Biden’s former doctor takes the fth in House probe
Washington, D.C.
President Joe Biden’s White House physician is refusing to answer questions as part of the House Republican investigation into Biden’s health in o ce. Dr. Kevin O’Connor invoked his rights under the Fifth Amendment during a closed-door interview Wednesday before the House Oversight Committee. Oversight Chair Rep. James Comer of Kentucky says O’Connor’s refusal to testify makes it “clear there was a conspiracy.” Republicans are probing Biden’s actions in o ce and questioning whether the Democrat’s use of an autopen may have been invalid. Biden has called the claims “ridiculous and false.”
The Oversight committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, calls the Republican investigation a waste of time. “The American people demand transparency, but Dr. O’Connor would rather conceal the truth,” Comer said in a statement.
Stanly
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Board of Education plans to place the national motto, “In God we trust,” on the school district’s activity buses and its maintenance and service vehicles.
At a recent special-called meeting, the school board unanimously passed a motion to move forward with guring out the distribution process for the motto, targeting the use of magnets and decals rather than paint.
“We basically had a local pastor that talked with each board member individually,” Board Chair Robin Whittaker said June 26, explaining the origin of this plan. “In the discus-
sions that I had with the pastor, he really felt that he would be able to get other churches to make donations in order to cover the cost. But we would denitely have to come back to the board with the cost.”
Stanly County’s public school district owns 87 vehicles — 24 activity buses and 63 service vehicles — to which this would be applied. Whittaker noted that the vehicles owned by the coun-
Badin town manager, council discuss waterfront park
Plans for the new park are on hold after the town was granted a funding extension
By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal
IN THE COUNCIL member comments section of Tuesday’s Badin Town Council meeting, one council member asked for an update on the town’s waterfront park project.
“Where are we on the park out there to get some work done?” council member Dale Ward asked Badin town manager Jay Almond about the park. “We’ve approved money and moved money,
and something needs to be going up.”
Almond said the town has had to do a new scope of work for the park because the town could not a ord the project’s original scope. A scope of work details the individual tasks involved with a project when funded by a grant.
The Badin town manager said he met with a North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Grant representative and the contractors to show “this is what we had and this is what we can build.”
Almond said he requested and was granted an extension by the trust fund, which required a new scope
ty sheri ’s o ce currently have the national motto placed on them.
“This would not apply to yellow school buses, since those are not owned locally but are owned by the state,” Whittaker added. “There is a strict thing there that the [N.C. Department of Public Instruction] has instructions that strictly prohibit any unauthorized
THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF
Yellow school buses won’t receive the new lettering
Rain clouds moving east towards Stone Mountain over Albemarle
New principal named for Stanly’s SCoVE and SALC
Andrea Russell has 20 years of education
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — Two unique local school options — Stanly County Virtual Education (SCoVE) and the Stanly Academy Learning Center (SALC) — will share a new principal for the upcoming 2025-26 academic year.
Stanly County Schools announced on Wednesday that Andrea Russell will take over the schools’ dual leadership role previously held by Karen Nixon.
“Stanly County Schools is pleased to announce that Dr. Andrea Russell has been named the new principal of Stanly County Virtual Education and the Stanly Academy Learning Center,” the county public school district said in a statement. “Please join us in congratulating Dr. Russell on her new role as she continues to lead and inspire students in innovative and impactful ways.”
Russell has two decades of education experience within Stanly County Schools, beginning as a teacher at South Stanly High School and later serving as an assistant principal at mul-
of work letter. He drafted a letter, Almond said, then worked with Badin Mayor Demar Huntley to make some “tweaks” to it, which he described as “nothing major, no sweeping changes.”
The new letter has been submitted to Terri Stowers, the town’s representative with the Trust Fund, who Almond said then submitted the letter to the N.C. Department of Parks and Recreation for approval.
“I feel good that they’re likely to change it,” Almond said.
tiple middle and high schools across the district.
She has most recently been the principal at North Stanly High School for the past three years.
“I am looking forward to building new learning partnerships with our SCoVE and SALC students,” Russell said.
Licensed as a high school teacher, principal and superintendent — and certi ed as an Advancement Via Individual Determination site coordinator — she holds a bachelor’s degree in comprehensive science secondary education from Pfei er University, as well as a master’s degree in school administration and a doctorate in educational leadership from Western Carolina University. At SCoVE, Russell will lead Stanly County Schools’ public
“I don’t know that they will. I can’t guarantee they will, but I feel good about it.”
Once approved, Almond said, the town will “immediately le all of the stacked-up reimbursement requests that we have right now to have all of the remaining funds that the trust fund is holding, to go ahead and reimburse us. That will ll your co ers up.”
As an example, Almond mentioned the cost to the town for planning the park was approximately $62,000, and the fund reimbursed $60,000.
“We’re going to ask for the
Andrea Russell is the new principal of Stanly County Virtual Education and the Stanly Academy Learning Center.
virtual program for kindergarten through 12th grade students located on the SALC campus at 1121 Austin St. in Albemarle. The school is designed to o er a mix of live and pre-recorded learning for families seeking exible schedules, homeschool support or enrichment options. SALC is an alternative public high school serving students in grades 8 through 12 who may be o track or struggling in traditional schools; it prioritizes a structured, small-classroom setting that emphasizes credit recovery, behavior and lifeskills development, and pathways back to traditional schools. Additional information about these two schools is available online at scove.stanlycountyschools.org and salc. stanlycountyschools.org.
full amount based on all the expenditures,” he said. “I don’t know exactly how they’re going to the penny or not. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t.”
Council member Gary Rife asked if there were any unpaid bills currently on the park. Almond responded, “Maybe some of the nal billing, they will retain, hold close-out bills, but I don’t think anything beyond that.”
The two pots of money available for the park, Almond added, were the state grant money and “whatever you wanted to slide over from stormwater.”
Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements:
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July 13
Celebrating
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and Brenda Stanback. Free admission.
E.E. Waddell Community Center 621 Wall St. Albemarle
July 14
Color & Connect
9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
For those who need some relaxing “me” time. Come to the library and enjoy co ee or tea while you get a little creative. Supplies are provided, or feel free to bring your own.
Main Library 133 E. Main St. Albemarle
July 17
Locust Farmers Market 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This producers-only market o ers fresh produce, homemade foods and crafts by local creators. Conveniently located across the street from Locust Elementary School. Open May through September.
PARK from page A1
COURTESY STANLY COUNTY SCHOOLS
THE CONVERSATION
Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
VISUAL VOICES
Trampling of the poor
CONGRESS JUST PASSED and Donald Trump signed the big bill that Donald Trump has been pushing. What seems to be clear about this law from most independent analyses is that the net e ect of the bill will be to transfer wealth from the poor and middle class to the wealthiest Americans, that is, the Robin Hood e ect in reverse. It will cause hardship for the poorest Americans by removing them from health insurance, decreasing food assistance, and closing some rural hospitals. This will cause the death rate to increase among the poor and the lower part of the middle class. This situation caused me to pause and think about the words of the prophet Amos.
In Amos 8: 4-7 we read:
“Hear this, you who trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, saying, ‘When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath, so that we may o er wheat for sale? We will make the ephah smaller and the shekel heavier and practice deceit with false balances, buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and selling the sweepings of the wheat.’
The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.” (NRSVUE)
I couldn’t help but feel that God is not only speaking to the citizens of Israel in the early eight century B.C.E. but may be speaking to us now. This scripture makes
it clear that God is not pleased with those that abuse and take advantage of the poor and the marginalized. Yes, some of those in the lower middle class may get a small tax cut which will be more than o set by the destruction of much of the social safety net. The poor will be devastated. It is already true that in 2023 over eight hundred people a day died due to poverty according to the Poor People’s Campaign. This bill will just make it worse.
This is a moral issue. The care for the poor is an essential in most of the major religions. You will nd scriptures for the care of the poor in Judaism, Islam, and Christianity and I suspect in many other religions as well. And if you are Atheist or Agnostic, you are probably guided by some principal to make this world a better place for all.
There is a certain amount of smoke and mirrors here as one attempts to understand this law. All of the nancial data and projections are for ten years, but the cuts and other changes are not evenly spread over the decade. The e ective date of many of the cuts to Medicaid and SNAP are set to occur in 2028, the last year of Trump’s term. (New York Times) Importantly this will be after the midterm elections of 2026 and people may get the perception that nothing bad is happening. But happen it will.
To get a more direct sense of what the
The end of patriotism
The care for the poor is an essential in most of the major religions. Democrats embraced a new and extreme anti-American point of view.
AMERICA HAS A MAJOR problem: nearly half of Americans — 42% — don’t believe in America. According to Gallup, just 58% of adults say they are either “extremely” or “somewhat” proud to be American. That number has been in steep decline for a decade: In 2004, that number was 91%, and was still 81% as of 2016. Then it began to tumble, and it hasn’t recovered.
The trend isn’t equivalent across the political spectrum. Republicans have always been far prouder of their country: their pride number has never dropped below 84% in 2022, and currently stands at 92%. The serious decline is located among independents, who have dropped from 76% in 2013 to 53% today, and Democrats, who plummeted from 80% to 36% during that same period. Furthermore, Americans’ age correlates highly with levels of American pride: 83% of the Silent Generation venerates the country, as do 75% of Baby Boomers and 71% of Generation Xers — but just 58% of Millennials and 41% of Generation Z do.
So, what precisely happened?
The answer is simple: Republicans started winning, and Democrats spiraled o . President Donald Trump’s victory in 2016 sent Democrats spiraling into an antiAmerican black hole, with their pride in America dropping o a cli during the rst Trump term, recovering only moderately during Joe Biden’s term (62% in 2021), and then plummeting again this year. Democrats embraced a new and extreme anti-American point of view, re ected
most obviously in the elevation of gures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.; Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.; and now New York Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani.
These gures, emblems of a new wave in the Democratic Party, are disa ected with America in general. If the promise of Barack Obama is that the vessel of the Democratic Party could be used to bottle the re and fervor of the revolutionary left, these radicals believe that all bottles must be shattered — that the institutions of the United States must be exploded entirely. They see the reelection of Donald Trump as indicative of a deep rot at the heart of the American experiment, and wish to eviscerate the fundamental ideas of that experiment. They champion the supposed virtue of the Third World and the supposed evil of the United States; the supposed beauties of socialism and evils of capitalism; the supposed virtue of transgressive social values and the supposed evils of traditionalism. They believe that America’s unique Constitution is a framework for oppression; they believe that rights are mere guises for despotic power, and that duties are cynically placed fetters upon their true selves. They are, as I describe in my upcoming book, “Lions and Scavengers,” scavengers: They are all about tearing down, not about building something new. They have taken over the Democratic Party — and they are making extraordinary inroads among younger Americans.
e ect will be we can look at Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. As part of the A ordable Care Act, states were given the option of expanding access to Medicaid in exchange for which the Federal government would pay 90% of the cost. Finally in December of 2023, after years of refusing, the North Carolina legislature agreed to expand Medicaid. Very quickly 650,000 people signed up for the program. The Medicaid cuts are likely to decrease the Federal funding to Medicaid. When the legislature expanded Medicaid, it included a “kill switch” in the legislation such that if the Federal government failed to provide their 90% then Medicaid expansion would end immediately throwing these 650,000 people o Medicaid and returning them to an uninsured status. It is not that the e ects of this law were a mystery. It has been pretty clear for some time that the poorest of Americans will be heavily impacted by this law. The e ect is to trample on the needy of our land. To all of the congressmen and women who voted for this law and who claim to be religious, how to you live with your conscience on this? God was not pleased with the powerful in eighth century B.C.E. Israel, and I can’t imagine that He is pleased with our Congress and President now. I will have to leave this between each of them and God.
James Beard lives in Albemarle.
Ironically, that’s due to the failure of the very institutions the political left hijacked and misused for decades: Democrats heavily regulated and taxed the free market and then blamed the free market for recession or in ation; Democrats hijacked our educational institutions to pay o their union cronies and indoctrinate young people in their mindset and then blamed capitalists for failing to pay o young people’s debts; Democrats abused our scienti c and governmental institutions and then suggested that Republican resistance was actually Biblical fundamentalism rearing its ugly head. Meanwhile, political independents grow increasingly discouraged by our politics. They see Republicans shifting the deck chairs atop the Titanic of state as Democrats eagerly drill more holes in the hull — and they are increasingly depressed. They are not wrong to be. But they are wrong to believe that they can or should chart a middle course between those who love America and her founding principles and those who despise them. We should all be proud of America, the greatest country in the history of the world, with all of its faults and aws. And we should work to correct those faults and aws rather than seeking its overthrow, or despairing and throwing up our hands.
Ben Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show” and co-founder of Daily Wire+.
COLUMN | JIM BEARD
COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO
Barbara Jean (Taylor) Drye
obituaries
obituaries
IN MEMORY
LINDA SUE LATON
JULY 13, 1947 – JULY 5, 2025
Linda Sue Laton, 77, of Polkton, passed away on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at Atrium Anson Hospital.
A memorial service is scheduled at 11 a.m. on July 9, 2025, at Albemarle Foursquare Church, o ciated by Pastor Josh Little and Pastor Barry Whitley.
Linda was born July 13, 1947, to the late S.A. and Carrie Faulkner.
Dwight Farmer
James Roseboro
ANTONIO MAURICE HORTON
AUGUST 22, 1974 – JULY 6, 2025
Antonio Maurice Horton, 50, of Wingate, North Carolina, departed this life on July 6, 2025. He was a ectionately known as Maurice (“Mau”) by those close to him. His transition, though deeply felt in the earthly realm, is a reminder that he is now shining as bright and he stands tall in the heavenly dominion.
John B. Kluttz
Judy Ann Fields E rd
January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023
April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023
Nov.30th 1944 –July 7th, 2025
Barbara Jean Taylor Drye, 86, of Oakboro, passed away Saturday, January 14, 2023 at her home.
Judy Ann Fields E rd, 80, of Badin, passed away Monday, July 7, 2025, at Atrium Health Pineville in Charlotte.
Barbara was born April 17, 1936 in North Carolina to the late Robert Lee Taylor and the late Eva Belle Watts Taylor. She was also preceded in death by husband of 61 years, Keith Furr Drye, and brothers, Robert Lee Taylor, Jr. and George Kenneth Taylor. Survivors include children, Debbie (Mike) Williams of Albemarle, Teresa (Tom) Curry of Oakboro, Douglas (Tammy) Drye of Oakboro; grandchildren, Melissa (Don) Parrish of Albemarle, Samantha (Destiny) Smith of Oakboro, Bradley Smith of Oakboro, Jonathan Stover of Peachland, and Jessie Stover of Lylesville; sisterin-law, Beatrice Goodman; many nieces and nephews; and her beloved cats, Bo and Gar eld.
Judy was born November 30, 1944, in Chatham County to the late Haywood June Fields and the late Geneva Margaret Yow Fields.
She was preceded in death by husband, Gary Wayne E rd in 2012 and daughter, Gloria Mitchell in 2022.
The family will receive friends from 1:00pm - 2:00pm, Thursday, July 10, 2025, at Hartsell Funeral Home in Albemarle. The funeral service will follow on Thursday, July 10, 2025, at 2:00pm at Hartsell Funeral Home’s Le er Memorial Chapel in Albemarle, o ciated by Michael Seals.
Barbara was a member of Oakboro Baptist Church for over 60 years. She worked over 30 years at Stanly Knitting Mills. After just two years of retirement, she began managing the Oakboro Senior Center and did that for 18 years until this past week. Barbara was known for her good cooking and always taking care of others. She also loved going on day long shopping trips - she could out walk and out shop people half her age. She kept her mind and body active through gardening, word searches, and various other hobbies.
Survivors include children, Michael (Toni) Seals of Ashland City, TN, Robert (Jaime) Seals of New London, NC; stepchildren, Patrick (Kim) E rd of Star, NC; grandchildren, Dalton (Katie) Seals of Ashland City, TN, Wesley (Taylor) Mitchell of Myrtle Beach, SC, Lawson Seals and Charleigh Seals of New London, NC, and Amber E rd of Albemarle, NC; greatgrandchildren, Warren Seals, Kellan Seals, Kaylee Bruton, Harper Grey, Leo Gariepy, and Raiden Mitchell; sister, Elaine (Charles) Crouch of Badin, NC; a nephew, Chad (Alison) Atwater of Albemarle, NC, and niece, Kristy (Micah) Edquist of Misenheimer, NC.
Judy successfully built a career in the retail grocery industry, in real estate property management, and in private business. She and Gary did much of this together. Judy enjoyed ower gardening, bird watching, and her beloved Boston Terriers, Missy and Duncan. Judy was also a DIYer. She and Gary tackled many home renovation projects over the years. She loved to read, watch nature shows, and relax at the beach. She never turned down a good chocolate milkshake. Judy loved being a grandma and great grandma. She lit up when new pictures arrived and she immediately wanted them to be framed. She was always happiest when she spent time with her family. Judy was strong, loving, generous, diligent, opinionated and determined. She had a quiet faith but trusted in Jesus and knew He was always with her. She will be so missed but left a legacy for all of us to remember and honor. In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to The Gideons International. Hartsell Funeral Home is serving Judy’s family. Online condolences may be made @ www.hartsellfh.com
Dwight Britten Farmer Sr., 83, of Norwood died Sunday morning, January 15, 2023 at Forrest Oakes.
June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, J.R. Laton, her brother, Bill Faulkner, and her brotherin-law, Don Layton; her brother-in-law, Roger Layton, and a niece, Rebecca Faulkner Holt.
Doris Jones Coleman
Antonio was born on August 22, 1974, to H. Bernard Horton and Shirley Watkins Jarmon in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was the youngest son, or baby boy, as his mother called him. In his youth, Antonio excelled in athletics, with basketball and baseball being his gifts. Antonio was a graduate of Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools and served as a Logistical Coordinator for a number of rms in the Charlotte area.
March 23, 1935 - January 9, 2023
Linda is survived by her brother Johnnie (Joy) Faulkner, a sister-in-law Carolyn Faulkner, a sister-in-law Teresa Whitley Layton and numerous nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and great-great-nieces and nephews.
Dwight was born January 24, 1939 in Stanly County to the late Walter Virgil and Martha Adkins Farmer. He was a 1957 graduate of Norwood High School and was a United States Army Veteran.
James Arthur Roseboro, 55, of Albemarle, passed away Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Anson Health and Rehab.
Linda will be remembered as a faithful member of Albemarle Foursquare Church. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
He was a member of Cedar Grove United Methodist Church where he had served as church treasurer and choir member. He began his career with the Stanly County Sheri ’s Department moving to the Norwood Police Department and retiring as Chief of Police with the Town of Norwood after many years of service.
In lieu of owers, memorials in Linda’s name may be mailed to Albemarle Foursquare Church at 24238 S. Business, Albemarle, NC 28001.
Mr. Roseboro was born on June 23, 1967 to the late Robert and Delena Shipp Roseboro. He graduated from South Stanly High School and was employed by Triangle Brick. He enjoyed watching football and basketball, especially the Carolina TarHeels and Miami.
JASPER WALLACE
AUG. 28, 1931 – JULY 5, 2025
Dwight was an avid gardener, bird watcher and Carolina fan.
He is survived by his wife Hilda Whitley Farmer; one son D. Britten Farmer Jr. (Mary) of McLeansville, NC; one daughter Sharon Farmer Lowe (David) of Norwood; one sister Geraldine Dennis of Troy; two grandchildren, Dwight Britten “Dee” Farmer III and Whitley Rose Hui Lowe.
In addition to his parents he is preceded in death by his brothers and sisters: Barbara Lee Roseboro, Dorothy Brown, Verna Roseboro, Henrietta Ingram, and Harold Roseboro.
Jasper Turner, 93, of Norwood, passed away on Sunday morning, July 5, 2025. A funeral service will be held on Friday, July 11, 2025, at noon at Edwards Funeral Home in Norwood. Rev. Anthony Ledbetter will o ciate. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Burial will follow at Stanly Gardens of Memory in Albemarle. Mr. Turner will lie in state at Edwards Funeral Home in Norwood on Thursday, July 10, 2025, from 1-4 p.m.
He was preceded in death by his son Alex, brothers, Tommy and Jimmy, sisters, Nancy, Cornelia Annabell, Glennie Mae, and Betty.
Jasper was born on August 28, 1931, to the late Andrew Turner and Nezzie Wall Turner. He served the United States through his service in the military. Mr. Turner was also a member of Bennettsville AME Zion Church. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his siblings: Eloise, Mary, Pine, Willie, Maria, John, Paul, and James. He is survived by a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
Memorials may be made to Cedar Grove United Methodist Church, Cemetery or Choir Fund c/o Pam Smith 36071 Rocky River Springs Road, Norwood, NC 28128.
He is survived by his sisters: Helen (James) Roseboro Edwards of Albemarle, Mary Roseboro of Washington DC, and Marion Morrison of Albemarle; brothers: Thomas D. Roseboro of Charlotte, Robert Roseboro (Patricia) of Norwood, and Van Horne; a special friend of over 40 years, Michelle McLendon of the home; special nieces: Nybrea Montague, Knya Little, and Laquanza Crump; special nephews: Robert Jr., Desmond Roseboro, and Marcus Lilly; and God daughter, Daphne Johnson; and special friends, Vetrella Johnson and Ben McLendon.
Darrick Baldwin
January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, 2023
The 56-year-old had been battling cancer
The Associated Press
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. —
Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in SCJ at obits@stanlyjournal.com
Julian McMahon, an Australia-born actor who performed in two “Fantastic Four” lms and appeared in TV shows such as “Charmed,” “Nip/Tuck” and “Pro ler,” has died, his wife said in a statement. McMahon, 56, died peacefully this week after a battle with cancer, Kelly McMahon said in a statement provided to The Associated Press by his Beverly Hills, California-based publicist.
Darrick Vashon Baldwin, age 50, entered eternal rest, Sunday, January 8, 2023, Albemarle, North Carolina. Born January 7, 1973, in Stanly County, North Carolina, Darrick was the son of Eddie James Baldwin Sr. and the late Phyllis Blue Baldwin. Darrick enjoyed life, always kept things lively and enjoyed making others smile. His presence is no longer in our midst, but his memory will forever live in our hearts.
into as many lives as possible.” McMahon played Dr. Doom in the lms “Fantastic Four” in 2005 and “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” which came out two years later.
He was educated in the Stanly County public schools and attended Albemarle Senior High School, Albemarle.
Along with “Charmed,” “Nip/Tuck,” and “Pro ler,” he also had roles in the TV shows “Home and Away,” “FBI: Most Wanted” and “Another World,” according to IMDB.
He was a great conversationalist and loved meeting people. Darrick never met a stranger and always showed love and compassion for his fellowman. He also loved his dog, Rocky.
“Julian loved life,” the statement said. “He loved his family. He loved his friends He loved his work, and he loved his fans. His deepest wish was to bring joy
Actress Alyssa Milano, who appeared with McMahon on “Charmed,” mourned his death on social media, saying “Julian was more than my TV husband.”
He is survived by his father, Eddie J. Baldwin Sr.; sisters: Crystal (Eric) Jackson, LaFondra (Stoney) Medley, and Morgan Baldwin; brothers: Eddie Baldwin Jr., Anton Baldwin, and Lamont Baldwin; a host of other relatives and friends. A limb has fallen from our family tree. We will not grieve Darrick’s death; we will celebrate his life. We give thanksgiving for the many shared memories.
“Julian McMahon was magic,” Milano said. “That smile. That laugh. That talent. That presence. He walked into a room and lit it up — not just with charisma, but with kindness. With mischief. With soulful understanding.”
Antonio was preceded in death by his mother, Shirley Jarmon. Shirley instilled the Word of God, the bene t of hard work, and the value in following through at an early age. Antonio used those foundational lessons to traverse through life’s pathways, obstacles and hurdles. As a dedicated and devoted father, Antonio imparted those same values onto his children.
October 11, 1944 - January 10, 2023
Doris Elaine Jones Coleman, 78, went home into God’s presence on January 10 after a sudden illness and a valiant week-long ght in ICU.
He leaves to cherish and celebrate his memory, his daughter Ebony (Justin) McDonald of Harrisburg, NC, his son, Jaylon McClinton of Lowell, NC, his daughter Maiah Duke of Charlotte, NC and grandson Daxton Kai (Ebony & Justin). Additionally, he is survived by his brothers, Darryl B. Horton (Lynn) of Greenwood, SC, Eric Horton of Charlotte, a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, two nieces, a nephew, and a great-niece.
John grew up in the Millingport community where he drove a school bus and worked at the local gas station during his High School years. He graduated from Millingport High in 1954 and entered into service with the US Airforce immediately afterward. Upon return from the service, he and his high school sweetheart Julie were married in 1956. He graduated from Nashville Auto Diesel College later in 1959 and began his career as a diesel mechanic at Mitchell Distributing Company, moving his growing family to Charlotte where they lived until their retirement.
EDITH CAROL GADDY ATKINSON
MAY 27, 1949 – JULY 8, 2025
Doris was born on October 11, 1944, in the mountains of Marion, NC while her father was away ghting in the US Navy during World War II. Raymond Jones was so proud to return after the war and meet his little girl! Doris grew up in Durham, NC and graduated from Durham High School. She furthered her studies at Watts Hospital School of Nursing in Durham and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1966.
Edith Carol Gaddy Atkinson, 76, of Albemarle, passed away Tuesday night, July 8, 2025, at Spring Arbor in Albemarle.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Oakboro. Rev. Shad Hicks will o ciate, and interment will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church.
When John purchased his rst Model A Ford at the age of 17, he said that he took the car to the community mechanic when he had a small problem.The mechanic told him that if he was going to keep the car, he needed to learn to work on it. This is when John’s passion for Model A Fords began and how he spent his happiest days with his best friends from around the globe for the rest of his life!
Doris married Rev. Dr. Ted Coleman in 1966 and had two daughters Amy and Laura. Doris raised Amy and Laura in North Augusta, SC.
Edith was born May 27, 1949, in Anson County to the late Walter Haywood Gaddy, Sr., and Mallie Miranda Smith. She was a 1967 graduate of Anson High School. She was a retiree of the Stanly County Department of Social Services.
Edith was an active member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday school. Edith was a beautiful lady with a beautiful spirit. She always looked out for others before herself; she wanted to make sure everyone got what they needed rst. Her grandchildren were her pride and joy; she was often heard saying, “Those sweet little precious angels.”
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Irene Pope, and brother, Craven Gaddy.
She is survived by her loving husband of 52 years, Robert Baxter “Bobby” Atkinson of the home; daughter, Melissa Joy Preslar(Darren) of Norwood; three grandchildren, Wyatt, Declan and Miles Preslar; sisters, Annie Mae Gaddy and Priscilla Jameson of Ansonville; Elsie Gaddy and Louise Gilmore(Ricky) of Norwood; brothers, Donald Gaddy, Walter Gaddy, Jr.(Cindy) all of Polkton and Calvin Gaddy of Mount Gilead. Memorials may be made to: Tillery Compassionate Care, 960 North First Street, Albemarle, NC 28001.
At age 50, after years as a Detroit Diesel Mechanic he and Julie decided to take the plunge and open a full Model A Restoration Shop. They thrived at their shop in Cornelius, NC until their retirement in 1998 when they moved back to Cabarrus County. John once again set up shop in his back yard garage where he attracted a loyal group of friends who visited almost daily. While on the farm in Gold Hill, John also began a lifelong love with Alis Chalmers tractors after he restored his Dad’s tractor and began amassing his collection of tractors as well.
John restored many cars of his own and had the crowning achievement of winning the most prestigious award from MARC, The Henry for a restoration that garnered top points. He was also presented with the Ken Brady Service Awardthe highest award given to members at the national level.
Doris was an incredible neonatal intensive care nurse for most of her career, and this was her passion. The Augusta Chronicle did a feature on her in 1985. She was a clinical nurse manager in Augusta, Georgia at University Hospital NICU and worked there for 20 years. During this time, Doris mentored young nurses and assisted in saving the lives of so many babies. She also worked for Pediatrician Dr. William A. Wilkes in Augusta for several years prior to her NICU career. Doris retired from the mother/baby area at Atrium Stanly in 2007 after over 40 years of nursing.
Julian McMahon, actor who appeared in ‘Fantastic Four’ lms and TV show ‘Charmed,’ dead
This is what John’s Model A Community had to say upon learning of his death: He was an active member of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church where he loved serving as greeter on Sunday mornings. He also belonged to the United Methodist Men.
Julie Ussery Kluttz, for 66 years of the home. He is also survived by a son John David Kluttz (Kim) of Oakboro, NC; two daughters, Sally Simerson of Denver, CO and Betsy Tusa (John) of Lafayette, CO; three grandchildren, Bonnie Kluttz Sammons (Ben) of Rich eld, NC John Alexander McKinnon (Sarah) of Asheville, NC and Seth William McKinnon (Amanda) of Germany; ve great-grandchildren, Charlotte, Meredith, Grant, Victoria and Ronan. John is also preceded in death by his parents, J.S. Kluttz and Mary Wyatt Clayton Kluttz; a large and loving group of brothers and sisters, Jack Methias Kluttz, Annie Lou Kluttz Honeycutt, Jake Nelson Kluttz, Julius Kluttz, Mary Patricia Phillips and a grandson, Kevin Fowler Kluttz.
Doris was a gentle and sweet spirit and loved her Lord. She never met a stranger, and she always left you feeling uplifted after talking with her. She would often claim that she had “adopted” friends into her immediate family, and honestly, she never made a distinction between the two. Positivity radiated from her like sunlight. She was sel ess, funny, smart, and sentimental. During her lifetime she was an active member of First Baptist Church of Durham, First Baptist Church of Augusta, Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Augusta, and Palestine United Methodist Church in Albemarle. She especially loved helping at church with older adults, youth, and children.
doll clothes, pageant dresses, prom
her father Arthur Raymond Jones,
precious daughters: Amy Cameron Coleman (partner Dr. Edward Neal (husband David) of Cincinnati, Ohio; David Oliverio, Stephanie Jae Dejak, Luca Beatty Oliverio, Coleman John Dejak, Carson Joseph Oliverio, Ryan Nicholas Dejak, and Jadon Richard Oliverio; and numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and loved ones.
JORDAN STRAUSS / INVISION / AP
Julian McMahon arrives at the 21st annual Critics’ Choice Awards in 2016.
Alan G. Hassenfeld, former CEO of Hasbro, dies at 76
He gave millions to children’s causes in Rhode Island
By Annie D’Innocenzio
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Alan G. Hassenfeld, a renowned philanthropist and former CEO of iconic toy company
Hasbro Inc., the maker of G.I. Joe and Play-Doh, has died. He was 76, according to the toy company.
Hasbro, the nation’s second largest toy company behind Mattel based on annual sales, declined to o er more details. Hassenfeld’s family foundation, Hassenfeld Family Initiatives, wasn’t immediately available to comment. Hassenfeld was born in Providence, Rhode Island and graduated from Deereld Academy in Massachusetts. He received an undergraduate arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1970. Upon graduation, he joined the Pawtucket, Rhode Island-based family business in 1970. Hasbro was founded in 1923, by Hassenfeld’s grandfather, Henry. Known initially as Hassenfeld Brothers, it sold textile remnants but expanded into school supplies and later toy manufacturing under the Hasbro name in the 1940s, according to Hasbro’s website. It went public in 1968.
Hassenfeld rose quickly in the family business serving as special assistant to the president and worked his way up the ranks. He became one of the key architects of Hasbro’s international operations and spent extensive time traveling overseas. He was named executive vice president in 1980 and became president in September 1984.
Hassenfeld labored for years in the shadow of his older brother Stephen. His brother’s death of pneumonia in June 1989 at age 47, however, moved Hassenfeld into the position of chairman and chief executive o cer.
Hassenfeld stepped down as CEO in 2003 and in August 2005, he retired from his chairman position and became emeritus chairman. He stepped away from that role last year. Hassenfeld was the last family member to sit on the board, according to Hasbro.
“All of us who have ever had any connection to Hasbro today are mourning the profound loss of Alan Hassenfeld, our beloved former Chairman & CEO, mentor, and dear friend, ” Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks in an e-mailed statement to The Associated Press. “Alan’s enormous heart was, and will remain, the guiding force behind Hasbro — compassionate, imaginative, and dedicated to bringing a smile to the face of every child around the world. His tireless advocacy for philanthropy, children’s welfare, and the toy industry created a legacy that will inspire us always.”
Hassenfeld was involved in many charitable and social causes both nationally and locally in Rhode Island. His concerns ranged from childhood hunger to issues involving refugee settlement in the state. As chairman of the Hassenfeld Family Initiatives, he oversaw the foundation’s mission of globalizing safety and human rights within the area of children’s products; empowering women in developing countries; and enhancing the economy, education and business opportunities in Rhode Island.
Hassenfeld was also founding benefactor of Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, and his family’s contributions helped to establish the Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute at Brown University.
Badin Historic Museum to restore 1920s-era Edwards railcar body
Community experts are encouraged to contribute time and resources
By Melinda Burris Stanly News Journal
BADIN – The Badin Historic Museum recently announced it has recovered a rare 1930s Edwards Company railcar coach body housed at the Southeastern Narrow Gauge & Shortline Museum in Newton. Popularly known as a “Skeeter” or “Sparkplug,” these economical, self-propelled modes of transportation were rst developed by the Edwards Company in Sanford in 1921.
The Model-10 of this railcar became a mainstay for railcar transports in the early 1920s due to its baggage compartment area engine mount, which was the preferred fashion of the time. Edwards Company earned a reputation for high-quality customization and the reliable development of economically su cient, self-propelled railcars, which continues today.
Though it started as a small enterprise, Edwards became a specialty powerhouse, manufacturing more than 130 cars over two decades. Today, the company is considered the global leader in vintage self-propelled railcar manufacturing.
“The acquisition of an authentic 1920s Edwards Model 10 railcar body (is a signif-
“Our vision is to bring this 1920s Edwards railcar to life as a living piece of transportation history.”
Dall Wilson, Badin Historic Museum project manager
icant milestone in (the site’s) mission to preserve and celebrate regional history,” Dall
alterations to school buses, including any kind of decals or slogans.”
Any school bus in violation of this rule would potentially be removed from service, per state law.
Board Member Carla Poplin said that in her talks with the local pastor, he told her “he could at least help with the cost,” if not cover it completely.
“I would propose to make a motion to move forward with this, as long as they come up with the funding to do that,” Board Member Meghan Almond said of her motion to make it an expense-free endeavor for the county. “We have other things that are very important in the system.”
Board Member Glenda Gibson rounded out discussion by expressing the idea to draft a school board resolution for the county’s representatives in Raleigh to further explore the ability of adding the motto to the yellow school buses currently restricted from decals and slogans.
The Stanly County Board of Education will hold its next regular meeting on Aug. 5 at 6:15 p.m. in the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons.
Wilson, project manager of the Badin Historic Museum, said.
Examples of these artifacts of local history that are in salvageable condition to be restored for display are rare nds. The project plan calls for consultations with numerous vintage railcar experts, collectors and a cionados seeking advice and necessary parts from the Edwards Company, which is still in operation. Very few Edwards cars from that period are still in existence.
The goal is to accurately re -
store the railcar, or “Doodlebug,” based on historical renderings and then put it on public display on period-correct tracks under a protective shed to create an educational exhibit that will evoke a sense of historical atmosphere for audiences of all ages.
Rail experts, regional historic sites support restoration e orts
Authorities in the eld currently being consulted on how to proceed with preservation e orts include Steve Torellco, an Edwards Company historian from Pennsylvania specializing in Doodlebugs and a licensed railroad engineer and conductor. He restored a similar railcar, the Edwards #500, currently on display at the Aberdeen, Carolina & Western RR in Candor. The site in Candor has also assisted by granting access to their car so Badin Historic Museum o cials can glean as much information as possible.
Robert “Bob” Menzies and Rob Mangals of the Badin Historic Museum have pooled their considerable railroad mechanical and historical knowledge, and o cials at the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer have allowed Badin o cials to examine the next-generation Edwards railcar in the site’s collection. Experts from Starworks, Uhwarrie Capital and Wilmington Railroad Museum have also been generous with their time and resources.
“Our vision is to bring this 1920s Edwards railcar to life as a living piece of transportation history,” said Wilson, project manager for the Badin Historic Museum. “We’re calling on the railroad heritage community — volunteers, experts and suppliers — to join us in this journey. Every bit of support brings us closer to giving this railcar a new chapter at Badin.”
Those with information, time or other resources they are willing to contribute can contact Wilson at BadinMuseumRailroad@yahoo.com.
The project is moving forward in taking steps to stop the car from deteriorating further and doing what can be done to maintain the railcar’s current state of structural integrity.
COURTESY DALL WILSON
Steve Torellco, vintage rail consultant and Edwards Company expert, stands inside the railcar recently acquired by the Badin Historic Museum.
SCHOOLS from page A1
COURTESY STANLY COUNTY SCHOOLS
The Stanly school board approved a motion to move forward with the plan of adding the national motto to its 87 countyowned vehicles.
Pfei er names new trustees, board chair
The trustees Class of 2029 features multiple awardwinning businesspeople and entrepreneurs
Stanly News Journal sta
MISENHEIMER — Stanly has several connections with this year’s incoming Pfei er University Board of Trustees.
This year’s class includes the president and chief executive ofcer of Uwharrie Capital Corporation, Roger Dick, who will serve the Pfei er Board of Trustees as its chair.
Dick led the group who developed the original institution, the Bank of Stanly, in 1983 that is now Uwharrie Capital Corporation, which is the holding company for Uwharrie Bank, Uwharrie Bank Mortgage and the Uwharrie Investment Group.
He graduated from Appalachian State and has an MBA from UNC Charlotte with a concentration in nance.
The new board chair is a member of the N.C. Bankers Association and the American Bankers Association, and he previously served on the state’s banking commission. He was named a Main Street Champion by the state’s Department of Commerce in 2011, received the Paul Harris Fellowship through Rotary International, and was named Citizen of the Year by the Stanly County Chamber of Commerce in 2014. He was honored this year with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest civilian honor in North Carolina.
The six new Pfei er trustees of the Class of 2029 all have received degrees from the school.
Dawn Allen, who graduated in 1981, has been the president and CEO of GHA Au-
tism Supports, formerly Group Homes for the Autistic, since 1984. A 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award winner, Allen is a past president of Cardinal Innovations and past chair for the board of directors for the Stanly County Community Foundation and the NC Providers Association.
Graduating in 2022, the Rev. Slice Penny, a Charlotte native, earned his bachelor’s in psychology from Pfei er and a master’s of divinity from Duke. A lifelong member of the United Methodist Church, Penny serves as pastor of Abernethy Memorial United Methodist Church in Rutherford College.
David Smith, who graduated from Pfei er College in 1970, was a standout tennis player for the Falcons and is enshrined in the Pfei er Sports Hall of Fame. Smith was awarded the Outstanding Alumni Award in 2023 and joined Pfei er’s leadership
team in 1996 as vice president for marketing and enrollment, where he served for 11 years. He has also served the Stanly community in many facets, including the Stanly County Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Albemarle, Hospice of Stanly County, Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation and Stanly Economic Development Commission.
Dr. Elliott Williams, a 1983 Pfei er graduate, is a board-certi ed anesthesiologist who earned his medical degree from UNC Chapel Hill and completed a residency at the University of Virginia. With his practice in High Point, Williams currently serves as the chief of anesthesia for High Point Medical Center. He previously served on the Pfei er Board of Trustees from 2001 to 2014.
Wayne Davis, class of 1970, retired in 2019 as chancellor emeritus for the University of
The state’s rst standalone children’s hospital is coming to Apex
“North Carolina Children’s” will bring 8,000 jobs
The Associated Press APEX — North Carolina’s rst standalone children’s hospital will be built in a bedroom community near the state capital, the project’s health systems announced Thursday, creating a campus estimated to bring 8,000 jobs to the area.
UNC Health and Duke Health announced in January an agreement to jointly build the proposed 500-bed pediatric hospital and linked facilities in the state’s Research Triangle region, which includes Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. At that time, the speci c location wasn’t nalized. But leaders of the health systems said Thursday that the “North Carolina Children’s” project will be constructed about 20 miles southwest of downtown Raleigh in Apex, a town of 77,000 already surging in population thanks to the region’s strong technology economy.
The 230-acre campus will also include a children’s outpatient care center, over 100 behavioral health beds and a research and education center operated
COURTESY
Tennessee-Knoxville, where he is also a dean emeritus of the Tickle College of Engineering. Davis earned an associate’s degree in physics from Pfei er College in 1969 and has a master’s degree in physics from Clemson. He also earned a master’s degree in environmental engineering and a doctorate in civil engineering from UT-Knoxville. He was awarded the Pfei er University Distinguished Alumni Award in 2023.
Dave McIlquham, the school’s interim president in 2010, served on the Pfei er Board of Trustees from 2001 to 2014 as board chair, as well as on the Budget and Finance Committee. An honorary doctorate was conferred upon McIlquham in 2018 by Pfei er. He served General Electric Canada, the Samsonite Corporation and Sealy, Inc. in his professional career, including as president and CEO of Sealy until retiring in 2008.
“I’m really excited about what the children’s hospital means for children of North Carolina who are sick and in need of the best, most sophisticated, advanced medical interventions to live long, healthy lives.”
Gov. Josh Stein
diatric scientists, teachers and clinicians — convenient to both medical school campuses,” said Dr. Mary Klotman, dean of the Duke University medical school and a Duke Health executive.
The health systems have said the hospital campus project could cost from $2 billion to $3 billion, with a massive private fundraising e ort ahead.
by Duke University and University of North Carolina medical schools.
The campus is poised to be integrated into a long-discussed mixed-use development location called Veridea that will include thousands of new homes, retail, dining, o ce and research space, as well as a new Wake Technical Community College campus.
“This campus will create a brighter, healthier future for gen-
erations of children and adolescents across North Carolina and the Southeast, and we’re thrilled to have Apex as our home and partner,” UNC Health CEO Dr. Wesley Burks said in a news release.
A groundbreaking for the hospital campus is now expected in 2027, with construction anticipated to take six years. North Carolina Children’s Health also issued on Thursday a request for
information from potential design and construction contractors for the project.
There are children’s hospitals already in North Carolina, including those operated by the University of North Carolina and Duke University health systems that are attached to their main campuses in the Triangle.
The Apex location “will ensure that the Triangle remains a hub and a destination for the best pe-
Snap, crackle, sale: Nutella maker Ferrero plans to buy WK Kellogg for $3B
The iconic American brand will be under Italian ownership
By Dee-Ann Durbin and Michelle Chapman
The Associated Press
ITALIAN confectioner Ferrero, known for brands like Nutella and Kinder, is buying the century-old U.S. cereal company WK Kellogg in an effort to expand its North American sales.
The Ferrero Group said Thursday it will pay $23 for each Kellogg share, or approximately $3.1 billion. The transaction includes WK Kellogg Co.’s six manufacturing plants, and the marketing and distribution of its breakfast cereals across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.
WK Kellogg’s shares were up 31% in early afternoon trading Thursday. Kellogg was founded in Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1906 after its founder accidentally gured out how to make aked cereal while he was experimenting with granola. Kellogg still makes Corn Flakes, as well as Froot Loops, Special K, Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies and other cereals.
Kellogg now has four U.S. plants, which are located in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Nebraska. It also has a plant in Mexico and a plant in Canada. The company has around 3,000 employees. The current company was formed in 2023, when Kellogg snack brands like CheezIts and Pringles were spun into a separate company called Kellanova. M&M’s maker Mars Inc. announced last year that it planned to buy Kellanova in
a deal worth nearly $30 billion.
Ferrero Group, which was founded in Italy in 1946, has been trying to expand its U.S. footprint. In 2018 it bought Nestle’s U.S. candy brands, including Butter nger, Nerds and SweeTarts. And in 2022 it bought Wells Enterprises, the maker of ice cream brands like Blue Bunny and Halo Top.
WK Kellogg’s brands have been struggling with a longterm decline in U.S. cereal consumption as consumers
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereal is one of the company’s best-known cereal brands.
The project has already received $320 million from state legislators. The next state budget, still being negotiated by House and Senate Republicans that ultimately would head to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s desk, also could contain more project funds.
Stein said in an interview Thursday that beyond the economic opportunity the project will spark, “I’m really excited about what the children’s hospital means for children of North Carolina who are sick and in need of the best, most sophisticated, advanced medical interventions to live long, healthy lives.”
for mergers and acquisitions at West Monroe, said Kellogg’s large distribution network and relationships with grocery chains in North America is appealing to Ferrero because it would help the European company negotiate pricing and positioning for its products.
The purchase also helps Ferraro expand beyond snacks and sweets and into a meal category, Haller said. But the company also may wind up cutting Kellogg brands or shutting down manufacturing plants.
“As Americans, these brands are iconic and beloved by us, but a European company buying these wouldn’t have the same nostalgia,” Haller said.
Kellogg has had other issues. A nearly three-month strike by workers at all its U.S. cereal plants in late 2021 hurt sales. And last fall, dozens of people rallied outside the company’s Battle Creek headquarters demanding that Kellogg remove arti cial dyes from its cereals.
turned to protein bars, shakes and other breakfast items. Cereal sales got a bump during the coronavirus pandemic as more families stayed home, but sales continued to decline after the pandemic eased. At the start of July, U.S. cold cereal sales were down 6% compared to the same period in 2022, according to market research company Nielsen IQ. Kellogg’s net sales fell 2% to $2.7 billion in 2024. Brad Haller, a senior partner
Earlier this year, Kellogg said it was reformulating cereals sold to schools to remove arti cial dyes and will not include them in any new products starting in January.
Ferrero’s acquisition, which still needs approval from Kellogg shareholders, is expected to close in the second half of the year. Once the transaction is complete, Kellogg’s stock will no longer trade on the New York Stock Exchange and the company will become a Ferrero subsidiary.
The 230-acre NC Children’s campus will be part of Veridea, a new mixed-use planned community.
GENE J. PUSKAR / AP PHOTO
US unemployment applications
fell to 227,000 last week
They remain in a historically healthy range
By Matt Ott The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. —
U.S. applications for unemployment bene ts fell last week, remaining in the historically healthy range of the past couple years.
The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims for the week ending July 5 fell by 5,000 to 227,000, fewer than the 238,000 that analysts forecast. Applications for unemployment aid are viewed as representative of layo s.
Last week, the Labor Department reported that U.S. employers added a surprising 147,000 jobs in June, yet another sign that the American labor market continues to show resilience despite uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s economic policies. The job gains were much bigger than expected and the unemployment rate ticked down 4.1% from 4.2% in May. Analysts had forecast that unemployment would rise to 4.3%.
Though the job market is broadly healthy by historical standards, some weakness has surfaced as employers con-
tend with fallout from Trump’s policies, especially his aggressive tari s, which raise prices for businesses and consumers. Most economists believe they make the economy less e cient by reducing competition. They also invite retaliatory tari s from other countries, hurting U.S. exporters and potentially driving businesses to freeze hiring or cut sta .
The deadline on most of Trump’s sti proposed taxes on imports were extended again until Aug. 1. Unless Trump reaches deals with other countries to lower the tari s, economists fear they could act as a drag on the economy and trigger another bout of ination.
Companies that have announced job cuts this year include Procter & Gamble, Workday, Dow, CNN, Star-
A now hiring and help wanted sign is posted in Morrisville, Pa., in June.
bucks, Southwest Airlines, and Facebook parent company Meta.
Last week, Microsoft announced that it is laying o about 9,000 workers, its second mass layo in months and its largest in more than two years. In June, Google con rmed that it had o ered buyouts to another swath of its workforce in a fresh round of cost-cutting.
The Labor Department’s report also said that the fourweek average of claims, which evens out some of the weekly volatility, fell by 5,750 to 235,500.
The total number of Americans collecting unemployment bene ts for the week of June 28 rose by 10,000 to 1.97 million. That’s the most since November of 2021.
What is hospice care?
Hospice
What is palliative care?
Palliative
MATT ROURKE / AP PHOTO
STANLY SPORTS
3-2
Uwharrie’s record in one-run games this season
Uwharrie earned its ninth win of the season against the SCBL second-place Mooresville Spinners
By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal
THE UWHARRIE Wampus Cats kicked o a ve-game homestand Tuesday night against the Mooresville Spinners, one of the most successful teams of the Southern Col-
legiate Baseball League. Since 2018, Mooresville has won four SCBL titles and was 18-6 going into the non-league contest with Uwharrie.
The Wampus Cats led the entire way Tuesday, earning a 6-5 win over the Spinners, the team’s third one-run win this season.
Seven pitchers combined to allow three hits in the win for Uwharrie (9-9-1), with starter Freeman Wallace earning the win. The pitching sta issued
nine walks and struck out 10.
Uwharrie jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a Blake McKinney RBI single and a Carson Whitehead bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the rst.
The Spinners answered with a solo home run in the top of the second, cutting the lead in half.
Rhett Barker’s two-out RBI single in the top of the fth put the Cats back up by two runs 3-1.
Mooresville again got within one run plating a two-out unearned run in the top of the sixth.
In the bottom of the seventh, Uwharrie opened up the lead with three runs. Jett Thomas delivered an RBI single and Tomer Erel drove in two with a double to left, putting the Cats up 6-2.
Again, the Spinners answered in the next half-inning with a two-run home run, and threatened to take the lead in the ninth. After two walks and a hit batter, a wild pitch pulled Mooresville within one run 6-5.
After a walk, Nathan Hayworth came on in relief with one
‘On Her Game’ explores Caitlin Clark’s e ect on the WNBA and women’s sports
The new book examines the WNBA’s explosive growth in the Clark era
By Rob Merrill
The Associated Press
USA TODAY reporter Christine Brennan jumped aboard the Caitlin Clark bandwagon early and spent a big chunk of her rookie season covering games, asking questions postgame, and landing interviews with everyone but the title heroine. Her unauthorized biography, “On Her Game,” delves into the at times “frosty reception” Clark received in the WNBA, writes AP reviewer Rob Merrill. She looks at race and possible jealousy over the player’s eightyear $28 million Nike shoe deal. But Merrill warns fans looking for tidbits about Clark that are not already part of the record will need to look elsewhere. “On Her Game” published Tuesday.
“On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women’s Sports,” the title of USA Today columnist Christine Brennan’s new book about the WNBA star, is doing a lot of work.
On one hand, it’s about the game, right? Nobody can deny Caitlin Clark’s talent on a basketball court, where her rookie season stats with the Indiana Fever were eye-popping: 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7
rebounds per game while leading the WNBA in assists and 3-pointers made. On the other hand, why is Caitlin Clark the poster child for a “Revolution in Women’s Sports?” The WNBA’s been around since 1997 and plenty of female athletes are or were the very best at what they do, inspiring millions of young women to play all sorts of sports — from Serena Williams to Simone Biles to Lindsey Vonn. But there’s something more to the Caitlin Clark phenomenon, and it’s that something that Brennan’s reporter instincts sensed early, when Clark was lling the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City for every home game, well before her remark-
able rst year in the WNBA.
“What was going on?” writes Brennan in her introduction. “Was this because Clark is white and straight in a league that is 74% Black or mixed-race, with a sizable gay population?… Was it because of her eight-year $28 million Nike shoe deal?… Was it jealousy? Was it all of the above?”
Hoping to nd answers or at least insights into those questions, Brennan convinced her editor to let her cover six straight weeks of Clark’s rst WNBA season, giving “On Her Game” a comprehensive feel, except for one thing: Clark never sat down for a one-on-one interview with Brennan. She did,
however, answer every question Brennan posed at press conferences, and they are widely quoted throughout the book, along with all sorts of other Clark content like TV appearances and social media posts as well as interviews Brennan conducted with other WNBA players, coaches and various experts. Brennan’s presence at Fever games, home and away, and her intense focus on Clark as a singular story became a story of its own in September 2024, when Brennan asked follow-up questions of DiJonai Carrington, a Phoenix Sun player whose ngers made contact with Clark’s eye during a playo game. Brennan asked Carrington if there
out and the bases again loaded. Hayworth struck out the next two batters to end the game. The ve-game homestand was scheduled to continue Thursday against the rival Carolina Disco Turkeys and the Troutman Dawgs Friday.
The homestand goes on Saturday against the Joanna Hornets and Sunday versus the Catawba Valley Stars. Games will start at 7 p.m. except Sunday’s game, which has a 6 p.m. scheduled start.
was anything intentional about it, she said no, and days later the WNBA Players Association called for Brennan’s media credential to be revoked for “unprofessionalism.” Ten months later, it’s a good bet only the most diehard sports journalism fans will care about that controversy. Brennan makes it very clear how she feels about it. “I was doing my job,” she writes.
Clark’s race and the frosty reception she got from some in the league is returned to again and again, with Brennan and the people she talked to asserting with incredulity that the WNBA wasn’t ready for all the attention.
“The league needed to do a better job in preparing… to take advantage of the tsunami of popularity that is raising all of the boats,” legendary civil rights activist Dr. Harry Edwards told Brennan.
Instead, Brennan cites example after example — from WNBA legends like Diana Taurasi and Sheryl Swoopes, to fellow female athletes like the WNBA’s Breanna Stewart — who made statements minimizing Clark’s impact.
It all makes for an interesting read and speaks to the divisive “us vs. them” moment the world nds itself in, but fans looking for tidbits about Clark that are not already part of the public record — how she learned to shoot like that, her on- and o -court life — will have to stay tuned to the current WNBA season. Clark’s Fever team is in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference, with their superstar having missed several games with a quadriceps injury. The playo s begin Sept. 14.
CONTRIBUTED
Blake McKinney beats it out at rst base as the throw gets past the Spinners rst baseman in Tuesday’s win.
MICHAEL CONROY / AP PHOTO
Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark, middle greets teammates during a recent WNBA game.
IMAGE VIA AP
Disc golf summer league thrives at City Lake Park
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
Disc Golf Association’s City Lake Summer League is set to arrive at City Lake Park on Tuesday night.
As one of the most popular disc golf clubs in Stanly County, the ADGA has been hosting weekly leagues and tournaments sanctioned by the Professional Disc Golf Association since the club’s founding in 2006.
It currently supports and
maintains ve local courses: Fox Chase (Albemarle), City Lake Park (Albemarle), Oakboro District Park, Goose Landing (Rich eld), and Hardaway Point (Badin).
“Stanly County is home to several great disc golf courses and the Albemarle Disc Golf Association,” the Stanly County Convention and Visitors Bureau said of the club. “Come to Stanly County to enjoy this fun sport and perhaps get good enough to join in a tournament!”
Organized by club president Brent Thompson, the ADGA’s current 10-week sanctioned handicap summer league kicked o on June 3 and is set
to run through Aug. 5, supplying participants the opportunity to play at City Lake Park’s 18-hole disc golf course every Tuesday night with an entry fee of $10.
As of July 1, the ADGA has revealed its updated summer league handicap leaderboard that contains 30 disc golf players who have participated in at least one week at the halfway mark of the league schedule.
Anthony Felhman (-13), Chris Gainey (-11), Jesse Mann (-11), Cliff Odell (-9), Jeff Keever (-8), Justin Cole (-8), Matt Robinson (-7), Jerry Fehlman (-6), Brent Thompson (-6) and Noah Hawkins (-6)
make up the top-ten handicap rankings.
The current ace pool — a side pot of money that players contribute to and is awarded to anyone who hits a hole-inone — is now set at $181.
Last year’s summer league winner was Jonathan Marlin, who came into the top spot with a handicap of -8 after a strong performance during the final week of the tournament. Aside from the City Lake Summer League, the ADGA organizes and holds many local tournaments on an annual basis, including the City Lake Open, Fox Chase Ice Bowl,
Slappy’s Revenge, and Goose Gauntlet Flex.
Those interested in joining the club can visit albemarlediscgolf.com or the club’s Facebook page for updates, events, courses and contacts.
PHOTO COURTESY ADGA
The Albemarle Disc Golf Association, posing at City Lake Park, has been the county’s main disc golf club since 2006.
White Sox shortstop Montgomery makes spectacular over-theshoulder catch in MLB debut
The former Charlotte Knight announced his presence with authority
The Associated Press
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
DENVER — Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery made a spectacular over-theshoulder catch in the second inning of his major league debut Friday night against Colorado, sprinting back and diving to grab Ryan Ritter’s broken-bat looper. In the top of the second, Montgomery reached base on a catcher’s interference call. He became the rst player in the expansion era since 1961 to reach base in his rst plate appearance on a catcher’s interference call, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
overall in 2021 — was 0 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout in Chicago’s 3-2 victory. The left-handed hitter from Indiana had about 15-20 family members and friends at Coors Field for his debut.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Montgomery — drafted 22nd
Montgomery has spent most of the last four seasons in North Carolina, playing for White Sox minor league a liates in Winston-Salem, Kannapolis and, most recently, Charlotte.
Kylie Speight
North Stanly, softball
Kylie Speight is a senior pitcher/in elder for the North Stanly softball team. She also played volleyball and golf for the Comets.
Speight was named all-region and all-state during volleyball season and was co-county player of the year after helping lead North Stanly to the county championship in golf.
She has continued her dominance during softball season. Speight led the Comets in hits, steals, doubles and ERA. Two weeks ago, she was named to the alldistrict team for the second straight year, and last week, she earned all-state softball, making it back-toback seasons with a spot on that team as well. She plans to continue her sports career in college on the Mars Hill volleyball team.
WNBA ALL-STAR GAME
Thornton, Williams, Iriafen, Citron among reserves
Three rookies were chosen for the all-star game for the rst time in 14 years
By Doug Feinberg
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Kayla Thornton, Gabby Williams, Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron will be making their All-Star debuts in Indianapolis later this month as they were all chosen on Sunday as reserves for the game.
Thornton has been in the league for nine years and nally is getting her chance to play in the exhibition game. She was selected in the expansion draft by Golden State last year from New York and has helped the expansion team get o to a good start.
“It would be such a reward for her,” said New York’s Sandy Brondello, who will be one of the All-Star coaches. “She’s been a role player all her career, but to go into a new organization and do so well, I voted for her as an alternate to get there because she deserves it.”
Williams has been in the league for six seasons, although she’s missed time to play with France’s national team. She’s having a strong season for Seattle this year.
Washington rookies Iriafen and Citron join Dallas’ Paige Bueckers as rst-year players on the All-Star team. Bueckers was chosen as a starter. It’s the rst time that three rookies will be playing in the game since 2011.
Other reserves chosen include Seattle’s Skylar Diggins, Phoenix’s Alyssa Thomas, Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard, Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell, Los Angeles’ Kelsey Plum, Minnesota’ Courtney Williams, Las Vegas’ Jackie Young and Chicago’s Angel Reese.
“It means a lot to go with these other two,” said Diggins, who will be making her seventh AllStar appearance, of playing with teammates Nneka Ogwumike and Williams.
Thomas will be making her sixth all-star appearance and rst with Phoenix.
“Anytime you’re an All-Star, it’s a huge honor,” Thomas said. “There are a lot of great players in the league. To be around this long and it to be my sixth is a great honor.”
The reserves were selected by the WNBA’s 13 head coaches, who each voted for three guards, ve frontcourt players and four players at either position regardless of conference. The coaches were not able to vote for their own players.
From right, Washington
Captains Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier will draft their teams for the All-Star Game on July 19. First they’ll chose from the eight other starters: Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, Bueckers, Ogwu -
mike, former UNC Tar Heel Allisha Gray, Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally and Aliyah Boston. Some notable players left off the team were Washington’s Brittney Sykes, Atlan -
ta’s Brionna Jones, New York’s Natasha Cloud and Los Angeles’ Dearica Hamby, a former Wake Forest Demon Deacon. The Connecticut Sun were the only team without an All- Star selection.
JOHN LOCHER / AP PHOTO
Mystics guard Sonia Citron (22), Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and Washington Mystics forward Kiki Iriafen (44) battle for the ball during a game last week.
DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / AP PHOTO
Chicago White Sox shortstop Colton Montgomery holds up the ball after making a acrobatic inning-ending catch.
Jane Birkin’s original Hermès bag sells at auction for 7 million euros
It was made in 1984 and has become an iconic fashion accessory
By John Leicester and Je rey Schae er
The Associated Press
PARIS — Sketched out on an air sickness bag, the rst Birkin handbag — the prototype for fashion’s must-have accessory — sold for a record 7 million euros (about $8.2 million) at auction in Paris on Thursday.
The huge amount — which drew gasps and applause from the audience — crushed what auctioneer Sotheby’s had said was the previous auction record for a handbag. That was $513,040, for a White Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Diamond Retourne Kelly 28.
Now, the original Birkin bag, named after the actor, singer and fashion icon that Hermès created it for — the late Jane Birkin — is in a new league of its own.
The bidding started at 1 million euros and quickly became stratospheric, with telephone bidders ghting it out until the end. With Sotheby’s fees included, the total price for the winning bidder from Japan was a cool 8.6 million euros, the auction house said.
Paris fashion house Hermès exclusively commissioned the bag for the London-born star in 1984 — branding it with her initials J.B. on the front ap, below the lock — and delivered the nished one-of-a-kind bag to her the following year, the auction house said. The subsequent commercialized version of Birkin’s bag went on to become one of the world’s most exclusive luxury items, extravagantly priced and with a yearslong waiting list.
A fashion accessory born of a chance conversation
The bag was born of a fortuitous encounter on a London-bound ight in the 1980s with the then-head of Hermès,
Jean-Louis Dumas. Birkin recounted in subsequent interviews that the pair got talking after she spilled some of her things on the cabin oor.
Birkin asked Dumas why Hermès didn’t make a bigger handbag and sketched out on an airplane vomit bag the sort of hold-all that she would like. He then had an example made for her and, attered, she agreed when Hermès asked whether it could commercialize the bag in her name.
“There is no doubt that the Original Birkin bag is a true one-of-a-kind — a singular piece of fashion history that has grown into a pop culture phenomenon that signals luxury in the most re ned way possible. It is incredible to think that a bag initially designed by Hermès as a practical accessory for Jane Birkin has become the most desirable bag in history,” said Mor-
gane Halimi, Sotheby’s head of handbags and fashion.
The bag became so famous that Birkin once mused before her death in 2023 at age 76 that her obituaries would likely “say, ‘Like the bag’ or something.”
“Well, it could be worse,” she added.
A staggering auction
The Paris auction room buzzed with anticipation as the auction got underway, with the auctioneer reminding the crowd that the bag was “totally unique” and “the most famous bag of all time.”
From the starting price, the bids quickly surpassed 2 million, then 3 million, 4 million and 5 million, to astonished gasps. When the price jumped from 5.5 to 6 million in one swoop, there were whistles and applause.
The last bids were 6.2 mil-
“It is incredible to think that a bag initially designed by Hermès as a practical accessory for Jane Birkin has become the most desirable bag in history.”
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s head of handbags and fashion
lion, 6.5 million, 6.8 million before the Japanese buyer’s last winning bid: 7 million. Sotherby’s didn’t identify the winner.
Seven design features set
The Original apart
Sotheby’s said that seven design elements on the handcraft-
ed all-black leather prototype set it apart from Birkins that followed.
It’s the only Birkin with a nonremovable shoulder strap — tting for the busy life and practicality of the singer, actor, social activist and mother who was also known for her romantic relationship with French singer Serge Gainsbourg and their duets that included the steamy 1969 song “Je t’aime moi non plus” (“I Love You, Me Neither”).
Her bag also had a nail clipper attached, because Birkin “was never one for long painted nails,” Sotheby’s said.
The bag that Hermès handmade for her, developed o its existing Haut A Courroies model, also has gilded brass hardware, bottom studs and other features that di er from commercial Birkins.
Birkin’s casual, breezy style in the 1960s and early 1970s — long hair with bangs, jeans paired with white tops, knit minidresses and basket bags — still epitomizes the height of French chic for many women around the world.
The prototype has twice changed hands
When Birkin chatted to Hermès’ Dumas on the Paris-to-London ight about what her ideal handbag would be, she’d been in the habit of carrying her things around in a wicker basket, because she felt handbags in the 1980s were too small, Sotheby’s said. She was traveling with her young daughter, Charlotte, and complained that she couldn’t nd a bag suitable for her needs as a mother, Hermès says.
Hermès later gifted her four other Birkin bags. She kept the prototype for nearly a decade, before auctioning it for an AIDS charity in 1994. It was auctioned again in 2000 and has since been in private hands, Sotheby’s said.
“More than just a bag, the Birkin has evolved from a practical accessory to become a timeless cultural icon,” the auction house said.
“Its presence spans the worlds of music, lm, television and the arts,” it added. “It is a red-carpet staple, a fashion magazine mainstay, and a coveted piece in the wardrobes of celebrities, artists and stylists.”
MICHEL EULER / AP PHOTO
An auction o cer displays the original Birkin bag created by Hermès for Jane Birkin in 1984, prior to its auction on Thursday in Paris.
PHOTOS BY MICHEL EULER / AP PHOTO
Top left, former owner of the original Birkin bag created by Hermès for Jane Birkin, Catherine B, who does not want to release her family name, from France, reacts after the bag was sold.
Bottom left, Jane Birkin’s initials on the original Hermès Birkin bag created in 1984.
Right, auction o cer Aurélie Vandevoorde gestures as the original Birkin bag created by Hermès for Jane Birkin was sold at auction for 7 million euros or $8.2 million, Thursday.
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NORTH CAROLINA, IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK
25E000346-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The undersigned, having duly quali ed as Co-Executors of the Estate of W. Dwight Smith, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, are hereby notifying all persons, rms, or corporations having claims against said decedent, or his estate, to present the same to the undersigned Co-Executors, duly itemized and veri ed on or before the 22nd day of September, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the said decedent are hereby requested to pay the said indebtedness to the undersigned Co-Executors.
This the 12th day of June, 2025. Lynn S. Dender
Co-Executor of the Estate of W. Dwight Smith 11119 Chestnut Hill Drive Matthews, NC 28105 Ardie D. Smith
Co-Executor of the Estate of W. Dwight Smith 9686 Lisenby Road Norwood, NC 28128
PUBLISH: June 22, 29, July 6, 13, 2025. James A. Phillips, Jr. Attorney for the Estate P.O. Box 1162 117 W. North Street Albemarle, NC 28002-1162
NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION
Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Ruth McAulay Caldwell, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, companies and other entities having claims against said estate to present them, duly veri ed, to the undersigned, care of Thomas J. Falish, Atty., 525 N. Tryon St., Suite 210, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, on or before the 14th day of October, 2025, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons
famous birthdays this week
Cheech Marin is 79, Jane Lynch turns 65, Will Ferrell is 58, Martha Reeves celebrates 84
The Associated Press
THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.
JULY 13
Actor Patrick Stewart is 85. Actor Harrison Ford is 83. Actor-comedian Cheech Marin is 79. Actor Gil Birmingham (“Twilight” lms) is 72. Actor-director Cameron Crowe is 68.
JULY 14
Actor Vincent Pastore (“The Sopranos”) is 79. Actor Jane Lynch is 65.
JULY 15
Singer Linda Ronstadt is 79. Drummer Artimus Pyle (Lynyrd Skynyrd) is 77. Drummer Marky Ramone is 73. Guitarist Joe Satriani is 69. Actor-director Forest Whitaker is 64.
JULY 16
Drummer Stewart Copeland of The Police is 73. Michael Flatley (“Lord of the Dance”) is 67. Actor Phoebe Cates is 62. Actor Will Ferrell is 58.
JULY 17
Sportscaster Verne Lundquist is 85. Bassist Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath is 76. Actor Lucie Arnaz is 74. Actor David Hasselho is 73. TV producer Mark Burnett (“Survivor,” “The Apprentice”) is 65. Actor Nancy Giles (“China Beach”) is 65. Singer Regina Belle is 62.
JULY 18
Director Paul Verhoeven (“Basic Instinct,” ″Showgirls”) is 87. Singer Brian Auger is 86. Singer Dion is 86. Actor James Brolin is 85. Singer Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas is 84. Bluegrass singer Ricky Skaggs is 71.
JULY 19
Singer Vikki Carr is 84. Actor George Dzundza (“Hack,” “Law & Order”) is 80. Singer-bassist Alan Gorrie of Average White Band is 79. Guitarist Brian May of Queen is 78. Guitarist Ber-
Person of the Year awards in 2019, turns 79 on Tuesday.
nie Leadon (Eagles, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) is 78. Actor Campbell Scott is 64. Actor Anthony Edwards (“ER”) is 63.
NBA stars to turn lmmakers at Summer League fest
“UNLV: Kings of Vegas” will premiere at the second annual event
By Jonathan Landrum Jr.
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Lights, camera, layup.
The NBA Summer League is giving athletes another shot that takes place behind the camera. With assists from Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett and Hollywood power players Mark Wahlberg and Deon Taylor, the Summer League Film Festival is coming back starting July 17 in Las Vegas.
The three-day festival will bring big-screen storytelling through 34 selected projects, spotlighting stories produced by NBA stars past and present, including Nikola Jokic, Luguentz Dort, Tony Allen, Nate Robinson, Cole Anthony, Keyon Dooling and Udonis Haslem.
“We have a ton of NBA players who own production companies,” said Garnett, who won the NBA championship with the Boston Celtics. He cofounded the production company Content King Studios.
Garnett said he wants to highlight lmmakers who are telling authentic, real-life stories.
“So, the SLFF is a great opportunity to get together to share our projects, give each other our owers for doing the
“I’ve always been a big hoops fan, so it’s amazing to see NBA players bring these incredible stories to life.”
Mark Wahlberg
work, and provide an opportunity to get projects nanced and even sold,” he said.
The second annual lm festival will take place at the Strip View Pavilion inside the Thomas & Mack Center, the longtime home of Summer League, which was cofounded in 2004 by Warren LeGarie and Albert Hall.
“I’ve always been a big hoops fan, so it’s amazing to see NBA players bring these incredible stories to life,” said Wahlberg, who has the production company Unrealistic Ideas. Deon and Roxanne Avent Taylor of Hidden Empire Film Group were brought on to help athletes explore the art of lmmaking and sharpen their acting chops.
“Today’s athletes are more than players. They’re storytellers, creators, and global in uencers,” said Deon Taylor, director of “Black and Blue,” “The Intruder, “Meet the Blacks” and “Fatale.” This marks another sports-driven venture for Hidden Empire, which teamed up with Skydance Sports and
the NFL in March to host lm training sessions for more than 20 current and former NFL players.
Taylor called the collaboration with Garnett, Wahlberg, Hall and the NBA a “culture shift.” He said the festival would help athletes control their narrative through lm, television and other media platforms.
“Together, we’re rede ning where sports, art and culture collide,” Taylor said.
The festival will feature the premiere of “UNLV: Kings of Vegas,” showcasing the untold story of the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels. The documentary will include interviews with popular gures ranging from Snoop Dogg, Chuck D and Jimmy Kimmel. It’s produced by former UNLV stars Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony, along with Damien Big Percy Roderick and Hidden Empire Film Group.
Along with screenings, the festival will host various private events, including a tipo viewing of “Tony Allen: The Grindfather” and a wrap party.
“The SLFF team is passionate about amplifying these amazing lms and lmmakers who are producing all forms of content at NBA Summer League,” Hall said. “Because of all the talented lmmakers who submitted lms this year, we believe the 2025 SLFF is poised to take on a life of its own and grow the second weekend of the Summer League.”
Black Sabbath, the founders of heavy metal, formed in 1968
The Associated Press
LONDON — Hard-rock royalty and some 40,000 fans gathered for an ear-splitting tribute to Ozzy Osbourne at what the heavy metal icon says was his final live performance.
The original lineup of Osbourne’s band Black Sabbath performed at Villa Park soccer stadium in their home city of Birmingham, central England, on Saturday.
The 76-year-old singer, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, sang from a black throne that rose up from under the stage.
“Let the madness begin!” he urged as he took the stage and later paid tribute to fans.
“I don’t know what to say, man, I’ve been laid up for like six years. You have no idea how I feel — thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Osbourne said. “You’re all … special. Let’s go crazy, come on.”
Osbourne performed several songs solo before being joined onstage, for the first time in 20 years, by Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Terence “Geezer” Butler and Bill Ward. The band ended a short set with “Paranoid,” one of its most famous songs.
It capped a daylong metal festival that included performances from the likes of An -
thrax, Metallica and Guns N’ Roses. Artists who sent plaudits and well-wishes included Jack Black, Dolly Parton and Elton John.
“You are one of the most remarkable singers of our time,” John said. “You are the king; you are the legend.”
Osbourne formed Black Sabbath in 1968 in Birmingham, a city then known for its heavy industry that became the crucible of the British metal scene. Black Sabbath’s devil imagery and thunderous sound made them one of the era’s most influential — and
parent-scaring — metal acts. Both the band and Osbourne as a solo artist have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Osbourne’s fame expanded into the mainstream in the early 2000s when he joined his wife Sharon Osbourne and
CHRIS PIZZELLO / INVISION / AP PHOTO
Linda Ronstadt, left, pictured with Emmylou Harris at the MusiCares
MICHELE EVE SANDBERG / INVISION / AP PHOTO
Martha Reeves of Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, pictured performing in 2019, turns 84 on Friday.
JED JACOBSOHN / AP PHOTO
Will Ferrell turns 58 on Wednesday.
two of their children in the MTV reality TV show “The Osbournes.” He has struggled with health issues since 2003 following a near-fatal quad bike crash. He
ALASTAIR GRANT / AP PHOTO
Ozzy Osbourne performs during the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, England, in 2022.
CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO
Deon Taylor, left, speaks as K’Lavon Chaisson, seated, and Reginald Kahlil McKenzie look on during a lmmaking workshop for NFL players.
this week in history
Burr shoots Hamilton, the Rolling Stones debut at Marquee Club, Bastille Prison stormed
JULY 13
1923: A sign consisting of 50-foot-tall letters spelling out “HOLLYWOODLAND” was dedicated in the Hollywood Hills to promote a subdivision. (The last four letters were removed in 1949.)
1930: The rst FIFA World Cup began in Uruguay.
1985: The “Live Aid” bene t rock concerts were held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia, raising millions for famine relief in Ethiopia.
JULY 14
1789: In an event symbolizing the start of the French Revolution, citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille prison and released the seven prisoners inside.
1798: President John Adams signed the Sedition Act into law, making it a federal crime to publish false, scandalous or malicious writing about the United States government.
1881: Outlaw William H. Bonney Jr., alias “Billy the Kid,” was shot and killed by Sheri Pat Garrett in Fort Sumner in present-day New Mexico.
1912: American folk singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie was born in Okemah, Oklahoma.
JULY 15
1799: The Rosetta Stone, a key to deciphering ancient Egyptian scripts, was found at Fort Julien in the Nile Delta during the Napoleonic campaign in Egypt.
1834: The Spanish Inquisition was abolished more than 350 years after its creation.
1916: The Boeing Company, originally known as Paci c Aero Products Co., was founded in Seattle.
1997: Fashion designer Gianni Versace, 50, was shot
dead outside his Miami Beach home.
JULY 16
1945: The United States exploded its rst experimental atomic bomb in the desert of Alamogordo, New Mexico.
1951: The novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger was rst published by Little, Brown and Co.
1957: Marine Corps Maj. John Glenn set a transcontinental speed record by ying a Vought F8U Crusader jet from California to New York in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8.4 seconds.
1969: Apollo 11 blasted o from Cape Kennedy on the rst manned mission to the surface of the moon.
JULY 17
1902: Willis Carrier produced a set of designs for what would become the world’s rst modern air-conditioning system 1918: Russia’s Czar Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks
1936: The Spanish Civil War began as right-wing army generals launched a coup attempt against the Second Spanish Republic 1955: Disneyland opened in
Anaheim, California, after its $17 million yearlong construction; the park drew a million visitors in its rst 10 weeks
JULY 18
1536: The English Parliament passed an act declaring the authority of the pope void in England
1863: During the Civil War, Union troops spearheaded by the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, made up of Black soldiers, charged Confederate-held Fort Wagner on Morris Island, S.C. 1925: Adolf Hitler published the rst volume of his autobiographical manifesto Mein Kampf (My Struggle)
JULY 19
1812: During the War of 1812, the First Battle of Sackets Harbor in Lake Ontario resulted in an American victory as U.S. naval forces repelled a British attack
1969: Apollo 11 and its astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Michael Collins, went into orbit around the moon.
1979: The Nicaraguan capital of Managua fell to Sandinista guerrillas, two days after President Anastasio Somoza ed the country.
“STORMING OF THE BASTILLE AND ARREST OF THE GOVERNOR M. DE LAUNAY” VIA WIKIPEDIA
On July 14, 1789, Parisian citizens stormed Bastille Prison, signifying the beginning of the French Revolution.
JOE SCHABER / AP PHOTO
Concert organizer Bob Geldof speaks on stage at the start of the Live Aid famine relief concert for Africa at Wembley Stadium in London on July 13, 1985.
