Gunman who killed 4 in N.Y. was trying to get to NFL o ces, claimed to have CTE
New York Police say a gunman who killed four people in a Manhattan skyscraper before taking his own life claimed to have a brain disease linked to contact sports and was trying to target the National Football League’s headquarters in the building. New York City Mayor Eric Adams says investigators believe the gunman wanted to get up to the NFL’s o ces on Monday but entered the wrong elevator. Police say Shane Tamura, a Las Vegas casino worker, had a note in his wallet that suggested he had a grievance against the NFL and asked that his brain be studied. He played high school football in California but never played in the NFL. Among those killed was an o -duty police o cer working security.
Brain-eating amoeba kills boy swimming in S.C. lake
Columbia, S.C.
A 12-year-old boy died from a brain-eating amoeba after swimming in a South Carolina lake over the July Fourth weekend. The amoeba enters the body through the nose and causes a fatal brain infection. Fewer than 10 cases are reported annually in the U.S., but almost all are deadly. More than 160 people are known to have died from the amoeba in the U.S. in the past 60 years. The boy’s parents were unaware of the amoeba when they let their son swim in Lake Murray. The amoeba is common, even if the infections caused by it are rare. Other dangers in lakes include E.coli and harmful algae, which can cause severe health issues.
Subway restaurant reopens in Albemarle
An experienced franchise owner took over two locations
By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — A cionados of the sandwiches from Subway in Albemarle now have a favorite location back up and running.
The Subway location on N.C. Highway 52, which had been closed for approximately six weeks, reopened Friday, according to the new franchisee, Regan Bigford.
Bigford has been in the Subway system since 2002 and became a franchisee in 2012.
As of Friday, Bigford assumed control of the Albemarle franchise on Highway 52 and the Mount Pleasant location on Highway 49, both of which are now open.
Bigford’s rst franchise was in Troy, but she now has 10 Subways, including nearby lo -
cations in Midland, Denton, Locust and Biscoe.
The original franchises were started by Ken Lancaster, but 18 months ago a new franchise owner named William Parish took those over.
According to Bigford, Parish owned both Albemarle franchises, including at Eastgate Plaza, Highway 52, Mount Pleasant, Rich eld and two in Concord.
Bigford took over the Albemarle and Mount Pleasant locations from Parish, who is under investigation by the Morganton Department of Safety, according to a report from WSOC-TV.
According to the report, Parish has been accused of issuing payroll checks that were not paid because of insu cient funds. Warrants were issued for Parish on nine counts of worthless checks.
“I kind of sandwiched this other franchisee,” Bigford said. “Whereas I am a new franchisee of these stores, I’m not a new
“I have a history of bringing back distressed stores. So this is not the rst time we’ve done this, and we’re very proud we’ve done a good job with it up till now. We’re determined to succeed again.”
Regan Bigford
franchisee. I’m well-seasoned and proven.”
From a consumer’s point of view, she noted the local franchises under Parish were not open often and thought they “were seriously understa ed and frequently out of product.”
Regarding her stores, Bigford talked about what she had done in the past 13 years with them.
“I have a history of bring-
ing back distressed stores,” she said. “So this is not the rst time we’ve done this, and we’re very proud we’ve done a good job with it up till now. We’re determined to succeed again.”
She further explained how she had improved stores that were in trouble previously.
“No. 1, you have to be there,” Bigford said. “If you tell the customer that you’re going to be open, then you have to be open.”
Customer service, she added, is the next reason, saying, “When you’re nice to people, they tend to come back.”
The last part of being successful, she said, is having enough supplies to meet the customer demands.
She said her locations “have to have what they came for, so the store has to stay stocked.”
While the Albemarle and Mount Pleasant locations recover in terms of sales, Bigford said, her other eight stores will help them out by getting the locations the needed supplies.
“We will be stocked,” she said. “We will be open. We will be sta ed. We will be friendly. We will be clean. Those are extremely important.”
She did not accept the four other franchises o ered to her, including Rich eld and Eastgate Plaza.
The event was held at the Farm Bureau Livestock Arena
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — The fu-
ture of Stanly County’s public school district was discussed at the Better Stanly County Schools Forum in Albemarle last Thursday night. Organized by the “Reclaiming Greatness in Stanly County Schools” community group, the forum brought together an assortment of county leaders, teachers and parents to exam-
ine the local school system’s plans.
The event, held at the Farm Bureau Livestock Arena, was attended by three members of the Stanly County Board of Education — Meghan Almond, Carla Poplin and Bill Sorenson — along with County Commissioners Brandon King, Patty Crump and Billy Mills.
“I appreciate you all being here tonight,” Poplin said. “It’s good to get to hear what the community is feeling and thinking.”
Much of the discussion
“We must somehow come together with the school board, commissioners and the public for our children.”
Billy Mills, Stanly County commissioner
THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
CHARLES CURCIO / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL
The Subway location on N.C. Highway 52 in Albemarle is open.
North State Journal
(USPS 518620) (ISSN 2471-1365)
Neal Robbins, Publisher
Jim Sills, VP of Local Newspapers
Cory Lavalette, Senior Editor
Jordan Golson, Local News Editor
Shawn Krest, Sports Editor
Dan Reeves, Features Editor
Charles Curcio, Reporter
Jesse Deal, Reporter
PJ Ward-Brown, Photographer
BUSINESS
David Guy, Advertising Manager
Published Wednesday and Sunday as part of North State Journal
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The Duke’s Feast returns to downtown Albemarle
The Restaurant Week event runs through Sunday night
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — Follow-
ing an introduction last August and a return in January, a dining promotional event is back in downtown Albemarle to combine great food with a boost to the local economy.
The Duke’s Feast, presented this week by Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation, is the city’s signature Restaurant Week event, where local restaurants o er exclusive dine-in dinner specials as a xed-price, three-course menu alongside their regular items.
Albemarle’s Five Points Public House and The Courthouse Tavern and Table will host the event through the end of Sunday night with Duke’s Feast dinners available after 4 p.m. for $25 and $35, respectively.
“The Duke of Albemarle invites you to The Duke’s Feast for Albemarle Downtown’s Restaurant Week,” Albemarle Downtown announced.
“Enjoy a specially priced, three-course meal t for royalty. While you’re downtown, don’t forget to visit our wonderful local shops and support Albemarle’s small businesses.”
Coinciding with the end of July as Independent Retailer Month, The Duke’s Feast was created to encourage residents and visitors to dine locally and nancially back the city’s businesses, o setting a
The Square, The Courthouse at 114 South Second St. provides Southern dining staples as well as craft cocktails and a wide wine selection.
time of year when a slowdown in sales is not uncommon.
Five Points — a local favorite at 304 East Main Street — o ers an upscale pub atmosphere with a rotating selection of craft, draft and local beer; its $4 draft beer feature for the week is Uwharrie Brewing Liquid Art Kolsch.
For The Duke’s Feast menu, the restaurant will have the choices of ahi tuna, house salad, Caesar salad or watermelon summer salad for the rst course, followed by grilled salmon, blackened snapper, New York strip or blackened chicken alfredo as entrees.
Five Points’ dessert options are cookie crumble sundae and brownie crumble sundae. Formerly known as O
The restaurant has the choices of a Caesar salad, Courthouse salad or soup of the day for the rst course, along with entree choices of grilled sirloin steak, grilled pork tenderloin, blackened chicken alfredo, butcher block of the day or catch of the day.
The Courthouse’s dessert options are strawberry shortcake and chocolate mousse cheesecake.
“Our friends at Albemarle Downtown have come up with a plan for a feast,” the Stanly County Convention and Visitors Bureau said in an advertisement. “Treat yourself to a fantastic time and a magni cent culinary feast in beautiful downtown Albemarle.”
The full list of Duke’s Feast menu items and descriptions are available for viewing at albemarledowntown.com.
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Stanly County:
Aug. 1
Food Truck Fridays at City Lake Park
5:30-9 p.m.
Enjoy food and beverages from the variety of food trucks on site while being entertained by the singing of Chris Taylor and the Rumor.
815 Concord Road Albemarle
Aug. 4
Color & Connect: Drop In 9:30-11:30 a.m. For those who need some relaxing “me” time. Come to the library and enjoy co
Main
Aug. 6
Sprinkle
10
and participate in fun yard games. Be dressed to get wet and be sure to bring sunscreen, a chair/blanket and everything else you’ll need. 240 Lions Club Drive Locust
Aug. 7
Locust Farmers Market
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
July 23
• Andrea Nichole Davis, 37, was arrested for communicating threats.
• Katlyn McKenize Burleson, 29, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.
• Darius Anthony Gatewood, 19, was arrested for possessing marijuana paraphernalia,
The Stanly County Veterans Meeting will be held on Aug. 14 at 6 p.m. at VFW Post 2908 in Albemarle. All veterans are welcome to attend the meeting and voice any concerns. The Veterans Day Parade and the activities planned for the Veterans Weekend will be discussed. Any business, organization or clubs that wish to be in the parade can contact the council at 704-438-8286.
breaking and entering a motor vehicle, resisting a public o cer, simple possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, attempted larceny, using a ctitious or altered title/registration card/tag, eeing or eluding arrest with a motor vehicle, felony conspiracy, reckless driving with wanton disregard, and reckless driving to endanger.
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.
Corner of 24/27 and Vella Drive Locust
THE CONVERSATION
Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
VISUAL VOICES
Trump’s Attack on President Obama
Treason, the only crime de ned by the Constitution, requires that one give “aid and comfort” to our enemies.
IT’S NOT JUST Trump being Trump. We — and by “we,” I mean both the public and the media — have gotten so used to President Donald Trump repeating outrageous lies that we tend to dismiss them out of hand. But this is much, much worse. For Trump and his top o cials to accuse former President Barack Obama of treason, much less to call for an investigation by the Justice Department (his puppet, Attorney General Pam Bondi, has already announced the formation of a “strike force,” whatever that is) is a plain abuse of power.
Trump’s most recent attack on Obama came after last weekend, when he posted an AI-generated video of Obama supposedly being arrested by the FBI. Not funny. Then Tulsi Gabbard, struggling to get back on Trump’s good list after annoying the president with a self-serving video she made on her trip to Asia (after which she was excluded from some critical meetings) took to the podium at a White House brie ng to call on the Justice Department to investigate what she called the “treasonous conspiracy” relating to the investigation of Russian e orts to in uence the 2016 election in Trump’s favor. It worked. Referring to Gabbard, Trump said: “She’s, like, hotter than everybody. She’s the hottest one in the room right now.”
As for who should be the target of the Justice Department and what should be the focus, Trump left no doubt: “It would be President Obama. He started it. ... This was treason. This was every word you can think of. They tried to steal the election. They tried to obfuscate the election. They did things that nobody’s ever even imagined, even in other countries.”
That’s just another lie. The investigation of Russian involvement in the 2016 election focused on the Russian hacking and dissemination of Hillary Clinton’s campaign emails — something Trump well knows, since he referred to those emails on the campaign trail. The only thing Obama did was to encourage his intelligence o cers to complete their investigation before he left o ce, understanding — rightly — that Trump,
once he took o ce, could not be trusted not to interfere or block it. Telling a federal agency to nish its work is not a crime. Indeed, every investigation of the 2016 election found exactly what the Obama investigation did. In 2018, the Senate Intelligence Committee “found irrefutable evidence of Russian meddling,” according to then-senator and now Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which is precisely what the Obama team found. Treason, the only crime de ned by the Constitution, requires that one give “aid and comfort” to our enemies. It is punishable by execution. Of course, because of the Trump Supreme Court decision a ording the president near-absolute immunity for “o cial acts” (which Trump desperately needed to hide behind to escape responsibility for inciting a riot on Jan. 6), the Justice Department investigation of Obama is a useless task and a waste of time and money. But Obama, unlike Trump, doesn’t need the shield of immunity. There are no facts supporting Gabbard’s charges and nothing for the Justice Department’s strike force to investigate. This isn’t about real wrongdoing. It certainly isn’t about treason. Gabbard made these charges to earn her way back into Trump’s good graces. And what better way to do it than to play to Trump’s worst instincts — his desire for vengeance and his willingness to weaponize the entire federal government to get even with his enemies. Obama is smarter, more popular and more respected than Trump will ever be. And Trump, desperate to bury his ties to Je rey Epstein, desperate to change the subject after playing ridiculous, self-serving games attacking his other predecessor, Joe Biden, for failing to release the Epstein les, was only too willing to applaud Gabbard, to put pressure on his attorney general and to suggest that Obama should be subject to execution. He has no shame and no limits.
Susan Estrich is a lawyer, professor, author and political commentator.
Four big questions about Joe Biden’s health cover-up
The fact that the president of the United States was not the president for years, in the face of the blaring light of public attention, shows that our checks and balances have utterly failed.
JOE BIDEN was both senile and cancer-ridden during the last years of his presidency. That much is absolutely clear.
According to “Original Sin,” the new book from Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, Biden was exhibiting signs of senility for years; his sta worked to cover it up, and a compliant media did its least to investigate. This week, we found out that Biden also has stage four prostate cancer, which has already metastasized to his bones. There is virtually no way that nobody knew about the cancer until this week; prostate cancer is a slow-moving cancer that is easily detected by routine PSA tests.
This is, to put it mildly, one of the biggest scandals in American history.
The scandal raises a series of serious questions.
The rst is obvious: Who the hell was running the White House while Biden’s brain wasn’t working? The obvious suspects include Jill Biden, who must have known about Biden’s senility and yet continued to press him to run for president; Mike Donilon, former Biden adviser; Je rey Zients, Biden’s chief of sta ; and even Hunter Biden, President Biden’s closest con dante. In fact, according to “Original Sin,” the answer appears to be the convicted felon and former crack addict: Tapper explained this week, “He was almost like a chief of sta . ... It’s bizarre because I think he is provably, demonstrably unethical, sleazy, and prone to horrible decisions.” Well, yes.
The second question is similarly obvious: How long did the Biden family know about Biden’s in rmity? Where the hell was Jill? Where was Hunter? Or were they all so focused on grifting o the family name that they couldn’t be bothered to truly care for their ailing patriarch? That question turns extraordinarily dark when we consider the question of Biden’s cancer. Was Biden deprived of necessary treatment? Did he go undiagnosed because the family didn’t want to know the answer? We do know that the Biden family has covered up cancer before: When Beau Biden, then the attorney general of Delaware, was su ering from brain cancer, the family worked to lie about it.
Then there’s a third question: Where the hell was the legacy media while all of this was happening? The job of the media is
to investigate signs and symptoms of corruption or misconduct. It was perfectly obvious to everyone with a prefrontal cortex and working retinas that Biden was in dire mental condition by 2022. Why weren’t the media demanding answers? Were they so committed to the defeat of Donald Trump and the Republicans that they decided to simply look the other way ... until precisely the moment Biden’s condition became undeniable, the rst debate with Trump?
Finally, there’s a fourth question: Who can be trusted at this point? It’s easy to point to the Democrats’ cover-up of Biden’s ailments as proof of their unique dishonesty. But the reality is less comforting: Self-interest and malfeasance are human universals — and if the American public are entitled to know the truth about any of their elected o cials, they require systems that demand answers. This means, at the very least, that Congress ought to immediately pass a bill demanding yearly complete and transparent physical and mental tests on the president. Our government was not built on trust; it was built on checks and balances. And the fact that the president of the United States was not the president for years, in the face of the blaring light of public attention, shows that our checks and balances have utterly failed. The greatest sign of an imperial presidency is that the president is so unanswerable that he can be nearly clinically dead in public without serious repercussion. Enough is enough. Americans’ trust has been abused over and over and over again over the course of the last decade. And it’s not enough simply to blame those who abused that trust. It’s time to rebuild systems that verify. And that requires actual forethought, honesty and realism about the aws in human nature — and the willingness of the politically motivated to justify just about anything in the name of desired ends.
Ben Shapiro’s new collection, “Facts and Furious: The Facts About America and Why They Make Leftists Furious,” is available now. Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author.
COLUMN | SUSAN ESTRICH
COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO
The ve-month school covers all aspects of law enforcement training
Stanly News Journal sta
ALBEMARLE — At a recent ceremony, Stanly Community College honored a new class of Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) on the Albemarle campus.
Chief Ryan Manley of the Albemarle Police Department served as the keynote speaker for the ceremony.
The BLET program at SCC spans over ve months teaching the skills for entry-level law en-
forcement jobs, which total 880 instruction hours. The increase in hours came in aligning with updated state standards.
Students in the BLET program receive instruction in ofcer wellness communication, deescalation tactics and rearms training. “Our Basic Law Enforcement Training program produces more than graduates — it produces leaders,” said SCC President John Enamait. “These individuals have committed themselves to serving and protecting our communities with integrity, courage and a deep understanding of the responsibility that comes with wearing
the badge. Completing nearly 900 hours of intensive training is no small feat — it’s a testament to their discipline, heart, and resilience.”
During the graduation ceremony, Michael Honeycutt served as the class speaker.
In order for cadets to enter the BLET program, they must have a sponsorship from a law enforcement agency including graduates from this year’s class going to Mint Hill Police Department, Alcohol Law Enforcement, Stanly County Sheri ’s Department, Albemarle Police Department and the North Carolina Highway Patrol.
Several outstanding perfor-
mance awards were presented to graduates at the event for the following speci c areas:
Top Academic Award: Nicholas Rosario
Top Shooter/Firearms Award: Eli Hudson
Top Driver Award: Nicholas Rosario
Leadership Award: Michael Honeycutt
Additionally, the Damon Smith Award was presented to Blake Moore. The award was established in memory of
“Our Basic Law Enforcement Training program produces more than graduates — it produces leaders,” John Enamait, SCC President
Officer Damon Smith of the Oakboro Police Department, who lost his life in the line of duty.
Graduates of this BLET class earned a 100% pass rate on the state certi cation exam, which is mandated by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission and/ or the North Carolina Sheri s’ Education and Training Standards Commission.
SCC’s next BLET class will begin in January 2026.
Back row (left to right): Calvin Tisdale Jr., Michael Honeycutt, Johnny Guedert and Eli Hudson; Front row (left to right): David Hunt (Quali ed Assistant), Justis Dorsett, Sophie Dean, Blake Moore, Nicholas Rosario, Ethan Ivey and David Esposito
The Kingville Alumni Association commemorates 46 years of service
Educational scholarships were awarded to eight local college students
By Melinda Burris Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — The Kingville Alumni Association celebrated its 46th anniversary with a host of activities the weekend of July 11-13 at the E.E. Waddell Community Center in Albemarle, the site of its former alma mater, Kingville High School, which closed in 1969 when Stanly County Schools were integrated.
The festivities commenced on Friday, July 11 with the annual indoor picnic, which included a cornhole tournament, hula hoop contest, dancing, bingo and other games.
Anthony J. Davis, the 13th and current president of Livingstone College, served as the keynote speaker for the event. A philanthropic leader with a career spanning almost three decades, Davis has dedicated himself to supporting nonpro t educational, community and social justice causes. His e orts have resulted in procuring more than $500 million in gifts and grants, with a special emphasis on major gifts and planned giving.
On Sunday, the event concluded with a special presentation sponsored by the Stanly County Historical Society and the Kingville Alumni Association, delivered by local historians and authors Lewis P. Bramlett and Brenda Stanback, “Celebrating the History of Kingville.”
“We want to continue to be the foundation to open doors for our young people to be the best they can be,” Stanback said. “Our goal is to increase the number of scholarships given each year and to reactivate the Young Adult Alumni.”
Graduates of 1955, 1965 and
FORUM from page A1
concerned Stanly County Schools’ Capital Improvement Planning Committee, which has targeted a facilities consolidation plan that could shufe around the district by combining individual high schools into a larger school, among other changes.
Population growth and the advanced ages of the county’s existing high schools have been cited as primary reasons for enacting facility changes.
“They brought in a demographer in May, and that demographer gave our CIP three scenarios to choose from,” Almond said. “One is a two-high school system, one is a one-high school system, and the other is a three-high school system. My personal opinion is that they
1975 were honored for 70, 60 and 50 years of graduation, respectively. Although the class of 1975 did not graduate from Kingville High School, they did attend Kingville Elementary School. Graduates in attendance were issued certi cates of recognition. In alignment with its mission statement, to encourage and inspire young people to reach for the stars and appreciate their ancestors’ history and legacy, the Kingville Alumni Association has a long history of year-round fundraising for educational scholarships.
would want to combine North Stanly, South Stanly and Albemarle, and then the other one would be West Stanly.”
Under that plan, a proposed “Eastern Stanly High School” merger of the three high schools would be built to contain around 1,400 students.
Crump took issue with the school board’s recent approach of discussing the details of school consolidation in closed sessions, rather than during the open sessions in front of the public.
“If you want to sell something and it’s worth selling, there’s no reason to hide it,” she said.
“You’re going to put glitter on it, you’re going to put it out there at the front of the store because you want your product sold. So why, if they believe in consolidation, is this not being packaged and put out there for you?”
The nonpro t has engaged in awarding educational funding for 32 years. From 2011 to 2025, the organization has awarded $26,610 in scholarships.
This year, eight $1,000 scholarships were presented to the following: Makaylah Barger, who will be attending Guilford College; Layla Ellis, for her studies at North Carolina Central University; Natalie Green, attending the University of UNC Greensboro; Chancellor McInnis, Central Piedmont Community College; Randall Perkins, Johnson C. Smith University; Jahmar Sellers, attend-
ing Stanly Community College; Giannie Small, Sandhills Community College; and Clair Watkins, for her studies at the UNC Chapel Hill. The alumni association was honored to have family members of the late E.E. Waddell, for whom the Waddell Community Center is named, in attendance, including his daughter, Debra Waddell, and his nephew, Kermit Waddell. Waddell’s granddaughter, Kristen Williams, and Marcus Reid catered the picnic and banquet.
Elbert Edwin Waddell was
COURTESY ANDREW MULLIS
Stanly County Commissioner Billy Mills speaks at the Better Stanly County Schools Forum in Albemarle on July 24.
Multiple forum attendees discussed the importance of prioritizing community schools with smaller class sizes, while others
brought up the idea of SCS reopening Ridgecrest Elementary School, which closed in 2012. A shared sentiment through-
born in South Carolina in 1922. After earning his bachelor’s degree from North Carolina A&T University, he received his doctorate from Duke University.
He began his career as an educator, teaching math at Kingville High School, and in 1944, he became one of the youngest principals in the state when he was chosen to lead the school.
To honor Waddell’s service to the South Albemarle area, the Kingville School building was renamed the E.E. Waddell Community Center in 1986.
out the meeting by attendees was that the community needed to be more involved with school facility planning and that the school board needed to be more transparent along the way.
“We must somehow come together with the school board, commissioners and the public for our children,” Mills said. “We should always desire to have a voice and to be allowed to participate in our children’s education. That’s why you’re here. We will stand a very good chance of losing our next generation if we are prevented from having a parent involved.”
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.
COURTESY PHOTO
Left to right: Jimmy Brooks, scholarship committee member; Archie Sellers, grandfather of Jahmar Sellers; father of Randall Perkins; Chancellor McInnis; Natalie Green; Giannie Small; Keondra Ellis, mother of Layla Ellis and Mary Robinson, chairman of the scholarship committee, for Makaylah Barger, receive scholarship awards.
Melvin “Dwight” Eudy
Nov. 26, 1946 – July 27, 2025
Melvin “Dwight” Eudy, of Albemarle, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on July 27, 2025, at the age of 78.
The family will receive friends on Thursday, July 31, 2025, from 6-8 p.m. at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle.
Born on November 26, 1946, in Stanly County, Dwight was the son of the late Charlie Clay Eudy
OBITUARIES
and Auta B. McLester Eudy. He honorably served in the Army National Guard as part of the Armored Division.
Dwight spent much of his career working in customer service at Crook Motor Company and was also a former driver for Smith Furniture in Albemarle.
A man of Baptist faith, he had a deep appreciation for classic cars and could often be found at local car shows and cruise-ins. He also enjoyed collecting antiques, a hobby that re ected his love for preserving history and tradition.
He is survived by his devoted wife of 60 years, Vicky Pennington Eudy; his son, Chad Eudy of Albemarle; his brother, Clegg Eudy (Elaine) of Mooresville; and his sisters, Josephine Huneycutt (Bob) of Albemarle and Melinda Drake (JR) of New London. In lieu of owers, the family kindly requests that memorial contributions be made to the American Diabetes Association, Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle is serving the Eudy family.
ELLA RUTH STIPE
NOV. 3, 1944 – JULY 27, 2025
Ella Ruth Stipe, 80, of Norwood, passed away Sunday, July 27, 2025, at Stanly Manor in Albemarle. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at Edwards Funeral Home in Norwood; Rev. Mark Little will o ciate. The family will receive friends one hour prior.
Ella was born on November 3, 1944, to the late Graham and Sara Preslar. She was a graduate of South Stanly High School, class of 1963. Ella wrote the article “From the Pew” for the Norwood News for many years. She was a longtime member of Calvary Baptist Church.
Ella Ruth was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and greatgrandmother. She spent her days taking care of children and supporting her family in every way. Ella was a wonderful soul.
In addition to her parents, Ella was preceded in death by her brothers, George and David Preslar.
Ella is survived by her loving husband of 61 years, Glenn Stipe, of the home; four sons: Glenn Stipe Jr. (Virginia), Steven Douglas Stipe (Wendy), Timothy Allen Stipe (Kim), and Eddie Stipe; all of Norwood. She is also survived by two sisters, Margie Mauldin and Becky Scott, and a brother, Joseph Preslar, all of Mount Gilead, as well as 15 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Hulk Hogan, icon in professional wrestling, dead at 71
He was a massive celebrity in and out of wrestling
By Curt Anderson and Ed White The Associated Press
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing, bicep-busting icon of professional wrestling who turned the sport into a massive business and stretched his in uence into TV, pop culture and conservative politics during a long and scandal-plagued second act, died last Thursday in Florida at age 71.
Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital less than 90 minutes after medics in Clearwater arrived at his home to answer a morning call about a cardiac arrest, police said.
“There were no signs of foul play or suspicious activity,” Maj. Nate Burnside told reporters.
Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s long history. He was the main draw for the rst WrestleMania in 1985 and was a xture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even WWE co-founder Vince McMahon.
But outside the the ring, Hogan also found trouble. WWE in 2015 cut ties with him for three years, even removing him from its Hall of Fame, after it was reported that he was recorded using racial slurs about blacks. He apologized and said his words were “unacceptable.”
Hogan won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 and reinstated there in 2018. WWE matches are now held in professional sports stadiums, and millions of fans have watched the company’s weekly live television program, “Raw,” which debuted in January on Net ix.
“He was a trailblazer, the first performer who transitioned from being a wrestling star into a global phenomenon,” McMahon said of Hogan.
Hogan’s own brand of passion
“Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way — Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart.”
President Donald Trump
MAGA all the way — Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart.”
Hogan lately began to invest in alternatives to theatrical, professional wrestling, announcing plans in April to serve as the rst commissioner for the Real American Freestyle organization, which describes itself as the “ rst unscripted pro wrestling” league in the world. The rst event is Aug. 30 at Cleveland State University.
“The idea was so exciting that I get a chance to be involved with all these young people and help guide them in any way, especially to make them huge stars and create a future for them,” Hogan said.
“People might be surprised, but wrestling is wrestling, brother.”
The league released a statement, saying it is now part of Hogan’s legacy “and we intend to honor it.”
Broken leg and a new attitude
Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Stanly News Journal at obits@ northstatejournal.com
“Hulkamania,” as the energy he created was called, started running wild in the mid-1980s and pushed professional wrestling into the mainstream. He was a ag-waving American hero with the horseshoe mustache, red and yellow gear and massive arms he called his “24-inch pythons.” Crowds were hysterical when he ripped o his T-shirt in the ring — a trademark move — revealing a tan, sculpted body.
Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, “Hogan Knows Best.”
In recent years, Hogan added his celebrity to politics. At the 2024 Republican National Convention, he merged classic WWE maneuvers with then-candidate Donald Trump’s rhetoric to passionately endorse him for president.
“Let Trumpamania run wild brother! Let Trumpamania rule again! Let Trumpamania make America great again!” Hogan shouted into the raucous crowd.
He ripped o a T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of himself on a motorcycle to reveal a bright red Trump-Vance campaign shirt underneath. Trump stood to applaud the move.
“We lost a great friend today, the ‘Hulkster,’” Trump said last Thursday on Truth Social. “Hulk Hogan was
Hogan was born in Georgia but lived much of his life in the Tampa, Florida, area. He recalled skipping school to watch wrestlers at the Sportatorium, a professional wrestling studio in Tampa.
“I had been running my mouth, telling everybody I’m going to be a wrestler, and in a small town, the word gets out,” Hogan told the Tampa Bay Times in 2021. “And so when I went down there, they were laying low for me. They exercised me till I was ready to faint.”
The result: a broken leg and a subsequent warning from his dad.
“Don’t you ever let anybody hurt you again,” Hogan recalled his father saying. “So I went back four or ve months later with a whole new attitude. The rest is history.” Hogan rst became champion in what was then the World Wrestling Federation in 1984, and pro wrestling took o from there. His popularity helped lead to the creation of the annual WrestleMania event in 1985, when he teamed up with Mr. T to beat “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndor in the main event. He slammed and beat Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III in 1987, and the WWF gained momentum. His feud with the late “Macho Man” Randy Savage — perhaps his
greatest rival — carried pro wrestling even further. Hogan was a central gure in what is known as the Monday Night Wars. The WWE and World Championship Wrestling were battling for ratings supremacy in 1996. Hogan tilted things in WCW’s favor with the birth of the Hollywood Hogan character and the formation of the New World Order, a villainous stable that put WCW ahead in the ratings.
He returned to the WWE in 2002 and became a champion again. His match with The Rock at WrestleMania X8, a loss during which fans cheered for his “bad guy” character, was seen as a passing of the torch.
Hogan was perhaps as well known for his larger-than-life personality as he was his inring exploits. He was beloved for his “promos” — hype sessions he used to draw fans into matches. He often would play o his interviewer, “Mean” Gene Okerlund, starting his interviews o with, “Well, lemme tell ya something, Mean Gene!”
Outside the ring
He crossed over into movies and television as well. He was Thunderlips in the movie “Rocky III” in 1982.
In 2016, a Florida jury awarded Hogan $115 million in a lawsuit against Gawker Media and then added $25 million in punitive damages. Hogan sued after Gawker in 2012 obtained and posted video of him having sex with his former best friend’s wife. He said the post violated his privacy.
Hogan ended up settling the case for millions less after Gawker led for bankruptcy. There was other fallout. The litigation led to the discovery that Hogan had used racial slurs on the tape.
“It was unacceptable for me to have used that o ensive language; there is no excuse for it; and I apologize for having done it,” Hogan said.
After Hogan was booed at the premiere of Net ix’s new WWE show in January, former WWE wrestler Mark Henry, who is black, said that the scandal was a “dark cloud” over Hogan’s career.
Henry said he believes in second chances but that Hogan “never wanted to go forward and x it.”
Outside Hogan’s Hangout, his restaurant in Clearwater Beach, people talked about their admiration for Hogan as news of his death spread. Rich Null of St. Louis said the two men worked out together.
“Thirty minutes into our workout in the gym, he said, ‘Cut the Hulk Hogan crap, call me Terry,’” Null said. “He was a really super nice guy, and we’re gonna miss him.”
JORDAN GOLSON / NORTH STATE JOURNAL
Hulk Hogan appeared at a rally for Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden in New York last fall.
STANLY SPORTS
Albemarle High School hosts
AML Wrestling
Former WWE and current TNA star Matt Hardy appeared in the main event
By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — America’s
Most Liked Wrestling put on this month’s event, called Battle Scars, Sunday afternoon at the AHS gym.
Around 900 tickets were sold for the event, with, according to promoter/owner Tracy Myers, more than 150 fans turned away at the gate because the building was at capacity.
The main event featured WWE tag-team legend Matt Hardy, from up the road in Cameron, teaming with George South to defeat Brock and C.W. Anderson. Brock is the son of WWE Hall of Famer, and member of the Four Horsemen, Arn “The Enforcer” Anderson.
Wampus Cats wrap up third regular season with three games
Uwharrie was scheduled to open the Blue Ridge Invitational Tournament on Tuesday afternoon
By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal
THE THIRD regular season for the Uwharrie Wampus Cats collegiate wood-bat team wrapped up this past week with games.
Uwharrie will play three more games in a four-team event starting Tuesday in Rich Park, the Blue Ridge Invitational Postseason Tournament. The round-robin format will have the Cats playing the Hungry Mothers on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m., the Carolina Disco Turkeys on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and the Catawba Valley Stars on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
The championship will be determined rst by head-to-head record and then by the number of runs allowed.
Thursday’s game Carolina Disco Turkeys 8, Uwharrie 4
Another big rst-inning effort for the Wampus Cats put the hosts up early, but the Disco Turkeys rallied to take an advantage in the season series with a win.
Uwharrie jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the rst. With two on and no outs, Jett Thomas doubled to left eld to score both runners. Blake McKinney later scored on a passed ball to put the Cats up 3-0.
A two-RBI single in the next half-inning cut Uwharrie’s lead to one, then the Cats lost the
lead in the top of the sixth on a pair of hits, each driving in a run.
Trailing 5-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Thomas drove in another RBI with another double to left.
The Turkeys added one run in the eighth and two in the ninth to go on to the victory.
Thomas was 2 for 3 at the plate for Uwharrie, while McKinney added a double of his own.
Rylan Furr took the loss in relief for Uwharrie. Brooks Farrell started for the Wampus Cats and allowed two earned runs on three hits in ve innings of work with four strikeouts.
Friday’s game Uwharrie 17, Disco Turkeys 10 The o ense for the Wampus
the stage this September for the annual Stanly County Dancing with the Stars program.
“We could not have been happier with the turnout that Stanly County gave our event,” Mike Hatley said.
“The fact that next year we will need a bigger venue means we can treat more people to AML Wrestling and raise more funds for a great cause, the Butter y House.”
“The fact that next year we will need a bigger venue means we can treat more people to AML Wrestling and raise more funds for a great cause, the Butter y House.”
Sunday’s event was a bene t Mike and Jill Hatley put on as part of their fundraising e orts for the Butter y House, Albemarle’s children’s advocacy center. Proceeds from the event will be part of the Hatleys’ money raised when the couple takes to
Mike Hatley
Hatley added people questioned whether the event would be a success, asking, “Why wrestling?” and saying, “Albemarle never supports anything; it won’t draw.”
“We showed that when you put out a great family-friendly product at a family-friendly price, Stanly County will de nitely show up … and have a great time,” Hatley said.
“It was an electric, standing-roomonly crowd,” Myers said. “The re marshal gave us a number not to exceed, so we stopped selling tickets when we hit that number. … The only way it could have been better would have been to have a larger venue to accommodate more fans.
See WRESTLING, page B3
Pfei er names assistant women’s lacrosse coach
Johnson has been added to the coaching sta
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
MISENHEIMER — Pfei er University announced the hiring of a new assistant coach for its women’s lacrosse program.
On Friday, the Falcons athletic department revealed that Chloë Johnson has been named as an assistant on coach Julia Barbato’s sta moving forward into the 2026 season that begins in February.
The Falcons are hoping to improve from a 2-11 (1-8 USA South) record they posted during the 2025 season.
“Pfei er women’s lacrosse is excited to welcome Chloë Johnson as our new assistant coach,” Pfei er Athletics announced on Friday. “Originally from Derwood, Maryland, and a record-setting athlete from Ohio State University, Chloë brings elite playing credentials, valuable coaching experience, and a strong commitment to leadership and inclusion to the Falcon family.”
As a former Buckeyes standout player, Johnson brings an accomplished playing background to Pfei er’s program, highlighted by national and conference recognition throughout her collegiate career.
“Now, as a coach, Chloë brings that same intensity, IQ, and passion to developing our student-athletes — on and o the eld,” the Falcons athletic department said of the two-time Big Ten Mid elder of the Week selection. “Join us in welcoming coach Chloë to Pfei er.”
She ranks rst in Ohio State’s record book with a pro-
gram-best 243 draw controls and record-setting season total of 124, along with 61 points, 48 ground balls and 31 caused turnovers over 63 games. Johnson earned Honorable Mention All-America honors from Inside Lacrosse Women and USA Lacrosse Magazine, was named to the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association First Team All-Region and secured a spot on the All-Big Ten Second Team. Pfei er’s women’s lacrosse coaching sta has taken shape heading into the future.
The university announced in May that Barbato, a 2024 Pfei er graduate, had been elevated to lead the university’s women’s lacrosse program in a full capacity following her time as an interim head coach during the 2025 season.
After a four-year career with the Falcons where she scored 153 career goals and had 73 career assists (226 points), Barbato began her interim coaching tenure in the summer of 2024 following a comprehensive restructuring of the program.
Looking ahead to the 2026 season, Pfei er will aim to achieve its rst winning season since 2019.
The Wampus Cats’ Brendan Fulcher rounds third and heads home to score during the rst inning of Friday’s home game with the Disco Turkeys.
CHARLES CURCIO / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL
Matt Hardy hoists George South onto the top rope and throws him o for a senton bomb onto Brock Anderson.
Chloë
COURTESY PFEIFFER
Chloë Johnson
Bryan Blanton is approaching his 30th birthday and is still sporting a 96-mph fastball in the pro ranks
By Charles Curcio Stanly News Journal
GASTONIA — One former Albemarle High School baseball standout continues to ply his trade at the professional level and just set a record this season.
Bryan Blanton, a right-handed pitching standout for the Bulldogs, just set a record for most career strikeouts with the Gastonia Ghost Peppers, an independent pro team a liated with the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball Clubs.
The Ghost Peppers play a 126-game schedule, and Blanton is in his third season with the team.
On July 16, Blanton recorded his 167th career strikeout for the Ghost Peppers in a 12-11 loss to the Lexington Legends.
“It’s been great,” Blanton said about playing for the Ghost Peppers. He credits manager Mauro “Goose” Gozzo and pitching coach Tony Fossas, along with general manager Brady Salisbury, for their e orts with him over the past three seasons.
“I’ve made some good friendships here,” Blanton said. “We’ve had a winning tradition. This year is a little di erent, but we’re starting to head in the right direction in the second half.”
The Ghost Peppers went 28 -35 in the rst half of the season, nishing last in the ve -team South Division, but currently sit around three games out of rst place in the second half.
Blanton said he lives about 25 minutes from the Caromont Health Park in a Charlotte apartment, which he likes.
This season with the Ghost Peppers, the reliever has made 30 appearances, pitching in 41 innings while leading the team with 60 strikeouts to 35 walks.
After playing baseball for Albemarle and in college at Catawba, he was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 21st round of the 2017 draft.
He pitched in the rookie Gulf Coast and Appalachian leagues, making it as high as the advanced Class A Hudson Valley Renegades of the South Atlantic League.
After being released by the Yankees in 2022, the reliever kept on pitching. His rst season playing independently took him north of the border to Winnipeg and the Goldeyes of the American Association.
“That was a little di erent, playing indie ball and being in Canada,” Blanton said.
When the 2023 Peppers sea-
son nished, Blanton was asked to play winter baseball for Leones del Caracas in Venezuela.
“It’s a di erent game of baseball,” Blanton said about playing for the Leones and then the following summer with the Saraperos de Saltillo in the Mexican League.
He explained that the leagues he played in during his time in Mexico and Latin America were the big leagues of those countries.
“The fans are very passion-
ate, especially when I was in Caracas,” Blanton said. “We had thirty-some thousand fans
at some games. That’s their big leagues down there. The game is a little faster paced.”
Playing development baseball, Blanton said, was “all about playing to develop. When I got to independent ball, it’s about playing to win. … It’s about winning at all costs, and there is a lot of experience down there.”
When he played a liated ball, Blanton said, he would only throw about every three or four days and knew exact-
ly how many innings or pitches he would throw, which was not the case in independent ball, he added.
“I threw like 70% of the time in games my rst year at Winnipeg,” Blanton said.n“Once you get to independent ball, there’s no moving guys up or down. It’s play to win every day. It’s a di erent mindset as a team and personally.”
He added, “The dream of everybody playing in the majors is how things start, but I enjoy the baseball more when it’s on the winning side. You have a lot more fun than having scheduled throw days.”
In terms of specialized relief pitching, Blanton, whose fastball gets up to 96 mph and is complemented with a good slider, has done it all. He has been a closer, worked in middle and long relief, including a three-inning, 45-pitch stint earlier this season.
“I de nitely felt that for the next day or two,” Blanton said. “It’s been about six years since I went three innings.”
Last season, he was also throwing a changeup and a curveball, but the Ghost Peppers’ sta said he should focus on two pitches, which he said has worked.
“I’ve de nitely made my slider a lot better this year,” Blanton said.
Blanton has posted many videos of his bullpen sessions on social media over the years, showing people what a 96-mph fastball looks like.
However, the opportunities he has had to play internationally came through the friendships he forged with other baseball players, he said.
Blanton said he keeps himself going every day because of his love of the game.
“It’s hard to give it up when you still love it and you’re still competing every day,” Blanton said. “When you don’t have that competition in your life, it feelslike you’re missing something.”
In ve months, Blanton will turn 30, and he admits to having some thoughts of this year being his last.
“I’ve had some better numbers this year as far as hits per nine (innings) and strikeouts per nine, which kind of makes you rethink how much longer you want to play,” Blanton said.
His hits per nine innings in 2025 is down to 5.3, one of the lowest marks in his career, while the strikeouts ratio is up to 13.2, the highest in his career.
“As long as I can nancially a ord to play, still love the game and perform well enough, I’ll try to give it some more,” he said.
He added playing ball in the winter and in the Mexican summer league helped him nancially.
In his career in the minors and independent leagues, he has appeared in a total of 334 games as of Friday night, earning 44 saves while pitching 3781⁄3 innings in his career with a lifetime 4.14 ERA.
Wallace becomes rst black driver to win
major race on Indianapolis’ oval
Ty Gibbs clinched the In-Season Challenge
By Michael Marot
The Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS — Bub -
ba Wallace climbed out of the No. 23 car Sunday, pumped his sts, found his family and savored every precious moment of a historic Brickyard 400 victory.
He deserved every minute of it. The 31-year-old Wallace overcame a tenuous 18-minute rain delay, two tantalizing overtimes, fears about running out of fuel late and the hard-charging defending race champ, Kyle Larson, on back-to-back restarts to become the rst black driver to win a major race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5mile oval. No black driver has won the Indianapolis 500 or Formula 1 raced on the track’s road course.
“This one’s really cool,” Wallace said. “Coming o Turn 4, I knew I was going to get there — unless we ran out of gas. I was surprised I wasn’t crying like a little baby.”
His third career NASCAR Cup victory delivered Wallace’s rst win in the series’ four crown jewel events, the others being the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500. It also snapped a 100race winless streak that dated to 2022 at Kansas and locked
WRESTLING from page B1
When asked about returning to Stanly, he added, “We always go where we’re wanted, and it sure seems that we are wanted there.”
In other matches, Gustvo succesfully defended his AML Championship versus Fodder, while AML Prestige Champ Diego Hill survived a fatal four-way match to keep his belt. The husband-and-wife team of Brad and Amy Attitude got some revenge, winning a mixed-tag match against another husband-and-wife team, JAC and Clara Carter.
Also, the tag-team champions, A.J. Francis and Bojack of Money ENT, retained their tag belts despite losing via disquali cation.
WAMPUS from page B1
Cats exploded for 18 hits on the road at Wake Forest on Friday night as visiting Uwharrie never trailed the Disco Turkeys.
Aiden Wilson had a monster night for Uwharrie at the plate, going 5 for 5 with a double and six RBIs. Bryant McKinney drove in three runs for the Cats, and Jett Thomas had a pair of doubles, going 3 for 4 while scoring ve runs and plating two RBIs. Pfei er catcher Carson Whitehead was 2 for 5 for the Wampus Cats with a double and two RBIs.
up a playo spot. His only other win came at Talladega in 2021.
The nal gap was 0.222 seconds, but that was no measure of the consternation he faced.
Larson cut a 5.057-second de cit with 14 laps to go to about three seconds with six laps left as the yellow ag came out for the rain. The cars then rolled to a stop on pit lane with four laps remaining, forcing Wallace to think and rethink his restart strategy.
“The whole time I’m thinking, ‘Are we going? Are we not?’” he said. “I will say, I leaned more towards, ‘I know we’re going to go back racing. Be ready. Don’t get complacent here.’”
Wallace made sure of it.
He beat Larson through the second turn on the rst restart only to have a crash behind him force a second overtime, forcing his crew to recalculate whether they had enough fuel to nish the race or whether he needed to surrender the lead and refuel.
In Wallace’s mind, there was no choice.
“The rst thing that went through my mind was, ‘Here we go again,’” he said. “But then I said, ‘I want to win this straight up. I want to go back racing.’ Here we are.”
He beat Larson o the restart again and pulled away, preventing Larson from becoming the race’s fourth back-to -back winner.
“I was surprised I wasn’t crying like a little baby.”
Bubba Wallace
The victory also alleviated the frustration Wallace felt Saturday when he spent most of the qualifying session on the provisional pole only to see Chase Briscoe claim the No. 1 starting spot with one of the last runs in the session.
On Sunday, he made sure there was no repeat, providing an added boost to the 23XI Racing team co-owned by basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and last week’s race winner, Denny Hamlin, as it continues to battle NASCAR in court over its charter status.
“Those last 20 laps there were ups and downs, and I was telling myself, ‘You won’t be able to do it,’” Wallace said.
“Once I’d seen it was Larson, I knew he won here last year, and he’s arguably the best in the eld. So to beat the best, we had to be the best today.”
The other big race — the In-Season Challenge — went to Ty Gibbs, who had a better car than Ty Dillon in qualifying and on race day. Gibbs nished 21st to win the inaugural March Madness-like single-elimination tournament and collect the $1 million prize.
North Stanly enters T-Mobile 5G Lights contest
The school will be eligible for a $5,000 weekly sweepstakes
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
NEW LONDON — North Stanly High School’s football program has announced its entry into T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights contest for the upcoming 2025 season.
With more than $4 million in total prizes awarded, the national competition is designed to highlight high school football throughout the country by rewarding schools with funding and facility upgrades.
The Comets have joined hundreds of hopeful high schools vying for prizes that range from $5,000 weekly sweepstakes grants to a $1 million football eld transformation package.
“We entered the T-Mobile Friday Night 5G Lights contest,” North Stanly’s athletic department revealed Monday afternoon. “They’re celebrating small-town high school football, giving upgrades to schools and awarding a $1 million game-changing grand prize.”
According to contest guidelines, all U.S. high schools located in towns with populations under 150,000 are eligible to apply now through Sept. 12; all entries must be submitted by an authorized school representative like a principal, athletic director, coach or teacher.
T-Mobile’s “nationwide movement to fuel school pride, performance and possibility” initiative debuted in 2024, with nearly 1,750 high schools nationwide participating from all 50 states.
“Last year, we saw what happens when small towns get the spotlight they deserve, and the response blew us away,” said Jon Freier, president of T-Mobile‘s Consumer Group. “So this year, we’re turning it up. With T-Mobile Friday Night 5G Lights, we’re backing schools and programs that build leadership, con dence and connection — and showing up for the communities that always show up for their kids.”
For this coming season, 450 schools will win $5,000 on $5K Fridays in the weekly draw, beginning with 100 schools in Week 1; 50 winners will then be named each week for the remaining seven weeks.
After the initial contest, 25 nalists — named by a judging panel based on storytelling, community impact and school spirit — will each win $25,000 to upgrade their programs.
From there, the 25-school public voting process will begin on Sept. 25 and run through Oct. 24 as one school will be crowned the grand prize winner on Oct. 30, receiving a $1 million football eld makeover, a new weight room from Gronk Fitness and an all-expenses-paid trip for up to 16 school representatives to the SEC Championship Game.
Seamus Gallagher earned the win on the mound for Uwharrie, allowing one earned run on one hit in ve innings of work with three walks and two strikeouts.
The Wampus Cats jumped out to a 3-0 lead before the Disco Turkeys scored two in the bottom of the second. Uwharrie scored at least one run in the team’s next four innings at the dish and led 11-3 through six innings. Both teams scored four runs in the ninth inning.
Despite the win, the rival Turkeys took the regular-season series against Uwharrie, 5-4. The
two teams will meet again this Friday in the tournament.
Saturday’s game
Greensboro Yard Goats 4, Uwharrie 3
The Cats wrapped up the regular season Sunday against the adult leaguers from Greensboro.
A close game the whole way, the Yard Goats scratched a run across in the top of the ninth to end the Cats’ regular season on a down note.
A walk and a one-out hit batter set the table in the ninth for
the Goats, then an RBI single to left put the visitors out front.
Uwharrie had two on with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but the last batter grounded out to rst to end the game. Rylan Furr took the loss in relief for Uwharrie. Malik Foster started for the Cats and struck out seven, allowing two earned runs in 32⁄3 innings of work with two walks and seven strikeouts. Caleb Collinger threw 31⁄3 innings in relief of Foster, allowing one earned run on two hits with a walk and six K’s.
After three scoreless innings, the Yard Goats got a two-out, two-RBI single in the top of the fourth to take a 2-0 lead.
Rhett Barker, with one swing of the bat, put Uwharrie on top in the bottom of the fth. With two on and two out, Barker drove the pitch over the center eld fence at Don Montgomery Park for a three-run homer.
Greensboro got a solo home run in the top of the sixth to tie the game, 3-3, before taking the lead in the ninth.
CHARLES CURCIO / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL
Matt Hardy twists the arm of Brock Anderson
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NOTICES
NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK 19-SP-64
NOTICE OF SERVICE PROCESS BY PUBLICATION
In The Matter Of MARK T. LOWDER, Public Administrator of the Estate of, BETTY TURNER, Deceased, Petitioner, vs. MARY HELEN WRIGHT WILLIAMS; EUNICE WRIGHT KENDALL; BONNIE WRIGHT HINSON; Heirs of James Wright Heirs of Diane Brown Wright; JAMES SWARINGEN; Heirs of Bobby Ray Wright: JOWANNA FISHER; AUSTRALIA WRIGHT; Heirs of William Earl Wright: EARL JUNIOR WRIGHT; Heirs of William Emanuel Wright: WILLIAM JAMIA WRIGHT; TYSEAN WRIGHT; WILHEMINA W. GREEN; DENISE W. HARRIS; RACHEL W. THREADGILL; Heirs of Clark Oliver Wright, Sr.: MARY TYSON WRIGHT (wife of Clark Oliver Wright, Sr. CLARK WRIGHT, JR.; AARON WRIGHT; EARL O. WRIGHT; LADEBORAH W. BRUTON; BERNICE W. WANCHIA; ANGEL W. JOHNSON; Heirs of MARTHA ELLEN WRIGHT; Heirs of Mae Esther Wright Martin:
BOBBY RUSHING, JR.; Heirs of Timothy Boyd Rushing:
TIMOTHY RUSHING, JR.; MIRANDA RUSHING; ERNEST B. RUSHING; TRAVIS L. RUSHING; MARY R. STEWART; Heirs of Elijah Wright; Heirs of Lois Wright Bennett: JAMES W. BENNETT, JR; KAREN RENA BENNETT; DAREN BENNETT; CHRISTOPHER S. BENNETT; and those persons born, unborn, and/or minors of BETTY TURNER, interested in the premises hereinafter described whose names are unknown to and cannot, after due diligence, be ascertained by the Petitioner, Respondents. TO:
MARY HELEN WRIGHT WILLIAMS
EUNICE WRIGHT KENDALL
BONNIE WRIGHT HINSON
JAMES SWARINGEN
JOWANNA FISHER
AUSTRALIA WRIGHT
EARL JUNIOR WRIGHT
WILLIAM JAMIA WRIGHT
TYSEAN WRIGHT
WILHEMINA W. GREEN
DENISE W. HARRIS
RACHEL W. THREADGILL
MARY TYSON WRIGHT
CLARK WRIGHT, JR.
AARON WRIGHT
EARL O. WRIGHT
LADEBORAH W. BRUTON
BERNICE W. WANCHIA
ANGEL W. JOHNSON
TORRENCE LOUIE FUNDERBURK
TORRENA FUNDERBURK SMITH
BOBBY RUSHING, JR.
TIMOTHY RUSHING, JR.
MIRANDA RUSHING
ERNEST. B. RUSHING
TRAVIS L. RUSHING
MARY R. STEWART
JAMES W. BENNETT, JR.
KAREN RENA BENNETT
DAREN BENNETT
CHRISTOPHER S. BENNETT
TAKE NOTICE that a pleading seeking relief against you has been led in the aboveentitled Special Proceeding. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: Petition for sale of real estate located at 242 Pearl Street, Albemarle, North Carolina to make assets. Petition for sale of real estate located at Vacant O NC 740 Hwy, Badin, North Carolina to make assets. You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than September 2, 2025 and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought. A hearing shall be held at 10:00 A.M. September 3, 2025 in the o ce of the Clerk of Superior Court, Room #301 of the Stanly County Courthouse, 201 S. Second St., Albemarle, NC 28001. All interested parties should appear. This the ____ day of
NOTICE
NOTICE
Reneé Rapp, ‘The Phoenician Scheme,’ Elvis’ rarities, Anthony Mackie and Jason Momoa
By Jocelyn Noveck
The Associated Press
BENICIO DEL TORO starring in Wes Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme” and Reneé Rapp’s second studio album are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also, among the streaming offerings worth your time: Jason Momoa brings his passion project “Chief of War” to Apple TV+, there’s a coxy Hobbit video game in Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game, and “Project Runway” tries out a new network home for its 21st season.
MOVIES TO STREAM
Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme” (streaming now on Peacock) stars Del Toro as Anatole “Zsa-zsa” Korda, a wealthy and unscrupulous European industrialist. After the latest assassination attempt on his life, he decides to leave his estate to one of his many children, Lisel (Mia Threapleton), a novitiate. Michael Cera co-stars as a Norwegian insect expect named Bjørn. In her review, the AP’s Jocelyn Noveck wrote that the lm nds Anderson “becoming even more, well, Wes Anderson than before.”
The Net ix romance “My Oxford Year” (streaming Friday) fol-
lows a young American student named Anna (So a Carson) in her long-dreamt-of year at Oxford University. Corey Mylchreest co-stars as a local love interest in the lm directed by Iain Morris.
Movie soundtracks once played so much more of a role in popular culture. A new series on the Criterion Channel collects some of the lms from the soundtrack’s heyday, the 1990s, when songs from movies like “Trainspotting” (1996) and “Singles” (1992) dominated the air-
So a Carson appears in a scene from the lm “My Oxford Year.”
waves and MTV. Also running this month on Criterion are “Grosse Pointe Blank” (1997), “So I Married an Axe Murderer” (1993) and “Judgement Night” (1993).
MUSIC TO STREAM
The King of Rock ’n’ Roll has returned. On Friday, to celebrate what would’ve been Elvis Presley’s 90th birthday year, a massive collection of 89 rarities will be released as a ve-disc CD boxset — and on all digital plat-
forms. Titled “Sunset Boulevard,” the series pulls from Presley’s 1970-75 Los Angeles recording sessions and rehearsals at RCA’s studios. There is no greater gift for the Elvis a cionado. Rapp will release her second studio album on Friday, the appropriately titled “Bite Me.” The 12-track release is imbued with Rapp’s edgy, lighthearted spirit — catchy R&B-pop songs about bad breakups and good hookups abound. It’ll put some pep in your step.
SERIES TO STREAM
“Project Runway” has had quite a life since it debuted in 2004 on Bravo. After its rst six seasons, the competition show is about fashion design moved to Lifetime for 11 seasons, then back to Bravo for a few years, and its new home for season 21 is Freeform. Christian Siriano — who won the show’s fourth season — is an executive producer, mentor and judge. He joins “Project Runway” OG host Heidi Klum, celebrity stylist extraordinaire Law Roach and fashion editor Nina Garcia. It premieres Thursday and streams on Disney+ and Hulu.
Comedian Leanne Morgan stars in her own multicam sitcom for Net ix called “Leanne,” debuting Thursday. Inspired by her own stand-up, Morgan plays a woman whose husband leaves her for another woman after more than three decades of marriage. Morgan stars
alongside sitcom vets Kristen Johnston and Tim Daly.
Anthony Mackie’s “Twisted Metal” is back on Peacock for a second season beginning Thursday. The show is adapted from a popular video game franchise and picks up about seven months after the events of season one.
Momoa brings his passion project “Chief of War” to Apple TV+ on Friday. Set in the late 18th century, Momoa plays Kauai, a nobleman and warrior, who plays a major part in the uni cation of the Hawaiian Islands. The series is based on true events and is told from an Indigenous point- of-view.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY Games set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth usually want to drag us back to Mount Doom for another confrontation with the Dark Lord. But what if you’re a Hobbit who just wants to hang out with your friends in your peaceful village? That’s your mission in Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game. It’s a cozy sim from Weta Workshop, the company behind the special e ects in Peter Jackson’s lms. You can grow a garden, go shing, trade with your neighbors and — most important for a Hobbit — cook and eat. It’s about as far from Mordor as it gets, and you can start decorating your own Hobbit Hole now on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch or PC.
ADOPTABLE FRIENDS
NICOLA DOVE / APPLE TV+ VIA AP
Te Kohe Tuhaka, from left, Jason Momoa and Siua Ikale’o star in the series “Chief of War.”
