankoven centering Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake scored in the rst and second periods to stake the visiting team to a 2-0 lead entering the

third period. Then with Carter Hart (20 saves) on the bench for an extra attacker, Nikolaj Ehlers scored into an empty net with 68 seconds left to start the celebration.

Carolina then locked it down

in the nal two periods, and Brandon Bussi — starting just the third playo game of his career, all wins — earned a 22save shutout.

“I didn’t let it hit me until the clock hit zero, and then there

was a whole lot of yelling, and I don’t really know — kind of blacked out there for about a minute,” Bussi said. “So I can’t wait to look back and kind of take in the whole moment again.”

Taylor Hall got the Hurricanes out to an early 1-0 lead, which would be all Carolina needed on the memorable night.

After Carolina broke up a Vegas zone entry at its blue line, Jaccob Slavin red a pass to Hall, who had gotten behind the Golden Knights defense. Hall came up the left wing and snapped a shot to the far side

See CUP, page B3

Carolina’s captain scored six goals in the championship series

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

LAS VEGAS — Jordan Staal has been denied the Selke Trophy for 20 seasons because, despite his reputation as one of the past two decades’ best defensive forwards, he didn’t score enough. He wasn’t going to be denied two other trophies Sunday.

the bench, seven with Staal as captain.

Three losses in the Eastern Conference nal — with only one win to show for their efforts — made many believe the Hurricanes weren’t constructed to reach the top of the NHL.

But Staal — in his 20th season, 14th with Carolina, at age 37 — elevated his play in the 2026 playo s.

It started after puck drop in Game 1 of the Hurricanes’ rst round series against the Senators.

Staal captained the Hurricanes to their second Stanley Cup with a 3-0 win in Game 6 against the Golden Knights, and his goal-scoring binge in the nal — six goals in six games, including one in each of the rst ve games of the series — earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy as playo MVP. It was a full-circle moment for Staal, who won a Stanley Cup in 2009 in his second full NHL season with the Pittsburgh Penguins before being traded to Carolina on June 22, 2012 — receiving the call during his wedding reception — to join brother Eric in Raleigh.

Six seasons of disappointment — including seeing his older brother traded away — ended when Rod Brind’Amour became head coach.

“I’m happy I stuck around,” Staal said after the on-ice celebration. “I believed in the culture, I believed in what we’re trying to build in Carolina, and it’s an amazing feeling to be able to build something like that. And to top it all o with this is an absolute dream.”

Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk challenged Staal to a ght before the opening faceo , and Staal — an infrequent pugilist — set the tone for the postseason with a decision over the Senators power forward.

The ght was so uncharacteristic for Staal that in the media availability following the on-ice celebration, Staal — with his three children in tow — ended the question-and-answer session with his daughter

Brind’Amour has guided Carolina to the postseason in all eight of his seasons behind

STAN GILLILAND FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Carolina Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup.

JOHN LOCHER / AP PHOTO

Carolina Hurricanes pose with the Stanley Cup after beating the Golden Knights 3-0 in Game 6 Sunday in Las Vegas to win the franchise’s second championship. “I

THURSDAY

6.18.26

TRENDING

Jalen Coker:

The Carolina Panthers’ wide receiver agreed to terms with the team on a three-year, $35 million contract extension to keep him with the team through 2029. Coker developed into a starting wide receiver last season with 43 catches for 394 yards and three touchdowns. He had nine catches for 124 yards and a touchdown in Carolina’s playo loss to the Rams.

Jackson Ormond:

The 18-year-old golfer quali ed for the U.S. Open in the North Carolina quali er at Gaston Country Club. Ormond is an incoming freshman who will play at Florida next year. He birdied ve of his last seven holes for a 63 to go from outside the number to being the medalist. The Webster, New York native shot a 65-63 to nish 12 under and lead ve qualifying golfers.

Justin Gaethje:

The 37-year-old MMA ghter won the UFC Light Heavyweight championship with a TKO victory over champion Ilia Topuria in the main event of UFC Freedom 250, held on the White House lawn. The ght was stopped after the fourth round. All seven ghts on the South Lawn ended in knockouts, a UFC rst. Gaethje won Fight and Performance of the Night, earning more than $800,000 in bonus money.

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

“It’s

just noise.”

Vegas goalie Carter Hart on “No means no” chants in Raleigh, referring to his trial on sexual assault charges.

“That could be the stupidest question I’ve heard.”

Vegas coach John Tortorella when asked if he considered replacing goalie Carter Hart after he gave up four goals for a fth straight game.

PRIME NUMBER

2083

The year the members of this year’s Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes will be removed from the Stanley Cup. Every 13 years, the bottom ring of the commemorative trophy, featuring the oldest names, is removed, to keep the Cup the same height. The Hurricanes’ 2006 championship team will be removed in 2070.

NASCAR

Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway for his third consecutive victory. That moves him past the late Kyle Busch for ninth on the all-time wins list. Hamlin is the oldest full-time driver in NASCAR’s Cup Series at 45. He now has 64 career victories, including four wins this season. Tyler Reddick nished second, and William Byron was third.

The New York Knicks won the NBA championship for the rst time since 1973, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in ve games. This marks the end of a 14 -year drought for major sports championships in the city. The victory sparked raucous celebrations throughout the city.

Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales underwent a procedure to remove a small spot of basal cell carcinoma from his nose. A routine screening identi ed it two months ago. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer and is highly curable.

NC State is investigating potential legal claims against former men’s basketball coach Will Wade over his leaving for a second stint coaching at LSU. NC State vice chancellor and general counsel Allison B. Newhart said State “has not agreed ... to release LSU from any liability” tied to Wade’s departure. The timing of Wade’s buyout to State is a key factor.

DERIK HAMILTON / AP PHOTO

STAN GILLILAND FOR NSJ

NCAA BASKETBALL

MICHAEL JOHNSON / THE ADVOCATE VIA AP

UNC gets o to fast start at CWS

Tar Heels have an inside track to the nals with two early wins

By Eric Olson The Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. – The UNC Tar Heels opened a CWS with two straight wins for the rst time in eight appearances since 2006 and just the second time in program history. UNC now needs just one more victory to reach the best-of-three nals next weekend. They next play on Wednesday, when they’ll meet the winner of an elimination game between West Virginia and Troy.

The Heels opened with wins over Ole Miss and West Virginia, earning a two-day break while other CWS participants eliminate themselves.

“Our goal is to play really well on Wednesday,” Carolina coach Scott Forbes said, “but I think I’ll sleep pretty good tonight going 2-0.”

The Tar Heels got their second win, 5-2 over the Mountaineers, by scoring three unearned runs against Big 12 pitcher of the year Maxx Yehl to break a 2-all tie in the seventh.

They had runners on rst and second after West Virginia third baseman Tyrus Hall and second baseman Brodie Kresser couldn’t come up with grounders. Gallaher lined a ball deep into the gap in right cen-

“I think I’ll sleep pretty good tonight going 2-0.”

ter for a 4-2 lead and he came home when Owen Hull grounded a ball up the middle for a single.

“When you give a great team ve outs, it’s hard to get through it,” Mountaineers coach Steve Sabins said, “and the groundball broke our back.”

Forbes called Gallaher “Mr. Clutch” for his history of com-

The Wilson County-based boat took home more than $6.5 million

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

MOREHEAD CITY — A record-setting catch easily carried Marlin Fever to the top of the 68th annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament.

The boat won the tournament Saturday after its 919.9-pound blue marlin, weighed on the second day of shing June 9, held the lead through the nal day at Big Rock Landing along the Morehead City waterfront.

The catch set a Big Rock record, topping the previous mark of 914 pounds set in 2019. It also gave Marlin Fever the tournament’s top payout of over $6.5 million at one of the world’s longest-running and richest sport shing events.

More than 270 boats entered this year’s tournament, with crews traveling from across the East Coast, including New England and Florida, and from as far west as Texas. In all, 47 winners across the tournament’s divisions shared a purse of more than $9 million.

Roughly two-thirds of the prize money went to Marlin Fever, a 63-foot Jarrett Bay vessel based in Wilson County. The payout was shared by Capt. Cameron Guthrie and the anglers aboard the boat.

Angler Connor Daniel caught the winning sh, which also earned Marlin Fever the

that was over Hart’s pad and under his glove for the game’s rst goal at 3:47.

The Hurricanes held onto their lead thanks to Bussi, who made two big stops in the nal minutes of a disjointed opening frame that included four penalties.

Carolina doubled its lead with under seven minutes left in the second period.

UNC pitcher Caden Glauber reacts after saving a College World Series win over West Virginia.

ing up with big hits in critical situations over his three years in the program.

“I just try to keep everything the same, stick to my routine and trust my preparation,” Gallaher said. “I keep grinding.”

Gallaher said he also nds comfort having Forbes coaching third base.

“Always has a smile on his face, and that takes weight o your shoulders,” he said.

The mood in the Tar Heels’ dugout changed in the ninth. Walker McDu e, who relieved starter Ryan Lynch in the fth, gave up a walk and single to bring Ben Lumsden to the plate

as the potential tying run with one out.

Caden Glauber, who pitched 2 1/3 innings of shutout relief in a 6-2 win over Mississippi on Friday, came on and struck out Lumsden and Hall to earn his fth save.

In their opener, Colin Hynek’s three-run homer broke open a close game in the eighth inning and sent UNC to a 6-2 win over Mississippi.

The Tar Heels prevailed in what began as a pitcher’s duel between Jason DeCaro and the Rebels’ Taylor Rabe. They had just three hits through seven innings and led 3-2 when Hynek ripped Walker Hooks’ rstpitch changeup out to left with two outs.

“You have to do special things to win and get this far already, but you have to do even more special things to win out here,” Carolina coach Scott Forbes said. “It’s all about pitching and defending and being fundamentally sound and manufacturing a run. The ballpark is going to play bigger out here, so you have to have good outings. That sets the tone.”

UNC scored twice in the seventh inning to take a 3-2 lead, with Gavin Gallaher’s line drive up the middle driving in the go -ahead run.

Rebels leado man Dom Decker, hitless in two CWS games for Murray State last year, doubled twice o DeCaro. Decker’s rst double put Mis-

sissippi up 1-0 in the third, and he scored the go-ahead run in the seventh on Judd Utermark’s single o Caden Glauber.

DeCaro, who pitched a two-hitter against Southern California in the second game of their super regional, struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings and appeared to get stronger as he went along until Decker’s hit in the seventh. Glauber worked the last 2 1/3 innings.

Owen Hull, the hero of the Tar Heels’ super regional-clinching walk-o win, homered o Rabe in the sixth to tie it at 1.

“The guy’s pitch count was pretty high, and that was our goal,” Hull said. “We knew we would get to him eventually, and we did just that.”

Rabe, who retired the next two batters before Hudson Calhoun relieved, had turned in strong starts in the regionals and super regionals but wasn’t as sharp against the Tar Heels. He allowed one hit over the rst ve innings, but he walked a season-high four.

The Rebels had broken through against DeCaro in the third after left elder Tyler Howe lost Brayden Randle’s y in the sun. The ball landed just inside the line, Randle ended up on second and he came home on Decker’s double.

“We had the lead and we couldn’t nish,” Rebels coach Mike Bianco said. “But I thought Taylor pitched his guts o today and, of course, Judd with the big hit. Just came up a little short. And it happens.

“North Carolina did more to win it than we did.”

Fabulous Fisherman prize for the rst blue marlin weighing more than 500 pounds brought to the scales during the tournament.

For Daniel, an 18-year-old who was named Big Rock Junior Angler of the Year in 2023 after catching and releasing three blue marlin in one day, the moment was di cult to process.

Daniel and Guthrie battled the sh for about two hours before the crew was able to haul it aboard.

“It’s like a blur just went by,” Daniel said. “I don’t really remember any of it right now.”

Mate Justin Petrilli said the

at 13:31 of the middle frame. It was the latest — and last time this season — that Carolina’s second line took over a game.

“They’re competitors, they’re dogs,” Hall said of his linemates who are both a decade his junior. “They provided me with such a spark when we got on the line halfway through the year. I can’t say enough good things about them.”

crew knew it had hooked into a large sh, but seeing it break the surface changed the mood on the boat.

“I knew it was big, but when we actually saw it jumping, I was like, ‘No, that’s too big. I don’t want that one. Next one please,’” Petrilli joked.

Guthrie added that the size of the potential payout was nearly as hard to grasp as the size of the sh.

“It’s hard to even think about that much money, but it’s a good year to do it I guess,” Guthrie said.

While the crew waited to see whether the catch would survive the rest of the week atop

O season additions Ehlers and K’Andre Miller lived up to their big contracts, becoming key cogs in a roster that got deeper and harder to stop with each year. With the Cup nal series tied two games apiece, Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho — players who have been coached by Brind’Amour since coming into the league — elevated to combine for three goals and set the stage for Sunday.

the leaderboard, Daniel had another prize in mind: “My dad said he’d get us a hot tub if we win. So, we might get a hot tub, actually. That’ll be nice.”

From the time Marlin Fever’s blue marlin reached the scales, it became the sh every other crew was chasing. Several boats moved into contention during the week, but none came close enough to threaten the record.

Fender Bender nished second with a 644.1-pound blue marlin caught on the third day of shing, earning $467,963. Haphazard placed third with a 635.6-pound sh weighed Saturday, winning $311,975.

cized for in past years but now is undeniable. Carolina added more talent with each successive run, but Brind’Amour and Staal pointed to the family atmosphere that was cultivated over the past eight seasons, one installed by the coach and carried out by the captain.

Haphazard’s catch provided one of the nal dramatic moments of the tournament. After a 6.5-hour ght, the boat arrived at Big Rock Landing with a blue marlin that drew a crowd of about 4,000 people to the waterfront. The late weigh-in moved Haphazard onto the leaderboard and knocked Free Ranger out of the top three. For much of the tournament’s closing stretch, dicult conditions limited movement on the leaderboard. No blue marlin were brought to the scales Thursday or Friday as crews dealt with heat, wind and narrow shing windows, leaving Marlin Fever’s record catch untouched entering the nal day.

Eight blue marlin were weighed during the week. Marlin Fever’s win also added to the boat’s growing history in Big Rock events. The boat won the Big Rock Kids tournament last year, its second victory in the event in three years, and is scheduled to defend that title when this year’s Big Rock Kids begins July 9 out of Morehead City.

Marlin Fever is the second Wilson-based boat to win the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. The rst was Flying Fish, captained by Tom Barnes, which won the 1981 tournament with a 432-pound blue marlin.

“Congratulations to the captain and crew of Marlin Fever for winning this year’s Big Rock Tournament, reeling in a 919.9-pound blue marlin,” U.S. Sen. Ted Budd said in a statement. “The Big Rock Tournament in Morehead City has been a cherished NC tradition since 1957, and this year’s winning catch smashed all records.”

Next year’s Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament is scheduled for June 11-20, 2027.

Jackson Blake got in on the forecheck against Vegas defenseman Noah Hani n to force multiple turnovers. Logan Stankoven then set Blake up for a one-timer that beat Hart

The Hurricanes went 16-3 during their run, outscoring their four opponents — Ottawa, Philadelphia, Montreal and Vegas — 66-39 during the postseason, and the contributions came from throughout the lineup.

From undrafted players like Sean Walker and Jalen Chateld to well-traveled veterans like Hall and Frederik Andersen, Carolina was built on depth rather than stars, a philosophy the team was criti-

“I wanted to win that thing so bad, but I wanted to win so much more for everyone else in that room, and how much they deserved it, and how hard they’ve all worked,” Staal said. “And it just gives me chills that we were able to pull it o for each other, and family was a big reason.”

Notes: Staal won 14 of 22 faceo s and became the rst player to nish the Cupnal at better than 70% on draws. … Sean Walker led all NHL defensemen with 68 hits in the playo s. … Forwards Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nicolas Deslauriers, and defenseman Mike Reilly were healthy scratches for Carolina, as was goalie Frederik Andersen.

Cory Lavalette’s book “Perfect Storm: The Carolina Hurricanes’ Incredible Run to the 2026 Stanley Cup” is available for preorder at TriumphBooks.com/CanesWin. Marlin Fever claims Big Rock title with record 919.9-pound catch

VERA NIEUWENHUIS / AP PHOTO

UNC coach Scott Forbes

COURTESY BIG ROCK BLUE MARLIN TOURNAMENT

The Marlin Fever crew won $871,250 for landing the tournament’s rst blue marlin to top 500 pounds.

Goaltending nally delivers again for Carolina

Brandon Bussi and Frederik Andersen were integral pieces of the Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup victory

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

FOR YEARS, one of the Carolina Hurricanes’ biggest Achilles’ heels in the postseason had been goaltending.

Year after year, it felt like Carolina’s netminders weren’t able to come up with timely saves when the team needed them most — but 2026 proved to be a di erent story.

The Hurricanes are once again Stanley Cup champions, and they owe a lot to the men between the pipes.

Despite a career-worst regular season, veteran Frederik Andersen ended up getting the nod for Game 1 of the playo s. And while there were quite a few naysayers heading into that opening game, they were far and few between afterward.

The Danish netminder wound up carrying the load for Carolina, playing in 16 of its 19 games and contributing 13 of the 16 wins.

Andersen was nearly awless through the rst two rounds and only had one game through the rst three in which he surrendered more than two goals.

The Cup nal was a bit of a di erent story, as Vegas proved to be a much tougher opponent, but Andersen still managed to secure a win for his team before ultimately being hampered by injury.

“A guy that’s grinded it out for a long time,” said Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour of the 36-year-old Andersen. “He gutted it out. He’s had some injuries, wasn’t 100%, which is why he never really came back. Could’ve maybe played, but you can’t kind of play at this time of year. But happy for him. Everybody knows that he was such a big part of getting us here.”

In the end, Andersen nished this run with a 13-2 record, a .910 save percentage, a 1.89 goals against average and a franchise record three shutouts. After struggling to play through injury, Andersen was pulled after two periods of Game 3, and that’s when the legend of Bussi truly reached a fever pitch. Already, the 27-year-old net-

“It was my turn to pull on the rope.”

Brandon Bussi, Hurricanes goaltender

minder, who Carolina claimed o of waivers before the season began, had been one of the NHL’s best stories, with the rst-year NHLer rocketing into the record books all season long, accomplishing new feats seemingly every week as he found ways to win night after night.

“Every start that he’s had for us has been like that,” Brind’Amour said. “No stress, making saves, and it’s been like that since Day 1 when he showed up. Sometimes you get lucky in sports. You do have to have that, and that was a lucky waiver pickup that just happened at the right time and here you go. But it’s also a good story about people that take advantage of their opportunity. It didn’t just happen. He had to make it happen, and he certainly did.”

And while Bussi ended up taking a backseat to Andersen to start the playo s, nobody played a more pivotal role in the end than he did.

In four Stanley Cup nal games, Bussi posted a 3-1 record, allowing six goals in total and registering a .931 save percentage, 1.60 goals against average as well as a Stanley Cup - clinching shutout in Game 6.

“It was my turn to pull on the rope,” Bussi said. “I’m condent in myself. I put the work in in practice in case the mo -

Blaze catch re in season-opening series

Carolina won two of three over Portland at home

By Asheebo Rojas North State Journal

DURHAM — For softball fans in the Triangle, there’s no longer a monthslong wait for more action.

Thanks to the Carolina Blaze of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, the game continues right at home.

The Blaze opened their 2026 season at Smith Family Stadium in Durham with a 4-1 win over Portland on June 9. A deep crowd of fans stretching from the bleachers to behind the outeld gathered to witness history as the AUSL, now in its second season, played in assigned cities for the rst time.

“It was great to have a sold out crowd on opening day, being this is our rst home base with the AUSL,” Carolina coach Kara Dill said. “I do think this fan base is going to be electric. You can tell that they understand the game of softball.”

Carolina got its bats going and took control of the game with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Following two straight walks for Karlie Spaid and McKenzie Clark, Aleshia Ocasio singled to score Spaid and tie the game at one run apiece. Aubrey Leach immediately followed with another single to left center eld, sending Clark and Ocasio home for a 3-1 lead.

As it was Carolina’s third cycle through the batting lineup, Leach, the leado hitter, attributed the team’s fourth-inning success to the team’s adjustments.

MVP from page B1

asking, “We’re going to go back to the rst game of the (postseason): Why did you punch that guy?”

From there, it was vintage Staal — and more. In the rst three rounds, he shut down the likes of Tkachuk, Trevor Zegras, Travis Konecny, Ryan Suzuki, Cole Cau eld and Juraj Slafkovsky.

“I do think this fan base is going to be electric.”

“Seeing a really good pitcher on the mound, just trying to make adjustments every time you’re out there,” Leach said.

“Found a good one, put a good swing on it.”

In the bottom of the fth inning, Devyn Netz smashed the Blaze’s rst ever home run, a solo shot, to center eld and extended their advantage to three runs. Following a single by Port-

In the Cup nal against Vegas, he swallowed up Jack Eichel. But he also scored goals — big ones.

Four of his six goals either tied the game or put Carolina ahead, including his falling backhand in the third period of Game 4 that evened the series.

Staal also anchored the Hurricanes penalty kill, which went 65 of 71 in the postsea-

land’s Sis Bates in the top of the third inning, Kendra Falby sent a double to left eld and scored Bates for the rst run of the game.

Ocasio pitched the rst four innings and earned the win with two strikeouts, one earned run and three hits allowed. Keilani Ricketts earned the save with three strikeouts, one hit and zero runs allowed in the nal three innings.

Former Duke standout Ana Gold went 3 for 3 with three RBIs and a run to lead the Blaze to a ve-inning 11-2 victory over the Cascade in Game 2.

Gold saw two at bats in a seven-run third inning for Carolina.

“It’s an unbelievable ending to a great story.”

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour

son, including 16 of 18 in the series against Vegas. Staal played 51:59 shorthanded minutes and was on the ice for

ment happened. I wasn’t rooting for it, but it happened and I’m glad I was able to contribute.”

“I was just trying to do my part and be supportive,” Andersen told NHL Network on Bussi. “He obviously did an amazing job coming in like that. He was awesome. Just in that moment, coming in like that, that’s storybook. That’s special.”

The Hurricanes have been one of the league’s most unorthodox teams when it comes to the way they approach certain aspects of the game, and one of their most unique areas has been the way they handle the goaltending position.

For years, the Hurricanes have had a rotating cast of netminders and have even opted to carry three on their active roster in each of the last few seasons, something very rare in the NHL.

While there have been many detractors to the Canes’ philosophy in net, in the end, the Hurricanes only became Stanley Cup champions because of their approach.

Bussi may not have even gotten the chance to play in the NHL if not for the Hurricanes’ desire to carry three netminders, and it was because of their willingness to carry an extra guy throughout the year that also allowed both him and Andersen time and opportunity to nd their games, albeit at different moments in the season.

Both players were crucial to securing the organization’s second Stanley Cup, and now their names will live on forever both in the memories of the Hurricanes faithful and engraved in silver.

just pitched for Tennessee in the Women’s College World Series earlier this month, earned the win with ve strikeouts, one walk, two earned runs and ve hits allowed in a complete game. In the top of the third inning, Pickens gave up a two-run homer to Megan Grant, giving the Cascade a 2-1 lead. She responded by allowing just one hit over the next two innings, including a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fourth, and she struck out Grant to end the game.

“Loved to end on a strikeout,” Pickens, who’s playing alongside Tennessee softball’s director of player development in Leach, said. “Super fun, exciting. Just competing out there.”

The Blaze took their rst loss in Game 3 as a 12-run second inning pushed the Cascade to a 12-4 win.

Portland smashed eight hits in the game-de ning inning, including a grand slam by Korbe Otis that put the Cascade ahead 12-1.

She started the inning with a single and made it home on a single by Netz. Then, with two outs and two runners on base, Gold doubled to center eld and batted in two more runs for an 8-2 lead. Carolina landed ve hits in that inning, including a two-RBI double by Ocasio.

“In that moment, a lot of things went our way,” Dill said. “Like Ana said, we got a lot of contribution from our entire lineup.”

Said Dill, “We were aggressive on the bases which moved us up into scoring position.”

Rookie and 2026 rst overall pick Karlyn Pickens, the North Buncombe alum who

four power play goals allowed. It was the type of well-rounded performance that should have gotten him more accolades over the past two decades. No one can deny his place in history now.

The series brought a few familiar faces to Smith Family Stadium as Gold, Blaze pitcher Jala Wright and Cascade catcher Kelly Torres played for Duke. Mia Davidson, another Cascade catcher, graduated from Orange High School in Hillsborough and was a two-time North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year (2016-17).

In 2025, the Blaze were one of four teams to debut the AUSL, playing alongside the Bandits (now based in Chicago), the Volts (now based in Texas) and the Talons (now based in Utah). The league began in a tour format with games being played in various cities across the United States.

Last season, the Blaze nished last in the league with a 7-17 record. Carolina returned nine players from the inaugural Blaze roster.

“It’s an unbelievable ending to a great story,” Brind’Amour said of Staal. “I’ve talked about him enough, but I’m just so proud of him. And I’m proud that he was able to do that in front of the whole hockey world. Everyone got to see now, but I’ve known forever what kind of player he is. A leader — we’re not hoisting that without him.”

Cory Lavalette’s book “Perfect Storm: The Carolina Hurricanes’ Incredible Run to the 2026 Stanley Cup” is available for pre-order at TriumphBooks.com/CanesWin.

STAN GILLILAND FOR NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Brandon Bussi celebrates after being named the rst star of Carolina’s Game 5 win in the Stanley Cup nal.

COURTESY AUSL

Former Duke standout Ana Gold celebrates after a big play for the Blaze on June 10.

Kara Dill

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

26SP000138-250

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Diane Quintero Stephens and Blake A. Stephens (PRESENT RECORD

OWNER(S): Diane Quintero Stephens and Blake A. Stephens) to CB Services Corp., Trustee(s), dated December 8, 2010, and recorded in Book No. 8542, at Page 96 in Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds Cumberland County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on June 29, 2026 and will sell to the

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

26SP000398-250

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Cumberland Interfaith Hospitality Network, Inc. (PRESENT RECORD

OWNER(S): Cumberland Interfaith Hospitality Network, Inc.) to K. Douglas Bar eld, Trustee(s), dated March 16, 2009, and recorded in Book No. 08102, at Page 0870 in Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds Cumberland County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00

Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been led in the above entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: The Deed of Trust recorded on March 4, 1993, in Book 3922 at Page 0298 in the Cumberland County Registry was drafted and recorded in a manner su cient to give a

searcher notice of its claim to

lien in the amount of $65,761.00 on the

located at

Eppingdale Drive,

28390.

highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Fayetteville in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot Number 49 in a subdivision known as HICKORY GROVE, SECTION 1 and the same being duly recorded in Book of Plats 43, at page 1, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 6551 People Street, Fayetteville, North Carolina. Parcel Identi cation No. 9496-64-6396

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

PM on June 22, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Fayetteville in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lots 66, 67, 68, 69 and 70 in a subdivision known as OAKLAND, PART III, according to a plat of same duly recorded in Book of Plats 17, Page 62, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 416 Cedric Street, Fayetteville, North Carolina.

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

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

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

as bene ciary, as nominee for AXEN Mortgage, Mortgagee, dated April 16th, 2024 and recorded on April 16th, 2024 in Book 11949, Page 0781, Cumberland County Registry. Default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, McMichael Taylor Gray, LLC. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds of Cumberland County, North Carolina, and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door or other usual place of sale in Cumberland County, North Carolina, at 1:30 PM on July 1st, 2026, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: Being all of Lot Number 53 in subdivision known as Englewood, Section Two, and the same being duly recorded in Book of Plats 33, at Page 2, Cumberland County Registry. Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 1663 Tryon Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28303 Tax ID: 0428-07-5722 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

26SP000243-250 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 Akil J Best and Samaya R Best to Adam B. Newman, Trustee(s), which was dated July 21, 2022 and recorded on July 21, 2022 in Book 11528 at Page 782, 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 July 1, 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 76, in a subdivision known as Crossgates, and the same being duly recorded in Plat Book 40, Page 16, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

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

Said property is commonly known as 406 Vanguard Street, 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 AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

in Book No. 9791, at Page 0875 in Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds Cumberland County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on June 22, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Fayetteville in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 321, in a subdivision known as Cli dale Forest, Section 9, and the same being duly recorded in Book of Plats 71, Page 65, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1070 Quail Meadow Drive, Fayetteville, North Carolina. Less and Except: Book 5722, Page 337 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).

Deed of Trust recorded in Book 3922 at Page 0298 in the Cumberland County Registry is a valid rst lien on the Property and that its lien is superior to the claims of all other Defendants in this action. Plainti ’s valid, rst position lien or trust on the Property be foreclosed by judicial sale pursuant to the provisions of N.C.G.S. § 1-339.1, et seq., by Jeremy B. Wilkins as Commissioner especially appointed by the Court to serve without bond, with proceeds of the sale applied as follows: To the cost of this action; To the compensation allowed by the Court for a person holding the sale pursuant to the N.C.G.S. § 1-339.11; To the amount due to the Plainti under the Loan, Note and Deed of Trust, including reasonable fees and costs provided therein; and The surplus, if any, to be paid to the O ce of the Clerk of Superior Court pending a

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

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.

Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts will be immediately due and owing. Said property to be o ered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being o ered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS WHERE IS. There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being o ered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments, land transfer taxes, if any, and encumbrances of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Carolyn Shim.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes

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 Akil J. Best and spouse, Samaya R. Best.

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

determination of those persons entitled thereto.

That the Property shall be sold at a public sale to the highest bidder. In the alternative, that the Court declares the Borrowers/Mortgagors hold the Property described herein subject to a

trust and equitable lien to the

of the Plainti , consistent in all

with the terms and

of the Deed of

That the Court’s Order, shall be duly recorded in the Cumberland County Register of Deeds, and indexed according to those parties named in said Deed of Trust and named herein to establish record notice of this proceeding in the chain of title to the Property.

That upon nal sale, con rmation of sale and conveyance of the Property, the underlying

obligation secured by the Loan, Note and Deed of Trust shall be satis

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.

§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

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

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 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

25SP001247-250

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 Gidget Wilson and Donald Martin a/k/a Donald R Martin to Advantage Title LLC, Trustee(s), which was dated June 26, 2023 and recorded on June 28, 2023 in Book 11766 at Page 603, 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

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

26SP000420-250

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Christina Huether (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Christina Huether) to Buccaneer Title, LLC, Trustee(s), dated August 26, 2022, and recorded in Book No. 11558, at Page 0765 in Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina. The Deed of Trust was modi ed by the following: A Loan Modi cation recorded on July 15, 2025, in Book No. 12281, at Page 0858 , default having been made in the payment of the promissory note secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds Cumberland County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door in Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, CUMBERLAND COUNTY 26 SP 000435-250

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Ivory Joe Murphy and Verna P. Murphy, Mortgagor(s), in the original amount of $79,900.00, to Decision One Mortgage, LLC, a Limited Liability Company, Mortgagee, dated May 21st, 2001 and recorded on May 29th, 2001 in Book 5479, Page 0619, and subsequently modi ed by Loan Modi cation recorded on August 21st, 2025 in Book 12311 at Page 0236, 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

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

Said property is commonly known as 6209 Rustic Ridge, 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

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 24, 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 224 in a subdivision known as VILLAGE GREEN, SECTION THREE and the same being duly recorded in Book of Plats 47, Page 70, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina.

on June 24, 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: THE LAND REFERRED TO HEREIN BELOW IS SITUATED IN THE COUNTY OF Cumberland, STATE OF North Carolina, AND IS DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEING ALL OF LOT 24, IN A SUBDIVISION KNOWN AS LAKE RIM NORTH, SECTION 3, PART C, ACCORDING TO A PLAT OF THE SAME DULY RECORDED IN BOOK OF PLATS 106, PAGE 56, CUMBERLAND COUNTY REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA.

PARCEL: 9487-82-6767

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

Said property is commonly known as 9739 Gooden Dr, 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

PM on June 22, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Fayetteville in the County of Cumberland, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: The Land is described as follows: All that certain lot or parcel of land situated in the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 11, Block “AA” in a subdivision known as Cottonade, Section Seven, according to a plat of same duly recorded in Book of Plats 31, Page 52, Cumberland County Registry, North Carolina, reference to which is hereby made for a more particular description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 6429 Milford Road, Fayetteville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to three hours as provided in N.C.G.S. 45-21.23. Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by

the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door or other usual place of sale in Cumberland County, North Carolina, at 2:00 PM on June 23rd, 2026, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: Lying and being situated in Cumberland County, North Carolina, and more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 67, in a subdivision known as Warrenwood Estates, according to a Plat of same duly recorded in Book of Plats 25, Page 31, Cumberland County registry, North Carolina. Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 956 Sunbury Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28311 Tax ID: 0429-79-6656 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)

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 Barbara M. 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

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 Gidget Wilson and Donald Martin, a married couple.

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

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 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

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,

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

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

undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are Ivory Joe Murphy and Verna P. Murphy. 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 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

Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 404-474-7149 (phone) 404-745-8121 (fax) dneill@mtglaw.com 26-001303-01 NOTICE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF CUMBERLAND GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION 26CV000170-250 National Cooperative Bank, N.A., Plainti , v. Daphne Cosand; Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); North Carolina Housing Finance Agency; United Management II, Inc.; J&D Managements, LLC; FTL Finance Defendant(s). NOTICE OF SALE

Address of property: 3421 Reedy Branch Rd, Eastover, NC 28312 Tax Parcel ID: 0468-13-3642

Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the Order for Judicial Sale dated May 21, 2026, the undersigned will expose for sale at public auction at the usual place of sale at the Cumberland County courthouse at 1:30 PM on June 24, 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 by Daphne Cosand, dated March 8, 2021 to secure the original principal amount of $147,283.00, and recorded in Book No. 11051, at Page 121 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.

Sananikone and Dolores Esmeralda Sananikone, Mortgagor(s), in the original amount of $319,088.00, to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., (“MERS”) as bene ciary, as nominee for Mortgage Research Center, LLC dba Veterans United Home Loans, Mortgagee, dated August 11th, 2022 and recorded on August 11th, 2022 in Book 11545, Page 0572, Cumberland County Registry. Default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Anchor Trustee Services, LLC having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the O ce of the Register of Deeds of Cumberland County, North Carolina, and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will o er for sale at the courthouse door or other usual place of sale in Cumberland County, North Carolina, at 10:00AM on June 29th, 2026, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: Being all of Lot 234, in a subdivision known as The Village on Asphens Creek, Section Five, according to a plat of the same recorded in Plat Book 133, Page 162 Cumberland County Registry. Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 848 Screech Owl Dr, Hope Mills, NC 28348 Tax ID: 0422-98-3811 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, 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 Vongsavanh Sananikone

SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing at the property: be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of

This sale is subject to all prior liens and encumbrances and unpaid taxes and assessments including any transfer tax associated with the foreclosure. A deposit of ve percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or seven hundred fty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required from the highest bidder and must be tendered in the form of certi ed funds at the time of the sale. This sale will be held open ten days for upset bids as required by law. After the expiration of the upset period, all 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 the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid.

and Dolores Esmeralda Sananikone. 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 25-003827-01

24SP000238-770

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE

SALE

NORTH CAROLINA, ROBESON COUNTY

Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Jamal A. Armstrong to Shapiro & Ingle, LLP., Trustee(s), which was dated February 22, 2019 and recorded on February 22, 2019 in Book 2166 at Page 47, Robeson 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 July 1, 2026 at 01:00 PM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Robeson County, North Carolina, to wit:

All that certain lots or parcels of land designated as Lot No. Fifteen (15) and Lot No. Sixteen (16) in Block “Q” of Fisher Park as shown on map duly recorded in Book of Maps No. 7, at Page 69, Robeson County Registry, reference to said map and registration being hereby made for a more particular description of said lands and the same being incorporated herein. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record.

Said property is commonly known as 700 Floyd Street, Fairmont, NC 28340.

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 Jamal A Armstrong.

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,

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE

26SP000211-890

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Rosa L. Clark (Deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): James Shine and Rosa L. Clark) to Glenn R. Walker, Trustee(s), dated October 11, 1995, and recorded in Book No. 817, at Page 267 in Union County Registry, North Carolina. The Deed of Trust was modi ed by the following: A Loan Modi cation recorded on March 7, 2018, in Book No. 07118, at Page 0373 , 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 Union County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute

26-125475 IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION UNION COUNTY

Trustee will o er for sale at the Judicial Center in Monroe, Union County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:00 PM on June 25, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Monroe in the County of Union, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 7 of the East End Subdivision, Section V, Final Plat Phase II, as recorded in the Union County, North Carolina Register of Deeds in Plat Cabinet No. B., File No. 309A, to which reference is speci cally made. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1013 Fairmont Street, Monroe, 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

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

26SP000283-890 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY ANA JOSEFA HERRERA AND NANCY HERRERA DATED DECEMBER 21, 2022 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 8630 AT PAGE 371 IN THE UNION 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 Union County courthouse at 11:00AM on June 30, 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 Ana Josefa Herrera and Nancy Herrera, dated December 21, 2022 to secure the original principal amount of $347,588.00, and recorded in Book 8630 at Page 371 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: 309 Catawba Circle North, Matthews, NC 28104 Tax Parcel ID: 07129456 Present Record Owners: Ana Josefa Herrera and Nancy Herrera The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Ana Josefa Herrera and Nancy Herrera. 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 shall

AT PAGE 555 IN THE UNION 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 Union County courthouse at 11:00AM on June 25, 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 Chasity Bradley and Jonathan Bryan, dated May 19, 2023 to secure the original principal amount of $420,247.00, and recorded in Book 8711 at Page 555 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: 936 Scotch Meadows Loop, Monroe, NC 28110 Tax Parcel ID: 09143243

AND RECORDED IN

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 22, 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: Situated in the County of Wake, State of North Carolina: Being all of Lot 5, Grove Park Townhomes as shown in Book of Maps, recorded in Book 2010 at Page 529, Wake County Registry. Including the Unit located thereon; said Unit being located at 2118 Scarlet Maple Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina. Being the same property conveyed by Deed recorded in Book 015115, Page 01417 of the Wake County, North Carolina records. Subject to all easements, covenants, conditions, reservations, leases and restrictions of record, all legal highways, all rights of way, all zoning, building and other laws, ordinances and regulations, all rights of tenants in possession, and all real estate taxes and assessments not yet due and payable.

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

remit funds in a timely manner will result in a Declaration of Default and any deposit will be frozen pending the outcome of any

sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing. SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing

Present Record Owners: Chasity Bradley and Jonathan Bryan The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Chasity Bradley and Jonathan Bryan. 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

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 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

and

UNION

WAKE

ROBESON

26SP000681-910

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 Sidney M Moye and Shirley S Moye to BB&T Collateral Service Corporation, Trustee(s), which was dated July 12, 2010 and recorded on July 21, 2010 in Book 14008 at Page 1480, 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 July 1, 2026 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to

NOTICE

NORTH CARONORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF Wake GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 23SP003517-910

IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE

UNDER THAT POWER OF SALE. GRANTED IN THE Declaration of Condominium for Sweetbriar Condominium, RECORDED AT BOOK 3535, page 9, AND AS AMENDED Wake County Registry CONCERNING Valence Dante Modeste and spouse, if any

NOTICE OF RE-SALE

NOTICE OF ASSOCIATION’S RE-SALE OF REAL ESTATE

Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the Declaration of Condominium for Sweetbriar Condominium recorded at Book 3535, Page 9, as amended Wake County Registry; and because of default in the payment of the indebtedness secured by said Declaration and failure of performance of the stipulations and agreements therein contained, and pursuant to the Order entered in 23SP003517-910, Superior Court of Wake County, North Carolina, and the failure

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF Wake

GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25SP002641-910 IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE UNDER THAT POWER OF SALE. GRANTED IN THE Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions for Wake eld Estates, Phase III, RECORDED AT BOOK 7707, page 569, AND AS AMENDED Wake County Registry CONCERNING Elizabeth Chung, widow of Theodore Chung

NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE OF ASSOCIATION’S SALE OF REAL ESTATE

Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions for Wake eld Estates, Phase III recorded at Book 7707, Page 569, as amended Wake County Registry; and because of default in the payment of the indebtedness secured by said Declaration and failure of performance of the stipulations and agreements therein contained, and pursuant to the Order entered in 25SP002641-910, Superior Court of Wake County, North Carolina, the

corner of the above mentioned Lot #81; thence South 35 degrees 15 minutes West with the west line of lot #81 200.0 feet to the BEGINNING CORNER; and being .32/100 of an acre, and being carved from the Eastern portion of Lot #80 and being number Lot #80-A from this date on. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at Lot 80-A Bass Lake Road, Holly Springs, North Carolina. Parcel ID: 0078365 Tax ID: 0659403694 Property Address: 415 Bass Lake Rd, Holly Springs, NC 27540

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

the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Wake County, North Carolina, to wit: Being all of Lot 24, Raintree Subdivision, Phase I, Part A, as shown on map recorded in Book of Maps 1976, Page 385, Wake County Registry.

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

Said property is commonly known as 1501 Barley Pl, Raleigh, NC 27615.

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

of the original high bidder to complete the purchase, the undersigned Trustee will expose for re-sale at public auction to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate located in Wake County, North Carolina:

Legal Description: Being all of Unit 5820-202 Sweetbriar

Condominium as referred to in that certain Declaration of Condominium for Sweetbriar Condominium dated August 13, 1985 and recorded August 13, 1985 in Book 3535, pages 9 through 85, inclusive, Wake County Registry, and as more particularly depicted on the Plat and Plans for Sweetbrier Condominium recorded in Condominium File No. 88 Wake County Registry, to which Declaration, plat and Plans are incorporated herein by reference. Being also known as 5820 Pointer Drive, #202, Raleigh, North Carolina 27609.

ALSO BEING that property described in that deed recorded at Deed Book 18458, Page 1209 in the O ce of the Register of Deeds of Wake County, North Carolina.

Present Legal Owners: Valence Dante Modeste and spouse, if any

Property Address: 5820 Pointer Drive #202 Raleigh, NC 27609

A Certi ed Check ONLY (no personal checks) deposit of ve percent (5%) of the amount of the bid, or Seven Hundred Fifty

undersigned Trustee will expose for sale at public auction to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate located in Wake County, North Carolina: Legal Description: Lying and being in New Light Township, Wake County, North Carolina, in Wake eld Estates, Phase V, and being more particularly described as Lot No. 61 of Wake eld Estates, Phase V, as said Lot is shown on a plat by Matthew D. Foster, Registered Land Surveyor, Derward W. Baker & Assciates, P.A., dated September 30, 1997, revised February 17, 1998, revised May 17, 1998, revised July 6, 1998, revised July 22, 1998, revised August 5, 1998, and revised August 11, 1998, and recorded in the Wake County, North Carolina Registry in Book of Maps 1998, Pages 1583 and 1584 said Plat being incorporated by reference as if fully set out herein (and referred to herein as the “Plat”). Being also known as 1720 Talbot Ridge Street Wake Forest, NC 27587. ALSO BEING that property described in that deed recorded at Deed Book 17407, Page 1810 in the O ce of the Register of Deeds of Wake County, North Carolina.

Present Legal Owners: Elizabeth Chung, widow of Theodore Chung Property Address: 1720 Talbot Ridge Street Wake Forest, NC 27587-6299

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

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 Sidney M. Moye, Sr. and wife, Shirley S. Moye.

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,

and 00/100 Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered at the time of the sale. Any successful bidder shall be required to tender the full balance of the purchase price so bid in cash or certi ed check at the time the Trustee tenders to him a deed for the property or attempts to tender such deed and should said successful bidder fail to pay the full balance purchase price so bid at that time, he shall remain liable on his bid. This sale will be held open ten (10) days for upset bids as required by law. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

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 knowledge of the Trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the Trustee, in his sole discretion, if he 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.

The real estate will be sold subject to any and all superior liens, including taxes and special assessments, if any.

Upon the conclusion of the sale an order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S.§45-21.29 in favor

A Certi ed Check ONLY (no personal checks) deposit of ve percent (5%) of the amount of the bid, or Seven Hundred Fifty and 00/100 Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered at the time of the sale. Any successful bidder shall be required to tender the full balance of the purchase price so bid in cash or certi ed check at the time the Trustee tenders to him a deed for the property or attempts to tender such deed and should said successful bidder fail to pay the full balance purchase price so bid at that time, he shall remain liable on his bid. This sale will be held open ten (10) days for upset bids as required by law. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED.

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 knowledge of the Trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the Trustee, in his sole discretion, if he 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.

The real estate will be sold subject to any and all superior liens, including taxes and special assessments, if any.

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

page 1265, AND AS AMENDED Wake County Registry CONCERNING Katie Moriah Clark Blalock and spouse, if any

NOTICE OF SALE

NOTICE OF ASSOCIATION’S SALE OF REAL ESTATE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions for Lakestone Village Townhomes recorded at Book 12164, Page 1265, as amended Wake County Registry; and because of default in the payment of the indebtedness secured by said Declaration and failure of performance of the stipulations and agreements therein contained, and pursuant to the

Block N, as shown on that nal subdivision plat recorded in Book of Maps 2016, Page 2187, Wake County Registry. ALSO BEING that property described in that deed recorded at Deed Book 19447, Page 2000 in the O ce of the Register of Deeds of Wake County, North Carolina.

Present Legal Owners: Katie Moriah Clark Blalock and spouse, if any

Property Address: 1327 Lakestone Village Ln Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526 A Certi ed Check ONLY (no personal checks) deposit of ve percent (5%) of the amount of the bid, or Seven Hundred Fifty and 00/100 Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered at the time of the sale. Any successful bidder shall be required to tender the full balance of the purchase price so bid in cash or certi ed check at the time the Trustee tenders to

PAY THE

AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR

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 knowledge of the Trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the Trustee, in his sole discretion, if he 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.

The real estate will be sold subject to any and all superior liens, including taxes and special assessments, if any. Upon the conclusion of the sale 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 this Court.

after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be e ective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor 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

of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the Clerk of this Court.

If you occupy the property pursuant to a rental agreement please note that any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving notice of said 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 (homeowner) has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. 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.

The sale will be held open for ten (10) days for upset bids as required by law.

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 IN THE INSTANCE OF BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION. IF YOU ARE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF THE BANKRUPTCY COURT OR HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED AS A RESULT OF THE BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDING, THIS NOTICE IS GIVEN TO YOU PURSUANT TO STATUTORY

Upon the conclusion of the sale 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 this Court.

If you occupy the property pursuant to a rental agreement please note that any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving notice of said 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 (homeowner) has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. 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.

The sale will be held open for ten (10) days for upset bids as required by law. 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 IN THE INSTANCE OF BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION. IF YOU ARE UNDER THE

If you occupy the property pursuant to a rental agreement please note that any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving notice of said 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 (homeowner) has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. 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. The sale will be held open for ten (10) days for upset bids as required by law. 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 IN THE INSTANCE OF BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION. IF YOU ARE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF THE BANKRUPTCY COURT OR HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED AS A RESULT OF THE BANKRUPTCY

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.: 26-01835-FC01

REQUIREMENT AND FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES AND IS NOT INTENDED AS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT FROM YOU PERSONALLY.

Date and Hour for Sale: June 25, 2026 at 1:00 PM

Place of Sale: Wake County Courthouse, 316 Fayetteville St, Raleigh, NC 27601

Date of this Notice: May 8, 2026

Trustee F. Todd Whitlow of Brownlee, Whitlow & Praet, PLLC, Trustee for Sweetbriar Condominium Association, Inc. ALLEN STAHL & KILBOURNE, PLLC /s/ James W. Kilbourne, Jr. James W. Kilbourne, Jr. N.C. Bar No.: 24354 3739 National Drive, Suite 105 (mailing) Raleigh, NC 27612 20 Town Mountain Road Asheville, NC 28801 Phone: (828) 254-4778/ (919) 827-0016 Fax: (828) 254-6646 hoa@asklawnc.com Attorney for Petitioner Sweetbriar Condominium Association, Inc.

PROTECTION OF THE BANKRUPTCY COURT OR HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED AS A RESULT OF THE BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDING, THIS NOTICE IS GIVEN TO YOU PURSUANT TO STATUTORY REQUIREMENT AND FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES AND IS NOT INTENDED AS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT FROM YOU PERSONALLY.

Date and Hour for Sale: June 25, 2026 at 1:00 PM

Place of Sale: Wake County Courthouse, 316 Fayetteville St, Raleigh, NC 27601

Date of this Notice: May 8, 2026 The Ford Firm, PLLC, Trustee for Wake eld Estates Homeowners Association, Inc. ALLEN STAHL & KILBOURNE, PLLC /s/

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 Solomon Mugirakamaro and Jeanne Mutesi to J Douglas McCarthy, Trustee(s), which was dated January 6, 2023 and recorded on January 6, 2023 in Book 19238 at Page 1, 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,

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

25SP001764-910

IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY GABRIEL E. LOPEZ AND CAITLIN LOPEZ DATED JULY 22, 2020 RECORDED IN BOOK NO. 017978, AT PAGE 01161 IN THE WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC REGISTRY, NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE OF SALE

or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale on June 24, 2026 at 10:00 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Wake County, North Carolina, to wit: BEING all of Lot 33, Perry Farms Subdivision, Phase 3, per plat and survey thereof recorded on Book of Maps 2021, Pages 1381-1384, inclusive, Wake County Registry, to which plat reference is hereby made for a more particular description of same.

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

Said property is commonly known as 1145 Duke Farm Dr, Wake Forest, NC 27587.

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

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 therein contained 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 Wake County courthouse at 10:00 AM on June 24, 2026, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Wake County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Gabriel E. Lopez; Caitlin Lopez, dated July 22, 2020 to secure the original principal amount of $490,000.00, and recorded in Book No. 017978, at Page 01161 of the Wake 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: 4853 Winterwood Drive, Raleigh, NC 27613 Tax Parcel ID:

13-048285

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION WAKE COUNTY 18SP002354-910

IN THE MATTER OF THE FORECLOSURE OF A DEED OF TRUST EXECUTED BY MAURICE LORANZO LEE AND TRACY LEE DATED OCTOBER 13, 2004 AND RECORDED IN BOOK 11058 AT PAGE 1787 IN THE WAKE 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 Wake County courthouse at 11:00AM on June 25, 2026, the following described real estate and any improvements situated thereon, in Wake County, North Carolina, and being more particularly described in that certain Deed of Trust executed Maurice Loranzo Lee and Tracy Lee, dated October 13, 2004 to secure the original principal amount of $172,000.00, and recorded in Book 11058 at Page 1787 of the Wake 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: 113 Saint Johns St, Knightdale, NC 27545 Tax Parcel ID: 0291255 Present Record Owners:

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 Solomon Mugirakamaro and Jeanne Mutesi.

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

0169164 The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Gabriel E. Lopez and Caitlin Lopez. 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

Maurice Loranzo Lee The record owner(s) of the property, according to the records of the Register of Deeds, is/are Maurice Loranzo Lee. 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

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.

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 shall be entitled only to a return of the deposit paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee, the Substitute Trustee or the attorney of any of the foregoing. SPECIAL NOTICE FOR LEASEHOLD TENANTS residing at the property: be advised that an Order for Possession of the property may be issued in favor of the purchaser. Also, if your lease began or was renewed on or after October 1,

Parcel ID: 0155245 Property Address: 7517 Riley Hill Road, Zebulon, NC 27597

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

Book No. 017988, at Page 00656 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 22, 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: Being all of Lot 5 of Cedar Stone Subdivision, Phase One, as depicted In Book of Maps 1986, Page 501, Wake County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 7517 and 7521 Riley Hill Road, Zebulon, North Carolina.

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

02105 , 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

All of Lot 147 in South Lakes Subdivision, Parcel SF-3C, as shown on the map(s) recorded in Book of Maps 2007, Pages 453-455, Wake County Registry, to which map(s) reference is hereby made for a more particular description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 724 Glenville Lake Drive, Fuquay Varina, North Carolina.

Property Address: 724 Glenville Lake Drive, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526

Tax ID # 0367072

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

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 24SP001471-910 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Joshua N. Ellis and Kelby Berry Ellis (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Joshua N. Ellis and Kelby Berry Ellis) to Nathan D. Benson, Trustee(s), dated January 23, 2014, and recorded in Book No. 015563, at Page 02340 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 29, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Fuquay Varina in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Lying and being in the Town of FuquayVarina, Middle Creek Township, WAKE County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows:

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 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

Street entrance in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on June 29, 2026 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in Garner in the County of Wake, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 184, Bingham Station Subdivision, Phase 4, as recorded in Book of Maps 2006, Page 279, Wake County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 332 Cinder Cross Way, Garner, 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 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),

is

and must be tendered in the form of certi

If the

funds at the

of the

is unable to convey

to this

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

Hurricane Stanley

The Carolina Hurricanes clinched their rst Stanley Cup in 20 years with a 3-0 Game 6 shutout in Las Vegas on Sunday, capping-o a dominant 16-3 playo run. For much more, turn to NSJ Sports.

the BRIEF this week

8 dead in B-52 bomber crash at U.S. Air Force base in California

Los Angeles The U.S. Air Force says eight people aboard a B-52 bomber that crashed shortly after takeo at a military base in Southern California’s Mojave Desert are dead. O cials said Monday that emergency crews responded after the aircraft went down around 11:20 a.m. at Edwards Air Force Base north of Los Angeles. The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range bomber that entered service in 1955. Designed to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons, it has been used in countless con icts from Vietnam to Iran.

Newsom says Trump’s DOJ investigating him, his wife Sacramento, Calif.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the Justice Department is investigating him and his wife, accusing the Trump administration of targeting him for political purposes as he weighs a presidential bid. The full scope of any investigations related to Newsom was not immediately clear. Newsom said in a video posted Monday on X that federal agents in recent days have knocked on the doors of his friends and former employees, and have asked for records. A person familiar with the matter con rmed there are multiple federal investigations into people around Newsom, including one related to his wife’s taxes.

$2.00

Pittsboro commisioners approve relocation of dedicated

The town is owed property as part of the agreements with the Chatham Park developers

By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO — The Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioners continues to work toward incorporating

new areas of green space.

At its June 8 meeting, the board rst approved the relocation of some of the dedicated parkland associated with the Chatham Park South Village development.

The original 20 acres of parkland that was promised to the town was located along Hanks Chapel Road, but that o er was rescinded due to it not tting with how the development plan is currently laid out.

“We feel we are quite happy to have to have it moved,” said Town Manager Jonathan Franklin. “This is one of our least favorite park locations in the South Village due to its topography.”

Authorities say they disrupted planned

attack on White House UFC cage-

The suspects shared anti-government ideology and conspiracy theories about the Epstein case

By Eric Tucker The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

Law

enforcement o cials dis-

Too

rupted a planned attack target-

ing President Donald Trump’s UFC cage- ghting show at the White House this past weekend, according to court papers un-

sealed Tuesday that say plotters who harbored fringe conspiracy theories spoke of ying explosives-laden drones and shooting panicked crowd members as they ed.

Investigators recovered highpowered rearms from several of the suspects and reviewed en-

sick to work, but can they prove it? New Medicaid rule

“States are going to be asked to make a determination using information that doesn’t exist in their systems.”

Kinda Sera , Manatt Health

States must verify medical frailty using documentation that doesn’t actually exist in their systems

By Ali Swenson The Associated Press

NEW YORK — On hot afternoons, DeAnna Brandon’s three dogs zag around while she splashes in a backyard kiddie pool with her grandkids. These are the moments the 48-year-old blood cancer survivor cherishes — and wonders if she will get

to have in the years to come. Brandon, who lives in Rockwell in Rowan County, is worried that new Medicaid work requirements starting next year could jeopardize her health coverage. She had expected to qualify for a medical frailty exemption, but new guidance introduced by President Donald Trump’s administration last week has thrown that into question.

The interim nal rule released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services means being sick with extreme exhaustion and memory

The board was presented with three di erent options for the relocation, with it ultimately choosing a site o of Charlie Brooks Road containing around 28 acres of land.

crypted text messages between roughly 20 participants who shared detailed maps and aerial photographs of the area and discussed the need for a “safe house” and escape routes after the intended attack, the docu-

CRIME LOG

June 8

• Melvin Antonio Diaz Flores, 22, was arrested for assault on a female and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

• Richard Calvin Edwards, 56, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.

June 9

Christopher Nicole Matthews, 54, was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance, simple possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and other charges.

Nathaniel Hal Johnson, 52, was arrested for disorderly conduct.

June 10

• Chanderica Yvette Caviness, 39, was arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile, rstdegree trespass, shoplifting by concealment of goods and other charges.

June 11

• Zachary Robert Shaw, 41, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.

• Cirilo Garcia Rangel, 31, was arrested for felony possession of cocaine.

June 12

• Cory Terell Wilkerson, 36, was arrested for driving while impaired.

• Cassey Elizabeth Carnes, 28, was arrested for driving while impaired.

• Jessie McKenley Cameron, 39, was arrested for driving while impaired.

• David Adam Clodfelter, 51, was arrested for possession of stolen goods.

• John Wayne Pauley, 52, was arrested for harassing phone call, misdemeanor stalking and cyberstalking.

June 13

• Aleaha Renne Marr, 32, was arrested for driving while impaired.

• James Daniel Payne, 28, was arrested for felony larceny, possession of stolen goods, rst-degree trespass and other charges.

• Christopher Lee Hamilton, 37, was arrested for assault by strangulation, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, communicating threats and other charges.

Supreme Court will decide whether criminal cases must have 12 jurors, in Florida case

A 1970 Supreme Court precedent allowing six-member juries now faces a fresh constitutional challenge

By Mark Sherman The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether states can use juries made up of only six people in criminal cases, instead of the usual 12. The case puts a Florida chiropractor convicted of practicing with a suspended license in an unlikely leading role in a constitutional clash.

The justices will hear arguments in the fall in the case of Hamed Kian, who argues that a six-person jury violates his constitutional rights.

Florida uses six-person juries for all criminal cases that don’t involve the death penalty. Five other states, Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts and Utah, also conduct some criminal trials with six-member juries.

MEDICAID from page A1

challenges related to her treatments may not be enough for Brandon to evade the new work requirements. She will have to attest and later prove that those symptoms “signi cantly impair” her ability to ful ll the mandates.

If the government doesn’t accept her case, she could lose her coverage and the twice-monthly maintenance chemotherapy that keeps her multiple myeloma in remission. Working is “outside of the realm of possibility for me,” she said in an interview.

“I was always a pushthrough-it person — you know, ‘Oh, you’re tired. Push through,’” Brandon said. “It’s hard to explain to people you can’t push through it.”

Health analysts have sounded the alarm about the Republican Trump administration’s newest guidance, which di ers from what states had been expecting. Experts said it will put more Americans at risk of losing health insurance and force states to scramble in their already harried e orts to implement the changes on time.

“This will mean more paperwork for Medicaid patients — speci cally for the sickest Medicaid patients,” said Adrianna McIntyre, a professor at Harvard University’s school of public health. That, she said, “is going to push in the direction of more people needlessly losing coverage.”

Medical frailty rules may mean paperwork nightmares for sick people

The new Medicaid restrictions, which Democrats have criticized, were part of Trump’s big tax and policy law in 2025. The change a ects those covered through an expansion in most states that gave more lower-income people access to the government’s safety net healthcare program.

Expansion enrollees age 19 to 64 will have to show that they work or do community service at least 80 hours a month or are in school at least half the time. There are exceptions for those considered medically frail or in addiction treatment programs, among others.

Last week’s announcement from CMS caught states o guard with a new de nition of medical frailty. The law had said medically frail people include those who have substance use disorders, disabilities or serious medical conditions. But the CMS rule went further, saying someone’s condition must “signi cantly impair” their ability to work, volunteer or attend school at the rates required in the law for them to be granted an exemption.

The 45-year-old Kian’s license was suspended after three women who were his patients complained he either kissed or touched them inappropriately, according to court records.

Prosecutors sought an indictment after amassing evidence that Kian, who had an o ce in Jupiter, continued to see patients even after the suspension. He was convicted by a six-person jury.

Kian’s lawyers argue that the smaller jury violates the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees “a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state.”

The amendment does not explicitly set the size of the jury, but Kian’s lawyers contend that the word jury could only have meant a body of 12 people at the time the amendment was adopted in 1791. Just over 100 years later, the Supreme Court ruled that juries had to have 12 people.

But in 1970, the justices changed course and ruled by a 7-1 vote that the number 12 was not sacrosanct, also in a case from Florida. Justice

In 2027 and once in 2028, the patient can attest that they meet this de nition. But when they try to renew coverage in 2028, they’ll need to prove it.

Advocates said it is unclear what kind of documentation could prove that point. They said doctor notes may be required — something some providers don’t feel comfortable writing. Medicaid enrollees ghting disease may carry the bureaucratic burden.

Brandon, who tried to prove she couldn’t work to access disability bene ts during her active cancer treatment and failed, said she’s worried about the hoops she and other patients may need to jump through.

“It’s not that easy — you may have to go through four doctors,” Brandon said. “If you’re already battling an illness like this, you don’t have the physical or the mental or the emotional energy to do that all the time.” States, advocates confused by government’s approach

States have been planning to use Medicaid claims data and other data sources to automatically exempt eligible enrollees whenever possible.

On a call with reporters last week, the CMS administrator, Dr. Mehmet Oz, endorsed that approach, saying he hoped most people would be helped “without ever having to talk to anybody.”

Asked to clarify how the rule should be implemented, the agency told The Associated Press in an email that it “chose not to allow states to categorically exclude individuals from work requirements based solely on a diagnosis or condition type.” For renewal in 2028, it said, “veri cation through claims data or other documentation will generally be required.”

But state Medicaid o cials and consultants said Medicaid claims data doesn’t prove someone is signi cantly impaired from working, and they don’t know of any existing data that does. That has left them confused about how to honor the government’s rule.

“States are going to be asked to make a determination using information that doesn’t exist in their systems,” said Kinda Sera , a partner at the legal and consulting rm Manatt Health who is working with states to make the changes.

One state, Nebraska, started the new Medicaid work requirements ahead of schedule. But it used diagnostic codes to identify people who are medically frail and therefore will likely have to rework its system, said Sarah Maresh, healthcare access program director at

Thurgood Marshall was the only dissenter.

More recently, the court has placed renewed emphasis on the original understanding of the Constitution. In another Sixth Amendment case, the court ruled in 2020 that juries must be unanimous in criminal cases, e ectively overturning a 1972 decision that had allowed for nonunanimous convictions in criminal cases in Louisiana and Oregon.

“The same reasoning applies to the historical right to a jury of twelve,” Kian’s lawyers wrote in their appeal to the court to step in. “When the People enshrined the jury trial right in the Constitution, they did not attach a rider that future judges could adapt it based on latter-day social science views.”

In trying to persuade the Supreme Court to leave Kian’s conviction in place, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier wrote that the 1970 case was correctly decided and “overruling it also would imperil thousands of criminal convictions in Florida and ve other states that for more than 50 years have relied on its rule.”

the advocacy group Nebraska Appleseed. Maresh said she was concerned doctors in the rural state who are already reluctant to take Medicaid patients may stop.

“They’re already drowning in paperwork, so to require them to do an additional step of certifying whether someone is able to work, I think is concerning,” she said. Preparing for the Jan. 1 kicko of the new policies is an immense and expensive task. A $200 million federal allotment is owing to states to help, and CMS has partnered with technology companies to provide free and discounted services, but the tab for the additional technology requirements and more sta is likely to exceed $1 billion, according to an AP analysis. That extra cost will be borne by a mix of federal and state tax dollars.

Republicans say rules will save Medicaid for those who need it most

Democrats have slammed the Medicaid work requirements as attacks on healthcare coverage for struggling Americans.

Republicans promoting the new rules, though, say they are commonsense measures to eliminate government freeloading and preserve benets for people who need them most. Oz last week, citing a report by the conservative American Enterprise Institute think tank, said able-bodied people on Medicaid spend an average of 6.1 hours a day “watching TV or just hanging out.”

“This is a concern, not a criticism,” he said. “Work requirements are going to turn this around, we hope.” Current enrollees who don’t meet the work requirement threshold said that’s a misrepresentation of their experience.

Mids Meinberg, a 42-year- old freelance writer from New Jersey who lives with chronic depression and diabetes, said that even with his health issues, he’s proud to have found a meaningful career. But his conditions make him unable to work 80 hours a month. He said he thinks there are many people with disabilities who are “too disabled to work but not disabled enough for the state to think they can’t work.” Brandon, in North Carolina, said she wants the government to understand that she’s “not just sitting around wasting time or being a drain on society.”

“I’m pouring into my grandchildren,” she said. “We’re valuable, and we can still contribute to our communities even if it’s not working.”

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

June 20

Juneteenth Black Arts Festival

2 p.m.

Community Organizing for Racial Equity (CORE) hosts this free annual celebration featuring black artists, live entertainment, a black business expo, food trucks, a heritage walk, kids’ activities and a Spades tournament. The event has grown to draw more than 3,000 attendees from across the Triangle.

Chatham County Fairgrounds 191 Fairgrounds Road Pittsboro

June 23

Siler City Center for Active Living Grand Reopening 10 a.m.

Chatham County Aging Services marks the completion of the center’s rst renovation since 2006 with a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. and a public open house through 2 p.m. Light refreshments will be served; community members 55 and older are invited to tour the new welcome center and learn about programming.

Siler City Center for Active Living 112 Village Lake Drive Siler City

June 26

Beach Music Series: Band of Oz 7-9 p.m.

Band of Oz performs at the outdoor MOSAIC Family Commons as part of the free summer Beach Music Series.

Philip H. Kohl MOSAIC Family Commons 457 Freedom Parkway Pittsboro

June 27

Chatham Celebrates America 250 10 a.m.

Free family event marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, with live music, food trucks, vendors, demonstrations and children’s activities; shuttle service provided by Chatham Transit.

Chatham County Agriculture and Conference Center 1192 U.S. Highway 64 West Business Pittsboro

How Americans celebrated the bicentennial — with reworks, Freedom Train, Farrah

America’s bicentennial mixed o cial pageantry, commercial kitsch and cultural skepticism in unexpected ways

By Lou Kesten

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In 1976’s “Rocky,” heavyweight champion Apollo Creed arrives for the title ght dressed as George Washington, reenacting the crossing of the Delaware as models costumed as the Statue of Liberty lead the way.

After entering the ring, Apollo switches into an Uncle Sam costume. “I want you!” he roars as he points to Rocky Balboa, the far less amboyant palooka he’s chosen for this bicentennial bout in Philadelphia.

Then the two boxers pound the daylights out of each other.

It’s as accurate a representation of the American bicentennial vibe as has ever been put on lm — plenty of reworks but not much thought about how 200 years of independence led to this.

I was 13 years old in 1976. Kids my age — the tail end of the Baby Boom, or the vanguard of Generation X — grew up skeptical of the government. We had outlasted the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal, with the occasional moment of joy — the moon landing, say — to break the gloom. The state of the union was intact, even if many Americans were still on edge.

My family lived in Newport News, Virginia, not far from the Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Yorktown and Williamsburg. So there was plenty of buzz surrounding the bicentennial. President Gerald Ford and his wife, Betty, took a carriage ride through Colonial Williamsburg, foreign leaders came to visit, and the living museum regularly staged reenactments of the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Ford and plenty of other dignitaries went to New York for what the president called “the greatest Fourth of July any of us will ever see.” Operation Sail was a oating parade of 16 tall ships and more than 100 smaller vessels from around the world — including, even, the Soviet Union. It was a boon for the beleaguered Big Apple, proving that “New Yorkers could get along, even during di cult times,” according to the Gotham Center for New York History.

All aboard the Freedom Train

For history bu s who couldn’t make the trip east, there was the American Freedom Train, a 26-car behemoth that toured all 48 contiguous states. It displayed two centuries of artifacts like George Washington’s copy of the Constitution, the original Louisiana Purchase, Judy Garland’s dress from “The Wizard of Oz” and a moon rock. Merle Haggard even released a song about it.

I had a nifty 3D poster of the Freedom Train on my bedroom wall. A di erent poster captured everyone’s eye later in 1976 — one featuring “Charlie’s Angels” star Farrah Fawcett-Majors. It’s patriotic in its own way. There’s Farrah, sporting big hair, a blinding white smile and a red swimsuit, posed in front of a red, white and blue blanket. The color scheme may not have been intentional, but it might as well be titled “All-American Girl” for its presentation of what much of society saw as one. There were plenty of more deliberate anniversary collectibles out there. A quick search of eBay in 2026 digs up hundreds of collectible plates, glasses, beer mugs and bumper stickers. The government unleashed special quarters, stamps and license plates. And of course Madison Avenue jumped in, selling bicentennial cereal, can-

dy, beer and soda. You could get a di erent 7-Up can for each of the 50 states.

Even the creator of the Pet Rock — the preposterous 1975 phenomenon that was, yes, a rock in a box — tried to get in on the act. That fad, alas, had run its course, and the Bicentennial Pet Rock opped. You’d have been better o buying a Pez dispenser with the head of Paul Revere or Betsy Ross.

Broadcast television — remember, we only had three networks — was more subdued. For kids, ABC’s beloved “Schoolhouse Rock!” spun o “America Rock.” But while that cartoon did include some history, it’s best remembered for the mournful civics lesson “I’m Just a Bill.”

More prominent was CBS News’ “Bicentennial Minute.”

Starting July 4, 1974, barely a month before President Richard Nixon resigned, it ran every night in primetime, presenting the news from 200 years earlier. It was so unavoidable that sitcoms like “All in the Family” referred to it; “Saturday Night Live,” which debuted in 1975, paid tribute with a “Bisexual Minute.”

Still, all three networks pulled out the stops on July 4, 1976. Walter Cronkite led the pack with 16 hours of coverage on CBS, while “Bob Hope’s Bicentennial Star-Spangled Spectacular” (“the show that took 200 years to produce”) on NBC celebrated with Sammy Davis Jr., Captain & Tennille and Donny and Marie Osmond.

The bad news bearers

Certainly, not everyone was in the mood to celebrate. Richard Pryor released an in uential album titled “Bicentennial,” followed by an ethnic slur. The title track is a monologue from a 200-year-old slave; it ends with, “I ain’t gonna never forget it.” In the same album’s ”Bicentennial Prayer,” Pryor proclaims, “We are celebrating 200 years of white folks kickin’ ass.” Popular music wasn’t in a particularly patriotic mood either. Elton John’s 1975 hit “Philadelphia Freedom” became a de facto anthem of sorts, even though it’s barely about Philadelphia and is more about individual independence.

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.

June 21 – 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.

VBS at Oakley Baptist Church is coming! Join Us For Kingdom Quest – June 22-26. Dinner begins at 5:45 p.m. and program ends at 8 p.m.

Faith, Fellowship and Fun! Go to myvbs.org/oakleyvbs2026 to sign up!

LOVES CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH

Indeed, the prevailing pop attitude was: Let’s forget about this mess we’ve left behind and go to the disco. So the Billboard singles charts were topped by the likes of Johnnie Taylor’s “Disco Lady,” The Sylvers’ “Boogie Fever,” The Bee Gees’ “You Should Be Dancing” and KC and the Sunshine Band’s “(Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty.”

On the album charts, California’s hippie culture was shaking o its hangover with haunted LPs like the Eagles’ “Hotel California” and Jackson Browne’s “The Pretender.” Something else was breaking loose in New York, though, with aggressive debuts from the Ramones and Blondie. The Ramones’ logo included an eagle holding an olive branch and a baseball bat, and their repertoire included the future stadium anthem “Blitzkrieg Bop.” What could be more American?

Speaking of America’s pastime, I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up the year’s funniest movie, “The Bad News Bears.” It’s baseball the way it was meant to be played — by a bunch of foul-mouthed juvenile delinquents coached by a surly, alcoholic has-been embodied by Walter Matthau. Double 50-year-old spoiler alert: Like Rocky, the Bears don’t win in the end. But they do have fun. The same can’t be said for the characters in most of 1976’s dramatic lms. Hollywood did its best to get a patriotic movie — the World War II epic “Midway” — in theaters in June, but it quickly zzled. The top box ofce draw on July 4th was “The Omen,” about an angelic-looking boy who turns out to be the Antichrist.

More prestigious lms continued to wrestle with the paranoia of the Nixon era. “All the President’s Men” dramatized The Washington Post’s investigation of the Watergate scandal. In “Taxi Driver,” a Vietnam War veteran plots to assassinate a presidential contender. In “Network,” a TV anchorman urges his viewers to open their windows and scream, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”

All three are undisputed classics. All three were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. All three lost to “Rocky.”

Loves Creek Baptist Church invites you to come to our Sea Explorers Vacation Bible School Kick-O on Saturday, June 27 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with hot dogs, nachos, crafts and games. Our VBS continues June 28 through July 1 from 6-8:30pm nightly. All kids/youth ages 4 years to 12 years are invited!

There will be snacks, Bible stories and crafts each night, and our closing night, July 1, there will be a commencement followed by pizza and fellowship.

We are located at 1745 East 11th St. (Highway 64) in Siler City right across from Bojangles. We’d love to see you there as we discover God’s Truth Beneath the Waves! Please come and bring a friend.

JESUS IS THE LIGHT!

Bible study: Matthew 4:16-17. Church of Living Water; Preacher: James Mitchell.

Jesus is the light that reveals the evil darkness of

take a stand to bring God’s light to the darkness.

stand with Israel!

FILE / AP PHOTO

Actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, left, poses with Eletha Finch, center, widow of actor Peter Finch, and actress Faye Dunaway at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles on March 28, 1977.

EDDIE ADAMS / AP PHOTO Ships participate in Operation Sail between the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial in New York on July 4, 1976.

THE CONVERSATION

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

A wonderful laugh: Abolishing medical debt

Instead of collecting the debt, Undue Medical Debt abolishes or forgives it.

LONG AGO, a childless couple, each just shy of 100 years old, was told that they would have a son. Both Abraham and Sarah laughed. The biblical record is clear that their laugh was not the joyful kind but more like a sco . They thought the idea of having a child at their age was impossible.

There is nothing funny about health crises at any age. I regularly talk to people who call the church seeking assistance with rent or other bills, and almost always the underlying reason involves a medical emergency, either for themselves or a loved one. My heart aches every time I hear such a story.

My country, for all its freedoms, already o ers one of the most expensive healthcare systems in the world. Due to federal legislation that will end healthcare subsidies and disqualify citizens from Medicaid, most premiums will rise, and the number of uninsured citizens in North Carolina alone is projected to swell

by 700,000 people in the coming year. It is tempting to become cynical about the insurance system and our elected o cials. Earlier this summer in Chatham County, 710 citizens living at the poverty line owed $1.8 million in medical debt. It is easy to fall into despair.

But then, I discovered the work of Undue Medical Debt, a national nonpro t that, like a collecting agency, buys debt for pennies on the dollar. Instead of collecting the debt, Undue Medical Debt abolishes or forgives it.

Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church launched an e ort to raise $20,000 to abolish the debt of the poor in Chatham County. I’m humbled and proud to report that we have raised $21,000 to date thanks to the generosity of our members and the larger community! In fact, one recent donation just put us over the goal.

I was away from the church, and the o ce manager texted me to call her. She

Saying ‘never’ good way to wind up being wrong

Of all the times “never” crept into my vocabulary and lifestyle, the biggest reversal came about over the issue of bottled water.

THROUGH THE YEARS I’ve tried to avoid making too many absolute statements.

It’s not that I don’t have some basic core beliefs that, while maybe open for conversation, aren’t open for change. Rather, it’s that I’ve come to realize that the saying that I heard for years before experiencing it myself is true, namely that you ought to keep your words soft and sweet because you never know when you might have to eat them.

So I don’t often say or use the word “never,” as in when I was a boy I noted to anyone who would listen, “You’ll never catch me eating turnip greens.” The transformation in my taste buds is long past, and today I often order them when eating out.

Through the years, however, there have been a few other similar revisions of behavior associated with “never.” I once was given a pink dress shirt, which I vowed never to wear but which I wore, since it was a gift, a time or two before accidentally spilling ink or gravy — I forget which — across the front of it. And it really was an accident.

And then my uncle was the local Ford dealer, and it was sort of a family tradition that we would never drive anything other than one of his o erings. Today we have a Dodge, and not too long ago I drove around in a Chrysler. I hope he wouldn’t be upset with me if he were still around.

Seemingly, if I kept at it, the list could go on for a little ways. But of all the times

“never” crept into my vocabulary and lifestyle, the biggest reversal came about over the issue of bottled water.

Water is, of course, a necessity for life and still, I think, in most places fairly plentiful, although in most of North Carolina, we’re in a serious drought and need to be careful with our supply. Water used to be that thing that was always “free,” as in no charge for it. Restaurants would give you a glass; there was no charge if you had it with your meal.

I’m not sure who the fellow was or exactly when it all started, but sometime since the Spanish-American War, somebody started putting water into plastic bottles and selling it for a quarter or 50 cents or whatever they could get for it. Soon, entire industries were busy bottling it and selling it in containers from oneswallow size to o ce dispensers.

For a while there was the general feeling that some bottles that said “Crystal Clear Mountain Water” on the label, complete with a picture of a waterfall from somewhere, were actually tap water out of the Newark, New Jersey, water system. And maybe some of it was early on, but I don’t think the Federal Trade Commission would or did allow that.

As the interest and the acceptance, even embrace, grew, I often said, “I can’t believe people pay a dollar for an 8-ounce bottle of water. My grandfather or my father wouldn’t believe it. I’m never going to buy a bottle of water.”

I still don’t think they would, but I can’t make that statement any longer.

said that a woman from the community had just come to Chapel in the Pines and donated to Undue Medical Debt with a check in an amount written with a number of zeros. The o ce manager told me that she and this stranger had wrapped each other in a big hug. I thought of Abraham and Sarah and how the response to their cynical sco had been a rhetorical question: “Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?”

And then I let out a hearty, joyful laugh. You can join us in abolishing medical debt by making a secure online donation at UndueMedicalDebt.org. Or come by Chapel in the Pines, and we can share the joy.

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.

Actually, it’s been a while since that fateful day. And while I still don’t do it much, I have done it, that is, buy a bottle or two … or three … or more depending on circumstances, namely how hot and/or thirsty I was.

I still remember the event. We were at a theater while on vacation — a theater that presented plays, not a movie one. The show was long — it was the dead of summer, and the heat must have been a gazillion degrees, both outside and inside, perhaps as an incentive to buy some water. At the intermission, somehow sugar sodas just didn’t seem like a good idea, so I gave in. Kept the empty bottle for a long time. Couldn’t believe I’d done what I did.

But now since then, if need be, I don’t give it a second thought — I have even bought water one at a time out of the cooler at the convenience store as well as the 24pack on sale at my favorite store. But I am working on a project along those same lines, a business venture that, if successful, will bring me untold fame and fortune. I call it “Air in a Jug.”

See, the deal is the air is already in there; I don’t have to bottle it. I just can’t gure out how to market it.

But I don’t think a couple of dollars per jug is too much. Do you?

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

COLUMN | BOB WACHS

Cliche City

You mean, we have to gure this one out on our own? No fair! I came here for cheap guidance!

WE’RE PAYING a long overdue visit to Cliche City, today.

Oh, you haven’t heard of Cliche City?

Cliche City is located in the well-known state of Cheap Guidance. That little-known berg, Cliché City, is my chosen locale for the many, many quotations I’ve stashed over the years (and, yes, subsumed in that celebrated state of Cheap Guidance.)

Most of my pilfered quotations settle right in as active citizens, attracting other folks who are determined, or desperate, seekers of answers. Like me. Please join us for a quickie tour of our current citizenry.

Forthwith, you’ll meet journalist Abe Streep, who knows how to cut to the chase:

“Nobody’s ever been convinced by being made to feel stupid.”

Guy’s got a point, you know.

Moving on. Time to acquaint yourself with another very active citizen, Amos Kennedy: “Each person must live their life as a model for others.”

Well, thanks, Amos. Talk about opening a can of worms for us. What traits are we supposed to be modeling for others?

You mean, we have to gure this one out on our own? No fair! I came here for cheap guidance!

Oh, well … We just hit the big time. Standing right over there, on twin soapboxes, is the great Russian author Leo Tolstoy (at least his spirit, anyway) and the very alive political journalist Sally Kohn.

Ready? Leo goes rst, but Sally bookends him very quickly: “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves.” (Thanks, Leo.)

And …

Sally Kohn: “We have to do both. Before it’s too late.” (You go, Sally!)

Is that not a double whammy? Changing ourselves, in addition to changing the world? A big ask. Actually, a huge ask. Huge. But if anyone can do it, we can. Yes, yes, I hear your low murmurs and acknowledge we’ve hit overload on our Cliche City tour. You’ve been heard. Our abbreviated tour of Cliché City’s good citizens is coming to an end.

Oh, wait! One last denizen is crying out to be heard. OMG, talk about a throwback! Marcus Aurelius steps into the present day: “The best revenge is to be unlike him/her who performed the injury.”

See you in the trenches of change … Jan Hutton, a resident of Chatham County and retired hospice social worker, lives life with heart and humor.

Democrats’ struggle with men reflects a deeper cultural disconnect

Political parties succeed when they understand the people they hope to persuade. They fail when they substitute stereotypes for genuine understanding.

ONE OF THE MORE revealing political developments of recent years has been the Democratic Party’s growing concern about its declining support among male voters.

After years of watching men drift toward the political right, many Democrats have begun asking a simple question: Why are men leaving?

The answer may be simpler than party strategists would like to admit.

For many men, politics is not merely about policy preferences. It is also about whether they feel understood, respected and represented. Increasingly, many men feel that modern progressive politics views them less as constituents and more as problems to be solved.

Over the past decade, much of the political and cultural conversation on the left has framed masculinity in negative terms. Men are frequently described as “toxic” or privileged, or as obstacles to social progress. While these criticisms are often directed at speci c behaviors, many ordinary men hear something broader: that their role in society is being diminished or dismissed.

As a result, Democrats now face a challenge that goes beyond messaging. They are struggling to connect with a demographic they increasingly seem not to understand.

This disconnect becomes apparent in the party’s search for gures who can appeal to male voters. Progressives often ask where their version of podcast host Joe Rogan might be. Yet the question itself reveals a misunderstanding.

Rogan does not t neatly into traditional ideological categories. He has supported progressive candidates, entertained a wide range of viewpoints, and frequently rejects partisan labels altogether. His appeal stems less from his political beliefs than from his ability to speak to audiences in a way that feels authentic and unscripted.

Rather than recognizing that authenticity, many Democrats appear to search for substitutes who mimic certain cultural aesthetics while maintaining strict ideological conformity. The result often feels forced.

The same dynamic can be seen in Texas politics, where state Rep. James Talarico has emerged as a prominent Democratic gure. Talarico presents himself as a person of faith and frequently speaks about Christianity in public life. Yet critics argue that his policy positions remain rmly aligned with progressive priorities, creating a disconnect between the image he projects and the policies he supports.

Whether on issues involving transgender policies, border security, gun rights or energy production, opponents contend that Talarico’s recent rhetoric sounds more moderate than his legislative record. To those critics, the problem is not his ideology but the perception

BE IN TOUCH

Even without his controversies, Graham Platner is just a lightweight extremist

SET ASIDE, for a moment, that Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner spent years with a Nazi SS Totenkopf tattoo. Set aside that he blamed sexual assault victims for their predicament, that he called rural white Americans stupid racists, that he advocated political violence, that he mocked a wounded Purple Heart recipient, that he joked about the Virgin Mary being a “skank” and that he joined a hookup site while married.

Who among us is a saint, after all?

The more interesting question is why Democrats have shown such loyalty to him.

After hearing so much about Platner’s everyman appeal, I went down a rabbit hole, watching his speeches and listening to his interviews. Virtually every one of them is crammed with brain-numbing platitudes and freshman-level socialist sloganeering. His rhetoric makes former Vice President Kamala Harris sound weighty by comparison.

“This is a race about performative politics they’re used to,” Platner told a crowd recently. “What they don’t understand is that this is a race about us.”

This kind of banality, and there is a lot of it, calls to mind Lt. Frank Drebin trying to win over the love of his life in “The Naked Gun” by telling her that “maybe the problems of two little people don’t amount to a hill of beans ... but this is our hill, and these are our beans.”

that he is attempting to package progressive policies in culturally conservative language.

The broader issue, they argue, is that Democrats often focus on appearances rather than underlying values.

Many progressives seem to operate with a narrow understanding of masculinity. In one stereotype, the traditional man is a deeply religious cultural conservative whose identity revolves around outward displays of faith. In another, masculinity is reduced to a roughedged, hyperaggressive caricature de ned by toughness and rebellion.

Neither image captures how most men see themselves.

For many conservatives, masculinity is not primarily about appearance, style or personality. It is about responsibility. A man may be a lawyer, teacher, mechanic, soldier or small-business owner. What matters is not the aesthetic but the ful llment of duties — to family, community and country.

Under this understanding, manhood is de ned less by how someone looks and more by what he does. Providing for a family, protecting loved ones, serving one’s community, and accepting personal responsibility are viewed as central components of masculine identity.

Critics of modern progressivism argue that this framework creates a fundamental con ict. Contemporary left-wing politics often emphasizes individual rights and personal autonomy, while traditional concepts of masculinity emphasize obligations and responsibilities. If politics increasingly focuses on liberation from duties, it becomes more di cult to speak meaningfully to people who view duty itself as a virtue.

This may help explain why many Democratic attempts to reconnect with male voters have fallen at. The problem is not necessarily a lack of outreach. It is that the outreach often appears to be built on assumptions that many men do not recognize.

Political parties succeed when they understand the people they hope to persuade. They fail when they substitute stereotypes for genuine understanding.

As Democrats continue searching for ways to rebuild support among men, they may discover that the challenge is not nding the right messenger or adopting the right aesthetic. It is understanding the values, responsibilities and aspirations that shape how many men see themselves in the rst place.

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)

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 late philosopher Daniel Dennett called phrases like this “deepities” — words that create the impression of moral and emotional weight while o ering no actual insight.

Obviously, most politicians tra c in deepities to some extent. Platner, however, can spew inane classwar cliches for an hour without wandering anywhere near a deeper thought. That is because Platner is the embodiment of performative left-wing populism. His cosplay working-man candidacy was created by Faiz Shakir and Ben Wikler, two Ivy League-educated former Bernie Sanders sta ers.

“Part of the thesis here is that people don’t want candidates who are grown in a vat,” Wikler recently said. “They want people who are real human beings. And they want people who do not look and sound like the people who have been leading this country o a cli the last century.”

In other words, Platner is not a compelling organic candidate. He is a man who can play a part. Democrats have lost working-class voters to Republican populists, so they have become enamored with the idea of running someone who carries the aesthetic qualities of one. That is my thesis.

“If we want folks that are representing us from the working class, they’re not necessarily going to have a groomed and perfect political record,” a Maine voter recently told Fox News, repeating a common talking point.

But is the progressive impression of working-class “folks” really that they get Nazi tattoos, fantasize about rape and murder, and cheat on their wives? Because that seems like an insulting stereotype.

As James Kirchick notes, people used to say Donald Trump “was a poor person’s idea of a rich person.” Platner, he says, “is a rich person’s idea of a poor person.”

Weirdly, Platner’s many controversies may have obscured his political radicalism. Wikler and other Bernie acolytes should be honest and decry not merely the past century but the past 250 years because progressives detest the constitutional order.

You can hear it in Platner’s appearance on a Jew-hating conspiracy theorist’s podcast — “longtime fan,” the Maine Senate candidate says — where he derides the American “system” and depicts the United States, the wealthiest country on the planet, as a hellhole.

Now, Platner may well win Maine. Maybe class resentment and Marxism are our future. But his politics — not only “taking back” what was allegedly stolen by the rich but also supporting all the cultural quackery the woke Left has in icted on the country — are far more closely aligned with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez than with the average working-class American.

Even if Platner were a member of the proletariat, would that be enough?

Millions of working-class Americans successfully navigate the world without being sleazeballs. It would be helpful to bring their perspectives and experiences to Washington. Platner, born into privilege, will not. He bought his house with help from his wealthy father and VA disability bene ts. His oysterfarming business may have been created after he decided to run for Senate. Whatever the case, it appears his only real customer is his wealthy mother’s restaurant.

And that is ne. There is nothing wrong with relying on family. There is nothing wrong with being rich. There is something wrong with mischaracterizing your life to mislead voters.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

obituaries

William Benton Thrailkill

Nov. 6, 1937 – June 12, 2026

William Benton Thrailkill, age 88, of Pittsboro, died Thursday, June 9, 2026, at home.

Benton was born in Chatham County on November 6, 1937, to the late Bunn D. Thrailkill and Maggie Bryan Thrailkill.

He was also preceded in

death by his wife Barbara Fogleman Thrailkill.

Surviving relatives include one son; Ross Thrailkill and wife Becky of Pittsboro; one daughter Dodie Mills of Pittsboro, many nieces and nephews and sisters-in-law, Sandy Fogleman and Ava Fogleman.

A graveside service will be held Friday, June 12, 2026, at 11:00AM at Ebenezer United Methodist Church with Pastor Patrick Jones and Rev. Ray Gooch presiding.

In lieu of owers, the family asks that donations be made in Benton’s honor to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research P.O. Box 5014 Hagerstown, MD 21741. Condolences may be made at www.donaldsonfunerals. com

Donaldson Funeral Home & Cremation is honored to serve the Thrailkill family.

CHARLES SANDERFORD

MAY 9, 1939 – JUNE 13, 2026

Charles Sanderford, age 87 of Moncure, NC passed away on Saturday June 13, 2026. Charles was born May 9, 1939, in Garner, NC. Charles spent his career as a truck driver and was a member of the teamster union. He received awards for many years of safe driving. In his free time, he enjoyed shing at Kerr Lake, hunting, and watching Nascar racing. Surviving is his wife of 53 years, Barbara Webster Sanderford; and his daughters Amanda Sanderford and Alicia Thompson (Scott), as well as one granddaughter, Samantha Thompson. He is also survived by his siblings Patsy Yates, Mary Lou Duke (Linwood), Bobby Sanderford (Judy), Joel Sanderford Jr. (Helen); sisters-in-law, Aileen Webster, Brenda Webster, Barbara Sanderford and many nieces and nephews.

Charles was preceded in death by his father, Joel Sanderford, mother, Magdalene Ray Sanderford, brother, Billy Sanderford, sister, Ann Williams (Tommy) and infant sister, Betty Jo Sanderford and brother-in-law, Robert Webster. The family will receive visitors on Tuesday, June 16 from 5-7pm at Smith Funeral Home, 201 First Street Broadway, NC. A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, June 17 at 11am at New Elam Christian Church Cemetery, 3290 Pea Ridge Rd, New Hill, NC 27562 with Rev. Ed Earp o ciating.

Dennis Reinbold, whose racing team competed in IndyCar, Indy 500 for 25 years, dead at 65

His family’s racing legacy traced back to his grandfather’s work at Indianapolis in 1927

The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Dennis Reinbold, whose Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team elded cars in the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar for more than 25 years. has died. He was 65. Reinbold died Saturday, surrounded by his family, his racing team and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway said in statements Sunday. No additional information was released.

The Indianapolis-based DRR team’s best nish in the Indy 500 was a fourth in 2012. The team was in contention with 31 laps remaining in 2025 before 2012 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay ran out of fuel. The team led the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in four of the last six races, and all 53 cars the team entered in the race had quali ed in starting elds. Last month, the DRR’s two entrants nished 12th and 22nd.

“We are heartbroken to share the news that our owner, leader, and friend, Dennis Reinbold, has passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family,” the DRR team said. “He built a successful family of automobile dealerships across the state, and he loved the community of Indianapolis that gave him so much in return. That

same devotion fueled his passion for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway — its history and the relentless pursuit of an Indy 500 win drove him every day. We can think of no better way to honor Dennis than to chase a victory in the 111th Running of the Indianapolis 500.”

Reinbold started DRR in 1999 and the team name was a nod to his family’s racing heritage. His grandfather, Floyd “Pop” Dreyer, was a motorcycle racer who went on to be a crew member and chief mechanic on the Duesenberg driven by Benny Shoa and Babe Stapp at Indianapolis in 1927. The Dreyer & Reinbold team started racing full time in the IndyCar series in 2000 and, with Robbie Buhl driving, won the season-opening race at Walt Disney World. That remains the team’s only victory in the series, along with two second-place nishes in 2010 and four thirds between 2001-2012, when it last ran full time in the series.

Dreyer & Reinbold ran just ve series races in 2013 before focusing solely on the Indy 500 from 2014 to last month’s race. The team did run four IndyCar races in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Two-time Indy champion Al Unser Jr, and fellow Indianapolic 500 winners Buddy Lazier, (1996), Buddy Rice (2004), and Simon Pagenaud (2019) all raced for DRR, as well as JR Hildebrand, Townsend Bell, Conor Daly and IndyCar series champion Paul Tracy.

| 919-542-3057 | www.donaldsonfunerals.com

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.

Gene Shalit, longtime ‘Today’ show movie critic with bushy hair and massive mustache, dead at 100

His wit and intelligence transformed television lm criticism over four decades

By Mark Kennedy The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Gene Shalit, a movie critic and arts reporter for the “Today” show over four decades who was known for his pu y hair, oversized handlebar mustache and a ection for groan-inducing puns, has died. He was 100.

Shalit’s family announced the death Friday to NBC News, saying in a statement that he “passed away peacefully today after 100 years of an amazing life.”

Shalit joined “Today” as a contributor in 1970 and became arts editor in 1973, later settling in for his segment, “Critic’s Corner.” When he left the show in 2010, he was one of the last high-pro le lm critics on a major network.

“What resonated above his unusual appearance was his incredible wit, his remarkable intelligence. But he didn’t pound you over the head with it. He amused you. He enlightened and amused whatever subject he was on,” Guy Ludwig, Shalit’s producer for more than 20 years, wrote in an essay of his time.

It was no coincidence that Chicago critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel’s local “thumbsup, thumbs-down” movie-review program, “Sneak Previews,” went national on PBS in the late 1970s and that “Today” show’s ABC rival, “Good Morning America,” hired Joel Siegel to be its movie critic in 1981.

“Shalit was instrumental in changing the balance of critical power in America. When he began his ‘Today’ tenure, newspapers and magazines were the primary sources for movie reviews. That’s where cinematic opinion was sparked and shaped,” The Plain Dealer wrote in 2010, calling Shalit “Daniel Boone in a bow tie and Groucho glasses.”

Magazine work led to NBC o er

Shalit started as an entertainment columnist for McCall’s magazine, eventually becoming senior lm critic for Look magazine in 1968 and writing for Ladies’ Home Journal. His popularity in magazines led to an o er from NBC.

“No one at NBC had seen him. They’d only read his stu . So he walked into this executive’s ofce and the executive took one look at him and said, ‘Mr. Shalit, have you ever thought of radio?’” wrote Ludwig. “They didn’t know how the public would react to someone who looked so di erent from people who were typically on TV in 1967.”

On the air, Shalit was a middle-of-the-road critic. Of 1986’s classic “Stand By Me,” he said it was di erent from other movies about youth “because of instead of grossing you out, ‘Stand by You’ is engrossing.”

“Many critics will give so

lushi?” Shalit asked. “‘Fiddler on the Roof’” Belushi replied.

“What resonated above his unusual appearance was his incredible wit, his remarkable intelligence.”

Guy Ludwig, Shalit’s Producer

much of the plot of a movie away that they destroy the movie for the viewer... I just don’t give away the story,” he told The Associated Press in 1993.

Highlights in words

He liked “De ance” starring Daniel Craig and Jude Law, calling it “a vivid dramatization of one of history’s titanic turning points.” But he called “Brokeback Mountain “wildly overpraised, but not by me” and drew condemnation from GLAAD for calling Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, Jack, a “sexual predator.” Shalit apologized. He called “Frozen” “very cool.” He said the oddball title of “The Men Who Stare at Goats” was “heard to bleat,” and his review of “The Lovely Bones” read in part: “There’s no bones about it.”

He began reviewing on the air the year of “Patton” and “Love Story” and ended his run with a critique of “Shrek Forever After,” of which he noted that the “bellow fellow is now a mellow fellow.” One highlight of this tenure was his descent into a t of giggles while interviewing Carol Channing. He called a remake of “King Kong” so “gargantuan that I must create new words to describe it: fabularious … a brilliantological humongousness of marvelosity.” His take on Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple”: “It should be against the law not to see it.” In a 1981 interview with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, Belushi said Shalit’s hair looked like “an ant farm on re.” Nevertheless, he peppered his guest with so many questions about their daily life that it felt like therapy. He asked both comedians what their last meals would be. “What do you want to be doing 10 years from now, John Be-

During his tenure, he traded quips with anchors ranging from Edwin Newman, Barbara Walters and Jane Pauley to Tom Brokaw, Bryant Gumbel, Katie Couric, Jane Pauley, Al Roker and Meredith Vieira.

Gumbel was not always a fan, once saying Shalit’s reviews “are often late and his interviews aren’t very good.” The critique came in what was supposed to be a con dential memo to Marty Ryan, the show’s executive producer at the time. In 1994, while in St. Pete Beach, Florida, to cover Major League Baseball spring training, a car hit Shalit as he was crossing a street and broke his leg. After that, “Today” began recording his movie reviews in his home studio.

Early life

He was born in New York and grew up in Morristown, New Jersey, starting his grammar school’s rst newspaper before writing a humor column for the newspaper while a student at Morristown High School. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1949.

Shalit played the bassoon, but he said he started out on the clarinet.

“I didn’t practice for a few weeks and the teacher got furious,” he recalled in 1988, before playing bassoon in a New York City fundraiser. “He took away my clarinet and as punishment he said, ‘From now on, you’re gonna play THIS.’”

In 1987, he edited a book called “Laughing Matters: A Celebration of American Humor,” saying he wanted to introduce and reintroduce such old and new masters of American humor as Mark Twain, James Thurber and Russell Baker. Shalit was regularly mocked on “Saturday Night Live” by cast member Horatio Sanz, who would appear on the Weekend Update desk dressed as Shalit and go on an extended, barely coherent rants that punned the title of every movie he reviewed. Shalit also made cameos on “Sesame Street,” “Family Guy” and “Spongebob Squarepants.” He is survived by a daughter, Willa Shalit.

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Chatham News & Record at obits@chathamnewsrecord.com

RICHARD DREW / AP PHOTO

Film critic Gene Shalit, pictured in May 2006 during a toast with “Today” show cast and crew at the end of Katie Couric’s nal show in New York, died last week at 100.

ments show. But it’s unclear from the court records how close the would-be attackers could have come to being able to carry out the plan had it not been thwarted.

Several suspects or co-conspirators who were questioned by the authorities said they did not intend themselves to carry out violence but planned to instead observe others. One said he would have traveled to the UFC event as a protester but had to return home after his vehicle malfunctioned. And though the participants spoke of using drones rigged with explosives, charging documents suggest they were still looking to acquire such equipment when the plot was interrupted.

“It didn’t even get close to the point of execution,” Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday evening on Fox News Channel, describing the planning as “not that advanced.”

“They weren’t in town. They had not really done that much planning,” he said.

United by conspiracy theories, anger over country’s direction

Law enforcement o cials learned about the possible threat June 10, four days before the mixed martial arts extravaganza on the White House’s South Lawn, “and thanks to the rapid action of the FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” Di-

rector Kash Patel said in a post on X on Tuesday.

Five people from states including Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska and California were arrested on federal charges, the Justice Department said. Asked about the arrests Tuesday, Vance said there was “more violent rhetoric coming from the left than the right these days.”

But the charging documents paint a more muddled view of their views, depicting them as espousing a tangled web of anti-government sentiment, antisemitic grievances, fury over the Trump administration’s handling of the Je rey Epstein les and conspiracy theories about a powerful elite that sacri ces and consumes children.

Both Trump and Vance said they had not been briefed in advance of the plot. A top Secret Service o cial suggested Tuesday the investigation was continuing and an announcement might have been premature.

“Anyone that believes that case was worked in a bubble is naive,” Deputy Secret Service Director Matthew Quinn told reporters at an unrelated news conference. “I’ll tell you the Secret Service led that investi-

gation from the beginning. I’ll tell you that it’s ongoing. In order to maintain the integrity of the investigation and the security plan, we chose not to leak it.”

Communications took place on TikTok, Signal

Among those arrested was Tycen Proper, a 19-year-old Ohio man whose mother contacted law enforcement last week with concerns about his rearms purchases and online communications, according to an FBI a davit led in the case.

Proper told o cials he participated in the planning of an attack, according to the a davit, which says some members of the group began communicating with each other last March through a TikTok group called “Vanguard of the Old.”

“The members of the group stated that they wanted to protect the United States, which they believed was headed in the wrong direction,” the afdavit says. “Members of the group believed that the United States needed to be torn down so that it could be rebuilt. Some expressed a desire that people who were involved with Je rey

Epstein should not govern the country.”

Trump, who celebrated his 80th birthday at the UFC event on Sunday, was friends with Epstein many years ago but has said he ended their relationship before the disgraced nancier’s crimes became known. Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex tra cking charges.

A lawyer for Proper, who is charged with rearms o enses and crimes including attempted murder of an o cer or employee of the United States, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

The logistics were discussed via Signal, an app that uses end-to-end encryption for its messaging and calling services, through a primary chat of “approximately 19 individuals” and smaller side chats, authorities said. Messages obtained from Proper’s phone show he identied by name several Republican lawmakers he said should be targeted because they apparently received donations from causes supportive of Israel, the adavit said.

Proper told law enforcement o cials that he had been planning to drive with weapons and body armor to a meet-up spot in Fredericksburg, Virginia, court papers say. He said though he did not intend to shoot people at the White House, others in the group did, the a davit said.

The plan called for the use of drones that would be detonated over the north side of the White House, prompting an evacuation into the line of re of waiting snipers in an at-

LAND from page A1

The newly chosen parcel (Option 3) has dual road frontage and is also adjacent to the other segment of dedicated parkland provided by Chatham Village, which totals around 34 acres.

“With option three you have one large regional park,” said Parks and Recreation Director Katy Keller. “That is a lot of land all in one, and it is also fantastic topography.”

The dedicated parcel also contains an additional three acres for the construction of a new re station.

According to Keller, there is no current plan for the land as the town plans to solicit community feedback and develop a master plan for the area.

The board also gave its approval for an additional parkland dedication from Chatham Park, as the developer is proposing giving the town

tack Proper said was designed to “jumpstart” a revolution, authorities said.

Investigators who examined Proper’s phone and TikTok account identi ed additional suspects.

Michael Alan Thomas, 32, of Pinon Hills, California, told o cials he viewed himself as “the planner and advisor for the group, and while he was not willing to take action himself, wanted to guide and instruct others on how to carry out attacks” designed to overthrow the government, an FBI agent said in an a davit.

The agent said Thomas believed the U.S. government was “run by an elite group of individuals who sacri ce and consume infants who also were deeply involved” with Epstein and are now protected by Trump.

Another suspect, Bryan Omar Roa, also of California, told the FBI he had planned to attend the event as a “protester” but he had to return home because his car was broken, an agent said.

It was not immediately clear who their lawyers were.

Two other suspects were identi ed as Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, of Kidder, Missouri, who ofcials say said in a group chat that a target of the attack should be “big and someone a majority of the country knows,” and Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, an Omaha, Nebraska, man who the FBI said posted detailed plans with the co-conspirators.

A lawyer for Alvarez declined to comment and a lawyer for Eskridge did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

around 37 acres of land located o of Parkland Drive. However, notably, the motion was just to accept additional land, not for the full acceptance of the property into the town’s ownership.

“You are giving thumbs up that this is an acceptable parcel location,” Franklin said. “Sta will now monitor the progress over the next couple of months with the establishment of grass and all those di erent things to make sure that the park is up to standard before we come to you all and say, ‘Okay, it’s ready for acceptance and for the town to own it.’”

The land is all contained on a single parcel which has 65% usability, is su ciently shaped and has public street frontage as well as sidewalks to the park and public water and sewer access.

The Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioners will next meet July 13.

President Donald Trump attends UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday.

ALEX BRANDON / AP PHOTO

LEARN ABOUT LAND - Chatham Land Experts, www.learnaboutland.com - 919-3626999. JY2,tfnc

FOR RENT

POWELL SPRINGS APTS. Evergreen Construction introduces its newest independent living community for adults 55 years or older, 1 and 2 bedroom applications now being accepted. O ce hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 919533-6319 for more information, TDD #1800-735-2962, Equal housing opportunity, Handicapped accessible.

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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

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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

Siler School Square Apartments

CREDITOR’S NOTICE

Having quali ed on the 10th day of June 2026, as Executor of the Estate of Linda Sue Collura, 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 18th day of September 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 10th day of June 2026. George M. Desocio, Executor of the Estate of Linda Sue Collura 366 W. Salisbury Street Pittsboro, N.C., 27312

Attorneys: Law O ces of Doster & Brown, P.A.

206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330

Publish On: June 18th, June 25th, July 2nd and July 9th of 2026

CREDITOR’S NOTICE

Having quali ed on the 4th day of JUNE 2026, as Administrator of the Estate of Jackie Watson, aka, Jackie Klingler Watson, 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 18th day of September, 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 9th day of June 2026. Robert Hendrickson, Administrator of the Estate of Jackie Watson, aka, Jackie Klingler Watson

303 Old Camp Church Road Carrollton, GA 30117

Attorneys: Law O ces of Doster & Brown, P.A.

206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330

Publish On: June 18th and 25th, July 2nd and 9th, 2026.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of ROBIN LOU FLYER, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before September 12, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms or corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 11th day of June, 2026.

does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before September 12, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms or corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 11th day of June, 2026.

Lynn Marie Flyer Executor of the Estate of Thomas R. Flyer

177 Pine View Acres P.O. Box 535 Goldston, NC 27252 Leigh Anne Kasias Wyatt Early Harris Wheeler LLP 1912 Eastchester Drive, Ste 400 High Point, NC 27265

336-884-4444

Publication dates:

June 11, 18, 25; July 2, 2026.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of MARGERY KEASLER, 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 4th day of September, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment. This 4th day of June, 2026. COLIN DEKEERSGIETER, ADMINISTRATOR ESTATE OF MARGERY KEASLER

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000236-180

The undersigned LATOYA D. FOX, having quali ed on the 22ND Day of APRIL 2026 as ADMINISTRATOR of the Estate of JUNE TAYLOR ISAAC FOX, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 4TH Day OF SEPTEMBER 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 4TH DAY OF JUNE 2026. LATOYA D. FOX, ADMINISTRATOR 97 RILEY LANE SILER CITY, NC 27344 Run dates: J4,11,18,J25

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA

CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#25E000297-180

The undersigned CAROLYN CHEEK, having quali ed on the 22ND Day of MAY 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of WILLIE MAY THOMPSON, 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 18TH Day OF SEPTEMBER 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 18TH DAY OF JUNE 2026. CAROLYN CHEEK, EXECUTOR 338 CLARENCE MCKEITHAN ROAD SANFORD, NC 27330 Run dates: J18,J25,Jy2,9

CREDITOR’S NOTICE

Having quali ed on the 9th day of June 2026, as

Administrator of the Estate of Johnny Scott Rhoades, 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 18th day of September, 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 10th of June 2026. W. Woods Doster, Administrator of the Estate of Johnny Scott Rhoades 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330

Attorneys: Law O ces of Doster & Brown, P.A. 206 Hawkins Avenue Sanford, NC 27330 Publish On: June 18th, 25th and July 2nd and 9th 2026.

NOTICE

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations holding claims against Charles Albert Lewis, Jr., deceased, of Chatham County, NC are noti ed to exhibit same to the undersigned on or before September 7, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This June 4th, 2026. Mark O. Costley, Exec., c/o Clarity Legal Group, PO Box 2207, Chapel Hill, NC 27515.

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Hoyle Edwin Beckwith of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 10th day of September, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 4th day of June, 2026. Daniel Kevin Beckwith, Executor Of the Estate of Hoyle Edwin Beckwith 139 Black Horse Run Bear Creek, North Carolina 27207 MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE

ATTORNEYS AT LAW BOX 629 SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850

4tp

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Clyde William Jones of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 2nd day of September, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

This the 26th day of May, 2026. Robert Earl Jones, Executor Of the Estate of Clyde William Jones 3183 White Oak Way Staley, North Carolina 27355

MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE

ATTORNEYS AT LAW BOX 629 SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850 4tp

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

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations holding claims against Kathryn Ellen Moss, deceased, of Chatham County, NC are noti ed to exhibit same to the undersigned on or before September 14th, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 11th day of June 2026. Ryan Robert Merriam, Exec., c/o Clarity Legal Group, PO Box 2207, Chapel Hill, NC 27515.

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

ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against George Richard Meinig, Jr., deceased, of Chatham, N.C., are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before September 11th, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This 11th day of June, 2026. Ms. Janet Meinig, Executor Estate of George Richard Meinig, Jr. c/o Roberson Law Firm 1829 E. Franklin St., Ste. 800C Chapel Hill, NC 27514 6/11, 18, 25, 7/2

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS

CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Co-Administrators of the Estate of Mary Jane Owens of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 17th day of September, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. This the 11th day of June, 2026. Robert Keith Owens, Co-Administrator Of the Estate of Mary Jane Owens 4024 Devils Tramping Ground Bear Creek, North Carolina 27207 Tammy Owens Kirkman, Co-Administrator 1729 N. Main Street Goldston, North Carolina 27252

MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

BOX 629

SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850

4tp

NOTICE

NORTH CAROLINA NOTICE TO CREDITORS

CHATHAM COUNTY

HAVING QUALIFIED as Executor of the Estate of Dorothy Paschal Frazier of Chatham County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against the estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before the 16th day of September, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.

This the 10th day of June, 2026.

Kenneth Broughton Frazier, Executor Of the Estate of Dorothy Paschal Frazier 3146 Shelly Graham Drive Graham, North Carolina 27253

MOODY, WILLIAMS, ATWATER & LEE

ATTORNEYS AT LAW BOX 629

SILER CITY, NORTH CAROLINA 27344 (919) 663-2850

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NOTICE

Anthemnet-Granite Pointe Rd-FCC Notice

Anthemnet, Inc., is proposing a 199’ Monopine-type telecommunications tower within a 5,625 square foot (MOL) lease area to be located 1879 Andrews Store Rd in Pittsboro, NC 27312, coordinates N35-48-57.5, W79-7-29.4. The FAA has issued a Determination that lighting and marking are not necessary for aviation safety. (FAA Study 2026-ASO-5406-OE). Anthemnet’s Federal Communications Commission ASR 854 File Number is A1387554, which you can view at http://www.fcc.gov/asr/applications. Anthemnet seeks comments from all interested persons on the potential environmental impact or concerns of the tower; visit the FCC website to learn how to le a comment at http://www.fcc.gov/asr/ environmentalrequest. The FCC strongly encourages requests to be led online; however, you may send a written request to: FCC Requests for Environmental Review, Attn: Ramon Williams, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554. Comments will be due no later than 07/18/2026.

NOTICE

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHATHAM COUNTY WILLIAM ROLAND RIGGSBEE, Petitioner v. JACQUELINE RIGGSSBEE COBB, et al., Respondents (26SP000022-180) TO: JACQUELYNE ALLEN

Take notice that a petition seeking relief against you was led on February 10, 2026 in the above partition action. The nature of this action is as follows: petition for partition and sale of real property located at Parcel Number 978500098544 and being 162 Joes Drive, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. You are required to make defense to such petition no later than 40 days after the date of the rst publication of this Notice and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the relief sought. Wesley A. Stewart, Esq., 5410 Trinity Rd., Ste. 210, Raleigh, NC, 27607, Petitioner’s Attorney. J18, 25 and 2

Public Notice

North Carolina Environmental Management Commission/NPDES Unit 1617 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-1617

Notice of Intent to Issue an NPDES Wastewater Permit No. NC0035866-Bynum WWTP The North Carolina Environmental Management Commission proposes to issue an NPDES wastewater discharge permit to the person(s) listed below. Written comments regarding the proposed permit will be accepted until 30 days after the publication date of this notice. The Director of the NC Division of Water Resources (DWR) may hold a public hearing should there be a signi cant degree of public interest. Please mail comments and/or information requests to DWR at the above address. Interested persons may visit the DWR at 512 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27604 to review the information on le. Additional information on NPDES permits and this notice may be found on our website: https://deq.nc.gov/publicnotices-hearings , or by calling (919) 707-3601. The City of Sanford has requested renewal of permit NC0035866 for the Bynum WWTP (214 Bynum Church Rd, Pittsboro, NC 27312) in Chatham County. This permitted facility discharges treated wastewater to the Haw River in the Cape Fear River Basin. Currently, fecal coliform and total residual chlorine are water quality limited. This discharge may a ect future allocations in this portion of the Haw River. J18

NOTICE

EXECUTORS NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND DEBTORS All persons, rms, and corporations having claims against KATHIE SUE ASHKENES, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, are hereby noti ed to present their claims by mailing them to Lenfestey, Maxie & Burger, PLLC , attorneys for the Executor of the Estate, at 127 W. Hargett Street, Suite 301, PMB 190, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601, on or before the 13th day of September, 2026, or such claims will be forever barred. Debtors of the decedent are requested to make immediate payment to the Estate through its attorneys. File No.: 26E000305-180 This the 11th day of June, 2026. Alex Daniel Ashkenes, Executor of the Estate J11, 18, 25 and 2

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000275-180

The undersigned, SUSAN E. WELSH-ARDOIN, 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

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000310-180

The undersigned ELIZABETH ANN HEATHERLEY, having quali ed on the 2ND Day of JUNE 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of ERSKINE X. HEATHERLEY, 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 18TH Day OF SEPTEMBER 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 18TH DAY OF JUNE 2026. ELIZABETH ANN HEATHERLEY, EXECUTOR 3548 CRAWFORD DAIRY RD. CHAPEL HILL, NC 27516 Run dates: J18,J25,Jy2,9

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000292-180 The undersigned, ROBERT DOWLING, having quali ed on the 28TH Day of MAY 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of EILEEN DOWLING, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 4TH Day OF SEPTEMBER 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 4TH DAY OF JUNE 2026. ROBERT DOWLING, EXECUTOR 1536 PATHWAY DRIVE CARRBORO, NC 27510 Run dates: J4,11,25,Jy2p

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000226-180 The undersigned ROBERT L. HAITHCOX AND CHARLOTTE E. HAITHCOX, having quali ed on the 17TH Day of APRIL 2026 as CO-EXECUTORS of the Estate of EDNA N. HAITHCOX, deceased, of Chatham County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to exhibit them on or before the 11TH Day OF SEPTEMBER 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 11TH DAY OF JUNE 2026. ROBERT L. HAITHCOX, CO-EXECUTOR 3555 OLD HWY 1 PO BOX 232 MONCURE, NC 27559 CHARLOTTE E. HAITHCOX, CO-EXECUTOR 3557 OLD HWY 1 PO BOX 146 MONCURE, NC 27559 Run dates: J11,18,J25,Jy2

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY FILE#26E000300-180 The undersigned DAVID ALEXANDER CLEMENT, JR., having quali ed on the 1ST Day of JUNE 2026 as EXECUTOR of the Estate of CHARLES LOWELL THOMAS, 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 18TH Day OF SEPTEMBER 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 18TH DAY OF JUNE 2026. DAVID ALEXANDER CLEMENT, JR., EXECUTOR 2808 SEAFORTH ROAD PITTSBORO, NC 27312 Run dates: J18,J25,Jy2,9

Notice to Creditors

Estate of Barbara J. Swartz ALL PERSONS, rms and corporations having claims against Barbara J Swartz, deceased, of Chatham County, N.C., are noti ed to exhibit the same to the undersigned on or before 9/4/2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. Debtors of the decedent are asked to make immediate payment. This the 4th day of June, 2026. Arthur H Swartz, Executor 2819 Ferdinand Ct. Fernandina Beach, FL 32034 c/o Hopler, Wilms & Hanna, PLLC 2314 S. Miami Blvd. Suite 151 Durham, NC 27703 6/4,11,18,25, 2026

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA CHATHAM COUNTY

FILE#26E000220-180 The undersigned Lillie M. Alston, having quali ed on the 15th Day of APRIL 2026 as Administrator of the Estate of SONJA MARIE WILSON, 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 18TH Day OF SEPTEMBER 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 18TH DAY OF JUNE 2026. LILLIE M. ALSTON, ADMINISTRATOR PO BOX 1545 PITTSBORO, NC 27312 Run dates: J18,J25,Jy2,9

PUBLIC NOTICE

Unexpected discoveries shape French journey

Bring an umbrella and expect surprises

By Erika Ho man For Chatham News & Record

WHEN YOU RETURN from a two-week whirlwind overseas trip, it takes as long as the adventure itself to digest all you’ve seen, all you’ve learned and all you’ll want to research.

Part of traveling is piecing your curiosity to learn more about the places recently experienced. Before I set out on any venture, I declare: “This time will be di erent. This time, I’ll research the area ahead of time. That way I’ll know what to expect or at least I’ll know the backstory.” Do I ever do this? Never.

Yet in fairness to my set of my pants-type of travel, there’s a bit of a thrill in not anticipating anything and discovering a place as a complete ingénue. Of course, I may misunderstand and mislabel what I encounter as Columbus did when he surmised, after a long ocean voyage, that he had landed in Asia. In hindsight, Columbus knew travels more if what is around the bend is unanticipated.

For instance, I’ve always wanted to visit Carnegie in Provence, France, where the murals border the Mediterranean Sea. I expected to nd vast windows and pink amingos. Imagine my surprise when I beheld banks of white horses galloping free in the swamp. That bank of horses I felt wasn’t penned out but a thin window to witness a bygone type of cattle led by cowboys and cowgirls ponying toward us as they corralled cows among reeds. They call the men in hats and neckerchiefs les gardians, sounding our vehicle on the route. Thrilling!

Another surprise: I’d no idea about the quaint seaside resort with a church dedicated

to the three Marys Mary Salome, Mary Jacobe and Mary Magdalene. They arrived in the Mediterranean after having traversed the sea from the Holy Land, according to church lore.

The stunning 9th-century Romanesque forti ed church is a Christian pilgrimage site for the Romani people (gypsies) who come annually to pay respects to their saint, Sara. Before you were to wonder at the term, I use the three Marys’ verse as open to speculation. Mary believed they were the women at the tomb of Jesus on Easter Sunday and came there to await the body of Jesus. Some conclude the Virgin Mother, Mary Magdalene and Mary of Clopas were there.

This time will be di erent. This time, I’ll research the area ahead of time.

Others account that they ed to what is now France by vessel to escape persecution. The Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth relays the latter.

I was to all of the gastronomic capital of France because of a renowned chef named Bocuse who learned his trade from a small village inn in Halles, the marketplace. A specialty of Lyon is “quenelle.” This dish is featured at small

Lyonnaise restaurants called “bouchons.” We ate at one. I ordered the specialty “quenelle de brochet.” Ooh-la-la. Let me use French words to describe it: “Terrible, a reux, horrible!”

So I became intrigued as to what was stu ed in these awful dumplings. I learned at the marketplace that these quenelles go back to war when sh and bones of animal parts that the impoverished sought out of old Lyon had to eat, like bony sh. Pike sh bones are ground up and served with a sauce Nantua (a craw sh sauce). Apparently, the French King Louis XIV feasted on them, too.

Have you ever heard of the Abbey of Cluny? I was curious

Cowboys and cowgirls lead cattle in the Carnegie, Provence of France.

about it before seeing what is left of it. Did you know it was the largest religious building in the world before the Vatican in Rome was built? I’d no idea how destructive the French Revolution was to historical, medieval buildings until I visited masonry of this place built in the 10th century and now serving in ruins. I had no idea about the vast Benedictine monks lived here and how they worked the vineyards. Once, 25,170 I am sure, was celebrated in the abbey church. By 1789, buildings were seized as national property and put for sale. Merchants bought the stones and little by little the Benedictine abbey, a masterpiece of Romanesque art, was dismantled.

Easy summer evenings, Saturday treats and weekends spent outdoors – summer at NoVi is all about gathering together. Join us on the NoVi Green for a season of casual community events in Chatham Park. Everyone is welcome!

JUNE

The NoVi Flow

1st & 3rd Saturdays (6/6 & 6/20) I 10:15AM Games on the Green 2nd Thursdays (6/11) I 4PM – 8PM NoVi Vibes & Bites 6/18 I 5:30PM – 7:30PM

JULY

Food Truck Friday

1st & 3rd Fridays (7/3 & 7/17) I 5PM – 8PM

Saturday Scoops Saturdays I 1PM – 3PM

AUGUST

Barre3 on The Green 8/1 & 8/22 I 8:30AM – 9:30AM

Food Truck Friday 1st & 3rd Fridays (8/7 & 8/21) I 5PM – 8PM

Games on the Green 2nd Thursdays (7/9) I 4PM - 8PM

Barre3 on The Green 7/25 I 8:30AM – 9:30AM

Saturday Scoops Saturdays I 1PM – 3PM

Games on the Green 2nd Thursdays (8/13) I 4PM - 8PM *Events are weather dependent. Check our

ERIKA HOFFMAN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

CHATHAM SPORTS

The Yardbirds gather before a home game in 2026.

Legion returns to action, Yardbirds earn second win

Chatham County wins its rst home game over Raleigh

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THOMASVILLE — The Chatham American Legion senior team came out at in its return from a weeklong break.

Post 305 gave up ve runs in the rst inning and never answered in a 10-0 loss to Area 3 foes Post 87 HiToms on June 10.

The HiToms notched four hits in their rst-inning sprint, including a pair of two-RBI sin-

gles from Travail Barnes and Fin Millard.

On the defensive end, Post 87 pitcher Nick Salas limited Chatham to one hit in the rst four innings, which was a single from Colin Dorney in the top of the rst. Salas struck out seven batters and walked one before Brayden Durham relieved him for the fth inning.

“We got a couple of big guys in the lineup missing tonight,”

Chatham coach Bryce Marsh said. “I don’t know if that’s part of it, but I think it’s just approach. We just couldn’t change our approach. The (Post 87) pitcher was throwing it really well against us.”

Post 87 scored two more runs in the third inning and one in the fourth. Back-to-back RBI singles by Durham and Levi Mitchell ended the game by run rule in the bottom of the sixth.

Chatham pulled o a better response in a 2-1 win over Hamlet on June 11.

Tied at one run apiece in the top of the sixth inning, Gavin Rower singled and scored Gavin Dodson for the go-ahead run.

Brett Phillips, who earned the win on the mound, allowed one hit and no runs in the nal four innings.

Dorney grounded out to

Johansson voted Chatham County Player of the Year

By Asheebo Rojas

Chatham News & Record

THE 2026 Chatham News & Record All-County softball teams are a collaboration of local coaches and CNR to recognize Chatham County’s best high school softball players from the spring. This year’s eld includes the county’s ve North Carolina High School Athletic Association member schools. Eighteen players were split among rst and second teams with two pitchers also being recognized per team.

Coaches voted on Coach of the Year, Pitcher of the Year and Player of the Year superlatives. CNR selected the rst and second All-County teams based on player recommendations and stats provided by the coaches.

Coach of the Year

John Warf, Chatham Central

Chatham Central coach John Warf, the 2026 CNR Coach of the Year, made sure his 1A program packed a powerful punch. The Bears went 22-5 in the spring, notching the most wins since 2013. They won multiple games over teams in higher classi cations, including Providence Grove (3A), which made the third round of the state playo s, and Apex Friendship (8A), which earned a No. 2 seed in the state

tournament. Chatham Central swept the Greater Triad 1A/2A conference regular season and tournament titles and had seven All-Conference selections. Warf was also named the conference Coach of the Year.

Co-Pitchers of the Year

Maddie Kaczmarczyk, Chatham Central and Logan Thompson, Northwood

Chatham County is so loaded with pitching talent that it’s hard to put one at the top.

Seaforth’s Annika Johansson is the 2026 CNR Player of the Year.

2

Grand slams in the Yardbirds’ rst victory at Braxton Field Chatham Senior American Legion

send Jayden Seawell home for Post 305’s rst run in the third inning.

Chatham is 6-4 in American Legion play as of June 11. Chatham County Yardbirds

Chatham County snapped a ve-game skid by beating Raleigh 15-4 in seven innings on June 9. The Yardbirds smashed three homers on the way to their second win and rst home win of the season. With Chatham trailing 4-0

in the bottom of the fourth inning, Landon Parker hit a grand slam to tie the game.

Following a go-ahead RBI single by Aidan McCandless in the next inning, Gabriel Ferrell then hit a three-run homer to extend the Yardbirds’ lead to four.

Chatham County led 11-4 in the seventh inning when Andrew Riedel landed another grand slam to end the game.

Ferrell nished the game 3 for 3. Nick Papciak, who started the game, and Dawson Wiggins combined for 13 strikeouts on the mound. Wiggins relieved Papciak after four innings and allowed no hits and no runs with no walks.

The Yardbirds fell to the Clayton Clovers 12-4 on June 11. Clayton’s Reed McLain went 2 for 3 with two runs and three RBIs. He hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth

Moser picked as Chatham County Player of the Year

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

Chatham Central junior Maddie Kaczmarczyk and Northwood freshman Logan Thompson earned co-Chatham County Pitcher of the Year honors. In 891⁄3 innings, Kaczmarczyk recorded a career-best 1.96 ERA with 139 strikeouts, 35 walks and 52 hits allowed. She went 9-2 in the circle. Thompson, the Four Rivers 3A/4A conference Pitcher of the Year, hit the ground running as she went 13-1. In 1271⁄3 innings, Thompson notched a 2.64 ERA,

See SOFTBALL, page B4

THE 2026 Chatham News & Record All-County baseball teams are here. The CNR and local baseball coaches combined to recognize Chatham County’s best high school players from the spring. This year’s eld includes the county’s ve North Carolina High School Athletic Association member schools and the Chatham Homeschool Thunder. Eighteen players were split amongst rst and second teams with two pitchers also being recognized per team. Coaches voted on Coach of the Year, Pitcher of the Year and Player of the Year superlatives. The CNR selected the rst and second All-County teams based on player recommendations and stats provided by the coaches.

Coach of the Year Bill Slaughter, Chatham Charter

It was a milestone season for Chatham Charter coach Bill Slaughter. He earned his 300th career win and led the Knights over the third-round hump in the state playo s as they made

their rst regional nal appearance. Chatham Charter went 22-6, winning its fourth straight regular season conference title. The Knights also claimed the conference tournament title before earning a No. 2 seed in the state playo s. Pitcher of the Year Finn Sullivan, Northwood

The Four Rivers Conference Pitcher of the Year now holds the same title for Chatham County.

Northwood junior Finn Sullivan dominated on the mound to help the Chargers win their rst conference title since 2017. In 60 innings, Sullivan logged a 1.00 ERA with 98 strikeouts, and he limited opponents to a .150 batting average. Along with all-conference honors, Sullivan’s season earned him a 3A All-State selection by the North Carolina Baseball Coaches Association.

Player of the Year

Landon Moser, Jordan-Matthews

A career season for Jordan-Matthews’ senior leader

Gabriel Ferrell

Chatham County out elder Gabriel Ferrell earns Athlete of the Week honors for the week of June 8. Ferrell went 3 for 3, including a three-run homer in the fth inning, to help the Yardbirds win their rst home game over Raleigh on June 9. He also stole a team-best two bases in the game.

Prior to this summer, Ferrell batted .255 with 12 hits, three doubles and eight RBIs in his freshman season at Montreat College.

LEGION from page B1

inning to give the Clovers a 7-4 lead. After a three-run fourth inning, Chatham failed to score in its last three chances.

Chatham County is 2-9 in ONSL play as of June 11.

Chatham Junior American Legion

Chatham started the week

with a 10-6 win over Wheatmore on June 8. Down 6-5 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Austin Morgan notched an RBI single to tie the game, and Channing Thomas gave Post 305 the lead with a two-RBI double. A sac y from Eliel Tomas scored another run, and Thomas scored on a wild pitch during Will Murchison’s plate appearance to give Chatham a four-run lead.

Graves, Rizvi earn NCHSAA awards

Ayers won the Homer Thompson Award for Region 5

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

LOCAL ATHLETES and coaches were recognized at the North Carolina High School Athletic Association awards ceremony June 10.

Jordan-Matthews’ Cassidy Graves’ lifetime of perseverance earned her the Heart of a Champion Award.

Graves was met with adversity at birth. She was born with complete hearing loss and lived her early years in a home where drug and alcohol abuse were prevalent.

After intervention from social services, Chris and Tina Graves adopted her while she was still very young.

The Graves family helped her receive cochlear implants to improve her hearing. Chris Graves introduced Graves to sports,

starting with T-ball and recreational basketball. She developed a passion for athletics that carried through her high school years.

Graves played basketball, volleyball and softball for Jordan-Matthews. She graduated this spring.

She was one of eight recipients of the Heart of a Champion award.

Renee Rizvi, who played girls’ lacrosse at Seaforth, was one of four Tony Cullen Memorial Endowed Scholarship recipients. The scholarship rewards lacrosse athletes carrying a cumulative 3.75 unweighted GPA or better who have helped their teams reach the state quarter nals.

Rizvi will receive a one -time $2,500 grant-in-aid as she continues her academic and lacrosse careers at Ursinus College.

Meanwhile, Seaforth girls’ lacrosse coach Chantal Ayers earned the Homer Thompson “Eight Who Make a

Di erence” award for Region 5. Ayers advocated for multisport participation at Seaforth. She coached the school’s eld hockey team in their inaugural season, drawing a team of 33 players. Ayers then led Seaforth’s girls’ lacrosse team to a No. 4 seed and its rst state quarter nals appearance in the spring.

Prior to her time as a high school coach, Ayers was a standout eld hockey, ice hockey and lacrosse player. After playing all three at Kingswood Oxford School in West Hartford, Connecticut, she went on to play Division I eld hockey and lacrosse at Holy Cross. Ayers was named the Patriot League eld hockey Player of the Year in 1993.

Chatham Central alum Anissa Little also earned the Homer Thompson award for Region 4. Little retired from teaching in 2023, but she continues to excel as the girls’ basketball coach at Union Pines. This winter, Little led the Vikings to a 16-9 record and a state playo appearance. Outside of coaching, she pours into others as a speaker, singer and an ordained minister.

In her high school days, Little helped Chatham Central win the 1986 1A girls’ basketball state title. Her son Derrin is the Bears’ football coach.

Mason Hayes nished the game 2 for 3 with a run and three RBIs.

Chatham followed the win with back-to-back losses to North Moore (10-9) and Raleigh (5-4).

Against North Moore, Chatham scored four runs in the top of the sixth to take a 9-7 lead, but North Moore immediately responded with three runs to reclaim the advantage. Chatham left two run-

ners on base in its last chance.

Raleigh walked o its win over Chatham with a solo home run.

Chatham is 4-5 on the season as of June 11.

Circle City Stealth Junior Legion Post 283

Post 283 began its week with an 11-1 loss to Hamlet on June 9. Hamlet scored six runs in the top

of the fth inning to pull away.

Circle City bounced back with a 6-1 win over High Point on June 11.

Dylan Papuchis went 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI to lead Post 283 at the plate.

Zach Nemerovski earned the win after pitching 62⁄3 innings. He recorded ve strikeouts, ve walks, four hits and one run allowed.

Circle City is 2-5 on the season as of June 11.

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Chatham County Yardbirds

PJ WARD-BROWN / CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD Cassidy Graves’ (3) perseverance earned her the Heart of a Champion award.

Locals earn lacrosse postseason awards

Four boys and

two

girls made the coaches’ region and state teams

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THE NORTH Carolina Lacrosse Coaches Association released its postseason awards earlier this month.

Local lacrosse players landed on the association’s All-Region and All-State lists, with some appearing on both. This season, all four local teams made the state playo s, and three featured athletes deemed among the best in the east or the state.

Here’s a rundown of Chatham County’s lacrosse All-Region and All-State athletes.

BOYS

Grayson Cox (Northwood, First Team 1-6A East All- Region, First Team 1-6A All-State)

Northwood mid elder Grayson Cox earned All-Region and All-State honors for his senior season. This is his second All-State selection. Cox was the Chargers’ o ensive engine, leading them in goals (78), shots on goal (225), assists (38) and ground balls (67). During the season, Cox set a new school record for total career points (306). He logged three games with 10 points in 2026.

New York City celebrates Knicks’ rst championship in 53 years

The team won in San Antonio, triggering a riotous night back east

By Michael R. Sisak and Shelby Lum The Associated Press

NEW YORK—It was bedlam on Broadway as the city cel-

ebrated the Knicks rst NBA championship in 53 years.

Outside Madison Square Garden, a crowd watching on a big screen roared as the Knicks rallied from a 16-point de cit to beat the Spurs in San Antonio in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Soon after, tens of thousands of people lled the streets and the rowdiest among them were clashing with police, smashing windshields, scaling sca olding, light poles and a statue, climbing into and atop school buses in Times Square and trying to hitch

a ride on a moving re truck. As the clock ticked to thenal buzzer on Saturday night, anxiety that had dominated the game’s rst three quarters gave way to euphoria. An orange-and-blue-tinted fever dream that started with the Knicks’ rst playo game two months ago ended in the third title in their 80-year history. Fireworks boomed over Brooklyn and Central Park. Fans ocked to Times Square and ran through the streets. Outside the Garden, they sang the team’s anthem: “Go New York, Go New York, Go!” Police o cers and ambulance workers shouted “Let’s go Knicks” over loudspeakers in Brooklyn. Strangers shook hands and hugged. In the Lincoln Tunnel, where people were riding buses back from the World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, drivers honked

“I’m so overwhelmed. I’m so happy.”

Mathieu Ogno, Knicks fan from Long Island

their horns in celebration.

“I’m so overwhelmed. I’m so happy,” said Mathieu Ogno, of Long Island, who fought back tears as he soaked in the victory at a team-sanctioned watch party at Wollman Rink in Central Park.

Ogno wore the jersey of Knicks captain Jalen Brunson, whose 45 points propelled the Knicks to victory and him to the NBA Finals MVP. Brunson’s gritty determination and chip- on-his-shoulder style have made him a fan favorite, embodying New York’s working-class ethos.

James Flanagan (Northwood, Second Team 1-6A All-Region, Second Team 1-6A All-State)

Northwood goalkeeper James Flanagan earned All-Region and All-State honors for hisnal high school season. It is his third All-State selection. Flanagan made a career-high 237 saves on a career-best .624 save percentage. The future UMass Lowell River Hawk nished his time at Northwood with 845 saves and a 44-32 record in the net. He was a starter for four varsity seasons and didn’t miss a game.

Enzo El Yousef (Northwood, Third Team 1-6A All-Region)

Northwood defenseman Enzo El Yosef earned All-Region honors for the rst time. The senior received an All-Conference nod with 41 ground balls, reaching 190 career ground balls across four varsity seasons.

Ivan Grimes (Seaforth, Honorable Mention East 1-6A All-Region)

Seaforth’s Ivan Grimes earned honorable mention All-Region honors. This is his third All-Region selection (second time as honorable mention). After three seasons of being a standout attack, Grimes took over goalkeeping duties for the Hawks this year. He re -

The Knicks’ championship — 19,392 days since their last — capped an extraordinary postseason for a franchise that hadn’t been to the NBA Finals since losing to the Spurs in 1999.

Since April 23, the team has won 15 of 16 games, with its lone loss coming Monday in Game 3. Their last title, in 1973, was also won on the road in a Game 5. Their rst, in 1970, was won at home in a Game 7 thriller. Neither was celebrated with a parade.

“I’m happy to see my Knicks nally make it over the hump,” said Shawn Muoneke, 26. “I’ve seen them knock on the door. They were knocking on the door the past few years. But theynally made it over the hump, and I’m so happy to see it and I’m so happy I’m in the city to experience it.”

Muoneke, born a year after the Knicks’ last trip to the NBA Finals, started rooting for them when he was 10. He drove from Maryland to be in the city for Game 5 at the team’s Central Park watch party.

“I saw the ups, the downs and I watched the team come back up, and I was so happy to see

All-State selections for James Flanagan

corded 93 saves with a .541 save percentage. Grimes will continue his lacrosse career at North Greenville. He nished his high school years with 158 goals, 124 assists and 145 ground balls. GIRLS

Natalie Boecke (Seaforth, Second Team East All Region, Third Team All State)

Seaforth mid elder Natalie Boecke had an All-State worthy season for the second time. The junior led Hawks in goals (75), landing 4.7 scores per game. She scored at least ve goals in eight games this year. Boecke also logged 46 ground balls.

Evie Kamen (Seaforth, Honorable Mention East All-Region)

Seaforth goalkeeper Evie Kamen earned honorable mention All-Region honors. It is her rst All-Region selection. Kamen recorded a career-high 130 saves on a .415 save percentage. She logged at least 10 saves in ve games.

them nally reach the highest echelon of stardom as a team,” Muoneke said.

After the Knicks’ win, he said, the vibes in the city “are the highest they’ve ever been.”

President Donald Trump, a longtime Knicks fan who attended Game 3 at the Garden with Dolan, congratulated the team in a post on his Truth Social platform.

“What a year it has been but, even more so, what incredible playo wins we have all witnessed, especially the last four — Maybe the greatest in the history of basketball,” Trump wrote.

With Brunson’s clutch performance, he added, “a superstar was born.”

After several dozen arrests throughout the playo s and violence after Games 3 and 4 in New York that left o cers injured and a teen in a coma, police girded for unrest as Saturday bled into Sunday.

“As we celebrate, be responsible, look out for one another, stay safe, be smart, and make this a night that re ects the very best of our city,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on social media.

“Let’s go Knicks.”

GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

Northwood’s Grayson Cox earned All-State honors for the second time.

Hamlin wins NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono for third straight victory

The retiring great is on the longest winning streak of his career

The Associated Press LONG POND, Pa. — With every Denny Hamlin victory, speculation about his future grows and talks of retirement are questioned. He signed a two-year extension with Joe Gibbs Racing that runs through 2027 and he insists it will be his last season. At 45, he’s the oldest full-time Cup Series driver in the eld, but he can’t stop winning.

Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway for his third consecutive victory and passed the late Kyle Busch for sole possession of ninth place on the all-time wins list.

His recent success — it is his

BASEBALL from page B1

fourth win of the season, not including the nonpoints All-Star race — has renewed talk that Hamlin should reconsider retirement when his deal with Gibbs expires.

“I think for Denny, he wants to leave on top, right? He doesn’t want to leave where it was one year too long,” said JGR co-owner Heather Gibbs.

“At this rate, what he’s producing out there, it’s not something you would not consider.

We want the best drivers in our cars. Our teams work to put the best cars on track.

“If it works out and he’s still producing and he wants to, it’s a huge commitment for him, he’s got his own team that he kind of wants to run. It’s hard when you dangle checkered ags in front of him, too. He so far has put a stop to such talk despite performing at the highest level of his long career.”

Hamlin, who wasn’t even sure he wanted to return to honor this two-year extension after losing the championship in last November’s season nale and then the December death of his father in a house re, understands he’s performing at a high level.

But as far as continuing past 2027? It’s not yet on his radar despite how strong he’s been on the track.

“I would certainly say it’s the best we’ve been,” Hamlin said. “We come to the racetrack every week knowing we got a great shot to win. The team’s doing an amazing job giving me exactly what I need in the car every single week. That’s why we’re winning.”

The win comes nearly 20 years to the date after his rst career victory, which was at Pocono on June 11, 2006. He swept the races at the

Pennsylvania track that year. Hamlin said Pocono has become “like a second home for me.”

“First win here, so special here. Pocono has mastered the fan experience from the crowd in the stands to the in eld here,” Hamlin said. “Just so happy for this whole Joe Gibbs Racing team. The pit crew is awless right now. We got it all going.”

Despite 64 career victories, this marks the rst time in his career that Hamlin has won three consecutive races.

The feat tied Richard Petty, who did it in 1966 and 1967, Bobby Allison in 1971 and Darrell Waltrip in 1981.

He also took a jab at NASCAR, noting that it was technically his ninth victory at Pocono, but he was stripped of the victory in 2022 when NASCAR said he and Busch’s car’s failed postrace inspection.

“They aren’t getting that checkered ag back,” Hamlin said.

Tyler Reddick nished second as Toyota took the top two spots. Hamlin is now 19 points behind Reddick in the Cup Series standings.

“Everyone is racing hard for track position. Some of it’s just bad luck, I guess, where you catch cars,” Reddick said. “It’s a bummer. I mean, if the 11 wasn’t the winner, you could consider this a good day. I know we nished second. Scoring the points we did just didn’t get the job done.”

Toyota drivers have won 10 of 16 races this season, and JGR has accounted for ve of them.

William Byron nished third.

“I think this is probably the rst time in four months that I’ve been able to drive the car this way, just be able to make moves and have the balance stay with me,” Byron said.

Byron was followed by John Hunter Nemechek in fourth. Nemechek led 42 laps — double what he’s led the last two years. Kyle Larson was fth and Erik Jones sixth as Toyota drivers took four of the top six spots.

Landon Moser is the CNR Player of the Year after recording career-highs in batting average (.508, second-best in 4A), runs (21), hits (31), RBIs (20), doubles (15) and home runs (4). He also led the Jets on the mound with 49 strikeouts and a 5.61 ERA in 382⁄3 innings. At catcher, Moser nished the year with a .947 elding percentage and 76 put outs.

FIRST TEAM

Westley Brower, Chatham

Central: .468 avg, 20 R, 37 H, 30 RBI, 11 2B, 4 SB Ryder Murphy, Chatham

Charter: .482 avg, 40 R, 41 H, 27 RBI, 4 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 19 SB Garrison Clark, Chatham

Charter: .429 avg, 15 R, 33 H, 23 RBI, 7 2B, 3 3B, 3 SB/ 0.49 ERA, 21 H, 13 BB, 94 K

Jace Young, Chatham Charter: .418 avg, 12 R, 33 H, 37 RBI, 11 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 8 SB Jax Young, Chatham Charter: .478 avg, 18 R, 33 H, 30 RBI, 5 2B, 3 3B, 4 SB / 1.75 ERA, 21 H, 18 BB, 62 K

Landon Moser, Jordan-Matthews: .508 avg, 21 R, 31 H, 20 RBI, 15 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 10 SB/ 5.61 ERA, 41 H, 18 BB, 49 K Finn Sullivan, Northwood: .380 avg, 27 H, 27 RBI, 5 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 7 SB/ 1.00 ERA, 98 K Riley D’Angelo, Northwood: .455 avg, 24 R, 33 H, 16 RBI, 8 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 16 SB/ 2.50 ERA, 70 K

Jaedyn Rader, Seaforth: .432 avg, 25 R, 38 H, 19 RBI, 7 2B, 3 3B, 12 SB/ 1.72 ERA, 58 H, 21 BB, 81 K

Pitchers

Finn Sullivan, Northwood Garrison Clark, Chatham Charter

SECOND TEAM

Brett Phillips, Chatham Central: .352 avg, 29 R, 25 H, 18 RBI, 8 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 1 SB/ 2.06 ERA, 61 K Carson Jackson, Chatham Central: .362 avg, 22 R, 29 H, 22 RBI, 12 2B, 4 SB Tyner Williams, Chatham Charter: .430 avg, 26 R, 34 H, 21 RBI, 8 2B, 5 3B, 18 SB Westin Phillips, Chatham Charter: .409 avg, 39 R, 36 H, 21 RBI, 8 2B, 1 3B, 16 SB

JordanMatthews’ Landon Moser is the 2026 Chatham County Player of the Year.

SOFTBALL from page B1 earned him the county’s top honor.

176 strikeouts, 33 walks and 135 hits allowed.

Player of the Year Annika Johansson, Seaforth Chatham County’s most dangerous hitter now holds the title as its best player. Seaforth junior Annika Johansson powered the Hawks’ o ense with a .658 batting average, 45 runs, 50 hits and 24 RBIs. She showed consistent power, logging 13 doubles, 11 triples (one shy of the NCHSAA state record) and three home runs on the year. Her batting average is also in the top 50 in NCHSAA history.

FIRST TEAM

Jayden Seawell, Chatham

Thunder: .358 avg, 22 R, 24 H, 19 RBI, 2 2B, 2 3B, 14 SB/ 2.14 ERA, 29 H, 12 BB, 42 K

Dylan Perry, Northwood: .391 avg, 21 R, 29 H, 12 RBI, 7 2B, 2 3B, 12 SB

Bauer Bowling, Seaforth: .229 avg, 24 R, 19 H, 23 RBI, 5 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 17 SB Easton Sykes, Seaforth: .356 avg, 17 R, 31 H, 17 RBI, 7 2B, 4 SB Bryce Huneycutt, Seaforth: .348 avg, 16 R, 31 H, 24 RBI, 3 2B, 2 3B, 10 SB

Pitchers

Jaedyn Rader, Seaforth Brett Phillips, Chatham Central

Maddie Kaczmarczyk, Chatham Central: .542 avg, 31 R, 45 H, 36 RBI, 11 2B, 3 HR, 8 SB/ 1.96 ERA, 52 H, 35 BB, 139 K Sallie Oldham, Chatham Central: .489 avg, 45 R, 43 H, 36 RBI, 16 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 15 SB Lillie Poe, Chatham Central: .542 avg, 36 R, 44 H, 36 RBI, 13 2B, 5 3B, 3 HR, 5 SB Allie McLeod, Chatham Charter: .567 avg, 41 R, 38 H, 22 RBI, 9 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 16 SB/ 3.98 ERA, 65 H, 17 BB, 54 K) Kynzie Jordan – Chatham Charter (.561 avg, 27 R, 37 H, 23 RBI, 9 2B, 3 3B, 8 SB/ 3.14 ERA, 69 H, 30 BB, 43 K) Makenly Stanley, Chatham Charter: .593 avg, 13 R, 35 H, 22 RBI, 12 2B, 2 3B, 1 SB Ruby Parks, Northwood: .441 avg, 41 R, 30 H, 18 RBI, 4 2B, 49 SB Annika Johansson, Sea-

forth: .658 avg, 45 R, 50 H, 24 RBI, 13 2B, 11 3B, 3 HR, 6 SB Emma Grace Hill, Seaforth: .573 avg, 16 R, 43 H, 41 RBI, 6 2B, 4 3B, 10 HR, 2 SB/ 2.29 ERA, .175 opponent BA, 57 BB, 176 K Pitchers

Maddie Kaczmarczyk, Chatham Central Logan Thompson, Northwood

SECOND TEAM

Chloe Brewer, Chatham Central: .402 avg, 35 R, 35 H, 18 RBI, 6 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 19 SB Addison Goldston, Chatham Central: .500 avg, 10 R, 22 H, 20 RBI, 5 2B, 3 HR, 7 SB Maeson Smith, Chatham Central: .385 avg, 37 R, 30 H, 14 RBI, 6 2B, 1 3B, 12 SB Ella Parks, Jordan-Matthews: .417 avg, 19 R, 30 H, 29 RBI, 14 2B Kelis Watson, Northwood: .394 avg, 17 R, 26 H, 21 RBI, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 13 SB Logan Thompson, Northwood: .316 avg, 17 R, 25 H, 26 RBI, 6 2B, 1 3B, 6 SB/ 2.64 ERA, 135 H, 33 BB, 176 K Allison Bryant, Northwood: .360 avg, 18 R, 27 H, 24 RBI, 4 2B, 1 HR, 3 SB Alyssa Harris, Seaforth: .403 avg, 16 R, 25 H, 20 RBI, 5 2B, 5 HR, 3 SB Blair Hill, Seaforth: .425 avg, 27 R, 31 H, 17 RBI, 2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 4 SB Pitchers

Emma Grace Hill, Seaforth Lilli Hicks, Jordan-Matthews: 1261⁄3 IP, 4.10 ERA, 126 H, 69 BB, 131 K

LEE MOODY FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD

DERIK HAMILTON / AP PHOTO

Denny Hamlin crosses the nish line to win the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono.

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL

49ers mourn sudden death of former All-Pro linebacker Smith at 36

San Francisco

Aldon Smith, a former All-Pro linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers whose playing career was sidetracked by legal issues, died at 36. The team did not disclose a cause of death. The 49ers drafted Smith out of Missouri with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft. He had 33.5 sacks through his rst two seasons, the most by any player in their rst two seasons. Smith was rst suspended with the 49ers in 2014 and was later released by the team. He also played for the Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys

MLB Skubal returns from elbow surgery, Ramírez breaks hand in Guardians’ win over Tigers

Cleveland

Tarik Skubal was tagged for a two-run homer in the two-time reigning Cy Young winner’s return from elbow surgery. Skubal threw 80 pitches in his rst start since April 29. The left-hander had a loose body removed from his elbow during an innovative surgical procedure on May 6, allowing Skubal to come back early. The win came at a steep price for Guardians as star third baseman José Ramírez su ered a broken bone in his left hand on a swing. Cleveland’s top player will be out inde nitely.

NHL Lightning’s Kucherov wins Hart Trophy as NHL MVP for second time New York Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP. It’s the second such honor of his career, also winning in 2019. Kucherov led the league with 1.71 points a game and with 130 was second to only Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, who had 138. McDavid was a close second by 10 points in voting by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon was third and San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini fourth. Kucherov had 42 more points than his next- closest teammate.

GOLF

Report: Mickelson kicked out of San Diego club for inappropriate contact with female employee Golf Digest reports Phil Mickelson has been kicked out of a San Diego golf club for inappropriate contact with a female employee. Golf Digest cited multiple sources as saying Mickelson is no longer welcome at The Farms Golf Club, where the six-time major champion has practiced and played for two decades. A spokesperson for Mickelson calls it a misunderstanding that has been cleared up. Mickelson has been out of the public eye for all but one LIV Golf event this year as he deals with an undisclosed serious family health matter.

Walk this way: A’s slugger Kurtz happy to take free pass to help team

Pitchers are cautious with the second-year Wake Forest product

By Mark Anderson The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — Not many second-year players receive this kind of respect from opposing pitchers, but it doesn’t take long to realize Athletics rst baseman Nick Kurtz is already one of baseball’s top sluggers.

And thus the Barry Bonds treatment, or at least something close to it, when pitchers don’t give Kurtz much to hit, willing to live with having him walk to rst than jog around the bases.

His 64 walks through last week led the major leagues and were one more than he had in the 117 games last season when he was the unanimous AL Rookie of the Year. Pitchers also have intentionally walked Kurtz eight times, second only to the nine by Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, the AL home run leader.

And the power is still there for Kurtz, who has 15 home runs this season. While not on pace to match the 36 he hit last year, his 49 RBIs lead the majors as does his .438 on-base percentage.

Most impressively, Kurtz earlier this season tied Mark McGwire’s 30-year-old club record of 48 consecutive games reaching base.

“He’s the most advanced hitter at this age that I’ve been around,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said of the 23-year- old slugger. “He never goes to search for hits. He waits for pitches that he feels good about swinging at. Knowing the strike zone as well as he does is pretty remarkable.”

This approach by opposing pitchers isn’t new to Kurtz, who began to watch other teams use similar strategies when he starred at Wake Forest.

“I think that’s where I started learning how to do it and just taking the walks,” Kurtz

said. “It’s not always easy because you always want to stay aggressive when you do get that pitch. If you’re not aggressive, you will miss it.”

Kurtz is among the talented young players the A’s are showcasing for their planned move to Las Vegas in 2028. They are at Las Vegas Ballpark, home to the organization’s Triple-A afliate, this week and took two of three against Milwaukee with their 4-3 win on Wednesday night. Colorado visits for a three-game series beginning Friday.

Kurtz gave Las Vegas fans plenty to look forward to by hitting two homers in Monday’s 15-14, 12-inning loss to the Brewers and then hit another one the following night in a 7-5 victory. Kurtz also walked at least once in each game in the series and four times overall. He has reached base that way in eight of nine games this month.

“You never see it, somebody his age doing what he’s doing,” A’s catcher Shea Langeliers said. “Unbelievably rare. Just to be able to watch him do his

“You always want to stay aggressive when you do get that pitch. If you’re not aggressive, you will miss it.”

thing and not really even blossom. It was kind of who he already was when he got to the league, so it’s really cool. Obviously, we’re really lucky to be his teammates and not calling pitches against him.”

It didn’t take long for Kurtz to shoot through the Athletics’ system. They drafted him fourth overall in June 2024, and by the following year, he played 20 games in Las Vegas and then was promoted to the A’s, where he hasn’t looked back.

Kurtz not only met but likely exceeded expectations. His true breakout game occurred last July 25 at Houston when he went 6 for 6 with four homers, eight RBIs, six

runs and a record-tying 19 total bases.

There were discussions about whether it was the greatest performance in MLB history. That is until Shohei Ohtani homered three times, had 12 total bases and from the mound struck out 10 over six shutout innings in an NL Championship Series game.

Kurtz doesn’t have the spotlight on him like the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar — what MLB player does? — and playing most of his home games in a Triple-A park in West Sacramento, California, doesn’t generate much exposure.

But other pitchers are more than aware of him, and Kurtz will continue to try to make the most of his opportunities whenever they come.

The best outcome often is simply taking the walk to rst.

“I’m totally ne if you want to pitch around me,” Kurtz said. “You still got other guys in the lineup who can do a whole of hitting, so it makes it really easy for me to just take my walks and score some runs.”

Judge dismisses lawsuit by 31 former NC State athletes alleging abuse by ex-head trainer

Dismissal came due to procedural reasons, but players plan to appeal

By Aaron Beard The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A state judge has dismissed a lawsuit led by 31 former NC State male athletes alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine.

In orders led Tuesday, Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins dismissed claims against Robert M. Murphy Jr., as well as multiple NC State athletics o cials tied to their oversight rules, citing procedural reasons.

The lawsuit was led in February in state court in a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete led in 2022. That complaint alleged years of misconduct by Murphy, including improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.

Collins granted the motion seeking a dismissal from Murphy’s attorneys, ruling that the statute of limitations had expired in claims dating back as early as 2013. Collins also dismissed claims against multiple athletics o cials such as former athletic director Debbie Yow and current AD Boo Corrigan on jurisdictional grounds. His ruling stated any complaint should go through the North Carolina Industrial Commis-

NC State.

sion — a state agency that deals with workplace matters with NC State as a public university — rather than civil court.

Jared Hammett, a Raleigh-based attorney representing Murphy, issued a statement to The Associated Press describing his client as “someone who dedicated his life to working with athletes” while referring to a “rush to judgment” that can impact “real people’s lives.”

“The truth is nothing happened but a man’s career being ruined for money,” Hammett said. “As a lawyer I am just glad that we have been able to help another person who needed support and found himself needing that defense.”

Durham-based attorney

Kerry Sutton, who has represented players going back to the original case, said the athletes plan to appeal.

“This dismissal has nothing at all to do with Mr. Murphy’s sexual abuse of these 31 former student-athletes,” Sutton said in a statement to the AP.

“It was decided based only on questions of legal procedure. We plan to appeal this outcome and in coming days will be adding new claims against NCSU for men who have recently come forward.”

All but two of the 31 athletes are “John Doe” plainti s to protect anonymity, while two former men’s soccer players are named.

One is Benjamin Locke, who led the original complaint in August 2022. The other is one

of two athletes who led their own federal lawsuits in February 2023 and April 2023. The AP typically doesn’t identify those who say they have been sexually assaulted or abused unless the person has spoken publicly about it, which Locke has done.

Sutton, who has represented plainti s in each lawsuit, led to dismiss those pending Title IX lawsuits before moving the case to state-level jurisdiction in September 2025. Murphy, at NC State from 2012-22, was among nine defendants originally named individually. Others were school o cials accused of negligence in oversight roles, saying concerns about Murphy’s conduct reached senior levels of the athletic department but the school’s response was insu cient.

Sutton and co-counsel Robert O. Jenkins led in April to dismiss former NC State chancellor Randy Woodson as a defendant.

“NC State does not condone sexual misconduct of any kind,” the school said in a statement Tuesday evening.

“The health and safety of our students and student-athletes is paramount to the university and our athletic programs.

“We agree with the court’s analysis and the decision that the law supports dismissal of the plainti s’ claims in this case. We recognize the immense courage it takes for someone to come forward, and our hearts go out to any student or student-athlete who has been impacted by distressing experiences.”

KARA DURRETTE / AP PHOTO

Flags y above at the Reynolds Coliseum on the campus of

Nick Kurtz

CAROLINE BREHMAN / AP PHOTO

The Athletics’ Nick Kurtz rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run.

this week in history

Napoleon defeated at Waterloo, Rosenbergs executed for espionage, Nazis invade Soviet Union

The Associated Press

JUNE 18

1778: American forces entered Philadelphia after the British withdrew during the Revolutionary War.

1812: The War of 1812 began as the U.S. Congress approved, and President James Madison signed, a declaration of war against Britain.

1815: Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo as British and Prussian troops routed the French Imperial Army in Belgium.

JUNE 19

1865: Union troops arrived in Galveston with news that the Civil War was over and that all remaining enslaved people in Texas were free — an event now celebrated as Juneteenth.

1910: The rst Father’s Day in the United States was celebrated in Spokane. (President Richard Nixon made Father’s Day a federally recognized annual observance in 1972.)

1953: Julius Rosenberg, 35, and his wife, Ethel Rosenberg, 37, who were convicted of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviet Union, were executed at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York. They were the rst American civilians executed for espionage.

JUNE 20

1837: Queen Victoria acceded to the British throne following the death of her uncle, King William IV.

1947: Gangster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel was shot to death

at the Beverly Hills, California, home of his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, likely on the orders of mob associates.

1967: Boxer Muhammad Ali was convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted and was sentenced to ve years in prison. (Ali’s conviction was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.)

JUNE 21

1788: The United States Constitution went into e ect as New Hampshire became the required ninth state to ratify it.

1834: Cyrus Hall McCormick received a patent for his mechanical reaper.

1893: The rst Ferris Wheel opened to the public at the Chicago World’s Fair.

1964: Civil rights activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner were killed in Neshoba County, Mississippi.

JUNE 22

1815: Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated for a second time as emperor of the French.

1938: In a rematch that carried both geopolitical signi cance and symbolism for black Americans, Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmeling in 2 minutes, 4 seconds to retain the heavyweight title before 70,000 spectators at New York’s Yankee Stadium.

1941: Operation Barbarossa began as Nazi Germany launched its massive invasion of the Soviet Union, a campaign that ultimately proved pivotal to the Allied victory in World War II.

JUNE 23

1888: Abolitionist Frederick Douglass received one vote from the Kentucky delegation at the Republican National Convention in Chicago, becoming the rst black candidate to have his name placed in nomination for U.S. president.

1931: Aviators Wiley Post and Harold Gatty took o from Roosevelt Field in New York on an around-the-world ight that lasted eight days and 15 hours.

1956: Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected president of Egypt.

JUNE 24

1509: Henry VIII was crowned king of England, and his wife, Catherine of Aragon, was crowned queen consort. 1812: French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his Grande Armée began crossing the Niemen River, launching the invasion of Russia.

1983: The space shuttle Challenger, carrying America’s rst woman in space, Sally Ride, landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

AP PHOTO

The rst Ferris wheel, which carried 1,400 passengers at 250 feet tall, made its debut on June 21, 1893, at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

GEORGE KENDALL WARREN VIA WIKIPEDIA

Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815.

Olivier honored with plaque at childhood home in London

The stage and screen icon died in 1989 at age 82

By Hilary Fox and Pan Pylas The Associated Press

LONDON — The late Lau-

rence Olivier, arguably Britain’s greatest ever stage actor, was honored last Wednesday with a blue plaque attached to the central London property where he lived as a child.

Unveiled by Ian McKellen, the plaque at 22 Lupus Street in Pimlico marks the place where Olivier began acting as a child.

“For those of us who were lucky enough to have seen him in the theater, it’s of course quite right that because he was the leader of our profession for so many years, it’s appropriate that this should be put up,” McKellen told The Associated Press after the event. “Actors go out of fashion very quickly, but I’ve a feeling that this man’s name will never be forgotten, and perhaps because of this plaque.” Olivier lived at Lupus Street

between the ages of 6 and 11.

While there, he reportedly transformed a wooden box and blue curtains into a makeshift stage where he sang, danced, and acted for hours at a time.

Olivier was venerated as a Shakespearean actor, playing many iconic protagonists in London including Hamlet, Henry V, Macbeth and, controversially, Othello. For his role

Jumpsuits, wigs, dance moves; young boys, teens keep Elvis’ legacy alive

The “king of rock and roll” died in 1977 at age 42

By Sophie Bates The Associated Press

TUPELO, Miss.— Nearly 50 years after Elvis Presley ‘s death, a gaggle of exuberant young boys and teens shook up his hometown, intent on keeping the king’s legacy alive for a new generation.

Ranging in age from seven to 17, some in jeweled jumpsuits, they took the stage at the Tupelo Elvis Festival’s youth tribute artist competition last week.

In contrast to their peers, who may never have heard of Elvis, the competitors have dedicated an enormous amount of time and energy to embodying the king’s singing voice, mannerisms and style.

They are careful to specify they are Elvis tribute artists. Unlike impersonators, who pretend to be Elvis and sometimes present a characterized version of the king, tribute artists strive for authenticity. Some wore costumes created by B&K Enterprises Costume Co., a company licensed to recreate Elvis’ out ts and provide costumes for Elvis movies, musicals and TV shows.

“We’re not trying to be him,” said Tucker Gladden, 17, from Madison, Mississippi. “We want to recreate the experience as much as we can for people that maybe didn’t get to see Elvis in their lifetime.”

As for their fascination with a long-dead musician, several of the tribute artists credited the 2022 “Elvis” movie with sparking their interest. A couple said their admiration began after discovering they were dis-

tantly related to Elvis. Others said it was Elvis’ faith and charity that inspired them. Some said they had been performing Elvis songs since they were 3 years old.

For 16-year-old Ayden Maloy

as Hamlet, Olivier won his only Academy Award for best actor in 1949. Other famous screen roles include ones in “Rebecca,” “Wuthering Heights”,” “Marathon Man” and “Sleuth.”

London owes much to Olivier, who died at age 82 in 1989.

He campaigned for the establishment of the National Theatre. The building that now houses the theatre o cially opened in 1976 and its largest auditorium is named after Olivier.

“Laurence Olivier transformed British theater and lm through the brilliance, range and intensity of his performances,” said English Heritage senior historian Howard Spencer. “The plaque celebrates the formative home where one of Britain’s greatest cultural gures rst found his voice as an actor.”

The Olivier Awards, which celebrate London’s theater scene, were named in his honor.

The London blue plaque program began more than 150 years ago. The plaques commemorate notable people who made London their home at some point. There are more than 900 o cial plaques in the capital.

The rst plaque commemorated the poet Lord Byron in 1867, but the house was later demolished. The oldest surviving plaque commemorates France’s nal emperor, Napoleon III.

from Logansport, Indiana, it was the way Elvis’ music helped him during a di cult time in his life and motivated him to begin performing as an Elvis tribute artist three years ago.

“I just broke down in tears because it healed me,” Maloy said. “I think Elvis is the healer.”

In an afternoon of dazzling out ts and daring dance moves, the performers got the audience clapping, singing and swaying along to their Elvis covers. Ultimately, RJ Hursey, a 14-year- old from Bloomington, Illinois, won the competition. Hursey, who inherited his love of Elvis from his grandfather, said he practices his tributes every day, and when he’s too sick to sing, he researches. He performs at nursing homes and assisted living facilities and hopes to someday star in a remake of an Elvis movie.

“It’s humbling,” Hursey said. “It makes you feel good because we know that he died thinking he’d be forgotten, and we’re just so glad he’s still around.”

While in Tupelo, the tribute artists also toured the Elvis Presley Birthplace, a sprawling complex that includes the home where Elvis was born and the church where he was rst exposed to Southern gospel music.

“It feels so surreal to pay tribute to Elvis in his hometown,” said 15-year-old Charles Session from Morrilton, Arkansas. “I hope that he’s looking down and smiling at all these young performers.”

SOPHIE BATES / AP PHOTO

Ayden Maloy, 16, performs at the Tupelo Elvis Festival’s youth tribute artists competition on June 4 in Tupelo, Mississippi.

SCOTT A GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Ian McKellen speaks at the unveiling of a blue plaque honoring late legendary actor Laurence Olivier in London on June 10.

famous birthdays this week

Anne Murray turns 81, Kathleen Turner is 72, Cyndi Lauper turns 73, Glenn Danzig is 71

The Associated Press

THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

JUNE 18

Musician Paul McCartney is 84. Actor Carol Kane is 74. Actor Isabella Rossellini is 74. Singer Alison Moyet is 65. Football Hall of Famer Bruce Smith is 63. Hockey Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis is 51.

JUNE 19

Hall of Fame auto racer Shirley Muldowney is 86. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is 81. Author Tobias Wol is 81. Author Salman Rushdie is 79. Actor Phylicia Rashad is 78. Rock singer Ann Wilson (Heart) is 76. Actor Kathleen Turner is 72. Singer-choreographer-TV personality Paula Abdul is 64.

JUNE 20

Filmmaker Stephen Frears is 85. Singer Anne Murray is 81. TV personality Bob Vila is 80. Musician Lionel Richie is 77. Actor John Goodman is 74. Rock bassist John Taylor (Duran Duran) is 66. Actor Nicole Kidman is 59.

JUNE 21

Musician Ray Davies (The Kinks) is 82. Actor Meredith Baxter is 79. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi is 79. Actor Michael Gross is 79. Author Ian McEwan is 78. Musician Nils Lofgren is 75. Actor Juliette Lewis is 53. Britain’s Prince William is 44.

JUNE 22

Actor Klaus Maria Brandauer is 83. Musician-producer Peter Asher (Peter and Gordon) is 82. Musician-producer Todd Rundgren is 78. Actor Meryl Streep is 77. Singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper is 73. Actor Bruce Campbell is 68. Environmental activist Erin Brockovich is 66.

JUNE 23

Author Richard Bach is 90.

Computer scientist Vint Cerf is 83. Actor Bryan Brown is 79. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is 78. Musician Glenn Danzig is 71. Actor Frances McDormand is 69. Actor Selma Blair is 54.

JUNE 24

Author Anita Desai is 89. Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro is 86. Actor Michele Lee is 84. Actor-director Georg Stanford Brown is 83. Musician Mick Fleetwood is 79. Actor Peter Weller is 79. Musician Curt Smith (Tears for Fears) is 65. Singer Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star) is 60.

SCOTT A GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Actor Meryl Streep turns 77 on Monday.

JOEL C RYAN / INVISION / AP PHOTO Beatles founding member Paul McCartney turns 84 on Thursday.

J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE / AP PHOTO

Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas turns 78 on Tuesday.

the stream

‘Project Hail Mary,’ Colin Farrell in ‘Sugar,’

“Million Dollar Nannies” lands on Hulu

By Lindsey Bahr

The Associated Press

THE STREAMING debut of “Project Hail Mary” and Myles Smith’s debut album 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, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Colin Farrell plays an alien on Earth in “Sugar,” a Square Enix game that evokes “Chrono Trigger” and “Released At Last,” a collaboration between Big Freedia and the late artist Sophie.

MOVIES TO STREAM

“Project Hail Mary,” one of the biggest hits of the rst half of the movie year, begins streaming Thursday. Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s sci- adventure stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a science teacher who wakes up on a ship sent into space on a mission to save dying stars. Sandra Hüller co-stars, as does an alien named Rocky played by puppeteer James Ortiz. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called it “a clever, sincere, most-ages crowd-pleaser that’s full of life, energy and a love of science.”

In “How to Make a Killing” (Friday, HBO Max), Glen Powell stars as a working-class man who sets out to murderously reclaim his inheritance. The lm, written and directed by John Patton Ford (“Emily the Criminal”), is inspired by the great Alec Guinness Ealing comedy “Kind Heart and Coronets.” But such tonal deftness is lacking, I wrote in my review, in “a disappointingly at almost-remake that has neither the biting farce nor the chilling darkness to match its black-comedy ambitions.”

“Voicemails for Isabelle”

Myles Smith

hopes to separate from the pack of a long line of Net ix rom-coms. In writer-director Leah McKendrick’s lm, Zoey Deutch stars a woman grieving her sister’s death who, to

cope, leaves voicemails on her phone. When that number is reassigned to Austin real estate agent (Nick Robinson), the two are drawn together. It debuts Friday.

“Project Hail Mary” is a clever, sincere, most-ages crowd-pleaser that’s full of life, energy and a love of science.

MUSIC TO STREAM

On Friday, Myles Smith will release his debut album, “My Mess, My Heart, My Life.” It is a bit hard to believe because the English singer-songwriter already has a three-times platinum single under his belt. His 2024 song “Stargazing” was a folk-pop megahit from a once-unknown performer. And on his rst full-length album, he aims to keep up the momentum.

The music world lost a nascent pop hero in 2021 when Sophie, the Grammy-nominated Scottish disc jockey, produc-

er and recording artist who had worked with the likes of Madonna and Charli XCX, died following an accident in the Greek capital of Athens. She was 34. Her music continues to resonate, and her in uence continues to be heard across the underground and mainstream alike. On Friday, the New Orleans icon and Queen of Bounce music Big Freedia will drop “Released At Last,” a three-song EP she recorded with the late Sophie back in 2016. It serves as a reminder: The club is open.

SERIES TO STREAM

You could call it “The Baby-Sitters Club” for ballers. In the new docuseries “Million Dollar Nannies,” cameras follow a boutique agency in Ibiza that o ers babysitting for the children of wealthy parents. These clients are VIPs who have big expectations to match their big lifestyles. There are NDAs, private planes and kids who eat caviar. All episodes drop Thursday on Hulu.

Farrell returns as an alien disguised as a human in Season 2 of “Sugar” for Apple TV. Premiering Friday, Farrell’s character goes by the alias John Sugar, a private investigator in Los Angeles. The series is a noir-style detective drama with a central mystery that lasts all season. Sugar has two jobs. One is to solve his case du jour and the other is to secretly monitor people here on Earth.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Square Enix’s “The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales” takes place in a land called Philabieldia, “a beautiful but savage land” that sounds just like our own Pennsylvania city, only without cheesesteaks. After some mysterious ruins are discovered, the gutsy Elliot and his fairy sidekick, Faie, are sent on a journey that goes back and forth in time across 1,000 years. The pixelated art will look familiar to fans of developer Clay Tech Works’ role-playing fantasy “Octopath Traveler,” but the action is more arcade-like. And the time-jumping story is reminiscent of Square’s 1995 classic “Chrono Trigger.” Start making history Thursday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 and PC.

CHARLES SYKES / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Myles Smith, pictured performing in 2025 in Philadelphia, releases his debut album, “My Mess, My Heart, My Life,” on Friday.

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP PHOTO

John Patton Ford arrives at the premiere of “How to Make a Killing” at AMC The Grove in Los Angeles.

EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Ryan Gosling attends the premiere of “Project Hail Mary” at Lincoln Center Plaza in New York.

Duplin Journal

Beach music, barbecue highlight Beach Brew and Que

Participants of the Beach Brew and Que braved the sweltering 90-degree heat Saturday at the Duplin Event Center for the event featuring live beach music performances and a whole hog barbecue competition. Turn to A6 for more photos.

week

Town o ces closed for Juneteenth

Mount Olive Town of Mount Olive o ces will be closed on June 19 for Juneteenth.

Regular services resume June 22. While garbage collection remains unchanged, the recyclable center is closed June 20 and will reopen June 23 at 8 a.m. For 24/7 water or sewer emergencies, call nonemergency dispatch at 919-658-5031 ext. 0.

FLOCK matching gift boosts Camp Corral fundraiser

3-seat majority backs Warsaw budget despite missing nancial data concerns the BRIEF this

Rose Hill House of Raeford Farms

FLOCK contributed a

$15,000 matching gift to help Camp Corral raise $40,000 during its Spring 2026 fundraising campaign. FLOCK also provided an additional $15,000 this year to support Camp Corral’s SALUTE Leadership Program, which o ers leadership and service opportunities for military teens. Camp Corral, which is marking its 15th year, provides summer camp experiences for children of wounded, ill and fallen servicemembers. Funds raised through the campaign will support camp programs and services for military- connected youth during the summer.

$2.00

$40M state-funded project brings long-awaited hospital improvements

and meeting growing demand.

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

A $40 MILLION investment in ECU Health Duplin Hospital is set to bring major up-

cials

By Ena Sellers Duplin Journal

AS WARSAW moves through its FY 2026–27 budget process, o cials say they

grades to healthcare services in Duplin County, including a permanent MRI unit, expanded surgical facilities, and a redesigned emergency department aimed at improving patient care

The council advanced rezoning requests and discussed mobile home park improvements

By Rebecca Whitman Cooke For Duplin Journal

WALLACE — Planning Director Rod Fritz presented several permit requests at the June 11 Wallace Town Council meeting, including proposals for an apartment complex and multiple rezonings.

The request was for a special-interest permit for an

are doing so without complete nancial data.

Mayor Wesley Boykin and Commissioner Ebony Willis

Wells said Town Manager Lea Turner has not provided a gen-

“This is really good news for Duplin County,” said Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin). “Access to quality healthcare and medical services is one of the most important issues facing rural North Carolina, and we constantly hear concerns about the availability, or lack of availability, of care in rural communities.”

apartment complex. The project would consist of four three-story buildings with garden-style, market-rate apartments. The permit is intended to help secure more favorable nancing and keep construction costs within budget.

Town Attorney Anna Heath explained that because the permit requires a quasi-judicial hearing, the applicant must provide expert testimony to prove the project won’t harm public safety or property values. The hearing was rescheduled for July 9 because the developer did

eral ledger, active contracts or sta ng data.

“Myself as well as other elected o cials have repeatedly requested a full detailed breakdown of the general ledger and current contracts as we heard there’s about $600,000 looking to be approved … there’s no breakdown as to what those contracts are,” said Wells.

For many Duplin County residents, the biggest impact may come from a service that currently arrives on wheels. ECU Health Duplin Hospital relies on a mobile MRI unit operated through a third-party contract, but approximately $4 million of the investment will

“We have a responsibility

Pointing to condensed budget summaries, Turner said, “The line item budget is right here. That is your general ledger.” She maintained that the “budget preparation transaction” document — a 24-page line-item list — served as the itemized ledger for the board’s review.

Jason Wells, Wallace mayor

Ena

Patsy Teachey Advertising Representative

Loretta Carey

O ce Manager

CONTACT US

O ce Phone: 910 463-1240

To place a legal ad: 919 663-3232; Fax: 919 663-4042

We stand corrected

To report an error or a suspected error, please email: corrections@nsjonline.com with “Correction request” in the subject line.

WARSAW from page A1

The town’s general fund revenue structure has also drawn scrutiny. Boykin agged a $158,000 “miscellaneous” line item combining roughly 15 revenue sources, including fees, donations and EMS rental income. He argued that combining recurring and one-time revenues can distort long-term nancial forecasting, obscuring the town’s operating baseline.

Boykin and Wells questioned three proposed FY 2025-26 budget amendments to cover overages, citing errors. Turner said the amendments addressed higher sanitation costs and reallocated surplus membership revenue. Turner admitted she did not have the “exact dollar amount” because June billing had not been released.

“I round it up to $40,000 to make it up an even dollar amount,” said Turner. “These funds were already budgeted as an expense. I’m just asking to move it to another department.”

The board tabled all three amendments until the July 13 meeting.

Audit records obtained by Duplin Journal show a recurring pattern of budget adjustments and overruns. In FY 2024–25, the general fund budget increased from $3.65 million to $4.19 million through amendments, with actual spending reaching $4.08 million. The 2025 audit further identi ed a compliance issue in the Memorial Park project fund, where roughly $29,831 was expended without a corresponding appropriation, in violation of state budget requirements.

Town records dated June 5 show numerous line items exceeding approved budgets.

The utility fund shows expen-

THURSDAY

WALLACE from page A1

not have these experts present to support their evidence.

Following a public hearing, the council approved rezoning a property on Highway 117 from Highway Business back to R-6 Residential Conditional, allowing the property to remain a single-family home in perpetuity.

The council approved rezoning 125 acres from RA20 to RA20 Residential Conditional for a proposed 272-lot single-family residential development north of Interstate 40. During the public hearing, residents from the nearby River Landing and Vineyards communities raised concerns about tra c congestion on Highway 41, density and the loss of natural bu ers.

“We are not opposed to the growth of Wallace; we are concerned about the density,” said Je Mandez, a property owner. In response, the council noted the N.C. Department of Transportation would conduct trafc studies, and the developer agreed to a 20-foot planted bu er.

A representative for the developer said the project would feature lots averaging more than 13,000 square feet, sidewalks on both sides of the roads, street trees and landscaped green spaces. The development would also include recreational and open-space areas and be limited to a density of 2.2 homes per acre. While plans currently show up to 272 lots, the representative said that number is expected to decrease during the design process. The development would consist entirely of single-family homes. The council closed the public hearing and approved the rezoning request. The council also approved rezoning ordinance 2026-02, previously discussed at last month’s meeting.

“That’s the behavior I’m dealing with. … But as long as the majority of three allow this level of disrespect to occur, it will occur.”

Wesley

Boykin, Warsaw mayor

ditures of $3.23 million against a budget of $2.77 million while generating $2.38 million in revenue, leaving a de cit of more than $850,000. Last year, spending on permits and fees topped $375,000 more than 26 times what was budgeted. Sludge control costs were nearly $400,000, some six times its budget. Despite those spending levels, the proposed FY 2026–27 budget sees a slight increase of $10,000 — up to $80,000 — for sludge control.

FY 2025-26 records show $100,000 budgeted in pretreatment permit revenue from industrial users but $0 was collected. In previous meetings Boykin and Wells had also expressed concern that residential ratepayers may be subsidizing the impact of industrial users on the wastewater treatment plant. Utility revenue projections also varied signi cantly. While pretreatment permit revenue remained uncollected, wastewater surcharge revenue reached $435,588 — a 436% variance from the budgeted amount. In the general fund, sanitation expenditures reached $361,632, exceeding appropriations by nearly $38,000. Recreation contract services spent $30,527, a 509% variance. Police overtime reached $22,486 against a budget of $12,000, while police department contract ser-

The council approved a temporary operating permit for the Tin City Mobile Home Park, which is under new potential ownership by Lenny Freeman. The temporary permit allows six months to submit a comprehensive improvement plan, which includes connecting the park to town water and sewer lines and up to six years to complete it.

“We have a responsibility to provide adequate housing for all, and what is there right now is not that,” said Mayor Jason Wells.

After a public hearing, the town council adopted a balanced 2026-27 scal year budget of $11.48 million, a 4.66% increase over last year, without raising property taxes or adding a new municipal vehicle tag fee. The original budget proposal included a 3-cent property tax increase that would have generated nearly $110,000 to help rebuild the town’s fund balance, as well as a vehicle tag fee expected to generate about $30,000 annually for street paving and maintenance. Council chose to remove both proposals, citing concerns that residents had already experienced higher tax bills following the county’s recent property revaluation.

To o set the reductions, the town eliminated roughly $30,000 in capital improvement spending and reallocated proceeds from the sale of the Rose House, directing $50,000 to the Parks Reserve Fund and the remainder to the General Fund.

These changes provided about $85,000 toward improving the town’s fund balance, which currently remains below the council’s target minimum of 25%.

The budget also keeps water and sewer utility rates unchanged, although several connection-related fees, including tap, setter and meter fees, were

vices totaled $39,431 against an $18,000 budget, more than double the approved amount.

Several administrative expenditures also stand out. The administration legal-other line item shows an expenditure of $4,786 — a 957% variance of the budget.

An ongoing concern involves Dreamworks. The facility generated strong membership revenues, yet management services continue to exceed budgeted levels by a substantial margin. Current-year records show management services expenses of $178,430 despite a board-approved budget of $74,400. The center’s overall expenditures have exceeded budget in consecutive years, including a reported overrun exceeding $131,800. Despite that history, the proposed FY 2027 budget once again allocates $74,400 for management services, suggesting a continuing gap between budgeted and actual expenditures that may warrant additional explanation.

Revenue forecasting inconsistencies appear throughout the budget. Police revenue was budgeted at $3,500 — a variance of more than 1,500%. Revenue from the sale of surplus property totaled $53,871.20 — a variance of 1,077%.

The nancial records document substantial di erences between adopted budgets and actual expenditures and revenues, raising questions about forecasting and nancial controls.

Under the proposed FY 2026-27 budget, Warsaw’s health insurance costs are projected to increase by 16%. The monthly cost of the plan is expected to rise to $24,811. Turner stated the town will continue paying 100% of employee health insurance premiums, describing the bene t as a retention

increased to re ect rising service costs. In addition, the council reduced the utility late payment fee from $50 to $25 while establishing a new $30 reconnection fee. O cials said the intent is to lessen the burden on customers who occasionally pay late while ensuring that those accounts requiring disconnection and restoration of service cover more of the associated costs. With no public comment, they closed the hearing and approved the budget.

In other business

The council discussed the disposition of a police K-9 named Maverick, with the intent to sell the dog to a di erent agency or his former handler.

The town council approved tax releases for two specific properties totaling $2,100 due to clerical and assessment errors.

Town Manager Rob Taylor provided progress reports on several infrastructure projects:

The new rehouse is expected to be completed by the end of June. The playground project is nearing completion, and repairs to the dam are moving forward.

A $2 million state loan for a water line project was canceled as it was not in the town’s best interest; instead, the town will use its general budget for immediate needs on Steven Street and seek grants for lead line replacements. The project will start July 1. In closing comments, council members addressed town aesthetics, including the maintenance of the depot agpole and the proliferation of banners and signs on Main Street, the latter of which will be the subject of a future public meeting. Finally, it was noted that while projects like Wa e House remain tentative, Starbucks and Chick- l-A have had their sites prepared for construction.

tool. At the same time, budget documents show lease revenue of $12,000 from 115 N. Pershing St., a town-owned building leased to Commissioner Jack Hawes for his funeral home business. The lease amount has remained unchanged since 2019, according to public records.

As costs rise, questions remain about spending allocation among personnel, bene ts, services and compliance. Taxpayers may reasonably ask whether every available source of municipal revenue is being collected and regularly reassessed before additional costs are shifted onto the public.

But the questions extend beyond accounting. At the meeting, Boykin learned that a contract with Insight Planning & Development had been executed by Hawes rather than by him.

“I come to this o ce to do my job, and you tell me you have nothing ready for me to sign, but a month later you tell the audience and me in front of everybody it was signed by the mayor pro tem,” said Boykin, calling Turner’s actions “insubordination” and disrespectful. “That’s the behavior I’m dealing with. … But as long as the majority of three allow this level of disrespect to occur, it will occur.”

Despite missing nancial data, elected o cials’ concerns and multiple requests not to adopt the proposed budget, the FY 2026-27 budget ordinance and fee schedule were approved. The motion passed 3-1, with commissioners Hawes, Scotty Smith and Cheryl Smith voting in favor.

The records leave a central question for public consideration: If the town can identify every additional dollar it seeks from citizens, can it account equally for how it is spent?

DUPLIN happening

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in

June 19-20

Juneteenth Story Walk

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The Cowan Museum of History and Science will host a free Juneteenth Story Walk. The two-day outdoor story walk invites visitors to join STEM Educator Battista Bennett as she takes museum visitors on a history walk with the book, “The Story of Juneteenth" by Dorena Williamson, while learning about the signi cance of the holiday. The event includes a complimentary bracelet-making activity for participants of all ages inside the museum. Free refreshments will be served in the general store.

411 S. Main St., Kenansville

June 20

Wallace-Pender Airport 72nd Anniversary Fly-In

9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Wallace-Pender Airport will mark its 72nd anniversary with a y-in event open to pilots and the public. Pilots will land free, with recognition for the furthest distance traveled. Activities will include barbecue meals by Poston Baptist Church Mobile Kitchen, as well as classic cars, tractors, music and children’s games.

250 Henderson Field Road, Wallace

Good Daddies

BBQ Grillmaster Competition

3 p.m.

Shackle Free Community Outreach Agency Inc. will host the 2026 Good Daddies BBQ Grillmaster Competition, combining a cooking contest with community outreach. The event will focus on men’s health, gun violence awareness and voter empowerment, and will include the Camp Unity-All 360 Warsaw Rec reunion game.

309 Memorial Dr., Warsaw

THE CONVERSATION

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

Three great movements that made America great

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

A CASUAL READING of history will reveal that Christopher Columbus, who famously sailed in 1492, actually died thinking that he had discovered a new route to Asia. A few years after Columbus rst landed in the Caribbean, Amerigo Vespucci explored the southern coast of what we now know as South America. He, unlike Columbus, “realized this landmass was an entirely separate, previously unknown continent.” In 1507, a new world map drawn by Martin Waldseemuller, a German cartographer, “labeled this landmass as America, which is the feminine version of Amerigo in Latin.” Soon the name America was used to identify both South and North America.

Thus, the great movement that rediscovered the New World began.

Historians about a century later discovered and came to realize that about 500 years before Columbus landed, Leif Erikson, a Norse explorer, had landed in North America. “In 1497, John Cabot, commissioned by King Henry VII of England, was the rst Continental European to land on the coast of North America, most likely Cape Breton Island.”

In 1585, Sir Walter Raleigh established an unsuccessful colony in present-day North Carolina at Roanoke. In 1607, the rst permanent English colony was established in North America at Jamestown, Virginia. In 1620, after arriving on the May ower, the Pilgrims established the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. From 1607 to 1733, the original 13 colonies came into being.

Thus, the greatest permeant epic for freedom and liberty in the history of the world occurred between 1607 and 1733 with the establishment of the original 13 colonies on the North American continent, leading to what is now called the United States of America.

There was another parallel movement of monumental consequences that also began in the 1400s. “Several hundred people were burned at the stake for translating, smuggling, owning, or just reading the English Bible.” In 1407, John Wycli e’s Bible, which was published in 1382, was declared illegal. In 1517, the German Monk Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses “in disputation of what he called the abusive power of the Roman Catholic Church’s sale of indulgences.” Additionally,

Freedom isn’t free

“Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present Generation, to preserve your Freedom.” John Adams

“FREEDOM ISN’T FREE” is a message found on bumper stickers and social media posts. It is etched into the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Walter Hitchcock is often credited with coining the phrase. Certainly the saying refers to the ultimate cost that members of the armed forces have paid over the years to protect our freedom. The phrase also acknowledges the cost required of us to maintain our freedom. Less than a year after the Declaration of Independence was signed, John Adams wrote in a letter to his wife, Abigail, “Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present Generation, to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make a good Use of it.”

Seven years later, at the end of the war, after the British troops evacuated New York City, George Washington responded to a message of congratulations from the German Reformed Congregation with these words, “The establishment of civil and religious liberty was the motive which induced me to the eld — the object is attained — and it now remains to be my earnest wish and prayer, that the citizens of the United States make a wise and virtuous use of the blessings placed before them.”

On the eve of the 250th anniversary and celebration of our nation’s independence, it would do us well to think about what it means to be free. Our rst thought might be, “Freedom means doing anything we want!” But that’s not true freedom; that’s lawlessness and anarchy. True freedom, as we promise in the

William Tyndale intensi ed his movement to translate the Bible into English in 1522, and “he was burned at the stake, after they rst strangled him, by the secular authorities of the Holy Roman Empire in 1536.” Luther and Tyndale were contemporaries and both wanted the ordinary men and women of the day to have access to an English version of the Bible.

Thus, the two great movements of (1) the rediscovery of the American continent and (2) the Protestant Reformation would ignite the desire in the initial Pilgrims to risk all they had to go to the New World seeking unrestricted freedom of religion to own, study and live by the tenets of the Christian Bible. This land was preserved by Almighty God until He could raise up men and women who would establish a government based on Judeo-Christian concepts and who would worship and sustain Jesus Christ as the God of this Promised Land.

The United States of America was founded as a Christian nation, and a third great movement started that would forever change the world by creating a government described by Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address as “Government of the people, by the people, for the people.

Our founders, though much less than perfect, were thus inspired to declare, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

God be thanked for the men and women who lived and died in support of these three great movements that resulted in the establishment of the United States of America.

We the people, as we celebrate the 250th birthday of the greatest nation on earth, should resolve to be the moral and religious people necessary to preserve our Constitution until the God of this land, Jesus Christ, returns to establish a more perfect union for all mankind who have called this earth their home.

Rep. Jimmy Dixon represents Duplin and Wayne counties in the N.C. House of Representatives.

Pledge of Allegiance with the words “with liberty and justice for all,” ironically means limiting our freedom so the rights of others are respected and preserved. In his 1792 Plan of a Declaration of Rights, Thomas Paine wrote, “ Liberty is the power to do everything that does not interfere with the rights of others: thus, the exercise of the natural rights of every individual has no limits save those that assure to other members of society the enjoyment of the same rights.”

In his letters to early Christians, the apostle Paul wrote about “freedom in Christ.” To the Corinthians he said, “But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” To the Galatians he wrote, “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.” Again, true freedom doesn’t mean being sel sh, but being concerned about your neighbor and your community.

The nal line of the Declaration of Independence reads, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a rm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” The signers could not know what their actions might cost them, but 250 years later, we must also be willing to bear the cost, because maintaining freedom isn’t free.

Philip Gladden is a retired minister who lives in Wallace.

COLUMN | PHILIP GLADDEN

COLUMN | JIMMY DIXON

After hearing, Teachey approves budget with tax cut, utility rate increase

A League of Municipalities representative said current rate increases may not be enough to stabilize the water and sewer fund

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

TEACHEY — After a public hearing on the proposed town budget for the upcoming scal year and a long discussion regarding water and sewer rates, the Teachey Board of Commissioners approved the proposed budget for FY 2026-27 during its regular monthly meeting June 8.

The new budget includes a reduction in the town’s property tax rate by three cents and a 3% increase in the water and sewer rates. However, based on feedback from a representative of the North Carolina League of Municipalities, it’s certain the town water and sewer rates will increase well beyond that 3% mark very soon.

Ann White, a local representative for southeastern N.C. for the League of Municipalities, addressed the board during the meeting and expressed concern over a portion of the budget that calls for the town’s general fund to provide a loan to the water and sewer fund of $55,700 to cover shortages in that budget. State statute calls for general funds and water and sewer funds to be handled separately. White said the loan could result in Teachey being placed on a list of communities indicating a nancial issue. The list, known as the Unit Assistance List, is administered by the North Carolina Local Government Commission. Teachey could be on the list until the loan is repaid.

According to White, the increase in the town’s water and sewer rates will not be sucient enough to cover repaying the general fund for the $55,000 loan to the water and sewer fund, as well as handle any possible maintenance issues or operating costs for the system.

“Trying to cover that decit funding from the general fund, you need to get to about a 17.5% increase in the base rates,” White said, adding the town would have to implement that increase at once to avoid being placed on the Unit Assistance List.

It was estimated that a 15% increase in utility rates for the town would result in a $40-per-year increase in water costs and another $50- to $60-per-year increase in sewer rates for the average residential customer.

Part of the issue with the revenue shortfall in the water and sewer system is due to a technical issue. Approximately four years ago, the town board voted for a rate increase that was never put into e ect. At

from page A1

fund a permanent MRI unit in Kenansville.

“The installation of a permanent MRI unit for Duplin County represents a tremendous step forward, not only for healthcare access, but also as an economic asset that will strengthen the community for years to come,” Dixon told Duplin Journal, adding that the addition will help meet growing demand for both inpatient and outpatient imaging services.

Nearly $26 million has been allocated for the modernization of procedural and surgical services, the largest portion of the overall investment. The funding will support several upgrades designed to improve e ciency and patient safety.

A new licensed GI room will be developed, allowing endoscopy procedures to move out of general operating rooms and

Top, Ann White of the North Carolina League of Municipalities, left, presents Town Clerk Morgan Jacobs a certi cate of achievement for her participation in almost 40 hours of training in the league’s Accounting Instruction and Mentorship Program. Bottom , Mayor Bobby Jones, right, receives a certi cate from Ann White of the North Carolina League of Municipalities.

“You need to get to about a 17.5% increase in the base rates.”

Ann White, North Carolina League of Municipalities

the time the increase was approved, the town was upgrading its software system. The new rate was never added to the new system. The error was discovered last year.

Another issue discussed regarding the water and sewer rates involves customers who live in the county and receive water from Duplin County but whose sewer service is handled by Teachey’s system. The county collects the water and sewer charges and then pays Teachey a portion of the amount collected for the sewer service. However, the county will not disclose to Teachey what rates it is charging the county customers for sewage.

“I think it’s unacceptable you cannot get information from the county on how you’re getting money related to that sewer service,” White told the board. Another issue nancially

a ecting the water and sewer system in Teachey has been in maintenance and repair costs. The previous town budget allotted $60,000 for repairs. Last year, the actual cost was approximately double that amount.

While there was a lengthy discussion on the issue, the board’s vote to approve the current budget means the water and sewer rate increase stands at 3%. The board will revisit possible solutions and rate increases at next month’s meeting.

White’s participation in the water and sewer discussion was secondary in her reason for being at the meeting. She was there to present Mayor Bobby Jones, Town Clerk Morgan Jacobs and Utility Clerk Ally Casey with certi cates from the League of Municipalities for their participation in the League’s Accounting Instruction and Mentorship Program (AIM). White said Jacobs and Casey spent approximately 40 hours in training on town nance and systems. White added the League had invested about $40,000 in accounting and audit services for the town using funds provided by the Federal American Rescue Plan.

into a specialized space. Existing areas will be renovated to expand preoperative and postoperative care units, a change expected to improve surgical throughput and enhance the patient experience. The Sterile Processing Department will also receive upgrades to support operating room e ciency and maintain patient safety standards.

“I’m especially excited about the funds that will be invested in the emergency room facility,” Dixon told Duplin Journal. “The planned expansion will provide a signi cant bene t to patients and families.”

More than $10 million will fund the renovation and redesign of the emergency department, which will undergo a signi cant expansion to address capacity challenges.

The redesign is intended to improve the experience for both patients and providers by en-

MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

David Honeycutt of McGill Associates gives a detailed presentation on the condition of the Rose Hill sewer system to the town board based on the rm’s recent asset inventory and assessment of the system.

Rose Hill board told sewer system aging but stable

Engineers say older clay pipes and in ltration risks will require future upgrades as the town nears capacity thresholds

By Mark Grady For Duplin Journal

ROSE HILL — Just as

their neighbors to the south in Teachey had discussed the night before, water and sewer systems were the main topics during the Rose Hill Town Board meeting June 9. The board received a detailed brie ng on the condition of the town’s sewer system from David Honeycutt of McGill Associates, the rm hired to complete an asset inventory and assessment of the town’s sewer system.

Honeycutt told the board that Rose Hill’s sewer system is in “fair” condition.

“I’ll say you have a lot in comparison to other systems across the country,” Honeycutt said, adding that the American Society of Civil Engineers rates water and sewer systems across the U.S. very low. The problem is an aging infrastructure with systems built 50 to 60 years ago using subpar materials such as clay pipes.

Honeycutt told the board the Rose Hill sewer system contains mostly PVC pipe, which is the more recent material used in systems and is in good condition. However, the system also contains approximately 25,000 feet, or 28%, of clay pipe that is past its useful life. Clay pipe contains joints every four feet that are susceptible to leaks and root damage.

The assessment also included inspections of many of the town’s 289 manholes. Most of those seemed to be in good condition while others showed signs of deterioration that could lead to water in ltrating the sewage system.

McGill Associates used a combination of smoke testing and video inspections to assess the sewer system in the town.

Originally constructed in 1983, the Rose Hill sewage system has the capacity to treat approximately 150,000 gallons per day, Honeycutt said. Current-

“Access to quality healthcare and medical services is one of the most important issues facing rural North

Carolina.”

Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin)

hancing patient ow throughout the department. The project may also include renovations to increase observation capacity.

Dixon said the improvements are critical for rural North Carolina, helping ensure that local healthcare providers have access to modern facilities and resources needed to deliver high-quality care.

“This is wonderful news for the citizens of Duplin County, particularly because of the dedi-

cation of homegrown physicians like the Kornegays, who have done a magni cent job bringing good medical attention to Duplin County,” said Dixon.

The funding for the ECU Health Duplin Hospital modernization project comes from a state funding framework designed to support healthcare infrastructure without incurring additional debt.

According to Dixon, the funding was established through NC CARES Hospital Investment Act secured through legislative e orts in 2023. The General Assembly allocated $150 million to the UNC Board of Governors for distribution to hospitals across eastern North Carolina. In May 2025, the Board of Governors distributed these funds, with ECU Health Duplin Hospital receiving $40 million.

The investment is funded through the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund, which

“I’ll say you have a lot in comparison to other systems across the country.”

David Honeycutt, McGill Associates

ly, the town is averaging about 53% of its capacity. It is recommended the town begin seriously considering expanding that capability when it reaches 80% of its capacity, and it becomes necessary when it reaches 90%.

Dale Schepers, a nancial services analyst with McGill Associates, was also in attendance at the meeting and advised the town it should consider future needs for its water and sewer system in its nancial planning considering the age of the system.

Rose Hill currently has approximately 700 residential customers and 85 nonresidential customers tied into the town’s water and sewer system. Honeycutt provided data during his presentation comparing the water and sewer rates in Rose Hill to other area towns, including Magnolia, Kenansville, Burgaw, Warsaw and Wallace. Rose Hill has the lowest combined water and sewer rates of all the towns listed. In other business, the board voted to approve the scal year 2026-27 balanced budget of $1,519,213.

The board also agreed to replace the HVAC system that handles the meeting room at the Rose Hill Library, which failed recently. The town accepted a contract with Powell Heating and Cooling Services for $12,800 to replace the unit.

In addition, the board approved a new contract with Thompson and Thompson Law O ces for legal services for the town. The new contract calls for a new retainer fee of $10,000 a year and $300 an hour for services outside the scope of the contract.

Jason Dixon was sworn in by Town Clerk Keren Parker as a new member of the Rose Hill Planning Board.

utilizes available cash reserves rather than bond nancing or encumbering the state with debt, Dixon explained, adding that the fund relies on one-time state revenues to support infrastructure projects.

“We take available funds that are nonrecurring when we have the opportunity to do it and we fund projects like this across the state,” said Dixon. According to an ECU Health spokesperson planning e orts are still in the early stages.

“While speci c project details and timelines continue to evolve, we anticipate a phased approach over the next several years, with key components coming online incrementally to minimize disruption and ensure continuity of care,” Ashlin Elliott with ECU Health told Duplin Journal. “Ultimately, this investment positions ECU Health Duplin Hospital to better serve the region for years to come.”

HOSPITAL

PHOTOS BY MARK GRADY FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

Beach Brew and Que

Beach Brew and Que brought live beach music, a whole hog barbecue competition and vendors to the Duplin Event Center on Saturday as participants braved 90-degree heat.

Three bands performed throughout the day — the I-42 Band, The Embers and Jim Quick and the Coastline — while guests gathered in beach chairs under tents and fans o ered some relief from the heat. Vendors sold crafts, jewelry, honey and other goods outside the arena as conditions allowed.

The whole hog barbecue competition began Friday night with 20 teams. Winners were Beach Boys BBQ in rst place, Wicked Pig in second and Baker Boys BBQ in third. Organizers said next year’s event will be scheduled for the rst weekend in April.

STEAMA Camp helps build Duplin’s future workforce

Middle school students explore career pathways through hands-on learning, industry tours and local partnerships

Duplin Journal sta

KENANSVILLE — Rising seventh, eighth and ninth grade students got an early look at potential career paths during James Sprunt Community College’s recent STEAMA Camp, a weeklong program designed to strengthen the local workforce pipeline.

“Students were able to experience many career pathways,” said Susi Burger, career development coordinator for Duplin County Schools.

The camp, which focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics and Agriculture, gave students an opportunity to explore potential career paths through interactive learning, industry tours and direct interaction with educators and professionals working in the elds they explored.

Throughout the week, students spent time on the JSCC campus, where they worked with instructors, explored specialized equipment and gained exposure to educational opportunities available through the community college.

Organized through a partnership between JSCC and Du-

plin County Schools, the camp was designed not only to spark student interest, but also to help strengthen the pipeline connecting local students to future careers.

Liz Howard, dean of business and industry at JSCC and co-coordinator of the camp, said the program demonstrated the value of collaboration between educational institutions and industry partners.

“From industry tours to our end-of-camp showcase, the excitement and enthusiasm from students and instructors have been truly inspiring,” said Howard.

Developing and fostering a strong pipeline of career exposure, career preparation and education is one of the key bene ts of the partnership between Duplin County Schools and James Sprunt Community College, said Ti any Cassell, career and technical education curriculum and instructional management coordinator for Duplin County Schools.

James Sprunt Community College President Shannon Hair said the camp o ered students meaningful exposure to the college’s programs, faculty, facilities and industry connections while helping them envision future educational and career possibilities.

Participants

“From industry tours to our end-of-camp showcase, the excitement and enthusiasm from students and instructors have been truly inspiring.”

Liz Howard

nology, machining, robotics, industrial systems, lineworker careers and commercial driving. Students toured Design Mode in Warsaw, visited the new James Sprunt Workforce Development construction site and explored operations at the Duplin County Schools Maintenance and Bus Garage.

Students in the Agriculture Technology pathway explored several sectors of one of Duplin County’s largest industries. Activities focused on poultry production, food science, horticulture, agribusiness and welding-related farm maintenance. Participants also visited Nash Johnson Hatchery and the Wallace location of House of Raeford to see agricultural careers in action.

continue to experience signicant growth. Students learned about graphic design, entrepreneurship, cybersecurity and robotics before traveling to Wilmington to visit Valicy Gaming.

The Business and Information Technology pathway introduced students to elds that

For students interested in skilled trades, the Trades and Industry pathway provided exposure to electrical systems, plumbing, HVAC, diesel tech-

Health Science and Public Safety participants examined career opportunities in surgical technology, EMS and re services, criminal justice, basic law enforcement training and mass casualty response. The group also toured ECU Health Duplin, allowing students to see healthcare careers in a real-world setting.

Organizers noted that local partnerships played a critical role in creating meaningful experiences for students. The program concluded with a showcase for families and community members, highlighting projects and skills students developed throughout the week.

PHOTOS BY REBECCA WHITMAN COOKE FOR DUPLIN JOURNAL

PHOTO COURTESY JAMES SPRUNT COMMUNITY COLLEGE

in James Sprunt Community College’s STEAMA Camp pose for a group photo. The program provided Duplin County students with hands-on career exploration opportunities.

DUPLIN SPORTS

MS. SOCCER 2026

Rodriguez returns to star form following knee injury

ED’s all-time leading scorer and rst all-state female booter is the top player in Duplin for the second time in three seasons

Goals on

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — In down moments, faithful Panthers soccer fans have resorted

to a faith based in the fasttwitch muscles of Anamarie Rodriguez. And in that time and place, all things are possible when the rising junior is on the pitch. Rodriguez has claimed her second Ms. Soccer crown in three years. The award is for the best female in Duplin County. Her game has been on full blast as she has become both the leading scorer in East Duplin history and

its rst female all-state player. Rodriguez scored 30 goals and was perhaps the most key player in the Panthers’ ECC title, 17-7-2 mark and a push into the fourth round of the 4A playo s.

She scored her goals by taking a mere 37 shots.

Her chance at becoming a four-time winner was dashed last season when she su ered a knee injury that limited her to

See MS. SOCCER, page B4

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2026

COACH OF THE YEAR 2026

First-year veteran coach Dennis Ly guided WRH to its rst conference title

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

TEACHEY — Wallace-Rose Hill had to share its Swine Valley Conference title with James Kenan and Princeton. But that’s water under the bridge of a historic season for WRH, who proved it was a contender by winning 10 of its nal 13 matches. ND opened up 3-5 but faced great competition in losses to East Duplin (a fourth-round team in 4A), Lejeune (13-1-1 and loss in 1A to region champ Franklinton) and Trask (17-6-1 after a third-round exit in 3A).

This made WRH (10-8) a better team than its record would indicate. Even so, the Bulldogs’ mark is the best in school history by advancing to the third round of the 3A playo s. Dennis Ly, who took Maiden High School to the state playo s in his second season and helped the WRH boys to a 3A title last fall, is the Coach of the Year.

See COACH, page B4

Strickland’s scoring raids propel Rebels to best season

Carrly Strickland set a school record for goals and points to pace ND to its best season since starting soccer in 2013

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

CALYPSO — Carrly Strickland wrote her name into the record books at North Duplin this spring by setting a single-season scoring record. And with two more seasons left to run the Rebels sod, more accolades are sure to follow.

Strickland jammed in 32 goals and had 11 assists, scoring at least a goal in 12 matches for the 14-3 Rebels, who posted their best mark in school history. She is the O ensive Player of the Year.

The sophomore scored a single goal in one match (during at 2-1 win over East Bladen).

She scored two times in four matches, had four hat tricks and struck for four scores vs. Lakewood on April 20, and two days later, she punched in a season-high ve goals against West Columbus.

East Bladen beat ND 1-0 in the second round of the 2A playo s to end the Rebels’ season.

Strickland, who was second to Ms. Soccer Anamarie Rodriguez, needed 74 shots to tally 32 goals. She collected 11 points the previous seasons, scoring four times on 18 shots. ND (14-8) had its best season since starting the sport in 2013. In fact, the Rebels’ 8-7 mark in ’25 was their rst winning campaign.

Strickland scored four times

See STRICKLAND, page B4

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Anamarie Rodriguez is ED’s rst female to be an all-state soccer player.

37 shots for Anamarie Rodriguez this season.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Dennis Ly worked with his soccer team on and o the eld.

ND’s Carrly Strickland set a school mark for goals in a season last spring.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

BILL CARONE

BY

SPONSORED

Zoe Cavanaugh

East Duplin, soccer

Zoe Cavanaugh has been the ultimate teammate in three sports the past four years at East Duplin.

While the recent grad is not a superstar in volleyball, baskeball or soccer, she’s been a starter in each for the past four seasons, all of which included big team accomplishments.

Cavanaugh was an all-Duplin rst-team defender in soccer as the Panthers went 17-7-2 and won the ECC for the second time tenure.

She averaged 7.3 points and 3.8 rebounds on the ED team hoops team that went 20-7.

In the fall, she garnered all-county honors on the volleyball team that was 22-3, winning the ECC and advancing to the fourth round of the 4A playo s.

Her brother Nick was an all-state pitcher on ED’s record-setting 23-1 team in 2022.

Bri Maradiaga overcame injury to lead WRH to the third-round of the 3A playo s

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

TEACHEY — Bri Maradiaga’s high ankle sprain was a blow to the Wallace-Rose Hill soccer team.

“She came to practice every day and nally I had to tell her to get o the eld,” said Bulldogs coach Dennis Ly. “I tried to get her to not even touch a ball.”

The senior’s young body recovered faster than a fresh-legged marking back chasing down a weary striker.

“We got through her injury and also found out how much we needed her,” Ly said.

“She’s a battler, much like Junior (Ayestas, who graduated in June and will play in the NC Coaches East-West All-Star game in July).

“The boys needed him, and we needed our battler. One of our best games was when we lost to Lejeune, a really, really good team, and in that game,

Bri and our team played so well. That was the best 2-0 loss I’ve ever been involved with.” Maradiaga scored four goals and had two assists this spring.

“She did the dirty work,” Ly

said. “She also did a great job on the (Aleyah) Wilson girl (who had 22 goals). We only have four seniors, and we’ll sure miss what Bri brought. But I think we have things set up for a bright future.”

Clements, Holmes, Howard power Post 511 past Post 71

Austin Clements, Gavin Holmes and Gage Howard heated up to send Beulaville American Legion Post 511 to consecutive victories

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — American Legion Post 511 has found its way following an 0-2 beginning.

The Beulaville club grabbed a pair of wins in the middle of last week before falling to power Garner National.

Austin Clements drove in three runs, while Gavin Holmes and Henry Bass had three RBIs apiece during a 10-0 conquest of Johnston County Post 71, who had beaten Beulaville on opening day.

Dan Boyette (three innings), Christian Wooten (two) and Mason Murphy (one) combined to yield just two hits.

The hitting was in tune during a 10-8 win over Pitt County Post 39.

Six players drove in at least a run as Post 511 had an uprising in ve of seven innings and never trailed.

Clements and Blayden Pridgen both drove a pair of runs to the dugout.

Gage Howard, Brayden Barnett and Carson Tew had RBIs.

Beulaville ace Jaxson Smith gave up three runs before leaving after the fourth with a 6-2 lead.

Smith and Holmes each drove in a run in Post 511’s

heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Wilson Post 13, which scored the winning run in the seventh. Post 511 (2-3) travels to Jacksonville Post 265 early

this week and then hosts Castle Hayne Post 545 and Tabor City Post 342 on June 18 and June 19. Both games will be played at Midway High School.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Bri Maradiaga did the tough, often thankless work in the mid eld for WRH.

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL ED rising senior Gavin Holmes and his Post 511 club enter the week with a 2-3 mark.

Plenty of postseason accolades, honors for area booters

When four teams win at least a share of a conference championship, stars shoot from the soccer pitch

By Michael Jaenicke Duplin Journal

BEULAVILLE — All four Duplin County soccer teams won at least a share of a conference title last spring, making for difcult choices for the all-county selections.

One that wasn’t hard was handing East Duplin’s Anamarie Rodriguez her second Ms. Duplin title in three seasons.

North Duplin’s Carrly Strickland is O ensive Player of the Year, Wallace-Rose Hill’s Bri Maradiaga was the Heart of a Champion honoree, and her Bulldogs coach Dennis Ly was Coach of the Year.

FIRST TEAM

Joselin Mata-Aguilar, ED, Sr., MF

Mata-Aguilar stepped up to score 18 goals, had seven assists and was an all-Region selection by 12 members of the N.C. Soccer Coaches Association.

“She was always in the right spot at the right time to help us score,” ED coach Joey Jones said. “She never stood down to an opponent and occasionally added another touch to prove her strength.”

Kayleigh Chase, ED, Sr., MF Chase had one goal and two assists while making her presence known to those who understand that game.

“You won’t see it in the stats, but she was one of the most dependable players players on the team and a key gure in the mideld,” said Jones. “She fought on the eld and never wanted to come o . She was a huge part of what was happening.”

Zoe Cavanaugh, ED, Sr., D Cavanaugh was a marking back who took two shots on the opposition’s goal.

But she rarely came up disappointing as her teammates and coaches knew her value.

“She was our best defensive player and always had to keep track of the best scorer on the other team,” Jones said. “She created o ense with her 40-plus (yard) throws and was an immovable force on defense.”

Aleyah Wilson, JK, Jr., F Wilson scored 22 of JK’s 46 goals, which included both during a 2-0 win over WRH on March 31 and scoring in one-goal wins over Goldsboro (twice) and Lakewood. She also notuched a pair in a two-goal SVC victories over Midway.

With her physical size, strength, speed and intensity, Wilson was a tough striker to mark.

“Her physical traits and

toughness make her a tough mark for opponents, and with continued footwork and ball skill development, she will be fun to watch next year,” said JK head coach Kenny Williams. “She’s a tremendous multisport athlete who is still relatively new to the game but has the ability to play pretty much any position on the eld.”

Yaneidi Cruz, JK, So., MF Cruz, who scored 10 goals and had 12 assists, had either a goal or assist or both in 12 matches.

JK coach Kenny Williams feels his sophomore is a rising star and centerpiece for the program.

“She moved to the CAM position and became our most balanced and top all-around player,” Williams said. “It gave us stability in the middle of the eld, and she was able to get back to help clean up any gaps on the defensive end while also being the primary initiator for the o ensive attack.”

Kimberlynn Guzman, ED, Jr., GK Guzman stopped 89 shots and had four shutouts with a 1.67 GAA.

“She proved all great things can come out of small and quiet packages,” Jones said. “She earned the respect of opposing coaches with her abilities.

Sosa Hernandez-Espino, ED, So., MF Hernandez-Espino was a playmaker and the Panthers’ predominate corner kicker, scoring nine goals and dishing out a Duplin-high 15 assists. She scored six goals and had six assists in a three-game stretch in which ED beat ECC teams.

The Panthers won the league title.

Tristen Stemmler, ND, Jr., F/MF Three hat tricks played into Stemmler’s 23-goal, three-assist season.

She scored eight times in March and 13 in April as ND started o 4-1 and then had

a pair of ve-match winning streaks.

Carrly Strickland, ND, So., F Strickland, the O ensive Player of the Year, scored a Duplin-high 32 goals. Her 75 points was second to Ms. Soccer Anamarie Rodriguez, an all-state 4A player at East Duplin. See the writeup on B1.

Abby Rose, ND, So., D Rose’s name won’t show up in a box score, but anyone watching her on the eld knows she is a skilled and fast player.

She often takes gambles when the ball is pushed toward the ND goal, but she always seems to have the footspeed to catch a forward or mid elder and neutralize the situation. Rose is among the most competitive athletes in Duplin, as she was a rst-team all-Duplin basketball player in the winter and a sprinter in track events during the spring.

Bayleen Flores, WRH, Sr. F Flores followed up her 17-goal season in ’25 with a 20-goal, four-assist campaign for 13-9 WRH, which tied JK and Princeton for the Swine Valley Conference title. One of her biggest cage-ringers came during a 2-0 conquest of Princeton. Without that win, the Bulldogs would not have a share of the crown.

The junior nished with 42 career goals.

Bri Maradiaga, WRH, Sr., MF Maradiaga was steady and sturdy all over the pitch. She was named Heart of Champion honoree.

Nathalie Paredes, WRH, Sr. MF. Absence makes the heart develop respect, and WRH appreciated the return of mid elder Paredes from injury.

“She and Bri were my mideld machine, and ... both were out hurt it. But when they returned, we looked like a di erent team,” said rst-year head, coach Dennis Ly. “They controlled everything.”

Anastan and Tabor Holley, ED, Jr., D

The Holley twins were rst-team selections a season ago when they were forced into extra duty because of injuries in the defense.

Their respective play was paramount to ECC champ ED (17-7-1), which lost in the fourth round of the 4A playo s to First Flight.

“We used them as bookends on the outside of our defense,” Jones said. “They’re both so darn coachable. They listen and work their tails o . You know what you’re going to get.”

The siblings are the daughters of ED football Battle Holley.

Alison Duenas, JK, Jr., D

The junior was the anchor and leader of what proved to be a stingy Tigers defense this season. It was her second season as the backline sweeper, an important position that doesn’t necessarily show up in stat lines.

Duenas was the key communicator and last line of defense in front of the goalie and erased many scoring opportunities along with handling the primary backline kicking duties.

Sasha Arguijo, ND, Jr., MF

Arguijo scored 13 goals and had four assists as the Rebels’ third-leading scorer.

Gabby Debnam, WRH, Jr., MF

Debnam scored 11 goals and had two assists in nine matches to raise her career total to 31 following consecutive 10-goal campaigns in ’24 and ’25.

Roselin Orozco, ND, So., MF

ND won nine of 10 times when Orozco scored a goal or made an assist. Her biggest score came during a 2-1 win over East Bladen on March 17.

Kaylan Leon, WRH, Jr., D

Leon’s steady play in the back didn’t go unnoticed by her head coach.

“She was the smartest player on the team and a very outspoken leader on defense,” Ly said. “And always where she was supposed to be. I’m glad she’s coming back.”

Angela Rosales, WRH, Fr., D/MF

Rosales has just written the rst chapter of her soccer story, and there’s plenty to be excited about in the next three springs.

“She de nitely has the drive and skill set to be a top player next year,” Ly said. “She’s come a long way, and she played great when we moved her to the wing. She was the smartest player on the team and a very outspoken leader on defense.”

Yaslin Melendez, WRH, Sr., MF

Melendez didn’t get pushed around by anyone on the pitch.

“She was my toughest player and a quiet assassin,” Ly said. “She got hurt late in the year, and I hate that I only had her for a year.

Angie Irula, JK, Fr., MF

As a freshman this year, Irula started at both winger and striker, showing ashes of speed and solid ball skills, scoring four goals and dishing out ve assists.

She knocked in the winning goal against Princeton to clinch a share of the Swine Valley Conference title.

Josselyn Gomez, JK, So., MF

A sophomore in her second year as a starting winger, Gomez was one of the Tigers’ most tenacious on-ball defenders and showed improved o ensive skills (two goals, seven assists).

Gomez is one of several young Tigers underclassmen pushing their way into the limelight.

Gabriel Outlaw, JK, Sr., GK

A senior playing her rst year of soccer, Outlaw came late to the team after basketball season, earning the starting goalie spot by the fourth game.

An all-Duplin rst-team hoopster, she never gave it and held foes to one goal or less in 10 of 15 matches, including six shoutouts.

• We’ll stop by twice a year - once in the heating season, once in the cooling season. • All maintenance club members receive a 15% parts discount.

• Once in our club, you will receive priority response/service.

• Plans for every budget!

EDWARDO PUAC / DUPLIN JOURNAL

Tristen Stemmler scored 23 goals for ND.

Judge dismisses lawsuit by 31 former NC State athletes alleging abuse by ex-head trainer

Dismissal came due to procedural reasons, but players plan to appeal

By Aaron Beard The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A state judge has dismissed a lawsuit led by 31 former NC State male athletes alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine.

In orders led Tuesday, Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins dismissed claims against Robert M. Murphy Jr., as well as multiple NC State athletics o cials tied to their oversight rules, citing procedural reasons.

The lawsuit was led in February in state court in a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete led in 2022. That complaint alleged years of misconduct by Murphy, including improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.

Collins granted the motion seeking a dismissal from Murphy’s attorneys, ruling that the statute of limitations had expired in claims dating back as early as 2013.

Collins also dismissed claims against multiple athletics ofcials such as former athletic director Debbie Yow and current AD Boo Corrigan on jurisdictional grounds. His ruling stated any complaint should go through the North Carolina Industrial Commission — a state agency that deals with workplace matters with NC State as a public university — rather than civil court.

Jared Hammett, a Raleigh-based attorney representing Murphy, issued a statement to The Associated Press describing his client as “someone who dedicated his life to working with athletes” while referring to a “rush to judgment” that can impact “real people’s lives.”

“The truth is nothing happened but a man’s career be -

NFL

ing ruined for money,” Hammett said. “As a lawyer I am just glad that we have been able to help another person who needed support and found himself needing that defense.”

Durham-based attorney

Kerry Sutton, who has represented players going back to the original case, said the athletes plan to appeal.

“This dismissal has nothing at all to do with Mr. Murphy’s sexual abuse of these 31 former student-athletes,” Sutton said in a statement to the AP. “It was decided based only on questions of legal procedure. We plan to appeal this outcome and in coming days will be adding new claims against NCSU for men who have recently come forward.”

All but two of the 31 athletes are “John Doe” plainti s to protect anonymity, while two former men’s soccer players are named.

One is Benjamin Locke, who led the original complaint in August 2022. The other is one of two athletes who led their own federal lawsuits in February 2023 and April 2023. The AP typically doesn’t identify those who say they have been sexually assaulted or abused unless the person has spoken publicly about it, which Locke has done.

MLB

49ers mourn sudden death of former All-Pro linebacker Smith at 36 San Francisco

Aldon Smith, a former All-Pro linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers whose playing career was sidetracked by legal issues, died at 36. The team did not disclose a cause of death. The 49ers drafted Smith out of Missouri with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft. He had 33.5 sacks through his rst two seasons, the most by any player in their rst two seasons. Smith was rst suspended with the 49ers in 2014 and was later released by the team. He also played for the Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys

Sutton, who has represented plainti s in each lawsuit, led to dismiss those pending Title IX lawsuits before moving the case to state-level jurisdiction in September 2025.

Murphy, at NC State from 2012-22, was among nine defendants originally named individually. Others were school o cials accused of negligence in oversight roles, saying concerns about Murphy’s conduct reached senior levels of the athletic department but the school’s response was insu cient.

Sutton and co-counsel Robert O. Jenkins led in April to dismiss former NC State chancellor Randy Woodson as a defendant.

“NC State does not condone sexual misconduct of any kind,” the school said in a statement Tuesday evening. “The health and safety of our students and student-athletes is paramount to the university and our athletic programs.

“We agree with the court’s analysis and the decision that the law supports dismissal of the plainti s’ claims in this case. We recognize the immense courage it takes for someone to come forward, and our hearts go out to any student or student-athlete who has been impacted by distressing experiences.”

Skubal returns from elbow surgery, Ramírez breaks hand in Guardians’ win over Tigers

Cleveland Tarik Skubal was tagged for a two-run homer in the two-time reigning Cy Young winner’s return from elbow surgery. Skubal threw 80 pitches in his rst start since April 29. The left-hander had a loose body removed from his elbow during an innovative surgical procedure on May 6, allowing Skubal to come back early. The win came at a steep price for Guardians as star third baseman José Ramírez su ered a broken bone in his left hand on a swing. Cleveland’s top player will be out inde nitely.

from page B1

He beat out three excellent candidates for the honor as ED went 17-7-2 under Joey Jones, JK went 13-8 under Kenny Williams, and ND was 14-3 with Daniel Cates guiding the Rebels.

ED won the ECC, while ND, JK and WRH won co-championships. Ly, who focused on engaging players o the eld, saw the connect carry over to the sod.

“He’s a genuine lover of the sport, and more than that, he cares about the kids as people,” said WRH boys’ coach Aaron Murray, who found Ly because of a soccer program Ly was running at a Wallace church.

Ly moved to the area so his wife, Alanna Hanchey, could

and had two assists against Lakewood as ND secured a rst-place tie in the Carolina 1A/2A Conference standings. The soccer title for either gender at ND.

She hit on all three of her shots during a 6-0 season-opening win over Rose -

nine matches, though she did tally 12 goals. Rodriguez burst onto the scene as a freshman and nonetheless dominated. Though she’s not a physically big player, there are few out there as fast. She also had great ball skills and a keen eye for converting breakaway goals.

The Panthers won 11 in a row, 10 of which were against ECC schools, to

NOTICES

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF DUPLIN 26E000174-300

be closer to her father, Johnny.

“Our rst talk was for an hour, and we probably didn’t talk soccer until it was almost over,” said Murray. “Dennis had some ups and downs, like any new coach would have, but they kept showing up, and by the end of the season you could see the growth they made on his plan for the program.”

Jones said the Bulldogs’ improvement was evident.

“They were much improved team,” said East Duplin head coach Joey Jones, who won the award the previous two seasons. “Soccer is up and growing across the county, and that’s always a good thing. I think he’s had a great rst year and will have them playing better and competitive soccer in the future.”

wood as ND started 4-0.

Five straight wins followed a setback to Union, which included a triumph over the Spartans. A 3-0 loss to East Bladen was hurtful, but ND recovered to win ve consecutive matches before falling 1-0 to the Eagles in the second round of the 2A playo s in Calypso.

win its second title since ’23. Then they dusted o WRH and North Johnston before having its season end with a setback to First Flight (22-1-3) and champ of the Big 4A/5A Conference. East Duplin is 47-22-6 in three years with Rodriguez as its money striker. Rodriguez is one of the few all-state players from the East, though Clinton’s Jenna Jackson and First Flight’s Ella Reese are on the list.

NOTICE

NOTICE TO CREDITORS: The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of CIRCIA ARROYO DE HECKROTH, late deceased of said Duplin 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 September 21, 2026, or this notice will be pled in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 10th day of June, 2026.

GLORIA ADRIANA ARROYO-DE MORENO Executor of the Estate of CIRCIA ARROYO DE HECKROTH C/O Brian M. Bullard, Attorney Bullard Law Firm, PLLC PO Box 1000 Faison, NC 28341 910-267-3151

NOTICE

North Carolina Duplin County Notice

Having quali ed as Executor of the estate of the late Mark Alan Price, this is to notify all people who have claims against his estate to present them to the undersigned Executor on or before September 18, 2026, or this notice or same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. Theresa Walton 200 Hyde Park Dr. Goldsboro, NC 27530 Administrator of the Estate of Mark Alan Price, deceased. 6/18, 6/25, 7/2, 7/9, 2026

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE – TOWN OF KENANSVILLE

Date: Monday, June 22nd, 2026 @ 6:00PM

Place: Kenansville Town Hall

Where: 141 Routledge Road, Kenansville, NC, 28349

Purpose: To hear and record public comments regarding the proposed FY 26-27 Budget and Budget Ordinance for the Town of Kenansville. The budget will potentially be adopted after the public hearing. The proposed Budget Ordinance is available for public inspection in the o ce of the Town Clerk (located in the Kenansville Town Hall) during normal o ce hours (Monday-

Friday, 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. & 2:00 p.m.– 5:00 p.m.).

Notice is further given that the adoption of the FY 26-27 Budget and Budget Ordinance may be considered at the Board’s special-called meeting held on June 22nd, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Kenansville Town Hall at 141 Routledge Road, Kenansville, NC 28349.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

COACH

STRICKLAND from page B1

MS. SOCCER from page B1

KARA DURRETTE / AP PHOTO

Flags y above at the Reynolds Coliseum on the campus of NC State.

obituaries

Mariann Macko

May 10, 1937 – June 9, 2026

Mariann J. Macko, 89, of Wallace, NC, passed away peacefully on June 9, 2026. She will be remembered for her incredible strength, beating cancer multiple times, and her love of family and friends. She found pleasure in the simple joys of a nice mani-pedi, a trip to the hair salon, a good cup of co ee, or a cold glass of white wine.

A proud lifelong resident of New York for most of her life, Mariann attended Commerce High School in Yonkers, NY. She went on to build a dedicated career as a legal secretary for the Law Firm of Lanna, Coppola and Rosato for over 50 years, making lifelong friends along the way. She spent many cherished years taking her parents and kids to a small cabin in Smallwood, NY, a special property that is still owned by her grandson today. She missed New York State greatly after moving south and looked back fondly on the vibrant life she built there.

Mariann and her husband of 47 years, John M. Macko III, shared a long history together, beginning as children growing up on “the Hill” on Gar eld Street in Yonkers. They resided in Yonkers until 2016, splitting their time with a second home in Chichester and then Windham, NY, before ultimately relocating

Lewellyn Knowles

Feb. 18, 1935 – June 9, 2026

It is with heavy hearts and cherished memories that we announce the peaceful passing of Lewellyn Knowles, a treasured soul who graced this world with her presence on February 18, 1935, in Pender County, North Carolina. Lewellyn departed this earthly journey on June 9, 2026, at the age of 91, leaving behind a legacy of love, strength, and warmth that will forever be etched in the hearts of all who knew her. Born to James and Bessie Jones, Lewellyn was a beacon of light from the beginning. Her life was a tapestry woven with love and dedication to family, friends, and her community. She was predeceased by her loving husband, JC Knowles; her beloved daughter, Lynette Knowles; her sisters, Melva Matthews and Elizabeth Larrimore; and her brother, James Jones.

Lewellyn’s legacy continues through her surviving family who were the center of her world. Her daughter, Brenda Knowles McArthur (Charles) Her granddaughters, Allison Moore (Nathan), Mary Charles Messenger (Brad), and the devoted Jordan Williams Hudak (Matthew), who cared for her with unwavering love and attention, ensured her nal years were lled with comfort and happiness. Great grandchildren, McArthur Moore and Eli Messenger and her special great grand dog Millie Mae Hudak. She is also survived by her sister Elsie Nicolson, her special sister-inlaw Mary Lee Strickland, and her treasured nieces Patricia Wells, Shirley James, Cynthia Merritt and Cathy Tilley. Lewellyn was

to River Landing in Wallace, NC, in 2019. Together, they shared countless adventures over nearly ve decades of marriage, from nostalgic early years at the Woodland Valley Inn in Phoenicia, NY, many Okonite client dinners, conventions and Broadway shows, a memorable trip to Hong Kong, to their nal NCL Caribbean cruise out of New York in 2019 just before moving to Wallace.

A meticulous homemaker, Mariann took great pride in keeping a spotless house and often found doing laundry or ironing to be therapeutic. More than anything else, she loved going out to dinner and socializing. Whether she was enjoying Italian at Vesuvio Restaurant in Hensonville, NY, her favorite mussels at Brasserie Du Soleil in Wilmington, NC, lobster tails at Ruth’s Chris, or a quick bite at the River Landing Club, she cherished getting dressed up, sharing a meal, and being out in the world.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Benjamin and Mildred Messar; her sons, Robert and Richard Parks; and her siblings, Frank Madden, Eileen MaddenKwechin, Benjamin Messar, and Evelyn Messar.

Mariann is survived by her husband, John M. Macko III; her stepson, John M. Macko IV, and his wife, Kim; her stepdaughter, Holly Young, and her husband, Michael; as well as her grandchildren Tricia ParksBrodhagen, Richie Parks, Grace Young, MacKenzi Ann Macko, Joshua Young, and John Michael Macko. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at QuinnMcGowen Funeral Home in Wallace, NC. A Catholic Funeral Mass will follow on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Trans guration Catholic Church in Wallace, NC.

blessed with special daughters, Lynn Futrell, Linda Hudak and Melony Henderson; her special friend Travis Horrell who brought additional warmth and companionship into her life.

She was also very fortunate to have such a loving and caring medical team over the years: Lindsey Jernigan, FNP; Sheba Hughes, MA (also her adopted granddaughters); and was very fortunate to have been cared for by Nikki Browning, FNP, and her team in the last month of her life.

Lewellyn spent many ful lling years working at JP Stephens, alongside her husband, on their cherished farm. Their shared labor was not just a career but a testament to their partnership and love for the land. A dedicated member of Willard Baptist Church for many years, Lewellyn’s faith was a cornerstone of her life, providing her with strength and solace.

Her love for her family was matched only by her love for nurturing her garden and preparing meals that brought everyone together. Her kitchen was often lled with the comforting aroma of her cooking, a true testament to her belief that food was love. Her garden, vibrant with the colors and scents of the plants she lovingly tended, was a re ection of her nurturing spirit.

A celebration of Lewellyn’s life will be held on June 20, 2026, at 11:00 AM at the Quinn McGowen Funeral Home, located at 612 Norwood Street, Wallace, NC o ciated by Reverend Barry Wells. Burial will immediately follow at Riverview Memorial Park, 9350 US-117, Willard, NC 28478. Family and friends are invited to gather in remembrance of a life beautifully lived and a woman who touched the hearts of all who knew her.

Lewellyn was a remarkable woman who, through her kindness, wisdom, and unwavering love, made the world a better place. She will be deeply missed but will forever remain in the hearts of her family and friends. Her spirit will continue to inspire those fortunate enough to have been part of her remarkable journey. May she rest in eternal peace, reunited with her loved ones, and forever in the embrace of the Lord.

Annie Woodcock

Oct. 6, 1934 – June 12, 2026

A kind and gentle soul, a gracious and loving lady, Annie Pearl Guyton Woodcock entered her eternal rest on Friday, June 12, 2026, at the age of 91 blessed years. She was born October 6, 1934, to James Woodbury Guyton and Katie White Guyton. In addition to her parents, Annie Pearl was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Roy Lee Woodcock; great-grandson, Ethan Ruddell; brothers, Edward, Paul Ray, and James William Guyton.

Annie Pearl is survived by her daughters, Debbie RuddellMilling (Fred), Carol Valls (Bill), and Pam Loftis (Jimmy); her son, Michael Woodcock (Lynn); and her grandchildren. Marybeth Krynicki (Ray), Je Ruddell (Joanne), Traci Price (Tim), Jim Loftis (Marianne), Kelly Gray (David), and Brittney Vause (Sonny); six great grandchildren; two great great grandchildren; brother, Joseph Franklin Guyton; many extended family; and dear friends.

Our Mama lived a good and hard life growing up, but she never complained. She was one girl among four boys, and she was very much a tomboy. She played basketball in high school and taught us to play and would watch it with us on TV. She would take us into the woods during Christmas season, and she would chop down a cedar tree for our Christmas tree and evergreen vines to go around the door with lights. We were poor, but no one needed to act like it and we always made do. She always had an idea to make her children happy.

Our mama was meek and mild and always put her children before herself. She was the kind of woman people remembered. She talked very little and was soft spoken, but you knew you were welcome at her house by the smile and hug. No matter if she had seen you once or 1,000 times, she was a hugger and was going to give you

David Christopher Foy

Nov. 23, 1967 – June 12, 2026

David Christopher Foy, 58, passed away on Friday, June 12, 2026

He is preceded in death by his mother, Brenda Ho man Foy. All services are private. He is survived by wife Lisa Whaley Foy of Richlands, NC; father David C. Foy of Richlands, NC; son Christopher Foy (Dannielle) of Comfort, NC; daughters Kristen Foy and Katlyn Brinson (Ty), both of Beulaville, NC; sisters Tina Baysden (Clifton) of Beulaville, NC, Shannon Whaley (Robbie) of Richlands, NC, and Te ney Maready (Terris) of Trenton, NC; and grandchildren Tanner Williams, Liam Williams, Daniel Foy and Grady Williams

a hug. She had a deep abiding faith, and she would say “I’m not alone. My Jesus is with me.” She never had a harsh word to say about anyone, and she would always say “You don’t know what they have been through or where they have been”. I never heard our mama say a curse word. She was a true Christian woman. She loved to bake cakes, and she would sell them to women at Carver Shirt Factory in Burgaw where she worked. She made carrot, pineapple, honeybun and chocolate cakes. People would come by on Thanksgiving Eve and Christmas Eve and pick them up. Sometimes she would make 40 or 50 cakes for every holiday and special occasion. She also loved to have big family gatherings and one of her favorite things to make was potato salad and black walnut cake. She loved to sh with her mama especially during Spot season. They would go on the Surf City Pier and sometimes if the Spots were biting they would sh to well after midnight and then drive home. We would say something to Mama and she would say “My Jesus was with us.” She was like Peter shing for Jesus. She loved to embroidery and spent hours with a needle and thread. If you were lucky enough to receive an embroidery piece you knew it was made with love.

She married Roy Lee Woodcock October 6, 1951, and had 4 children, Debbie, Carol, Pam and Mike. Together, they raised the children, but she taught them to read the Bible, say their prayers at night and most of all to watch her as the example. Until last September when she went into the hospital, she would kneel by her bed and say her prayers, read her Bible and her books (as she called devotionals) twice a day, morning and evening. She had to start at 3:00 pm because she did not want it to run into her bedtime. She had her faithful, furry canine companion, Tiger, that she loved well and who died at 19 years old June 11, 2026, just one day before her.

I know on June 12, 2026, that our mama saw the face of our Jesus look at her because when she took her last breath, I saw her eyes gleaming and shining at her Jesus when He came to get her. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 pm Monday, June 15, 2026 at Quinn-McGowen Funeral Home Burgaw Chapel. Funeral service will be at 11:00 am on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at Moores Creek Baptist Church, with Pastor Roger Barnes o ciating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

James Eugene Faison Sr.

July 12, 1941 – June 11, 2026

Princeton - It is with heavy hearts and deep sadness that we announce the passing of Mr. James Eugene Faison Sr., who passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 11, 2026. The Celebration of Life will be Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 12:00 PM at JB Rhodes Jr. Memorial Chapel, 1701 Wayne Memorial Drive, Goldsboro, NC 27534. There will be a viewing from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. He will be laid to rest at Golden Gate Memorial Gardens, 4734 US Hwy 117 North, Pikeville, NC 27863. Please continue to keep his loved ones in your thoughts and prayers during their time of bereavement.

Charles Clifton Gwynn

Feb. 14, 1955 – June 11, 2026

Charles Clifton Gwynn, 71, passed away on Thursday, June 11, 2026.

A funeral service will be held Monday, June 15, 2026, at 7 p.m., followed by visitation at Free Will Chapel at 702 Five Mile Road, in Richlands, NC

The graveside service will be Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 10 a.m. at Sand Hills Cemetery at 140 Futrell Loop Road in Richlands, NC.

He is surived by sons Scott Gwynn (Charliss), Seth Gwynn (Jennifer) and Shea Gwynn (Stacy), all of Richlands, NC; sisters: Phyllis Willaford (Douglas) of New Palestine, IN, and Jan Parker (Tom) of Hiddenite, NC; brothers: Sammy Gwynn (Debra) of Saludo, NC, and Wade Gwynn (Flora) of Richlands, NC; sister-in-law Billie Jones (Eli) of Beulaville, NC; brotherin-law Floyd Jones, Jr. (Kim) of Richlands, NC; grandchildren Tyler (DJ) Moore, Brooke Engardio, Marley Gwynn, Elisabeth Gwynn, Thomas Pierce (Ivan) Gracie Batchelor and Jaxon Gwynn; and great-grandchildren Harlen Moore, James Moore, Anthony Juarez Gage Juarez, Bentley Juarez, Angelina Juarez and Grayson Gwynn.

June 6, 1958 – June 11, 2026

Ronald David Wilson, 68, of Rose Hill, North Carolina, passed away on June 11, 2026. Born on June 6, 1958, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, Ronald lived a life marked by individuality and passion.

A proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Ronald served his country with dedication and honor. His time in the Marines was a testament to his strength and commitment to service.

Ronald had a deep love for his garden, animals, and music— three passions that brought him joy and de ned much of his life. Whether tending to his plants, caring for his beloved animals, or immersing himself in music, Ronald found beauty and solace in the simple yet profound pleasures of life. His unique spirit left an indelible mark on those who knew him.

He is survived by his brother Kevin Wilson of Pine Tops; nephews Blake Wilson (wife Bailey) and Kristopher Wilson (wife Randa); his special greatniece Brook Wilson; and his cousin and caretaker Steve Wilson. Ronald was predeceased by his parents, Bizzell and Shirley Wilson, of Rose Hill, as well as his brother, Byron Wilson, of Chinquapin.

Ronald will be deeply missed by many who cherished him. May his memory bring comfort to all who knew him.

Ronald David Wilson

Arthur Lowenback Carroll Jr.

June 2, 1936 – June 14, 2026

Arthur Lowenback Carroll Jr., 90, passed away on Sunday, June 14, 2026.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Arthur and Helen Carroll Sr., and daughter, Andrea Carroll.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 11 a.m. at Pathway Church at 275 N.C. 41 in Beulaville, NC.

Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. with the burial following service

He is survived by wife Lydia Judd Carroll of Potters Hill, NC; sons Vance Martin Carroll (Lianne) of Virginia, Peter Carroll (Hannah) of Burgaw, NC, and Arthur Newman Carroll (Haley) of Jacksonville, NC; daughters Noelle Carroll and Tessa Trott (Brandon), both of Potters Hill, NC; and Marjorie Leake (David) of Texas; grandchildren Valerie Norman (Joe) and Michelle Hungate (Matt), both of Virginia, Aaron Trott, Jonathan Trott, Anna Trott, Jessica Trott, Arthur Trott and Joy Trott, all of Potters Hill, NC, Tessa Leake, Walter Leake and Miriam Leake, all of Texas, Sybil Carroll and Felicity Carroll, both of Burgaw, NC; and great-grandchildren Sophie Hungate, Lyla Hungate, Violet Hungate and Annabelle Mae Hungate, all of Virginia.

Dorothy Lee Miller

Jan. 6, 1940 – June 9, 2026

Dorothy Lee Miller, 86, of Kenansville, NC, passed away June 9, 2026, at Brian Center

Health & Rehabilitation-Wallace.

Funeral service will be at noon on Friday, June 19, 2026, at Hawes Funeral Home - Warsaw.

Public viewing is 11:00 am - noon (one hour prior to the service). Interment will follow the service at Cleo Miller Cemetery in Kenansville.

David Nelson Miller

Feb. 20, 1944 – June 11, 2026

David Nelson Miller, 82, of Castle Hayne, NC, passed away June 11, 2026, at his residence.

Visitation will be 6- 8 p.m. Friday, June 19, 2026, at St. James AME Church, 3425 Castle Hayne Rd. Castle Hayne, NC. Funeral service will be 1:00 pm Saturday, June 20, 2026, at Union Missionary Baptist Church, 2711 Princess Place Dr., Wilmington, NC. Interment will follow the service at John’s Chapel Cemetery, next to 1717 Oakley Rd. in Castle Hayne, NC.

Kenneth “Kenny” Brian Phillips

Nov. 22, 1962 – June 13, 2026

Kenneth “Kenny” Brian Phillips, 63, of Hampstead, North Carolina, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, June 13, 2026.

He was born on November 22, 1962, in Charlotte, North Carolina, the son of Fred Calloway Phillips, Jr. and the late Patricia Walker Phillips.

Kenny was a ectionately known as “Big’un,” a nickname inspired by his towering six-footseven stature. Kenny worked at the Surf City Pier for many years and was loved by all who knew him. He was known for his big heart, gentle spirit, and generosity with his time. To so many, he was simply a good man. Kenny will be deeply missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.

Kenny is survived by his stepson, Nathan Thurman, and his wife, Libby; his father, Fred Calloway Phillips, Jr.; his sisters, Donna Hollibaugh and Lori Pridgen and her husband, Charlie; two step-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and several lifelong friends.

In addition to his mother, Kenny was also preceded in death by his brother-in-law, Billy Hollibaugh.

A celebration of life at Surf City Pier will be announced at a later date.

House of Raeford recognizes Duplin County students

Scholarship recipients from Rose Hill, Wallace and other divisions pursue studies in agriculture, healthcare, business and engineering

Duplin Journal Sta

ROSE HILL — House of Raeford Farms has awarded 26 college scholarships for 2026, continuing its long-standing commitment to supporting the families of employees and contract farmers across its operations. The scholarships recognize students for their academic achievement, leadership, community involvement, work experience and future aspirations. The Rose Hill-based poultry company awarded $2,500 scholarships to dependent children and grandchildren of employees and contract farmers.

“Investing in our families is investing in our future,” says Bob Johnson, CEO & Owner of House of Raeford. “We’re proud to help these young people pursue their dreams.”

Among the local scholarship winners were Brian Gutierrez, son of Carlos Gutierrez Pozadas of the Rose Hill division, who will attend Sampson Community College, and Jacqueline Reyes Gonzales, daughter of Rolando Reyes of the Rose Hill division, who will attend the University of North Carolina.

Students connected to the company’s Wallace division also received awards, including Jacob Davis, son of Jason Davis, and Brenda Serrano Ramos, daughter of Jeny Ramos Licona. Both plan to attend North Carolina State University.

Another North Carolina recipient was Daria Chavis, stepdaughter of Micah Brewington, a House of Raeford contract farmer in the Johnson Breeders division, who will attend East Carolina University.

House of Raeford o cials said the scholarship program re ects the company’s belief that strong communities are built through strong families and educational opportunities. The recipients represent a variety of career interests, including agriculture, engineering, healthcare, business, and education.

Applications for the company’s 2027 scholarship program are expected to open in January. For a full list of scholarship recipients visit the House of Raeford Farms website.

“Investing in our families is investing in our future.”

Bob Johnson, CEO & Owner of House of Raeford

Stanly NewS Journal

THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

WHAT’S HAPPENING

8 dead in B-52 bomber crash at U.S. Air Force base in California

Los Angeles

The U.S. Air Force says eight people aboard a B-52 bomber that crashed shortly after takeo at a military base in Southern California’s Mojave Desert are dead. O cials said Monday that emergency crews responded after the aircraft went down around 11:20 a.m. at Edwards Air Force Base north of Los Angeles. The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range bomber that entered service in 1955. Designed to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons, it has been used in countless con icts from Vietnam to Iran.

Newsom says Trump’s DOJ investigating him, his wife

Sacramento, Calif.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the Justice Department is investigating him and his wife, accusing the Trump administration of targeting him for political purposes as he weighs a presidential bid. The full scope of any investigations related to Newsom was not immediately clear. Newsom said in a video posted Monday on X that federal agents in recent days have knocked on the doors of his friends and former employees, and have asked for records. A person familiar with the matter con rmed there are multiple federal investigations into people around Newsom, including one related to his wife’s taxes.

FBI disrupts planned attack on White House UFC cage- ghting show Court papers say law enforcement o cials disrupted a planned attack targeting the UFC cage- ghting show staged at the White House this past weekend. Papers unsealed Tuesday say plotters spoke of ying explosives-laden drones and shooting panicked crowd members as they ed. The documents reveal the FBI obtained encrypted text messages showing roughly 20 people sharing detailed maps of the area and discussing the need for a “safe house” and escape routes after the attack. It’s unclear from court records how close the would-be attackers came to being able to carry out their plan, which was thwarted last week. The FBI says among those arrested was a 19-year-old Ohio man.

Hurricane Stanley

Albemarle advances

Second

Street sidewalk improvements

The $2M project requires a $402K city match

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — The Albemarle City Council voted Monday night to move forward with a $2 million pedestrian improvement project along North Second Street despite questions about how the city will cover its share of the cost.

Make

In a 6-1 vote, the council opted to continue advancing the project, directing City Manager Darren Rhodes to develop a nancing plan that would allow preliminary engineering work to begin.

Councilmember Chris Bramlett cast the lone dissenting vote, saying he did not believe the project’s usefulness justi ed its cost to the city.

Alysia Steadman, Albemarle’s planning and com-

Music

“I

would recommend an enterprise fund type approach.”

Darren

Rhodes,

city manager

munity development director, presented an update on the North Second Street sidewalk project, which is included in the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s State

Day Stanly County lineup, workshops announced

Stanly County will join cities worldwide for annual celebration

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

Renee VanHorn, Stanly County Arts Council executive director

ALBEMARLE — Make Music Day Stanly County will return Sunday with a full slate of free performances, workshops and hands-on music activities across Albemarle, Locust and Norwood.

The third annual local celebration is scheduled for 1-9 p.m., joining communities around the world in marking Make Music Day, an annu-

al event held on the summer solstice.

Established in France in 1982, the celebration now takes place in more than 2,000 cities in 120 countries, including 154 U.S. cities this year.

“We have a full day of activities, lled with music learning workshops and performances that include a full range of genres of music,” said Renee VanHorn, executive director of the Stanly County Arts Council and lead organizer for Make Music Day Stanly County. “There are still venues with open time

Transportation Improvement Program.

The project would add sidewalks, enhanced crosswalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps and other accessibility improvements along North Second Street from Park Ridge Road to Salisbury Avenue.

“This project is part of the NCDOT statewide transportation investment program and is intended to improve

Albemarle bicyclist dies after collision with pickup truck

Veronica Lynn Harvey was airlifted after the crash on Friday night

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

ALBEMARLE — An Al-

bemarle woman died Friday night after a bicycle and pickup truck collided at an intersection in the city, according to the Albemarle Police Department. Police said o cers responded around 8 p.m. to the intersection of Love Street and Wiscassett Street after receiving a report of a crash involving a ve-

“The Albemarle Police Department Tra c Team is handling the ongoing investigation.”

Albemarle Police Department

hicle and a bicyclist.

According to police, Veronica Lynn Harvey, 50, of Albemarle, was riding a bicycle south on Love Street when a truck driven by Edgar Petatan was traveling east on Wiscassett Street.

The bicycle and pickup truck

collided at the intersection, throwing Harvey from the bicycle and causing severe injuries. Due to the severity of her wounds, Harvey was airlifted to a hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.

Petatan was charged with no operator’s license following the crash, according to police. Authorities have not announced whether additional charges are expected.

“The Albemarle Police Department Tra c Team is handling the ongoing investigation,” APD said in a statement. “Additional information will be released as it becomes available.”

Bunch of Mis ts performs to an audience at last year’s Make Music Day at Courthouse Square Park in downtown Albemarle.

slots for performers, so we are keeping the registration for performers open until Friday, June 19.”

Musicians of all skill levels, as well as anyone with an outdoor space willing to host a performance, can register online at makemusicday.org/stanlycounty, where a full event schedule is viewable with times and locations.

“We are so excited that for 2026, we will have music performances and/or workshops in Albemarle, Locust and Norwood,” VanHorn said. “Many of the activities are designed to celebrate Dads on Father’s Day and America’s 250th Birthday.”

In Albemarle, Market Station will host several free activities, including guitar pick making, harmonica and ukulele workshops, Rhythm JOY with Boomwhackers and Handbells, and Cooking up Some Rhythm with Heather

Almond from Music on Main.

Participants in the harmonica workshop will receive a free harmonica from Easttop Harmonicas while supplies last. Bucket drumming will return with Kurt Varney in Albemarle and Jonathon Wyatt in Locust. Instrument Petting Zoos will be held at Albemarle Music Store and Locust City Hall, while kazoo-making activities are planned in Albemarle and Locust.

Additionally, AP Du eld of Clefnote Music Group will lead a Music 101 workshop at 5 p.m. in the Depot at Market Station, sharing insight into the music industry.

At 3 p.m., the Stanly County Chorale and Stanly County Concert Band will lead a patriotic sing-along at Market Station; musicians of all skill levels are invited to join the concert band for Sousapalooza at 3:30 p.m., a nationwide event celebrating composer John Philip Sousa with ve Sousa marches.

More Albemarle shows will take place at Courthouse Square Park, Courthouse Plaza and Albemarle Music Store. In Locust, performances will be held throughout the afternoon and evening at the City Hall Backyard stage. West Stanly High School Band members and director Ariel Jones will lead workshops from 1-5 p.m. in the covered walkway between Locust City Hall and the Locust Library. In Norwood, Beth Harrison will perform a concert at First Presbyterian Church, while Juneberry Ridge will host Fred Lee IV, frontman of the Charlotte band Late Night Special.

Make Music Day Stanly County is a joint e ort of the Stanly County Arts Council, Music on Main, Clefnote Music Group, Albemarle Music Store, Stanly County Concert Band, Stanly County Chorale, Albemarle Downtown Development, Albemarle Parks and Recreation and Locust Parks and Recreation.

Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths,

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Stanly County.

June 18

Thursdays at the Station — Cabarrus Station

7:30 p.m.

Cabarrus Station performs a free outdoor concert as part of Albemarle Parks and Recreation’s Thursdays at the Station summer series. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.

Market

June 20

Charlotte

The

competition showcase at the Agri-Civic Center, featuring teams performing in ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary and other styles.

Stanly

June 21

Make Music Stanly County

Stanly County’s third annual Make Music Day lls public spaces across ve towns with free live performances, instrument workshops, and hands-on activities open to all ages. The event is part of the nationwide Make Music Day celebration held each summer solstice.

Multiple venues countywide Albemarle, Badin, Locust, Oakboro, Norwood

COURTESY STANLY COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL

THE CONVERSATION

Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill,

senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

Even without his controversies, Graham Platner is just a lightweight extremist

SET ASIDE, for a moment, that Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner spent years with a Nazi SS Totenkopf tattoo. Set aside that he blamed sexual assault victims for their predicament, that he called rural white Americans stupid racists, that he advocated political violence, that he mocked a wounded Purple Heart recipient, that he joked about the Virgin Mary being a “skank” and that he joined a hookup site while married.

Who among us is a saint, after all?

The more interesting question is why Democrats have shown such loyalty to him.

After hearing so much about Platner’s everyman appeal, I went down a rabbit hole, watching his speeches and listening to his interviews. Virtually every one of them is crammed with brain-numbing platitudes and freshman-level socialist sloganeering. His rhetoric makes former Vice President Kamala Harris sound weighty by comparison.

“This is a race about performative politics they’re used to,” Platner told a crowd recently. “What they don’t understand is that this is a race about us.”

This kind of banality, and there is a lot of it, calls to mind Lt. Frank Drebin trying to win over the love of his life in “The Naked Gun” by telling her that “maybe the problems of two little people don’t amount to a hill of beans ... but this is our hill, and these are our beans.”

The late philosopher Daniel Dennett called phrases like this “deepities” — words that create the impression of moral and emotional weight while o ering no actual insight.

Obviously, most politicians tra c in deepities to some extent. Platner, however, can spew inane class-war cliches for an hour without

Democrats’

wandering anywhere near a deeper thought.

That is because Platner is the embodiment of performative left-wing populism. His cosplay working-man candidacy was created by Faiz Shakir and Ben Wikler, two Ivy League-educated former Bernie Sanders sta ers.

“Part of the thesis here is that people don’t want candidates who are grown in a vat,” Wikler recently said. “They want people who are real human beings. And they want people who do not look and sound like the people who have been leading this country o a cli the last century.”

In other words, Platner is not a compelling organic candidate. He is a man who can play a part. Democrats have lost working-class voters to Republican populists, so they have become enamored with the idea of running someone who carries the aesthetic qualities of one. That is my thesis.

“If we want folks that are representing us from the working class, they’re not necessarily going to have a groomed and perfect political record,” a Maine voter recently told Fox News, repeating a common talking point.

But is the progressive impression of working-class “folks” really that they get Nazi tattoos, fantasize about rape and murder, and cheat on their wives? Because that seems like an insulting stereotype.

As James Kirchick notes, people used to say Donald Trump “was a poor person’s idea of a rich person.” Platner, he says, “is a rich person’s idea of a poor person.”

Weirdly, Platner’s many controversies may have obscured his political radicalism. Wikler and other Bernie acolytes should be honest and decry not merely

struggle

the past century but the past 250 years because progressives detest the constitutional order.

You can hear it in Platner’s appearance on a Jewhating conspiracy theorist’s podcast — “longtime fan,” the Maine Senate candidate says — where he derides the American “system” and depicts the United States, the wealthiest country on the planet, as a hellhole.

Now, Platner may well win Maine. Maybe class resentment and Marxism are our future. But his politics — not only “taking back” what was allegedly stolen by the rich but also supporting all the cultural quackery the woke Left has in icted on the country — are far more closely aligned with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez than with the average working-class American.

Even if Platner were a member of the proletariat, would that be enough?

Millions of working-class Americans successfully navigate the world without being sleazeballs. It would be helpful to bring their perspectives and experiences to Washington. Platner, born into privilege, will not. He bought his house with help from his wealthy father and VA disability bene ts. His oyster-farming business may have been created after he decided to run for Senate. Whatever the case, it appears his only real customer is his wealthy mother’s restaurant.

And that is ne. There is nothing wrong with relying on family. There is nothing wrong with being rich. There is something wrong with mischaracterizing your life to mislead voters.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

with men reflects a deeper cultural disconnect

ONE OF THE MORE revealing political developments of recent years has been the Democratic Party’s growing concern about its declining support among male voters. After years of watching men drift toward the political right, many Democrats have begun asking a simple question: Why are men leaving?

The answer may be simpler than party strategists would like to admit.

For many men, politics is not merely about policy preferences. It is also about whether they feel understood, respected and represented. Increasingly, many men feel that modern progressive politics views them less as constituents and more as problems to be solved.

Over the past decade, much of the political and cultural conversation on the left has framed masculinity in negative terms. Men are frequently described as “toxic” or privileged, or as obstacles to social progress. While these criticisms are often directed at speci c behaviors, many ordinary men hear something broader: that their role in society is being diminished or dismissed.

As a result, Democrats now face a challenge that goes beyond messaging. They are struggling to connect with a demographic they increasingly seem not to understand.

This disconnect becomes apparent in the party’s search for gures who can appeal to male voters. Progressives often ask where their version of podcast host Joe Rogan might be. Yet the question itself reveals a misunderstanding. Rogan does not t neatly into traditional ideological categories. He has supported progressive candidates, entertained a wide range of viewpoints, and frequently rejects partisan labels altogether. His appeal stems less from his political beliefs than from his ability to

speak to audiences in a way that feels authentic and unscripted.

Rather than recognizing that authenticity, many Democrats appear to search for substitutes who mimic certain cultural aesthetics while maintaining strict ideological conformity. The result often feels forced.

The same dynamic can be seen in Texas politics, where state Rep. James Talarico has emerged as a prominent Democratic gure. Talarico presents himself as a person of faith and frequently speaks about Christianity in public life. Yet critics argue that his policy positions remain rmly aligned with progressive priorities, creating a disconnect between the image he projects and the policies he supports.

Whether on issues involving transgender policies, border security, gun rights or energy production, opponents contend that Talarico’s recent rhetoric sounds more moderate than his legislative record. To those critics, the problem is not his ideology but the perception that he is attempting to package progressive policies in culturally conservative language.

The broader issue, they argue, is that Democrats often focus on appearances rather than underlying values.

Many progressives seem to operate with a narrow understanding of masculinity. In one stereotype, the traditional man is a deeply religious cultural conservative whose identity revolves around outward displays of faith. In another, masculinity is reduced to a rough-edged, hyperaggressive caricature de ned by toughness and rebellion.

Neither image captures how most men see themselves.

For many conservatives, masculinity is not primarily about appearance, style or personality. It is about responsibility. A man may be a lawyer, teacher,

mechanic, soldier or small-business owner. What matters is not the aesthetic but the ful llment of duties — to family, community and country.

Under this understanding, manhood is de ned less by how someone looks and more by what he does.

Providing for a family, protecting loved ones, serving one’s community, and accepting personal responsibility are viewed as central components of masculine identity.

Critics of modern progressivism argue that this framework creates a fundamental con ict.

Contemporary left-wing politics often emphasizes individual rights and personal autonomy, while traditional concepts of masculinity emphasize obligations and responsibilities. If politics increasingly focuses on liberation from duties, it becomes more di cult to speak meaningfully to people who view duty itself as a virtue.

This may help explain why many Democratic attempts to reconnect with male voters have fallen at. The problem is not necessarily a lack of outreach. It is that the outreach often appears to be built on assumptions that many men do not recognize.

Political parties succeed when they understand the people they hope to persuade. They fail when they substitute stereotypes for genuine understanding.

As Democrats continue searching for ways to rebuild support among men, they may discover that the challenge is not nding the right messenger or adopting the right aesthetic. It is understanding the values, responsibilities and aspirations that shape how many men see themselves in the rst place.

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)

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Roaring crowds in stars and stripes show up for the US team, soccer’s moment in their country

Multigenerational

American families increasingly view soccer as central to their sports identity

By Amy Taxin and Jaimie Ding The Associated Press

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — It was a stadium like any other, packed with American sports fans wearing their favorite team’s jerseys and red-white-and-blue face paint, roaring as players took the eld.

Only this time, the sport was soccer.

The U.S. team’s home opener in the World Cup on Friday brought more than 70,000 passionate soccer enthusiasts to the massive stadium near Los Angeles, where they saw the U.S. beat Paraguay 4-1. They had, in many cases, paid thousands of dollars to see their team play on the biggest global stage for a sport that has long been eclipsed in the United States — a sport many say is nally having its moment.

SIDEWALK from page A1 319 PALMER STREET ALBEMARLE NC 28001

pedestrian safety, ADA accessibility and connectivity through Albemarle,” Steadman said.

“This project supports safer access to key destinations and commercial areas, while helping build a more connected transportation network for residents.”

The estimated project cost is $2.01 million.

NCDOT would cover 80%, or approximately $1.61 million, while the city would be respon-

sible for a 20% local match of about $402,200. Under the reimbursement arrangement, the city would initially pay project-related invoices and then submit requests to NCDOT for repayment of the state’s 80% share. Reimbursement requests can be submitted as expenses are incurred rather than after the entire project is completed.

Steadman said the process is similar to the city’s Leonard Avenue project, in which Albemarle contracted and paid

Many fans said they grew up playing soccer in recreational leagues as young children, and well into high school and college. Nakisha Gutierrez, a 37-year-old occupational therapist from Los Angeles, and her sister both played the sport. Their Argentine father raised them on soccer, and the next generation is now taking it up, too, she said.

“It’s in the family blood,” said Gutierrez, her cheeks painted with sparkling red-and-blue stars. “It is the American culture — it’s starting to be.”

The World Cup is played every four years, and fans around the world track their national teams, hoping they’ll have a strong enough showing to qualify for it. In many countries — like Friday’s opponent, Paraguay — just making it to the tournament can prompt street parties, reworks and national holidays. In the United States, though, the response is often a bit more muted. Soccer has long been overshadowed by football, basketball and “America’s pastime” of baseball.

But soccer’s popularity has risen in the United States since the country last hosted

for engineering and construction work before receiving state reimbursement.

No current city budget appropriation has been identi ed for the local match or the upfront costs.

Mayor Ronnie Michael asked Rhodes how the city could obtain the money needed to begin the project.

“We’ll have to spend it up front,” Michael said. “Are you talking about an enterprise fund loan for a short period? How would you recommend us

the World Cup in 1994. Major League Soccer was launched two years later, and soccer has become especially popular among young athletes. There was palpable joy in the air for U.S. fans watching the match as Folarin Balogun scored an electric two goals in the rst half of the game, and star player Christian Pulisic made a shot that led to a Paraguay own goal. But the stadium was aroar when Gio Reyna sealed Paraguay’s fate with a late fourth goal during added time.

Samuel Esquivel, 9, said he was screaming when the match ended.

“That was probably, like, the second best goal,” he said of Reyna’s shot. He started playing soccer last year and said he already wants to win a World Cup.

His father Roman Esquivel said they came from a family that played football, basketball, and baseball. But Esquivel’s daughter and son both fell in love with soccer, and their enthusiasm for the game has spread to him as well.

“It’s the most beautiful sport in the world,” he said. “There’s a reason why the whole world plays soccer.” Interest has also been buoyed by immigrants from countries where, as Gutierrez puts it, “soccer is life.”

Ava Cupit, 14, traveled with her family from Franklin, Tennessee, to cheer on the U.S. team, dressed up as the Statue of Liberty. Her great-grandfather was from

coming up with $2 million to fund this project and get this project going?”

“I would recommend an enterprise fund type approach,” Rhodes said. “I would need to do some more research to determine how we could set that up. That would be my approach to see if we can come up with a methodology for creating a project fund that doesn’t have the entire impact on this budget.”

Preliminary engineering is scheduled for 2026, followed

Spain and helped bring soccer to their small town, where he built elds and promoted the sport.

“He made us all fall in love with it, and our whole family loves soccer,” Ava’s mother Rachel Cupit said. “The people who’ve married in, they’ve just become a part of it too.”

In the massive stadium in Inglewood, California, usually home to football games, seats were a sea of red and white. Fans wore glitter, Stars-and- Stripes high-tops, overalls, robes and the team’s hallmark jerseys. Some dressed as that ultimate symbol of American patriotism, Uncle Sam, with long white beards and top hats. A few wore George Washington costumes.

They came to show their support for their team, and to show that Americans, like the rest of the world, can be passionate about soccer, too. Many were trying to attend all of the U.S. team’s group round matches. One spectator said he came from Texas after seeing the U.S. team previously face o in international matches before large crowds backing their opponents.

Self-proclaimed soccer “addict” Jose Contreras said he grew up playing the sport with his uncle in Mexico because it was cheap and accessible. He ew from Georgia to support the U.S. in its opening match, even though there are games he could attend in Atlanta, closer to home.

“This is one of the happiest days of my life,” Contreras said.

by right-of-way acquisition in 2028, utility work in 2030 and construction in 2031. Steadman said preliminary engineering had originally been scheduled to begin in 2024, but delays and sta turnover pushed back the timeline.

NCDOT has identi ed the sidewalk project as Albemarle’s highest-priority active local transportation project.

The Albemarle City Council will hold its next regular meeting on July 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.

ANDRE PENNER / AP PHOTO

Fans of the United States Men’s National Team cheer prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, California, last Friday.

ANDRE PENNER / AP PHOTO

United States fans cheer prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay outside of Los Angeles last Friday.

Backyard brawl: UFC rocks DC

By Dan Gelston

The Associated Press

UFC CEO Dana White

called ght night at the White House a smashing success.

White boasted about merchandise sales and streaming service subscriptions and how UFC surpassed its goals in every metric he could list.

White also knows this type of production can’t be duplicated again at the White House.

The constant headaches over weather concerns in the rare outdoor show, the logistics of construction of the cage and staging events at federal landmarks and the soar -

ing cost made Freedom 250 a once-in-a-lifetime event. It delivered on the star-spangled smackdown that featured pulsating patriotism from the Marine Band, tributes to rst responders, Medal of Honor recipients and other White House-designated heroes. American Justin Gaethje won the UFC Lightweight title in a huge upset over Ilia Topuria inside a blood-splattered eight-sided cage plopped in the open air right in the people’s house backyard.

White said this was a one - o show, though, never to be repeated: “I can’t a ord it … We’ll never do this again.”

PHOTOS BY MARK SCHIEFELBEIN, ALEX BRANDON, JACQUELYN MARTIN, JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON VIA AP

OBITUARIES

Frances Floyd Clubb

Feb. 22, 1944 – June 9, 2026

Frances Floyd Clubb, 82, of Norwood, went to her heavenly home surrounded by all of her children and other family members, on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at her home.

Mrs. Clubb was born on February 22, 1944, in Stanly County to the late Claud Alonzo and Pearl Rogers Floyd. She enjoyed sewing, gardening, spending time with family, her grandchildren, crocheting, and listening to gospel music.

Frances was well loved by her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. She gave great advice and was always there for support.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, James Clubb Jr.; daughter: Belinda Easter; grandson Robert ‘BJ’ Lee Gallimore; and brother: Clay Floyd.

She is survived by her children: Penny C. Parsons (Darrell), Kathy C. Thurber (Dave), Cindy C. Smith, and James A. Clubb III (Melody); sisters: Carolyn Sinclair and Eva Helms, and brothers: Claud A. Floyd and Dwight Floyd; Ten grandchildren and 17 greatgrandchildren.

Shelby Jean Shoe

Dec. 6, 1937 – June 12, 2026

Shelby Jean Shoe, 88, of Mount Pleasant, passed away Friday, June 12, 2026, at Atrium Health Stanly Hospital in Albemarle.

She was born on December 6, 1937, in North Carolina to the late Fitzhugh Thompson and the late Bertie Thompson.

She was also preceded in death by her sister Delores Hatley and brother Marty Thompson.

The family will receive friends from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle. The Graveside service will follow at 1:00 pm at Fairview Memorial Park in Albemarle, o ciated by Rev. Neill Shaw. Shelby was a member of Salem Methodist Church. Shelby, known to many as “Auntie” , loved to work in her yard, planting owers and decorating each season. She enjoyed doing crafts and taking trips to her favorite places in the mountains.

She was a loyal and devoted wife for 66 years to her husband George, and to others she was truly generous and had a caring heart. Above all, she loved the Lord and her family and will be sincerely missed by many. Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle is serving the Shoe family.

Online condolences may be made at www.hartsellfh.com

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Stanly News Journal at obits@ stanlynewsjournal.com

DANNY C. BOWERS

JAN. 26, 1948 – JUNE 10, 2026

Danny C. Bowers, 78, of Norwood passed away on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at his home, surrounded by his loved ones.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 3:00 PM at Edwards Funeral Home in Norwood. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Rev. Nile Sandeen and David Thomas will o ciate. Interment will follow at Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity in Mt. Pleasant.

Danny was born on January 26, 1948, to the late D.C and Annie Louise Page Bowers. He graduated from South Stanly High School as part of the Class of 1966 and served our nation in the Army from 1968 to 1970. He was stationed at Fort Belvoir Army Air Base in Alexandria, VA. After serving, Danny worked with the NCDOT for over 30 years before retiring. He then worked for 12 years at Barbara Mulkey Engineering in road and bridge construction. Danny enjoyed shing, especially on Lake Tillery. He also had a love for golf in his spare time, as well as hunting.

In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his brotherin-law: Steven Howell.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Shirley Barrier Bowers, son Je rey Bowman Bowers (Mary Lou), daughter Leah Katherine Morrison (Paul), four grandsons: Ben F. Bowers, Will B. Bowers (Taylor), Daniel P. Morrison (Sarah), and Chase H. Morrison, brothers: Randy W. Bowers (Susie), Tony R. Bowers (Ann), and Kenny M. Bowers (Debra), and his sister Monny Lisa Howell. Memorials may be made to Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity (PO Box 595, Mt. Pleasant, NC 28124) and Tillery Compassionate Care (960 N. First St., Albemarle, NC 28001).

BRUCE CLETUS BURLESON

NOV. 3, 1948 – JUNE 11, 2026

Bruce Cletus Burleson, 77, of Albemarle, passed away Thursday, June 11, 2026, at his home.

Born on November 3, 1948, in Stanly County, he was the son of the late Amos Cletus “Coot” Burleson and Doris Almond Burleson. Bruce proudly served his country in the United States Air Force. He was a devoted husband to Sheryl A. Burleson, with whom he shared 31 wonderful years of marriage. Bruce was a loving father to his ve daughters: Caressa Brandenburg (Darin), Christine Carlton (Steve), Samantha Staton (Jake), Brenda Burleson, and Breann Burleson. He was also a proud grandfather to eight grandchildren who brought him great joy.

In addition to his wife and daughters, Bruce is survived by his brother, Jerry Burleson (Debbie); his niece, Jennifer Hatley; his nephew, Joseph Burleson; and his uncle, Tommy Almond.

Bruce had a deep love for the outdoors and could often be found camping, traveling, shing, or tending to his garden. He inherited his green thumb from his mother. Known for his laid-back spirit, Bruce enjoyed warm weather and was often barefoot and shirtless or dressed in one of his signature Hawaiian shirts. He also loved to grill, especially for family gatherings.

A service to honor Bruce’s life will be held at Hartsell Funeral Home Le er Memorial Chapel in Albemarle on Wednesday, June 17, at 10:00 a.m. with Pastor Curtis Williams o ciating.

Bruce will be remembered for his love of family, his easygoing nature, and the joy he found in life’s simple pleasures. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to Tillery Compassionate Care, 960 North First Street, Albemarle, NC 28001 or at https://tillerycompassionatecare.org

ARWILDA WILLIAMS

AUG. 19, 1937 – JUNE 11, 2026

Arwilda Williams, 88, of Locust, passed away Thursday, June 11, 2026, at her home.

Arwilda was born August 19, 1937, in Union County, North Carolina, to the late Henry Jackson Hinson and the late Carrie Mae Hinson. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Charles Henry Williams; her daughter, Deborah Elaine Hathcock; ten sisters; and one brother. She was a faithful member of Kinza Baptist Church for many years. Arwilda enjoyed working in her ower gardens, sewing, making many di erent things over the years, and shopping.

She loved singing; she sang with her sisters in church. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the light of her life.

The family will receive friends from 2-2:45 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Kinza Memorial Baptist Church. The funeral service will follow at 3 p.m., o ciated by Rev. Charles Dunevant and Rev. Tab Whiltey. Burial will follow at the Kinza Memorial Baptist Church Cemetery at 4311 Love Mill Road, Stan eld.

Survivors include son, Dale (Sandy) Williams; granddaughters, Kimberly Hegler, Crystal (Dwight) Watson, Kristin (Nick) Honeycutt; grandson, Kyle (Abbie) Williams; nine great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; and sister, Blanche Harvell.

The family would like to give a special thank you to her Hospice caregivers, Kim, Stacey, and Megan, for the care, love, and support provided.

SHELBY

JEAN SHOE

DEC. 6, 1937 – JUNE 12, 2026

Shelby Jean Shoe, 88, of Mount Pleasant, passed away Friday, June 12, 2026, at Atrium Health Stanly Hospital in Albemarle. She was born on December 6, 1937, in North Carolina, to the late Fitzhugh and Bertie Thompson. She was also preceded in death by her sister, Delores Hatley, and brother, Marty Thompson.

The family will receive friends from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle. The Graveside service will follow at 1:00 pm at Fairview Memorial Park in Albemarle, o ciated by Rev. Neill Shaw.

Shelby was a member of Salem Methodist Church. Shelby, known to many as “Auntie” loved to work in her yard, planting owers and decorating for each season. She enjoyed doing crafts and taking trips to her favorite places in the mountains. She was a loyal and devoted wife for 66 years to her husband George, and to others she was truly generous and had a caring heart. Above all, she loved the Lord and her family and will be sincerely missed by many.

STONEY RAY HATLEY

FEB.14, 1944 – JUNE 13, 2026

Mr. Stoney Ray Hatley, of Mt. Pleasant, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at the Tucker Hospice House in Kannapolis, surrounded by the love of his family. He was 82 years old.

A gathering of family and friends to celebrate Stoney’s life will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Oakboro Park.

Stoney was born on February 14, 1944, in Stanly County, North Carolina, to the late Albert William Hatley and Maggie Louise Hooks Hatley. He was a hardworking and dedicated man who spent many years employed with Fieldcrest Cannon in Kannapolis. Following his retirement, he enjoyed serving his community as a greeter at Walmart in Albemarle, where his friendly smile and welcoming personality brightened the day of countless customers.

A man who loved the outdoors, Stoney found great joy in gardening, shing, and hunting. He also devoted time to coaching girls’ softball at Ridgecrest, where he made lasting memories and positive impacts on the lives of many young athletes.

Stoney’s greatest treasure was his family. He shared more than sixty years of marriage with the love of his life, Carolyn Jeanette Green Hatley. Their enduring partnership was a testament to devotion, faithfulness, and love.

Left to cherish his memory are his beloved wife, Carolyn Hatley; daughters, Paula H. Hartsell and husband, Dennis, of Oakboro, and Karen H. Linker and husband, Jason, of Albemarle; grandchildren, Abby Hinson and husband, Daniel, of Stan eld, Dustin Hartsell of Oakboro, Jordan Linker of Albemarle, and Bethany Dybick and husband, Jarett, of Wadesboro; and great-grandchildren, Ryder Hinson, Kellan Hinson, Ellie Hartsell, and Dacesyn Hartsell.

Also surviving is his faithful companion, Pepper, a ectionately known as his “other daughter,” who brought him much comfort and companionship through the years.

In addition to his parents, Stoney was preceded in death by his great-grandson, Talin Hinson, and his brother, Tex Hatley.

Stoney will be remembered for his hardworking spirit, his love for the outdoors, his dedication to his family, and the kindness he shared with everyone he met.

CHARLES MARK LANDIS

JULY 24, 1961 – JUNE 14, 2026

Charles Mark Landis, 64, of New London, passed away Sunday, June 14, 2026, at home.

Mark was born July 24, 1961, in North Carolina to the late Charles William Landis and Carolyn Elaine Landis.

Mark worked for Culp Lumber Company for 20-plus years. The family will receive friends from 3-3:45 p.m., Thursday, June 18, 2026, at Hartsell Funeral Home, Albemarle. A graveside service will be on Thursday at 4:00 pm at Bethel United Methodist Church Cemetery in New London, o ciated by Mickey Swaney. Burial will follow at the Bethel United Methodist Church Cemetery at 44118 Highway 740, New London.

Survivors include wife, Debbie Landis; daughter, Terri Landis; son, Jonathan (Mandy) Landis; grandchildren Riley Landis, Morgan Landis, Aubrey Taylor and Annsleigh Barringer; mother, Carolyn Elaine Landis; and two sisters.

In Lieu of owers, memorial donations may be shared to Bethel UMC Cemetery Fund, 44118 Highway 740, New London.

Dennis Reinbold, whose racing team competed in IndyCar, Indy 500 for 25 years, dead at

His family’s racing legacy traced back to his grandfather’s work at Indianapolis in 1927

The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Dennis Reinbold, whose Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team elded cars in the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar for more than 25 years. has died. He was 65. Reinbold died Saturday, surrounded by his family, his racing team and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway said in statements Sunday. No additional information was released.

The Indianapolis-based DRR team’s best nish in the

Indy 500 was a fourth in 2012. The team was in contention with 31 laps remaining in 2025 before 2012 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay ran out of fuel. The team led the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in four of the last six races, and all 53 cars the team entered in the race had quali ed in starting elds. Last month, the DRR’s two entrants nished 12th and 22nd.

“We are heartbroken to share the news that our owner, leader, and friend, Dennis Reinbold, has passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family,” the DRR team said. “He built a successful family of automobile dealerships across the state, and he loved the community of Indianapolis that gave him so much in return. That same devotion

fueled his passion for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway — its history and the relentless pursuit of an Indy 500 win drove him every day. We can think of no better way to honor Dennis than to chase a victory in the 111th Running of the Indianapolis 500.”

Reinbold started DRR in 1999 and the team name was a nod to his family’s racing heritage. His grandfather, Floyd “Pop” Dreyer, was a motorcycle racer who went on to be a crew member and chief mechanic on the Duesenberg driven by Benny Shoa and Babe Stapp at Indianapolis in 1927.

The Dreyer & Reinbold team started racing full time in the IndyCar series in 2000 and, with Robbie Buhl driving, won

65

the season-opening race at Walt Disney World. That remains the team’s only victory in the series, along with two second-place nishes in 2010 and four thirds between 2001-2012, when it last ran full time in the series.

Dreyer & Reinbold ran just ve series races in 2013 before focusing solely on the Indy 500 from 2014 to last month’s race. The team did run four IndyCar races in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Two-time Indy champion Al Unser Jr, and fellow Indianapolic 500 winners Buddy Lazier, (1996), Buddy Rice (2004), and Simon Pagenaud (2019) all raced for DRR, as well as JR Hildebrand, Townsend Bell, Conor Daly and IndyCar series champion Paul Tracy.

STANLY SPORTS

North Stanly Coach Pitch All-Stars advance to state tournament

The team will compete in the AA D2 state eld beginning June 27

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

NEW LONDON — The North Stanly Coach Pitch All- Stars have earned their place on the state stage.

Later this month, the young baseball team will be heading to the 2026 North Carolina Diamond Youth Baseball AA D2 State Tournament set for June 27-July 1 in South Brunswick. The tournament features some of the top 8-and-under

coach pitch teams from across the state, with the winner advancing to the 2026 DYB World Series from July 22-27 in Laurel, Mississippi. Coached by Will Harrington, Jim Senter, Trey Ward and Tyler Brown, North Stanly’s 2026 roster includes Reid Russell, Jeb Bray, Chris McClellan, Grant Mauldin, Bryson Clemons, Elijah Martin, Rhett Harrington, Beau Harrington, Mack Senter, Robert McIntyre, Branson Surratt and Colton Ward.

The group earned its state tournament berth with a 17-1 win over South Stanly on June 7 in the championship game of a four-team, double-elimination

Pfei er’s Fainter resigns as coach for men’s, women’s tennis

Justin Fainter compiled 208 wins leading the Falcons

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

MISENHEIMER — Pfeiffer tennis coach Justin Fainter will leave the Falcons later this summer after closing out the winningest tenure in program history. The university announced Monday that Fainter has resigned as head coach of the men’s and women’s tennis teams, effective July 31. A search is now underway for the next coach to lead both programs.

Fainter exits with a combined record of 208-89, good for a .700 winning percentage — his teams went 98-48 on the men’s side and 110-41 in women’s competition.

“It has been an honor to serve as head coach at Pfeiffer

University,” Fainter said in a team press release.

“I am sad that my coaching at Pfeiffer will come to an end, but I am excited for my next tennis adventure. I will always be thankful for all of the players who have been a joy to coach. I also want to thank (volunteer assistant coach) Rena Goolsby. The past five years, we have been a great team and her contributions to the Pfeiffer tennis programs are immeasurable. Without her, we would not have been as successful as we have been.”

Fainter was named head coach of Pfeiffer’s men’s and women’s tennis programs in 2020, marking his return to Misenheimer after a five-year break from his first stint with the Falcons. Both programs remained competitive during his final season.

The men’s team finished 15-4 overall and 4-1 in USA South play, while four players

“The team is currently seeking sponsors to help o set tournament expenses.”

North Stanly Coach Pitch All-Stars

bracket — including Montgomery Central and Anson County — at Don Montgomery Park in Albemarle.

North Stanly opened play with a win over Montgomery Central on June 5 before defeating Anson County on June 6 to

move into the championship round against South Stanly. In the title game, North Stanly wasted little time taking control, pushing across ve runs in the opening inning. Mauldin drove in two runs with a single before Clemons followed with a three-run double to give the All- Stars an early lead. North Stanly continued to build on its advantage in the second inning with seven more runs. Bray singled in a run, Martin doubled home two runs and Senter added an RBI double. Mauldin and Clemons also delivered run-scoring hits as North Stanly stretched the lead.

The All-Stars added ve

more runs in the third inning as McIntyre drove in a run with a single, Bray added a two-run double and Russell capped the inning with a two-run single.

North Stanly nished with 20 hits, led by Russell’s three-hit game, while Mauldin and Clemons each drove in three runs; Bray, Senter, Branson Surrattz, McIntyre and Martin also had multiple hits.

“The team is currently seeking sponsors to help o set tournament expenses,” the team said in a statement. “The players, coaches, families and supporters are excited for the opportunity to represent North Stanly and Stanly County on the state stage as they continue what has already been a memorable All-Star season.”

Local businesses and community members interested in supporting the team can contact coach Will Harrington at williamharrington1984@ gmail.com.

earned All-USA South honors. Freshman Valter Albuquerque was also named the conference’s Rookie of the Year. The Pfeiffer women’s team went 13-5 overall and 3-2 in conference play, with four players receiving All-USA South recognition.

Fainter earned USA South Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year honors for the 2024-25 season after guiding the Falcons to a 14-6 overall record and a 7-1 mark in league play.

“Justin has been an out -

“It has been an honor to serve as head coach at Pfei er University.”

Justin Fainter

standing leader for our tennis programs,” interim athletic director Jeff Childress said.

“His commitment to our student-athletes and his ability to build competitive teams

have elevated both programs. We are grateful for his service and wish him continued success in his next chapter.”

Before returning to Pfeiffer, Fainter was the head women’s tennis coach at Roanoke College from 2011 to 2013, where 13 players earned All-ODAC honors. He also coached tennis at Harrisonburg City Schools from 2008 to 2011, winning three district championships, two regional titles and finishing once as regional runner-up.

COURTESY NORTH STANLY COACH PITCH ALL-STARS

Players and coaches from the North Stanly Coach Pitch All-Stars pose with their tournament trophy June 7.

COURTESY PFEIFFER ATHLETICS

Pfei er tennis coach Justin Fainter’s resignation from the program is e ective at the end of July.

NFL

49ers mourn sudden death of former All-Pro linebacker Smith at 36

San Francisco

Aldon Smith, a former All-Pro linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers whose playing career was sidetracked by legal issues, died at 36. The team did not disclose a cause of death. The 49ers drafted Smith out of Missouri with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft. He had 33.5 sacks through his rst two seasons, the most by any player in their rst two seasons. Smith was rst suspended with the 49ers in 2014 and was later released by the team. He also played for the Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys

MLB

Skubal returns from elbow surgery, Ramírez breaks hand in Guardians’ win over Tigers

Cleveland

Tarik Skubal was tagged for a two-run homer in the two-time reigning Cy Young winner’s return from elbow surgery. Skubal threw 80 pitches in his rst start since April 29. The left-hander had a loose body removed from his elbow during an innovative surgical procedure on May 6, allowing Skubal to come back early. The win came at a steep price for Guardians as star third baseman José Ramírez su ered a broken bone in his left hand on a swing. Cleveland’s top player will be out inde nitely.

NHL Lightning’s Kucherov wins Hart Trophy as NHL MVP for second time

New York

Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP. It’s the second such honor of his career, also winning in 2019. Kucherov led the league with 1.71 points a game and with 130 was second to only Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, who had 138. McDavid was a close second by 10 points in voting by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon was third and San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini fourth. Kucherov had 42 more points than his next- closest teammate.

GOLF

Report: Mickelson kicked out of San Diego club for inappropriate contact with female employee

Golf Digest reports Phil Mickelson has been kicked out of a San Diego golf club for inappropriate contact with a female employee. Golf Digest cited multiple sources as saying Mickelson is no longer welcome at The Farms Golf Club, where the six-time major champion has practiced and played for two decades. A spokesperson for Mickelson calls it a misunderstanding that has been cleared up. Mickelson has been out of the public eye for all but one LIV Golf event this year as he deals with an undisclosed serious family health matter.

WORLD CUP

Haiti’s World Cup jersey deemed too political, echoing censure of its Winter Olympic uniform

Haiti was forced to change the design of its World Cup jersey after FIFA deemed it too political. The jersey, made by Colombian sportswear manufacturer Saeta, originally featured a depiction of the nal battle of the 1803 Haitian War of Independence. Saeta says it will comply with the ban but has added that the design was meant as a tribute not a political statement. Already this year the International Olympic Committee required Haiti to remove an image of founding father Toussaint Louverture from its Winter Games uniforms.

Hamlin wins NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono for third straight victory

The retiring great is on the longest winning streak of his career

The Associated Press LONG POND, Pa. — With every Denny Hamlin victory, speculation about his future grows and talks of retirement are questioned.

He signed a two-year extension with Joe Gibbs Racing that runs through 2027 and he insists it will be his last season. At 45, he’s the oldest full-time Cup Series driver in the eld, but he can’t stop winning. Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway for his third consecutive victory and passed the late Kyle Busch for sole possession of ninth place on the all-time wins list.

His recent success — it is his fourth win of the season, not including the nonpoints All-Star race — has renewed talk that Hamlin should reconsider retirement when his deal with Gibbs expires.

“I think for Denny, he wants to leave on top, right? He doesn’t want to leave where it was one year too long,” said JGR co-owner Heather Gibbs.

“At this rate, what he’s producing out there, it’s not something you would not consider. We want the best drivers in our cars. Our teams work to put the best cars on track.

“If it works out and he’s still producing and he wants to, it’s a huge commitment for him, he’s

got his own team that he kind of wants to run. It’s hard when you dangle checkered ags in front of him, too. He so far has put a stop to such talk despite performing at the highest level of his long career.” Hamlin, who wasn’t even sure he wanted to return to honor this two-year extension after losing the championship in last November’s season nale and then the December death of his father in a house re, understands he’s performing at a high level.

“They aren’t getting that checkered ag back.”

Denny Hamlin

But as far as continuing past 2027? It’s not yet on his radar despite how strong he’s been on the track.

“I would certainly say it’s the best we’ve been,” Hamlin said.

“We come to the racetrack every week knowing we got a great

shot to win. The team’s doing an amazing job giving me exactly what I need in the car every single week. That’s why we’re winning.”

The win comes nearly 20 years to the date after his rst career victory, which was at Pocono on June 11, 2006. He swept the races at the Pennsylvania track that year.

Hamlin said Pocono has become “like a second home for me.”

“First win here, so special here. Pocono has mastered the

fan experience from the crowd in the stands to the in eld here,” Hamlin said. “Just so happy for this whole Joe Gibbs Racing team. The pit crew is awless right now. We got it all going.”

Despite 64 career victories, this marks the rst time in his career that Hamlin has won three consecutive races.

The feat tied Richard Petty, who did it in 1966 and 1967, Bobby Allison in 1971 and Darrell Waltrip in 1981.

He also took a jab at NASCAR, noting that it was technically his ninth victory at Pocono, but he was stripped of the victory in 2022 when NASCAR said he and Busch’s car’s failed postrace inspection.

“They aren’t getting that checkered ag back,” Hamlin said.

Tyler Reddick nished second as Toyota took the top two spots. Hamlin is now 19 points behind Reddick in the Cup Series standings.

“Everyone is racing hard for track position. Some of it’s just bad luck, I guess, where you catch cars,” Reddick said. “It’s a bummer. I mean, if the 11 wasn’t the winner, you could consider this a good day. I know we nished second. Scoring the points we did just didn’t get the job done.”

Toyota drivers have won 10 of 16 races this season, and JGR has accounted for ve of them.

William Byron nished third.

“I think this is probably the rst time in four months that I’ve been able to drive the car this way, just be able to make moves and have the balance stay with me,” Byron said.

Byron was followed by John Hunter Nemechek in fourth. Nemechek led 42 laps — double what he’s led the last two years.

Kyle Larson was fth and Erik Jones sixth as Toyota drivers took four of the top six spots.

DERIK HAMILTON / AP PHOTO

Denny Hamlin celebrates his win during Sunday’s Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway.

DERIK HAMILTON / AP PHOTO

Denny Hamlin crosses the nish line to win the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono.

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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

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Sealed Bids will be received for Chemicals for Fiscal Year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026, by the City of Albemarle, Purchasing Coordinator, 144 North Second Street, Albemarle NC 28001; or by Mail at P. O. Box 190, Albemarle NC 28002-0190; until 11:00 a.m., Monday, June 29, 2026, in the Uwharrie Conference Room #145, at 144 North Second Street, Albemarle NC 28001, at which time the Bids received will be publicly opened and read. Mark Outside of Envelope: Bid No. 2026-11 Chemicals. Instructions for submitting bids and complete speci cations may be obtained at the O ce of the Purchasing Coordinator during regular o ce hours, or from Tom Johnson, Director, Public Utilities Department, 704-9854-9609, tjohnson@albemarlenc.gov.

The City of Albemarle, North Carolina, reserves the right to reject any or all proposals for any reason determined to be in the best interests of the City of Albemarle, and further reserves the right to waive irregularities and informalities in any bid submitted.

BID NUMBER: 2026-11

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NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000238-830

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Executor of the estate of Houston Cameron deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Houston Cameron to present them to the undersigned on or before September 5, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 3rd day of June 2026. Michael Barrow 6066 Jepson Court Charlotte, NC 28214 Executor

NOTICE

In the general court of justice Superior Court division before the clerk File Number 26E000249-830

Having quali ed as executor of the estate of Verda M Cavender, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said the decedent to present them to the undersigned on or before the 12th day of September 2026, or the same will be pleaded with the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment.

This 10th day of June 2026.

may be viewed Electronically at: http://ftp2.withersravenel.com Username: AlbemarleResurfacing Password: psXpsG

Project Contact: Zach Ward PE, Assistant Project Manager, WithersRavenel, 115 MacKenan Drive, Cary NC 27511, 828-255-0313. A Non-Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting has been scheduled for June 25, 2026, at 10:30 a.m., to discuss project requirements and expectations via Microsoft Teams. Please Email Vladimir Mitchev at vmitchev@withersravenel. com, if the Meeting Link does not work: Join Microsoft Teams Meeting: https://teams.micorsoft.com /meet/280998156780300?p=cSrqZcVGATf0ONbR3B Meeting ID: 280 998 156 780 300 Passcode: th2PD7tj Join Video Conference:

Tenant Key: withersravenel@m.webex. com Video ID: 119 448 464 6

The Bid must be accompanied by a Bid Deposit in the amount of not less than ve percent (5%) of the amount Bid in the form of cash, cashier’s check, or certi ed check on some bank or trust company surety licensed under the laws of North Carolina to execute bonds.

Contractors o ering a proposal on this project must be licensed to do the speci ed type of contracting in the State of North Carolina.

The City of Albemarle reserves the right to reject any and all bids, as may be in the best interest of the City of Albemarle, and further reserves the right to waive any irregularities and informalities in any bid submitted.

BID NUMBER: 2026-10

Publication Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2026 Run One Time

Send claims to A.P. Cavender Executor of the estate of Verda M. Cavender 1217 Hope Ct Oakboro, North Carolina 28129

NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000463-830

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Jack Curry Nipper deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Jack Curry Nipper to present them to the undersigned on or before September 19, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 17th day of June 2026. Paul Fernandez 6227 Lookout Loop Raleigh, NC 27612 Administrator

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NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO.

NOTICE STATE OF

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the stream

‘Project Hail Mary,’ Colin Farrell in ‘Sugar,’ Myles

“Million Dollar Nannies” lands on Hulu

By Lindsey Bahr

The Associated Press

THE STREAMING debut of “Project Hail Mary” and Myles Smith’s debut album 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, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Colin Farrell plays an alien on Earth in “Sugar,” a Square Enix game that evokes “Chrono Trigger” and “Released At Last,” a collaboration between Big Freedia and the late artist Sophie.

MOVIES TO STREAM

“Project Hail Mary,” one of the biggest hits of the rst half of the movie year, begins streaming Thursday. Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s sci- adventure stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a science teacher who wakes up on a ship sent into space on a mission to save dying stars. Sandra Hüller co-stars, as does an alien named Rocky played by puppeteer James Ortiz. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called it “a clever, sincere, most-ages crowd-pleaser that’s full of life, energy and a love of science.”

In “How to Make a Killing” (Friday, HBO Max), Glen Powell stars as a working-class man who sets out to murderously reclaim his inheritance. The lm, written and directed by John Patton Ford (“Emily the Criminal”), is inspired by the great Alec Guinness Ealing comedy “Kind Heart and Coronets.” But such tonal deftness is lacking, I wrote in my review, in “a disappointingly at almost-remake that has neither the biting farce nor the chilling darkness to match its black-comedy ambitions.”

“Voicemails for Isabelle”

Smith

hopes to separate from the pack of a long line of Net ix rom-coms. In writer-director Leah McKendrick’s lm, Zoey Deutch stars a woman grieving her sister’s death who, to

cope, leaves voicemails on her phone. When that number is reassigned to Austin real estate agent (Nick Robinson), the two are drawn together. It debuts Friday.

“Project Hail Mary” is a clever, sincere, most-ages crowd-pleaser that’s full of life, energy and a love of science.

MUSIC TO STREAM

On Friday, Myles Smith will release his debut album, “My Mess, My Heart, My Life.” It is a bit hard to believe because the English singer-songwriter already has a three-times platinum single under his belt. His 2024 song “Stargazing” was a folk-pop megahit from a once-unknown performer. And on his rst full-length album, he aims to keep up the momentum. The music world lost a nascent pop hero in 2021 when Sophie, the Grammy-nominated Scottish disc jockey, produc-

er and recording artist who had worked with the likes of Madonna and Charli XCX, died following an accident in the Greek capital of Athens. She was 34. Her music continues to resonate, and her in uence continues to be heard across the underground and mainstream alike. On Friday, the New Orleans icon and Queen of Bounce music Big Freedia will drop “Released At Last,” a three-song EP she recorded with the late Sophie back in 2016. It serves as a reminder: The club is open.

SERIES TO STREAM

You could call it “The Baby-Sitters Club” for ballers. In the new docuseries “Million Dollar Nannies,” cameras follow a boutique agency in Ibiza that o ers babysitting for the children of wealthy parents. These clients are VIPs who have big expectations to match their big lifestyles. There are NDAs, private planes and kids who eat caviar. All episodes drop Thursday on Hulu.

Farrell returns as an alien disguised as a human in Season 2 of “Sugar” for Apple TV. Premiering Friday, Farrell’s character goes by the alias John Sugar, a private investigator in Los Angeles. The series is a noir-style detective drama with a central mystery that lasts all season. Sugar has two jobs. One is to solve his case du jour and the other is to secretly monitor people here on Earth.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Square Enix’s “The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales” takes place in a land called Philabieldia, “a beautiful but savage land” that sounds just like our own Pennsylvania city, only without cheesesteaks. After some mysterious ruins are discovered, the gutsy Elliot and his fairy sidekick, Faie, are sent on a journey that goes back and forth in time across 1,000 years. The pixelated art will look familiar to fans of developer Clay Tech Works’ role-playing fantasy “Octopath Traveler,” but the action is more arcade-like. And the time-jumping story is reminiscent of Square’s 1995 classic “Chrono Trigger.” Start making history Thursday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 and PC.

CHARLES SYKES / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Myles Smith, pictured performing in 2025 in Philadelphia, releases his debut album, “My Mess, My Heart, My Life,” on Friday.

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP PHOTO

John Patton Ford arrives at the premiere of “How to Make a Killing” at AMC The Grove in Los Angeles.

EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Ryan Gosling attends the premiere of “Project Hail Mary” at Lincoln Center Plaza in New York.

Solution to last week’s puzzle

Solution to this week’s puzzles

OLIVE

Hurricane Stanley

The Carolina Hurricanes clinched their rst Stanley Cup in 20 years with a 3-0 Game 6 shutout in Las Vegas on Sunday, capping o a dominant 16-3 playo run. For much more, turn to NSJ Sports.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

8 dead in B-52 bomber crash at U.S. Air Force base in California

Los Angeles

The U.S. Air Force says eight people aboard a B-52 bomber that crashed shortly after takeo at a military base in Southern California’s Mojave Desert are dead. O cials said Monday that emergency crews responded after the aircraft went down around 11:20 a.m. at Edwards Air Force Base north of Los Angeles. The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range bomber that entered service in 1955. Designed to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons, it has been used in countless con icts from Vietnam to Iran.

Newsom says Trump’s DOJ investigating him, his wife

Sacramento, Calif.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the Justice Department is investigating him and his wife, accusing the Trump administration of targeting him for political purposes as he weighs a presidential bid. The full scope of any investigations related to Newsom was not immediately clear. Newsom said in a video posted Monday on X that federal agents in recent days have knocked on the doors of his friends and former employees, and have asked for records. A person familiar with the matter con rmed there are multiple federal investigations into people around Newsom, including one related to his wife’s taxes.

$2.00

WSFCS Board of Education approves changes to two special needs schools

The Special Children’s School will be relocated, while the Children’s Center will get smaller

By Ryan Henkel Twin City Herald

WINSTON-SALEM — The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education has approved the relocation of The Special Children’s School (TSCS).

At the board’s June 9 meeting, the board voted 6-3 to approve the relocation of TSCS to Ward Elementary starting in the 2027-28 school year, with board members Susan Miller, Robert Barr and Trevonia Brown-Gaither voting against it.

“I just don’t think as a system we have done all of our due diligence when it comes to this decision,” Brown-Gaither said. “I

just don’t think we’re at a point where we should make a decision on this.”

“For me, the process has moved way too fast,” Miller said.

The Special Children’s School, which is located in a building leased from the Center for Exceptional Children (CFEC), serves students with developmental needs.

The relocation is due to a local funding gap created by the cessation of school-age development day reimbursements.

Due to new state laws, LEAs will only be eligible to be reimbursed for pre-K students rather than school-aged ones, and with the district already having gone through a nancial crisis, there is no funding to support the schools as they currently are.

“The reality is the board was asked months ago if we wanted to direct sta to pursue oth-

“It’s unfortunate that we don’t have the funding that we need to make these situations go.”

Leah Crowley, board member

er options to this lease, and the board said ‘Yes,’” said Vice Chair Alex Bohannon. “So sta did what we asked them to do.”

In total, 154 students will be impacted and, of note, Ward Elementary School is also not centrally located within the district and sits around 13.5 miles away from TSCS.

“Our EC department has been hit hard,” Barr said. “I don’t think this is the time to relocate the Special Children’s Center. These are our most medically fragile students. Let’s just keep them

where they are and let this be one less stressor for these parents.”

In addition, the board approved an addendum to the operating agreement with CFEC, reducing the district’s leased space by 4,000 square feet and turning over four classrooms and an o ce space back over to the CFEC, but the district will be keeping the Children’s Center at the site.

The reduction will generate around $43,000 in savings annually.

“It’s important to recognize that neither of these decisions have been easy or without a lot of thought,” said board member Leah Crowley. “It’s unfortunate that we don’t have the funding that we need to make these situations go, but renting space is not funded for us.”

The WSFCS Board of Education will next meet June 23.

Authorities say they disrupted planned drone, gun attack on White House UFC cage- ghting

The suspects shared anti-government ideology and conspiracy theories about the Epstein case

By Eric Tucker The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Law enforcement o cials disrupted a planned attack targeting President Donald Trump’s UFC cage- ghting show at the White House this past weekend, according to court papers unsealed Tuesday that say plotters who harbored fringe conspiracy theories spoke of ying explosives-laden drones and shooting panicked crowd members as they ed.

Investigators recovered high-powered rearms from several of the suspects and reviewed encrypted text messages between roughly 20 participants who shared detailed maps and aerial photographs of the area and discussed the need for a “safe house” and escape routes after the intended attack, the documents show.

But it’s unclear from the court records how close the would-be attackers could have come to being able to carry out the plan had it not been thwarted.

Several suspects or co-conspirators who were questioned by the authorities said they did not intend themselves to car -

ry out violence but planned to instead observe others. One said he would have traveled to the UFC event as a protester but had to return home after his vehicle malfunctioned. And though the participants spoke of using drones rigged with explosives, charging documents suggest they were still looking to acquire such equipment when the plot was interrupted.

“It didn’t even get close to the point of execution,” Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday evening on Fox News Channel, describing the planning as “not that advanced.”

“They weren’t in town. They had not really done that much planning,” he said.

show

United by conspiracy theories, anger over country’s direction

Law enforcement o cials learned about the possible threat June 10, four days before the mixed martial arts extravaganza on the White House’s South Lawn, “and thanks to the rapid action of the FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” Director Kash Patel said in a post on X on Tuesday.

Five people from states including Ohio, Missouri,

See ATTACK, page A2

JOHN LOCHER / AP PHOTO

Too sick to work, but

can they

prove it? New Medicaid rule worries patients

States must verify medical frailty using documentation that doesn’t actually exist in their systems

By Ali Swenson The Associated Press

“Join the conversation”

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Nebraska and California were arrested on federal charges, the Justice Department said.

Asked about the arrests Tuesday, Vance said there was “more violent rhetoric coming from the left than the right these days.” But the charging documents paint a more muddled view of their views, depicting them as espousing a tangled web of anti-government sentiment, antisemitic grievances, fury over the Trump administration’s handling of the Je rey Epstein les and conspiracy theories about a powerful elite that sacri ces and consumes children.

Both Trump and Vance said they had not been briefed in advance of the plot. A top Secret Service o cial suggested Tuesday the investigation was continuing and an announcement might have been premature.

“Anyone that believes that case was worked in a bubble is naive,” Deputy Secret Service Director Matthew Quinn told reporters at an unrelated news conference.

“I’ll tell you the Secret Service led that investigation from the beginning. I’ll tell you that it’s ongoing. In order to maintain the integrity of the investigation and the security plan, we chose not to leak it.”

Communications took place on TikTok, Signal

Among those arrested was Tycen Proper, a 19-year-old

NEW YORK — On hot afternoons, DeAnna Brandon’s three dogs zag around while she splashes in a backyard kiddie pool with her grandkids. These are the moments the 48-yearold blood cancer survivor cherishes — and wonders if she will get to have in the years to come.

Brandon, who lives in Rockwell in Rowan County, is worried that new Medicaid work requirements starting next year could jeopardize her health coverage. She had expected to qualify for a medical frailty exemption, but new guidance introduced by President Donald Trump’s administration last week has thrown that into question.

The interim nal rule released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services means being sick with extreme exhaustion and memory challenges related to her treatments may not be enough for Brandon to evade the new work requirements. She will have to attest and later prove that those symptoms “signi cantly impair” her ability to ful ll the mandates. If the government doesn’t accept her case, she could lose her coverage and the twice-monthly maintenance chemotherapy that keeps her multiple myeloma in remission. Working is “outside of the realm of possibility for me,” she said in an interview.

“I was always a pushthrough-it person — you know, ‘Oh, you’re tired. Push through,’” Brandon said. “It’s hard to explain to people you can’t push through it.”

Health analysts have sounded the alarm about the Republican Trump administration’s newest guidance, which di ers from what states had been expecting. Experts said it will put more Americans at risk of losing health insurance and force states to scramble in their already harried e orts to implement the changes on time.

“This will mean more paperwork for Medicaid patients — speci cally for the sickest Medicaid patients,” said Adrianna McIntyre, a professor at Harvard University’s school of public health. That, she said, “is going to push in the direction of more people needlessly losing coverage.”

Medical frailty rules may mean paperwork nightmares for sick people

The new Medicaid restrictions, which Democrats have criticized, were part of Trump’s big tax and policy law in 2025. The change a ects those covered through an expansion in most states that gave more lower-income people access to the government’s safety net healthcare program.

Expansion enrollees age 19 to 64 will have to show that they work or do community service at least 80 hours a month or are in school at least half the time. There are exceptions for those considered medically frail or in addiction treatment programs, among others.

Last week’s announcement from CMS caught states o guard with a new de nition of medical frailty. The law had said medically frail people include those who have substance use disorders, disabilities or serious medical conditions. But the CMS rule went further, saying someone’s condition must “signi cantly impair” their ability to work, volunteer or attend school at the rates required in the law for them to be granted an exemption. In 2027 and once in 2028, the patient can attest that they meet this de nition. But when they try to renew coverage in 2028, they’ll need to prove it.

Advocates said it is unclear what kind of documentation could prove that point. They said doctor notes may be required — something some providers don’t feel comfortable writing. Medicaid enrollees ghting disease may carry the bureaucratic burden.

Brandon, who tried to prove she couldn’t work to access disability bene ts during her active cancer treatment and failed, said she’s worried about the hoops she and other patients may need to jump through.

“It’s not that easy — you may have to go through four doctors,” Brandon said. “If you’re already battling an illness like this, you don’t have the physical or the mental or the emotional energy to do that all the time.”

States, advocates confused by government’s approach

States have been planning to use Medicaid claims data and other data sources to automatically exempt eligible enrollees whenever possible.

On a call with reporters last week, the CMS administrator, Dr. Mehmet Oz, endorsed that approach, saying he hoped most

Ohio man whose mother contacted law enforcement last week with concerns about his rearms purchases and online communications, according to an FBI a davit led in the case.

Proper told o cials he participated in the planning of an attack, according to the adavit, which says some members of the group began communicating with each other last March through a TikTok group called “Vanguard of the Old.”

“The members of the group stated that they wanted to protect the United States, which they believed was headed in the wrong direction,” the af-

information regarding eligibility determinations in August 2023.

people would be helped “without ever having to talk to anybody.”

Asked to clarify how the rule should be implemented, the agency told The Associated Press in an email that it “chose not to allow states to categorically exclude individuals from work requirements based solely on a diagnosis or condition type.” For renewal in 2028, it said, “verication through claims data or other documentation will generally be required.”

But state Medicaid o cials and consultants said Medicaid claims data doesn’t prove someone is signi cantly impaired from working, and they don’t know of any existing data that does. That has left them confused about how to honor the government’s rule.

“States are going to be asked to make a determination using information that doesn’t exist in their systems,” said Kinda Sera, a partner at the legal and consulting rm Manatt Health who is working with states to make the changes.

One state, Nebraska, started the new Medicaid work requirements ahead of schedule. But it used diagnostic codes to identify people who are medically frail and therefore will likely have to rework its system, said Sarah Maresh, healthcare access program director at the advocacy group Nebraska Appleseed. Maresh said she was concerned doctors in the rural state who are already reluctant to take Medicaid patients may stop.

“They’re already drowning in paperwork, so to require them to do an additional step of certifying whether someone is able to work, I think is concerning,” she said.

Preparing for the Jan. 1 kicko of the new policies is an immense and expensive task. A $200 million federal allotment is owing to states to help, and CMS has partnered with technology companies to provide free and discounted services, but the tab for the addi-

charged with rearms o enses and crimes including attempted murder of an o cer or employee of the United States, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

The logistics were discussed via Signal, an app that uses end-to-end encryption for its messaging and calling services, through a primary chat of “approximately 19 individuals” and smaller side chats, authorities said. Messages obtained from Proper’s phone show he identied by name several Republican lawmakers he said should be targeted because they apparently received donations from causes supportive of Israel, the a davit said.

davit says. “Members of the group believed that the United States needed to be torn down so that it could be rebuilt. Some expressed a desire that people who were involved with Je rey Epstein should not govern the country.”

Trump, who celebrated his 80th birthday at the UFC event on Sunday, was friends with Epstein many years ago but has said he ended their relationship before the disgraced nancier’s crimes became known. Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex tra cking charges.

A lawyer for Proper, who is

Proper told law enforcement o cials that he had been planning to drive with weapons and body armor to a meet-up spot in Fredericksburg, Virginia, court papers say. He said though he did not intend to shoot people at the White House, others in the group did, the a davit said.

The plan called for the use of drones that would be detonated over the north side of the White House, prompting an evacuation into the line of re of waiting snipers in an attack Proper said was designed to “jumpstart” a revolution, authorities said.

Investigators who examined Proper’s phone and TikTok account identi ed additional suspects.

tional technology requirements and more sta is likely to exceed $1 billion, according to an AP analysis. That extra cost will be borne by a mix of federal and state tax dollars.

Republicans say rules will save Medicaid for those who need it most

Democrats have slammed the Medicaid work requirements as attacks on healthcare coverage for struggling Americans.

Republicans promoting the new rules, though, say they are commonsense measures to eliminate government freeloading and preserve bene ts for people who need them most. Oz last week, citing a report by the conservative American Enterprise Institute think tank, said able-bodied people on Medicaid spend an average of 6.1 hours a day “watching TV or just hanging out.”

“This is a concern, not a criticism,” he said. “Work requirements are going to turn this around, we hope.”

Current enrollees who don’t meet the work requirement threshold said that’s a misrepresentation of their experience.

Mids Meinberg, a 42-year-old freelance writer from New Jersey who lives with chronic depression and diabetes, said that even with his health issues, he’s proud to have found a meaningful career. But his conditions make him unable to work 80 hours a month. He said he thinks there are many people with disabilities who are “too disabled to work but not disabled enough for the state to think they can’t work.”

Brandon, in North Carolina, said she wants the government to understand that she’s “not just sitting around wasting time or being a drain on society.”

“I’m pouring into my grandchildren,” she said. “We’re valuable, and we can still contribute to our communities even if it’s not working.”

Michael Alan Thomas, 32, of Pinon Hills, California, told o cials he viewed himself as “the planner and advisor for the group, and while he was not willing to take action himself, wanted to guide and instruct others on how to carry out attacks” designed to overthrow the government, an FBI agent said in an a davit.

The agent said Thomas believed the U.S. government was “run by an elite group of individuals who sacri ce and consume infants who also were deeply involved” with Epstein and are now protected by Trump.

Another suspect, Bryan Omar Roa, also of California, told the FBI he had planned to attend the event as a “protester” but he had to return home because his car was broken, an agent said. It was not immediately clear who their lawyers were.

Two other suspects were identi ed as Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, of Kidder, Missouri, who o cials say said in a group chat that a target of the attack should be “big and someone a majority of the country knows,” and Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, an Omaha, Nebraska, man who the FBI said posted detailed plans with the co-conspirators.

A lawyer for Alvarez declined to comment and a lawyer for Eskridge did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

DAVID A. LIEB / AP PHOTO

Workers at a Medicaid call center in Je erson City, Missouri, eld questions and review

ALEX BRANDON / AP PHOTO

President Donald Trump attends UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday.

ATTACK from page A1

THE CONVERSATION

Trip

Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

Even without his controversies, Graham Platner is just a lightweight extremist

SET ASIDE, for a moment, that Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner spent years with a Nazi SS Totenkopf tattoo. Set aside that he blamed sexual assault victims for their predicament, that he called rural white Americans stupid racists, that he advocated political violence, that he mocked a wounded Purple Heart recipient, that he joked about the Virgin Mary being a “skank” and that he joined a hookup site while married.

Who among us is a saint, after all?

The more interesting question is why Democrats have shown such loyalty to him.

After hearing so much about Platner’s everyman appeal, I went down a rabbit hole, watching his speeches and listening to his interviews. Virtually every one of them is crammed with brain-numbing platitudes and freshman-level socialist sloganeering. His rhetoric makes former Vice President Kamala Harris sound weighty by comparison.

“This is a race about performative politics they’re used to,” Platner told a crowd recently. “What they don’t understand is that this is a race about us.”

This kind of banality, and there is a lot of it, calls to mind Lt. Frank Drebin trying to win over the love of his life in “The Naked Gun” by telling her that “maybe the problems of two little people don’t amount to a hill of beans ... but this is our hill, and these are our beans.”

The late philosopher Daniel Dennett called phrases like this “deepities” — words that create the impression of moral and emotional weight while o ering no actual insight.

Obviously, most politicians tra c in deepities to some extent. Platner, however, can spew inane class-war cliches for an hour without

Democrats’

wandering anywhere near a deeper thought.

That is because Platner is the embodiment of performative left-wing populism. His cosplay working-man candidacy was created by Faiz Shakir and Ben Wikler, two Ivy League-educated former Bernie Sanders sta ers.

“Part of the thesis here is that people don’t want candidates who are grown in a vat,” Wikler recently said. “They want people who are real human beings. And they want people who do not look and sound like the people who have been leading this country o a cli the last century.”

In other words, Platner is not a compelling organic candidate. He is a man who can play a part. Democrats have lost working-class voters to Republican populists, so they have become enamored with the idea of running someone who carries the aesthetic qualities of one. That is my thesis.

“If we want folks that are representing us from the working class, they’re not necessarily going to have a groomed and perfect political record,” a Maine voter recently told Fox News, repeating a common talking point.

But is the progressive impression of working-class “folks” really that they get Nazi tattoos, fantasize about rape and murder, and cheat on their wives? Because that seems like an insulting stereotype.

As James Kirchick notes, people used to say Donald Trump “was a poor person’s idea of a rich person.” Platner, he says, “is a rich person’s idea of a poor person.”

Weirdly, Platner’s many controversies may have obscured his political radicalism. Wikler and other Bernie acolytes should be honest and decry not merely

struggle with

the past century but the past 250 years because progressives detest the constitutional order.

You can hear it in Platner’s appearance on a Jewhating conspiracy theorist’s podcast — “longtime fan,” the Maine Senate candidate says — where he derides the American “system” and depicts the United States, the wealthiest country on the planet, as a hellhole.

Now, Platner may well win Maine. Maybe class resentment and Marxism are our future. But his politics — not only “taking back” what was allegedly stolen by the rich but also supporting all the cultural quackery the woke Left has in icted on the country — are far more closely aligned with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez than with the average working-class American.

Even if Platner were a member of the proletariat, would that be enough?

Millions of working-class Americans successfully navigate the world without being sleazeballs. It would be helpful to bring their perspectives and experiences to Washington. Platner, born into privilege, will not. He bought his house with help from his wealthy father and VA disability bene ts. His oyster-farming business may have been created after he decided to run for Senate. Whatever the case, it appears his only real customer is his wealthy mother’s restaurant.

And that is ne. There is nothing wrong with relying on family. There is nothing wrong with being rich. There is something wrong with mischaracterizing your life to mislead voters.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

men reflects a deeper cultural disconnect

ONE OF THE MORE revealing political developments of recent years has been the Democratic Party’s growing concern about its declining support among male voters. After years of watching men drift toward the political right, many Democrats have begun asking a simple question: Why are men leaving?

The answer may be simpler than party strategists would like to admit.

For many men, politics is not merely about policy preferences. It is also about whether they feel understood, respected and represented. Increasingly, many men feel that modern progressive politics views them less as constituents and more as problems to be solved.

Over the past decade, much of the political and cultural conversation on the left has framed masculinity in negative terms. Men are frequently described as “toxic” or privileged, or as obstacles to social progress. While these criticisms are often directed at speci c behaviors, many ordinary men hear something broader: that their role in society is being diminished or dismissed.

As a result, Democrats now face a challenge that goes beyond messaging. They are struggling to connect with a demographic they increasingly seem not to understand.

This disconnect becomes apparent in the party’s search for gures who can appeal to male voters. Progressives often ask where their version of podcast host Joe Rogan might be. Yet the question itself reveals a misunderstanding. Rogan does not t neatly into traditional ideological categories. He has supported progressive candidates, entertained a wide range of viewpoints, and frequently rejects partisan labels altogether. His appeal stems less from his political beliefs than from his ability to

speak to audiences in a way that feels authentic and unscripted.

Rather than recognizing that authenticity, many Democrats appear to search for substitutes who mimic certain cultural aesthetics while maintaining strict ideological conformity. The result often feels forced.

The same dynamic can be seen in Texas politics, where state Rep. James Talarico has emerged as a prominent Democratic gure. Talarico presents himself as a person of faith and frequently speaks about Christianity in public life. Yet critics argue that his policy positions remain rmly aligned with progressive priorities, creating a disconnect between the image he projects and the policies he supports.

Whether on issues involving transgender policies, border security, gun rights or energy production, opponents contend that Talarico’s recent rhetoric sounds more moderate than his legislative record. To those critics, the problem is not his ideology but the perception that he is attempting to package progressive policies in culturally conservative language.

The broader issue, they argue, is that Democrats often focus on appearances rather than underlying values.

Many progressives seem to operate with a narrow understanding of masculinity. In one stereotype, the traditional man is a deeply religious cultural conservative whose identity revolves around outward displays of faith. In another, masculinity is reduced to a rough-edged, hyperaggressive caricature de ned by toughness and rebellion.

Neither image captures how most men see themselves.

For many conservatives, masculinity is not primarily about appearance, style or personality. It is about responsibility. A man may be a lawyer, teacher,

mechanic, soldier or small-business owner. What matters is not the aesthetic but the ful llment of duties — to family, community and country.

Under this understanding, manhood is de ned less by how someone looks and more by what he does.

Providing for a family, protecting loved ones, serving one’s community, and accepting personal responsibility are viewed as central components of masculine identity.

Critics of modern progressivism argue that this framework creates a fundamental con ict.

Contemporary left-wing politics often emphasizes individual rights and personal autonomy, while traditional concepts of masculinity emphasize obligations and responsibilities. If politics increasingly focuses on liberation from duties, it becomes more di cult to speak meaningfully to people who view duty itself as a virtue.

This may help explain why many Democratic attempts to reconnect with male voters have fallen at. The problem is not necessarily a lack of outreach. It is that the outreach often appears to be built on assumptions that many men do not recognize.

Political parties succeed when they understand the people they hope to persuade. They fail when they substitute stereotypes for genuine understanding.

As Democrats continue searching for ways to rebuild support among men, they may discover that the challenge is not nding the right messenger or adopting the right aesthetic. It is understanding the values, responsibilities and aspirations that shape how many men see themselves in the rst place.

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 | BEN SHAPIRO

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

Roaring crowds in stars and stripes show up for the US team, soccer’s moment in their country

Multigenerational

American families increasingly view soccer as central to their sports identity

By Amy Taxin and Jaimie Ding

The Associated Press

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — It was a stadium like any other, packed with American sports fans wearing their favorite team’s jerseys and red-white-and-blue face paint, roaring as players took the eld.

Only this time, the sport was soccer.

The U.S. team’s home opener in the World Cup on Friday brought more than 70,000 passionate soccer enthusiasts to the massive stadium near Los Angeles, where they saw the U.S. beat Paraguay 4-1. They had, in many cases, paid thousands of dollars to see their team play on the biggest global stage for a sport that has long been eclipsed in the United States — a sport many say is nally having its moment.

Many fans said they grew up playing soccer in recreational leagues as young children, and well into high school and college. Nakisha Gutierrez, a 37-year-old occupational therapist from Los Angeles, and her sister both played the sport. Their Argentine father raised them on soccer, and the next generation is now taking it up, too, she said.

“It’s in the family blood,” said Gutierrez, her cheeks painted with sparkling red-and-blue stars. “It is the American culture — it’s starting to be.”

The World Cup is played every four years, and fans around the world track their national teams, hoping they’ll have a strong enough showing to qualify for it. In many countries — like Friday’s opponent, Paraguay — just making it to the tournament can prompt street parties, reworks and national holidays. In the United States, though, the response is often a bit more muted. Soccer has long been overshadowed by football, basketball and “America’s pastime” of baseball.

But soccer’s popularity has risen in the United States since the country last hosted the World Cup in 1994. Major League Soccer was launched two years later, and soccer has

become especially popular among young athletes.

There was palpable joy in the air for U.S. fans watching the match as Folarin Balogun scored an electric two goals in the rst half of the game, and star player Christian Pulisic made a shot that led to a Paraguay own goal. But the stadium was aroar when Gio Reyna sealed Paraguay’s fate with a late fourth goal during added time.

Samuel Esquivel, 9, said he was screaming when the match ended.

“That was probably, like, the second best goal,” he said of Reyna’s shot. He started playing soccer last year and said he already wants to win a World Cup.

His father Roman Esquivel said they came from a family that played football, basketball, and baseball. But Esquivel’s daughter and son both fell in love with soccer, and their enthusiasm for the game has spread to him as well.

“It’s the most beautiful sport in the world,” he said. “There’s a reason why the whole world plays soccer.”

A fan waits for the beginning of the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, California, last Friday.

Interest has also been buoyed by immigrants from countries where, as Gutierrez puts it, “soccer is life.”

Ava Cupit, 14, traveled with her family from Franklin, Tennessee, to cheer on the U.S. team, dressed up as the Statue of Liberty. Her great-grandfather was from Spain and helped bring soccer

to their small town, where he built elds and promoted the sport.

“He made us all fall in love with it, and our whole family loves soccer,” Ava’s mother Rachel Cupit said. “The people who’ve married in, they’ve just become a part of it too.”

In the massive stadium in Inglewood, California, usual-

ly home to football games, seats were a sea of red and white. Fans wore glitter, Stars-and- Stripes high-tops, overalls, robes and the team’s hallmark jerseys. Some dressed as that ultimate symbol of American patriotism, Uncle Sam, with long white beards and top hats. A few wore George Washington costumes.

They came to show their support for their team, and to show that Americans, like the rest of the world, can be passionate about soccer, too. Many were trying to attend all of the U.S. team’s group round matches. One spectator said he came from Texas after seeing the U.S. team previously face o in international matches before large crowds backing their opponents.

Self-proclaimed soccer “addict” Jose Contreras said he grew up playing the sport with his uncle in Mexico because it was cheap and accessible. He ew from Georgia to support the U.S. in its opening match, even though there are games he could attend in Atlanta, closer to home.

“This is one of the happiest days of my life,” Contreras said.

ANDRE PENNER / AP PHOTO

Fans of the United States Men’s National Team cheer prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, California, last Friday.

ANDRE PENNER / AP PHOTO

United States fans cheer prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay outside of Los Angeles last Friday.

JAE C. HONG / AP PHOTO

Forsyth SPORTS

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

The Forsyth Omega Cats

The Forsyth Omega cats are Darren Brown, Serenity Burton, Maggie Hines, Gary Hoboson, Kirissa Less, Cassandra May eld and Ronald Melton. The seven-member cheer team represented the county in the Special Olympics of North Carolina’s annual Summer Games in the Raleigh area earlier this month.

The group came home with gold medals in the Mount and Tumble cheerleading team competition. The team trains at Winston-Salem’s Old Town Gymnastics Academy and brought a championship back to the gym with them.

Judge dismisses lawsuit by 31 former NC State athletes alleging abuse by ex-head trainer

Dismissal came due to procedural reasons, but players plan to appeal

By Aaron Beard

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A state judge has dismissed a lawsuit led by 31 former NC State male athletes alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine.

In orders led Tuesday, Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins dismissed claims against Robert M. Murphy Jr., as well as multiple NC State athletics o cials tied to their oversight rules, citing procedural reasons.

The lawsuit was led in February in state court in a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete led in 2022. That complaint alleged years of misconduct by Murphy, including improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.

Collins granted the motion seeking a dismissal from Murphy’s attorneys, ruling that the statute of limitations had expired in claims dating back as early as 2013.

Collins also dismissed claims against multiple athletics ocials such as former athletic director Debbie Yow and current AD Boo Corrigan on jurisdictional grounds. His ruling stated any complaint should go through the North Carolina Industrial Commission — a state agency that deals with workplace matters with NC State as a public university — rather than civil court.

Jared Hammett, a Raleigh-based attorney representing Murphy, issued a statement to The Associated Press describing his client as “someone who dedicated his life to working

with athletes” while referring to a “rush to judgment” that can impact “real people’s lives.”

“The truth is nothing happened but a man’s career being ruined for money,” Hammett said. “As a lawyer I am just glad that we have been able to help another person who needed support and found himself needing that defense.”

Durham-based attorney Kerry Sutton, who has represented players going back to the original case, said the athletes plan to appeal.

“This dismissal has nothing at all to do with Mr. Murphy’s sexual abuse of these 31 former student-athletes,” Sutton said in a statement to the AP. “It was decided based only on questions of legal procedure. We plan to appeal this outcome and in coming days will be adding new claims against NCSU for men who have recently come forward.”

All but two of the 31 athletes are “John Doe” plainti s to protect anonymity, while two former men’s soccer players are named.

One is Benjamin Locke, who led the original complaint in August 2022. The other is one of two athletes who led their own federal lawsuits in February 2023 and April 2023. The AP typically doesn’t identify those who say they have been sexually assaulted or abused unless

Hamlin wins NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono for third straight victory

The retiring great is on the longest winning streak of his career

The Associated Press LONG POND, Pa. — With every Denny Hamlin victory, speculation about his future grows and talks of retirement are questioned.

He signed a two-year extension with Joe Gibbs Racing that runs through 2027 and he insists it will be his last season. At 45, he’s the oldest full-time Cup Series driver in the eld, but he can’t stop winning.

Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway for his third consecutive victory and passed the late Kyle Busch for sole possession of ninth place on the all-time wins list.

His recent success — it is his fourth win of the season, not including the nonpoints All-Star race — has renewed talk that Hamlin should reconsider retirement when his deal with Gibbs expires.

“I think for Denny, he wants to leave on top, right? He doesn’t want to leave where it was one year too long,” said JGR co-owner Heather Gibbs. “At this rate, what he’s producing out there, it’s not something you would not consider. We want the best drivers in our cars. Our teams work to put the best cars on track.

the person has spoken publicly about it, which Locke has done.

Sutton, who has represented plainti s in each lawsuit, led to dismiss those pending Title IX lawsuits before moving the case to state-level jurisdiction in September 2025.

Murphy, at NC State from 2012-22, was among nine defendants originally named individually. Others were school o cials accused of negligence in oversight roles, saying concerns about Murphy’s conduct reached senior levels of the athletic department but the school’s response was insu cient.

Sutton and co-counsel Robert O. Jenkins led in April to dismiss former NC State chancellor Randy Woodson as a defendant.

“NC State does not condone sexual misconduct of any kind,” the school said in a statement Tuesday evening. “The health and safety of our students and student-athletes is paramount to the university and our athletic programs.

“We agree with the court’s analysis and the decision that the law supports dismissal of the plainti s’ claims in this case. We recognize the immense courage it takes for someone to come forward, and our hearts go out to any student or student-athlete who has been impacted by distressing experiences.”

“If it works out and he’s still producing and he wants to, it’s a huge commitment for him, he’s got his own team that he kind of wants to run. It’s hard when you dangle checkered ags in front of him, too. He so far has put a stop to such talk despite performing at the highest level of his long career.”

Hamlin, who wasn’t even sure he wanted to return to honor this two-year extension after losing the championship in last November’s season nale and then the December death of his father in a house re, understands he’s performing at a high level.

But as far as continuing past 2027? It’s not yet on his radar despite how strong he’s been on the track.

“I would certainly say it’s the best we’ve been,” Hamlin said. “We come to the racetrack every week knowing we got a great

shot to win. The team’s doing an amazing job giving me exactly what I need in the car every single week. That’s why we’re winning.”

The win comes nearly 20 years to the date after his rst career victory, which was at Pocono on June 11, 2006. He swept the races at the Pennsylvania track that year.

Hamlin said Pocono has become “like a second home for me.”

“First win here, so special here. Pocono has mastered the fan experience from the crowd in the stands to the in eld here,” Hamlin said. “Just so happy for this whole Joe Gibbs Racing team. The pit crew is awless right now. We got it all going.”

Despite 64 career victories, this marks the rst time in his career that Hamlin has won three consecutive races.

The feat tied Richard Petty, who did it in 1966 and 1967, Bobby Allison in 1971 and Darrell Waltrip in 1981.

He also took a jab at NASCAR, noting that it was technically his ninth victory at Pocono, but he was stripped of the victory in 2022 when NASCAR said he and Busch’s car’s failed postrace inspection.

“They aren’t getting that checkered ag back,” Hamlin said. Tyler Reddick nished second as Toyota took the top two spots. Hamlin is now 19 points behind Reddick in the Cup Series standings.

“Everyone is racing hard for track position. Some of it’s just bad luck, I guess, where you catch cars,” Reddick said. “It’s a bummer. I mean, if the 11 wasn’t the winner, you could consider this a good day. I know we nished second. Scoring the points we did just didn’t get the job done.”

Toyota drivers have won 10 of 16 races this season, and JGR has accounted for ve of them.

William Byron nished third.

“I think this is probably the rst time in four months that I’ve been able to drive the car this way, just be able to make moves and have the balance stay with me,” Byron said.

Byron was followed by John Hunter Nemechek in fourth. Nemechek led 42 laps — double what he’s led the last two years.

Kyle Larson was fth and Erik Jones sixth as Toyota drivers took four of the top six spots.

KARA DURRETTE / AP PHOTO

Flags y above at the Reynolds Coliseum on the campus of NC State.

DERIK HAMILTON / AP PHOTO

Denny Hamlin celebrates his win during Sunday’s Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway.

DERIK HAMILTON / AP PHOTO

Denny Hamlin crosses the nish line to win the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono.

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL

49ers mourn sudden death of former All-Pro linebacker

Smith at 36

San Francisco

Aldon Smith, a former All-Pro linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers whose playing career was sidetracked by legal issues, died at 36. The team did not disclose a cause of death. The 49ers drafted Smith out of Missouri with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft. He had 33.5 sacks through his rst two seasons, the most by any player in their rst two seasons. Smith was rst suspended with the 49ers in 2014 and was later released by the team. He also played for the Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys

MLB

Skubal returns from elbow surgery, Ramírez breaks hand in Guardians’ win over Tigers

Cleveland

Tarik Skubal was tagged for a two-run homer in the two-time reigning Cy Young winner’s return from elbow surgery. Skubal threw 80 pitches in his rst start since April 29. The left-hander had a loose body removed from his elbow during an innovative surgical procedure on May 6, allowing Skubal to come back early. The win came at a steep price for Guardians as star third baseman José Ramírez su ered a broken bone in his left hand on a swing. Cleveland’s top player will be out inde nitely.

NHL Lightning’s Kucherov wins Hart Trophy as NHL MVP for second time New York Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP. It’s the second such honor of his career, also winning in 2019. Kucherov led the league with 1.71 points a game and with 130 was second to only Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, who had 138. McDavid was a close second by 10 points in voting by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon was third and San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini fourth. Kucherov had 42 more points than his next- closest teammate.

GOLF

Report: Mickelson kicked out of San Diego club for inappropriate contact with female employee Golf Digest reports Phil Mickelson has been kicked out of a San Diego golf club for inappropriate contact with a female employee. Golf Digest cited multiple sources as saying Mickelson is no longer welcome at The Farms Golf Club, where the six-time major champion has practiced and played for two decades. A spokesperson for Mickelson calls it a misunderstanding that has been cleared up. Mickelson has been out of the public eye for all but one LIV Golf event this year as he deals with an undisclosed serious family health matter.

Walk this way: A’s slugger Kurtz happy to take free pass to help team

Pitchers are cautious with the second-year Wake Forest product

By Mark Anderson The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — Not many second-year players receive this kind of respect from opposing pitchers, but it doesn’t take long to realize Athletics rst baseman Nick Kurtz is already one of baseball’s top sluggers.

And thus the Barry Bonds treatment, or at least something close to it, when pitchers don’t give Kurtz much to hit, willing to live with having him walk to rst than jog around the bases.

His 64 walks through last week led the major leagues and were one more than he had in the 117 games last season when he was the unanimous AL Rookie of the Year. Pitchers also have intentionally walked Kurtz eight times, second only to the nine by Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, the AL home run leader.

And the power is still there for Kurtz, who has 15 home runs this season. While not on pace to match the 36 he hit last year, his 49 RBIs lead the majors as does his .438 on-base percentage.

Most impressively, Kurtz earlier this season tied Mark McGwire’s 30-year-old club record of 48 consecutive games reaching base.

“He’s the most advanced hitter at this age that I’ve been around,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said of the 23-year- old slugger. “He never goes to search for hits. He waits for pitches that he feels good about swinging at. Knowing the strike zone as well as he does is pretty remarkable.”

This approach by opposing pitchers isn’t new to Kurtz, who began to watch other teams use similar strategies when he starred at Wake Forest.

“I think that’s where I started learning how to do it and just taking the walks,” Kurtz

said. “It’s not always easy because you always want to stay aggressive when you do get that pitch. If you’re not aggressive, you will miss it.”

Kurtz is among the talented young players the A’s are showcasing for their planned move to Las Vegas in 2028. They are at Las Vegas Ballpark, home to the organization’s Triple-A afliate, this week and took two of three against Milwaukee with their 4-3 win on Wednesday night. Colorado visits for a three-game series beginning Friday.

Kurtz gave Las Vegas fans plenty to look forward to by hitting two homers in Monday’s 15-14, 12-inning loss to the Brewers and then hit another one the following night in a 7-5 victory. Kurtz also walked at least once in each game in the series and four times overall. He has reached base that way in eight of nine games this month.

“You never see it, somebody his age doing what he’s doing,” A’s catcher Shea Langeliers said. “Unbelievably rare. Just to be able to watch him do his

“You always want to stay aggressive when you do get that pitch. If you’re not aggressive, you will miss it.”

thing and not really even blossom. It was kind of who he already was when he got to the league, so it’s really cool. Obviously, we’re really lucky to be his teammates and not calling pitches against him.”

It didn’t take long for Kurtz to shoot through the Athletics’ system. They drafted him fourth overall in June 2024, and by the following year, he played 20 games in Las Vegas and then was promoted to the A’s, where he hasn’t looked back.

Kurtz not only met but likely exceeded expectations.

His true breakout game occurred last July 25 at Houston when he went 6 for 6 with four homers, eight RBIs, six

runs and a record-tying 19 total bases.

There were discussions about whether it was the greatest performance in MLB history. That is until Shohei Ohtani homered three times, had 12 total bases and from the mound struck out 10 over six shutout innings in an NL Championship Series game.

Kurtz doesn’t have the spotlight on him like the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar — what MLB player does? — and playing most of his home games in a Triple-A park in West Sacramento, California, doesn’t generate much exposure.

But other pitchers are more than aware of him, and Kurtz will continue to try to make the most of his opportunities whenever they come.

The best outcome often is simply taking the walk to rst.

“I’m totally ne if you want to pitch around me,” Kurtz said. “You still got other guys in the lineup who can do a whole of hitting, so it makes it really easy for me to just take my walks and score some runs.”

Judge dismisses lawsuit by 31 former NC State athletes alleging abuse by ex-head trainer

Dismissal came due to procedural reasons, but players plan to appeal

By Aaron Beard The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A state judge has dismissed a lawsuit led by 31 former NC State male athletes alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine.

In orders led Tuesday, Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins dismissed claims against Robert M. Murphy Jr., as well as multiple NC State athletics o cials tied to their oversight rules, citing procedural reasons.

The lawsuit was led in February in state court in a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete led in 2022. That complaint alleged years of misconduct by Murphy, including improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.

Collins granted the motion seeking a dismissal from Murphy’s attorneys, ruling that the statute of limitations had expired in claims dating back as early as 2013.

Collins also dismissed claims against multiple athletics o cials such as former athletic director Debbie Yow and current AD Boo Corrigan on jurisdictional grounds. His ruling stated any complaint should go through the North Carolina Industrial Commis-

NC State.

sion — a state agency that deals with workplace matters with NC State as a public university — rather than civil court.

Jared Hammett, a Raleigh-based attorney representing Murphy, issued a statement to The Associated Press describing his client as “someone who dedicated his life to working with athletes” while referring to a “rush to judgment” that can impact “real people’s lives.”

“The truth is nothing happened but a man’s career being ruined for money,” Hammett said. “As a lawyer I am just glad that we have been able to help another person who needed support and found himself needing that defense.”

Durham-based attorney

Kerry Sutton, who has represented players going back to the original case, said the athletes plan to appeal.

“This dismissal has nothing at all to do with Mr. Murphy’s sexual abuse of these 31 former student-athletes,” Sutton said in a statement to the AP.

“It was decided based only on questions of legal procedure. We plan to appeal this outcome and in coming days will be adding new claims against NCSU for men who have recently come forward.”

All but two of the 31 athletes are “John Doe” plainti s to protect anonymity, while two former men’s soccer players are named.

One is Benjamin Locke, who led the original complaint in August 2022. The other is one

of two athletes who led their own federal lawsuits in February 2023 and April 2023. The AP typically doesn’t identify those who say they have been sexually assaulted or abused unless the person has spoken publicly about it, which Locke has done.

Sutton, who has represented plainti s in each lawsuit, led to dismiss those pending Title IX lawsuits before moving the case to state-level jurisdiction in September 2025. Murphy, at NC State from 2012-22, was among nine defendants originally named individually. Others were school o cials accused of negligence in oversight roles, saying concerns about Murphy’s conduct reached senior levels of the athletic department but the school’s response was insu cient.

Sutton and co-counsel Robert O. Jenkins led in April to dismiss former NC State chancellor Randy Woodson as a defendant.

“NC State does not condone sexual misconduct of any kind,” the school said in a statement Tuesday evening.

“The health and safety of our students and student-athletes is paramount to the university and our athletic programs.

“We agree with the court’s analysis and the decision that the law supports dismissal of the plainti s’ claims in this case. We recognize the immense courage it takes for someone to come forward, and our hearts go out to any student or student-athlete who has been impacted by distressing experiences.”

KARA DURRETTE / AP PHOTO

Flags y above at the Reynolds Coliseum on the campus of

Nick Kurtz

CAROLINE BREHMAN / AP PHOTO

The Athletics’ Nick Kurtz rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run.

the stream

‘Project Hail Mary,’ Colin Farrell in ‘Sugar,’ Myles

“Million Dollar Nannies” lands on Hulu

By Lindsey Bahr

The Associated Press

THE STREAMING debut of “Project Hail Mary” and Myles Smith’s debut album 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, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Colin Farrell plays an alien on Earth in “Sugar,” a Square Enix game that evokes “Chrono Trigger” and “Released At Last,” a collaboration between Big Freedia and the late artist Sophie.

MOVIES TO STREAM

“Project Hail Mary,” one of the biggest hits of the rst half of the movie year, begins streaming Thursday. Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s sci- adventure stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a science teacher who wakes up on a ship sent into space on a mission to save dying stars. Sandra Hüller co-stars, as does an alien named Rocky played by puppeteer James Ortiz. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called it “a clever, sincere, most-ages crowd-pleaser that’s full of life, energy and a love of science.”

In “How to Make a Killing” (Friday, HBO Max), Glen Powell stars as a working-class man who sets out to murderously reclaim his inheritance. The lm, written and directed by John Patton Ford (“Emily the Criminal”), is inspired by the great Alec Guinness Ealing comedy “Kind Heart and Coronets.” But such tonal deftness is lacking, I wrote in my review, in “a disappointingly at almost-remake that has neither the biting farce nor the chilling darkness to match its black-comedy ambitions.”

“Voicemails for Isabelle”

Smith

hopes to separate from the pack of a long line of Net ix rom-coms. In writer-director Leah McKendrick’s lm, Zoey Deutch stars a woman grieving her sister’s death who, to

cope, leaves voicemails on her phone. When that number is reassigned to Austin real estate agent (Nick Robinson), the two are drawn together. It debuts Friday.

“Project Hail Mary” is a clever, sincere, most-ages crowd-pleaser that’s full of life, energy and a love of science.

MUSIC TO STREAM

On Friday, Myles Smith will release his debut album, “My Mess, My Heart, My Life.” It is a bit hard to believe because the English singer-songwriter already has a three-times platinum single under his belt. His 2024 song “Stargazing” was a folk-pop megahit from a once-unknown performer. And on his rst full-length album, he aims to keep up the momentum. The music world lost a nascent pop hero in 2021 when Sophie, the Grammy-nominated Scottish disc jockey, produc-

er and recording artist who had worked with the likes of Madonna and Charli XCX, died following an accident in the Greek capital of Athens. She was 34. Her music continues to resonate, and her in uence continues to be heard across the underground and mainstream alike. On Friday, the New Orleans icon and Queen of Bounce music Big Freedia will drop “Released At Last,” a three-song EP she recorded with the late Sophie back in 2016. It serves as a reminder: The club is open.

SERIES TO STREAM

You could call it “The Baby-Sitters Club” for ballers. In the new docuseries “Million Dollar Nannies,” cameras follow a boutique agency in Ibiza that o ers babysitting for the children of wealthy parents. These clients are VIPs who have big expectations to match their big lifestyles. There are NDAs, private planes and kids who eat caviar. All episodes drop Thursday on Hulu.

Farrell returns as an alien disguised as a human in Season 2 of “Sugar” for Apple TV. Premiering Friday, Farrell’s character goes by the alias John Sugar, a private investigator in Los Angeles. The series is a noir-style detective drama with a central mystery that lasts all season. Sugar has two jobs. One is to solve his case du jour and the other is to secretly monitor people here on Earth.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Square Enix’s “The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales” takes place in a land called Philabieldia, “a beautiful but savage land” that sounds just like our own Pennsylvania city, only without cheesesteaks. After some mysterious ruins are discovered, the gutsy Elliot and his fairy sidekick, Faie, are sent on a journey that goes back and forth in time across 1,000 years. The pixelated art will look familiar to fans of developer Clay Tech Works’ role-playing fantasy “Octopath Traveler,” but the action is more arcade-like. And the time-jumping story is reminiscent of Square’s 1995 classic “Chrono Trigger.” Start making history Thursday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 and PC.

CHARLES SYKES / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Myles Smith, pictured performing in 2025 in Philadelphia, releases his debut album, “My Mess, My Heart, My Life,” on Friday.

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP PHOTO

John Patton Ford arrives at the premiere of “How to Make a Killing” at AMC The Grove in Los Angeles.

EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Ryan Gosling attends the premiere of “Project Hail Mary” at Lincoln Center Plaza in New York.

STATE & NATION

Backyard brawl: UFC rocks DC

By Dan Gelston The Associated Press

UFC CEO Dana White called ght night at the White House a smashing success. White boasted about merchandise sales and streaming service subscriptions and how UFC surpassed its goals in every metric he could list.

White also knows this type of production can’t be duplicated again at the White House.

The constant headaches over weather concerns in the rare outdoor show, the logistics of construction of the cage and staging events at federal landmarks and the soaring cost

made Freedom 250 a once-ina-lifetime event. It delivered on the star-spangled smackdown that featured pulsating patriotism from the Marine Band, tributes to rst responders, Medal of Honor recipients and other White House-designated heroes. American Justin Gaethje won the UFC Lightweight title in a huge upset over Ilia Topuria inside a blood-splattered eight-sided cage plopped in the open air right in the people’s house backyard. White said this was a oneo show, though, never to be repeated: “I can’t a ord it … We’ll never do this again.”

PHOTOS BY MARK SCHIEFELBEIN, ALEX BRANDON, JACQUELYN MARTIN, JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON VIA AP

Randolph record

Hurricane Stanley

The Carolina Hurricanes clinched their rst Stanley Cup in 20 years with a 3-0 Game 6 shutout in Las Vegas on Sunday,

dominant 16-3 playo run. For much more, turn to NSJ Sports.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

8 dead in B-52 bomber crash at U.S. Air Force base in California

Los Angeles

The U.S. Air Force says eight people aboard a B-52 bomber that crashed shortly after takeo at a military base in Southern California’s Mojave Desert are dead. O cials said Monday that emergency crews responded after the aircraft went down around 11:20 a.m. at Edwards Air Force Base north of Los Angeles. The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range bomber that entered service in 1955. Designed to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons, it has been used in countless con icts from Vietnam to Iran.

Newsom says Trump’s DOJ investigating him, his wife Sacramento, Calif. Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the Justice Department is investigating him and his wife, accusing the Trump administration of targeting him for political purposes as he weighs a presidential bid. The full scope of any investigations related to Newsom was not immediately clear. Newsom said in a video posted Monday on X that federal agents in recent days have knocked on the doors of his friends and former employees, and have asked for records. A person familiar with the matter con rmed there are multiple federal investigations into people around Newsom, including one related to his wife’s taxes.

FY 2026-27 budget set for Asheboro

The council approved keeping the property tax rate level for another year

By Ryan Henkel Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The Asheboro City Council has adopted a new budget.

At the city council’s June 6 meeting, a public hearing was held for the FY 2026-27 recommended budget.

The budget is balanced at just under $80 million, with the general fund being balanced at around $52 million, an approximately 5% increase from the prior year’s.

“This is a budget that I think still continues to provide services at the level that you expect, that the citizens deserve, without overspending,” said City Manager Donald Duncan.

Notable investments in

“I know the council and the mayor didn’t have an appetite for raising taxes and we still managed to maintain that rate even with some signi cant challenges.”

Joey Trogdon, Asheboro mayor

the budget include about $27 million for public safety, $26.3 million for water and sewer and $8 million for culture and recreation.

“We’re still continuing to invest in public safety and while that’s not cheap, it’s vitally important,” Duncan said. “Asheboro also has a massive recreation program and there are costs associated with operating all of that.”

There’s also around $25 mil-

lion set aside for salaries and payroll.

“We are an employee centric organization,” Duncan said. Increased costs associated with county employees are tied to hikes in health insurance expenditures to cover for the relatively older population, retirement contributions and changes to the county’s prescription plan and the health insurance provider.

The budget also comes with a recommendation to maintain the property tax rate of $0.71 per $100 valuation.

“We’re still doing OK with tax property and tax values,” Duncan said. “We’re trending in the right direction. But in the last two years, it’s starting to level o , and that’s just the basis of investment and values of property.”

With the maintaining of the property tax rate, the budget presented a big challenge to balance given the rising costs

all across the state and country.

“This budget does have some challenges,” Duncan said. “We’re facing some headwinds with decreased sales tax, increased sanitation rates from Waste Management, obviously fuel and energy costs are going up and we even had increased healthcare costs.”

Following the public hearing, the council approved the recommended budget.

“We did this all with the same tax rate,” said Mayor Joey Trogdon. “I know the council and the mayor didn’t have an appetite for raising taxes, and we still managed to maintain that rate even with some signi cant challenges. Around the state, there’s been quite a few increases and personnel cuts, and they’re having to do dramatic things to balance. So I commend the sta for all their hard work.”

The Asheboro City Council will next meet July 9.

Gainey receives NCHSAA special honor

The superintendent of the Randolph County School System has long ties to the state association

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

GREENSBORO — Stephen Gainey, superintendent of the Randolph County School System, received one of the statewide honors presented by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.

Gainey was the recipient of the Bob McRae Superintendent of the Year award at last week’s annual NCHSAA awards ceremony at Piedmont Hall in Greensboro.

The award is presented to a superintendent who has made signi cant contributions to high school athletics and student athlete development. Gainey was lauded by the

NCHSAA because “while superintendent, he has not only been a proponent and advocate of public-school education but has remained an ardent supporter of education-based athletics, while overseeing and watching his schools provide opportunities for growth and development as student-athletes.”

The award is named in honor of McRae, a former NCHSAA president and retired superintendent in Randolph and Cleveland counties.

Gainey, who has been RCSS superintendent since 2013, is wrapping up time as a two -term president of the NCHSAA. He has spent seven years on the NCHSAA board of directors. He’s a past coach, teacher, principal and district administrator.

In his role as NCHSAA president, Gainey also gave some closing remarks at the awards ceremony.

THE RANDOLPH COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Gainey received the Superintendent of the Year award from NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker.

capping-o a

JOHN LOCHER / AP PHOTO

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Early voting dates set in county

The same locations that were used in winter will

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — Dates and sites for October early voting in Randolph County have been selected by the county’s Board of Elections.

Early voting will be held from Oct. 15-31 with the exception of Oct. 17, 18 and 25. The times will be from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. except for Oct. 31, when polls close at 3 p.m.

The sites will be the Randolph County Board of Elections at 1457 North Fayetteville St. in Asheboro; Randolph Community College’s Archdale campus; Randleman Civic Center; and Franklinville United

Methodist Church. These are the same locations that were used in February prior to the March 3 primary.

The dates for early voting will be in advance of the Nov. 3 election. On that day, voters must vote at their assigned precinct, with polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Randolph County Board of Elections canceled its June meeting. The next scheduled meeting comes at 5 p.m. July 14 at Board of Elections O ce in Asheboro.

Meanwhile, the ling period for candidates for Randolph County’s Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor runs through 5 p.m. July 6 at the Board of Elections in Asheboro.

Shooting leaves man injured in Asheboro

The incident has the police seeking assistance from the public as information is gathered

Randolph Record sta

Randolph Guide

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

June 19

Friday Night Bluegrass — New Direction Bluegrass

7 p.m.

The Sunset Theatre hosts New Direction Bluegrass as part of its Friday Night Bluegrass series. Tickets available through sunsettheatre.thundertix. com.

THURSDAY JUNE 18

FRIDAY JUNE 19

SATURDAY

CRIME LOG

June 8

• Camryn Jacob Culler, 20, of Greensboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine and carrying a concealed gun, and other charges.

• Sherri Vanessa Hale, 39, of Sophia, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia, and other charges.

• Nathan Mark Hanneman, 24, of Pleasant Garden, was arrested by NCHP for identity theft, hitand-run leaving the scene of property damage and reckless driving to endanger, and other charges.

• Brian Dale Krizan, 54, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for assault on a female.

• Logan Riley Locklear, 26, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for larceny of a motor vehicle.

• Amy Rebecca Toomes McArthur, 50, of Randleman, was arrested by RCSO for violation of a domestic violence protective order.

• Daniel Rain Rodden, 18, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for selling or giving a weapon to a minor; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a controlled substance; and exposing a child to a controlled substance, and other charges.

• Atef Shaker Youness, 57, of Greensboro, was arrested by Liberty PD for assault by strangulation and misdemeanor child abuse.

June 9

• Robert James Eddinger, 65, of Trinity, was arrested by RCSO for communicating threats.

• Tricia Lauren Needham, 36, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to maintain lane control.

• Jesus Alejandro Ponce, 35, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for assault causing enforcement o cer, probation

Asheboro Police said that Nathan Green, 38, was found with gunshot wounds to his upper body and leg Friday morning on the 700 block of Cool Spring Street.

Based on early reports from police, a man got out of a vehicle and red multiple rounds

ASHEBORO — A man suffered multiple gunshot wounds in an Asheboro shooting, and police are looking for the shooter.

o cer or parole o cer; assault on a female; and communicating threats, and other charges.

June 10

• Nancy Lee Cross, 56, of Jamestown, was arrested by Archdale PD for prostitution.

• Violet Ellsworth-Stallsworth, 40, of Norristown, was arrested by Asheboro PD for urinating in public.

• Anthony Joel Green, 44, of Asheboro, was arrested by RCSO for failure to report a new address as a sex o ender.

• Vidal Hernandez, 48, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for seconddegree trespass and resisting or obstructing a public o cer.

• Jimmy Montez McMillian, 37, of Laurinburg, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession of a rearm by a felon, driving on a revoked license and impeding tra c by slow speed, and other charges.

• James Edward Rogers, 55, of Thomasville, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a revoked license, and other charges.

• Carolyn Novelle Trogdon, 48, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for assault on a government o cial or employee, disorderly conduct and resisting a public o cer, and other charges.

• Thomas James Marsh, 23, of Pleasant Garden, was arrested by RCSO for misdemeanor child abuse.

June 11

• Wells Paul Blackburn, 35, of Trinity, was arrested by RCSO for violation of a domestic violence protective order, communicating threats and misdemeanor stalking.

• Kailey Blake Lambeth, 34, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for second-degree trespass and shoplifting by concealment of goods.

• James Samuel Sams, 49, of Pleasant Garden, was arrested by RCSO for rst-degree burglary.

• Tedarrius Desean Wiley, 34, of Randleman, was arrested by

The dark-colored vehicle was last seen on Shamrock Road.

Police are seeking the public’s assistance regarding the case. The incident occurred around 11 a.m., based on a police report. Cool Spring Street is located between Worth Street and Parkview Street on the city’s east side.

RCSO for assault on a female.

• Robert Norman Yates, 38, of Archdale, was arrested by RCSO for felony eeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia, and other charges.

• Grady Raymond York, 56, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver methamphetamine; selling methamphetamine; and felony conspiracy, and other charges.

June 12

• Bodi Stephen Marsh, 29, of Randleman, was arrested by Asheboro PD for rst-degree burglary and breaking and entering to terrorize or injure.

• Adam Daniel Webster, 40, of Charlotte, was arrested by RCSO for communicating threats.

June 13

• Danny Ray Atkins, 32, of Randleman, was arrested by RCSO for possession of fentanyl.

• Jessica Ann Goforth, 31, of Liberty, was arrested by Liberty PD for misdemeanor larceny.

• Shania Faith Wadkins, 29, of Randleman, was arrested by RCSO for possession of fentanyl.

June 14

• Francisco Cruz Lopez, 35, of Knightdale, was arrested by NCHP for driving while impaired, no operator’s license and exceeding the posted speed.

• Walberto Junior GuzmanBadillo, 23, of Winston-Salem, was arrested by Archdale PD for assault on a female and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

• Corey Tyler Hussey, 26, of Robbins, was arrested by RCSO for simple assault.

• Jasmin Sanchez Salgado, 21, of Asheboro, was arrested by Asheboro PD for misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

• Mariah Richelle Angel Smith, 32, of Liberty, was arrested by Liberty PD for possession of a stolen rearm.

Sunset Theatre 234 Sunset Ave. Asheboro

Asheboro Zookeepers vs. Martinsville Mustangs

7-9 p.m.

Two North Carolina baseball teams will meet and play at historic McCrary Park.

138 Southway Road Asheboro

Market & Music featuring Cornbread Cowboys

7 p.m.

The Randleman Market & Music summer concert series continues with Cornbread Cowboys performing live from 7-10 p.m. Food trucks and the Four Saints Brewing Company beer garden open at 5 p.m.; admission is free. Commerce Square Park 120 Commerce Square Randleman

June 20

Juneteenth Street Festival 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Free admission to this family-friendly celebration. Food, vendors, speakers and activities will be available all day.

Randolph County Courthouse 145 Worth St. Asheboro

June 26

Rock’n the Park featuring Heart Breaker — The Ultimate Heart Tribute Band

8 p.m.

Downtown Asheboro Inc. and the City of Asheboro present Heart Breaker, a Heart tribute band, headlining the Rock’n the Park Friday night series at Bicentennial Park. A local opening act performs at 6:30 p.m.; Heart Breaker takes the stage at 8 p.m. Free admission; food trucks and the Zoo City Social District on site.

Bicentennial Park 135 Sunset Ave. Asheboro

June 27

Asheboro Summer Cruise Series: Summer Heat 6-10 p.m. Vintage car display and parade. Free event.

1128 N. Fayetteville St. Asheboro

THE CONVERSATION

Trip

Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

Even without his controversies, Graham Platner is just a lightweight extremist

SET ASIDE, for a moment, that Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner spent years with a Nazi SS Totenkopf tattoo. Set aside that he blamed sexual assault victims for their predicament, that he called rural white Americans stupid racists, that he advocated political violence, that he mocked a wounded Purple Heart recipient, that he joked about the Virgin Mary being a “skank” and that he joined a hookup site while married.

Who among us is a saint, after all?

The more interesting question is why Democrats have shown such loyalty to him.

After hearing so much about Platner’s everyman appeal, I went down a rabbit hole, watching his speeches and listening to his interviews. Virtually every one of them is crammed with brain-numbing platitudes and freshman-level socialist sloganeering. His rhetoric makes former Vice President Kamala Harris sound weighty by comparison.

“This is a race about performative politics they’re used to,” Platner told a crowd recently. “What they don’t understand is that this is a race about us.”

This kind of banality, and there is a lot of it, calls to mind Lt. Frank Drebin trying to win over the love of his life in “The Naked Gun” by telling her that “maybe the problems of two little people don’t amount to a hill of beans ... but this is our hill, and these are our beans.”

The late philosopher Daniel Dennett called phrases like this “deepities” — words that create the impression of moral and emotional weight while o ering no actual insight.

Obviously, most politicians tra c in deepities to some extent. Platner, however, can spew inane class-war cliches for an hour without

wandering anywhere near a deeper thought.

That is because Platner is the embodiment of performative left-wing populism. His cosplay working-man candidacy was created by Faiz Shakir and Ben Wikler, two Ivy League-educated former Bernie Sanders sta ers.

“Part of the thesis here is that people don’t want candidates who are grown in a vat,” Wikler recently said. “They want people who are real human beings. And they want people who do not look and sound like the people who have been leading this country o a cli the last century.”

In other words, Platner is not a compelling organic candidate. He is a man who can play a part. Democrats have lost working-class voters to Republican populists, so they have become enamored with the idea of running someone who carries the aesthetic qualities of one. That is my thesis.

“If we want folks that are representing us from the working class, they’re not necessarily going to have a groomed and perfect political record,” a Maine voter recently told Fox News, repeating a common talking point.

But is the progressive impression of working-class “folks” really that they get Nazi tattoos, fantasize about rape and murder, and cheat on their wives? Because that seems like an insulting stereotype.

As James Kirchick notes, people used to say Donald Trump “was a poor person’s idea of a rich person.” Platner, he says, “is a rich person’s idea of a poor person.”

Weirdly, Platner’s many controversies may have obscured his political radicalism. Wikler and other Bernie acolytes should be honest and decry not merely

Democrats’ struggle with men

the past century but the past 250 years because progressives detest the constitutional order.

You can hear it in Platner’s appearance on a Jewhating conspiracy theorist’s podcast — “longtime fan,” the Maine Senate candidate says — where he derides the American “system” and depicts the United States, the wealthiest country on the planet, as a hellhole.

Now, Platner may well win Maine. Maybe class resentment and Marxism are our future. But his politics — not only “taking back” what was allegedly stolen by the rich but also supporting all the cultural quackery the woke Left has in icted on the country — are far more closely aligned with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez than with the average working-class American.

Even if Platner were a member of the proletariat, would that be enough?

Millions of working-class Americans successfully navigate the world without being sleazeballs. It would be helpful to bring their perspectives and experiences to Washington. Platner, born into privilege, will not. He bought his house with help from his wealthy father and VA disability bene ts. His oyster-farming business may have been created after he decided to run for Senate. Whatever the case, it appears his only real customer is his wealthy mother’s restaurant.

And that is ne. There is nothing wrong with relying on family. There is nothing wrong with being rich. There is something wrong with mischaracterizing your life to mislead voters.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

reflects a deeper cultural disconnect

ONE OF THE MORE revealing political developments of recent years has been the Democratic Party’s growing concern about its declining support among male voters. After years of watching men drift toward the political right, many Democrats have begun asking a simple question: Why are men leaving?

The answer may be simpler than party strategists would like to admit.

For many men, politics is not merely about policy preferences. It is also about whether they feel understood, respected and represented. Increasingly, many men feel that modern progressive politics views them less as constituents and more as problems to be solved.

Over the past decade, much of the political and cultural conversation on the left has framed masculinity in negative terms. Men are frequently described as “toxic” or privileged, or as obstacles to social progress. While these criticisms are often directed at speci c behaviors, many ordinary men hear something broader: that their role in society is being diminished or dismissed.

As a result, Democrats now face a challenge that goes beyond messaging. They are struggling to connect with a demographic they increasingly seem not to understand.

This disconnect becomes apparent in the party’s search for gures who can appeal to male voters. Progressives often ask where their version of podcast host Joe Rogan might be. Yet the question itself reveals a misunderstanding.

Rogan does not t neatly into traditional ideological categories. He has supported progressive candidates, entertained a wide range of viewpoints, and frequently rejects partisan labels altogether. His appeal stems less from his political beliefs than from his ability to

speak to audiences in a way that feels authentic and unscripted.

Rather than recognizing that authenticity, many Democrats appear to search for substitutes who mimic certain cultural aesthetics while maintaining strict ideological conformity. The result often feels forced.

The same dynamic can be seen in Texas politics, where state Rep. James Talarico has emerged as a prominent Democratic gure. Talarico presents himself as a person of faith and frequently speaks about Christianity in public life. Yet critics argue that his policy positions remain rmly aligned with progressive priorities, creating a disconnect between the image he projects and the policies he supports.

Whether on issues involving transgender policies, border security, gun rights or energy production, opponents contend that Talarico’s recent rhetoric sounds more moderate than his legislative record. To those critics, the problem is not his ideology but the perception that he is attempting to package progressive policies in culturally conservative language.

The broader issue, they argue, is that Democrats often focus on appearances rather than underlying values.

Many progressives seem to operate with a narrow understanding of masculinity. In one stereotype, the traditional man is a deeply religious cultural conservative whose identity revolves around outward displays of faith. In another, masculinity is reduced to a rough-edged, hyperaggressive caricature de ned by toughness and rebellion.

Neither image captures how most men see themselves.

For many conservatives, masculinity is not primarily about appearance, style or personality. It is about responsibility. A man may be a lawyer, teacher,

mechanic, soldier or small-business owner. What matters is not the aesthetic but the ful llment of duties — to family, community and country.

Under this understanding, manhood is de ned less by how someone looks and more by what he does.

Providing for a family, protecting loved ones, serving one’s community, and accepting personal responsibility are viewed as central components of masculine identity.

Critics of modern progressivism argue that this framework creates a fundamental con ict.

Contemporary left-wing politics often emphasizes individual rights and personal autonomy, while traditional concepts of masculinity emphasize obligations and responsibilities. If politics increasingly focuses on liberation from duties, it becomes more di cult to speak meaningfully to people who view duty itself as a virtue.

This may help explain why many Democratic attempts to reconnect with male voters have fallen at. The problem is not necessarily a lack of outreach. It is that the outreach often appears to be built on assumptions that many men do not recognize.

Political parties succeed when they understand the people they hope to persuade. They fail when they substitute stereotypes for genuine understanding.

As Democrats continue searching for ways to rebuild support among men, they may discover that the challenge is not nding the right messenger or adopting the right aesthetic. It is understanding the values, responsibilities and aspirations that shape how many men see themselves in the rst place.

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 | BEN SHAPIRO

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

Roaring crowds in stars and stripes show up for the US team, soccer’s moment in their country

Multigenerational

American families increasingly view soccer as central to their sports identity

By Amy Taxin and Jaimie Ding

The Associated Press

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — It was a stadium like any other, packed with American sports fans wearing their favorite team’s jerseys and red-white-and-blue face paint, roaring as players took the eld.

Only this time, the sport was soccer.

The U.S. team’s home opener in the World Cup on Friday brought more than 70,000 passionate soccer enthusiasts to the massive stadium near Los Angeles, where they saw the U.S. beat Paraguay 4-1. They had, in many cases, paid thousands of dollars to see their team play on the biggest global stage for a sport that has long been eclipsed in the United States — a sport many say is nally having its moment.

Many fans said they grew up playing soccer in recreational leagues as young children, and well into high school and college. Nakisha Gutierrez, a 37-year-old occupational therapist from Los Angeles, and her sister both played the sport. Their Argentine father raised them on soccer, and the next generation is now taking it up, too, she said.

“It’s in the family blood,” said Gutierrez, her cheeks painted with sparkling red-and-blue stars. “It is the American culture — it’s starting to be.”

The World Cup is played every four years, and fans around the world track their national teams, hoping they’ll have a strong enough showing to qualify for it. In many countries — like Friday’s opponent, Paraguay — just making it to the tournament can prompt street parties, reworks and national holidays. In the United States, though, the response is often a bit more muted. Soccer has long been overshadowed by football, basketball and “America’s pastime” of baseball.

But soccer’s popularity has risen in the United States since the country last hosted the World Cup in 1994. Major League Soccer was launched two years later, and soccer has become especially popular among young athletes.

There was palpable joy in the air for U.S. fans watching the match as Folarin Balogun scored an electric two goals in the rst half of the game, and star player Christian Pulisic made a shot that led to a Paraguay own goal. But the stadi-

um was aroar when Gio Reyna sealed Paraguay’s fate with a late fourth goal during added time.

Samuel Esquivel, 9, said he was screaming when the match ended.

“That was probably, like, the second best goal,” he said of Reyna’s shot. He started playing soccer last year and said he already wants to win a World Cup.

His father Roman Esquivel said they came from a family that played football, basketball, and baseball. But Esquivel’s daughter and son both fell in love with soccer, and their enthusiasm for the game has spread to him as well.

“It’s the most beautiful sport in the world,” he said. “There’s a reason why the whole world plays soccer.” Interest has also been buoyed by immigrants from countries where, as Gutierrez puts it, “soccer is life.”

Ava Cupit, 14, traveled with her family from Franklin, Tennessee, to cheer on the U.S. team, dressed up as the Statue of Liberty. Her great-grandfather was from Spain and helped bring soccer to their small town, where he built elds and promoted the sport.

“He made us all fall in love with it, and our whole family loves soccer,” Ava’s mother Rachel Cupit said. “The people

who’ve married in, they’ve just become a part of it too.”

In the massive stadium in Inglewood, California, usually home to football games, seats were a sea of red and white. Fans wore glitter, Stars-and- Stripes high-tops, overalls, robes and the team’s hallmark jerseys. Some dressed as that ultimate symbol of American patriotism, Uncle Sam, with long white beards and top hats. A

few wore George Washington costumes. They came to show their support for their team, and to show that Americans, like the rest of the world, can be passionate about soccer, too. Many were trying to attend all of the U.S. team’s group round matches. One spectator said he came from Texas after seeing the U.S. team previously face o in international matches before large

crowds backing their opponents.

Self-proclaimed soccer “addict” Jose Contreras said he grew up playing the sport with his uncle in Mexico because it was cheap and accessible. He ew from Georgia to support the U.S. in its opening match, even though there are games he could attend in Atlanta, closer to home.

“This is one of the happiest days of my life,” Contreras said.

ANDRE PENNER / AP PHOTO

Fans of the United States Men’s National Team cheer prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, California, last Friday.

ANDRE PENNER / AP PHOTO

United States fans cheer prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay outside of Los Angeles last Friday.

Carl Stout

Jan. 31, 1928 – June 9, 2026

Carl Thomas Stout, 98, of Asheboro, died Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at The Randolph Hospice House in Asheboro.

A graveside service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Back Creek Friends Meeting Cemetery, 147 Back Creek Church Road, Asheboro, with Pastor John Voncannon o ciating. Military honors will be provided by the Randolph County Honor Guard.

Carl was born on January 31, 1928, in Randolph County, the son of the late Elwood Stout and Mary Lula Cooper Stout. He honorably served in the United States Coast Guard. He was a longtime member of Back Creek Friends Meeting. Carl retired from Acme-McCrary Corporation after 38 years of service. Carl loved his Corvettes, the beach, and the Lord.

In addition to his parents, Carl was preceded in death by his wife, Juanita Coltrane Stout; daughter, Joan Marie Stout; brothers, Ervin Stout, Cli ord Stout, Rufus Stout, Dock Stout, Ray Stout; sisters, Mary Stout, Avis Stout, Iris Ledwell, Lois Walker, Grace Williams, Opal Ives and Gladys Paul.

Carl is survived by his son, Eddie Thomas Stout and wife Verna of Myrtle Beach, SC; grandson, Ed Tyler Stout and wife Ginny; greatgranddaughters, Taylor Stout and Peyton Stout; and numerous nieces, nephews, and greatnieces and great-nephews.

Memorials may be made to Back Creek Friends Meeting, 147 Back Creek Church Road, Asheboro, NC 27205; or to Hospice of Randolph, 416 Vision Drive, Asheboro, NC 27203.

Gene Paul Derry

March 17, 1947 – June 5, 2026

Eugene Paul Derry, 79, of Randleman, passed away, Friday, June 5, 2026 at Alpine Health and Rehabilitation in Asheboro. No services are scheduled at this time. Gene was born on March 17, 1947, in Christian County, Illinois to the late Rolla and Irene Derry. His humor was sharp and his personality unforgettable. A true social butter y, he loved being surrounded by family and friends and was happiest wherever there was good company and plenty of conversation. He treasured the simple joys in life, especially time spent at the beach.

In addition to his parents, Gene was preceded in death by his grandson, Cory Ryan Clayton Jr.

Surviving are his wife, Lori Derry of the home; daughter, BreeAnn Campbell of North Carolina; sons, Cory Clayton (Rebecca) of Texas, Michael Derry of Illinois; grandchildren, Bryce Derry (Marisa), Easton Campbell, Taylor Campbell, Michael Clayton, Brydan Clayton, Chase Clayton, Samuel Clayton, and McKenzie Clayton.

obituaries

Marie Lambert Lunsford

Dec. 7, 1937 – June 12, 2026

Marie Lambert Lunsford, of Asheboro, NC, died Friday, June 12, 2026, at her home in Julian, NC.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel, 908 Albemarle Road, Asheboro, with Dr. Rob Roberts o ciating. Burial will follow at Oaklawn Cemetery. Born December 7, 1937, in Stanly Co., NC, Mrs. Lunsford was the daughter of the late Rufus Frank Lambert and Frosie McIntyre Lambert. She retired from Energizer and was a member of Oakhurst Baptist Church for over 60 years. Marie was the true matriarch of the family, dedicating her life to her family. She never missed an opportunity to spread positivity, motivate others and let everyone know they are special. She did everything for everybody and loved to cook. When you couldn’t nd her helping someone in need, you could nd her working in the yard and tending to her plants.

In addition to her parents, Mrs. Lunsford was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Rufus E. Lunsford, Sr., and her son, Rufus “Dude” Lunsford, Jr.

She is survived by her daughters, Crystal L. McCracken (Ron) of Julian, NC, Deborah L. Williams (Joel) of Asheboro, Christine L. Craven of Asheboro; sister, Gaye Talbert of Albemarle; grandchildren, Christopher Wood of Julian, Savannah Green (Steven) of Ramseur, Seth Craven (Brandi) of Franklinville, NC, Kaycee Moran (Addison) of Seagrove; Taylor Lambeth (Adam) of Thomasville, Alannah Williams of Asheboro, Tia Lunsford of Denton, Jake Lunsford of Seagrove; great grandchildren, Nora Wood, Eli Craven, Cassie Craven, Allie Moran, Maci Moran, Miley Moran and Evelyn Kelly.

The family will receive friends from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m., Tuesday at Ridge Funeral Home prior to the service.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959.

Edmund Allred

June 21, 1938 – June 2, 2026

Edmund Douglas Allred, 87, of High Point, passed away on June 2, 2026, at the Hospice Home at High Point.

Born on June 21, 1938, in Greensboro to the late Leonard and Elizabeth Isley Allred, Edmund grew up Greensboro, and graduated from Grimsley High School. In 1963, he joined the United States Army. He was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, from 1963 to 1965 and the values of discipline and honor he learned there were carried with him throughout his life. After leaving the Army, he pursued his passion for business and helping others. He earned an associate’s degree in business laying the foundation for a lifetime career in retail management. His commitment and integrity in his profession were evident to all who had the pleasure of working with him.

During his career, while managing the Greensboro Hofheimers department store, he met the Cynthia Abercrombie, whom he married soon after. Beyond his career and service, Edmund was a man of many interests that re ected his vibrant spirit. Edmund treasured the moments that he spent with his family. These bonds meant everything to him. His greatest happiness came from spending time with those he loved the most. He was an avid collector and enthusiast of guns, a passion he joyfully shared with his grandsons during memorable afternoons spent shooting together.

His love for westerns was wellknown—whether watching the iconic “Gunsmoke” on television or collecting classic western movies, these stories brought him great pleasure. Deeply rooted in faith, Edmund found comfort and strength in reading his Bible daily and was often uplifted by gospel music, alongside classic rock and country tunes that echoed the soundtrack of his life. He found meaning and could relate to the words of “Running Against the Wind,” one of his favorite classic rock songs.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Cynthia Abercrombie Allred; sons Steve Allred, Chester Allred, and Darrick Allred; daughter, Sandy Staley, ve grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. In addition to his parents, Edmund was preceded in death by his brothers, Leonard Allred and Ronnie Allred, and sister Sylvia Allred Harrison.

A memorial service to celebrate Edmund’s life will be conducted at 2:00PM on Friday, June 12, 2026, in the High Point Chapel at Wright Funerals - Cremations with a visitation for family and friends following the service at the funeral home.

Wright Funerals - Cremations, High Point, is in charge of the arrangements.

Philip Marion Wilson

April 10, 1955 – June 3, 2026

Philip Marion Wilson, 71, of Bennett, went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at his home. Today we are grateful his faith has been made sight. Phil was born on April 10, 1955, in Chatham County. He was a dedicated truck driver, known for his strong work ethic and commitment to his profession. He loved the Lord as well as his family and was a member of Fall Creek Baptist Church, where he served as deacon for many years. Phil faithfully encouraged his family to grow in Christ and point others to Jesus. Phil enjoyed being at home working in his shop with his grandson, Reed, and cheering on his granddaughters, Molly and Laney, at the ballpark. Phil enjoyed the close bond he shared with his siblings. In addition to spending time with his family, he enjoyed gardening, woodworking, and his annual family beach vacation. Phil was preceded in death by his beloved parents, Daniel and Marylin Caulk Wilson. Phil is survived by his devoted wife, and high school sweetheart, Gaylene Harper Wilson; his daughter, Wendi Wicker, and her husband, Jody, of Bennett; and his son, Dusty Wilson, and his wife, Ashley, of Lillington. Phil is also survived by his sisters, Hollis Freeman and her husband, Ernie, of Stedman, NC, and Karen Scott and her husband, Gary, of Goldston; his brothers, Danny Wilson and his wife, Gail, of Seagrove, and Sandy Wilson and his wife, Kim, of Todd, NC. He was a proud Pawpaw to Reed Wicker, Molly Wilson, Laney Wilson, Anisha Upchurch, and Michael Weaver. Phil will be dearly missed by his mother-inlaw, Betty Harper, of Bennett and brother-in-law, Lee Harper of Bennett.

The body of Phil Wilson will lie in repose on Saturday, June 6, 2026, from noon until 5:00 PM at Lo in Funeral Home in Ramseur. Funeral services will be held at 3:00 PM on Sunday, June 7, 2026 at Fall Creek Baptist Church with Dr. Ronnie Chaney o ciating. Burial will follow the service in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends following the service in the church fellowship hall.

Phil’s memory will be cherished by all who knew and loved him. Online condolences may be made at www. lo infuneralservice.com

Barbara “Bobbie” Collins Church

Dec. 16, 1959 – June 4, 2026

Barbara “Bobbie” Collins Church, 66, of Trinity, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on June 4, 2026. Born on Dec. 16, 1959, in High Point, North Carolina, Bobbie was a lifelong resident of Trinity and a beloved wife, daughter, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. Bobbie was preceded in death by her father, Mearl Collins. Left to cherish her memory are her loving husband of 19 years, Joey Church; her mother, Martha “Jean” Collins; her daughters, Christiana Leigh Simmons and Allison “Allie” Love and husband Philip; her stepchildren, Katie Lambert and husband Tim, Andrew Church and wife Lynn, and Tim Church and wife Jenice; her sisters, Diane Powers and Jennifer Davis; her grandson, Devin Skeen; and her stepgrandchildren, Koby Church, Jace Church, James Church, Zackary Church, Raven Church, Gage Love and wife Railei, Stone Love and wife Kealey, Maddox Love, Jasper Lambert, Hope Lambert, and Samantha Lambert. She is also survived by her soon-to-be-born greatgrandchild, Ryker and her stepgreat-grandchildren, Easton Love, Silas Love, Finley Love, Wylder Love, and Ellie Crews. A graduate of T. Wingate Andrews High School, Bobbie was a faithful member of Foster Street Wesleyan Church in Asheboro. She was a longtime employee of Thomas Built Buses, where she was known for her strong work ethic and dedication. Bobbie found great joy in the simple pleasures of life. She loved being outdoors, especially tending to her ower gardens. She took tremendous pride in the beauty she cultivated and generously volunteered her time and talents to maintain the owers at the entrance to her neighborhood. Her friendly spirit, sel ess nature, and warm personality touched the lives of everyone who knew her. Among her favorite pastimes were trips to the beach, spending time with family, and creating lasting memories with those she loved most. Her family was the center of her world, and she treasured every opportunity to gather with them. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Floral Garden Memorial Park Cemetery in High Point, North Carolina, with Pastor Charles Moses o ciating. The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at Cumby Family Funeral Service in Archdale, North Carolina. The family extends its sincere gratitude to the sta of AuthoraCare Hospice for their compassionate care and support. In lieu of owers, memorial contributions may be made to AuthoraCare Hospice in Greensboro, North Carolina. Though she will be deeply missed, Bobbie’s legacy of kindness, generosity, and love will continue to live on in the hearts of her family and friends for generations to come.

STATE & NATION

Backyard brawl: UFC rocks DC

By Dan Gelston The Associated Press

UFC CEO Dana White called ght night at the White House a smashing success. White boasted about merchandise sales and streaming service subscriptions and how UFC surpassed its goals in every metric he could list.

White also knows this type of production can’t be duplicated again at the White House.

The constant headaches over weather concerns in the rare outdoor show, the logistics of construction of the cage and staging events at federal landmarks and the soaring cost

made Freedom 250 a once-ina-lifetime event. It delivered on the star-spangled smackdown that featured pulsating patriotism from the Marine Band, tributes to rst responders, Medal of Honor recipients and other White House-designated heroes. American Justin Gaethje won the UFC Lightweight title in a huge upset over Ilia Topuria inside a blood-splattered eight-sided cage plopped in the open air right in the people’s house backyard. White said this was a oneo show, though, never to be repeated: “I can’t a ord it … We’ll never do this again.”

PHOTOS BY MARK SCHIEFELBEIN, ALEX BRANDON, JACQUELYN MARTIN, JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON VIA AP

RandolpH SPORTS

Randleman athlete embraces well-armed high school career

The quarterback and pitcher gained accolades as in multiple sports

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

is on me, and if I perform, then the team performs behind me. It just feels good playing that role.”

Much of the attention became centered on that right arm.

He unleashed an in-game throw covering 63 yards in football. His fastball in baseball has exceeded 90 mph.

“It’s hard to beat that arm,” Diamont said.

RANDLEMAN — For Randleman football and baseball fans, they witnessed a common theme across the past few years.

John Kirkpatrick had the ball in his hands. So while that era has closed for the Tigers, Kirkpatrick has nished a high school career that often seemed de ned by his strong-armed throws — either from the o ensive back eld or the pitching mound.

ZooKeepers’ big week ends on downers

Asheboro’s CPL team put up large numbers and gave up sizeable totals during a busy stretch

Randolph Record sta

ASHEBORO — There were more highlights for the Asheboro ZooKeepers last week in the Coastal Plain League, though some of their momentum was stunted during the weekend.

The Holly Springs Salamanders topped the host ZooKeepers 12-8 in 10 innings Saturday night. Cameron Austin had four hits and drove in three runs, while Daniel Stephens and Reggie Sharpe each scored three runs for Asheboro.

Then Sunday night at home, the ZooKeepers scored six runs in two separate innings but still came up short in a 15-14 loss to the Greenville Yard Gnomes.

COURTESY ZOOKEEPERS

Daniel Stephens

“He has one of the strongest arms I’ve coached,” Randleman football coach David Diamont said. “He has one of that naturally kind of whips.”

He eventually made it to the mound as a regular in the Tigers’ rotation.

“I love to pitch. I probably love to pitch the same reason I love to play quarterback,” Kirkpatrick said. “Just because I feel like all the eyes are on me and pressure

Kirkpatrick became a starting freshman out elder for Randleman’s 2023 baseball team, which was still largely stocked following the second of back-to-back state championships the year before. A few months later, he was starting at quarterback as a sophomore.

Randleman pitcher Seth Way struck out six batters in four innings while giving up two runs, Joseph Yamamoto picked up the win, and Carlos Gomez pitched two scoreless innings for the victory.

• Sylas Boris drilled two two -run home runs when the ZooKeepers wiped out a ve-run de cit to defeat the visiting Martinsville Mustangs 7-6 at McCrary Park. Boris also had a run-scoring single to begin the scoring for Asheboro.

Gomez pitched the ninth inning for his third save in support of winning pitcher Ian Anderson.

Kirkpatrick has grown to 6-foot-4, though he still carries a slender frame.

By his senior season on the football eld, he combined the powerful arm with a degree of grittiness.

“He got hit and beat up a lot. I

See KIRKPATRICK, page B3

Post 45 hits strong patch

The county’s two American Legion teams will meet twice across a four-night period

Randolph Record sta

• The ZooKeepers weren’t as fortunate against the visiting High Point-Thomasville HiToms, falling 7-4. Former Southwestern Randolph player Tyler Parks, a third baseman, provided a run-scoring double for the HiToms. For Asheboro, Brady McGuire hit a solo home run, Brady Schallmoser posted a two-run double and Connor Christenson drilled a run-producing double in his ZooKeepers debut.

• The ZooKeepers rallied from a three-run hole to defeat host Greenville 8-7 on Friday night, keyed by Daniel Stephens homering and scoring two runs. Josh Martinez also hit a home run. Will Oates’ sacri ce y provided the winning run. On the mound, former

Austin and Blake Brookins smacked three-run home runs for the ZooKeepers. Greenville scored the game’s nal three runs.

• Ethan Walker drove in three runs and Stephens launched a solo home run as the ZooKeepers needed only seven innings to dispatch the visiting Lexington County Blow sh by 10-0. Ben Shepherd gave up only two hits in ve innings and combined with Yamamoto on the shutout.

ASHEBORO — Randolph County Post 45 entered this week on some high notes after mixed results in American Legion baseball. The team rolled past host Hamlet Post 49 in a 21-0 romp Sunday night behind Price Kidd’s one-hitter across ve innings. Hudson Deel had four hits for seven runs batted in, hammering a home run and two doubles. Post 45 edged host High Point-Thomasville Post 87 by 4-3 on Saturday night at Finch Field in Thomasville when Brady Arm eld tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the seventh inning. Earlier, Deel homered twice. John Kirkpatrick pitched six innings for the victory. Post 87 had runners at second and third base against reliever Tate Andrews when the game ended. Rowan County Post 342 defeated Randolph County twice at the beginning of last week, winning 3-1 at South Rowan in China Grove and 11-8 at McCrary Park. In Post 45’s road loss, Tate Andrews homered for the only run. Keaton Hill pitched ve innings but took the loss.

See POST 45, page B2

The pace of the schedules is picking up for area American Legion baseball teams and key division games loom

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

Randleman’s John Kirkpatrick throws a pass during a home football game against Southwestern Randolph in September.

Bryson Marley

Eastern Randolph, baseball

On a team stocked with productive underclassmen, Marley stood out in more ways than being a contributor as a senior.

He was a clutch pitcher and batter for the Wildcats, who racked up a 17-12 record. They notched 15 or more victories in back-to-back seasons for the rst time in as least more than a decade.

Marley received All-Four Rivers Conference honors.

Marley gave the Wildcats some punch at the top of the batting order and provided a reliable presence on the mound as a left-handed pitcher.

Four Rivers Conference spring all-conference

Randolph Record sta

HERE ARE THE Four Rivers Conference major award winners plus all-conference selections from Eastern Randolph, Southwestern Randolph and Uwharrie Charter for spring sports.

BASEBALL

Player of the Year: Jake Hunter (Uwharrie Charter Academy)

Pitcher of the Year: Finn Sullivan (Northwood)

Coach of the Year: Brent Haynes (Northwood)

All-conference

Eastern Randolph: Bryson Marley, Cade McCallum, Maddox Dunn

Southwestern Randolph: Brady Arm eld, Carson Coltrane, Logan Weidman, Lucas Connor, Elijah Sykes, Carson Williams Uwharrie Charter Academy: Jake Hunter, Jaxon Mabe, Ty McAuley, Keaton Hill, Wilson Boswell

BOYS’ GOLF

Player of the Year: Tyler Gee (Eastern Randolph)

Coach of the Year: Danny Burgess (Eastern Randolph)

All-conference

Eastern Randolph: Tyler Gee, Emmitt Frye, Southwestern Randolph: Levi Dalke, Caleb Abernethy Uwharrie Charter Academy: Andrew Stover, Coen Branson

GIRLS’ SOCCER

O ensive Player of the Year:

Kensley York (Uwharrie Charter Academy)

Defensive Player of the Year: Destiny Fisher (Uwharrie Charter Academy)

Goalkeeper of the Year: Stacy Coronel (North Moore)

Coach of the Year: Ascary Arias (Northwood)

All-conference Eastern Randolph: Maddie McDaniel

Southwestern Randolph: Kayla Hernandez, Sarah Kluba, Odalys Garcia Cambron

Uwharrie Charter Academy: Kensley York, Reese Craven, Avery Lowe, Megan Vang, Avriana Whit eld, Destiny Fisher, Savanna Chriscoe

SOFTBALL

Player of the Year: Kami Dunn (Southwestern Randolph)

Co-Pitchers of the Year: Logan Thompson (Northwood), Alyssa Harris (Southwestern Randolph)

Coach of the Year: Toby Strider (Southwestern Randolph)

All-conference

Eastern Randolph: Hailey Ritter

Southwestern Randolph: Kami Dunn, Nauttica Parrish, Bristol Marine, Jada Freeland, Kaitlyn West, Alyssa Harris, Maddie Strider, Chloe Eudy

Uwharrie Charter Academy: Aubrie Kaufman, Tori Dixon, Emory Johnson

BOYS’ TENNIS

Player of the Year: Braydon

Tyl (Southwestern Randolph)

Coach of the Year: Stephen Owen (Southwestern Randolph)

All-conference

Southwestern Randolph: Braydon Tyl

BOYS’ TRACK AND FIELD

Player of the Year: Ezra Roebuck (Northwood)

Co-Field Event Athletes of the Year: Austin Brown (Northwood), Ben Altenburg (Northwood)

Coach of the Year: Austin Graham (Northwood)

All-conference

Eastern Randolph: Caden Revelle, Gerald Little

Southwestern Randolph: Devon Jenkins, Leland Davis, Thomas Costello, Devonte Dukes, Emmitt Lewis, Kenan Sugg, Kaiden Mabe

GIRLS’ TRACK AND FIELD

Runner of the Year: Kiersten Littell (Southwestern Randolph)

Co-Field Event Athletes of the Year: Callie Craven (Eastern Randolph), Mirianna Corea (Eastern Randolph)

Coach of the Year: Laura Sescilla (Northwood)

All-conference

Eastern Randolph: Roxanne Davis, Mirianna Corea, Callie Craven

Southwestern Randolph: Kiersten Littell

Uwharrie Charter Academy: Brennan Thomas, Naimah Al-Arif, Ellie Bryant, Savanna Brown, Addison Brown

It was an exciting season for Southwestern Randolph softball in elders Maddie Strider, left, and Kami Dunn.

Shupe ascends to race winner after driver DQ at Caraway

The Chargers division involved several drivers contending for the top positions in the race

Randolph Record sta

ASHEBORO — Blake

Shupe was declared the winner in the second of the ve -race Chargers Challenge on Saturday night at Caraway Speedway.

Brody Duggins prevailed in the 75-lap event ahead of Shupe, but the carburetor on Duggins’ car didn’t pass inspection, so Shupe moved into

Randolph County led the rematch 6-5 through ve innings courtesy of Hudson Deel’s two-run home run and Brady Arm eld’s three-run double. Andrews took the loss in relief of Deel.

Post 81 stumbles

High Point-Thomasville up -

the top spot. Points leader Tyler Bush. Matthew Smith, Joseph Ciszek and Derek Kearns held the next four positions. Trey Burke was tops in qualifying ahead of Duggins. Burke’s engine problems in the nal 10 laps knocked him out of the lead spot.

• In 602 Modi eds, Adam Gilliatt won the rst of two 20-lap races in his debut in the division at the track.

Points leader David Creek, who was runner-up in the rst race, won the second race ahead of runner-up Gilliatt.

• For UCARs, Jimmy Cooper captured the victory.

ended Liberty Post 81 by 11-4 at Eastern Randolph in Ramseur and then fell 11-1 in Friday night’s rematch at Finch Field in Thomasville. In the rst meeting, High Point scored the game’s nal seven runs. John Wittig had a home run and nished with two of Liberty’s hits. Chance Holdaway su ered the pitching loss. Bryson Marley took the

Josh Phillips, Justin Smith, Tito Clapp and Jamie Vance rounded out the top ve. Clapp and Ben Hanks had won ve-lap qualifying heats.

• In Mini Stocks, Brandon Crotts notched victories in a pair of 10-lap races. Jason Gallimore and Mason Troxler captured runner-up positions.

• In Crown Vics, Corey Wyatt won both 10-lap features. The speedway’s next racing night comes June 27 with Chargers, Mini Stocks, UCARs, Crown Vics and Grand National Super Series. There’s free grandstand admission.

pitching loss in the rematch. A scheduled game for Saturday night between Post 81 and visiting Wadesboro Post 446 wasn’t contested.

In-county meetings

Post 45 and Post 81 will meet in Area 3 North Division games Friday night in Ramseur and Monday night in Asheboro.

COURTESY PHOTO Bryson Marley delivers a pitch for Eastern Randolph.

POST 45 from page B1

JANN ORTIZ / FOR RANDOLPH RECORD

pen & paper pursuits

this week in history

Napoleon defeated at Waterloo, Rosenbergs executed for espionage, Nazis invade Soviet Union

The Associated Press

JUNE 18

1778: American forces entered Philadelphia after the British withdrew during the Revolutionary War.

1812: The War of 1812 began as the U.S. Congress approved, and President James Madison signed, a declaration of war against Britain.

1815: Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo as British and Prussian troops routed the French Imperial Army in Belgium.

JUNE 19

1865: Union troops arrived in Galveston with news that the Civil War was over and that all remaining enslaved people in Texas were free — an event now celebrated as Juneteenth.

1910: The rst Father’s Day in the United States was celebrated in Spokane. (President Richard Nixon made Father’s Day a federally recognized annual observance in 1972.)

1953: Julius Rosenberg, 35, and his wife, Ethel Rosenberg, 37, who were convicted of conspiring to pass U.S. atomic secrets to the Soviet Union, were executed at Sing Sing Prison in Ossining, New York. They were the rst American civilians executed for espionage.

JUNE 20

1837: Queen Victoria acceded to the British throne following the death of her uncle, King William IV.

1947: Gangster Benjamin

“Bugsy” Siegel was shot to death at the Beverly Hills, California, home of his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, likely on the orders of mob associates.

1967: Boxer Muhammad Ali was convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted and was sentenced to ve years in prison. (Ali’s conviction was later overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.)

JUNE 21

1788: The United States Constitution went into e ect as New Hampshire became the required ninth state to ratify it.

1834: Cyrus Hall McCormick received a patent for his mechanical reaper.

1893: The rst Ferris Wheel opened to the public at the Chicago World’s Fair.

1964: Civil rights activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner were killed in Neshoba County, Mississippi.

JUNE 22

1815: Napoleon Bonaparte abdicated for a second time as emperor of the French.

1938: In a rematch that carried both geopolitical signi cance and symbolism for black Americans, Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmeling in 2 minutes, 4 seconds to retain the heavyweight title before 70,000 spectators at New York’s Yankee Stadium.

1941: Operation Barbarossa began as Nazi Germany launched its massive invasion of the Soviet Union, a campaign that ultimately proved pivotal to the Allied victory in World War II.

JUNE 23

1888: Abolitionist Frederick Douglass received one vote from the Kentucky delegation at the Republican National Convention in Chicago, becoming the rst black candidate to have his name placed in nomination for U.S. president.

1931: Aviators Wiley Post and Harold Gatty took o from Roosevelt Field in New York on an around-the-world ight that lasted eight days and 15 hours.

1956: Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected president of Egypt.

JUNE 24

1509: Henry VIII was crowned king of England, and his wife, Catherine of Aragon, was crowned queen consort.

1812: French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and his Grande Armée began crossing the Niemen River, launching the invasion of Russia.

1983: The space shuttle Challenger, carrying America’s rst woman in space, Sally Ride, landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

ran him a little. No. 17 was our best running back,” Diamont said of his quarterback. “… I knew 17 is getting in the end zone. He’s so darn relentless. … He’s so thin. But he’s very tough, especially when you challenge him.”

While Kirkpatrick became a reliable threat to run the ball, it was throwing it that drew raves. His passes resulted in 7,174 career yards, re ecting the highest total on record in North Carolina among seniors in the 2025 season.

As a senior, there was a revolving o ense with Diamont arriving for his rst season and a previous cast of athletic receivers having graduated. The Tigers emphasized a quick passing attack that became what Diamont considered a version of a rushing attack.

“Every skill player we had, except for John, were unknown as far as what they could do,” the coach said.

That meant that Randleman

needed Kirkpatrick to grow as a leader.

“John embraced it,” Diamont said.

Randleman baseball coach Jake Smith saw enough out of Kirkpatrick to put him in the lineup as a freshman among the Tigers’ Division I prospects. The player had arrived with advanced skills.

His pitching wasn’t needed right away with Randleman, but he worked on that on o season circuits.

“Anytime I get the opportunity to pitch, I embrace it, enjoy it,” said Kirkpatrick, who hopes there are opportunities beyond the current American Legion season with Randolph County Post 45.

Kirkpatrick’s presence comes without antics, sometimes void of emotion.

“It’s the way his demeanor is,” Smith said.

But Kirkpatrick, who also played on the basketball team, said he developed self-assuredness in his own way.

“Quiet con dence,” he said. “Not talking about it, trying to stay humble to as many people. The spotlight kind of already comes with people already claiming that you’re arrogant or cocky. If you feed into it, it just makes it worse.”

Randleman went a combined 26-9 in football the past three years. The baseball team averaged 21.5 victories in Kirkpatrick’s four seasons.

Kirkpatrick was able to soak in so much during high school that satisfaction came with it. He said he understood the responsibility of being a quarterback and a Randleman baseball player.

“I love it,” he said. “Having a community that supports me is awesome. It’s always fun to get a win and go hang out with everybody after a game. Just the camaraderie with the team. Getting to know people who came through, making new friends, building relationships with people. It feels like it went by super fast.”

KIRKPATRICK

PJ WARD-BROWN / RANDOLPH RECORD

John Kirkpatrick has delivered countless pitches from the Randleman mound in recent seasons.

AP PHOTO

The rst Ferris wheel, which carried 1,400 passengers at 250 feet tall, made its debut on June 21, 1893, at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

GEORGE KENDALL WARREN VIA WIKIPEDIA

Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815.

Evans, Doucet chosen as Women’s Prize book awards winners

Previous winners include Zadie Smith and Barbara Kingsolver

By Jill Lawless The Associated Press

LONDON — American novelist Virginia Evans won the Women’s Prize for Fiction last Thursday with “The Correspondent,” a word-of-mouth bestseller that made her a literary star after seven unpublished novels.

Canadian journalist Lyse Doucet won the Women’s Prize for Non ction with “The Finest Hotel in Kabul: A People’s History of Afghanistan.”

Both prizes come with a $40,000 purse and are open to female English-language writers from any country.

Evans wrote ction for two decades before writing “The Correspondent” during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was released quietly in 2025. A story told through years’ worth of letters from retired lawyer Sybil Van Antwerp to friends, family and famous writers, it gradually climbed bestseller lists and became a book club favorite. A lm adaptation starring Jane Fonda is in the works.

Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who chaired the ction judging panel, said the novel “captured our hearts” by “elevating an ordinary life in the most heartfelt of ways.”

Evans said she “developed a very thick skin for rejection and failure” during the years of writing without getting published.

“Why did I keep going?

I didn’t know how not to, I guess,” she told The Associated Press.

“I was writing the book that I wanted to read,” she added. “I guess the book that I was wanting to read was the book a lot of people were wanting to read.”

KIN CHEUNG / AP PHOTO

Virginia Evans, right, and Lyse Doucet winners of The Women’s Prize for ction and non ction, left, pose at the Women’s Prize Trust Summer Party & Awards Ceremony in London, Thursday, June 11, 2026.

“I was writing the book that I wanted to read.”

Virginia Evans

She said “The Correspondent” is in part a cry against the loss of handwritten letters — “the real tale of history” — in our digital age. “If you want to know what happened somewhere, you need to read somebody saying to their mom, ‘This is what happened to me today,’” she said. “And so I feel a grief about that. There’s something I probably was reaching for when I was writing the book, which was the preservation of the memory of that.”

Doucet, the BBC’s chief international correspondent, pro les sta and guests of Kabul’s once-glamorous Inter-Continental Hotel — scarred but still standing — to provide a microcosm of Afghanistan’s turbulent recent history.

Labour Party politician

Thangam Debbonaire, head of the non ction jury, called it “a perfect work of narrative non- ction” that is “informed by decades of excellent reporting.”

Doucet, who has been visiting Afghanistan as a journalist since the 1980s, said she wrote the book to provide a fuller picture than the “snapshot” of news coverage allows.

“My experience from decades of covering countries and people in the hardest of times is that people still have to get up every day and nd an everyday courage to get through the day,” she said. “And even in the darkest of places … people nd humor to bring light, they try to live with hope to bring some kind of relief, and they try to live with humanity.”

The sister prize for non ction was founded in 2024 to help redress a gender imbalance in publishing. In 2022, only 26.5% of non ction books reviewed in Britain’s newspapers were by women, and male writers dominated established non ction writing prizes.

Olivier honored with plaque at childhood home in London

The stage and screen icon died in 1989 at age 82

By Hilary Fox and Pan Pylas The Associated Press

LONDON — The late Laurence Olivier, arguably Britain’s greatest ever stage actor, was honored last Wednesday with a blue plaque attached to the central London property where he lived as a child.

Unveiled by Ian McKellen, the plaque at 22 Lupus Street in Pimlico marks the place where Olivier began acting as a child.

“For those of us who were lucky enough to have seen him in the theater, it’s of course quite right that because he was the leader of our profession for so many years, it’s appropriate that this should be put up,” McKellen told The Associated Press after the event. “Actors go out of fashion very quickly, but I’ve a feeling that this man’s name will never be forgotten, and perhaps because of this plaque.”

Olivier lived at Lupus Street between the ages of 6 and 11. While there, he reportedly transformed a wooden box and blue curtains into a makeshift stage where he sang, danced, and acted for hours at a time.

Olivier was venerated as a Shakespearean actor, playing many iconic protagonists in London including Hamlet, Henry V, Macbeth and, controversially, Othello. For his role as Hamlet, Olivier won his only Academy Award for

SCOTT A GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Ian McKellen speaks at the unveiling of a blue plaque honoring late legendary actor Laurence Olivier in London on June 10.

best actor in 1949. Other famous screen roles include ones in “Rebecca,” “Wuthering Heights”,” “Marathon Man” and “Sleuth.” London owes much to Olivier, who died at age 82 in 1989. He campaigned for the establishment of the National Theatre. The building that now houses the theatre ocially opened in 1976 and its largest auditorium is named after Olivier.

“Laurence Olivier transformed British theater and lm through the brilliance, range and intensity of his performances,” said English Heritage senior historian Howard Spencer. “The plaque celebrates the formative home

where one of Britain’s greatest cultural gures rst found his voice as an actor.”

The Olivier Awards, which celebrate London’s theater scene, were named in his honor.

The London blue plaque program began more than 150 years ago. The plaques commemorate notable people who made London their home at some point. There are more than 900 o cial plaques in the capital.

The rst plaque commemorated the poet Lord Byron in 1867, but the house was later demolished. The oldest surviving plaque commemorates France’s nal emperor, Napoleon III.

famous birthdays this week

Anne Murray turns 81, Kathleen Turner is 72, Cyndi Lauper turns 73, Glenn Danzig is 71

The Associated Press THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.

JUNE 18

Musician Paul McCartney is 84. Actor Carol Kane is 74. Actor Isabella Rossellini is 74. Singer Alison Moyet is 65. Football Hall of Famer Bruce Smith is 63. Hockey Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis is 51.

JUNE 19

Hall of Fame auto racer Shirley Muldowney is 86. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is 81. Author Tobias Wol is 81. Author Salman Rushdie is 79. Actor Phylicia Rashad is 78. Rock singer Ann Wilson (Heart) is 76. Actor Kathleen Turner is 72. Singer-choreographer-TV personality Paula Abdul is 64.

JUNE 20

Filmmaker Stephen Frears is 85. Singer Anne Murray is 81. TV personality Bob Vila is 80. Musician Lionel Richie is 77. Actor John Goodman is 74. Rock bassist John Taylor (Duran Duran) is 66. Actor Nicole Kidman is 59.

JUNE 21

Musician Ray Davies (The Kinks) is 82. Actor Meredith Baxter is 79. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi is 79. Actor Michael Gross is 79. Author Ian McEwan is 78. Musician Nils Lofgren is 75. Actor Juliette Lewis is 53. Britain’s Prince William is 44.

JUNE 22

Actor Klaus Maria Brandauer is 83. Musician-producer Peter Asher (Peter and Gordon) is 82. Musician-producer Todd Rundgren is 78. Actor Meryl Streep is 77. Singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper is 73. Actor Bruce Campbell is 68. Environmental activist Erin Brockovich is 66.

JUNE 23

Author Richard Bach is 90.

JUNE 24

Anita Desai

Computer scientist Vint Cerf is 83. Actor Bryan Brown is 79. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is 78. Musician Glenn Danzig is 71. Actor Frances McDormand is 69. Actor Selma Blair is 54.

Author

is 89. Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro is 86. Actor Michele Lee is 84. Actor-director Georg Stanford Brown is 83. Musician Mick Fleetwood is 79. Actor Peter Weller is 79. Musician Curt Smith (Tears for Fears) is 65. Singer Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star) is 60.

SCOTT A GARFITT / INVISION / AP PHOTO Actor Meryl Streep turns 77 on Monday.

JOEL C RYAN / INVISION / AP PHOTO Beatles founding member Paul McCartney turns 84 on Thursday.

J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE / AP PHOTO Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas turns 78 on Tuesday.

the stream

‘Project Hail Mary,’ Colin Farrell in ‘Sugar,’ Myles Smith

“Million Dollar Nannies” lands on Hulu

By Lindsey Bahr

The Associated Press

THE STREAMING debut of “Project Hail Mary” and Myles Smith’s debut album 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, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Colin Farrell plays an alien on Earth in “Sugar,” a Square Enix game that evokes “Chrono Trigger” and “Released At Last,” a collaboration between Big Freedia and the late artist Sophie.

MOVIES TO STREAM

“Project Hail Mary,” one of the biggest hits of the rst half of the movie year, begins streaming Thursday. Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s sci- adventure stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a science teacher who wakes up on a ship sent into space on a mission to save dying stars. Sandra Hüller co-stars, as does an alien named Rocky played by puppeteer James Ortiz. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr called it “a clever, sincere, most-ages crowd-pleaser that’s full of life, energy and a love of science.”

In “How to Make a Killing” (Friday, HBO Max), Glen Powell stars as a working-class man who sets out to murderously reclaim his inheritance. The lm, written and directed by John Patton Ford (“Emily the Criminal”), is inspired by the great Alec Guinness Ealing comedy “Kind Heart and Coronets.” But such tonal deftness is lacking, I wrote in my review, in “a disappointingly at almost-remake that has neither the biting farce nor the chilling darkness to match its black-comedy ambitions.”

“Voicemails for Isabelle”

hopes to separate from the pack of a long line of Net ix rom-coms. In writer-director Leah McKendrick’s lm, Zoey Deutch stars a woman grieving her sister’s death who, to

cope, leaves voicemails on her phone. When that number is reassigned to Austin real estate agent (Nick Robinson), the two are drawn together. It debuts Friday.

“Project Hail Mary” is a clever, sincere, most-ages crowd-pleaser that’s full of life, energy and a love of science.

MUSIC TO STREAM

On Friday, Myles Smith will release his debut album, “My Mess, My Heart, My Life.” It is a bit hard to believe because the English singer-songwriter already has a three-times platinum single under his belt. His 2024 song “Stargazing” was a folk-pop megahit from a once-unknown performer. And on his rst full-length album, he aims to keep up the momentum. The music world lost a nascent pop hero in 2021 when Sophie, the Grammy-nominated Scottish disc jockey, produc-

er and recording artist who had worked with the likes of Madonna and Charli XCX, died following an accident in the Greek capital of Athens. She was 34. Her music continues to resonate, and her in uence continues to be heard across the underground and mainstream alike. On Friday, the New Orleans icon and Queen of Bounce music Big Freedia will drop “Released At Last,” a three-song EP she recorded with the late Sophie back in 2016. It serves as a reminder: The club is open.

SERIES TO STREAM

You could call it “The Baby-Sitters Club” for ballers. In the new docuseries “Million Dollar Nannies,” cameras follow a boutique agency in Ibiza that o ers babysitting for the children of wealthy parents. These clients are VIPs who have big expectations to match their big lifestyles. There are NDAs, private planes and kids who eat caviar. All episodes drop Thursday on Hulu.

Farrell returns as an alien disguised as a human in Season 2 of “Sugar” for Apple TV. Premiering Friday, Farrell’s character goes by the alias John Sugar, a private investigator in Los Angeles. The series is a noir-style detective drama with a central mystery that lasts all season. Sugar has two jobs. One is to solve his case du jour and the other is to secretly monitor people here on Earth.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Square Enix’s “The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales” takes place in a land called Philabieldia, “a beautiful but savage land” that sounds just like our own Pennsylvania city, only without cheesesteaks. After some mysterious ruins are discovered, the gutsy Elliot and his fairy sidekick, Faie, are sent on a journey that goes back and forth in time across 1,000 years. The pixelated art will look familiar to fans of developer Clay Tech Works’ role-playing fantasy “Octopath Traveler,” but the action is more arcade-like. And the time-jumping story is reminiscent of Square’s 1995 classic “Chrono Trigger.” Start making history Thursday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch 2 and PC.

CHARLES SYKES / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Myles Smith, pictured performing in 2025 in Philadelphia, releases his debut album, “My Mess, My Heart, My Life,” on Friday.

JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP PHOTO

John Patton Ford arrives at the premiere of “How to Make a Killing” at AMC The Grove in Los Angeles.

EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Ryan Gosling attends the premiere of “Project Hail Mary” at Lincoln Center Plaza in New York.

HOKE COUNTY

Hurricane Stanley

The Carolina Hurricanes clinched their rst Stanley Cup in 20 years with a 3-0 Game 6 shutout in Las Vegas on Sunday, capping o a dominant 16-3 playo run. For much more, turn to NSJ Sports.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

8 dead in B-52 bomber crash at U.S. Air Force base in California

Los Angeles

The U.S. Air Force says eight people aboard a B-52 bomber that crashed shortly after takeo at a military base in Southern California’s Mojave Desert are dead. O cials said Monday that emergency crews responded after the aircraft went down around 11:20 a.m. at Edwards Air Force Base north of Los Angeles. The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range bomber that entered service in 1955. Designed to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons, it has been used in countless con icts from Vietnam to Iran.

Newsom says Trump’s DOJ investigating him, his wife Sacramento, Calif.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the Justice Department is investigating him and his wife, accusing the Trump administration of targeting him for political purposes as he weighs a presidential bid. The full scope of any investigations related to Newsom was not immediately clear. Newsom said in a video posted Monday on X that federal agents in recent days have knocked on the doors of his friends and former employees, and have asked for records. A person familiar with the matter con rmed there are multiple federal investigations into people around Newsom, including one related to his wife’s taxes.

Hoke County receives more than $1M in grant funding

The commissioners intend to utilize funding for sidewalks, trails, EV chargers and radios

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

RAEFORD — The Hoke County Board of Commissioners met June 15 with an agenda primarily consisting of presentations related to awarded grant funding.

According to Emergency Services Deputy Director Andrew Jacobs, the county had submitted requests for funding for three separate projects and received about $1.4 million in funding from the federal government through the Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. The board was rst presented with the county’s proposal for a new sidewalk and trail system.

The Hoke Walk project in-

tends to construct an approximately milelong sidewalk along the north side of Fayetteville Road from the Walmart to the James A. Leach Aquatics and Recreation Center (JALARC).

“These are important grants because right now, when you go along the 401 corridor, you see people walking close to the road and in the road, and sometimes cars are zooming by pretty fast,” said Vice Chair Harry Southerland. “So this walking trail is going to make sure that people have a safe place to walk from Walmart all the way up to the James A. Leach Aquatic Center.”

The Hoke Trails project will then add a walking trail behind the JALARC building in order to add some green space and pedestrian areas of recreation.

“We’re trying to make this a more walkable community by connecting this corridor along 401 as we continue to do small growth,” Jacobs said.

“We’re

trying to make this a more walkable community.”

Andrew Jacobs, emergency services deputy director

The nal project that the county received funding for was for the construction of EV chargers, of which at least three will be located at the JALARC.

“As we work more toward saving our environment and trying to be more energy ecient, putting these charging stations in is going to be important,” Southerland said.

“These are going to be fast charging stations too so people can come and get charged up pretty quickly.”

The county received multiple solicitations for each project, and so the commissioners

will take some time to review each before making a nal decision.

The board also accepted a Duke Energy Foundation Grant in the amount of $20,000.

“Duke’s been a great partner to Hoke County,” Jacobs said. “We applied for funding for some radios on behalf of Emergency Services. Our window for sunset is Jan. 1 of 2027, and those radios would then be obsolete, so Duke has provided us with $20,000 to purchase those at no cost to the county or tax payers so that we can keep providing services to the citizens.”

According to Duke Energy District Manager Emily Tucker, who was present at the meeting to present the check to the board of commissioners, only 20 of these grants were awarded in North Carolina.

The Hoke County Board of Commissioners will next meet July 6.

Authorities say they disrupted planned drone, gun attack on White House UFC cage- ghting show

The suspects shared anti-government ideology and conspiracy theories about the Epstein case

By Eric Tucker The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Law enforcement o cials disrupted a planned attack targeting President Donald Trump’s UFC cage- ghting show at the White House this past weekend, according to court papers unsealed Tuesday that say plotters who harbored fringe conspiracy theories spoke of ying explosives-laden drones and shoot-

ing panicked crowd members as they ed.

Investigators recovered high-powered rearms from several of the suspects and reviewed encrypted text messages between roughly 20 participants who shared detailed maps and aerial photographs of the area and discussed the need for a “safe house” and escape routes after the intended attack, the documents show.

But it’s unclear from the court records how close the would-be attackers could have come to being able to carry out the plan had it not been thwarted.

Several suspects or co-conspirators who were questioned

by the authorities said they did not intend themselves to carry out violence but planned to instead observe others. One said he would have traveled to the UFC event as a protester but had to return home after his vehicle malfunctioned. And though the participants spoke of using drones rigged with explosives, charging documents suggest they were still looking to acquire such equipment when the plot was interrupted. “It didn’t even get close to the point of execution,” Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday evening on Fox News Channel, describing the planning as “not that advanced.”

“They weren’t in town. They had not really done that much planning,” he said.

United by conspiracy theories, anger over country’s direction

Law enforcement o cials learned about the possible threat June 10, four days before the mixed martial arts extravaganza on the White House’s South Lawn, “and thanks to the rapid action of the FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly

THURSDAY 6.18.26

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North State Journal (USPS 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365)

Appreciating veterans

America 250 Hoke “We Are One” along with Vets for Vets Hoke County hosted 18 Hoke County female veterans for lunch last Friday at Stewart’s Tavern on Female Veterans Appreciation Day.

David

Supreme Court will decide whether criminal cases must have 12 jurors, in Florida case

A 1970 Supreme Court precedent allowing six-member juries now faces a fresh constitutional challenge

By Mark Sherman The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

We stand corrected

To report an error or a suspected error, please email: corrections@nsjonline.com with “Correction request” in the subject line.

ATTACK from page A1

planned attacks were stopped cold,” Director Kash Patel said in a post on X on Tuesday.

Five people from states including Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska and California were arrested on federal charges, the Justice Department said. Asked about the arrests Tuesday, Vance said there was “more violent rhetoric coming from the left than the right these days.”

But the charging documents paint a more muddled view of their views, depicting them as espousing a tangled web of anti-government sentiment, antisemitic grievances, fury over the Trump administration’s handling of the Je rey Epstein les and conspiracy theories about a powerful elite that sacrices and consumes children.

Both Trump and Vance said they had not been briefed in advance of the plot. A top Secret Service o cial suggested Tuesday the investigation was continuing and an announcement might have been premature.

“Anyone that believes that case was worked in a bubble is naive,” Deputy Secret Service Director Matthew Quinn told reporters at an unrelated news conference. “I’ll tell you the Secret Service led that investigation from the beginning. I’ll tell you that it’s ongoing. In order to maintain the integrity of the investigation and the security plan, we chose not to leak it.”

Communications took place on TikTok, Signal

Among those arrested was Tycen Proper, a 19-year-old Ohio man whose mother contacted law enforcement last week with concerns about his rearms purchases and online communications, according to an FBI afdavit led in the case.

Proper told o cials he participated in the planning of an attack, according to the a davit, which says some members of the group began communicat-

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether states can use juries made up of only six people in criminal cases, instead of the usual 12. The case puts a Florida chiropractor convicted of practicing with a suspended license in an unlikely leading role in a constitutional clash.

The justices will hear arguments in the fall in the case of Hamed Kian, who argues that a six-person jury violates his con-

ing with each other last March through a TikTok group called “Vanguard of the Old.”

“The members of the group stated that they wanted to protect the United States, which they believed was headed in the wrong direction,” the afdavit says. “Members of the group believed that the United States needed to be torn down so that it could be rebuilt. Some expressed a desire that people who were involved with Je rey Epstein should not govern the country.”

Trump, who celebrated his 80th birthday at the UFC event on Sunday, was friends with Epstein many years ago but has said he ended their relationship before the disgraced nancier’s crimes became known. Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex tra cking charges.

A lawyer for Proper, who is charged with rearms o enses and crimes including attempted murder of an o cer or employee of the United States, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

The logistics were discussed via Signal, an app that uses end-to-end encryption for its messaging and calling services, through a primary chat of “approximately 19 individuals” and smaller side chats, authorities said. Messages obtained from Proper’s phone show he identied by name several Republican lawmakers he said should be targeted because they apparently received donations from causes supportive of Israel, the adavit said.

Proper told law enforcement o cials that he had been planning to drive with weapons and body armor to a meet-up spot in Fredericksburg, Virginia, court papers say. He said though he did not intend to shoot people at the White House, others in the group did, the a davit said.

The plan called for the use of drones that would be detonated over the north side of the White

stitutional rights.

Florida uses six-person juries for all criminal cases that don’t involve the death penalty. Five other states, Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts and Utah, also conduct some criminal trials with six-member juries.

The 45-year-old Kian’s license was suspended after three women who were his patients complained he either kissed or touched them inappropriately, according to court records.

Prosecutors sought an indictment after amassing evidence that Kian, who had an o ce in Jupiter, continued to see patients even after the suspension. He was convicted by a six-person jury.

Kian’s lawyers argue that the smaller jury violates the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees

House, prompting an evacuation into the line of re of waiting snipers in an attack Proper said was designed to “jumpstart” a revolution, authorities said. Investigators who examined Proper’s phone and TikTok account identi ed additional suspects. Michael Alan Thomas, 32, of Pinon Hills, California, told o cials he viewed himself as “the planner and advisor for the group, and while he was not willing to take action himself, wanted to guide and instruct others on how to carry out attacks” de-

“a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state.”

The amendment does not explicitly set the size of the jury, but Kian’s lawyers contend that the word jury could only have meant a body of 12 people at the time the amendment was adopted in 1791. Just over 100 years later, the Supreme Court ruled that juries had to have 12 people. But in 1970, the justices changed course and ruled by a 7-1 vote that the number 12 was not sacrosanct, also in a case from Florida. Justice Thurgood Marshall was the only dissenter. More recently, the court has placed renewed emphasis on the original understanding of the Constitution. In another Sixth Amendment case, the court ruled in 2020 that juries must be unanimous in criminal

signed to overthrow the government, an FBI agent said in an a davit.

The agent said Thomas believed the U.S. government was “run by an elite group of individuals who sacri ce and consume infants who also were deeply involved” with Epstein and are now protected by Trump.

Another suspect, Bryan Omar Roa, also of California, told the FBI he had planned to attend the event as a “protester” but he had to return home because his car was broken, an agent said.

cases, e ectively overturning a 1972 decision that had allowed for nonunanimous convictions in criminal cases in Louisiana and Oregon.

“The same reasoning applies to the historical right to a jury of twelve,” Kian’s lawyers wrote in their appeal to the court to step in. “When the People enshrined the jury trial right in the Constitution, they did not attach a rider that future judges could adapt it based on latter-day social science views.”

In trying to persuade the Supreme Court to leave Kian’s conviction in place, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier wrote that the 1970 case was correctly decided and “overruling it also would imperil thousands of criminal convictions in Florida and ve other states that for more than 50 years have relied on its rule.”

It was not immediately clear who their lawyers were.

Two other suspects were identi ed as Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, of Kidder, Missouri, who ocials say said in a group chat that a target of the attack should be “big and someone a majority of the country knows,” and Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, an Omaha, Nebraska, man who the FBI said posted detailed plans with the co-conspirators. A lawyer for Alvarez declined to comment and a lawyer for Eskridge did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

A podcast local to Hoke-Raeford, NC, with Ruben Castellon and Chris Holland.

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VISUAL VOICES

Even without his controversies, Graham Platner is just a lightweight extremist

SET ASIDE, for a moment, that Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner spent years with a Nazi SS Totenkopf tattoo. Set aside that he blamed sexual assault victims for their predicament, that he called rural white Americans stupid racists, that he advocated political violence, that he mocked a wounded Purple Heart recipient, that he joked about the Virgin Mary being a “skank” and that he joined a hookup site while married.

Who among us is a saint, after all?

The more interesting question is why Democrats have shown such loyalty to him.

After hearing so much about Platner’s everyman appeal, I went down a rabbit hole, watching his speeches and listening to his interviews. Virtually every one of them is crammed with brain-numbing platitudes and freshman-level socialist sloganeering. His rhetoric makes former Vice President Kamala Harris sound weighty by comparison.

“This is a race about performative politics they’re used to,” Platner told a crowd recently. “What they don’t understand is that this is a race about us.”

This kind of banality, and there is a lot of it, calls to mind Lt. Frank Drebin trying to win over the love of his life in “The Naked Gun” by telling her that “maybe the problems of two little people don’t amount to a hill of beans ... but this is our hill, and these are our beans.”

The late philosopher Daniel Dennett called phrases like this “deepities” — words that create the impression of moral and emotional weight while o ering no actual insight.

Obviously, most politicians tra c in deepities to some extent. Platner, however, can spew inane class-war cliches for an hour without

Democrats’

wandering anywhere near a deeper thought.

That is because Platner is the embodiment of performative left-wing populism. His cosplay working-man candidacy was created by Faiz Shakir and Ben Wikler, two Ivy League-educated former Bernie Sanders sta ers.

“Part of the thesis here is that people don’t want candidates who are grown in a vat,” Wikler recently said. “They want people who are real human beings. And they want people who do not look and sound like the people who have been leading this country o a cli the last century.”

In other words, Platner is not a compelling organic candidate. He is a man who can play a part. Democrats have lost working-class voters to Republican populists, so they have become enamored with the idea of running someone who carries the aesthetic qualities of one. That is my thesis.

“If we want folks that are representing us from the working class, they’re not necessarily going to have a groomed and perfect political record,” a Maine voter recently told Fox News, repeating a common talking point.

But is the progressive impression of working-class “folks” really that they get Nazi tattoos, fantasize about rape and murder, and cheat on their wives? Because that seems like an insulting stereotype.

As James Kirchick notes, people used to say Donald Trump “was a poor person’s idea of a rich person.” Platner, he says, “is a rich person’s idea of a poor person.”

Weirdly, Platner’s many controversies may have obscured his political radicalism. Wikler and other Bernie acolytes should be honest and decry not merely

struggle with

the past century but the past 250 years because progressives detest the constitutional order.

You can hear it in Platner’s appearance on a Jewhating conspiracy theorist’s podcast — “longtime fan,” the Maine Senate candidate says — where he derides the American “system” and depicts the United States, the wealthiest country on the planet, as a hellhole.

Now, Platner may well win Maine. Maybe class resentment and Marxism are our future. But his politics — not only “taking back” what was allegedly stolen by the rich but also supporting all the cultural quackery the woke Left has in icted on the country — are far more closely aligned with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez than with the average working-class American.

Even if Platner were a member of the proletariat, would that be enough?

Millions of working-class Americans successfully navigate the world without being sleazeballs. It would be helpful to bring their perspectives and experiences to Washington. Platner, born into privilege, will not. He bought his house with help from his wealthy father and VA disability bene ts. His oyster-farming business may have been created after he decided to run for Senate. Whatever the case, it appears his only real customer is his wealthy mother’s restaurant.

And that is ne. There is nothing wrong with relying on family. There is nothing wrong with being rich. There is something wrong with mischaracterizing your life to mislead voters.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

men reflects a deeper cultural disconnect

ONE OF THE MORE revealing political developments of recent years has been the Democratic Party’s growing concern about its declining support among male voters. After years of watching men drift toward the political right, many Democrats have begun asking a simple question: Why are men leaving?

The answer may be simpler than party strategists would like to admit.

For many men, politics is not merely about policy preferences. It is also about whether they feel understood, respected and represented. Increasingly, many men feel that modern progressive politics views them less as constituents and more as problems to be solved.

Over the past decade, much of the political and cultural conversation on the left has framed masculinity in negative terms. Men are frequently described as “toxic” or privileged, or as obstacles to social progress. While these criticisms are often directed at speci c behaviors, many ordinary men hear something broader: that their role in society is being diminished or dismissed.

As a result, Democrats now face a challenge that goes beyond messaging. They are struggling to connect with a demographic they increasingly seem not to understand.

This disconnect becomes apparent in the party’s search for gures who can appeal to male voters. Progressives often ask where their version of podcast host Joe Rogan might be. Yet the question itself reveals a misunderstanding. Rogan does not t neatly into traditional ideological categories. He has supported progressive candidates, entertained a wide range of viewpoints, and frequently rejects partisan labels altogether. His appeal stems less from his political beliefs than from his ability to

speak to audiences in a way that feels authentic and unscripted.

Rather than recognizing that authenticity, many Democrats appear to search for substitutes who mimic certain cultural aesthetics while maintaining strict ideological conformity. The result often feels forced.

The same dynamic can be seen in Texas politics, where state Rep. James Talarico has emerged as a prominent Democratic gure. Talarico presents himself as a person of faith and frequently speaks about Christianity in public life. Yet critics argue that his policy positions remain rmly aligned with progressive priorities, creating a disconnect between the image he projects and the policies he supports.

Whether on issues involving transgender policies, border security, gun rights or energy production, opponents contend that Talarico’s recent rhetoric sounds more moderate than his legislative record. To those critics, the problem is not his ideology but the perception that he is attempting to package progressive policies in culturally conservative language.

The broader issue, they argue, is that Democrats often focus on appearances rather than underlying values.

Many progressives seem to operate with a narrow understanding of masculinity. In one stereotype, the traditional man is a deeply religious cultural conservative whose identity revolves around outward displays of faith. In another, masculinity is reduced to a rough-edged, hyperaggressive caricature de ned by toughness and rebellion.

Neither image captures how most men see themselves.

For many conservatives, masculinity is not primarily about appearance, style or personality. It is about responsibility. A man may be a lawyer, teacher,

mechanic, soldier or small-business owner. What matters is not the aesthetic but the ful llment of duties — to family, community and country.

Under this understanding, manhood is de ned less by how someone looks and more by what he does.

Providing for a family, protecting loved ones, serving one’s community, and accepting personal responsibility are viewed as central components of masculine identity.

Critics of modern progressivism argue that this framework creates a fundamental con ict.

Contemporary left-wing politics often emphasizes individual rights and personal autonomy, while traditional concepts of masculinity emphasize obligations and responsibilities. If politics increasingly focuses on liberation from duties, it becomes more di cult to speak meaningfully to people who view duty itself as a virtue.

This may help explain why many Democratic attempts to reconnect with male voters have fallen at. The problem is not necessarily a lack of outreach. It is that the outreach often appears to be built on assumptions that many men do not recognize.

Political parties succeed when they understand the people they hope to persuade. They fail when they substitute stereotypes for genuine understanding.

As Democrats continue searching for ways to rebuild support among men, they may discover that the challenge is not nding the right messenger or adopting the right aesthetic. It is understanding the values, responsibilities and aspirations that shape how many men see themselves in the rst place.

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 | BEN SHAPIRO

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

Roaring crowds in stars and stripes show up for the US team, soccer’s moment in their country

Multigenerational

American families increasingly view soccer as central to their sports identity

By Amy Taxin and Jaimie Ding The Associated Press

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — It was a stadium like any other, packed with American sports fans wearing their favorite team’s jerseys and red-white-and-blue face paint, roaring as players took the eld.

Only this time, the sport was soccer.

The U.S. team’s home opener in the World Cup on Friday brought more than 70,000 passionate soccer enthusiasts to the massive stadium near Los Angeles, where they saw the U.S. beat Paraguay 4-1. They had, in many cases, paid thousands of dollars to see their team play on the biggest global stage for a sport that has long been eclipsed in the United States — a sport many say is nally having its moment.

Many fans said they grew up playing soccer in recreational leagues as young children, and well into high school and college. Nakisha Gutierrez, a 37-year-old occupational therapist from Los Angeles, and her sister both played the sport. Their Argentine father raised them on soccer, and the next generation is now taking it up, too, she said.

“It’s in the family blood,” said Gutierrez, her cheeks painted with sparkling red-and-blue stars. “It is the American culture — it’s starting to be.”

The World Cup is played every four years, and fans around the world track their national teams, hoping they’ll have a strong enough showing to qualify for it. In many countries — like Friday’s opponent, Paraguay — just making it to the tournament can prompt street parties, reworks and national holidays. In the United States, though, the response is often a bit more muted. Soccer has long been overshadowed by football, basketball and “America’s pastime” of baseball.

But soccer’s popularity has risen in the United States since the country last hosted the World Cup in 1994. Major League Soccer was launched two years later, and soccer has become especially popular among young athletes.

There was palpable joy in the air for U.S. fans watching the match as Folarin Balogun scored an electric two goals in the rst half of the game, and star player Christian Pulisic made a shot that led to a Paraguay own goal. But the stadium was aroar when Gio Reyna sealed Paraguay’s fate with a late fourth goal during added time.

Samuel Esquivel, 9, said he was screaming when the match ended.

“That was probably, like, the second best goal,” he said of Reyna’s shot. He started playing soccer last year and said he already wants to win a World Cup. His father Roman Esquivel said they came from a family that played football, basketball, and baseball. But Esquivel’s daughter and son both fell in love with soccer, and their enthusiasm for the game has spread to him as well.

“It’s the most beautiful sport in the world,” he said. “There’s a reason why the whole world plays soccer.” Interest has also been buoyed

Employee of the Month

Juanita Smith

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!

by immigrants from countries where, as Gutierrez puts it, “soccer is life.”

Ava Cupit, 14, traveled with her family from Franklin, Tennessee, to cheer on the U.S. team, dressed up as the Statue of Liberty. Her great-grandfather was from Spain and helped bring soccer to their small town, where he built elds and promoted the sport.

“He made us all fall in love with it, and our whole family loves soccer,” Ava’s mother Rachel Cupit said. “The people who’ve married in, they’ve just become a part of it too.”

Resident of the Month

Helen Preaster

Helen Preaster is always full of joy. Her sweet and kind nature shines through in everything she does.

In the massive stadium in Inglewood, California, usually home to football games, seats were a sea of red and white. Fans wore glitter, Stars-and- Stripes high-tops, overalls, robes and the team’s hallmark jerseys. Some dressed as that ultimate symbol of American patriotism, Uncle Sam, with long white beards and top hats. A few wore George Washington costumes.

They came to show their support for their team, and to show that Americans, like the rest of the world, can be passionate about soccer, too. Many were trying to attend all of the

U.S. team’s group round matches. One spectator said he came from Texas after seeing the U.S. team previously face o in international matches before large crowds backing their opponents.

Self-proclaimed soccer “addict” Jose Contreras said he grew up playing the sport with his uncle in Mexico because it was cheap and accessible. He ew from Georgia to support the U.S. in its opening match, even though there are games he could attend in Atlanta, closer to home.

“This is one of the happiest days of my life,” Contreras said.

Besides being the mother of two, she worked for many years at Burlington Mills. Betty enjoys church, watching youtube and doing word searches.

ANDRE PENNER / AP PHOTO

Fans of the United States Men’s National Team cheer prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, California, last Friday.

ANDRE PENNER / AP PHOTO JAE C. HONG / AP PHOTO

Left, a fan waits for the beginning of the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, California, last Friday. Right, United States fans cheer prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay outside of Los Angeles last Friday.

HOKE SPORTS

Future Bucks will be developed at summer sports camps

Several sports have already started their summer camps

North State Journal sta

NOW THAT THE school sports year is completed, Hoke County coaches will look to develop the next generation of Bucks athletes.

The school has several summer sports camps planned.

The rst are already in progress. The wrestling team held the Young Bucks Wrestling Camp last week, at Rock sh Hoke Elementary for aspiring grapplers from second to fth grades.

A more wide-open Young Bucks Wrestling Camp will be held July 7-9. It’s open to all K-12 students and runs from 9-11 a.m. each day. The cost is $30.

This week, track and eld, and boys’ and girls’ basketball all got into the swing, holding camps. The basketball camps were each one-day a airs. The Buck Youth boys’ camp was for third through eighth graders, and the Youth Girls camp was a day later for the

same age range. Track and eld had a three-day camp for K-9 students.

Two more sports start their summer activities next week.

The Hoke Youth Cheer Camp is June 22-24 from 9 a.m. to noon.

It’s open to third through eighth graders and costs $50. The Soccer Skills Camp is June 23-25 from 9 a.m. to noon for third through eighth graders. That cost is $75. Wrestling picks things back

up after the July 4 holiday. Then a co-ed Youth Volleyball Camp will run July 13 and 14, 9:00 AM to noon. Second through eighth graders are welcome, and the cost is $30.

July 15 and 16 is the Lady Bucks Softball Camp, from 9:00 AM to noon for grades 3 through 8. That costs $50.

July 28 will be a Football Mini-Camp from 9:00 AM to noon for third through eighth graders. That costs $25.

Hamlin wins NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono for third straight victory

The retiring great is on the longest winning streak of his career

The Associated Press

LONG POND, Pa. — With every Denny Hamlin victory, speculation about his future grows and talks of retirement are questioned.

He signed a two-year extension with Joe Gibbs Racing that runs through 2027 and he insists it will be his last season. At 45, he’s the oldest full-time Cup Series driver in the eld, but he can’t stop winning.

Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway for his third consecutive victory and passed the late Kyle Busch for sole possession of ninth place on the all-time wins list.

His recent success — it is his fourth win of the season, not including the nonpoints All-Star race — has renewed talk that Hamlin should reconsider retirement when his deal with Gibbs expires.

“I think for Denny, he wants to leave on top, right? He doesn’t want to leave where it was one year too long,” said JGR co-owner Heather Gibbs. “At this rate, what he’s producing out there, it’s not something you would not consider. We want the best drivers in our cars. Our teams work to put the best cars on track.

“If it works out and he’s still producing and he wants to, it’s a huge commitment for him, he’s

got his own team that he kind of wants to run. It’s hard when you dangle checkered ags in front of him, too. He so far has put a stop to such talk despite performing at the highest level of his long career.”

Hamlin, who wasn’t even sure he wanted to return to honor this two-year extension after losing the championship in last November’s season nale and then the December death of his father in a house re, understands he’s performing at a high level.

But as far as continuing past 2027? It’s not yet on his radar despite how strong he’s been on the track.

“I would certainly say it’s the best we’ve been,” Hamlin said. “We come to the racetrack every week knowing we got a great shot to win. The team’s doing an amazing job giving me exactly what I need in the car every single week. That’s why we’re winning.”

The win comes nearly 20 years to the date after his rst career victory, which was at Pocono on June 11, 2006. He swept the races at the Pennsylvania track that year.

Hamlin said Pocono has become “like a second home for me.”

“First win here, so special here. Pocono has mastered the fan experience from the crowd in the stands to the in eld here,” Hamlin said. “Just so happy for this whole Joe Gibbs Racing team. The pit crew is awless right now. We got it all going.”

Despite 64 career victories,

this marks the rst time in his career that Hamlin has won three consecutive races.

The feat tied Richard Petty, who did it in 1966 and 1967, Bobby Allison in 1971 and Darrell Waltrip in 1981.

He also took a jab at NASCAR, noting that it was technically his ninth victory at Pocono, but he was stripped of the victory in 2022 when NASCAR said he and Busch’s car’s failed postrace inspection.

“They aren’t getting that checkered ag back,” Hamlin said.

Tyler Reddick nished second as Toyota took the top two spots. Hamlin is now 19 points behind Reddick in the Cup Series standings.

“Everyone is racing hard for track position. Some of it’s just bad luck, I guess, where you catch cars,” Reddick said. “It’s a bummer. I mean, if the 11 wasn’t the winner, you could consider this a good day. I know we nished second. Scoring the points we did just didn’t get the job done.”

Toyota drivers have won 10 of 16 races this season, and JGR has accounted for ve of them.

William Byron nished third.

“I think this is probably the rst time in four months that I’ve been able to drive the car this way, just be able to make moves and have the balance stay with me,” Byron said.

Byron was followed by John Hunter Nemechek in fourth. Nemechek led 42 laps — double what he’s led the last two years.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Kameron Campbell

Hoke County football

Kameron Campbell is a rising sophomore on the Hoke County football team. The defensive lineman had 42 tackles, seven tackles for loss and a pair of sacks in his rst year with the Bucks. He also defended three passes, caused two fumbles and recovered one while hurrying the quarterback seven times, earning All-Conference honors. Campbell also scored nearly 10 points per game with the JV basketball team.

Schools are starting to notice. Campbell picked up scholarship o ers from Campbell, Marshall, Troy and NC A&T in May, and after starring at camps at Gardner-Webb and ECU, he picked up another o er from East Carolina last week.

HC BUCKS ATHLETICS / FACEBOOK

The Hoke County volleyball team celebrates a big play. The next generation of Lady Bucks will be able to attend a summer camp to work on their skills.

Walk this way: A’s slugger Kurtz happy to take free pass to help team

Pitchers are cautious with the second-year Wake Forest product

By Mark Anderson

The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — Not many second-year players receive this kind of respect from opposing pitchers, but it doesn’t take long to realize Athletics rst baseman Nick Kurtz is already one of baseball’s top sluggers.

And thus the Barry Bonds treatment, or at least something close to it, when pitchers don’t give Kurtz much to hit, willing to live with having him walk to rst than jog around the bases.

His 64 walks through last week led the major leagues and were one more than he had in the 117 games last season when he was the unanimous AL Rookie of the Year. Pitchers also have intentionally walked Kurtz eight times, second only to the nine by Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, the AL home run leader.

And the power is still there for Kurtz, who has 15 home runs this season. While not on pace to match the 36 he hit last year, his 49 RBIs lead the majors as does his .438 on-base percentage.

Most impressively, Kurtz earlier this season tied Mark

McGwire’s 30-year-old club record of 48 consecutive games reaching base.

“He’s the most advanced hitter at this age that I’ve been around,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said of the 23-year- old slugger. “He never goes to search for hits. He waits for pitches that he feels good about swinging at. Knowing the strike zone as well as he does is pretty remarkable.”

This approach by opposing pitchers isn’t new to Kurtz, who began to watch other teams use similar strategies when he starred at Wake Forest.

“I think that’s where I started learning how to do it and just taking the walks,” Kurtz said. “It’s not always easy because you always want to stay aggressive when you do get that pitch. If you’re not aggressive, you will miss it.”

Kurtz is among the talented young players the A’s are showcasing for their planned move to Las Vegas in 2028. They are at Las Vegas Ballpark, home to the organization’s Triple-A afliate, this week and took two of three against Milwaukee with their 4-3 win on Wednesday night. Colorado visits for a three-game series beginning Friday.

Kurtz gave Las Vegas fans plenty to look forward to by hitting two homers in Monday’s

The Athletics’

15-14, 12-inning loss to the Brewers and then hit another one the following night in a 7-5 victory.

Kurtz also walked at least once in each game in the series and four times overall. He has reached base that way in eight of nine games this month.

“You never see it, somebody his age doing what he’s doing,” A’s catcher Shea Langeliers said. “Unbelievably rare. Just to be able to watch him do his thing and not really even blos-

“You always want to stay aggressive when you do get that pitch. If you’re not aggressive, you will miss it.”

som. It was kind of who he already was when he got to the league, so it’s really cool. Obviously, we’re really lucky to be

Judge dismisses lawsuit by 31 former NC State athletes alleging abuse by ex-head

Dismissal came due to procedural reasons, but players plan to appeal

By Aaron Beard

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A state judge has dismissed a lawsuit led by 31 former NC State male athletes alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine.

In orders led Tuesday, Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins dismissed claims against Robert M. Murphy Jr., as well as multiple NC State athletics o cials tied to their oversight rules, citing procedural reasons.

The lawsuit was led in February in state court in a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete led in 2022. That complaint alleged years of misconduct by Murphy,

including improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.

Collins granted the motion seeking a dismissal from Murphy’s attorneys, ruling that the statute of limitations had expired in claims dating back as early as 2013.

Collins also dismissed claims against multiple athletics ofcials such as former athletic director Debbie Yow and current AD Boo Corrigan on jurisdictional grounds. His ruling stated any complaint should go through the North Carolina Industrial Commission — a state agency that deals with workplace matters with NC State as a public university — rather than civil court.

Jared Hammett, a Raleigh-based attorney representing Murphy, issued a statement to The Associated Press describing his client as “someone who dedicated his life to work-

his teammates and not calling pitches against him.” It didn’t take long for Kurtz to shoot through the Athletics’ system.

They drafted him fourth overall in June 2024, and by the following year, he played 20 games in Las Vegas and then was promoted to the A’s, where he hasn’t looked back.

Kurtz not only met but likely exceeded expectations.

His true breakout game occurred last July 25 at Houston when he went 6 for 6 with four homers, eight RBIs, six runs and a record-tying 19 total bases.

There were discussions about whether it was the greatest performance in MLB history. That is until Shohei Ohtani homered three times, had 12 total bases and from the mound struck out 10 over six shutout innings in an NL Championship Series game.

Kurtz doesn’t have the spotlight on him like the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar — what MLB player does? — and playing most of his home games in a Triple-A park in West Sacramento, California, doesn’t generate much exposure.

But other pitchers are more than aware of him, and Kurtz will continue to try to make the most of his opportunities whenever they come.

The best outcome often is simply taking the walk to rst.

“I’m totally ne if you want to pitch around me,” Kurtz said. “You still got other guys in the lineup who can do a whole of hitting, so it makes it really easy for me to just take my walks and score some runs.”

trainer

“This dismissal has nothing at all to do with Mr. Murphy’s sexual abuse of these 31 former student-athletes.”

Kerry Sutton, attorney for the athletes

ing with athletes” while referring to a “rush to judgment” that can impact “real people’s lives.”

“The truth is nothing happened but a man’s career being ruined for money,” Hammett said. “As a lawyer I am just glad that we have been able to help another person who needed support and found himself needing that defense.”

Durham-based attorney Kerry Sutton, who has represented players going back to the original case, said the athletes plan to appeal.

“This dismissal has noth-

ing at all to do with Mr. Murphy’s sexual abuse of these 31 former student-athletes,” Sutton said in a statement to the AP. “It was decided based only on questions of legal procedure. We plan to appeal this outcome and in coming days will be adding new claims against NCSU for men who have recently come forward.”

All but two of the 31 athletes are “John Doe” plainti s to protect anonymity, while two former men’s soccer players are named.

One is Benjamin Locke, who led the original complaint in August 2022. The other is one of two athletes who led their own federal lawsuits in February 2023 and April 2023. The AP typically doesn’t identify those who say they have been sexually assaulted or abused unless the person has spoken publicly about it, which Locke has done.

“NC State does not condone sexual misconduct of any kind,” the school said in a statement Tuesday evening. “The health and safety of our students and student-athletes is paramount to the university and our athletic programs.

“We agree with the court’s analysis and the decision that the law supports dismissal of the plainti s’ claims in this case. We recognize the immense courage it takes for someone to come forward, and our hearts go out to any student or student-athlete who has been impacted by distressing experiences.”

Sutton, who has represented plainti s in each lawsuit, led to dismiss those pending Title IX lawsuits before moving the case to state-level jurisdiction in September 2025. Murphy, at NC State from 2012-22, was among nine defendants originally named individually. Others were school o cials accused of negligence in oversight roles, saying concerns about Murphy’s conduct reached senior levels of the athletic department but the school’s response was insu cient. Sutton and co-counsel Robert O. Jenkins led in April to dismiss former NC State chancellor Randy Woodson as a defendant.

Nick Kurtz

CAROLINE BREHMAN / AP PHOTO

Nick Kurtz rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run.

obituaries

Fred Jackson Holland

May 25, 1932 – June 15, 2026

Fred Jackson Holland, known to his family as “Fredro”, 94, passed away on June 15, 2026. He was born May 25, 1932, in Raeford, NC, to the late Jack and Katie Holland. Fred attended Hoke County High School, where he excelled in football—an athletic gift that opened doors for him to play college football for Chattanooga, Lees-McRae, and Catawba. That same discipline and

May 17, 1948 – June 10, 2026

It is with heartfelt sympathy that we announce the passing of

determination continued as Fred played football for the U.S. Army for several years, re ecting both his commitment to service and his lifelong love of the game. With the same hard-working drive that de ned his playing years, Fred went on to found Holland Fence and Landscaping Company, which later became Holland Fence and Pool Company. Through years of dedicated e ort, he built not only a business, but also a reputation for reliability and perseverance. Fred was married to Mrs. Jean Holland for 64 years; a partnership rooted in enduring love and loyalty. Together, they shared a life centered on family and the simple joys of time spent together. Fred also enjoyed traveling, and he especially loved camping and days at the beach—places where his warmth and humor could be felt most naturally, in easy conversation and shared moments.

A life-long member of Antioch Presbyterian Church of Red Springs, NC, Fred’s faith and church family remained a constant throughout his life,

and friends are invited to join in honoring his life and legacy. During this di cult time, we encourage all who knew and loved Mr. Kershaw to keep the family in your thoughts and prayers. Please utilize the Tribute Section of the website to share condolences, words of encouragement, and loving memories with the family. May God grant comfort, peace, and strength to the Kershaw family in the days ahead. Please note that the family of Mr. James Kershaw has requested a private viewing for immediate family members only from 12:00 PM until 12:45 PM. We respectfully ask that all other guests honor the family’s wishes during this private time of re ection and remembrance.

o ering both grounding and community across the years.

Fred is preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Katie Holland; his wife, Jean Holland; and his son, David Holland. He is survived by two daughters, Robin H. McDu e and her husband Mike of Pittsboro, NC, and Donna H. Lewis and her husband Mack of Pinehurst, NC; son, Neill Holland and his wife Jennifer of Raeford, NC, and daughter-in-law, Melissa Holland of Raeford, NC; eight grandchildren; Leigh, Kate, Franklin, Stephen, Jeremy, Taylor, Carmen, and Chase; ten great grandchildren; Mason, Laney, Molly, Audrey, Jack, Olivia, Henry, Hudson, Braylon, and Macie; two brothers; Lewis Holland of Canton, GA, and Bruce Holland of Raeford, NC; and many nieces and nephews.

A graveside service will be held Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Antioch Presbyterian Church, 6583 Red Springs Rd, Red Springs, NC 28377. The family will receive friends following the service in the fellowship hall.

Family and friends are invited to pay their respects during a public viewing for Mr. James Kershaw on Sunday, June 14, 2026, from 1:00 PM until 5:00 PM at Walls Chapel United Methodist Church. A celebration of his life will be held on Monday, June 15, 2026, at 2:00 PM at Walls Chapel United Methodist Church, where loved ones will gather to honor his memory and legacy. We appreciate your understanding, cooperation, and continued support of the family during this time.

In lieu of owers, donations can be made to Antioch Presbyterian Church of Red Springs and FirstHealth Hospice Foundation of Moore County, NC (910)695-7500.

Betty Retha Purcell

March 26, 1929 –June 10, 2026

Ms. Betty Retha Purcell, age 97, went home to be with her Heavenly Father on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.

The Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, June 16th; 1:00 PM at St. James United Church of God. Mother Retha will be greatly missed.

John J. Mack

Jan. 21, 1951 – June 11, 2026

Mr. John J. Mack, age 75, went home to be with his Heavenly Father on Thursday, June 11, 2026. The Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at 1:00 PM at the Pauline T. Buie Chapel. John will be greatly missed.

Gene Shalit, longtime ‘Today’ show movie critic with bushy hair and massive mustache, dead at 100

His wit and intelligence transformed television lm criticism over four decades

By Mark Kennedy The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Gene Shalit, a movie critic and arts reporter for the “Today” show over four decades who was known for his pu y hair, oversized handlebar mustache and a ection for groan-inducing puns, has died. He was 100.

Shalit’s family announced the death Friday to NBC News, saying in a statement that he “passed away peacefully today after 100 years of an amazing life.”

Shalit joined “Today” as a contributor in 1970 and became arts editor in 1973, later settling in for his segment, “Critic’s Corner.” When he left the show in 2010, he was one of the last high-pro le lm critics on a major network.

“What resonated above his unusual appearance was his incredible wit, his remarkable intelligence. But he didn’t pound you over the head with it. He amused you. He enlightened and amused whatever subject he was on,” Guy Ludwig, Shalit’s producer for more than 20 years, wrote in an essay of his time.

It was no coincidence that Chicago critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel’s local “thumbsup, thumbs-down” movie-review program, “Sneak Previews,” went national on PBS in the late 1970s and that “Today” show’s ABC rival, “Good Morning America,” hired Joel Siegel to be its movie critic in 1981.

“Shalit was instrumental in changing the balance of critical power in America. When he began his ‘Today’ tenure, newspapers and magazines were the primary sources for movie reviews. That’s where cinematic opinion was sparked and shaped,” The Plain Dealer wrote in 2010, calling Shalit “Daniel Boone in a bow tie and Groucho glasses.”

Magazine work led to NBC o er

Shalit started as an entertainment columnist for McCall’s magazine, eventually becoming senior lm critic for Look magazine in 1968 and writing for Ladies’ Home Journal. His popularity in magazines led to an o er from NBC.

“No one at NBC had seen him. They’d only read his stu . So he walked into this executive’s ofce and the executive took one look at him and said, ‘Mr. Shalit, have you ever thought of radio?’” wrote Ludwig. “They didn’t know how the public would react to someone who looked so di erent from people who were typically on TV in 1967.”

On the air, Shalit was a middle-of-the-road critic. Of 1986’s classic “Stand By Me,” he said it was di erent from other movies about youth “because of instead of grossing you out, ‘Stand by You’ is engrossing.”

“Many critics will give so much of the plot of a movie away that they destroy the movie for the viewer... I just don’t give away the story,” he told The Associated Press in 1993.

Highlights in words

He liked “De ance” starring Daniel Craig and Jude Law, calling it “a vivid dramatization of one of history’s titanic turning points.” But he called “Brokeback Mountain “wildly overpraised, but not by me” and drew condemnation from GLAAD for calling Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, Jack, a “sexual predator.” Shalit apologized.

He called “Frozen” “very cool.”

He said the oddball title of “The Men Who Stare at Goats” was “heard to bleat,” and his review of “The Lovely Bones” read in part: “There’s no bones about it.”

He began reviewing on the air the year of “Patton” and “Love Story” and ended his run with a

critique of “Shrek Forever After,” of which he noted that the “bellow fellow is now a mellow fellow.” One highlight of this tenure was his descent into a t of giggles while interviewing Carol Channing.

He called a remake of “King Kong” so “gargantuan that I must create new words to describe it: fabularious … a brilliantological humongousness of marvelosity.” His take on Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple”: “It should be against the law not to see it.”

In a 1981 interview with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, Belushi said Shalit’s hair looked like “an ant farm on re.” Nevertheless, he peppered his guest with so many questions about their daily life that it felt like therapy. He asked both comedians what their last meals would be. “What do you want to be doing 10 years from now, John Belushi?” Shalit asked. “‘Fiddler on the Roof’” Belushi replied.

During his tenure, he traded quips with anchors ranging from Edwin Newman, Barbara Walters and Jane Pauley to Tom Brokaw, Bryant Gumbel, Katie Couric, Jane Pauley, Al Roker and Meredith Vieira.

Gumbel was not always a fan, once saying Shalit’s reviews “are

often late and his interviews aren’t very good.” The critique came in what was supposed to be a con dential memo to Marty Ryan, the show’s executive producer at the time. In 1994, while in St. Pete Beach, Florida, to cover Major League Baseball spring training, a car hit Shalit as he was crossing a street and broke his leg. After that, “Today” began recording his movie reviews in his home studio.

Early life

He was born in New York and grew up in Morristown, New Jersey, starting his grammar school’s rst newspaper before writing a humor column for the newspaper while a student at Morristown High School. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1949.

Shalit played the bassoon, but he said he started out on the clarinet.

“I didn’t practice for a few weeks and the teacher got furious,” he recalled in 1988, before playing bassoon in a New York City fundraiser. “He took away my clarinet and as punishment he said, ‘From now on, you’re gonna play THIS.’”

In 1987, he edited a book called “Laughing Matters: A Celebration of American Humor,” saying he wanted to introduce and reintroduce such old and new masters of American humor as Mark Twain, James Thurber and Russell Baker.

Shalit was regularly mocked on “Saturday Night Live” by cast member Horatio Sanz, who would appear on the Weekend Update desk dressed as Shalit and go on an extended, barely coherent rants that punned the title of every movie he reviewed. Shalit also made cameos on “Sesame Street,” “Family Guy” and “Spongebob Squarepants.” He is survived by a daughter, Willa Shalit.

James Ervin Kershaw

Mr. James Kershaw. Family

RICHARD DREW / AP PHOTO

Film critic Gene Shalit died last week at 100.

STATE & NATION

Backyard brawl: UFC rocks DC

By Dan Gelston The Associated Press

UFC CEO Dana White called ght night at the White House a smashing success. White boasted about merchandise sales and streaming service subscriptions and how UFC surpassed its goals in every metric he could list.

White also knows this type of production can’t be duplicated again at the White House.

The constant headaches over weather concerns in the rare outdoor show, the logistics of construction of the cage and staging events at federal landmarks and the soaring cost

made Freedom 250 a once-ina-lifetime event. It delivered on the star-spangled smackdown that featured pulsating patriotism from the Marine Band, tributes to rst responders, Medal of Honor recipients and other White House-designated heroes. American Justin Gaethje won the UFC Lightweight title in a huge upset over Ilia Topuria inside a blood-splattered eight-sided cage plopped in the open air right in the people’s house backyard. White said this was a oneo show, though, never to be repeated: “I can’t a ord it … We’ll never do this again.”

PHOTOS BY MARK SCHIEFELBEIN, ALEX BRANDON, JACQUELYN MARTIN, JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON VIA AP

MOORE COUNTY

Hurricane Stanley

The Carolina Hurricanes clinched their rst Stanley Cup in 20 years with a 3-0 Game 6 shutout in Las Vegas on Sunday, capping o

dominant 16-3 playo run. For much more, turn to NSJ Sports.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

8 dead in B-52 bomber crash at U.S. Air Force base in California

Los Angeles

The U.S. Air Force says eight people aboard a B-52 bomber that crashed shortly after takeo at a military base in Southern California’s Mojave Desert are dead. O cials said Monday that emergency crews responded after the aircraft went down around 11:20 a.m. at Edwards Air Force Base north of Los Angeles. The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range bomber that entered service in 1955. Designed to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons, it has been used in countless con icts from Vietnam to Iran.

Newsom says Trump’s DOJ investigating him, his wife

Sacramento, Calif.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the Justice Department is investigating him and his wife, accusing the Trump administration of targeting him for political purposes as he weighs a presidential bid. The full scope of any investigations related to Newsom was not immediately clear. Newsom said in a video posted Monday on X that federal agents in recent days have knocked on the doors of his friends and former employees, and have asked for records. A person familiar with the matter con rmed there are multiple federal investigations into people around Newsom, including one related to his wife’s taxes.

Purvis sworn in as Moore County Schools’ new superintendent

The 32-year veteran of the school system graduated from North Moore High School

By Jessica Taylor For North State Journal

RALEIGH — Jennifer Purvis was appointed as Superintendent of Moore County Schools by the Moore County Board of Education, starting July 1. She was sworn in ahead of that start date at a ceremony held on June 10.

The Moore County Board of Education approved Purvis’ contract for four years, according to a recent press release. She will replace Tim Locklair, who served as superintendent from 2022 until his retirement in March.

Locklair worked to implement a program called the “MCS Way” to develop leadership and success among students, among other programs centered on meeting student needs.

Purvis is a lifelong Moore County resident and has served the students, sta and families of Moore County Schools for nearly 32 years. She worked as interim superintendent since March, having previously served as assistant superintendent for operations. She is additionally a Moore County Schools graduate, starting kindergarten at Robbins Elementary School and graduating from North Moore High School.

Purvis has worked in numerous educational and leadership roles, serving in positions such as a classroom

“Moore County Schools has accomplished so much because of the people who make up this district, and I look forward to building on that success as we continue preparing students for bright and promising futures.”

Jennifer Purvis, Moore County Schools superintendent

teacher, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent and interim superintendent.

“It is truly an honor to serve as Superintendent of Moore County Schools,” Purvis said in the press release. “As a graduate of Moore County Schools and someone who has spent my entire career serving this district, I understand rsthand the impact our schools have on students,

Moore commissioners approve insurance, works contracts

The county renewed both its medical and dental insurance contracts

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

CARTHAGE — The Moore County Board of Commissioners met June 16 for its regular business meeting with an agenda primarily consisting of contractual items.

The board rst approved an approximately $172,000 contract with Creative Resurfacing for the recoating of the troughs of the three primary clari ers at the water pollution control plant.

“Last year, we recoated the intermediate clari ers and the year before that, we recoated the nal clari er troughs,” said Public Works Director Brian Patnode. “This will complete that project. This was planned in our CIP and budgeted for this year.”

According to Patnode, it has been 14 years since the troughs were last coated.

Creative Resurfacing was the company who did the other recoating projects as well.

The board also approved updates to the county’s library agreements with Aberdeen, Pineblu , Robbins and Vass.

“We’re just trying to make an e ort here to unify them and update them,” said Assistant

“Anytime we’re getting more money, it’s not a problem.”

Board Chair Nick Picerno on the updated town remands

County Manager Janet Gilbert. According to Gilbert, some of the agreements dated all the way back to 1985.

Along with the updates, the agreement also increased each town’s remand to the county from $4,500 to $5,000.

“The towns basically take care of the library buildings, they pay the utilities, the insur-

families, and our community.

“I am excited to work alongside our Board of Education, employees, families, and community partners as we continue moving our district forward. Moore County Schools has accomplished so much because of the people who make up this district, and I look forward to building on that success as we continue

ance, the housekeeping, the yard maintenance, and the county and the regional library systems supply the sta , the books and materials and everything other than the building itself,” said Moore County Library Director Alice Thomas. “So they’re paying $5,000 for everything that the county and the regional library system provides,” According to Gilbert, this the rst update to the pricing since at least scal year 2009, and upon meeting with each of the administration sta s from the four library branches, none had any issue with the increase.

“Anytime we’re getting more money, it’s not a problem,” said Board Chair Nick Picerno. “This is the easiest decision of the night. Guarantee.”

The board also approved the 2026 renewal amendment with Blue Cross NC for the provision of administrative services for

JOHN LOCHER / AP PHOTO

THURSDAY 6.18.26

“Join the conversation”

North State Journal (USPS 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365)

Trip

We stand corrected

To report an error or a suspected error, please email: corrections@nsjonline.com with “Correction request” in the subject line.

SCHOOLS from page A1

Purvis has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and sociology from the UNC Greensboro and a master’s degree in reading education from UNC Pembroke. She has also completed the Sandhills Leadership Academy administrator program.

Authorities say they disrupted planned drone, gun attack on UFC cage- ghting show at White House

The suspects shared anti-government ideology and conspiracy theories about the Epstein case

By Eric Tucker The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. —

Law enforcement o cials disrupted a planned attack targeting President Donald Trump’s UFC cage- ghting show at the White House this past weekend, according to court papers unsealed Tuesday that say plotters who harbored fringe conspiracy theories spoke of ying explosives-laden drones and shooting panicked crowd members as they ed.

Investigators recovered highpowered rearms from several of the suspects and reviewed encrypted text messages between roughly 20 participants who shared detailed maps and aerial photographs of the area and discussed the need for a “safe house” and escape routes after the intended attack, the documents show.

But it’s unclear from the court records how close the would-be attackers could have come to being able to carry out the plan had it not been thwarted.

Several suspects or co-conspirators who were questioned by the authorities said they did not intend themselves to carry out violence but planned to instead observe others. One said he would have traveled to the UFC event as a protester but had to return home after his vehicle malfunctioned. And though the participants spoke of using drones rigged with explosives, charging documents suggest they were still looking to acquire such equipment when the plot was interrupted.

“It didn’t even get close to the point of execution,” Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday evening on Fox News Channel, describing the planning as “not that advanced.”

“They weren’t in town. They had not really done that much planning,” he said.

United by conspiracy theories, anger over country’s direction

ka and California were arrested on federal charges, the Justice Department said.

Asked about the arrests Tuesday, Vance said there was “more violent rhetoric coming from the left than the right these days.” But the charging documents paint a more muddled view of their views, depicting them as espousing a tangled web of anti-government sentiment, antisemitic grievances, fury over the Trump administration’s handling of the Je rey Epstein les and conspiracy theories about a powerful elite that sacri ces and consumes children.

Both Trump and Vance said they had not been briefed in advance of the plot. A top Secret Service o cial suggested Tuesday the investigation was continuing and an announcement might have been premature.

“Anyone that believes that case was worked in a bubble is naive,” Deputy Secret Service Director Matthew Quinn told reporters at an unrelated news conference. “I’ll tell you the Secret Service led that investigation from the beginning. I’ll tell you that it’s ongoing. In order to maintain the integrity of the investigation and the security plan, we chose not to leak it.”

Communications took place on TikTok, Signal

Among those arrested was Tycen Proper, a 19-year-old Ohio man whose mother contacted law enforcement last week with concerns about his rearms purchases and online communications, according to an FBI a davit led in the case.

Proper told o cials he participated in the planning of an attack, according to the a davit, which says some members of the group began communicating with each other last March through a TikTok group called “Vanguard of the Old.”

ee of the United States, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

The logistics were discussed via Signal, an app that uses end-to-end encryption for its messaging and calling services, through a primary chat of “approximately 19 individuals” and smaller side chats, authorities said. Messages obtained from Proper’s phone show he identied by name several Republican lawmakers he said should be targeted because they apparently received donations from causes supportive of Israel, the adavit said.

Proper told law enforcement o cials that he had been planning to drive with weapons and body armor to a meet-up spot in Fredericksburg, Virginia, court papers say. He said though he did not intend to shoot people at the White House, others in the group did, the a davit said.

The plan called for the use of drones that would be detonated over the north side of the White House, prompting an evacuation into the line of re of waiting snipers in an attack Proper said was designed to “jumpstart” a revolution, authorities said.

Investigators who examined Proper’s phone and TikTok account identi ed additional suspects.

Michael Alan Thomas, 32, of Pinon Hills, California, told o cials he viewed himself as “the planner and advisor for the group, and while he was not willing to take action himself, wanted to guide and instruct others on how to carry out attacks” designed to overthrow the government, an FBI agent said in an a davit.

moore happening

Here’s a

June 18

Cruzin’ 4 Kids Car

4:30-6:30 p.m.

A

Line Dancing

6:30-8:30 p.m.

Community event open to all ages and skill levels. Admission is $10.

WSP Center Auditorium 1250 W. New York Ave. Southern Pines

Annual Buggy Festival 9-4 p.m.

This year marks the 37th Annual Buggy Festival. More than 150 craft and food vendors and kids’ activities. Pets on a leash are welcome at this family-friendly event. Downtown Carthage

June 19-20

During her time as principal of North Moore High School, her e orts contributed to an increase in the school’s graduation rate, from 74.6% to 91.6%. She also directed campaigns to improve overall academic performance and school culture. In 2016, she was named Moore County Schools Principal of the Year.

Law enforcement o cials learned about the possible threat June 10, four days before the mixed martial arts extravaganza on the White House’s South Lawn, “and thanks to the rapid action of the FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold,” Director Kash Patel said in a post on X on Tuesday.

Five people from states including Ohio, Missouri, Nebras-

“The members of the group stated that they wanted to protect the United States, which they believed was headed in the wrong direction,” the afdavit says. “Members of the group believed that the United States needed to be torn down so that it could be rebuilt. Some expressed a desire that people who were involved with Je rey Epstein should not govern the country.”

Trump, who celebrated his 80th birthday at the UFC event on Sunday, was friends with Epstein many years ago but has said he ended their relationship before the disgraced nancier’s crimes became known. Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex tra cking charges.

A lawyer for Proper, who is charged with rearms o enses and crimes including attempted murder of an o cer or employ-

The agent said Thomas believed the U.S. government was “run by an elite group of individuals who sacri ce and consume infants who also were deeply involved” with Epstein and are now protected by Trump.

Another suspect, Bryan Omar Roa, also of California, told the FBI he had planned to attend the event as a “protester” but he had to return home because his car was broken, an agent said. It was not immediately clear who their lawyers were.

Two other suspects were identi ed as Daniel K. Eskridge, 32, of Kidder, Missouri, who ofcials say said in a group chat that a target of the attack should be “big and someone a majority of the country knows,” and Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez, an Omaha, Nebraska, man who the FBI said posted detailed plans with the co-conspirators.

A lawyer for Alvarez declined to comment and a lawyer for Eskridge did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Hand Clutch Tractor Association of Moore County Tractor Show 5 p.m.

The Hand Clutch Tractor Association of Moore County hosts a two-day show featuring antique and classic tractors. A 1942 Oliver 70 Row Crop Tractor will be ra ed during the event. The show continues Saturday, June 20 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is $5. Moore County Agricultural Fairgrounds 3699 U.S. Highway 15/501 Carthage

CONTRACTS from page A1 preparing students for bright and promising futures.”

During her time as assistant superintendent for operations, Purvis led campaigns throughout major district departments and capital projects to support the district’s operational and facility needs. She worked closely with the Board of Education and Moore County Board of Commissioners.

While working as interim superintendent, Purvis advanced strategic priorities that focused on supporting student success, scal responsibility, strengthening district operations and enhancing communication and collaboration.

“Mrs. Purvis is a proud native of Moore County and a graduate of Moore County Schools,” said Board of Education Chair Robin Calcutt in the press release.

“Mrs. Purvis has a genuine love for students of all ages and rmly believes that every student can achieve success. Her commitment to putting students rst guides every decision she makes. With her knowledge of the K-12 curriculum, her focus on continuous improvement and a commitment to high expectations, she is well-positioned to lead Moore County Schools into the future.”

CRIME LOG

June 8

• Randy James Brigman, 57, of Rockingham, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for aiding and abetting larceny.

• Jan Marshall Dambowsky, 60, of Pinehurst, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and misdemeanor child abuse.

• Michael Anthony Fitzgerald, 47, of Cameron, was arrested by MCSO for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

• Crystal Lee Inman, 45, of Asheville, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for assault on a government o cial or employee, attempted larceny and resisting a public o cer.

• Curtis Guy Nooe, 46, of Robbins, was arrested by MCSO for possession of fentanyl, simple possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, and other charges.

• Kansas Star Philbrick, 31, of Pittsboro, was arrested by Robbins PD for possession of a controlled substance on prison or jail premises, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, and other charges.

• Holly Brianna Roberts, 33, of Mount Gilead, was arrested by MCSO for tra cking in fentanyl; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver fentanyl; and possession of fentanyl, and other charges.

• Ryan Matthew Schwarz, 41, of Aberdeen, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for assault on a female and assault by pointing a gun.

June 9

• Amanda Leigh Diamond, 44, of Cameron, was arrested by MCSO for communicating threats and misdemeanor larceny.

• Brian Keith Gilmore, 55, of Southern Pines, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for misdemeanor larceny.

• Cli ord James McLaughlin, 38, of Cameron, was arrested by Vass PD for misdemeanor larceny and failure to pay child support.

June 10

• Caleb Joshua Sistare, 24, of Cameron, was arrested by MCSO for eeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver methamphetamine; and possession of methamphetamine, and other charges.

• Bailey Ann-Marie Thames, 23, of Raeford, was arrested by MCSO for misdemeanor child abuse.

June 11

• Joseph Brandon Johnson, 36, of Aberdeen, was arrested by MCSO for attempted uttering.

• Briana Ashton Lovings, 35, of Aberdeen, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting a public o cer.

• John Andrew Newman, 36, of Asheboro, was arrested by MCSO for seconddegree trespass.

• Walter Junior Spinks, 41, of High Point, was arrested by MCSO for driving while impaired, driving on a revoked license

and possession of an open container in the passenger area, and other charges.

June 12

• Quashaun Demetrius Gaddy, 30, of Raeford, was arrested by Pinehurst PD for possession of a stolen rearm, carrying a concealed gun and an expired registration, and other charges.

• Trey’vohn Malick Johnson, 26, of Fayetteville, was arrested by Southern Pines PD for uttering a forged instrument, possession of stolen goods and obtaining property by false pretense.

• Kenneth Ray Norris, 52, of Carthage, was arrested by MCSO for assault on a female.

• Jesus Ocampo Ramirez, 44, of Robbins, was arrested by MCSO for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and assault on a female.

• Hunter Kinlaw Shaw, 25, of Angier, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for misdemeanor larceny and possession of stolen goods.

June 13

• Naji Rasheed Jackson, 25, of Southern Pines, was arrested by Taylortown PD for larceny by employee and possession of stolen goods.

• Marcus Jason McLean, 37, of Aberdeen, was arrested by Aberdeen PD for assault on a government o cial or employee, communicating threats and injury to personal property, and other charges.

group medical and prescription services. The renewal maintains the current administrative fee rate and actually sees a decrease in the total stop-loss rates.

In addition, the board approved the 2026 renewal rate with MetLife for the provision of administrative services for group dental services.

The 2026 revision has a net increase from the prior year of around $56,000.

Finally, the board authorized the Eagle Springs re department to move forward with the procuring of a 2025 Toyne Freightliner custom pumper demo engine at an amount not to exceed $460,000.

“Eagle Springs was on the replacement list for scal year 2027 for a replacement engine, and they have an opportunity to get this particular engine which was a demo model,” said County Manager Wayne Vest. “Basically they’re getting the engine itself for $460,000 and later on, as the chief out ts the vehicle, there will be additional funding requests that come forward not to exceed $294,000.”

The Moore County Board of Commissioners will next meet July 21.

THE CONVERSATION

Trip

Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

Even without his controversies, Graham Platner is just a lightweight extremist

SET ASIDE, for a moment, that Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner spent years with a Nazi SS Totenkopf tattoo. Set aside that he blamed sexual assault victims for their predicament, that he called rural white Americans stupid racists, that he advocated political violence, that he mocked a wounded Purple Heart recipient, that he joked about the Virgin Mary being a “skank” and that he joined a hookup site while married.

Who among us is a saint, after all?

The more interesting question is why Democrats have shown such loyalty to him.

After hearing so much about Platner’s everyman appeal, I went down a rabbit hole, watching his speeches and listening to his interviews. Virtually every one of them is crammed with brain-numbing platitudes and freshman-level socialist sloganeering. His rhetoric makes former Vice President Kamala Harris sound weighty by comparison.

“This is a race about performative politics they’re used to,” Platner told a crowd recently. “What they don’t understand is that this is a race about us.”

This kind of banality, and there is a lot of it, calls to mind Lt. Frank Drebin trying to win over the love of his life in “The Naked Gun” by telling her that “maybe the problems of two little people don’t amount to a hill of beans ... but this is our hill, and these are our beans.”

The late philosopher Daniel Dennett called phrases like this “deepities” — words that create the impression of moral and emotional weight while o ering no actual insight.

Obviously, most politicians tra c in deepities to some extent. Platner, however, can spew inane class-war cliches for an hour without

Democrats’

wandering anywhere near a deeper thought.

That is because Platner is the embodiment of performative left-wing populism. His cosplay working-man candidacy was created by Faiz Shakir and Ben Wikler, two Ivy League-educated former Bernie Sanders sta ers.

“Part of the thesis here is that people don’t want candidates who are grown in a vat,” Wikler recently said. “They want people who are real human beings. And they want people who do not look and sound like the people who have been leading this country o a cli the last century.”

In other words, Platner is not a compelling organic candidate. He is a man who can play a part. Democrats have lost working-class voters to Republican populists, so they have become enamored with the idea of running someone who carries the aesthetic qualities of one. That is my thesis.

“If we want folks that are representing us from the working class, they’re not necessarily going to have a groomed and perfect political record,” a Maine voter recently told Fox News, repeating a common talking point.

But is the progressive impression of working-class “folks” really that they get Nazi tattoos, fantasize about rape and murder, and cheat on their wives? Because that seems like an insulting stereotype.

As James Kirchick notes, people used to say Donald Trump “was a poor person’s idea of a rich person.” Platner, he says, “is a rich person’s idea of a poor person.”

Weirdly, Platner’s many controversies may have obscured his political radicalism. Wikler and other Bernie acolytes should be honest and decry not merely

struggle with

the past century but the past 250 years because progressives detest the constitutional order.

You can hear it in Platner’s appearance on a Jewhating conspiracy theorist’s podcast — “longtime fan,” the Maine Senate candidate says — where he derides the American “system” and depicts the United States, the wealthiest country on the planet, as a hellhole.

Now, Platner may well win Maine. Maybe class resentment and Marxism are our future. But his politics — not only “taking back” what was allegedly stolen by the rich but also supporting all the cultural quackery the woke Left has in icted on the country — are far more closely aligned with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez than with the average working-class American.

Even if Platner were a member of the proletariat, would that be enough?

Millions of working-class Americans successfully navigate the world without being sleazeballs. It would be helpful to bring their perspectives and experiences to Washington. Platner, born into privilege, will not. He bought his house with help from his wealthy father and VA disability bene ts. His oyster-farming business may have been created after he decided to run for Senate. Whatever the case, it appears his only real customer is his wealthy mother’s restaurant.

And that is ne. There is nothing wrong with relying on family. There is nothing wrong with being rich. There is something wrong with mischaracterizing your life to mislead voters.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

men reflects a deeper cultural disconnect

ONE OF THE MORE revealing political developments of recent years has been the Democratic Party’s growing concern about its declining support among male voters. After years of watching men drift toward the political right, many Democrats have begun asking a simple question: Why are men leaving?

The answer may be simpler than party strategists would like to admit.

For many men, politics is not merely about policy preferences. It is also about whether they feel understood, respected and represented. Increasingly, many men feel that modern progressive politics views them less as constituents and more as problems to be solved.

Over the past decade, much of the political and cultural conversation on the left has framed masculinity in negative terms. Men are frequently described as “toxic” or privileged, or as obstacles to social progress. While these criticisms are often directed at speci c behaviors, many ordinary men hear something broader: that their role in society is being diminished or dismissed.

As a result, Democrats now face a challenge that goes beyond messaging. They are struggling to connect with a demographic they increasingly seem not to understand.

This disconnect becomes apparent in the party’s search for gures who can appeal to male voters. Progressives often ask where their version of podcast host Joe Rogan might be. Yet the question itself reveals a misunderstanding. Rogan does not t neatly into traditional ideological categories. He has supported progressive candidates, entertained a wide range of viewpoints, and frequently rejects partisan labels altogether. His appeal stems less from his political beliefs than from his ability to

speak to audiences in a way that feels authentic and unscripted.

Rather than recognizing that authenticity, many Democrats appear to search for substitutes who mimic certain cultural aesthetics while maintaining strict ideological conformity. The result often feels forced.

The same dynamic can be seen in Texas politics, where state Rep. James Talarico has emerged as a prominent Democratic gure. Talarico presents himself as a person of faith and frequently speaks about Christianity in public life. Yet critics argue that his policy positions remain rmly aligned with progressive priorities, creating a disconnect between the image he projects and the policies he supports.

Whether on issues involving transgender policies, border security, gun rights or energy production, opponents contend that Talarico’s recent rhetoric sounds more moderate than his legislative record. To those critics, the problem is not his ideology but the perception that he is attempting to package progressive policies in culturally conservative language.

The broader issue, they argue, is that Democrats often focus on appearances rather than underlying values.

Many progressives seem to operate with a narrow understanding of masculinity. In one stereotype, the traditional man is a deeply religious cultural conservative whose identity revolves around outward displays of faith. In another, masculinity is reduced to a rough-edged, hyperaggressive caricature de ned by toughness and rebellion.

Neither image captures how most men see themselves.

For many conservatives, masculinity is not primarily about appearance, style or personality. It is about responsibility. A man may be a lawyer, teacher,

mechanic, soldier or small-business owner. What matters is not the aesthetic but the ful llment of duties — to family, community and country.

Under this understanding, manhood is de ned less by how someone looks and more by what he does.

Providing for a family, protecting loved ones, serving one’s community, and accepting personal responsibility are viewed as central components of masculine identity.

Critics of modern progressivism argue that this framework creates a fundamental con ict.

Contemporary left-wing politics often emphasizes individual rights and personal autonomy, while traditional concepts of masculinity emphasize obligations and responsibilities. If politics increasingly focuses on liberation from duties, it becomes more di cult to speak meaningfully to people who view duty itself as a virtue.

This may help explain why many Democratic attempts to reconnect with male voters have fallen at. The problem is not necessarily a lack of outreach. It is that the outreach often appears to be built on assumptions that many men do not recognize.

Political parties succeed when they understand the people they hope to persuade. They fail when they substitute stereotypes for genuine understanding.

As Democrats continue searching for ways to rebuild support among men, they may discover that the challenge is not nding the right messenger or adopting the right aesthetic. It is understanding the values, responsibilities and aspirations that shape how many men see themselves in the rst place.

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 | BEN SHAPIRO

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

Roaring crowds in stars and stripes show up for the US team, soccer’s moment in their country

Multigenerational

American families increasingly view soccer as central to their sports identity

By Amy Taxin and Jaimie Ding

The Associated Press

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — It was a stadium like any other, packed with American sports fans wearing their favorite team’s jerseys and red-white-and-blue face paint, roaring as players took the eld.

Only this time, the sport was soccer.

The U.S. team’s home opener in the World Cup on Friday brought more than 70,000 passionate soccer enthusiasts to the massive stadium near Los Angeles, where they saw the U.S. beat Paraguay 4-1. They had, in many cases, paid thousands of dollars to see their team play on the biggest global stage for a sport that has long been eclipsed in the United States — a sport many say is nally having its moment.

Many fans said they grew up playing soccer in recreational leagues as young children, and well into high school and college. Nakisha Gutierrez, a 37-year-old occupational therapist from Los Angeles, and her sister both played the sport. Their Argentine father raised them on soccer, and the next generation is now taking it up, too, she said.

“It’s in the family blood,” said Gutierrez, her cheeks painted with sparkling red-and-blue stars. “It is the American culture — it’s starting to be.”

The World Cup is played every four years, and fans around the world track their national teams, hoping they’ll have a strong enough showing to qualify for it. In many countries — like Friday’s opponent, Paraguay — just making it to the tournament can prompt street parties, reworks and national holidays. In the United States, though, the response is often a bit more muted. Soccer has long been overshadowed by football, basketball and “America’s pastime” of baseball.

But soccer’s popularity has risen in the United States since the country last hosted the World Cup in 1994. Major League Soccer was launched two years later, and soccer has become especially popular among young athletes.

There was palpable joy in the air for U.S. fans watching the match as Folarin Balogun scored an electric two goals in the rst half of the game, and star player Christian Pulisic made a shot that led to a Paraguay own goal. But the stadi-

um was aroar when Gio Reyna sealed Paraguay’s fate with a late fourth goal during added time.

Samuel Esquivel, 9, said he was screaming when the match ended.

“That was probably, like, the second best goal,” he said of Reyna’s shot. He started playing soccer last year and said he already wants to win a World Cup.

His father Roman Esquivel said they came from a family that played football, basketball, and baseball. But Esquivel’s daughter and son both fell in love with soccer, and their enthusiasm for the game has spread to him as well.

“It’s the most beautiful sport in the world,” he said. “There’s a reason why the whole world plays soccer.” Interest has also been buoyed by immigrants from countries where, as Gutierrez puts it, “soccer is life.”

Ava Cupit, 14, traveled with her family from Franklin, Tennessee, to cheer on the U.S. team, dressed up as the Statue of Liberty. Her great-grandfather was from Spain and helped bring soccer to their small town, where he built elds and promoted the sport.

“He made us all fall in love with it, and our whole family loves soccer,” Ava’s mother Rachel Cupit said. “The people

who’ve married in, they’ve just become a part of it too.”

In the massive stadium in Inglewood, California, usually home to football games, seats were a sea of red and white. Fans wore glitter, Stars-and- Stripes high-tops, overalls, robes and the team’s hallmark jerseys. Some dressed as that ultimate symbol of American patriotism, Uncle Sam, with long white beards and top hats. A

few wore George Washington costumes. They came to show their support for their team, and to show that Americans, like the rest of the world, can be passionate about soccer, too. Many were trying to attend all of the U.S. team’s group round matches. One spectator said he came from Texas after seeing the U.S. team previously face o in international matches before large

crowds backing their opponents.

Self-proclaimed soccer “addict” Jose Contreras said he grew up playing the sport with his uncle in Mexico because it was cheap and accessible. He ew from Georgia to support the U.S. in its opening match, even though there are games he could attend in Atlanta, closer to home.

“This is one of the happiest days of my life,” Contreras said.

ANDRE PENNER / AP PHOTO

Fans of the United States Men’s National Team cheer prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, California, last Friday.

ANDRE PENNER / AP PHOTO

United States fans cheer prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay outside of Los Angeles last Friday.

MOORE SPORTS

Pinecrest takes girls’ lacrosse title

The title game win caps an unbeaten season for the Patriots

North State Journal sta

THE PINECREST girls’ lacrosse team capped an undefeated season by beating Apex 9-7 in the NCHSAA Class 8A state championship game. The Patriots went 22-0 on the year win-

ning their rst girls’ lacrosse title in school history.

Pinecrest wiped out an early 4-0 de cit, led by senior captain Virginia Grey Sutton, who had four goals and two assists in the game to win MVP of the 8A championships.

Sutton was also named second-team All East Region and second-team All-State by the North Carolina Lacrosse Coaches Association, one of several

Pinecrest players to earn honors from the NCLCA.

Senior Peyton Page, sophomores Cameron Haracz and Sarah Tepatti, and junior goalie Samantha Lineback earned rst-team All-East-Region honors. Page, Tepatti and Lineback also earned rst-team All-State, while Haracz joined Sutton on the second team. Page scored two goals in the championship game, while Haracz won the NCHSAA sportsmanship award.

Freshmen Kassidy Haracz, Anna Page and Eden Whit eld all received honorable mention All-Region, as did Anna Gaab of Union Pines. Haracz, Page and Whit eld all added one goal in the title game, with Whit eld also recording an assist.

Hamlin wins NASCAR Cup race at Pocono for third straight victory

The retiring great is on the longest winning streak of his career

The Associated Press

LONG POND, Pa. — With every Denny Hamlin victory, speculation about his future grows and talks of retirement are questioned.

He signed a two-year extension with Joe Gibbs Racing that runs through 2027 and he insists it will be his last season. At 45, he’s the oldest full-time Cup Series driver in the eld, but he can’t stop winning.

Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway for his third consecutive victory and passed the late Kyle Busch for sole possession of ninth place on the all-time wins list.

His recent success — it is his fourth win of the season, not including the nonpoints All-Star race — has renewed talk that Hamlin should reconsider retirement when his deal with Gibbs expires.

“I think for Denny, he wants to leave on top, right? He doesn’t want to leave where it was one year too long,” said JGR co-owner Heather Gibbs. “At this rate, what he’s producing out there, it’s not something you would not consider. We want the best drivers in our cars. Our teams work to put the best cars on track.

“If it works out and he’s still producing and he wants to, it’s a huge commitment for him, he’s got his own team that he kind of wants to run. It’s hard when you

dangle checkered ags in front of him, too. He so far has put a stop to such talk despite performing at the highest level of his long career.”

Hamlin, who wasn’t even sure he wanted to return to honor this two-year extension after losing the championship in last November’s season nale and then the December death of his father in a house re, understands he’s performing at a high level.

But as far as continuing past 2027? It’s not yet on his radar despite how strong he’s been on the track.

“I would certainly say it’s the best we’ve been,” Hamlin said.

“We come to the racetrack every week knowing we got a great shot to win. The team’s doing an amazing job giving me exactly what I need in the car every single week. That’s why we’re winning.”

The win comes nearly 20 years to the date after his rst career victory, which was at Pocono on June 11, 2006. He swept the races at the Pennsylvania track that year.

Hamlin said Pocono has become “like a second home for me.”

“First win here, so special here. Pocono has mastered the fan experience from the crowd in the stands to the in eld here,” Hamlin said. “Just so happy for this whole Joe Gibbs Racing team. The pit crew is awless right now. We got it all going.”

Despite 64 career victories, this marks the rst time in his career that Hamlin has won three consecutive races.

The feat tied Richard Petty, who did it in 1966 and 1967, Bobby Allison in 1971 and Darrell Waltrip in 1981.

He also took a jab at NASCAR, noting that it was technically his ninth victory at Pocono, but he was stripped of the victory in 2022 when NASCAR said he and Busch’s car’s failed postrace inspection.

“They aren’t getting that checkered ag back,” Hamlin said.

Tyler Reddick nished second as Toyota took the top two spots. Hamlin is now 19 points behind Reddick in the Cup Series standings.

“Everyone is racing hard for track position. Some of it’s just bad luck, I guess, where you catch cars,” Reddick said. “It’s a bummer. I mean, if the 11 wasn’t the winner, you could consider this a good day. I know we nished second. Scoring the points we did just didn’t get the job done.”

Toyota drivers have won 10 of 16 races this season, and JGR has accounted for ve of them.

William Byron nished third.

“I think this is probably the rst time in four months that I’ve been able to drive the car this way, just be able to make moves and have the balance stay with me,” Byron said.

Byron was followed by John Hunter Nemechek in fourth. Nemechek led 42 laps — double what he’s led the last two years.

Kyle Larson was fth and Erik Jones sixth as Toyota drivers took four of the top six spots.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Jackson Van Paris

Pinecrest graduate, golf

Jackson Van Paris is a 2021 graduate of Pinecrest, where he was a four-time all-state golfer. He went on to play four years at Vanderbilt and is now a pro on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Van Paris shot rounds of 65 and 64 to nish one shot o the lead at the nal qualifying tournament at Gaston Country Club on “golf’s longest day.” His third-place nish earned him a spot in next month’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in New York.

Van Paris did not shoot a bogey during the two rounds and was the only one of the ve quali ers at Gaston to do so in his home state.

Judge dismisses lawsuit by 31 former NC State athletes alleging abuse by ex-trainer

Dismissal came due to procedural reasons, but players plan to appeal

By Aaron Beard

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A state judge has dismissed a lawsuit led by 31 former NC State male athletes alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine.

In orders led Tuesday, Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins dismissed claims against Robert M. Murphy Jr., as well as multiple NC State athletics o cials tied to their oversight rules, citing procedural reasons. The lawsuit was led in February in state court in a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete led in 2022. That complaint alleged years of misconduct by Murphy, including improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.

Collins granted the motion seeking a dismissal from Murphy’s attorneys, ruling that the statute of limitations had expired in claims dating back as early as 2013. Collins also dismissed claims against multiple athletics ofcials such as former athletic director Debbie Yow and current AD Boo Corrigan on jurisdictional grounds. His ruling stated any complaint should go through the North Carolina Industrial Commission — a state agency that deals with workplace matters with NC State as a public university — rather than civil court.

the

Jared Hammett, a Raleigh-based attorney representing Murphy, issued a statement to The Associated Press describing his client as “someone who dedicated his life to working with athletes” while referring to a “rush to judgment” that can impact “real people’s lives.”

“The truth is nothing happened but a man’s career being ruined for money,” Hammett said. “As a lawyer I am just glad that we have been able to help another person who needed support and found himself needing that defense.”

Durham-based attorney

Kerry Sutton, who has represented players going back to the original case, said the athletes plan to appeal.

“This dismissal has nothing at all to do with Mr. Murphy’s sexual abuse of these 31 former student-athletes,” Sutton said in a statement to the AP. “It was decided based only on questions of legal procedure. We plan to appeal this outcome and in coming days will be adding new claims against NCSU for men who have recently come forward.”

All but two of the 31 athletes are “John Doe” plainti s to protect anonymity, while two former men’s soccer players are named.

One is Benjamin Locke, who led the original complaint in August 2022. The other is one of two athletes who led their own federal lawsuits in February 2023 and April 2023. The AP typically doesn’t identify those who say they have been sexually assaulted or abused unless the person has spoken publicly about it, which Locke has done.

Sutton, who has represented plainti s in each lawsuit, led to dismiss those pending Title IX lawsuits before moving the case to state-level jurisdiction in September 2025.

Murphy, at NC State from 2012-22, was among nine defendants originally named individually. Others were school o cials accused of negligence in oversight roles, saying concerns about Murphy’s conduct reached senior levels of the athletic department but the school’s response was insu cient.

Sutton and co-counsel Robert O. Jenkins led in April to dismiss former NC State chancellor Randy Woodson as a defendant.

“NC State does not condone sexual misconduct of any kind,” the school said in a statement Tuesday evening. “The health and safety of our students and student-athletes is paramount to the university and our athletic programs.

“We agree with the court’s analysis and the decision that the law supports dismissal of the plainti s’ claims in this case. We recognize the immense courage it takes for someone to come forward, and our hearts go out to any student or student-athlete who has been impacted by distressing experiences.”

COURTESY

DERIK HAMILTON / AP PHOTO

Denny Hamlin celebrates his win during Sunday’s Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway.

DERIK HAMILTON / AP PHOTO

Denny Hamlin crosses

nish line to win the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono.

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL

49ers mourn sudden death of former All-Pro linebacker

Smith at 36

San Francisco

Aldon Smith, a former All-Pro linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers whose playing career was sidetracked by legal issues, died at 36. The team did not disclose a cause of death. The 49ers drafted Smith out of Missouri with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft. He had 33.5 sacks through his rst two seasons, the most by any player in their rst two seasons. Smith was rst suspended with the 49ers in 2014 and was later released by the team. He also played for the Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys

MLB

Skubal returns from elbow surgery, Ramírez breaks hand in Guardians’ win over Tigers

Cleveland

Tarik Skubal was tagged for a two-run homer in the two-time reigning Cy Young winner’s return from elbow surgery. Skubal threw 80 pitches in his rst start since April 29. The left-hander had a loose body removed from his elbow during an innovative surgical procedure on May 6, allowing Skubal to come back early. The win came at a steep price for Guardians as star third baseman José Ramírez su ered a broken bone in his left hand on a swing. Cleveland’s top player will be out inde nitely.

NHL Lightning’s Kucherov wins Hart Trophy as NHL MVP for second time New York Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP. It’s the second such honor of his career, also winning in 2019. Kucherov led the league with 1.71 points a game and with 130 was second to only Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, who had 138. McDavid was a close second by 10 points in voting by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon was third and San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini fourth. Kucherov had 42 more points than his next- closest teammate.

GOLF

Report: Mickelson kicked out of San Diego club for inappropriate contact with female employee Golf Digest reports Phil Mickelson has been kicked out of a San Diego golf club for inappropriate contact with a female employee. Golf Digest cited multiple sources as saying Mickelson is no longer welcome at The Farms Golf Club, where the six-time major champion has practiced and played for two decades. A spokesperson for Mickelson calls it a misunderstanding that has been cleared up. Mickelson has been out of the public eye for all but one LIV Golf event this year as he deals with an undisclosed serious family health matter.

Walk this way: A’s slugger Kurtz happy to take free pass to help team

Pitchers are cautious with the second-year Wake Forest product

By Mark Anderson The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — Not many second-year players receive this kind of respect from opposing pitchers, but it doesn’t take long to realize Athletics rst baseman Nick Kurtz is already one of baseball’s top sluggers.

And thus the Barry Bonds treatment, or at least something close to it, when pitchers don’t give Kurtz much to hit, willing to live with having him walk to rst than jog around the bases.

His 64 walks through last week led the major leagues and were one more than he had in the 117 games last season when he was the unanimous AL Rookie of the Year. Pitchers also have intentionally walked Kurtz eight times, second only to the nine by Houston’s Yordan Alvarez, the AL home run leader.

And the power is still there for Kurtz, who has 15 home runs this season. While not on pace to match the 36 he hit last year, his 49 RBIs lead the majors as does his .438 on-base percentage.

Most impressively, Kurtz earlier this season tied Mark McGwire’s 30-year-old club record of 48 consecutive games reaching base.

“He’s the most advanced hitter at this age that I’ve been around,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said of the 23-year- old slugger. “He never goes to search for hits. He waits for pitches that he feels good about swinging at. Knowing the strike zone as well as he does is pretty remarkable.”

This approach by opposing pitchers isn’t new to Kurtz, who began to watch other teams use similar strategies when he starred at Wake Forest.

“I think that’s where I started learning how to do it and just taking the walks,” Kurtz

said. “It’s not always easy because you always want to stay aggressive when you do get that pitch. If you’re not aggressive, you will miss it.”

Kurtz is among the talented young players the A’s are showcasing for their planned move to Las Vegas in 2028. They are at Las Vegas Ballpark, home to the organization’s Triple-A afliate, this week and took two of three against Milwaukee with their 4-3 win on Wednesday night. Colorado visits for a three-game series beginning Friday.

Kurtz gave Las Vegas fans plenty to look forward to by hitting two homers in Monday’s 15-14, 12-inning loss to the Brewers and then hit another one the following night in a 7-5 victory. Kurtz also walked at least once in each game in the series and four times overall. He has reached base that way in eight of nine games this month.

“You never see it, somebody his age doing what he’s doing,” A’s catcher Shea Langeliers said. “Unbelievably rare. Just to be able to watch him do his

“You always want to stay aggressive when you do get that pitch. If you’re not aggressive, you will miss it.”

thing and not really even blossom. It was kind of who he already was when he got to the league, so it’s really cool. Obviously, we’re really lucky to be his teammates and not calling pitches against him.”

It didn’t take long for Kurtz to shoot through the Athletics’ system. They drafted him fourth overall in June 2024, and by the following year, he played 20 games in Las Vegas and then was promoted to the A’s, where he hasn’t looked back.

Kurtz not only met but likely exceeded expectations.

His true breakout game occurred last July 25 at Houston when he went 6 for 6 with four homers, eight RBIs, six

runs and a record-tying 19 total bases.

There were discussions about whether it was the greatest performance in MLB history. That is until Shohei Ohtani homered three times, had 12 total bases and from the mound struck out 10 over six shutout innings in an NL Championship Series game.

Kurtz doesn’t have the spotlight on him like the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar — what MLB player does? — and playing most of his home games in a Triple-A park in West Sacramento, California, doesn’t generate much exposure.

But other pitchers are more than aware of him, and Kurtz will continue to try to make the most of his opportunities whenever they come.

The best outcome often is simply taking the walk to rst.

“I’m totally ne if you want to pitch around me,” Kurtz said. “You still got other guys in the lineup who can do a whole of hitting, so it makes it really easy for me to just take my walks and score some runs.”

Judge dismisses lawsuit by 31 former NC State athletes alleging abuse by ex-head trainer

Dismissal came due to procedural reasons, but players plan to appeal

By Aaron Beard The Associated Press

RALEIGH — A state judge has dismissed a lawsuit led by 31 former NC State male athletes alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine.

In orders led Tuesday, Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins dismissed claims against Robert M. Murphy Jr., as well as multiple NC State athletics o cials tied to their oversight rules, citing procedural reasons.

The lawsuit was led in February in state court in a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete led in 2022. That complaint alleged years of misconduct by Murphy, including improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.

Collins granted the motion seeking a dismissal from Murphy’s attorneys, ruling that the statute of limitations had expired in claims dating back as early as 2013.

Collins also dismissed claims against multiple athletics o cials such as former athletic director Debbie Yow and current AD Boo Corrigan on jurisdictional grounds. His ruling stated any complaint should go through the North Carolina Industrial Commis-

NC State.

sion — a state agency that deals with workplace matters with NC State as a public university — rather than civil court.

Jared Hammett, a Raleigh-based attorney representing Murphy, issued a statement to The Associated Press describing his client as “someone who dedicated his life to working with athletes” while referring to a “rush to judgment” that can impact “real people’s lives.”

“The truth is nothing happened but a man’s career being ruined for money,” Hammett said. “As a lawyer I am just glad that we have been able to help another person who needed support and found himself needing that defense.”

Durham-based attorney

Kerry Sutton, who has represented players going back to the original case, said the athletes plan to appeal.

“This dismissal has nothing at all to do with Mr. Murphy’s sexual abuse of these 31 former student-athletes,” Sutton said in a statement to the AP.

“It was decided based only on questions of legal procedure. We plan to appeal this outcome and in coming days will be adding new claims against NCSU for men who have recently come forward.”

All but two of the 31 athletes are “John Doe” plainti s to protect anonymity, while two former men’s soccer players are named.

One is Benjamin Locke, who led the original complaint in August 2022. The other is one

of two athletes who led their own federal lawsuits in February 2023 and April 2023. The AP typically doesn’t identify those who say they have been sexually assaulted or abused unless the person has spoken publicly about it, which Locke has done.

Sutton, who has represented plainti s in each lawsuit, led to dismiss those pending Title IX lawsuits before moving the case to state-level jurisdiction in September 2025. Murphy, at NC State from 2012-22, was among nine defendants originally named individually. Others were school o cials accused of negligence in oversight roles, saying concerns about Murphy’s conduct reached senior levels of the athletic department but the school’s response was insu cient.

Sutton and co-counsel Robert O. Jenkins led in April to dismiss former NC State chancellor Randy Woodson as a defendant.

“NC State does not condone sexual misconduct of any kind,” the school said in a statement Tuesday evening.

“The health and safety of our students and student-athletes is paramount to the university and our athletic programs.

“We agree with the court’s analysis and the decision that the law supports dismissal of the plainti s’ claims in this case. We recognize the immense courage it takes for someone to come forward, and our hearts go out to any student or student-athlete who has been impacted by distressing experiences.”

KARA DURRETTE / AP PHOTO

Flags y above at the Reynolds Coliseum on the campus of

Nick Kurtz

CAROLINE BREHMAN / AP PHOTO

The Athletics’ Nick Kurtz rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run.

Sheryl Anne Jackson

Sept. 16, 1953 – June 9, 2026

Sheryl Anne Jackson, a native of Canton, Georgia, and a Whispering Pines resident, who devoted her life to her husband, extended family, friends, and her beloved dogs, passed away peacefully at First Health Moore Regional Hospital on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at 10:06 p.m.

She was the daughter of Waleska, Georgia residents William Kleven Boston and Melinda Susan Lewis. Born on September 16, 1953, she was the youngest of ve children. Sheryl Anne is survived by her husband, James David Jackson; her four siblings, William “Billy” Kleven Boston Junior (Kathie Threewitt); Susan (Sue) Melinda Boston (Marty Russell Mckenzie); Judith “Judy” Adrianne Boston (John Roupp) Kay Eilene Boston (Larry Samples); Many nieces and nephews; Several cousins and her dogs (Mu n and Millie).

Sheryl Anne was a naturalborn athlete and played center on her basketball team at Cherokee High School, where she was named an individual 5A All-State selection for the state of Georgia. She graduated from Cherokee High School, then completed her family, proudly following the career paths of her father and mother, who both had careers in Education. Her father was the Superintendent of Schools in Cherokee County, and her mother was a sixthgrade science teacher at Canton Elementary. She graduated from the University of Georgia, started teaching rst grade at Canton Elementary School, and later continued her education while working as a teacher, earning her master’s degree from Brenau University (a private university in Gainesville, Georgia).

She met the love of her life, James David Jackson from Whispering Pines, NC, and they were married in December of 1981. She was a teacher at Southern Pines Middle School among several other schools, which led to her being Principal at Carthage Elementary School.

Sheryl Anne’s memorial will be on July 11, 2026, at 6 pm at Vass Presbyterian Church, 310 Main Street, Vass, NC 28394. Sheryl Anne has made a huge imprint on this Earth with her compassion and love for her family, children, friends and her love for her doggies. Sheryl Anne was truly one of God’s angels on Earth. She will be dearly missed but never ever forgotten.

In lieu of owers, please consider donating funds to a scholarship in Sheryl Anne’s name at Sandhills Community College. Where her Legacy in education will continue and help those who cannot a ord to go to college. For questions regarding scholarship donations, please call or text Nicole Dunstan at (910) 922-3041.

Sharron Privott

March 12, 1958 –June 13, 2026

Sharron Johnson Privott, 68, of West End, passed away on June 13, 2026, at FirstHealth Hospice House after a short battle with cancer. Born on March 12, 1958, in Lee County to the late Nathan and Clarissa Johnson.

Sharron was known and loved by many as “Mammy,” a name that re ected the special place she held in the hearts of her family and friends. She dedicated 49 years of service to caring for others while working in the operating room between FirstHealth and the Surgery Center of Pinehurst. Her professionalism, work ethic and commitment to her patients and colleagues left a lasting impact on all who knew her.

She enjoyed spending time at the lake and the beach surrounded by family and friends, creating memories that will be cherished for years to come. Sharron loved water skiing and embraced every opportunity to enjoy life on the water. She was thrifty by nature and took great pride in nding a good bargain. Thoughtful and generous, she always seemed to have the perfect gift on hand for a loved one, no matter the occasion.

Sharron was known for her unmistakable sense of style and class. She never left home without her signature red lipstick and red nail polish, which became as much a part of her as her warm smile and strong presence. But once she was home,” the housecoat was on”. She had a unique way of telling people what needed to be done—and exactly how to do it—that left them feeling guided, encouraged, and ready to tackle any task. Her con dence, grace, and loving spirit will be deeply missed.

She is survived by her beloved children, Brittany Johnson (Rodney), Alexander Privott (Ti any), and John David Privott (Juvi); two brothers, Scott Johnson (Betty) and Steve Johnson (Lori); sister, Sheila McCulloch (Raymond); grandchildren, Sylas and Atlas; and many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and dear friends.

Though she will be greatly missed, the love, wisdom, generosity and memories Mammy shared with those around her will remain forever in their hearts.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, June 18, 2026 from 6-8 PM at Boles Funeral Home in Southern Pines. A funeral service will be held on Friday, June 19, 2026 at 11 AM at Culdee Presbyterian Church with burial to follow in the church cemetery.

In lieu of owers, memorial donations may be made to FirstHealth Hospice Foundation, 150 Applecross Road, Pinehurst, NC 28374.

Richard Chris Findlow

Feb. 5, 1941 – June 13, 2026

Richard Chris Findlow, 85, of Southern Pines, NC, died Saturday, June 13, 2026. He was born February 5, 1941, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Edmund Ernest Findlow and Dorothy Darby Findlow. Richard (Dick) graduated from East High School (Des Moines) in 1959 and from Iowa State University in 1963, with a major in Industrial Administration and minors in Marketing, Finance, and Economics. After graduation, he worked for a packaging company in Toledo, OH; Streator, IL; Scarsdale, NY; Caracas, Venezuela; Sarasota, FL, and Hamlet, NC, holding management positions in Finance, Administration, Manufacturing, Sales and Marketing. Later, in 1991, he cofounded The Nano ber Group in Aberdeen, NC and served as President and CEO until his death. Along with Leonard Torobin, he had inventions in the area of nano ber processes and products. Mr. Findlow moved to Moore County in October 1987 where he led a successful turnaround of a large injection molding operation. This association led to relationships with major plastic resin manufactures and the beginning of plastic nano bers on a commercial scale. He was active in the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center and The Nonwovens Institute at North Carolina State University’s College of Textiles. He coauthored several papers on nano ber, and The Nano ber Group became the rst to produce nano bers from 100% recycled plastic resins. He held active leadership positions in Boy Scouts of America in Ames, IA; Sylvania, OH; and Caracas, Venezuela. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He was predeceased by his rst wife, Julie Burgardt Findlow, and his older sister, Linda Kay Brown. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Fajkos Findlow, whom he married on September 1, 1979, in Toledo, OH, and his sister, Barbara Joan Brekke, of Des Moines. His life was lled with the love for his children; Thomas Richard Findlow (Julie) of Ridge eld, WA; Ellen Kathleen DeKoker (Kevin) of Highland, MI; Kirsten Jean Arnold (David) of Tucson, AZ; step-children, Gina Lowder Paulson (Nate) of Lawrenceburg, KY; Robert Allen Lowder (Dorothy) of Hempstead, NC and William Michael Lowder (Renee) of Sharps Chapel, TN; as well as 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Timothy Douglas McClelland

Jan. 30, 1959 – June 10, 2026

Timothy Douglas McClelland was born in Grove City, Pennsylvania, on January 30, 1959, to Donald Robert McClelland and Gail Millis McClelland. Timothy (Tim) grew up on the McClelland Farm in Mercer, Pennsylvania, with his older sister, Amy (McClelland) Joachim, and his brothers, the late Robert Courtney McClelland and Richard Grant McClelland.

Tim attended Grove City College from 1977 to 1982, earning a degree in religion and philosophy. Tim met Anne Marie Golden through the Grove City College Touring Choir, and they were married in August of 1981.

Tim and Anne moved to the Boston suburbs where Tim attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts and received his Master of Arts in Theological Studies. After graduation, Tim was hired by Trammell Crow in the Washington DC area. While in the DC area, Tim was involved in starting and growing two Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) church plants.

Anne’s work with IBM moved Tim and Anne to Raleigh, North Carolina in 1992, where Tim began work in residential construction in the local area. Tim and Anne began to look for a Christian school for their daughter, Kirsten Emily McClelland (b.1991) and their son, Zachary (Zack) James McClelland (b.1994), however, there were few Christian schools in the area at the time.

Tim approached the session of his church, Peace Presbyterian Church in Cary, North Carolina, to seek permission to form a Christian school. Tim’s committee located classical Christian schools that were highly successful in the Paci c Northwest; these schools were based on the Trivium model as described by Dorothy Sayers in her essay, “The Lost Tools of Learning.” Tim led a small group of parents in crafting plans to start such a school in Cary, NC. In 1994, Tim incorporated Cary Christian School as a 501(c)(3) with the State of North Carolina and the school opened its doors

on September 5, 1996. Throughout the history of CCS, Tim served as its founder, Chairman of the Board, and interim superintendent. The school, which is accredited by the Association of Classical Christian Schools, has grown over the years, with a student body population of over 850 students, K-12. The school now has its permanent home on a twentyacre campus on Old Apex Road in Cary, NC.

While seeking land for the campus of CCS, Tim and a small group of men decided to pursue planting a daughter church of Christ Church (CREC) in Moscow, Idaho, in Cary, NC. Christ Church North Carolina started meeting regularly in 2002 and today a large congregation meets for worship in converted ballroom space in Morrisville, NC. Tim has served at Christ Church as a deacon and later as an elder.

Timothy McClelland passed away peacefully on the morning of June 10, 2026, due to Parkinson’s disease at the FirstHealth Hospice Home in West End, NC. He is survived by his wife, Anne, his daughter, Kirsten, his son, Zack (Courtney), and his grandsons, Caleb and Joshua.

Tim was known for his quick wit, delicious cooking, and extravagant hospitality. His love for the Lord, his vision to equip and educate future Christian leaders, and his commitment to shepherd his family—these were the hallmarks of his life. His family and friends will miss him dearly, but they rejoice that he is now with his Father in Heaven. A graveside service will be held at Citizen’s Cemetery in Mercer, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 2 pm. A reception will follow at the McClelland Farm.

Timothy McClelland’s Celebration of Life service will be held the afternoon of August 8, 2026, at Christ Church North Carolina, 117 International Drive, Morrisville, NC. Details to follow. In lieu of owers, donations may be made to Grove City College: James Brown McClelland and Timothy Douglas McClelland Memorial Scholarship Endowment

This scholarship was established by Anne and Tim McClelland to honor the memory of Tim McClelland’s “Great Uncle James,” who was one of the rst faculty members of Grove City College, and now also is in memory of Timothy McClelland in remembrance of his commitment to excellent education founded upon a biblical worldview as taught at Grove City College.

To make a memorial gift by check, please make a check payable to: Grove City College 100 Campus Drive Grove City, PA 16127

STATE & NATION

Backyard brawl: UFC rocks DC

By Dan Gelston The Associated Press

UFC CEO Dana White called ght night at the White House a smashing success. White boasted about merchandise sales and streaming service subscriptions and how UFC surpassed its goals in every metric he could list.

White also knows this type of production can’t be duplicated again at the White House.

The constant headaches over weather concerns in the rare outdoor show, the logistics of construction of the cage and staging events at federal landmarks and the soaring cost

made Freedom 250 a once-ina-lifetime event. It delivered on the star-spangled smackdown that featured pulsating patriotism from the Marine Band, tributes to rst responders, Medal of Honor recipients and other White House-designated heroes. American Justin Gaethje won the UFC Lightweight title in a huge upset over Ilia Topuria inside a blood-splattered eight-sided cage plopped in the open air right in the people’s house backyard. White said this was a oneo show, though, never to be repeated: “I can’t a ord it … We’ll never do this again.”

PHOTOS BY MARK SCHIEFELBEIN, ALEX BRANDON, JACQUELYN MARTIN, JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON VIA AP