North State Journal — Vol. 2., Issue 32

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VOLUME 2 ISSUE 32

WWW.NSJONLINE.COM |

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2017

Inside PGA Championship visits Charlotte Sports

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

New and returning students come and go as Talley Student Union bustles with activity at NC State University in Raleigh.

the Wednesday

NEWS BRIEFING

NC Highway Patrol issues warnings about eclipse Ahead of the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, state officials are urging caution as thousands plan to travel to a viewing spot. They advise travelers to arrive early, expect traffic delays, plan alternate routes and have food and water on hand. They also say to turn on headlights, do not stop on the roadway or park on shoulder of roads, and do not wear eclipse glasses while driving.

150 voters file class-action lawsuit against DNC A Miami judge has denied a request for security from plaintiffs in a classaction lawsuit filed by 150 Democratic voters. The plaintiffs say they are being harassed by threatening emails and phone calls as the case proceeds. Their lawsuit accuses the DNC and former director Debbie Wasserman Schultz of breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, unjust enrichment and negligent misrepresentation for secretly helping Hillary Clinton win the Democratic presidential nomination over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

NCDHHS releases plan to change Medicaid to managed care The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released a proposal Tuesday to reform the state’s Medicaid and NC Health Choice programs to managed care. The plan is in response to directives from the state legislature to transition the program from a fee-forservice structure to managed care by 2019. The plan is available online for public comment through Sept. 8, 2017.

NORTH

College campuses buzz this week with new students

JOURNaL

By Donna King North State Journal

STATE ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

Redistricting picks up pace under new court mandated deadline Democrats suggest criteria for legislative map drawing to be included before final maps are submitted by the court’s Sept. 1 deadline

By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — The joint redistricting committee convened for the second time Friday, after having received further instruction from courts in the form of a Sept. 1 deadline for new legislative maps. With the hastened schedule, committee members offered suggestions for the use of specific criteria and also heard input from nearly 50 members of the voting public on what they think should guide the process.

Key Democrats offered their criteria and commentary during a press conference preceding the meeting, arguing that while leaps in technology have made gerrymandering more effective,

technology should also be used to ensure fair maps are drawn.

“Attorneys defending the current maps said they’re serious about remedying this and creating a constitutional map, and we’re here today to help them create a constitutional map,” said Senate Democratic Leader Dan Blue (Wake). “Up to this point the actions taken by the [Republican] majority don’t instill a lot of faith in their sincerity in bringing these legislative maps in compliance with the law.”

Sen. Ben Clark (D-Cumberland) presented a list of suggested criteria to be used in the redistricting process that he said would ensure better representation for North Carolina voters.

“When the redistricting committee meets today it should receive in good faith recommendations of the citizens that will speak,” said Clark. “It should do so in order to foster a set of criteria, or establish a set a of criteria See REDISTRICTING, page A3

Jones & Blount EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

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A large mural on the back of Trophy Brewing Company near downtown Raleigh depicts the animals of each political party vandalizing North Carolina through gerrymandering.

“We try to help students find a way to make some of those peer-to-peer connections and really start forming that peer support network as soon as possible.”

— Matthew Coombes, NC State University

See CAMPUS SPEECH, page A2

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPE HATTERAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

The first exposed underground transmission cable, suspended by a white rope, was spliced and repaired near Bonner Bridge.

Southern Outer Banks back on line after outage

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

General Assembly clears path for 5G service

20177 52016

RALEIGH — Excited to start a new chapter of their academic career, freshmen like Maddie Day of Raleigh will be lugging boxes and bags into dorms across NC State University’s campus Thursday in preparation for the first day of class.

“I’m very excited. It’s coming so fast,” Day said. “They told us to work on time management and get a routine that works for you, so when things get too hectic you don’t get overwhelmed.”

For Matthew Coombes, director of New Student Programs, it’s an exciting week, too. Tasked with lining up Freshmen Orientation, Coombes and his colleagues are the first impression students have of their college experience. Coombes said the entire campus kicks into high gear to welcome nearly 34,000 students to campus.

“It’s a lot of logistics and time, but we are looking at a university-wide effort,” said Coombes. “It’s a really energizing time as a campus. You have the new students and their families coming in, you have their energy, excitement … the university does a really good job of answering questions and ally fears while at the same time

Electric coop calls incident an “unfortunate accident”

INSIDE

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NC State is one of 17 UNC System schools starting the year with a new crop of students and new guidelines for free speech on campus

RALEIGH — The southern Outer Banks reopened for business this weekend, eight days after a construction crew working on the new Bonner Bridge accidentally cut power to Hatteras and Okracoke islands.

“All things given, we were very fortunate that we were able to get a quick fix,” said Laura Ertle, director of public relations and marketing for Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative (CHEC). “I mean,

eight days — some argue that’s not a quick fix, but given the circumstance, we worked as quickly as we could.”

Eight days proved to not be nearly quick enough for many. Several vacationers had their week-long trips to the Outer Banks cut short due to the outage, which happened early July 27, while others missed out altogether as the first week of August was wiped out during the popular vacation destination busiest time of the year.

“This is a hard event for people to really understand,” Ertle said.

“The weather was beautiful, the road was open and it’s the peak See OBX, page A3

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

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08.09.17 #88

“Elevate the conversation” Visit North State Journal online! nsjonline.com jonesandblount.com nsjsports.com carolinabrewreview.com chickenbonealley.com

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North State Journal (USPS PP 166) (ISSN 2471-1365) Neal Robbins Publisher Donna King Managing Editor Ray Nothstine Opinion Editor Will Brinson Sports Editor Published each Wednesday

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CAMPUS SPEECH from page A1 showing them what it means to be a member of our community.”

In July, North Carolina became the first state in the nation to enact a comprehensive campus free-speech law, called the Restore Campus Free Speech Act, based on a proposal designed at the Goldwater Institute.

Lt. Gov. Dan Forest advocated for its passage through the Republican-led state legislature, which passed the bill 80-31 in the House and 34-11 in the Senate. It became law July 31 after Gov. Roy Cooper took no action on it.

In general, the law establishes that the UNC university system administrators should remain neutral

Summer reading picks give sneak peek at the college year ahead As college students pack up their belongings and prepare to hit the books again, most have a least one text under their belt already.

Colleges and universities across the state select a summer reading book for students to create a common academic experience before they return to campus each fall. Generally, a committee of faculty, staff and selected students decide what that book will be. Below is the list of books selected by some of the institutions across N.C. UNC Chapel Hill

NC State University

How Does It Feel to Be a Problem?

Between the World and Me

by Moustafa Bayoumi, published 2008

by Ta-Nehisi Coates, published 2015

Bayoumi introduces a group of 20-something Arab-Americans and details their stories of discrimination in schools and workplaces in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

Coates writes with a dark outlook on the feelings and realities associated with being black in the United States in a 176-page letter directed to his 15-year-old son. Coates eschews Martin Luther King Jr.’s optimism, seeing white supremacy as a potentially invulnerable power in the U.S.

Wake Forest University

UNC Charlotte

UNC Greensboro

Duke University

Various selections

The Book of Unknown Americans

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity

The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood

WFU is allowing it’s first-year students to pick from a range of books to discuss with their faculty, staff and peers ranging from classics like Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice through contemporary works such as Barack Obama’s The Audacity of Hope. A complete list can be found at http://newstudents. wfu.edu/orientation/projectwake/

by Cristina Henriquez, published 2014

Henriquez’s novel follows the story of Latin American immigrants in a decrepit Delaware apartment building and the relationships that manifest between them as the families struggle to achieve their dreams of a better life for future generations under the weight of their bleak reality.

by Richard Blanco

by Katherine Boo, published 2012

In his memoir, Blanco chronicles his life growing up in Miami amid a family of Cuban exiles while grappling with his identity as a gay man in the United States. Blanco writes with a florid style that makes his work all the more exhilarating and thoughtprovoking.

Boo spent 3 years living in Annawadi, a makeshift “undercity” in the shadow of Mumbai’s national airport, reporting the poignant stories and tragedies of the people attempting to support a family or just survive in the decaying slum of tin and trash.

Meredith College

Appalachian State

East Carolina University

UNC Wilmington

Nine selections, a “casebook on social media” compiled by professors and advisers at Meredith

One Amazing Thing

Evicted

Little Bee

by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, published 2010

by Matthew Desmond, published 2016

by Chris Cleave, published 2008

Divakaruni writes of nine diverse strangers caught together in a post office by a disastrous fate. In the middle of the terminal event, a student asks everyone in the room to tell the story of “one amazing thing” in their life, revealing tales of romance, upheaval and discovery in the midst of the turmoil.

Desmond tells the stories of eight poor Milwaukee people and families going to extreme lengths to support loved ones and pay rent along with the stories of the two landlords who hold the fates of those many tenants in their hands.

Also known as The Other Hand, Little Bee is a novel about the relationship between a Nigerian asylum-seeker and a British magazine editor that takes place in the Niger Delta during the oil crisis and in England years later. Cleave explores the issues of colonialism and globalization as well as mortality.

Meredith chose to replace the usual summer reading assignment with a compilation of short stories, articles, case studies and a TED talk focusing on social media, identifying deceptive marketing (“clickbait”) and fake news. A complete list can be found at http://infotogo.meredith.edu/ MConnected

on controversial issues to allow as much campus discussion as possible and to provide protection for all speech. It establishes a disciplinary process for “shout-downs” among students and anyone else who interferes with the free-speech rights of others. The law also prevents administrators from disinviting campus speakers who’ve been invited to speak by a student group, and requires formation of a committee within the UNC Board of Governors to establish free speech policies.

All will now also be a part of freshman orientation at N.C. universities, which have seen their share of sit-ins and threats against controversial speakers.

Coombes said NC State will start

planning in the next month or two for next year and examine the legislation to make sure the program in 2018 meets the law’s requirements.

For now, he says they already present students with what expectations are from members of the university community.

“Its going to be interesting to see how everything plays out as far as what the legislation says and what the UNC system says and what the expectations are,” he said. “But the reality is, whether it’s the federal government or the state government, we have things that need to be covered and we find a way to cover them in a way that fits our institution and meets the expectations of the legislation and represents who

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

we are, and we will do that again with this.”

Day plans to study industrial engineering with a business or economics minor. She moves into the campus Women in Science and En-

gineering Village on Thursday.

“I’ll be surrounded by people who are like me, but different from me as well,” she said. “I’ll be able to study and learn and have good conversations; I’m really excited about that.”

Want to learn more about North Carolina Agriculture?

The First Furrow www.FirstFurrow.com

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Can a Republican win in Charlotte?

Kenny Smith looks to tip the Queen City to the right

By Mollie Young North State Journal CHARLOTTE — It may be an off-year, but election season in Mecklenburg County is ramping up. And while Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts faces challengers in the Democratic primary, conservatives have set their sights on flipping the Queen City from blue to red.

The last Republican mayor of Charlotte was in 2009, with Pat McCrory winning voters seven times in a row and earning him the title of longest-serving mayor in city history. The GOP has lost five consecutive races since.

In a city where registered Democrats double Republicans, the question remains: can the GOP win in Charlotte?

Kenny Smith, a current city council member and the most financially established Republican candidate in the race, said that is the first question he gets when courting voters and donors.

“People look at what happened last fall and the fact that we haven’t won in several cycles and say a Republican can’t win,” said Smith. “The demographics have not shifted extraordinarily since McCrory left office, maybe a little bit around the margins.

“The answer is yes.”

Insiders say it is possible — especially when low turnout means that residents that do vote will have more clout.

In 2015, only 8.7 percent of more than a half a million Charlotte voters cast ballots in the general election. Roberts won with 52.2 percent of that vote, but only 3,700 votes ahead of Republican Edwin Peacock.

Voters seemingly lacked motivation to get to the polls last cycle, with 16,476 less votes cast compared to 2013. “[Peacock] dropped 7,000 votes between the cycles,” said

Smith. “So if his turnout had simply stayed where it was, he wins by about 3,000 votes.”

Smith thinks he can shift those numbers in his favor, especially as Roberts’ controversial first term — centered around a nondiscrimination ordinance, sanctuary city status, and violent racial protests uptown — may drive moderates and conservatives to the polls on Nov. 7.

Larry Shaheen, founder of the Charlotte-based Carolina Political Consulting firm that has managed several successful Republican campaigns within Mecklenburg County, said Smith could win.

“Kenny can and mostly will have the best opportunity to take the mayor’s office in Charlotte since 2009,” he said. “You’re likely going to see the demographics shift to the voting base that is more enthusiastic.”

Furthermore, Roberts has competition from her own party.

“You have two very serious Democratic challengers,” said Shaheen. “That evidence says there is significant dissatisfaction with the current mayor.”

Roberts faces four challengers, including her second-in-command, Mayor Pro Tem Vi Lyles, and state Sen. Joel Ford, who represents west Charlotte. A runoff would spell extra time for Republicans and could benefit them.

“If they spend a month and a half beating up on each other, Kenny will be able to cruise through his primary, relatively unscathed, not having to spend too much, and will be locked and ready to run a very significant campaign,” said Shaheen.

Both primaries are scheduled for Sept. 12. Smith will face perennial candidate Gary Mitchell Dunn and former N.C. Magistrate Kimberley Paige Barnette.

And while Smith may sail through the Republican primary, he is seeing a bit of competition in his statewide donor base from Ford.

Ford has received campaign

A3 OBX from page A1

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRYAN BAZEMORE

Charlotte City Council member and candidate for mayor Kenny Smith.

contributions from top GOP lawmakers, including state Sens. John Alexander (R-Wake), Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick), Jerry Tillman (R-Randolph), Tommy Tucker (R-Union), and House Rules Chairman David Lewis (R-Harnett).

Conservative support for Ford may be attributed to his willingness to come across the aisle on important votes — he supported magistrate recusal for civil ceremonies and the Duke Energy coal ash cleanup bill, to name a few — or simply colleague camaraderie.

Ford calls his “key support” from members in the state House and Senate “a mutual respect for who I am as a legislator and who I am as a leader.”

But with $307,800 cash on hand, Smith has a leg up on Ford ($95,500), Lyles ($103,500) and even Roberts, who has saved $230,000 after fundraisers last month in Los Angeles and Texas.

Jane Whitley, chair of Mecklenburg County Democrat Party, said the local and state party committees are ready to deploy resources after the voters pick their nominee next month.

“I think our candidates each

have their own vision of what they want Charlotte to be,” said Whitely, who added the local party will not wade in to support their incumbent. “It’s up to the voters to decide.”

Dallas Woodhouse, executive director of the North Carolina Republican Party, said that while elected officials like those donating to Ford are welcome to make personal donations, the N.C. GOP is ready to dedicate “significant” support to the Republican candidate after the primary.

“We certainly have an opportunity there if the election is a referendum on Democrat leadership of the city which has been very chaotic,” said Woodhouse. “I think that referendum happens no matter who comes out of the Democratic primary.”

For Smith, reminding voters of the controversies and divisive politics that have surrounded the city in the last 18 months is key to motivating a change election.

“I think there are a lot of people out there that are tired of the chaos, tired of the in-fighting, tired of the national issues brought here,” said Smith. “Charlotte deserves better.”

of season here. So the island was extremely crowded, the businesses have been doing wonderful this year. It was a hard event to understand. So we understand the frustrations that happened.”

Among those frustrated is state Rep. Beverly Boswell (R-Dare), who last week took aim at the N.C. Department of Transportation, CHEC and PCL Construction.

“Everybody had a hand in this — everybody,” Boswell said.

Ertle said the accident that led to the outage was not caused by poor planning but rather an unintentional event in which workers were placing a large casing to the side for future use and consequently severed two primary cables.

“When they drove it into the ground, it was kind of like they were sticking a shovel in the ground to get it out of the way for a second,” Ertle said, saying the casing wasn’t placed near where the bridge construction was occurring.

Fortunately, CHEC had splicing material on hand at its Buxton warehouse, allowing them to splice one of two damaged cables. But the crews were unable to remove enough water from the trench to splice the second severed cable, leading to CHEC relying solely on the overhead cables it had already started preparing as a contingency plan.

“It proved to be too challenging, so we have completely abandoned the underground cables,” Ertle said. “So the new overhead transmission line, that will stay standing until the completion of the new Bonner Bridge, which we have plans to attach to.

“Of course, those plans were in place before all this happened,” she added. “Once we do that, that new cable will come off the bridge and meet the existing overhead line like it was supposed to.”

Overhead cables are, Ertle confirmed, more susceptible to damage from hurricanes, but also “a lot easier to fix.”

Meanwhile, businesses and vacationers who were impacted by the outage can fill out a PCL Construction claim questionnaire at outerbanks.pcl.com describing the loss sustained by the accident.

Grand jury investigating DEQ, Chemours amid GenX concerns in the Cape Fear CFPUA to flush 48 million gallons of treated water back into the river, downstream of intakes, as a precaution

By Donna King North State Journal RALEIGH — A federal investigation is underway into the Department of Environmental Quality and the release of the chemical GenX into the Cape Fear River from the Chemours plant in eastern N.C. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina issued a criminal subpoena to N.C. DEQ requiring permits, emails, notes, compliance information and any other pertinent reports be turned over to a grand jury by Aug. 22.

“DEQ will provide all relevant records about Chemours as part of this ongoing federal investigation,” said DEQ spokesman Jamie Kritzer in a statement. “We are pleased that federal authorities are taking this matter seriously as we continue our own investigation into Chemours and the issues surrounding GenX and the other unregulated chemical

REDISTRICTING from pageA1 that will enable us to put together fair maps that represent the state and citizens of North Carolina.”

Clark went on to say that, despite current maps being thrown out for unconstitutional racial considerations, the redrawing effort should not pursue partisan advantage either. Instead, redistricting should aim to “establish partisan symmetry.”

The list of criteria presented by Clark aimed to employ analysis to achieve said symmetry.

“These tools include things such as efficiency gap analysis and mean-median vote analysis,” said Clark. “We should implement these tools, make them part of our toolkit, so we can ensure that what we do here at the end provides fair maps for all North Carolinians.”

The Democratic lawmakers faced questions related to past gerrymandering by their own party

compounds.”

The investigation came after it was discovered that the Chemours Fayetteville Works plant, 75 miles northwest of Wilmington, was releasing GenX, a fluorinated chemical, into the Cape Fear River as a byproduct of producing nonstick coating.

Chemours said the chemical has been released for 37 years and has a federal consent order in place that exempted the chemical when it was produced as a byproduct, meaning that the government knew GenX was being released, but GenX is not listed on their permit. Under the Clean Water Act, the state is required to intervene in cases where companies release chemicals they believe to be toxic, even if there are no Environmental Protection Agency standards for them.

The grand jury collecting information about how this happened and who is culpable is convening in Wilmington, a community struggling to make sense of it all.

Last week the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority said it will file a lawsuit against Chemours and DuPont on behalf of the residents using the Cape Fear River as their primary drinking-water source. In a letter to the EPA, the U.S. Attorney’s office,

when in power. Their responses ranged from “two wrongs don’t make a right” to explaining how new technologies make the issue worse under Republicans.

“People forget that we did some gerrymandering also, which you say was wrong, but look at the difference,” said Rep. Henry Michaux (D-Durham). “When we did the last one which was in 1990, we ended up with seven Democratic congressmen and six Republicans — not the 10 and three situation that we have now. … Even though you said we gerrymandered, our gerrymandering wasn’t anything near what you see here today. We were at least fair in our gerrymandering, if you want to call it that.”

Sen. Terry Van Duyn (D-Buncombe) offered the proliferation of candidates with no opposition as evidence that today’s gerrymandering is worse than Democrats’ past efforts to shape districts.

“The question that I get asked

An online poll conducted

by Wilmington’s WWAY-TV reports that 33 percent of respondents say they are “very worried” about the health impact of GenX in the Cape Fear and 22 percent say they are “terrified” Respondents: 893 Chemours and DuPont, CFPUA said that DuPont and Chemours are “contributing to the past or present handling, storage, treatment, transportation or disposal of hazardous waste which may present an imminent and substantial endangerment to health and the environment.”

On Monday, CFPUA also announced that it will remove 48 million gallons of treated drinking water stored in the Peedee aquifer, saying that it still tested at 140 parts per trillion (ppt) for GenX, which is below the goal of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, but more than the utility usually sees.

“The minority party in this body has a geographic problem that is has to correct, and it is not the job of this committee to correct it.”

— Dallas Woodhouse, executive director of N.C. Republican Party when I go out on the issue of gerrymandering is, isn’t it true that Democrats did it, now Republicans did it, and yes that is absolutely true, but nevertheless we have gotten to a point now where our districts no longer represent the actual make up of North Carolina,” said Van Duyn. “My district is a perfect example. In 2016 I did not have a

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

An outdoor view of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources building in downtown Raleigh.

“Because the water was treated and stored while Chemours was still discharging GenX into the Cape Fear River, CFPUA has decided it is in the best interest of our customers to withdraw that water from the aquifer,” the utility said.

CFPUA will start withdrawing the water in September, discharging to the sewer system and into the river downstream of drinking water intakes.

Gov. Roy Cooper issued a statement directing a state science panel to assess the community health impact of GenX and asked the State Bureau of Investigation to determine if a criminal investigation is warranted. However, while federal and state officials meet and study,

residents of Wilmington and surrounding counties say they still are worried about the day-to-day safety of their water and their families.

If customers want water from an alternate source, CFPUA is offering free filtered water from a ground source. Three area churches — Warner Temple AME Zion Church, St. Phillip AME Church and Ephesus SDA Church — are providing volunteers to get water to families that request it. Since July 31, volunteers have been transporting empty containers to Ogden Park where they are filled with treated groundwater at no cost. Church volunteers then bring the filled containers back to the designated churches where customers can pick them up.

Republican opponent, and that means that a significant part of my district, a significant number of people in my district, had no one to vote for and that is fundamentally undemocratic.”

During the committee meeting lawmakers heard from citizens suggesting that partisan statistics, demographics and race should not be considered at all in the redistricting process. Instead, many public voices offered geography and population as the only necessary inputs for drawing new maps, while also advocating for an independent, nonpartisan body to handle redistricting after every census.

The vast majority of comments came from those opposed to the Republican legislative majorities and the maps they constituted, often citing an alleged imbalance between total Democratic votes and the ultimate number of legislative wins by Democrats in the 2016 election.

Pushing back against that line of attack during public comment was Dallas Woodhouse, executive director of the N.C. Republican Party.

“The use or discussion of statewide election data is completely irrelevant even though it is largely favorable to the North Carolina Republican Party that has won overwhelming amount of the statewide elections races in the past six years,” said Woodhouse. “It is not the job of this committee to make a political party that lost 76 North Carolina counties in the [2016] presidential election competitive because they are uncompetitive in vast areas of the state. The minority party in this body has a geographic problem that is has to correct, and it is not the job of this committee to correct it.”

Woodhouse also suggested that “no racial considerations ought to be made” in the redistricting process.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Nation & WORLD

Excessive corrosion blamed for deadly Ohio ride failure The “catastrophic failure” of a thrill ride that broke apart in July at the Ohio State Fair, killing one person and injuring seven others, stemmed from excessive corrosion in a support beam, its manufacturer said Sunday. The corrosion in the Fireball ride, which hoists people in the air and spins them around, “dangerously reduced the beam’s wall thickness over the years,” Dutch manufacturer KMG International BV said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

Former Chicago professor accused of murder agrees to Illinois transfer A former Northwestern University professor, who led police on a week-long manhunt after he was accused of stabbing to death a Chicago-area man, agreed Monday to be transferred from California to Illinois to face a murder charge.

The manhunt for Wyndam Lathem, 42, and Andrew Warren, a second suspect who worked at Britain’s Oxford University, attracted international attention.

The two, who surrendered to authorities separately Friday, were seen on surveillance video leaving the victim’s apartment building, police said.

Chicago to sue Trump administration over sanctuary city funding threat Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel will sue the Trump administration Monday over plans to withhold public safety grant money from socalled sanctuary cities, escalating a pushback against President Donald Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown. The federal lawsuit comes less than two weeks after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the U.S. Justice Department would bar cities from a certain grant program unless they allow immigration authorities unlimited access to local jails and provide 48 hours’ notice before releasing anyone wanted for immigration violations.

Australia finds U.S. military aircraft that crashed off northeast coast An Australian navy survey ship has located a U.S. military aircraft that crashed off the Australian northeast coast on the weekend and left three Marines missing, Defense Minister Marise Payne said Monday. The navy divers will conduct remotely operated underwater vehicle operations before considering sending down divers, Payne said in a statement.

Dozens of migrants run across border in Spanish enclave Dozens of sub-Saharan migrants crossed into Spain from Morocco in the early hours of Monday after running through a border gate into the enclave of Ceuta, emergency services said. Migrants frequently attempt to storm the borders of Spain’s two enclaves in northern Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, often clambering up fences which are up to 6 meters tall and topped by razor wire.

Tiny biotech firm offers Big Tobacco model to curb its nicotine habit Investors are betting on a littleknown biotech company to supply Big Tobacco with low-nicotine cigarettes, but so far its technology is unproven. Shares in New Yorkbased 22nd Century Group have soared 80 percent to a threeyear high since late last month, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed cutting the nicotine levels in cigarettes so they aren’t so addictive.

Google engineer fired for controversial memo questioning corporate diversity policy Tech company’s decision to fire employee sparks political discussion

By Donna King North State Journal SAN FRANCISCO — The male Google engineer fired for circulating a memo decrying the company’s diversity hiring program became the center of a heated debate on sexism, drawing scorn, cheers and even a job offer on Tuesday from WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange.

James Damore confirmed his dismissal from Alphabet’s Google on Monday, after he wrote a 10page memo that the company was hostile to conservative viewpoints and shaped by a flawed left-wing ideology.

The memo, called “Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber,” was quickly embraced by some who branded him a brave truth-teller.

Others found his views offensive, saying he was implying that men, more than women, were genetically predisposed to skills like coding. In the memo, Damore argues that corporate diversity policies undermine the idea of managing and evaluating employees based on their individual skills, not their gender.

Assange, who is praised in some circles for exposing government secrets and castigated by others as an underminer of some nations’ security, offered Damore a job.

“Censorship is for losers,” Assange wrote on Twitter. “Women & men deserve respect. That includes not firing them for politely expressing ideas but rather arguing back.”

Advocates of corporate diversity policies argued that Damore’s memo created a hostile work environment for women.

“We are unequivocal in our belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to our success as a company,” said Google’s Vice President of

MIKE BLAKE | REUTERS

The Google logo is pictured atop an office building in Irvine, Calif.

Diversity, Integrity & Governance Danielle Brown in a statement on Saturday. “Part of building an open, inclusive environment means fostering a culture in which those with alternative views, including different political views, feel safe sharing their opinions. But that discourse needs to work alongside the principles of equal employment found in our Code of Conduct, policies and anti-discrimination laws.”

Damore was fired on Monday.

As a private company, Google has wide latitude in disciplining employees. However, some argued that although they may not agree with Damore, the company had gone too far in firing him.

“The memo was pure drek but this isn’t the proper response,” Jeet Heer, an editor at the New Republic, wrote on Twitter. “Firing people for their ideas should be opposed.”

David French, senior editor of the National Review, called the firing a direct assault on America’s culture of free speech.

“Key sectors of our economy are not only increasingly politicized, they’re increasingly radicalized,’ French wrote on Monday.

“It’s a sad fact that your economic opportunities depend not just on your skills, talents, and the way you treat employees or customers but also on your political opinions.

Progressive corporate America is bifurcating economic opportunity, and that’s a very bad thing indeed,” French said.

Elizabeth Spiers, founder of Gawker and self-proclaimed “liberal media person,” said Damore’s firing was about more than free speech — that he was likely to “discriminate against his female colleagues in peer review.”

Damore wrote in an email to Reuters he was fired for “perpetuating gender stereotypes.” His memo had said that he sought the opposite.

“I’m also not saying that we should restrict people to certain gender roles,” Damore wrote in his

memo. “I’m advocating for quite the opposite: treat people as individuals, not as just another member of their group (tribalism).”

His arguments were praised by those who view so-called “political correctness” as a left-wing device to suppress conservative speech.

John Hawkins, the owner of the Right Wing News website, summed up his take in a Twitter post: “James Damore: Writes memo respectfully saying Google suppresses conservative views.

Google: You’re fired for having conservative views.”

Damore said he would fight the dismissal, noting that he had filed a complaint with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board before the firing.

Google is based in Mountain View, Calif. The company said it could not talk about individual employee cases.

Reuters News Service contributed to this report.

‘I am your humble friend,’ Philippines’ anti-U.S. leader tells Tillerson Tensions between countries have seemingly eased since Donald Trump succeeded Barack Obama

“No, no.

There were no talks on human rights concerns.”

— Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

By Karen Lema Reuters MANILA, Philippines — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte called himself a “humble friend” of the U.S. on Monday, taking a break from his notorious hostility towards Washington to grant a warm reception to visiting Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Duterte’s often profanity-laden tirades against the U.S. has become his trademark during his year-old presidency, but he appeared happy to meet Tillerson, who was in Manila to attend a regional security meeting dominated

by North Korea’s missile tests and maritime squabbles.

“I am happy to see you ... and you have come at a time when the world is not so good, especially in the Korean peninsula, and of course, the ever-nagging problem of South China Sea,” Duterte told Tillerson at the presidential palace.

“I know you’re worried there, because you also have domestic problems. We are friends. We are allies,” said Duterte.

“I am your humble friend in Southeast Asia,” he said.

The maverick leader makes no attempt to hide his grudge against the U.S., which he has repeatedly chided for what he says is a history of hypocritical foreign policy and for treating the Philippines “like a dog.”

Last year he announced to China his “separation” from Washington, he has complained about being given “hand-me-down” U.S.

ERIK DE CASTRO | REUTERS

military hardware, and he once invited American investors jittery about his remarks to pack their bags and leave.

But Duterte’s biggest anger was directed at former President Barack Obama, whose administration spoke out against his signature war on drugs, a fierce crackdown that has killed thousands of Filipinos.

Duterte’s warm words for Tillerson indicates Philippines-U.S. ties under President Donald Trump may be in better shape.

Though Duterte still vents about Washington, he has spoken positively about Trump, who praised him for doing “an unbelievable job on the drug problem.”

Trump in an April phone call told Duterte he would invite him to the White House.

But when Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) recently said he would try to block that, Duterte said he would never go to the United

States because “I’ve seen America and it’s lousy.”

Duterte said he and Tillerson discussed “many things” Monday, but he did not give details.

The defense treaty alliance between the two countries remains strong and U.S. forces have been providing the Philippines with technical assistance to fight militants allied with the Islamic State.

He repeatedly threatened to eject U.S. military trainers and advisers last year.

Asked prior to his meeting if helping the Philippine military meant the U.S. was endorsing the government’s bloody anti-drugs campaign, Tillerson said the two were unrelated.

“I see no conflict, no conflict at all in our helping them with that situation and our views of other human rights concerns we have with respect to how they carry out their counternarcotics activities,” he said.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte shakes hands with visiting U.S Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during a meeting at the presidential palace in Manila, Philippines.

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

A5

DOJ resumes effort to improve forensic testimony Monitoring program hopes to “advance the search for truth”

By Sarah N. Lynch Reuters

GLEB GARANICH | REUTERS

A street vendor sells fruit in Hurghada, Egypt.

Fewer gallbladder surgeries with Mediterranean diets

By Shereen Lehman Reuters PARIS — Eating foods high in fiber, such as those found in a Mediterranean diet, was tied to a lower risk of gallbladder surgery in a recent study.

Compared to people who didn’t follow a Mediterranean diet pattern, those who adhered to it most closely had a significantly lower likelihood of needing a cholecystectomy, which is the medical term for an operation to remove the gallbladder, say the authors of the study.

“We found that higher intakes of legumes, fruit, vegetable oil and (whole grain) bread were associated with decreased cholecystectomy risk, and a higher intake of ham was associated with higher risk of cholecystectomy,” wrote the authors in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

About 700,000 cholecystectomies are performed every year in the United States, according to the American College of Surgeons. Most are the result of blockage due to gallstones.

“Gallstones are very common, but most of them are asymptomatic, meaning people have no symptoms,” said Dr. James Lewis, a gastroenterologist at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia who was not part of the study. “If you don’t have any symptoms from your gallstones, there’s no reason to have your gallbladder removed.”

The vast majority of people with gallstones never have problems from them, Lewis said in a phone interview.

“When they do cause problems, then having your gallbladder removed is completely appropriate,” he said.

The new study, led by Dr. Amelie Barre at the Universi-

ty of Paris-Sud in Orsay, used information on nearly 64,000 women who were born between 1925 and 1950 and covered by a national insurance plan. Every two years, they answered questions about their health status, medical history and lifestyle.

Over the course of 18 years, 2,778 of the women had their gallbladder removed.

Women who ate the most legumes, fruits, vegetable oil and whole grain bread were anywhere from 13 to 27 percent less likely to have gallbladder surgery than were women who ate the least of those foods.

A Western dietary pattern — including high consumption of processed meat, canned fish, eggs, rice, pasta, appetizers, pizza, potatoes, cakes and alcohol — was not linked with either a higher or lower risk for the surgery. There was, however, an association of ham intake with cholecystectomy risk.

But when researchers assigned a Mediterranean diet score to all participants, they found that women with the highest scores were 11 percent less likely to have the surgery compared to women with the lowest scores.

This type of observational

study can’t prove that a Mediterranean diet was the reason for women’s lower risk of gallbladder surgery or that ham intake caused a higher risk. Furthermore, dietary intakes were self-reported at just one point in time. The reports may not have been accurate, and women’s diets may have changed over time.

Still, Lewis said, the Mediterranean-style diet has consistently been shown to be associated with living longer.

“If people really want to think about what they should be eating in order to increase their longevity, it’s very easy for me to recommend to them that they should try and follow a Mediterranean-style diet,” he said.

In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently advised Americans to follow a diet that is very similar to a Mediterranean-style diet, Lewis noted.

“This is just one of many reasons that we should be following that style diet,” he said. “If you look at the published literature on dietary patterns, what you’ll see is that the Mediterranean-style diet has been associated with a reduced overall mortality but also reduced cardiovascular mortality and reduced risks of cancer.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Justice Department is reviving efforts that first started under the Obama administration to develop uniform standards governing what forensic experts are permitted to say during criminal trials.

The forensic science initiative, announced Monday by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein during a speech in Atlanta, will also entail setting up a monitoring program to ensure such experts are complying with the standards.

The department’s forensic science efforts were first launched in 2016, after the FBI admitted the previous year that it had uncovered erroneous statements made by forensic experts who were testifying about their analysis of hair samples.

In those findings, the FBI found erroneous statements in at least 90 percent of the trial transcripts reviewed.

The erroneous statements helped bolster prosecutors’ cases by exaggerating the significance of microscopic hair analyzes.

“Our uniform language initiative, and continuous monitoring program, will provide assurance that forensic analysis is used correctly,” Rosenstein said in prepared remarks before the International Association for Identification annual conference. “That will advance the search for truth in federal courtrooms.”

In April, Attorney General Jeff Sessions temporarily halted the plans to create guidelines for forensic science expert testimony, and invited the public to provide comments on ways to improve the quality of the science underpinning forensic analysis.

He also let expire a commission of independent scientists, known as the National Commission on Forensic Science.

On Monday, Rosenstein said the department was tapping Ted Hunt, a former state prosecutor and prior member of the now-expired commission, to serve as its senior adviser on forensics.

For generations, we’ve given doctors, nurses, firefighters, soldiers, scientists, shopkeepers, farmers, mechanics, moms and dads a ride to school.

A small-town company can make big dreams come true. At Thomas Built Buses, we’re proud of our contribution to the educational system. Each and every day, we put our hearts into the quality and durability of our buses. We’re so proud of the millions of young Americans who sat in a Thomas seat and are now incredible success stories. None of it would have happened without the communities where we live and work. You, our friends and neighbors, are part of the Thomas family. We sincerely thank you for working with us to make our communities and businesses the very best they can be.

Through the DaimlerCares program, Thomas Built Buses and Daimler work to support charities and philanthropies in the communities they serve, by encouraging employees to give back in both time and company-matched funds.

1408 Courtesy Road, High Point, NC 27260 | thomasbuiltbuses.com TBB/MC-A-105. Thomas Built Buses, Inc. is registered to ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004. Copyright © Daimler Trucks North America LLC. All rights reserved. Thomas Built Buses Inc. is a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, a Daimler company.

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

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Murphy to Manteo

sy)

jonesandblount.com @JonesandBlount

Bill paves way for deployment of 5G technology across state

By Jeff Moore North State Journal

Locals Seafood Raleigh

RALEIGH — State lawmakers recently passed key infrastructure reforms into law that enable the installment of 5G broadband technology across North Carolina.

Unlike existing broadband networks that connect mobile devices through large cell towers, 5G networks require a much larger deployment of small cell equipment.

Those deployments faced outdated regulations in North Carolina that slowed the installments of wireless antennas to provide internet speeds up to 100 times faster and connect exponentially more devices.

House Bill 310 Wireless Communications Infrastructure Siting, sponsored by Rep. Jason Saine (R-Lincoln), who sits on the Intergovernmental Advisory Panel of the Federal Communications Committee, removes barriers to efficient deployment of 5G wireless infrastructure by enabling broadband equipment permitting on public utility poles and state right-of-ways across North Carolina.

Lawmakers say regulations caused delays in the state’s competition for global investments and jobs, until now.

Saine was joined by Rep. John Torbett (R-Gaston) and Rep. Michael Wray (D-Northampton) in passing legislation to improve internet speeds for mobile

Weaver Street Market Chapel Hill High Country Seafood Co. West Jefferson

Wild about wild-caught!

Whether it’s a shrimp burger from a roadside stand, a softshell crab fried to golden perfection or the iridescent perfection of tuna tartare, North Carolinians are rediscovering the appetizing authenticity of real seafood from our coastal waters. So what are you waiting for?

Dive on in!

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Carolina Fish & Food Market Charlotte

Did you know? $554 MILLION In 2016, the commercial fishing industry accounted for an estimated $166 million in income and $388 million in business sales.

Source: NC Division of Marine Fisheries, 2016 Commercial Impact model with IMPLAN v3 Economic Impact Modeling Software

ABCCM launches network for WNC veterans and active military

Western NC park offers “total eclipse” sky watching events Transylvania County Gorges State Park in Sapphire is hosting a series of free events to celebrate the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse. The state park is in the “path of totality,” or the part of the Earth that will lie entirely in the moon’s shadow as it blocks the sun.

Events run Aug. 19 through Aug. 21 and are free and open to the public. The next total eclipse in U.S. is expected in 2024.

Buncombe/McDowell counties Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM) announced the launch of NCServes – Western, a new network to improve services for veterans, active military and their families in 12 western N.C. counties.

Services include health care, housing, education, jobs training and legal and financial counseling. NCServes – Western is funded by a two-year $450,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation.

WRAL-TV MCDOWELL NEWS

PIEDMONT Mother, daughter killed in accident after car overturns into pond Lee County A mother and her 6-year-old daughter were killed when the car they were in crashed and overturned into a Sanford pond. Jessica Kuk, 29, was driving Saturday afternoon when she ran off the right side of the road, then veered left and ended up in the pond, state highway patrol said. Kuk’s daughter, Kristina Smith, died at the scene. Kuk died the next day at University of North Carolina Hospital.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Annual Apple Festival scheduled for Labor Day weekend Henderson County The annual event that brings out apple enthusiasts from across western N.C. has announced plans for the four-day festival scheduled for Sept. 1-4 on Historic Main Street of Hendersonville. The Labor Day weekend celebration recognizes the importance of the apple industry to Henderson County. Visitors will enjoy free entertainment, 200-plus local apple growers and vendors selling products, shows, exhibits, festival food, fun activities and the King Apple Parade.

WLOS

A7

Jones & Blount

For a complete list of NC seafood markets from the mountains to the coast visit www.nccatch.org

s they

ers…..

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

WCU Chancellor’s cancer returns Jackson County Western Carolina University Chancellor David O. Belcher informed the school community that his cancer has returned following surgery to remove a malignant brain tumor last year. Belcher was diagnosed with a small brain tumor in April 2016 and begins a new treatment regimen this week with his medical team at Duke University Hospital. Belcher intends to continue serving as chancellor throughout treatment and pledged to keep the community informed about his progress.

BLUE RIDGE NOW

EAST

Raleigh woman still held in Honduras Wake County A Raleigh woman who was found innocent on drug charges and has been stuck in Honduras for more than a week is still waiting to return home.

Amanda LaRoque was visiting an island off the Honduran coast when she was arrested at the airport last month.

She was carrying a “can safe,” a fake can of iced tea designed to hide money on the beach, when it was confiscated

by Horduran authorities who said it showed evidence of cocaine. It tested negative for narcotics, but so far LaRoque’s passport is still being held by authorities and the country’s district attorney says he may appeal the case.

Boy killed while walking in the middle of Interstate 77

WRAL

Iredell County State troopers are investigating a possible case of deadly sleepwalking. A 12-yearold boy was struck and killed by a car as he walked down the middle of Interstate 77 in Iredell County at 4 a.m. Sunday morning. His family is from Kannapolis and was staying at a nearby motel for the night as they traveled home. Video surveillance from the hotel showed the boy stealing a car from the parking lot of the hotel. It was found abandoned along I-77, two miles from the accident scene.

Family members say the boy was recently put on new medication which caused him to sleepwalk.

WSOC

More I-40 lanes coming to Forsyth, Davie Forsyth County The N.C. Department of Transportation says they are creating additional lanes on I-40/NC 801 in Davie County and east of Harper Road near the Yadkin River. The $72 million plan widens 3.3 miles from four lanes to six. It will also replace dual bridges over the Yadkin River and accommodate a future greenway.

Commissioners debate future of Hope Mills Lake

Body of missing NC woman found Beaufort County The Beaufort County Chief Deputy says the sheriff’s office located a body Sunday, along with a car that 61-yearold Deborah “Lynn” Cavanaugh-Blades was last seen driving. CavanaughBlades had been missing since Saturday. Family members said at the time of her disappearance, the Wilmington author and former teacher had a medical condition and might be confused or disoriented.

Cumberland County The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners met to discuss progress on the Hope Mills Lake dam and park Monday. Completion of the dam is expected by the end of August. The town is also working on a plan for the park next to the lake, including a new dock, bulkhead and boardwalk. The lake has been empty since a 2010 dam failure.

FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER

WILMINGTON STAR NEWS

Mount Olive president retiring Plastics plant to lay off 215 employees Edgecombe County Three years after announcing an expansion in Tarboro, General Foam Products Corporation announced it is closing its eastern N.C. operation. The company notified the state last week that layoffs of all 215 employees will begin in October.

TRIANGLE BUSINESS JOURNAL

Wayne County The president of the University of Mount Olive, Dr. Philip Kerstetter, announced Friday that he will retire at the end of the 2017-18 academic year. He became Mount Olive’s fourth president in 2009 and oversaw the school’s transition from college to university. With a year to fill the position, the university says it will launch a national search for Kerstetter’s replacement.

WITN

customers in North Carolina.

“Upgrading wireless networks to 5G technology will fundamentally change the way we use the internet,” said Saine in a Lincoln Times-News editorial titled “Building on Our Legacy of Innovation.”

“Capital tends to flow to places that are ready for investment, and House Bill 310 sends the signal that North Carolina is ready for that investment,” Saine added.

House Bill 310 allows network providers to deploy small cells responsibly by having reasonable access to existing local infrastructure within and outside of the public rights-of-way.

“North Carolina now competes in a global marketplace,” said House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain). “Along with tax reductions and regulatory reforms, the state House is committed to modernizing our infrastructure to remain a national leader in economic growth.”

Specifically, H.B. 310 permits placement of small wireless antennas and equipment on city utility poles in public rights-of-way.

It also authorizes cities to assess fees on wireless providers for occupation of rightsof-way and utility poles, and authorizes the North Carolina Department of Transportation to issue permits to wireless providers for placing wireless antennas on state rights-of-way.

The legislation will also streamline processes for efficient deployment of 5G wireless equipment.

Campaign finance reports show candidates’ cash on hand

By Mollie Young North State Journal RALEIGH — Mid-year campaign finance reports were due to the State Board of Elections and Ethics at the end of last month, and as they trickled in the disclosures begin to shed a light on where candidates stand in off-year fundraising.

State campaign finance law restricts who can donate to statewide offices, such as legislators and the governor, and when.

Because of the restrictions, most of the cash flow occurs outside of session. Lobbyists and groups that hire lobbyists cannot directly give to statewide candidates, unless through a political action committee, but individuals can donate at any time.

Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) has nearly $560,000 cash on hand by the end of June, with $357,600 collected from personal donations during session. Speaker Tim Moore’s disclosure shows $414,189 cash on hand for the top House Republican fundraiser, with nearly $170,000 from individuals.

Political action committees for Duke Energy, Farm Bureau, Beer and Wine Wholesalers, and powerhouse consulting firm McGuire Woods maxed out to both legislative leaders just before the General Assembly went in for the long session in late January. Blue Cross Blue Shield’s PAC maxed out only to

Berger.

Gov. Roy Cooper isn’t up for re-election until 2020, but he’s using his influence to fundraise for other Democratic pursuits — including winning seats in the General Assembly to dilute the Republican’s vetoproof majority.

Cooper spent a whopping $686,437 in the last six months, including $15,470 on “strategic consulting” services from a company based in West Hollywood, Calif., and $22,400 to purchase potential donor lists from Virginia- and Iowa-based firms.

The governor spent more than he took in, but disclosed that he currently has $532,147 cash on hand heading into the fall.

Drew Heath, the former budget director for Gov. Pat McCrory, will be on the ballot for Judge John Arrowood’s seat on the N.C. Court of Appeals in 2018, and he managed to raise $31,000 since his announcement in late May. Allegra Collins, a Democrat vying for conservative Judge Rick Elmore’s open seat, has only $4,000 on hand without a Republican challenger yet. Wake County Judge Jefferson Griffin has $5,100 cash on hand for his bid for Judge Ann Marie Calabria’s open seat. Chapel Hill Attorney Mark Dorosin, a Democrat, announced his intention to run against Griffin in late June, after the closing date for the reporting period.

N.C. DOT

What a catch!

• Thanks to NC’s unique coastal waters, including one of the largest estuaries in the country, our state’s commercial fishermen land nearly 200 species annually.

• Try something new from NC’s coastal waters including under loved species like spiny dogfish and invasive predators like lionfish.

• It is estimated that 50,000 additional deaths each year from heart disease and stroke can be avoided by eating fish. The USDA recommends two servings of fish per week.

• Most NC seafood businesses are family owned and operated. It’s not uncommon to find multi-generational fishing and processing enterprises in our state.

• In 2016, dockside seafood landing values in NC totaled $96 million.

That economic impact continues to multiply as fresh seafood travels from dock to dish supporting jobs in transportation, processing, packaging, retail markets, the restaurant industry and more.

• The state’s two most valuable seafood products are blue crab and shrimp.

Our waters are home to three varieties of shrimp with summer brown shrimp accounting for 67% of NC shrimp landings.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2017

BUSINESS

ERIK HILDEBRANDT | REUTERS

An F/A-18F Super Hornet jet flies over the USS Gerald R. Ford as the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier tests its EMALS magnetic launching system, which replaces the steam catapult, and new AAG arrested landing system in the Atlantic Ocean.

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The Partnership’s business development activities position Charlotte USA for sustained, longterm growth, job creation and investment opportunities.

With 16 counties – 12 in North Carolina and four in South Carolina, Charlotte USA has a wealth of assets for the Charlotte Regional Partnership to market.

The Partnership serves as a catalyst for government/business collaboration to market and promote Charlotte USA as a highly competitive, vibrant region with an increasingly attractive quality of life. In fact, our region is the case that proves the point that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Although each of the 16 counties has its own strength, each experiences greater economic success – and is more competitive – by working together than alone.

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Naval officers from NC enjoy their calling

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Games, Food, Entertainment and Crepe Myrtles… Oh My!

For those answering the call to serve, many North Carolinians seek military careers at sea

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal KINSTON — Serving in the United States Navy is a calling.

For the men and women who are called to serve, they join the world’s largest air force fleet destined to protect our country and deter threats around the globe. With 276 deployable battle force ships, there are more than 322,000 active-duty personnel and more than 107,000 in the Navy Reserve.

While North Carolina has long remained a friendly state to the armed forces, more and more of the state’s residents are serving in the U.S. Navy.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Raheem Simmons, a West Johnson High School graduate and Raleigh native, is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, the USS Porter.

Simmons, an interior communications electrician aboard the USS Porter, is deployed in Rota, Spain. He is responsible for the phone and television systems aboard the ship.

“My favorite part of my job is making the TV schedule,” said Simmons. “I like getting to choose the movies that play for the crew.”

Commissioned in 1999, the

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY

“The Navy is a platform for what I want to do when I get out ... It gives me a means to pay for college.

I want to get my electrical degree.”

— Raheem Simmons, Petty Officer 3rd Class

ly have the best of the best. They have that adventurous spirit, and they truly want to be here,” said Cmdr. Andria Slough, Commanding Officer, USS Porter.

“They’re a phenomenal group and are always willing to tackle any challenge and excel at every mission this ship is assigned. I feel privileged to be the Captain of such a talented and dedicated group of hard working men and women.”

Approximately 30 officers and 300 enlisted men and women make up the ship’s company.

Their jobs, ranging from maintaining engines to handling weaponry, are highly specialized and keep each part of the cruiser running smoothly.

“The best parts of this command is the food and the location,” said Simmons. “The crew is very laidback and understanding.”

While living on a ship fulltime can provide its challenges, it does build strong fellowship among the crew. With a life of specialized work, watches and drills, the crew is highly motivated and quickly adapts to changing con-

USS Porter is 509 feet long; the length of almost two football fields. The ship is named after Commodore David Porter and his son, Adm. David Dixon Porter.

Porter is a tactical multi-mission surface combatant capable of conducting anti-air submarine surface warfare in conjunction with being outfitted with aegis ballistic missile defense capabilities. Ballistic missile defense enables the ship to conduct longrange surveillance, tracking, and engagement of short and medium-range ballistic missiles.

“My Sailors are the heart and soul of this ship, and I absolute- See NAVY, page A9

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Listen to the north state journal staff every monday at 10:05am

Where can you go to enjoy arts and crafts, live entertainment, games, amusement rides and admire the beauty of more than 500 crepe myrtle trees? Look no further than the public power town of Scotland Neck, NC. This riverside community is in full planning mode as they prepare for the annual Crepe Myrtle Festival which takes place this weekend. For 30 years, this time-honored tradition has been bringing together the town and visitors from all over our state. Scotland Neck expects thousands of visitors to descend upon downtown main street to take advantage of all the fun that the festival has to offer. More information regarding the festival can be found at www.townofscotlandneck. com.

Additional details regarding the festival are below: When: Saturday, August 12, 2017 Time: 10 am- 5pm Where: Town Commons, 1310 Main Street Scotland Neck, NC 27874

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

THE BRIEF

NC recognized as leader in biotechnology Recent national report details advantages and innovations unique to this booming N.C. industry

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal KINSTON — Biotechnology is a highly competitive industry and North Carolina continues to leverage itself as a top state in the nation in this growing business.

Simply defined, biotechnology is a toolbox that uses cells and their processes to solve problems whether it be in the field of agriculture, medicine or fossil fuels.

The goal is simple: to provide a fresh and clean environment.

The work being done by companies, organizations and educational institutions around the state towards this growing economic imprint is becoming nationally recognized.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) released a series of reports which highlight North Carolina’s position as a top state in the nation for driving innovation and economic growth for the 21st Century through efforts to attract and grow the biopharmaceutical industry amid an increasingly competitive global environment.

PhRMA identifies North Carolina’s ability to use education and provide training in the biotechnology field as a successful model for other states to follow.

In addition, PhRMA touts the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, a non-profit chartered by the state, as a leading organization for its ability to attract and retain a wide range of biopharmaceutical companies to North Carolina.

“North Carolina’s $86 billion life science economy is excelling at a time when the U.S. is looking

to maintain its global leadership in biopharmaceutical research and development,” said Doug Edgeton, president and CEO of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.

“These reports confirm that our regional assets uniquely support our statewide efforts to build, partner, invest and communicate. It has been, and will continue to be, transformative.”

According to the Biotechnology Center, North Carolina is home to more than 650 life science companies. The biotechnology industry makes $86 billion in total economic impact and provides $2.2 billion in state and local government revenues. Approximately, 260,000 jobs are offered in the industry and 63,000 people are employed in the field.

The PhRMA reports highlight North Carolina’s long-standing efforts in targeting biomanufacturing as a competitive advantage for the state. North Carolina colleges and universities offer advanced manufacturing facilities for contract services and workforce training, including the Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center at North Carolina State University, the Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise at North Carolina Central University and the NCBioNetwork Capstone Center offered by the North Carolina Community College System.

At North Carolina State University, the graduate programs in Microbial Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing were recognized as leading examples of post-secondary educational partnerships that help grow the talent pipeline for careers in biotechnology.

“We’re proud that these innovative degree programs are playing such an important role in preparing our students for careers in high-demand fields like

Small business group creates campus training for women entrepreneurs

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL | FILE

David Jung, group leader at Agile Sciences in Raleigh, shows off a vial containing a proprietary 2-Amino-Imadazole (2-AI) compound in the small company’s lab on September 21, 2016.

“North Carolina’s $86 billion life science economy is excelling at a time when the U.S. is looking to maintain its global leadership in biopharmaceutical research and development.”

— Doug Edgeton, president and CEO of the N.C. Biotechnology Center biotechnology,” said UNC System President Margaret Spellings.

“These reports provide further evidence that investments in higher education spur job growth and positively impact our state’s economy.”

In addition, the North Caroli-

NAVY from page A8 ditions.

As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Simmons and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will be last beyond their lifetimes.

“The Navy is a platform for what I want to do when I get out,” said Simmons. “It gives me a means to pay for college. I want to get my electrical degree.”

Fellow Navy Officer and Cary native, Petty Officer 3rd Class Aaron Wright is yeoman with the Commander, Electronic Attack Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet, the command supporting 14 Navy electronic attack squadrons based in Whidbey Island, Washington.

As a yeoman, Wright oversees the managing of awards for the command.

“My job isn’t easy, but it’s one of those jobs you don’t mind waking up and doing every day,” said Wright.

Taking off from and landing on Navy aircraft carriers, as well as supporting expeditionary landbased operations around the

“Serving in the Navy means I am doing my part,” added Wright. “I feel like I am doing my part to help the country.”

— Aaron Wright, Petty Officer 3rd Class

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY

world, Growler crewmembers engage in electronic warfare, one of the most important components of modern air combat, according to Navy sources.

The EA-18G Growler is the fourth major variant of the F/A18 family of aircraft that combines the proven F/A-18F Super

A9

Hornet platform with a sophisticated electronic warfare suite, complete with advanced receivers, jamming pods and satellite communications. The electronic warfare mission involves jamming enemy radar and communications systems to render air defenses ineffective.

na Community College System is strengthening the biotech workforce through certificates and associate degree programs. PhRMA recognized Wake Technical Community College’s Biopharmaceutical Technology certificate and associate degree programs for preparing graduates for pharmaceutical manufacturing and related industries.

“We know that STEM education is vital for a strong workforce,” said Dr. Stephen C. Scott, president of Wake Technical Community College. “At Wake Tech, we design curricula with local industry input to prepare our students for the workplace – and those local employers hire many of our grads. It’s an incredibly effective partnership.”

Biopharmaceutical companies such as Biogen, Eisai, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Merck & Co., Seqirus, Novo Nordisk and Pfizer employ graduates of the Wake Tech program.

“This command is amazing,” said Wright. “The climate is not an aggressive command. I want to come serve here every day.”

“We’re in the warfighting business, and we’re here to win,” said Capt. Tabb Stringer, Commodore of Commander, Electronic Attack Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

“We operate the most advanced and capable electronic attack aircraft in the world and our sailors are the most highly trained, innovative, and critical thinking teammates I have ever worked with.”

Sailors’ jobs are highly varied at CVWP, according to Navy officials. Jobs include everything from maintaining airframes and engines, to processing paperwork, handling weaponry, and flying the aircraft.

Serving in the Navy, Wright is learning about being a more responsible leader, sailor and citizen through handling numerous responsibilities.

“Serving in the Navy means I am doing my part,” added Wright. “I feel like I am doing my part to help the country.”

Elizabeth City Carolina Small Business Development Fund (CSBDF) announced the launch of its Eastern Women’s Business Center (EWBC), in partnership with Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) to provide an ecosystem of support to women entrepreneurs that will sustain high growth businesses and job creation. The center, housed on the campus of ECSU, aims to “promote women entrepreneurship, foster a collaborative culture, create business growth opportunities and elevate the concept of small business training and development,” according to a statement from CSBDF. The mission of the EWBC is to provide capital, high quality technical assistance, and programs that reduce barriers and serve as a catalyst to the success of women entrepreneurs in Northeastern North Carolina. CSBDF will fully support the Eastern Women’s Business Center by promoting and providing access to capital to eligible entrepreneurs, start-ups and small business owners. CSBDF will also provide technical assistance, one-on-one counseling, networking, marketing opportunities and programs. “We are committed to helping women entrepreneurs who still face unique obstacles in the world of business and hope to bridge the gap by providing access to capital and resources,” said Lenwood V. Long, Sr., President/CEO of CSBDF.

Utilities ditch reactors that launched US nuclear renaissance Columbia, S.C. South Carolina utilities announced last week that they are abandoning two unfinished reactors that were once hailed as the start of a U.S. nuclear power renaissance before they were dogged by billions of dollars in cost overruns. The reactors were proposed a decade ago when U.S. policymakers expected more than a dozen new nuclear power plants to provide carbon-free electricity. In the years since, however, a shale revolution unleashed a glut of cheaper natural gas, the Fukushima accident in Japan raised fresh safety concerns and the Trump administration is now unwinding steps aimed at countering climate change. A unit of SCANA Corp and state-owned Santee Cooper said on Monday they would abandon the twin-reactor project known as V.C. Summer. It is less than 40 percent complete, and more than $9 billion had been spent on construction. “We arrived at this very difficult but necessary decision following months of evaluating the project from all perspectives to determine the most prudent path forward,” said SCANA Chief Executive Officer Kevin Marsh in a statement. The project was expected to begin producing power last year but has been plagued by construction problems, disputes with regulators and poor quality work.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

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north STATEment Neal Robbins, publisher | Ray Nothstine, opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | RAY NOTHSTINE

Should college athletes be paid?

As corporate entities and many universities become wealthier, the exploitation becomes more pronounced.

IN EARLY AUGUST, Florida Senator Marco Rubio sent out a tweet declaring “The NCAA is out of control.” The wrath towards the collegiate governing body organization stems from University of Central Florida kicker Donald De La Haye being ruled ineligible because of his refusal to capitulate to demands to stop monetizing his YouTube channel.

Because of the popularity of De La Haye’s videos, the kicker is believed to be raking in a couple thousand dollars a year from ad revenue.

The horror! Presumably to mitigate negative publicity, the NCAA believed it worked towards a compromise. They stated they will allow De La Haye to make money off his videos as long as the content did not relate in any way to athletics. Instead, De La Haye stuck by his conviction that the elaborate NCAA rules and regulations need reforming and the kicker walked away from the college game.

The NCAA is committed to never allowing pay for play for student athletes. However, almost everybody is aware that the hypocrisy under the current system is astounding.

Colleges and universities can make millions of dollars off a single sought after recruit, while the compensation for the athlete is technically limited to tuition, room, and board. Television deals have pushed athletic revenue into the billions for some of the biggest conferences.

CBS continues to pay the Southeastern Athletic Conference $55 million annually for the top game of the week and the conference championship game. The SEC raked in over half a billion dollars in revenue during the first

year of the College Football Playoff and through its own ESPN SEC Network in 2014-15, which amounted to an over 60 percent increase from the previous year. The current CBS contract for March Madness which exists until 2024 is more than $10.8 billion.

Annual compensation for some of the top conference commissioners exceeds more than three and a half million dollars. Seventy-two NCAA FBS head coaches make over $1 million annually and twenty make over $4 million.

Jim Harbaugh is paid over $9 million at the University of Michigan. Even a handful of collegiate assistant coaches currently have annual salaries that exceed $1.5 million.

Notable American Civil Rights author and UNC-Chapel Hill alumnus Taylor Branch has called the NCAA a cartel, adding it’s an organization run by “bogus principles.”

“Slavery analogies should be used carefully.

College athletes are not slaves,”wrote Branch in Atlantic Magazine in 2011. “Yet to survey the scene—corporations and universities enriching themselves on the backs of uncompensated young men, whose status as “student-athletes” deprives them of the right to due process guaranteed by the Constitution—is to catch an unmistakable whiff of the plantation.”

As corporate entities and many universities become wealthier, the exploitation becomes more pronounced. And while some athletes in high profile sports receive extra under the table benefits and compensation, the vast majority are cut off from even a pittance of profit sharing.

While there are many reasonable proposals for reform to an unfair system, one is to simply allow more room for the free market. Just over Ninety-eight percent of college football and basketball players will not be professionals. For almost all athletes, including those in nonrevenue sports, college is the last opportunity to make any money on their athletic ability.

Athletes should be able to receive compensation for selling their likeness, image, or by offering up endorsements for products or services. If a receiver or defense linemen at Carolina or NC State wants to endorse a car dealership or a sports store, they should have that right under a free and fair market. Just make all business dealings transparent with full disclosure of payments. Fans can decide if they want to cheer for an athlete with a $3 million shoe contract.

The NCAA likes to respond that measures like this threaten the purity of the game and the sacred nature of amateurism, which is laughable given the amount of money that flows through the whole system. Branch likes to say “if you’re concerned with athletes, deal with their rights.” His point serves to emphasizes they virtually have none now and that must change.

GUEST EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Lottery millionaires verse regular millionaires The odds of winning the most recent national Powerball was estimated to be one in 292 million.

RICHARD REEVES has written a book, “Dream Hoarders,” which professes to explore the widening gap between the upper income class of America and everyone else.

The gap is widening, there is no doubt. But is it because upper-income people are deliberately 'hoarding' things and intentionally ‘denying’ others the fulfillment of their dreams and aspirations?

Do upper-income people do things that are inherently detrimental to society or do they actually contribute a lot more to society than they take out themselves?

Consider this stark example: There have been perhaps 10,000 large to mega-large lottery and Powerball and Super-Mega-Powerball winners in America over the past 25 years that have made people millionaires to super-millionaires.

The odds of winning the most recent national Powerball was estimated to be one in 292 million. There are about 320 million people living in 126 million households in America today to give you some perspective.

Did these lottery super-winners create any jobs for anyone else on their way to becoming super wealthy? Did they invest in any new plant, machinery or technology that was created by other people who employed hundreds, perhaps thousands of other people

who supported their families on those jobs in order to become 'super-wealthy'?

No. The answer is that maybe 100 or so state employees at the state lottery office had jobs because of the lottery in their states. Certainly not thousands. Or hundreds of thousands.

On the other hand, it is estimated that there are now close to 10 million millionaires in America according to a CNBC report on March 24, 2017. “In 2016, there were 9.4 million individuals with net worth between $1 million and $5 million, 1.3 million individuals with net worth between $5 million and $25 million, and 156,000 households with more than $25 million in net worth,” the report says.'

The odds of becoming a millionaire in America is one in 12 households according to those statistics. Not one in 292 million as in Powerball.

Some no doubt did it the old-fashioned way with inherited wealth from their families.

However, according to some wealth managers, less than 2 percent of all the wealth created by the fantastically wealthy families in the 19th and 20th Centuries has survived beyond even the third generation of grandsons and granddaughters. Much of that wealth was squandered along the way which also finds its way into the pockets of hard-working carpenters and laborers who build their

mansions or luxury yachts before they declare bankruptcy.

Many, if not most of these millionaires made their fortunes not all by themselves but by hiring and working with great people and paying them to help build the company.

Once a Bill Gates or Steven Jobs or Jeff Bezos starts to build a company based on their ground-breaking ideas, ordinary folks who join their teams early on not only get paid for their services but get fringe benefits such as health care insurance coverage and retirement plans, which sometimes includes stock that appreciates in value in the growth of the underlying company they are helping to build.

The tip of the spear might be the fabulously wealthy people we all read about in the news.

The truth of the matter is those entrepreneurs and business leaders made a fortune for themselves while also providing income, benefits and jobs to millions of people beyond them.

It is hard to consider the vast number of millionaires to be 'dream hoarders' denying the opportunity of others to make it big in America as they have done when you consider all of the wealth and opportunity private enterprises across the country provides for the 156 million employed today.

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

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GUEST OPINION | AIMEE MULLIGAN

WALTER WILLIAMS

Is college education worth it?

UGUST IS THE MONTH when parents bid farewell to not only their A college-bound youngsters but also a

KEVIN LAMARQUE | REUTERS

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnnell (R) and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (L) speak to reporters after President Donald Trump’s meeting with Senate Republicans to discuss healthcare at the White House in Washington, on July 19.

How long can Republicans fool their constituents?

Election after election Republicans have turned out to vote against Obamacare and for the Republican candidates who promised to get rid of it.

IF YOU CONSIDERED yourself a member of the GOP then you might identify with the title above.

The Republican Party, and more specifically the establishment, has been running on the same old campaign promises since 2010 with the overarching promise being a repeal of Obamacare. Now that the Republicans control each branch of the federal government, the only question is whether they will deliver on their campaign promise. History would tell us not to bet on it.

Mark Harris who will be challenging Rep. Robert Pittenger from the 9th District for the Republican nomination, recently released his campaign launch video. From start to finish the video ad tries to draw in the typical conservative southern voter. The American flag, a returning soldier, a family praying at dinner, and of course President Ronald Reagan were among the images that flashed across the screen.

The ad moves from what America should be to the corrupt state it has become, flashing pictures of Senator Chuck Schumer, Hillary Clinton, and former President Obama. They are described as "career politicians,” putting their own interests ahead of what is best for the country.

And what Republican ad would be complete without the mention of Obamacare. Yes, that's right, even though Republicans right now have the ability to repeal or defund Obamacare they haven't. And why not?

Maybe because they are all hoping to run on repealing and replacing Obamacare come election time. It has worked in the past. Election after election Republicans have turned out to vote against Obamacare and for the Republican candidates who promised to get rid of it.

Harris says "we can do better" and "health care should be available, accessible, and affordable and asking the federal government to run it does not seem like a good idea to me." I wonder how many political ads have been bought, emails have been sent, and speeches were given by Republicans saying the same thing. And worse, how many times did Republican

voters believe them?

Unfortunately, Harris' ad will draw in many. But the reality is any Republican running on repealing or even replacing Obamacare is selling you a bad bag of goods.

Why, because the Republican Party is not interested in making good on that promise. What evidence do we have to prove otherwise? The events over the last few months demonstrate we have been fooled again.

Harris ends his ad by calling for "new leadership" instead of sending the same people back to Washington. However, Harris doesn't seem to be offering anything different. In fact, he seems to be offering more of the same. While the video is almost four minutes long, Harris offers no concrete ideas.

Sure, he goes through the litany of Republican promises, but there is nothing separating him from the Republicans who currently represent North Carolina in Washington.

Harris says, “it all begins with remembering the very principles that made us great in the first place.” I couldn’t agree more, but is Harris the best articulator of those principles? How does he stack up against say a Thomas Jefferson or Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul? By replacing Pittenger with Harris, will there be any real difference? Will the 9th District have a new message or just a different voice?

Einstein’s definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and then expecting a different result. If Republican voters can’t see beyond these political ads, designed to appeal to emotions rather than intellect then we should stop expecting something different to come out of Washington. We don't need more or different Republicans in D.C. What we need are leaders who understand the principles of liberty, individual choice, and the rule of law. But, if we don't understand these things for ourselves, then the person in the mirror is the only one left to blame.

Aimee Mulligan is the executive producer at Red Wolf Broadcasting in Raleigh.

COLUMN | CAL THOMAS

Common sense uncommon in Washington

No nation can maintain its character without controlling its borders.

"SOUND PRACTICAL judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge, training, or the like; normal native intelligence."

— Dictionary.com’s definition of common sense.

Sometimes what used to be called "common sense" can seem radical in Washington, which is used to practicing senseless policies and funding programs that don't work.

Immigration is a perfect example. Everyone says the system is broken. There have been no substantive policy changes since the '60s, but until last week few had put forth a sensible and credible plan for fixing what ails it.

Thanks to Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and David Perdue (R-GA), we now have a plan worthy of serious consideration, even implementation. Last week, they introduced legislation that, according to USA Today, would "overturn the rules for becoming an American citizen and cut in half the number allowed in."

There are three keys to their proposal. The first is that people seeking to immigrate to America must possess skills qualifying them for a job, or have a job waiting so they would not become part of our bloated welfare and dependency culture.

The second key concerns numbers and the goal of eliminating chain migration.

Despite counter arguments based on the Emma Lazarus poem about the world sending America

its "tired and poor," poems are not the Constitution, or the law, otherwise Emily Dickinson might have become president. Poems are about sentiment. The right immigration policy is about survival.

No nation can maintain its character without controlling its borders. Think of a simple analogy.

If I fill a glass with water and then pour milk into the glass, the more milk I pour, the more water is displaced. That's the United States, absent a sound and sane immigration policy.

Key number three is language. It isn't difficult for immigrants to learn enough English to function in America.

I meet them in Washington and everywhere I travel. Here's the official government position for becoming a citizen: "To become a naturalized U.S. citizen, you must pass the naturalization test.

At your naturalization interview, you will be required to answer questions about your application and background. You will also take an English and civics test unless you qualify for an exemption or waiver."

Under current policy, noncitizens don't have to take an English test if they are 50 years old, or older, and have lived in the U.S. as permanent residents for at least 20 years. If someone has lived in America for 20 years and still can't speak English, doesn't that suggest a problem?

The Cotton-Perdue measure

would also eliminate the Green Card Lottery, which, in an effort to add diversity to the country, grants 50,000 green cards each year to countries that don't normally send many immigrants to the U.S. Anyone who thinks immigration is a partisan issue should take note, as the Center for Immigration Studies has done, of a similar plan proposed in the mid-'90s

by Rep. Barbara Jordan (D-Texas), who as chair of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform, advocated for increased restrictions on immigration.

Her effort was squashed by a combination of the corporate right (which wants cheap labor) and the cultural left (which wants more votes for Democrats). The common sense of these reforms remains.

President Trump says he will sign a bill containing the Cotton-Perdue language, but as with so much else in dysfunctional Washington, its success will depend on whether Congress has any common sense left to do something that is transparently necessary and will benefit the country. After the debacle over health insurance, raising the debt ceiling (more debt), suggestions that tax reform may have to wait until after a budget is passed (more spending) and a new poll showing public approval of Congress at just 10 percent, no one should be optimistic.

Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist.

sizable chunk of cash for tuition. More than 18 million students attend our more than 4,300 degree-granting institutions.

A question parents, their college-bound youngsters and taxpayers should ask: Is college worth it?

Let's look at some of the numbers.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, "when considering all first-time undergraduates, studies have found anywhere from 28 percent to 40 percent of students enroll in at least one remedial course. When looking at only community college students, several studies have found remediation rates surpassing 50 percent." Only 25 percent of students who took the ACT in 2012 met the test's readiness benchmarks in all four subjects (English, reading, math and science). Just 5 percent of black students and 13 percent of Hispanic students met the readiness benchmarks in all four subjects. The NCSL report says, "A U.S. Department of Education study found that 58 percent of students who do not require remediation earn a bachelor's degree, compared to only 17 percent of students enrolled in remedial reading and 27 percent of students enrolled in remedial math."

The fact of business is that colleges admit a far greater number of students than those who test as being collegeready. Why should students be admitted to college when they are not capable of academic performance at the college level?

Admitting such students gets the nation's high schools off the hook. The nation's high schools can continue to deliver grossly fraudulent education — namely, issue diplomas that attest that students can read, write and compute at a 12th-grade level when they may not be able to perform at even an eighth- or ninth-grade level.

The fact of business is that colleges admit a far greater number of students than those who test as being college-ready.

You say, "Hold it, Williams. No college would admit a student who couldn't perform at an eighth- or ninth-grade level." During a recent University of North Carolina scandal, a learning specialist hired to help athletes found that during the period from 2004 to 2012, 60 percent of the 183 members of the football and basketball teams read between fourthand eighth-grade levels. About 10 percent read below a third-grade level. These were students with high-school diplomas and admitted to UNC. And it's not likely that UNC is the only university engaging in such gross fraud.

Many students who manage to graduate don't have a lot to show for their time and money. New York University professor Richard Arum, co-author of "Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses," says that his study shows that more than a third of students showed no improvement in critical thinking skills after four years at a university. That observation is confirmed by the many employers who complain that lots of recent graduates cannot seem to write an email that will not embarrass the company. In 1970, only 11 percent of adult Americans held college degrees. These degree holders were viewed as the nation's best and brightest. Today, over 30 percent hold college degrees, with a significant portion of these graduates not demonstrably smarter or more disciplined than the average American. Declining academic standards and grade inflation tend to confirm employer perceptions that college degrees say little about job readiness.

What happens to many of these illprepared college graduates? If they manage to become employed in the first place, their employment has little to do with their degree. One estimate is that 1 in 3 college graduates have a job historically performed by those with a high-school diploma or the equivalent.

According to Richard Vedder, who is a professor of economics at Ohio University and the director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, we had 115,000 janitors, 16,000 parking lot attendants, 83,000 bartenders and about 35,000 taxi drivers with bachelor's degrees in 2012.

The bottom line is that college is not for everyone. There is absolutely no shame in a youngster's graduating from high school and learning a trade. Doing so might earn him much more money than many of his peers who attend college.

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

NEWS IN IMAGES

OGNEN TEOFILOVSKI | REUTERS

Boys swim to cool off in the waters of the river Drim in Struga, Macedonia.

JOSE LUIS GONZALEZ | REUTERS KACPER PEMPEL | REUTERS

Revelers dance during the 23rd Woodstock Festival in Kostrzyn-upon-Odra, Poland.

The crowd watches a successful wedding proposal taking place between a couple dressed as “Pachucos” during the Quinceanera (15th birthday) of a teenager in downtown Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2017

PGA comes to the Queen City The 2017 PGA Championship will take place at Quail Hollow in Charlotte from Aug. 10 through Aug. 14.

the Wednesday SIDELINE REPORT

SPORTS

NFL

Dolphins sign Cutler to one-year, $10M deal The Miami Dolphins signed quarterback Jay Cutler to a reported one-year, $10 million contract, with incentives, Sunday, and now the focus shifts to how quickly he’s officially installed as the starter. “He didn’t come out of retirement to stand on the sideline,” coach Adam Gase said Monday. Cutler, 34, was talked out of retirement by Gase, who served as Cutler’s offensive coordinator in 2015 in Chicago. Cutler has familiarity with Gase’s offense and had 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a career-best 92.3 passer rating in his only season under Gase. “A situation like this doesn’t come along very often,” said Cutler, who retired in May. “I know Adam very well. I’ve known him since ‘06, the first year I came out. I know the system.

PGA

Snedeker withdraws from 2017 PGA Championship Former Wyndham winner Brandt Snedeker announced he was withdrawing from the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow ahead of the start of the tournament on Thursday. Snedeker has been battling a rib injury caused by inflamed cartilage between his sternum and rib cage for several months now and was forced to withdraw from the British Open in July.

The former Vanderbilt star hoped to return and play at Quail Hollow, but even with a platelet-rich plasma injection several weeks ago, he was unable to take practice swings without any pain. Snedeker has four top-10 finishes this season but has not finished in the top-10 in this event. He was replaced by Chris Kirk.

NFL

Former CB Flowers announces retirement The 31-year-old Flowers played nine NFL seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers. He was released by the Chargers in March. He posted the word “RETIRED” on his Instagram page and thanked the owners — Clark Hunt of the Chiefs and Dean Spanos of the Chargers — in his statement.

“Just want to say thanks to the Hunt and Spanos family for allowing me to represent there (sic) franchises during my NFL career,” Flowers wrote.

“Thanks to my family, friends, and fans that supported me throughout my career. Can’t wait to move on to the things I have in place for me for this next chapter in my life.”

ROB SCHUMACHER | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

2017 PGA event set to highlight NC’s finest golf

By Tom LaMarre The Sports XChange

COURTESY RONNIE PUGHL

Randolph County Post 45 is headed to the American Legion World Series.

Randolph County Post 45 headed to American Legion World Series Randolph County is making a name for itself with an American Legion run

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal RONNIE PUGH isn’t just the coach of the Randolph County Post 45 baseball team. He’s also an enthusiastic supporter of the American Legion program throughout North Carolina.

So when a rival team from Rowan County won the Southeast Region championship last year, Pugh didn’t think twice about getting in his car and driving to Shelby to lend his support at the American Legion World Series.

It’s a trip he’d always hoped to make with his own players.

He’d come close in the past, winning four state titles in his 18 seasons with Post 45 and advancing to the regional final three times in the last four years. But each time, the team fell short of its goal.

That finally changed last weekend when Randolph County bulldozed its way through the Southeast Region tournament in Asheboro without losing a game.

It was a dominating performance punctuated by a 15-2 rout of Tallahassee, Fla., on Sunday that earned Pugh and his talented squad their first World Series trip.

Post 45 will join teams from Arkansas, Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada and New Jersey in the double-elimination national championship tournament at Keeter Stadium in Shelby. Its opening game will be Thursday at 8 p.m. against Mid-Atlantic Region winner Hopewell, N.J. Post 339. The game will be televised on ESPN3.

“We’ve been fortunate to have a lot of really good teams through the years,” Pugh said. “Our program has won four state championships. All the teams are dif-

ferent. Sometimes it’s all about timing and how the guys pull together and when they’re playing their best ball. This one just happened to be that group.”

This year’s team is made up of 18 high school age players from schools around Randolph County and its surrounding area. A majority of the roster is made up of returners from previous seasons who know all about the disappointment of coming so close to accomplishing their World Series goal.

And they weren’t about to take any chances this time.

After surviving close calls with a 5-4 win in its first meeting with Tallahassee on Friday and a 1-0 pitcher’s duel with Florence, S.C. in Saturday’s semifinal, Post 45 took care of business quickly and decisively in Sunday’s championship game.

Tournament MVP Trevor Marsh and third baseman Ryan Hill had three hits and three RBI each to lead an offensive assault that led the game to be shortened to seven innings by the “mercy rule.”

Randolph County broke the game open with a five-run fourth inning, then finished things off by scoring six more times in the seventh — a rally in which Hill had both a homer and a two-run double.

“We made the championship game a little anti-climatic,” Pugh said proudly. “We have a sophomore and a junior in the mix, but other than that we’re an older crowd and it usually takes that to win it.

“The kids have been playing well. They’ve worked hard all year and improved as the season went on. We seem to be just hitting our stride in the postseason.”

Post 45 got off to a fast start in the regional tournament by breakSee POST 45, page B4

JORDAN SPIETH celebrated his 24th birthday during his week off after winning the 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

Spieth can give himself the best present of all this week by becoming the sixth player to complete the modern career Grand Slam with a win in the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. He would become the youngest to complete the career Slam and the first to finish it off in the PGA, but he is trying not to focus on that.

"I'm looking [at] it like it's just another major and there are only four of them every year that we try to peak for, and that's enough to make it important," said Spieth, who claimed his first two major titles, the Masters and U.S. Open, back-to-back in 2015.

"I'm healthy and playing well, so I feel like I have a chance. If I (complete the career Slam) this year, fantastic, but if I don't, I might have 30 more chances to do it. I believe I will do it at some point, and it would be nice to happen now."

The five players who pulled off the career Grand Slam were Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player of South Africa and Tiger Woods.

"To be in that company, no doubt, is absolutely incredible," Spieth told reporters Sunday about his excitement at the opportunity. "What those guys have done has transcended the sport. And in no way, shape or form do I think I'm anywhere near that, whatsoever. So it's a good start, but there is a long way to go."

Winning all four majors is so difficult that the likes of Arnold Palmer, Walter Hagen, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Tommy Armour of Scotland and Raymond Floyd were not able to claim the elusive final leg of the Slam.

Interestingly, three players will have a chance to finish it off in the next three majors: Spieth this week, Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland in the Masters next April and Phil Mickelson in the U.S. Open next June.

McIlroy has claimed four major titles, including the PGA twice, but hasn't won a Grand Slam event

“I’m looking [at the PGA] like it’s just another major and there are only four of them every year that we try to peak for.”

— Jordan Spieth

See PGA, page B4

INSIDE

JIM DEDMON | USA TODAY SPORTS

The Panthers are set to kick off the preseason with a matchup against the Texans on Wednesday. One problem: no Cam Newton quite yet. The 2015 MVP has yet to begin throwing during training camp, although he has very much been present for fans and the team alike. There should be a little concern about the lack of throwing, however, and it is perfectly fair to say the Panthers are starting to get a little anxious about Newton’s timeline. Details on B4.

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

B2 WEDNESDAY

08.09.17

TRENDING

Michael Beasley: The New York Knicks are reportedly nearing a deal with the former No. 2 overall draft pick according to a report from ESPN. If the Knicks did bring in Beasley, it would be his sixth NBA team since being taken second overall by the Miami Heat back in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Quincy Enunwa: Jets wide receiver was placed on the injured reserve with a neck injury and is expected to miss the entire 2017 season.

Enunwa was expected to be the top target for New York this season with the departure of Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall in the offseason, which means an incredibly thin roster is even thinner now. The Jets are on target for the No. 1 pick.

Anquan Boldin: Long time NFL wide receiver will return for another year of playing, this time with the Buffalo Bills, who signed Boldin out of free agency to help out a wideout depth chart that includes Sammy Watkins and Zay Jones.

Doc Rivers: Clippers coach and general manager was removed from his front office role, which essentially means he was demoted.

beyond the box score POTENT QUOTABLES

PGA

The ever-colorful John Daly once again found himself a top attraction at a PGA event, this time as photographers and fans gazed at Daly in American flag shorts, a “Rock Bottom Golf” shirt, bleached blonde hair, Oakleys and a cig dangling from his mouth while warming up for the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Classic Daly.

STEVE MITCHELL | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

“The good thing is I play quarterback so I don’t have to be in that great cardiovascular shape.”

New Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler discussing his current state of physical ability after signing.

ROB SCHUMACHER | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

MLB

NFL

KEN BLAZE | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

“I think Kyrie’s going to end up getting traded.”

Former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin talking to ESPN amid swirling rumors about the former Duke star’s status with his NBA team.

Irving signed a long-term deal previously but now apparently wants out of Cleveland

RICHARD MACKSON | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

Few baseball players have begun a career like Angels outfielder Mike Trout, who hit his 1,000th career hit on just his 26th birthday Monday night. Trout also added a solo homer.

VIA TWITTER

New Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler went viral (again) with his return to the NFL, thanks in large part to “devil may care” attitude when he returned t the Dolphins over the weekend.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

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Sirk and Montgomery ready to repeat winning ways at ECU Former Duke coach Scottie Montgomery and former Duke QB Thomas Sirk are reunited in Greenville

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal GREENVILLE — Coaches are always adding new wrinkles to their game plan in an effort to keep the opposition off guard. But when times get tough, they inevitably return to the familiar things that have worked for them in the past.

Times don’t get much tougher than they were for East Carolina’s Scottie Montgomery last season.

That’s why, after leading his team to a disappointing 3-9 record in his first year as a head coach, Montgomery returned to his days as a successful Duke assistant by bringing in graduate transfer quarterback Thomas Sirk to help to right the Pirates’ ship.

“If I hadn’t worked with him before, he wouldn’t be here,” Montgomery said Saturday at ECU’s annual football media day, “because when we bring someone into our locker room at that position, that is critical.”

Montgomery and Sirk formed a winning combination during their two seasons with the Blue Devils.

In 2014, Sirk rushed for eight touchdowns and threw for three more while serving as his team’s short yardage and goal line quarterback. The following year, with Montgomery as his offensive coordinator, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Florida native took over the starting job and amassed the second highest offensive yardage total in school history.

Along the way he helped Duke to 17 wins, including a 2015 Pinstripe Bowl victory against Indiana in which he earned co-MVP honors.

Sirk’s career was sidetracked shortly after that game at Yankee Stadium when he suffered a torn right Achilles tendon during an offseason workout, then reaggravated the injury shortly before the opening game.

With his position having been taken by freshman Daniel Jones

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

East Carolina head coach Scottie Montgomery talks into his headset in the fourth quarter of the college football game against North Carolina State at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, Sept. 10, 2016.

“If I hadn’t worked with him before, he wouldn’t be here.”

— Scottie Montgomery on ECU QB Thomas Sirk and his bachelor’s degree in political science already in hand, Sirk decided it best to leave Duke and play his final college season elsewhere.

The opportunity to be reunited with Montgomery wasn’t the only reason he decided to choose ECU, but it didn’t hurt. Neither did the fact that he was already familiar with the basic framework of the Pirates’ offense.

“It’s just pass concepts that I had to learn and new formations,” said Sirk, who was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA

JEREMY BREVARD | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

Duke quarterback Thomas Sirk speaks to the media during the ACC Football Kickoff at Westin Charlotte in Charlotte on July 21, 2016.

because of his injuries. “Terminology changed, so that’s what I’ve been focusing on all summer.

Thankfully I’ve had two months to prepare for that. I spent countless hours watching film from last

year’s team, studying the playbook, meeting with the other quarterbacks and meeting with the offensive coordinator (Tony Petersen) to prepare myself.”

Now that all the advance work is done, Sirk has begun the process of winning the starting job.

He’s currently competing with junior Gardner Minshew, who started two games for the Pirates last season at Philip Nelson’s backup, along with two youngsters that have yet to take a college snap.

Although Montgomery said he won’t name his quarterback at least until the team’s second scrimmage, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that Sirk will be on the field for the first snap when ECU opens its season against James Madison on Sept. 2.

Coaches don’t bring in one-year rent-a-quarterbacks, after all, just to sit on the bench — especially mature 24-year-olds already wellversed in their offense.

That is assuming they’re healthy.

And Sirk says he is.

“It feels really good,” he said.

“Right now I’m not having any problems. I’m doing zone reads and things of that nature now and I’m not having any issues with it.

“The biggest fear that you have coming into camp is ‘am I really ready?’ Going into last year’s camp I asked myself the same question.

But last year I was preparing myself to get back on the field by a set date. This year I’ve had more time.

I’ve listened to my body and focused on my health, and I’m going out there every day with the confidence that I’m ready to go.”

Even if Sirk doesn’t win the starting job, his strength as a runner and past as a short-yardage specialist can still make him him a valuable addition to a Pirates offense that ranked 121st out of 128 FBS teams in red zone efficiency last season.

“He changed us. He transitioned us in the red zone and in short yardage when we were in Durham,” Montgomery said. “We didn’t really see it coming, but we think he has the ability to help us out, not just in red zone efficiency, but in other situations as well.”

Hurricanes’ Waddell says team made $2M, room for growth Profit does not include extra $16M team received from Vegas expansion; ownership situation ongoing

KIRBY LEE | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) s greeted by fans during the opening day of training camp at the Jack Hammett Sports Complex in Costa Mesa, Calif. on July 30.

Rivers facing lonesome L.A. highway in 2017

By The Sports XChange COSTA MESA, Calif. — It didn't take Philip Rivers long to get into the Los Angeles swing of things.

Like millions of others, he will commute to work, with a roughly two-hour drive each way. With a driver, though, so he can study for the Chargers' next opponent.

Rivers and his wife weren't looking forward to uprooting their eight children after the Chargers made the call to leave San Diego for L.A. So he'll buckle up early and make the trek, hoping the jam-packed afternoon return trip isn't too daunting.

"It's tough, especially when you are further away from home," Rivers said. "But I'm trying to just embrace it as that. This is the time to build camaraderie with the guys ... sit and be around the guys more than I would."

Rivers was never shy about being one of the guys. Among the reasons why he is such a popular teammate is that he's a regular in the dominoes and card games; he never misses a chance to rib another player.

But as the Chargers make this transition, it will be interesting to see how it turns out for someone entering his 14th season. Especially someone who was such a creature of habit as Rivers.

Rivers, though, draws comfort in knowing he'll be directing a Char-

gers offense that is loaded with weapons. That's clear at training camp with running back Melvin Gordon breaking off long gains, wide receivers Keenan Allen and Tyrell Williams snatching passes and Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry forming a dynamic duo at tight end.

"We have the talent," Rivers said. "You don't look around and go, 'Gosh, we're missing this. If we had one of that. We really need this.

We're almost there.'"I think you look at it, and that doesn't mean I'm predicting us to win it all, but we have the talent. Now, it's building the camaraderie, the toughness and the fight. All of those things, the togetherness and intangibles, and obviously you have to play well."

And that hasn't been the case the last two years as the Chargers managed but nine wins over 32 games.

But most NFL observers agree the Chargers are primed to be a bounce-back team in 2017.

"I don't walk out here and go, 'Gosh, we're going to fight like crazy, but we don't quite have enough,'" Rivers said. "I think we have the pieces. Now, it's a matter of a lot of things that have to fall your way, and that you have to earn."

Rivers will earn his L.A. stripes in mimicking the locals with a healthy commute. But it's the drive to reach his first Super Bowl that motivates Rivers, no matter the locale.

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal RALEIGH — For Don Waddell, president of the Carolina Hurricanes’ parent company Gale Force Sports & Entertainment, it’s “business as usual.”

That said, it’s been a busy summer for the team. The Hurricanes reshaped their roster with several additions via trade and added one of the biggest names on the July 1 free agent market, bringing back Justin Williams on a two-year contract.

Carolina also tied up two of its young defensemen, signing partners Jaccob Slavin (seven years, $37.1 million) and Brett Pesce (six years, $24.15 million) to contract extensions that will take affect in 2018-19 and keep the duo in Raleigh until at least 2025 and 2024, respectively.

The biggest news, however, is there has been movement on the ownership front. Chuck Greenberg, former managing partner of MLB’s Texas Rangers and current owner three minor league baseball teams, has been revealed as the head of one group that has signed a nonbinding term sheet to explore purchasing the team. Greenberg’s group is the only group to be publicly revealed.

“I would prefer for as long as you can to keep these things quiet until you get to a point where you're ready to take that next step,” Waddell, in an interview Friday, said of the process of selling the team. “I think it's better for everybody, but I don't think there's been any damage done here.”

The status of the team, which has been owned by Peter Karmanos Jr. since 1994 and was relocated to Raleigh from Hartford, Conn., in 1997, has been a hot-button topic locally and across the NHL for a couple seasons. Karmanos, 74, and NHL

have repeatedly refuted claims the team could be relocated.

“Just because it's a sale, I don't know why people would say that because it's for sale it's leaving,” Waddell said. “It's never been talked about, it's never been the intent. [NHL] commissioner [Gary Bettman] has said this franchise isn't going any place.

“Businesses sell all the time.

But I think maybe that happening was maybe a good thing for our fans,” he added about word of Greenberg’s interest — and plans to keep the team in N.C. — leaking.

Despite ranking last out of 30 teams in attendance last season (11,776 per game), Waddell said the Hurricanes made approximately $2 million.

While each of the NHL’s 30 teams received a $16 million cut of the incoming Vegas Golden Knights’ $500 million expansion fee, Waddell said the Hurricanes made money even without the one-time influx of expansion cash.

“The Las Vegas money would be up and above that,” Waddell said of the team making a profit. “We made $18 million — it's a true statement — but really you'd be selling something that's not going to continue, let's say.”

Several factors, including a low player payroll, contributed to the Hurricanes turning a profit — the only time the team has done so without reaching the postseason.

“One is, from a revenue standpoint, our revenues have continued to escalate with new TV deals,” Waddell said. “We have to make sure we give [the NHL] a lot of credit. They've done a tremendous job.

“From a local standpoint, our ticket revenue was up a little bit from the year prior; not much,” he added. “Our sponsorship was up — it comes out someplace around 15 percent.”

Waddell also said, in a surprise, that merchandise sales doubled last season.

“We did take a different approach in the merchandise store,” Waddell said. “We had a lot more higher-end quality, and we found out people didn't mind

“The years of bleeding lots and lots of money hopefully are behind us.”

— Don Waddell, president Gale Force Sports & Entertainment spending a little bit more money to get a better quality [product], whether it be a golf shirt or a hat or something like that.”

The team is also already seeing a bump in jersey sales this offseason thanks to the NHL’s move from Reebok to Adidas and the team’s revamped uniforms.

Waddell pointed out the team has added 53 new positions, including 41 in sales, since he joined Gale Force three years ago, and meshing the operations of the team and PNC Arena has helped streamline things.

“We try to cross these synergies as much as we can,” he said.

Karmanos is still the one signing off on all decisions, including the offseason contracts, and remains in discussions with potential buyers, including Greenberg.

“Chuck can walk away at any time or Pete could walk away at any time,” Waddell said. “Chuck's trying to get all of his investors in order, and if he does that we'll continue to move the process forward.”

Those potential investors include people in the Triangle, Waddell confirmed.

The fact the Hurricanes made money even without the onetime influx of cash from expansion and while missing the playoffs for an eighth-straight season bodes well for the franchise’s room for growth, even with the team’s payroll expected to climb as its young players get new deals.

“We're going to have challenges, but we also think the team's better,” Waddell said. “It all goes hand-in-hand. We're investing more in the players, we're hoping that turns into more wins, which will turn into more fans coming.

We'd sell more tickets, sell more concessions, all that stuff.”

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

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PGA from page B1

JEREMY BREVARD | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) signs autographs during training camp held at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. on July 26.

Panthers anxious to see Newton throw Newton will miss the first week of the preseason for Carolina

By The Sports XChange SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Carolina Panthers are still addressing a key issue that was part of the conversation a few months ago: the health of quarterback Cam Newton.

His surgically repaired right shoulder has been the topic. Because of soreness, he has gone more than a week without throwing in practice situations.

It's mostly a matter of waiting until Newton is comfortable.

But he is certainly not on schedule as expected. The Panthers expressed confidence during the spring that he was on track to be ready for training camp.

Coach Ron Rivera did not seem panicked by this development, though it has cast an uneasy feeling regarding the offense. In the meantime, it's a matter of forging ahead.

"No adjustments," Rivera said. "We're installing our offense. We're not going to wait on anybody."

The Panthers open the preseason schedule with Wednesday night's home game against the Houston Texans. Perhaps there's a level of comfort in knowing that veteran Derek Anderson filled in for Newton in the past.

But while Anderson has been steady at times, he lacks the dynamic elements that Newton brings to the offense.

Newton went through certain repetitions with the first-team offense in recent sessions at training camp.

"We'll get Cam out there with the 1s (on running plays)," Rivera said. "We've got to build it up. ...

I can't wait until they clear him and he starts throwing again."

Again Monday, he did some light throwing with a member of the training staff, but nothing as part of the team's workout.

The first preseason game comes at a time when the Panthers will have to start finding

answers for some of the questions.

"Now it gets ratcheted up one more notch," Rivera said. "We'll see where we are and what we have to work on. We'll probably make adjustments from that point on."

The Panthers often look stingy on defense during training camp. Maybe the preseason game will free up the offense to some degree.

"Play somebody else other than our defense," tight end Ed Dickson said.

Carolina seems willing to give several of the younger players and rookies chances to make the team.

"You see the growth and development of these young guys," Rivera said. "It will be exciting to see what happens on Wednesday. I expect them to play well."

• Expectations are high that rookie running back Christian McCaffrey will offer extensive versatility.

"I think he's ahead of where you would expect a rookie to be

and that's exciting," coach Ron Rivera said.

McCaffrey's role could take various turns. With the possibility of Newton slowly working back into a regular workload, don't rule out McCaffrey taking some direct snaps. That has happened in some practice situations.

• FB Darryl Young doesn't get mentioned often, but he could work his way into a vital role. The Panthers didn't make a big fuss about replacing fullback Mike Tolbert, but he often played a key role in the offense.

"We've got to find that guy who can be a fullback and an H-back for us," coach Ron Rivera said.

• The Panthers received special permission for the preseason opener to come one day earlier than the normal window for the first preseason game. That's because the PGA Championship is being held in Charlotte. The tour's fourth and final major of the season begins with Thursday's first round.

since the 2014 PGA at Valhalla. He is 0-for-3 while trying to wrap up the career Slam by winning the Masters.

"I think Jordan has a great chance to do it this week, and it would be huge for golf," said McIlroy, who has tied for ninth, tied for third and tied for seventh in the past three Masters. "Tiger did it at 24, too, and that's historic in itself.

"If Jordan is able to do it, it would be great for the sport as I said, and I texted him after he won the Open and told him that."

Mickelson has claimed 48 titles in his pro career and is a five-time major winner, but he is winless everywhere since he claimed a third leg of the Grand Slam by winning the Open Championship in 2014 at Muirfield. That was the one everyone felt would be the most difficult for him to win.

Lefty has finished second eight times in the U.S. Open, the only major he has failed to win, but hasn't come close in his three attempts to complete the career Slam, tying for 28th, tying for 64th and missing the cut.

This year, he skipped the tournament at Erin Hills because his daughter Amanda's high school graduation game on the same day as the first round. At the age of 47, his clock definitely is ticking.

"You look at Jack Nicklaus, he went through a stretch where he didn't win a major in three years," McIlroy said after tying for fourth at Royal Birkdale. "I'm not comparing myself to Jack. It's hard to win them. It's very hard. It's the reason especially in this generation, excluding Tiger, no one's got above five. So it's tough to win them.

"I feel like three years (without winning a major) has been too long.

But at the same time I'm not going to rush it, I'm not going to be impatient. I'm going to play my game.

And hopefully my chance arrives at some point and I'm able to take it."

McIlroy won four majors by the time he was 25 and probably felt a bit like Spieth does now, but the subsequent three years have taught him otherwise.

Bobby Jones won the original Grand Slam in 1930, capturing the U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, British Open and British Amateur in the same season.

After winning his first two majors in 2015, Spieth tied for fourth in the Open Championship and finished second in the PGA to complete a brilliant season in the Grand Slam events.

It would be nice if he could win the PGA this week, before he learns that it's not all that easy, even for the great ones.

Rally for Kap happening at NFL headquarters

By The Sports XChange

“My original position was I thought that the situation with him taking a knee last year didn’t have anything to do with it.”

—SEA WR Doug Baldwin

FILM DIRECTOR Spike Lee is using social media to invite fans and supporters to gather in support of unemployed quarterback Colin Kaepernick this month.

According to a social media post from Lee on Tuesday calling for a "Rally for Colin" the "United We Stand" rally for Kaepernick will start at 5 p.m. ET on Aug. 23 at 345 Park Avenue in New York City. The address is noteworthy as the headquarters of the NFL administrative offices.

Kaepernick remains unsigned one month before the start of the 2017 regular season.

Lee and others have suggested Kaepernick, who was 2-10 as a starter with the 49ers last season, is not employed by a team because of his public position on social injustices. Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem before games last season to raise awareness for such issues, but declared in the offseason he would not bring any form of protest to a new team in 2017.

"My original position was I thought that the situation last year with him taking a knee didn't have anything to do with it," Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin said. "After viewing what's going on, I've got to take that back. I definitely think that the league, the owners are trying to send a message of, 'Stay in between the lines.' It's frustrating because you want to have guys who are willing to speak out about things that they believe in, whether you agree with it or not. But I think that's definitely playing a role now moreso than I thought it was going to."

Seattle is the only team to host Kaepernick since he opted out of his contract with the 49ers, who are in the midst of a rebuilding project that began with a complete front-office housecleaning and new head coach.

First-time 49ers general manager John Lynch said he's certain Kaepernick is committed to football and being a quarterback. Even so, Lynch said he told Kaepernick he needs to clarify where football and activism rank on his priority list because of the franchise-level expectations for quarterbacks in the NFL.

KYLE TERADAT | USA TODAY SPORTS

Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth on the 12th green during a practice round for the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte on Aug. 8.

POST 45 from page B1

KYLE TERADA | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

San Francisco 49ers head coach Chip Kelly (right) instructs quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Jan. 1.

"I think you are having a little bit of an image crisis in terms of not so much what you did last year, but people are wondering, is this most important to you, at a position where the guys that succeed at that position are the guys that live it, breathe it, the CEOs that play that position," Lynch said he told Kaepernick. "And I think there is a perception that football's not on the top of his list. And so, my communication with Colin was that your best effort, I think the way you could best help yourself is to not have someone talk for you, not have statements, but go sit down and do an interview, and let people know exactly where you stand."

The 29-year-old Kaepernick had shoulder surgery prior to the 2016 season and began the regular season behind Blaine Gabbert in San Francisco.

Seattle general manager John Schnei-

der, who led the in-person meeting with Kaepernick in Renton, Wash., on May 24 said the Seahawks were convinced Kaepernick is fully dedicated to football.

"There's no question about it," he told NFL Network on Monday. "I don't think anyone else brought him in but we were doing our due diligence. We had a great visit with him. I think he plays in the league. There is just a lot that surrounds it when he's a backup quarterback. Now, if he's a guy out there competing to be a starter, I think that's a different situation.

For us, we try to be in every situation we possibly can. (Seahawks head coach) Pete (Carroll) and I talked about it for a long time. We wanted to be able to sit down and visit with him and go through the process with him knowing we know exactly who he is, exactly where he stands and we can go to him if needed."

ing open a close game in the late innings for a 10-4 victory against Troy, Ala., behind the pitching Hill and Cameron Reid, and three hits from Marsh.

Bobby Weary threw a complete-game five-hit shutout and Peyton Williams had three hits on Thursday to key a 4-0 victory against Covington, Ga. Randolph County then overcame three errors to hold off Tallahassee, as Nate Ray and Reid combined for six innings of relief before Chase Webb and Jaxon Snider blanked Florence in a tense Saturday semifinal Pugh called “one of the best baseball games I’ve seen.”

Cameron Morrison drove in the game’s only run with an RBI single in the fourth. Dawson Painter started the rally with a double.

Painter was the MVP of Post 45’s state tournament championship run. In the regional tournament, it was Marsh’s time to shine.

A rising junior at Asheboro High, Marsh went 12 for 19 in five games with eight RBI and five runs scored.

“It’s just been a different guy or a different part of our lineup every game,” said Pugh, whose team has compiled a 38-8 record this summer. “This is a group that enjoys playing and enjoys being together and has stepped up to the challenge.”

Time for a new ride, Page 6

WEDNESDAY

08.09.17

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL

play list

August 10-13 Championship Rounds of the PGA Championship Charlotte

the good life IN A NORTH STATE OF MIND

One of the four "majors" of golf, the PGA Championship marks the first major championship staged in the Queen City at the Quail Hollow Club. Grayson Murray of Raleigh is in the first group to tee off at 7:20 a.m. on Thursday. The entire event spans from Monday through Sunday. Tickets are available through ticketnetwork.com.

August 11-12 Beaufort Pirate Invasion 2017 Beaufort Step back in time with the sights and sounds of the 17th century as Beaufort comes alive with more than 100 pirate and militia re-enactors. Enjoy historical demonstrations such as sword fighting, cannon firing and weapons displays, along with musical entertainment, magic shows, costume contest, storytelling and vendors.

stir things up | Social House Vodka

August 12 30th Annual Crepe Myrtle Festival Scotland Neck Join the celebration with good food, good folks and good times at the 30th Annual Crepe Myrtle Festival. There will be games, children amusement rides, face painting, a petting zoo, arts and crafts, jewelry, toys, pottery, music, entertainment and a variety of food.

August 12-13 Fayetteville Summer Musicfest Fayetteville

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SOCIAL HOUSE VODKA

Social House Vodka co-founders G Patel, Mark Mullins, Cary Joshi speak at the launch party for their new spirit in Raleigh, N.C.

Getting into the mix

N.C.’s newest vodka distillery makes a grand entrance

“A lot of people want to support a local business, and distillery sales help that.”

By Conrad Hauser For the North State Journal RALEIGH — Carter-Finley Stadium will see hundreds of thousands of people through its turnstiles this fall, but Saturday night brought a preview of tailgates and late-night celebrations as Social House Vodka made its debut in Raleigh. The special event — to showcase North Carolina's newest vodka — transitioned from tailgate favorites to sophisticated cocktails to latenight libations.

Social House Vodka is distilled by Three Stacks Distilling Company in Kinston on the site of a century-old, abandoned power plant with three distinctive smoke stacks. Founded four years ago by entrepreneur Cary Joshi, N.C. Spirits Association President Mark Mullins and restaurateur Gaurav "G" Patel, the brand is a farm-to-flask spirit that sources its corn from a local farm.

The launch party was a well-orchestrated event that brought around 1,000 people to Vaughn Towers to experience what Joshi hopes will be "North

Fayetteville Summer Musicfest is a two-day live music festival and fundraiser designed to promote the music and arts related resources in the Fayetteville region. With performances on multiple stages the event features plenty of food, giveaways, contests and special guests.

— Cary Joshi, president of Social House Vodka

Social House Vodka on display.

Carolina's No. 1 vodka." The invite-only crowd was treated to a true Wolfpack tailgate outside of the stadium with a rock band, barbecue and vodka-based lemonade. Following the tailgate, the party moved inside where a jazz band performed as craft cocktails were passed in a speakeasy environment. The night ended with a DJ and energy drinks paired with Social House Vodka.

Joshi says that the founders — who were friends before they started Social House — selected vodka over other spirits be-

cause of the social nature of its use. Even though vodka is not as popular in its pure form as bourbon or whiskey, the group spent six months working with NC State food science experts to analyze more than 20 different vodka formulations to create their signature flavor. While Joshi said the vodka tastes great "just over ice," his favorite cocktail to make with it is a dirty martini.

"N.C. is home to all of us," Patel said, but the trio did evaluate sites in South Carolina and Virginia for their distillery be-

fore selecting Kinston. Patel and Joshi emphasized — in an NSJ exclusive interview — that Kinston is the key to their business with the distillery's proximity to other local attractions, including Vivian Howard's renowned Chef & the Farmer restaurant, Mother Earth Brewing (which also started a gin, whiskey and rum distillery three years ago) and the Kinston Arts & Cultural District.

"The city put the right rules in place to foster this industry," said Joshi when asked about the reasons for Kinston's success in growing its food and beverage industry. He and Patel cited the pairing of great restaurants and drinks with a commitment to the arts for making Kinston what they say is "the Asheville of the east."

See VODKA, page B6

August 15-20 O'Neill/Sweetwater Pro-Am Surf Fest Wrightsville Beach The O'Neill/Sweetwater Pro-Am held on Wrightsville Beach has grown into one of the largest surfing contests on the East Coast and attracts surfers worldwide. Dozens of amateur surfers and more than 90 professional surfers from around the world participate in this exciting three-day event.

a cut above National Filet Mignon Day is observed annually Aug. 13.

North Carolina ranks in the middle of the pack (No. 34) for beef and cattle production with 494,000 head statewide.

Randolph County leads the Old North State with more than 16,000 head, followed

by Chatham, Wilkes, Duplin and Iredell. All 100 counties produce beef cattle.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

NeCessities! history marked Aug. 6, 1944 Flying ace George Preddy’s actions earn distinction

Aug. 6, 1918 German U-boat sinks lightship off Cape Hatteras

Greensboro native George E. Preddy Jr., the top P-51 Mustang ace during World War II, downed six planes on Aug. 6, 1944, earning a Distinguished Service Cross — the nation’s second highest award — in the process. Preddy was a barnstormer pilot before the war. He tried three times to become a naval pilot but was rejected because of health problems. The Army Air Corps accepted Preddy, placing him on a waiting list for a cadet class. In 1940, he joined the National Guard, and he received his wings in December 1941. After a training accident and a three-month recovery, he returned to the United States and was eventually assigned to a squadron that was sent to Great Britain. He shot down his first plane in December 1943.

In April 1944, his squadron received the P-51 Mustang, and Preddy named his the Cripes A’Mighty. While flying in pursuit of a German plane during the Battle of the Bulge, Preddy was accidentally shot down by friendly ground fire. He is buried at the Lorraine American Cemetery in France.

Diamond Shoals Lightship No. 71 was shelled by a German submarine while anchored off Cape Hatteras. The lightship, which had just sent a wireless message about the submarine’s shelling of the USS Merak, served as a beacon at sea to warn mariners of the dangerous shoals that formed off the coast. As a result of the blows, the ship quickly sank. The lightship’s crew of 12 rowed 10 miles to shore in a small lifeboat.

“We succeeded in getting away and never did mortal man row as we did that afternoon,” the chief engineer later recounted. The lightship was quickly replaced by another that was kept to use as a backup. The German submarine that took the ship down, U-140 also claimed the Standard Oil tanker O.B. Jennings 100 miles off the Virginia coast and the four-masted schooner Stanley M. Seaman off Cape Hatteras in the each of the two previous days.

Following the sinking of the lightship, the submarine was spotted just a half mile off the North Carolina coast in busy shipping lane.

Aug. 9, 1751 State’s first newspaper issued in New Bern

Aug. 12, 1989 Haywood County Plott Hound named state dog

James Davis issued the North-Carolina Gazette, the first newspaper to appear in the colony. The newspaper wasn’t Davis’ first foray into publishing; he had established the colony’s first printing press two years earlier in New Bern.

In that capacity he printed currency and various official publications. The newspaper, unlike modern print papers, did not have headlines or much local news. It focused mostly on international news and the arrivals and departures of ships. The Gazette was supposed to have been published weekly but, from the issues that survive, it appears to have had no regular schedule and wasn’t published at all between 1759 and 1768. A terrible storm destroyed Davis’ print shop in 1769, forcing him to salvage what equipment he could and rebuild his business. The Revolutionary War also presented Davis with problems in regularly issuing his Gazette, making it difficult for Davis to get paper and forcing his son, who was his assistant, to serve in the army. Davis served as the colony’s public printer until 1782 and he kept issuing the Gazette until just before his death in 1785. The paper appeared in another form between 1786 and 1798, when it was used by another printer to promote the Bill of Rights and other causes.

The Plott Hound was officially designated as the state dog. One of only four dog breeds native to the United States, the breed was developed in Haywood County by the Plott family. The foundation stock for the dogs that became Plott Hounds came to America with Johannes George Plott in 1750. The Plotts bred hardworking, tenacious and loyal dogs that would hunt bears and wild boars with boundless courage. Plott enthusiasts describe the breed as bold and energetic hunting dogs, gentle with people and loyal to their owners. The breed was popular across the region as early as the mid1800s; people from near and far would travel to Haywood County to get puppies from the Plott family. The dogs, once black, brown or brindle, are now usually brindle — meaning stripes of varying color. They stand 20 to 25 inches at the shoulder, weigh about 45 to 55 pounds and are strong and fast. The Plott Hound has a distinctive high-pitched bark that is effective in alerting hunters to treed prey.

The American Kennel Club recognized the Plott Hound as a distinctive breed in 1998.

SOURCE: NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Aug. 6, 1945 Bombadier Thomas Ferebee on crew that bombs Hiroshima Maj. Thomas Wilson Ferebee, a U.S. Army Air Corps bombardier and Mocksville native, dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945. The 12-man crew aboard the B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, took off for Hiroshima at 2 a.m. from Tinian Island in the western Pacific. Ferebee, then 26

A flood washed away the Pisgah Covered Bridge in 2003. The bridge spanned the West Fork Branch of the Little River in the Uwharrie National Forest south of Asheboro. It was built at a cost of $40 by J. J. Welch around 1910. Welch constructed a number of other covered bridges in the area. Since being rebuilt, the Pisgah Covered Bridge is the only surviving covered bridge in Randolph County, which once had more covered bridges than any other county in North Carolina. Along with the 1895 Bunker Hill Covered Bridge, near Claremont in Catawba County, it is one of only two left in North Carolina. The Bunker Hill Covered Bridge is similar to the Pisgah bridge in form and materials, but it was constructed as an open-span bridge and

Supercar manufacturer had previously ruled out SUVs

By Agnieszka Flak Reuters

DARREN STAPLES | REUTERS

A woman photographs a row of Ferraris during an event to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Ferrari in Birmingham, Britain July 28.

style" for "the selected few" and not to compete with the likes of Porsche.

Its claim to fame would not be "being able to climb rocks," Marchionne told analysts on a conference call, adding the board had yet to decide whether to go down that road.

"Whatever it is, it will be of the same caliber as anything else we've done,” he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ferrari reported a 24 percent rise in second-quarter adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) and a 14 percent increase in quarterly sales, both in line with expectations.

seconds later, the bomb detonated, instantly killing 70,000 people. On Aug. 9, another bomber crew dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Six days later, the Japanese government surrendered unconditionally, ending World War II. Ferebee retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1970 and died in 2000. He never expressed regret about dropping the A-bomb, maintaining that it saved more lives than it took by ending the war sooner.

covered in 1900. Wooden bridges were covered to protect their heavy-timber framing from exposure to the elements.

This protection greatly extended the life span of the bridge. Thousands of covered

bridges were constructed in the United States but fewer than 800 remain. The Pisgah Covered Bridge is open to the public from dawn to dusk and is located at 6925 Pisgah Covered Bridge Rd.

Aug. 9, 2003 Pisgah Covered Bridge rebuilt after flood

Ferrari CEO says a utility vehicle would not hurt brand or margins

MILAN — An expansion of Ferrari's lineup into utility vehicles would not compromise the Italian carmaker's exclusive status nor its luxury profit margins, Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said last week.

Marchionne has repeatedly ruled out following rivals such as Volkswagen-owned Lamborghini into sport utility vehicles (SUVs).

But recent press reports have said the sports car maker is considering developing a four-seat utility vehicle to boost profits, unnerving some investors concerned it could weaken the brand.

After being spun-off from Fiat Chrysler, Ferrari has sought to show it can increase profits without the backing of its parent and improve sales.

The group has released several quarters of record earnings, helped by the launch of a number of special edition models.

But Marchionne said Ferrari was now approaching the limit of the number of cars it can produce from its current range without weakening their exclusive appeal, and needed to look beyond.

The manager, who is set to leave the company in 2021, said if the carmaker ever made a utility vehicle it would be "Ferrari

and a veteran of 64 combat missions, was napping and initially did not hear the pilot, Col. Paul Tibbets Jr., brief the crew about their top-secret mission.

Approaching Hiroshima, Ferebee activated the plane’s automated Norden bombsight, centered its crosshairs on the Aioi Bridge and called “bomb away.”

It was 8:15 a.m. The 9,000-pound bomb, nicknamed “Little Boy,” tumbled from the plane’s belly and sped six miles to its target below. Forty-three

“There are more people that would buy nonextreme versions of Ferrari than those that will buy extreme versions” — Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne Revenue was helped by sales of 12-cylinder models such as the GTC4Lusso and the LaFerrari Aperta hybrid convertible.

The 812 Superfast, Ferrari's most powerful model to date that

has yet to arrive on the market, already has a waiting list beyond 2018, the company said.

Ferrari is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year with a series of tailor-made cars, all inspired by iconic models from its past. Overall, the group plans to ship around 8,400 vehicles in 2017, getting closer to the 9,000 goal it has set for 2019.

The company has also been trying to broaden its appeal beyond drivers attracted by the technological prowess of its eight-cylinder and 12-cylinder models.

Marchionne said the company needed to go after customers drawn to the brand's style rather than the power of engines.

"There are more people that would buy nonextreme versions of Ferrari than those that will buy extreme versions," he said, adding this move did not mean compromising on price.

The GTC4Lusso T, a four-seater with a smaller V8 turbo engine, was marketed as "designed to be driven every day," raising expectations of other such releases from the Maranello, Italy-based factory.

"We see volume expansion as the most positive and exciting thread to the bull case," Evercore ISI analyst George Galliers said in a note.

Marchionne said Ferrari would unveil a new strategy for 2022 early next year and that it would give an indication on how it would expand the luxury brand beyond cars.

Milan-listed shares closed down 3.45 percent at 89.6 euros as investors had hoped for a lift to full-year guidance. The uncertainty around the impact of the product expansion on margins also weighed on sentiment, traders said.

VODKA from page B5 While the local rules are helping their business, Social House Vodka is also benefiting from recent changes to the N.C. alcohol laws by the General Assembly.

The well-known "brunch bill" is especially helpful to Social House because vodka is a key ingredient in the brunch-favorite bloody mary. But legislation that lifted the number of bottles that can be sold on site may be more important to the bottom line, according to Joshi. He says that on-site sales can account for as much as 30 percent of revenue for a distillery.

“A lot of people want to support a local business, and distillery sales help that,” Joshi said.

While Social House is happy with the recent legislation, Joshi hopes that more changes will come.

"Prior to prohibition, N.C. had the most distilleries in the country," he said. "We continue to make strides in N.C. to make legislation favorable to distillers and consumers."

One specific area where Joshi hopes further legislation can help his business is in the area of free sample regulation. Currently distillers are only allowed to sample a half ounce, but vodka samples made into cocktails need more volume. Online sales are another area where these spirituous entrepreneurs hope they will eventually see a change.

Social House is still celebrating a successful product launch on Saturday night, but Patel and Joshi are focused on completing a second round of investments totaling $4 million which they hope to close by the end of 2017. The company is finalizing a distribution deal that will bring Social House Vodka to N.C. ABC Stores from Murphy to Manteo.

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

ENTERTAINMENT

Retro game shows renewed

by ABC

TV REVIEW

‘Get Shorty’ on Epix Elmore Leonard’s novel is serialized on cable network

Legacy shows producing strong ratings for networks

By Sonia Saraiya Variety LOS ANGELES — The problem with adapting any beloved story is that a remake or reinterpretation invites the viewer to make comparisons to the original. "Get Shorty," the 1995 film starring John Travolta, is a special combination of wise-guy wisecracks and inside-baseball movie business, told in a story that appears to travel faster than the speed of light. "Get Shorty," the 2017 Epix drama, uses the same source material — Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name — but takes a much slower approach.

Where W h e r e Travolta’s Tr av olt a's Chili Palmer Chili Palmer skimmed skimmed past danpast danger ger with ease, Chris with ease, O'Dowd's Chris Miles Daly O’Dowd’s is a bit more tragically Miles Daly is a bit more e x t r i c a t e d in a crimitragically nal underworld. Along extricated his in a criminal with best friend underworld. Louis (Sean B r i d g e r s) , he's a fixer for a grande dame of drug-running (Lidia Porto) and her dumb nephew (Goya Robles). The criminal life has done a number on Miles' family life, as personified by his 12-year-old daughter, Emma (Carolyn Dodd). When Miles and Louis are send to Hollywood to collect a debt from a screenwriter, Miles starts thinking about cleaning up his act — just as Louis pulls the trigger, sending blood and brains splattering across the script.

The now-sticky prop is the best indicator of how "Get Shorty" has a dry, macabre sense of humor, one which approaches the film's. But as is too often the case with both remakes and new cable dramas, there's otherwise not much of a reason for the hourlong to exist. O'Dowd is his typically sardonic and Irish self, and Ray Romano adds another gently pathetic performance to his impressive roster of sadsacks you root for. Porto, as the cruel and sexy Amara, is the adaptation's best addition. Because she's a middle-aged woman, the idea of laundering her money through loud clubs with strobe lights tires her out. When Miles brings her the notion of financing a nice period romance, she's onboard, with one demand: "I like John Stamos."

A movie about movies — or a show about movies — succeeds when it is itself sharper and funnier than most other fare available, when it can spin circles around a basic B-plot.

"Get Shorty," the show, looks and feels a lot like everything else — expensive, but flat. The sharp eyes of Chili Palmer would see through this production in a heartbeat.

B7

By Joe Otterson and Daniel Holloway Variety

VIA HUTCHINS PHOTO

Chris Pratt and Anna Faris at the “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” Los Angeles Premiere at the Dolby Theater on April 19, 2017 in Los Angeles, Calif.

Stars Chris Pratt, Anna Faris announce they are separating The celebrity couple have a 4-year-old son

By Chris Michaud Variety NEW YORK — Actors Chris Pratt and Anna Faris are splitting up after eight years of marriage, they said on Sunday.

"Anna and I are sad to announce we are legally separating.

We tried hard for a long time, and we’re really disappointed," Pratt, 38, said in a statement posted on his official Facebook page.

Faris, 40, posted a statement along the same lines on her social media pages.

Pratt, known for starring roles in blockbusters "Guardians of the Galaxy," "The Lego Movie" and "Jurassic World," and Faris, star of the "Scary Movie" franchise and the TV sitcom "Mom," have a 4-year-old child.

"Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward," the couple said.

"We still have love for each other, will always cherish our time together and continue to have the deepest respect for one another."

The couple married in 2009, two years after co-starring in the film "Take Me Home Tonight." It was Pratt's first marriage and Faris' second.

“We still have love for each other, will always cherish our time together and continue to have the deepest respect for one another.”

— Anna Faris and Chris Pratt

Disney’s live-action ‘Aladdin’ casts ‘Mummy’ actor Kenzari as Jafar

By Justin Kroll Variety LOS ANGELES — Marwan Kenzari is in negotiations to play Jafar in Disney's live-action "Aladdin" reboot from director Guy Ritchie, sources confirmed to Variety.

He joins Naomi Scott, who will play Jasmine, Mena Massoud, who will portray the title character, and Will Smith, who will voice Genie (a role made famous by Robin Williams in the animated classic). Nasim Pedrad has also joined the cast as a handmaid and friend to Jasmine.

John August, whose credits include "Big Fish," wrote the new "Aladdin" script. Dan Lin, who produced Ritchie's two "Sherlock

Holmes" movies for Warner Bros., is also producing "Aladdin" through his Lin Pictures company. Jonathan Eirich is executive producing.

The original animated movie was a comic take on the Arabic folk tale about a young man granted three wishes by a genie trapped in a lamp.

"Aladdin" was the highest-grossing film in 1992 and won Oscars for best score and best song for "A Whole New World."

Kenzari can be seen next in Fox's "Murder on the Orient Express" where he plays the conductor. He also recently appeared in "The Mummy" opposite Tom Cruise, "Ben-Hur," and "The Promise."

Netflix buys comics publisher Millarworld to feed films and TV

Walmart, insurers settle lawsuits over 2014 Tracy Morgan crash

Sleeping in a dog cage, Pattinson pares down for ‘Good Time’ thriller

Netflix on Monday said it has bought comics publisher Millarworld, bringing on board renowned comic book writer Mark Millar and a host of character franchises it can mine for TV shows and movies. It is the first acquisition by Netflix, the 20-year-old streamingvideo pioneer that is building a library of original series and films in a bid to hook new customers around the world.

Walmart has settled a lawsuit by two insurers that sought to avoid covering its multimilliondollar payout to comedian Tracy Morgan for injuries he suffered in a 2014 crash involving one of the retailer’s trucks. U.S. District Judge Freda Wolfson in Trenton, N.J., on Monday ordered the dismissal of all claims against Walmart by Ohio Casualty Insurance and Liberty Insurance Underwriters, and all counterclaims by Walmart against the insurers.

Actor Robert Pattinson, accustomed to luxury trailers and gourmet food, was reduced to taking a catnap in a dog cage on the set of his latest movie “Good Time,” a fast-paced nocturnal crime thriller set in New York City. “We were setting up lights and I was like, ‘Where’s Rob?’ I look over and there is a dog cage, a huge dog cage and (Pattinson) is in there sleeping,” the film’s co-director Josh Safdie said in an interview.

LOS ANGELES — ABC has renewed "Celebrity Family Feud" and "The $100,000 Pyramid."

The renewals were announced Sunday after the network picked up an additional season of fellow summer game show "Match Game."

"Returning for season three definitely goes under the category 'Things that are Awesome,'" said "The $100,000 Pyramid" host Michael Strahan. "It has been such an honor continuing the legacy of the legendary Dick Clark as host of 'Pyramid.' Looking forward to another season of giving away ABC's money."

Steve Harvey, host of "Celebrity Family Feud," added, "The politically correct reason that 'Celebrity Family Feud' has struck a chord is because it's a great show where people can play along at home and everyone can join in on the fun. The true reason it's a success is because they went and got me to host. It's been a blessing to host this show, I'm one of those people who loves what they're doing."

ABC has found success in summer programming with a strategy reliant largely on primetime game shows featuring celebrity guests. In its third season, "Celebrity Family Feud" — which is produced by FremantleMedia North America — is averaging a 1.3 Nielsen live-plus-same day rating and 6.6 million viewers. "The $100,000 Pyramid," produced by SMAC Entertainment in association with Sony Pictures Television, is averaging a 0.9 demo rating in its second season and 4.7 million viewers.

“Match Game” renewed "Match Game" has been renewed for season three at ABC, with host Alec Baldwin inking a two-year, first-look deal with ABC Studios, the network announced Sunday at the TCA summer press tour.

Under the new deal, Baldwin's El Dorado Pictures will develop scripted and unscripted projects under the ABC Studios banner. The production company's development executive, Mallory Schwartz, will oversee the slate which Baldwin will executive produce.

"Alec's quick wit, charm and star power set the stage for an unadulterated and can't-miss hour of television each week on 'Match Game,'" said Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment. "The series is an integral part of ABC 'Fun & Games,' and I'm glad to have it and Alec back."

The game show garnered Baldwin a 2017 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program.

"Alec Baldwin is one of the most prolific, creative people in the entertainment industry," said Patrick Moran, president of ABC Studios. "We're looking forward to channeling that creativity for our studio."

American Music Awards will be Nov. 19 on ABC In addition, ABC and Dick Clark Productions also announced that the 2017 American Music Awards will broadcast live on Sunday, Nov. 19 starting at 8 p.m on ABC. At the American Music Awards, artists will be honored in multiple musical genres, including Pop/Rock, Alternative Rock, Country, Rap/ Hip-Hop, Soul/R&B, Adult Contemporary, Contemporary Inspirational, Latin, EDM and Soundtrack, alongside awards for New Artist of the Year, Collaboration of the Year, Tour of the Year, Video of the Year, Favorite Song and Artist of the Year.

Jimmy Kimmel returning to Brooklyn ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" will return to Brooklyn, N.Y., for five original shows starting Oct. 16. The show will tape live from the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Howard Gilman Opera House. This will be the third time Kimmel and his show have broadcast from BAM. Previous guests of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in Brooklyn have included David Letterman, Howard Stern, Tracy Morgan, Bill Murray, Michael J. Fox, Chris Rock, Misty Copeland, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z and more.

Arcade Fire’s ‘Everything Now’ tops Billboard 200 chart Canadian indie rockers Arcade Fire’s latest album debuted at the top of the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart on Monday, the only new entry in the top 10 of the chart this week. Arcade Fire’s “Everything Now,” the band’s fifth studio album, sold 100,000 album units, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan. It is their first album on Columbia Records, who the band signed a two-year deal with after being with North Carolina-based Merge Records since 2004’s “Funeral.”

Opening salvo set for Taylor Swift trial against Denver DJ accused of groping Lawyers on both sides of a trial pitting pop star Taylor Swift against a Colorado radio personality she accused of groping her were expected on Tuesday to deliver opening statements to jurors hearing the case in a federal courtroom in Denver. The process of selecting an eight-member jury was due to conclude early in the day, with presentations to follow from attorneys for the 27-year-old singer and David Mueller, who lost his job at Denver radio station KYGO-FM over Swift’s allegation.

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 9, 2017

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SOLUTIONS FROM 08.02.17

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SUMMER

Discover exciting things to do across all 100 North Carolina counties!

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NC DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES