Dells donate $6.25B to encourage families to claim “Trump Accounts”
Billionaires Michael and Susan Dell pledged a historic $6.25 billion on Tuesday to provide an incentive to families to adopt new investment accounts for children. The so-called “Trump Accounts” were created as part of President Donald Trump’s tax and spending legislation but have not yet launched. Through their gift, the Dells will deposit $250 into the investment accounts of 25 million children aged 10 and younger as an incentive for their families to claim the accounts and make investments in the stock market.
Doctor says Trump had screening MRI with “perfectly normal” results
Donald Trump’s doctor says the president had MRI imaging on his heart and abdomen in October as part of a preventative screening for men his age. That’s according to a memo from the physician released by the White House on Monday. Sean Barbabella said in a statement that Trump’s physical exam included “advanced imaging” that is “standard for an executive physical” in Trump’s age group. Barbabella concluded that the cardiovascular and abdominal imaging was “perfectly normal.”
Stanly commissioners name new chair, vice chair, committees
The commissioners also appointed applicants for two county boards
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Board of Commissioners met Monday night for its annual reorganizational meeting where a new chairman and vice chairman were chosen for the 2026 calendar year. Commissioners Scott E rd and Bill Lawhon were unanimously elected as chair and vice chair, respectively, succeeding Commissioners Mike
Barbee and Brandon King in those roles.
“Board, thank you so much for your con dence,” E rd said. “Before we go any fur-
ther, I would like to say thank you to Chairman Barbee and Vice Chairman King for all your service this year to our board. I know in some ways it’s
Albemarle police chief briefs council on code enforcement e orts
The presentation highlighted compliance e orts across the city
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — Albemarle Police Chief Ryan Manley provided city leaders with a detailed code enforcement update during Monday night’s Albemarle City Council meeting.
In his presentation, Manley said the Albemarle Police Department’s code enforcement team has made “signif-
icant progress” over the past three months in addressing nuisance and property violations across the city.
“Our mission remains clear: to preserve and enhance the health, safety and welfare of our community,” Manley said. “Our work is not done alone, and we rely on several of our governmental partners. We collaborate closely with the Albemarle Fire Department’s Fire Marshal’s O ce and Stanly County building inspectors. Together, we ensure that
been challenging, but I certainly appreciate your service.”
For board and committee assignments, Lawhon and King were appointed to the Economic Development Commission, while Commissioners Patty Crump and Trent Hatley will serve on the Consolidated Human Services Board. E rd was named to the Partners Behavioral Health Management Board, the Library Board and the Centralina Council of Governments, with Barbee serving as Centralina’s alternate. King and Hatley were also appointed to the Airport Authority.
PHOTOS BY DAN REEVES / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL
COMMUNITY NEWS
Concert band to perform holiday favorites Thursday
The Stanly County Concert Band will present its annual Christmas concert Thursday at 7 p.m. at Central United Methodist Church in downtown Albemarle.
Admission is free, but the band asks attendees to bring a nonperishable food item to donate to Stanly Community Christian Ministries. The concert typically collects about 200 pounds of food for the ministry.
The program features a mix of holiday favorites and encore performances from the band’s fall concert, including “Patapan,” a French carol dating to 1720; a Christmas Pops Medley with “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Jingle Bells,” and
NCWRC warns against taming deer after attacks across state
Multiple people have been hospitalized, and a dog was killed by deer raised or fed by humans
Stanly News Journal sta
RALEIGH — The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) is warning residents who attempts to tame or domesticate deer can have dangerous consequences, following multiple attacks across the state this year.
Incidents involving deer attacking people or dogs have been reported in Rockingham, Randolph, Wilkes, Onslow, Iredell and Cherokee counties. Most involved deer that had been regularly fed by residents or illegally raised by humans.
On Nov. 6, a 70-yearold Wilkes County woman was hospitalized after being gored by the antlers of a male deer near her mailbox.
On Oct. 21, a woman in Onslow County was attacked by a 3½-year-old buck that had been illegally raised as a fawn by an acquaintance, su er-
ing a puncture wound to her shoulder and neck along with scrapes and bruises.
In March, a Cherokee County man was treated at an urgent care facility for a lip laceration after being attacked by a neighbor’s alleged pet deer while gardening. More recently, a deer being fed by residents in an Iredell County subdivision killed a dog.
“Deer that lose their fear of humans can act in abnormal ways,” said April Boggs Pope, a deer biologist with the commission. “That male deer that seemed ne or friendly during the rest of the year can become dangerously aggressive during the rut. A male fawn that is treated like a pet can become a danger as an adult when hormones surge during mating season. Deer antlers and hooves can in ict serious injuries.”
In North Carolina, it is unlawful to hold a wild animal in captivity as a pet. Only licensed wildlife rehabilitators are permitted to rehabilitate fawns.
While feeding deer is not illegal in most areas, the
commission advises against hand-feeding or conditioning deer to approach people. Baiting and feeding is prohibited between Jan. 2 and Aug. 31 in Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Areas.
“Attempting to domesticate a wild deer creates safety concerns for people, and it rarely ends well for the deer,” said Colleen Olfenbuttel, the commission’s game mammals and surveys supervisor. “People trying to tame wild deer may think they are doing the deer a favor, but they are putting the deer at higher risk of malnourishment and poor health, as the articial foods provided by residents don’t contain the diverse nutrition needed by wild deer.”
Deer that attack people are typically euthanized, and Olfenbuttel noted that victims are often innocent bystanders rather than those who fed or tamed the deer.
Residents can contact the commission’s Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401 to report someone illegally housing deer or for guidance on human-deer con icts.
Dec.
5
An Albemarle
Downtown Christmas 5:30-8 p.m.
Dec. 6
From
Hands ... Holiday Craft Show
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sponsored by the Stanly Arts Guild, this is an opportunity to support local artisians while doing your holiday gift shopping.
330-C N. 2nd St. Albemarle
Norwood Christmas on the Square
4-8 p.m.
Norwood Farmer’s Market hosts this annual event with a holiday tree lighting, music, train rides for children and an arts and crafts vendor market.
124 N. Main St. Norwood
Candy Cane Crossing
8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Christmas festivities that encourage young readers is the theme of the day with a reading train conductor, a postal box for Santa, and other family-friendly holiday activities. Tickets are $5 per child.
Stanly CountyPartnership Children 1000 N. 1st St., #8 Albemarle
Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements to be published in Stanly News Journal. community@stanlynewsjournal.com Weekly deadline is Monday at Noon
“A Nutcracker Spectacular.” The evening concludes with an audience sing-along to “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”
THE CONVERSATION
Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
VISUAL VOICES
Marjorie Taylor Greene embodies the inanity of populism
Greene will almost surely take a dive down every rabbit hole that emerges.
DURING A RECENT stop on her image rehab tour, Marjorie Taylor Greene told CNN’s Dana Bash that she is sorry “for taking part in the toxic politics.” It has been, she added, “bad for the country.” A week later, Greene nally did something patriotic by announcing her retirement.
It’s fair to say Greene is one of the most well-known GOP House members in the nation. Greene, though, is famous because her nitwittery has been endlessly highlighted by the media and Democrats to cast the Republican Party as one of hayseeds and conspiracists.
And, in all fairness, Greene might be one of the biggest ignoramuses to ever serve in Congress, which is no small achievement when one considers the “Squad” exists. If I asked you to name a single piece of legislation Greene has sponsored, you would probably be at a loss. If I asked you to name an important policy she has championed, an uplifting speech she has delivered or an area of expertise she has mastered, you would not think of any because there have been none.
Once the president reportedly dissuaded her from running for higher o ce in Georgia, Greene’s loyalty dissipated. Scorned, she became rudderless and useless. There is nothing left for her because there was not much there to begin with.
Donald Trump has contended that Greene went “BAD” and became a “ranting lunatic.” This is wrong. She has always been a ranting lunatic and an early adopter of the unhinged conspiratorial notions that have now infected so much of the populist right.
“I was a victim, just like you were, of media
lies and stu you read on social media,” Greene appealed to the women on “The View” when confronted with her past. It’s undeniable that the (well-earned) collapse of trust in both media and experts has created a vacuum that’s now lled by a horde of hucksters.
Victims such as Greene are easy marks for online con artists and propagandists because they lack a substantive belief system, organizing principles, coherent worldviews or historical perspective to repel conspiracies. Asking questions can be an admirable quality of an inquisitive mind. Asking questions such as “Are space-based solar lasers built by the Rothschilds starting California wild res?” makes you a paranoid dolt.
Greene, of course, was in on the Pizzagate and QAnon stu from the beginning. She suggested that the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas may have been staged by gun control activists and questioned whether the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was a “massive false ag.” You would be hard-pressed to nd a conspiracy on the “right” that she did not entertain.
Let us also not forget that Greene was one of the rst — and only — elected o cials to cozy up to the Groypers who are being normalized by the online NatCon Right. Greene spoke at a 2022 white nationalist junior varsity jamboree in Florida held by Tucker Carlson’s friend Nick Fuentes, who believes that Jews are “race traitors,” denies the Holocaust happened and believes segregation was bene cial for black Americans.
Florida’s lawsuit against Planned Parenthood just the beginning
Abortion drugs are now sent through the mail with no requirement for an in-person exam.
THIS MONTH, Florida Attorney General James Ulthmier led a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood for false advertising.
Not over a billing dispute or a sloppy ad claim. Instead, the country’s largest abortion provider has been telling women that its “product” — speci cally the abortion pill drugs mifepristone and misoprostol — is “as safe as taking a Tylenol.”
The truth is far more serious.
As a Florida mother of four daughters, I’m relieved to see our state o cials recognize the increased risks of taking the abortion pill and the life that it ends inside the womb. Planned Parenthood should be held accountable for deceiving women and killing their preborn children. Furthermore, the FDA should take note and remove its approval of all abortion drugs and review these risks in-depth for the safety of all women.
The Florida lawsuit claims that Planned Parenthood’s campaign to induce women to purchase abortion drugs by misrepresenting the risks of chemical abortion violates the Florida law. The gross misrepresentation of a drug designed intentionally to take the life of a preborn child can be found on Planned Parenthood’s website, in printed materials, and in television advertisements. In fact, the organization claims that chemical abortion is “extremely safe” in all its descriptions.
However, the data suggests otherwise.
A recent analysis from the Ethics and Public Policy Center of hundreds of thousands of insurance claims shows one in 10 women su er severe complications within 45 days of taking mifepristone. We’re talking about things like hemorrhaging, infections or even sepsis, which can turn deadly fast. That’s 22 times higher than what the prescription label claims. Doesn’t sound like Tylenol to me.
Chemical abortion involves two drugs: mifepristone and misoprostol. The rst pill
starves the developing baby; the second forces the mother’s body to deliver her dead child through hours of violent cramping and bleeding, often far worse than the “mild period” symptoms Planned Parenthood describes. Post-abortive testimonials say they were lied to, left alone on bathroom oors, terri ed and hemorrhaging, some permanently scarred or sterilized.
Planned Parenthood’s lies are a deliberate cover-up for the violence they knowingly in ict. By denying the scienti c fact that life begins at conception, they not only hurt women with these drugs but also take the innocent life in the womb. And abortion pill access is easier than ever, even in our pro-life state. Due to the Biden administration’s elimination of nearly all safeguards, abortion drugs are now sent through the mail with no requirement for an in-person exam, ultrasound or follow-up care. Furthermore, there are no regulations governing where or to whom these pills are distributed. Women, many of them minors, are left alone to bleed out in their bathrooms, risking their health and future fertility, all while Planned Parenthood cashes in on another customer.
The Florida lawsuit is a crucial step in the process, but we can’t stop here. This ling should be a wake-up call to the FDA, acting as a catalyst for the new HHS leadership to nally review the abortion pill’s risks as promised. Planned Parenthood must be held fully accountable for deceiving women and killing their preborn children. The FDA should immediately remove its approval of all abortion drugs and conduct a thorough, unbiased review for the safety of every mother and the protection of every child.
This bold action by Uthmeier builds on the courageous leadership of Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has made Florida a national beacon for protecting preborn life over the past several years. From signing the 15-week protection in 2022 to boldly enacting
At the time, Greene pleaded ignorance of these positions, contending she was merely there to “talk to an audience” of young people. She never once confronted attendees to rethink their identitarian views, as she basked in their applause. Greene is either mind-bogglingly gullible or an ally. With her, both options are wholly plausible.
Let us be charitable and concede it’s the former. Greene is no less credulous these days as she tries to appeal to the left. She broke with Trump by falling for the Democrats’ scaremongering over Obamacare subsidies during the government shutdown. She bought the Gaza “genocide” hoax just like she bought into Pizzagate. A big proponent of releasing the Epstein “ les,” Greene will almost surely take a dive down every rabbit hole that emerges. I’m often told that it’s “elitist” to mock these champions of average Americans. We need more “normal” people in Congress, they say. Absolutely. We have too many lawyers and professional activists running in Washington and far too few successful Americans who comprehend the real-world concerns of a diverse population. To say Greene is a normal American, however, is to contend that a normal American is an imbecile, which is not true. Indeed, there are millions of “average” Americans who are curious, smart, idealistic, capable and problem solvers. The representative of Georgia’s 14th Congressional District possesses none of those attributes.
Greene’s resignation from Congress will take e ect on Jan. 6, 2026, exactly in time for a lifelong pension to kick in. Greene was unable to ful ll a two-year commitment to her constituents because her feelings were hurt. Despite enabling her twice, they should consider themselves lucky. We have always had embarrassingly low standards for electing o cials. But they are not often this low.
David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner.
the Heartbeat Protection Act in 2023, banning abortion after six weeks when a baby’s heartbeat can already be detected, DeSantis has stood unapologetically for the most vulnerable among us. He fought tirelessly against the radical Amendment 4 last year, which would have stripped away nearly all protections for preborn children and allowed abortion on demand up to birth in many cases.
Thanks to DeSantis’ leadership and the e orts of pro-life Floridians, Amendment 4 was defeated, falling short of the required 60% even as the abortion industry poured millions into deceiving voters.
Yet the abortion lobby is still attempting a run-around of our laws by ooding Florida with mail-order pills and out-of-state telehealth prescriptions. Chemical abortion already accounts for more than 60% of all abortions nationwide. If we allow these dangerous drugs to ow unchecked into our state, we will undo everything Florida families have fought for.
That’s why this lawsuit matters. That’s why Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s promise to reexamine the abortion pill’s risks matters. And that’s why we must keep pushing until these drugs are removed from the market entirely.
In his X post about the lawsuit, Uthmeier said, “We stand by our women.” But Planned Parenthood does not.
Here in the “Free State of Florida,” under leaders like DeSantis and Uthmeier, we will keep leading the nation by exposing the lies of the abortion industry, defending women and their innocent children, and fostering a culture of life because every human life from conception is sacred and deserves protection.
Kimberly Bird is a communications specialist at Live Action and lives in Florida with her husband and four children. This column was rst published by Daily Caller News Foundation.
COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI
Why doing good also makes us feel good, during holiday season, beyond
Volunteering brings people closer to their communities
By Christina Larson The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The holiday season is a time for giving thanks, giving gifts — and for many, a time for giving back.
Food banks, services that deliver meals to seniors and other U.S. charities typically see a surge in volunteering between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. But there are good reasons to volunteer at any time of the year.
Alfred Del Grosso volunteers weekly to work the lunch shift at Shepherd’s Table, a food bank in Silver Spring, Maryland. “I feel more connected to the broader community,” he said.
Most Thursdays, the retired chemist from Kensington, Maryland, also lends an unpaid hand to help clear fallen trees and brush from local trails with the Potomac Appalachian Trail
Club. “It’s mostly volunteers who help maintain the trails,” he said.
Researchers who study human evolution and social psychology say that giving back is deeply rooted in human nature. Volunteers say they feel closer ties to the communities they serve.
“When we feel grateful for all we have, that motivates us to do good things for other people who have helped us, and also to do good things for new people,” said Sarah Schnitker, a psychologist at Baylor University.
“There’s a nice upwards reciprocal spiral between gratitude and generosity,” often enhanced at holiday times, she said.
For many in the U.S., the season most associated with giving, receiving and volunteering runs from Thanksgiving through Hanukkah and Christmas to New Year’s.
But around the world, a giving season or festival is present in many cultures, said Amrisha Vaish, a developmental psychologist at the University of Virginia.
“Nearly all cultures have events or public festivals that al-
low people to express gratitude,” she said. “In Hinduism, Divali is a time of lights and festiveness and good eating, but also a time in which people give gifts to really express what people have meant to them.”
For Muslims, Ramadan, which ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, is a time for reection, gratitude and acts of charity. Many Buddhist traditions also emphasize gratitude.
The common purpose of such seasons, which also include nonreligious acts of service, is to reinforce our natural cooperative tendencies, Vaish said.
“In human evolutionary history over hundreds of thousands of years, we’ve had to become cooperative in order to work together and survive as a species,” she said.
“We don’t have sharp claws, high speed, many other natural abilities. But what we do have is that we’re super cooperators; we can do more in groups than alone.”
Of course, humans aren’t always cooperative and generous
— sometimes we’re also sel sh and stubborn.
The tension between sel shness and altruism was recognized even by Darwin, said Michael Tomasello, a psychologist at Duke University. “That’s why life is so complicated. We have all these motives mapped together.”
But re ecting with gratitude on what we have, and seeing others do good, can encourage our most generous tendencies, experts say.
On an individual level, “giving, volunteering and generosity have the ability to increase our sense of meaning and purpose in life,” said Jenae Nelson, a developmental psychologist at Brigham Young University
“There’s a quick dopamine hit sometimes called the ‘helpers high.’ But there’s also that deeper reward of helping us to establish purpose and meaning,” she said. “By helping other people and believing that small acts can change the world, you can bring coherence to your own life.”
After Mia Thelen retired as a nurse in Owosso, Michi-
gan, she began volunteering for the American Red Cross, starting out by minding the o ce phones during blood drives before gradually taking on more organizational and administrative responsibilities.
“It’s a good way to spend your time, making the lives of others a little easier,” Thelen said. “I wanted to do something that helps the community.
“And I’m learning a lot: learning computer skills, learning communication skills. I have great co-volunteers.”
She enjoys feeling more connected with her neighbors.
Another common holiday tradition — sending greeting cards to family and old friends — also provides a chance to enhance or renew social ties, which people are often surprisingly reluctant to do, said Lara Aknin, a social psychologist at Simon Fraser University.
Her research has shown that “people are actually hesitant to reach out to old friends, they worry about being a burden or an inconvenience,” she said. But on the ip side, “people who’ve just heard from old friends report it as a really positive experience.”
So go ahead and write those cards or make those phone calls, she said. Use the holidays as an excuse to reconnect, and share a laugh or a warm mulled drink.
‘Rage bait’ named Oxford University Press word of year as outrage fuels social media tra c in 2025
Other contenders included “aura farming” and “biohack”
The Associated Press
“We tend to engage more with negative content and content that really provokes us.”
Susie Dent, lexicographer
LONDON — Oxford University Press has named “rage bait’’ as its word of the year, capturing the internet zeitgeist of 2025. The phrase refers to online content that is “deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative or o ensive,” with the aim of driving tra c to a particular social media account, Oxford
CODES from page
properties are safe, maintained and compliant with city and state standards.”
Over the past quarter, the city’s code enforcement team received 116 complaints, including 37 code violations and 79 nuisance violations. The team also removed 190 illegally posted signs, issued 116 warnings, sent 83 notices of violation and scheduled 12 hearings.
The division, which was moved under the APD, now includes a full-time chief code enforcement o cer and a secondary o cer as it handles issues ranging from tall grass and junk vehicles to abandoned structures.
said in a statement.
“The person producing it will bask in the millions, quite often, of comments and shares and even likes sometimes,’’ lexicographer Susie Dent told the BBC. This is a result of the algorithms used by social media companies “because although we love u y cats, we’ll appreciate that we tend to engage more with negative content and content that really provokes us.”
Rage bait topped two other contenders — “aura farming’’
Residents can report problems through albemarlenc. gov, where complaints are categorized as either code or nuisance violations. Manley said the most common issues continue to involve overgrown grass, inoperable vehicles and dilapi-
dated or abandoned buildings.
In addition to general enforcement, the department has worked closely with property
and “biohack’’ — after public comment on a shortlist compiled by lexicographers at Oxford University Press.
“Aura farming’’ means to cultivate a public image by presenting oneself in “a way intended subtly to convey an air of condence, coolness or mystique.’’ “Biohack’’ is de ned as “an attempt to improve or optimize one’s physical or mental performance, health or longevity.’’
The word of the year is selected by lexicographers at Oxford
owners to assist with demolitions and renovations at several locations.
Three demolitions have recently taken place at 731 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, 1231 East Main St. and 901 Concord Road. The team is also coordinating with owners of properties at 443 Colston St., 624 South Center St. and 435 Watt St. to address structural concerns.
Manley also highlighted progress at 300 South First St., where gra ti has been removed and stagnant water eliminated.
Renovations are scheduled to begin June 1, 2026, and a hearing is planned for Dec. 15 to determine the necessary repairs under city ordinances.
Councilmembers praised the department’s proactive approach and expressed support for continued transparency and community engagement.
University Press who analyze new and emerging words, as well as changes in the way language is being used, to identify words of “cultural signi cance.” Oxford University Press, publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary, has selected a word of the year annually since 2004. Past winners include “podcast” in 2005, “emoji” in 2015, and in 2022 “goblin mode,” which described people who resisted returning to normal life after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is just another great example of your commitment to the city and your leadership ability,” Councilmember Bill Aldridge told Manley. “As we sit up here trying to recruit business and new residents, this is a very important area of opportunity for us to clean the place up. As you drive through downtown, getting grati o the buildings and getting the tall grass removed are really important when we look to attract new industry or residents.”
City o cials agreed to receive code enforcement updates every three months to keep the public informed of progress and challenges.
The Albemarle City Council will hold its next regular meeting on Dec. 14 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.
COURTESY CITY OF ALBEMARLE
Albemarle Police Chief Ryan Manley presented a code enforcement update at the Albemarle City Council meeting on Monday night.
Melania Trump reveals White House Christmas decorations
This year’s theme is “Home Is Where the Heart Is”
By Darlene Superville
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Melania Trump on Monday unveiled the holiday decorations for her family’s rst Christmas back at the White House and her theme is “Home Is Where the Heart Is.”
The decor also nods to next year’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and founding of the United States of America.
Several dozen volunteer decorators from across the country helped deck the halls of the executive mansion with 75 wreaths, 51 Christmas trees, more than 700 feet of garland, more than 2,000 strands of lights, over 25,000 feet of ribbon, over 2,800 gold stars, more than 10,000 butter ies and 120 pounds of gingerbread.
A few things are di erent because President Donald Trump tore down the East Wing to build a ballroom he’s long desired.
This year, the o cial White House Christmas tree, which is always on display in the Blue Room, also honors Gold Star families, those that lost a member during active-duty military service.
That tree was an East Wing xture and the rst one visitors encountered after they entered through those doors, but the building and a covered walkway, or colonnade, connecting it to the White House were demolished by Trump in October as part of his ballroom plan.
Public tours, which had been suspended because of the construction, were set to resume Tuesday but with a shorter route limited to just the State Floor, which includes the East Room; the Green, Blue and Red
Commissioner Billy Mills will serve on the Fire District Commission and the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, while Lawhon was selected for the Senior Services Board. Crump will represent the county on the Rural Planning Organization Board, with Mills serving as her alternate. Lastly, Hatley was appointed to the Stanly Water and Sewer Authority, with Barbee as the alternate.
The board and committee assignments all received unanimous support from the
commissioners. Later in the meeting, the commissioners provided feedback on the new chair positions.
“I congratulate Mr. E rd on being the chair,” Barbee said. “It has been an up-and-down year, but I appreciate everybody backing me up on it. I look forward to serving out the rest of the term.” Lawhon added, “I want to recognize Commissioner Barbee and Commissioner King for serving as chair and vice chair. Thank you for that extra bit of service.”
Following the’ organizational procedures, the commission-
the State
and the Grand Foyer.
the
meil and China Rooms on the Ground Floor — one level below the State Floor — were cut from the tour route because of the construction.
The White House expects tens of thousands of visitors for holiday tours, receptions and parties before Christmas. Visitors will now enter through the North Portico doors on Pennsylvania Avenue using a new, semipermanent walkway and entrance.
A statement from the White House said Christmas is a time to celebrate what makes the U.S. exceptional and that while every home has its own traditions, shared values unite Americans.
“In every community, we are lifted by simple acts of kindness that re ect the enduring American spirit of generosity, patriotism, and gratitude,” the statement said. “These moments remind us that the heart of America is strong and that Home Is Where The Heart Is.”
Planning for the holidays starts months in advance, and the White House said Melania Trump chose every detail of the decor.
Trees in the East Room are trimmed in patriotic red, white and blue and national symbols, including golden eagle tree toppers, to highlight the coming America250 national celebration.
The o cial White House Christmas tree in the Blue
Room is decorated with gold stars honoring families that lost a member in the line of active-duty military service. The o cial tree traditionally recognizes each state and territory and this year’s r is decorated with ornaments showcasing the o cial bird and ower of each.
The Green Room celebrates family fun, featuring large portraits of the rst and the current presidents, George Washington and Donald Trump, respectively, each made from more than 6,000 Lego puzzle pieces.
Thousands of blue butter ies decorate the Red Room and its tree in a celebration of young people and in tribute to Melania Trump’s Fostering the Future initiative, which is part of her Be Best child-focused initiative, to support people who have been in foster care.
A holiday highlight, the gingerbread White House on display in the State Dining Room shows o the mansion’s South Portico and o ers a special glimpse into the Yellow Oval Room, a sitting room o the Truman Balcony in the president’s private living quarters on the second oor.
It was made using 120 pounds of gingerbread, 100 pounds of pastillage, a sugar-based modeling paste; over 10 pounds of chocolate and 5 pounds of royal icing. Part of the White House creche is on display in the Grand Foyer while the rest of it is undergoing a restoration overseen by the curator’s o ce.
Most of the tree trimming and hall decking was done after the Trumps decamped to their Florida home early last week for the Thanksgiving holiday. They returned to the White House on Sunday.
ers approved appointments to the Board of Equalization and Review and the Senior Services Advisory Board.
Larry McGuire and Kodi Smith were newly appointed to the Board of Equalization and Review, joining reappointed Vice Chair Garrett Allen. Polly Martin, Ava Plott and Roland Thomas were named to ll three vacancies on the Senior Services Advisory Board.
The Stanly County Board of Commissioners will hold its next regular meeting on Jan. 5 at 6 p.m. in the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons.
Rooms;
Dining Room; the Cross Hall;
The Library and
Ver-
PHOTOS BY EVAN VUCCI / AP PHOTO
A Ginger Bread House decorates the State Dining Room of the White House during a press preview of the Christmas decorations.
OBITUARIES
IN MEMORY
Montie Lee (Hartsell) Clem
Dec. 6, 1931 – Nov. 16, 2025
Montie Lee (Hartsell) Clem, a North Carolina native, passed away peacefully Sunday morning, Nov. 16, 2025, at her home in Frederick, Md. Her death at age 93 was from natural causes.
Born Dec. 6, 1931, in Stanly County, N.C., she was the only child of James Ellis and Dora Ann Treece Hartsell, and the beloved wife of the late Rev. Joseph H. Clem, who predeceased her in 1993. The couple met while attending Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C., and married following their graduation in 1954.
A member of the Endy High School Class of 1950, Montie earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Catawba College, then began her career in Lancaster, Pa., where she taught from 1954 to 1957 while her husband attended Seminary. She loved primary education, so after raising her family she returned to teaching in Frederick County, Md., public schools from 1967 to 1992. During that time, she received a master’s degree from Shepherd
College in Shepherdstown, W.Va.
Memories of Montie are fondly cherished by two sons and daughters-in-law, Michael and Kathleen of Libertytown, Md., and Ellis and Robin of Fair eld, Pa.
Montie enjoyed travel. In retirement she visited 44 U.S. states and many foreign parts around the globe, from Great Britain to New Zealand, Canada to Scandinavia, Australia to Germany, Russia to Bermuda, and France to Fiji. She experienced a variety of transportation on her excursions, including camel, steamboat, and hot air balloon. A sociable, jocular person, Montie made many friends on her trips. Throughout her life Montie remained a loyal supporter of her alma mater as a member of the Catawba College True Blue Society. She also belonged to the Frederick County Retired School Personnel Association, Maryland Retired School Personnel Association, and the Frederick Memorial Hospital Select Club.
A graveside service will be held at Pine Grove Methodist Church Cemetery, Albemarle, at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, where she will be laid to rest with her husband and parents.
In lieu of owers, the family requests memorial contributions be made in their mother’s honor to Pine Grove Methodist Church Cemetery Fund, 28766 NC 24/27 Highway, Albemarle, NC, 28001, or The Catawba Fund at Catawba College, 2300 West Innes St., Salisbury, NC, 28144. Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle is serving the Clem family. Online condolences may be made at www.hartsellfh.com
DELORES LOWDER WYATT
FEB. 23, 1950 – NOV. 24, 2025
Delores Ann Lowder Wyatt, 75, of Gold Hill, passed away peacefully on November 24, 2025, at Bethany Woods Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. A private family service will be held to honor and celebrate her life.
Born February 23, 1950, in Mecklenburg County, NC, Delores was the daughter of the late Martin Delmar Lowder and Martha Barbee Lowder. Delores devoted her career to Stanly Regional Medical Center, where she served faithfully as Food Service Director. She was known for her strong work ethic, her kindness, and her deep loyalty to both her family and her sta . Delores cared for her employees as if they were her own family, always willing to lend a hand, o er encouragement, or give the shirt o her back.
She especially loved the Christmas season, nding joy in decorating, celebrating, and creating warm holiday memories for those she loved.
Delores is survived by her husband of nearly 55 years, Tommy Lee Wyatt; her son, Jason Wyatt and wife Alicia of Jacksonville, NC; her brother, Steve Lowder and wife Teresa of Albemarle; two nephews, Michael Lowder and wife Laura of Albemarle, and Nathan Wyatt and wife Dominique of Statesville; brother-in-law, Larry Wyatt of Gold Hill; numerous great nieces and great nephews, and her beloved dog, Holly.
The family requests that memorials be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org.
CRAIG ALLEN THOMAS
FEB. 2, 1969 – NOV. 29, 2025
He was born in Charlotte on February 2, 1969, to Julia Wolfe Thomas and Carl Holland Thomas.
Craig received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Urban and Regional Planning. After receiving his degrees, he worked for various towns in the Charlotte area, most recently as Planning Director for the Town of Midland.
He married Brenda Campany on July 18, 1998, at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte. After meeting through mutual friends from UNC, they quickly learned that they shared a love for the outdoors - hiking, camping, mountain biking, playing tennis, and competing in co-ed softball leagues.
Craig loved working in the public sector and the relationships he made within this relatively small community, but his favorite job by far was being a father. He deeply cherished the four years he was a stay-at-home dad for Seth and Peyton. He lled their days with the perfect combination of learning and fun, which helped shape the adults they are today.
Craig never tired of spending countless hours with Seth drawing maps, completing crosswords, and driving to train stations and train crossings (often multiple times a day much to Peyton’s disappointment) to count the number of engines and cars as they went by. They would talk about where the trains came from, where they were going, and what they had on board.
Peyton and Craig had their own imaginative world. They would dance and sing, bake, play dress-up, have spa days, build crutches, cardboard cars, and tightropes, and go on regular outdoor adventures. They shared the same smart wit and quirky sense of humor. There is nothing he wouldn’t do for his little girl.
Through the years, Craig’s dogs were a constant source of light for him. From Honey barking “Happy Birthday” to Greta, Craig and Brenda’s rst dog, to Tanner and Duste. Lastly, he absolutely adored his sidekick Josie. He gave her the best rst three years of her life full of car rides, running outside, and kitchen dance parties.
Craig was blessed with the rare gift of being able to nd extreme joy in everyday activities - playing tennis with neighborhood buddies and friends, Sunday lunches with his mom, pranking people at the o ce, and sharing funny dad jokes with anyone who would listen. Everyone who knew him knew he bled Carolina Blue. He could recite stats from any Carolina football or basketball game, even those that occurred before he was born.
Craig was predeceased by his father, Carl Holland Thomas Jr. Besides his mother, he is survived by his wife, Brenda, son Seth (Boston), daughter Peyton (New York City), sister Leesa Clardy (Jim) of Charlotte, brother Scott (Dorothy) of Gainesville, FL, and several adored nieces and nephews.
There will be a visitation on Wednesday, December 3, 5-8 p.m. at Hartsell Funeral Home, Harrisburg, NC, and a memorial service on Thursday, December 4, 11:00 a.m. at Saint Stephen United Methodist Church, 6800 Sardis Rd, Charlotte, NC. Memorials in Craig’s honor may be made to the Humane Society of Concord and Greater Cabarrus County, 2010 Wilshire Ct. SW Concord humanesocietyofconcord.org.
LARRY EUGENE LITAKER
Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Stanly News Journal at obits@ stanlynewsjournal.com
FEB. 6, 1950 – NOV. 29, 2025
Larry Eugene Litaker, 75, of Albemarle, passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday, November 29, 2025.
A funeral service to honor his life will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, in the Stanly Funeral Home Chapel, o ciated by Rev. Eddie Barbee. The family will receive friends at the funeral home beginning at 2 p.m.
Born February 6, 1950, in Stanly County, Larry was the son of the late Robert William Litaker and Ruby Faye Whitley Litaker. He spent many years working for Charlotte Pipe in Charlotte before retiring to farm, a role that suited his hardworking, down-to-earth nature.
Larry enjoyed the simple, meaningful pleasures of life. He loved shing and hunting, spending time at the beach, and had a special appreciation for old muscle cars. These passions brought him joy and gave him countless memories with those he loved.
Larry is survived by his wife, Linda Litaker, of the home; his children, Lionel Litaker (Nikki) of Albemarle and Leighanne Banemanivong (Smith) of Albemarle; and his grandchildren, Lindsay Litaker, William Litaker, Weston Banemanivong, and Gracelyn Benemanivong.
He was preceded in death by his grandson, Holden Benemanivong, whose memory remained close to his heart.
VIVIAN POLK GREGORY
JUNE 28, 1941 – NOV. 30, 2025
Vivian Carol Polk Gregory, 84, of Norwood, peacefully passed away on Sunday, November 30, 2025, at Atrium Health Stanly.
In accordance with the family’s wishes, there will be no formal services at this time.
Born June 28, 1941, in Stanly County, she was the daughter of the late George and Ruby Polk. Vivian devoted many years to the textile industry before her retirement and was a faithful attendee of Freedom Holiness. She will be remembered as a caring wife, a devoted mother, and a proud grandmother whose love was felt deeply by her family.
She is lovingly survived by her husband, Grady E. Gregory; her daughters, Talina Gregory (Rob Avila) of Kennebunkport, ME, and Neka Gregory Watson of Norwood, NC; and her cherished grandchildren, Dante Rhys Avila and Kaia Lynn Watson. She is also survived by her sister, Crystal Wooten (Mike).
STANLY SPORTS
West Stanly boys storm past Gray Stone with big second half
The game was tied 28-28 at halftime
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
MISENHEIMER — With an o ensive surge after halftime, the West Stanly boys’ basketball team earned its rst victory of the season Nov, 24, defeating Gray Stone 72-50 in Misenheimer.
The Colts (1-2) and Knights (0-3) were tied 28-28 at the break before West Stanly broke loose in the second half. The Colts outscored Gray Stone by seven in the third quarter and 15 in the fourth to secure the win.
West Stanly opened the second half with a 19-7 run, briefly allowing the Knights to trim the margin before pulling away for good with a 23-point fourth quarter.
Senior guard Drew Hatley led all scorers with 26 points, while fellow seniors Cade Hinson and Cooper Crisco added 17 and 10, respectively.
The win marked a step in the right direction for a West Stanly program seeking its rst winning season since 2021-22. The Colts went 10-15 last year, including 5-8 in Rocky River Conference play.
Gray Stone, still chasing its rst winning season in program history, nished 3-17 and 0-11 in Yadkin Valley Conference play last year. West Stanly was set to host Albemarle on Tuesday before visiting South Stanly on Friday. The Knights hosted Anson on Tuesday and will travel to CATA on Wednesday.
North Stanly 53, East Rowan 44
Entering the season with 12 consecutive winning seasons, the North Stanly Comets (1-0) opened their schedule with a nine-point home win over the East Rowan Mustangs (2-2) on Nov. 19.
Pfei er soccer players awarded CSC Academic All-District honors
“Their achievements not only highlight individual excellence but also re ect the supportive environment at Pfei er University that fosters both academic success and athletic prowess.”
Pfei er Athletics
Three Falcons advanced to the Academic All-America ballot
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
MISENHEIMER — Ten
Pfei er University soccer players have been recognized among the honorees on the 2025 Academic All-District Soccer Teams, as selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC).
Six Falcons from the men’s squad and four from the women’s team earned the distinction, highlighting a balance of athletic and academic success.
Representing the men’s program were Alex Michael, Wesley Hooker, Jaiden Wright, Juan Cabrera, Seth Limbert and Benji Landaverde. Together, the six selections accounted for a full third of the 18 USA South Athletic Conference honorees.
The Pfei er men’s soccer team posted a superb 2025 season, nishing with a 13 - 0 - 4 overall record and an undefeated run through the regular season under coach Tony Faticoni for the USA South title.
From the women’s team, Kaylee Ollis, Crysty Flores-Perez, Yasmin Flores-Perez and Karlie Pressley were included, making up four of the 23 league representatives.
The Falcon women’s soccer team experienced a more di cult 2025, nishing with a 2-12-1 overall record and 1-7-1 in USA South conference play under coach Acasio Roche III.
Academic All-District honorees are considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America ballot, which recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for excellence both on the eld and in the classroom.
Pfei er’s Michael, Hooker and Limbert each earned that additional honor and have ad-
COURTESY COLLEGE SPORTS COMMUNICATORS
A combined 10 players from Pfei er’s soccer programs have been awarded CSC Academic All-District honors.
vanced to the national ballot.
The All-America teams are scheduled to be announced Dec. 16.
“Their achievements not only highlight individual excellence but also re ect the supportive environment at Pfei er University that fosters both academic success and athletic prowess,” Pfei er Athletics said in a statement. “Pfei er’s honorees have balanced rigorous academic schedules with the demands of collegiate athletics, embodying the ideal of the student-athlete.”
Each year, CSC’s Academic All-District program honors standout student athletes across multiple sports and divisions for their dedication to both their grades and competition. The program separately recognizes honorees in NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III and NAIA.
The Division III Academic All-America program is partially supported by NCAA Division III’s national governance structure, which assists CSC in administering the awards for the 2025-26 academic year.
For more information on the CSC Academic All-District and Academic All-America programs, visit academicallamerica.com.
The Comets, who nished 22-7 overall and 8-3 in Yadkin Valley Conference play last year, made it to the second round of the NCHSAA 2A state playo s in 2024-25. North Stanly played at Montgomery Central on Tuesday and will head to Bradford Prep on Wednesday.
Game-high point total for West Stanley’s Drew Hatley
Albemarle 58, Uwharrie Charter Academy 47
In their fourth game of the season, the Albemarle Bulldogs (2-2) topped the Uwharrie Charter Eagles (1-3) 58-47 in Asheboro on Nov. 25, snapping a two-game skid following losses to Forest Hills and Anson.
Albemarle’s two wins already match its total from last season’s 2-21 campaign, which included a 2-9 record in YVC play.
The Bulldogs traveled to West Stanly on Tuesday and will continue on the road two days later to face Bishop McGuinness on Thursday.
Piedmont 59, South Stanly 39
The South Stanly Rowdy Rebel Bulls (0-1) fell behind by 20 points at halftime and couldn’t rally in a road loss to the Piedmont Panthers (2-2) on Nov. 24.
South Stanly is coming o a 17-9 season in which it nished second in Yadkin Valley Conference play at 8-2 and reached the second round of the 1A state playo s. The Bulls hosted CATA on Tuesday and then welcomed Anson to Norwood for a game on Wednesday.
COURTESY GRAY STONE ATHLETICS / FACEBOOK
Goalkeeper Matthew Lappin was named all-region and all-state.
Local boys’ soccer players earn postseason honors
The NCSCA released its All-State and All-Region lists
Stanly News Journal sta
THE NORTH CAROLINA Soccer Coaches Association released its All-State and All-Region lists for the 2025 season. Here are the local athletes who earned postseason honors.
Named to the 1A/2A/3A All Region for the Charlotte Area region were:
Walker Bullard
Gray Stone Day junior mid elder
Matthew Lappin
Senior goalkeeper
Auden Pethel
Senior mid elder
Lappin led the Yadkin Valley conference in goals-against average and was seventh in Class 2A. Bullard led the Knights in scoring, was third in goals and second in assists. He was also named all-region last season. Pethel was second on the team in goals.
Named to the 4A/5A/6A All Region team for Charlotte Metro region was:
Blessings Byamunga
West Stanly sophomore striker/mid elder
Byamunga led the Colts in goals and points while ranking second on the team in assists.
Gray Stone assistant Wesleigh Little was named all state assistant coach for class 2A. Lappin and Bullard were also named to the all-state team for class 2A.
Number of local athletes named All Region in boys’ soccer
West Stanly’s Cooper Crisco drives to the hoop during the Colts’ road matchup at Gray Stone on Nov. 24.
Ukrainian sumo wrestler Aonishiki nears pinnacle of Japan’s national sport
The 21-year-old has been named ozeki, the second-highest rating
By Stephen Wade
The Associated Press
TOKYO — Ukrainian sumo wrestler Aonishiki is only 21 but has moved just one step from the top rank of Japan’s national sport.
In an elaborate ceremony last week, he was promoted by the Japan Sumo Association to the rank of ozeki, the rung just below the top. Only two now hold the top rank of yokozuna — grand champion in English: Japanese Onosato and Mongolia-born Hoshoryu.
“I’m happy, but I feel more strongly about working harder from now on,” Aonishiki said last Wednesday after the ceremony. “There is a higher rank, and that’s my next goal.”
Sumo’s new rising star, who wrestles under the ring name of Aonishiki Arata, was born Danilo Yavhushyshyn in west central Ukraine and has identi ed his hometown as Vinnytsia.
He moved to Japan after Russia invaded Ukraine just over 31⁄2 years ago, the byproduct of a friendship he had made a few years earlier with a Japanese wrestler at a tournament.
Japanese media identies him as being the quickest — he’s wrestled only 14 tournaments — to reach the ozeki rank since 1958 when the present tournament scheduling system was installed.
The promotion was inevitable after he won a prestigious tournament on Sunday in western Japan. He defeated Hoshoryu in the deciding match.
He explained earlier that his parents ed to Germany after the invasion and said they are living safely. He said he called them after the big tournament on Sunday and praised them for allowing him
“I have to be bigger, and I still need to learn a lot more about sumo.”
Aonishiki
to pursue his interests. He said his mother cried on the phone call. He was told his father did too, but tried to hide it.
“They never scolded me even when I didn’t do well in studies, as they believed in letting me do what I liked to do,” he said last week.
Aonishiki is small by sumo standards. He weighs in the 125 to 135 kilogram range — (between 275 to 300 pounds). This is slight in sumo — in the range of an NFL lineman — since many wrestlers weigh at least 150 kilograms (330 pounds) and some much more.
Sumo experts in Japan say his success comes from keeping a low body position. He can bench press 210 kilograms (460 pounds) — about 50% more than his body weight.
“I need to be stronger all around,” he said. “I have to be bigger, and I still need to learn a lot more about sumo.”
Non-Japanese sumo wrestlers have excelled in di erent periods in Japan. They have included Mongolians, Hawaiians and now Ukrainians. A second Ukrainian, Shishi Masaru, is also a highly ranked wrestler in Japan.
Ukraine has a very strong tradition in Olympic wrestling. Its last gold-medal winner was Zhan Beleniuk in the Greco-Roman category at the Tokyo Games, which were delayed until 2021 by the pandemic.
Aonishiki has endeared himself to the Japanese public with his uent command of their language. He said he arrived speaking no Japanese, but picked it up quickly living only with Japanese wrestlers in the sport’s tightly controlled environment.
KYODO NEWS VIA AP
Ukrainian Aonishiki, left, receives a trophy after winning the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament in Fukuoka in western Japan.
College football mascots just as good at keeping their identities secret as ring up a crowd
Schools keep the person under the suit a secret, often until graduation
By Mike Householder
The Associated Press
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Ross Ramsey enjoys spending time with fellow alums at Michigan State football tailgates.
These aren’t just any old former Spartans, though.
They were Sparty himself — something few knew when Ramsey and his pals donned the muscular mascot suit two decades ago.
“Once you are done being Sparty, you can tell others that you were Sparty,” said Ramsey, a physician and hospital administrator in Pigeon, Michigan. “And clearly you have a close bond with those others who were in the same role as you, because they couldn’t share that experience with anyone else at the time, either.”
Ramsey and his buddies are members of an elite fellowship of ex-mascots. Men and women who once carried on as Big Al, Alabama’s lovable elephant; the Disney-inspired Oregon Duck; Wisconsin’s Bucky Badger and many more. We’re talking humans in suits, not live animal mascots, which also are xtures on college football Saturdays.
The job for costumed mascots is to re up the crowd, bring a smile to a fan’s face and symbolically represent the university.
“When you think of Michigan State, you think of Sparty. And everybody knows what the mascot is,” said Phil Lator, another former Sparty who joins Ramsey at the tailgates and also successfully concealed his alter ego during his tenure in East Lansing.
Anonymity is the name of the game for many college mascots.
“Some programs value secrecy so highly that multiple performers report to the stadium but only learn in the moment who will actually be suiting up,” said Je Birdsell, a communication professor at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. Birdsell has experience in these matters, having served as Point Loma’s mascot as an undergrad, as well as inhabiting suits for minor league baseball,
BASKETBALL ROUNDUP
Big week for North Stanly girls
Stanly News Journal sta
SOUTH STANLY BOYS’ BASKETBALL
0 -1, 0 - 0 in Yadkin Valley
2A/3A (17-9 last year)
Last week’s scores:
• Lost 59-39 at Piedmont
This week’s schedule:
• Dec. 2 vs. Central Academy
• Dec. 3 vs. Anson
• Dec. 5 vs. West Stanly
SOUTH STANLY
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
0 -1, 0 - 0 in Yadkin Valley
2A/3A (1-20 last year)
Last week’s scores:
• Lost 67-31 at Piedmont
This week’s schedule:
• Dec. 4 vs. Bishop McGuinness
• Dec. 5 at Anson
ALBEMARLE
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
2-2, 0 - 0 in Yadkin Valley (25 -5 last year)
Last week’s scores:
• Lost 42-21 at Uwharrie Charter Academy
This week’s schedule:
• Dec. 2 at West Stanly
• Dec. 4 vs. Bishop McGuinness
• Dec. 5 at Anson
WEST STANLY
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
1-2, 0 - 0 in Rocky River
4A/5A (10 -15 last year)
“There were countless moments that I had to change into my suit in my car, pretty much lie to every person about how I worked a job in athletics”
Nicole Hurley, former Cocky the Gamecock
NBA G League and indoor soccer teams.
“Some schools have traditions where they work hard to keep the performers anonymous so that there can be a big reveal as part of graduation ceremonies,” he said.
Enter Nicole Hurley, who came clean about her Cocky past at South Carolina’s spring commencement, rolling into the arena wearing her cap, gown and oversized yellow bird feet of the bird mascot.
“When I walked across the stage, I felt so much joy. The whole arena started to clap and cheer, and it made me emotional,” said Hurley, a pediatric hematology oncology nurse in Charleston, South Carolina.
Only Hurley’s roommates and parents knew about her second life.
“There were countless moments that I had to change into my suit in my car, pretty much lie to every person about how I worked a job in athletics and
created excuses when I was not free on the weekends due to working private events,” Hurley said. “When people I know would come up to take a photo with me when I was Cocky and they had no idea I was the one under the suit was the craziest feeling.”
Carlos Polanco-Zaccardi, whose years inside Miami’s Sebastian the Ibis costume were known only to a select few, also became pro cient at hiding his true identity. The 2025 graduate of the “U” toted his bird get-up around campus in an enormous du el bag. When confronted, Polanco-Zaccardi would supply a white lie depending on the questioner.
“For my friends, I told them that I was one of the party performers on stilts that perform at weddings, bar mitzvahs and birthday parties,” he said.
Like the Michigan State guys, Hurley and Polanco-Zaccardi, costumed performers at the collegiate level almost always are students.
That intense school pride doesn’t go away for many ex-mascots, long after they’ve stopped wearing the fur. Just ask Scott Ferry, another Sparty alum and tailgate regular whose passion for the greenand-white hasn’t ebbed.
“The spirit of the university is critical,” said Ferry, who these days owns and operates a farm and meat-processing facility an hour south of campus. “We don’t want to just be an individual. We want to be the icon of the university at all times.”
• Dec. 2 vs. Central Academy
• Dec. 3 vs. Anson
• Dec. 5 vs. West Stanly
NORTH STANLY BOYS’ BASKETBALL
1- 0, 0 - 0 in Yadkin Valley (22-7 last year)
Last week’s scores:
• No games
This week’s schedule:
• Dec. 2 at Montgomery Central
• Dec. 3 at Bradford Prep
• Dec. 5 at Maiden
NORTH STANLY GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
4 - 0, 0 - 0 in Yadkin Valley (13-13 last year)
Last week’s scores:
• Won 65-35 vs. Anson
• Won 60-44 vs. Union Academy
• Won 48-40 (OT) vs. Montgomery
This week’s schedule:
• Dec. 3 at Bradford Prep
• Dec. 5 at Maiden
ALBEMARLE
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
2-2, 0 - 0 in Yadkin Valley (2-21 last year)
Last week’s scores:
• Won 58-47 at Uwharrie Charter Academy
This week’s schedule:
• Dec. 2 at West Stanly
Last week’s scores:
• Won 72-50 at Gray Stone Day
This week’s schedule:
• Dec. 2 vs. Albemarle
• Dec. 5 at South Stanly
WEST STANLY
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
1-2, 0 - 0 in Rocky River
4A/5A (14 -12 last year)
Last week’s scores:
• Won 53-27 at Gray Stone Day
This week’s schedule:
• Dec. 2 vs. Albemarle
• Dec. 5 at South Stanly
GRAY STONE DAY BOYS’ BASKETBALL
0 -3, 0 - 0 in Yadkin Valley (3-17 last year)
Last week’s scores:
• Lost 72-50 vs. West Stanly
This week’s schedule:
• Dec. 2 vs. Anson
• Dec. 3 at Central Academy
• Dec. 6 vs. Elevation Prep Academy
GRAY STONE DAY GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
0 -3, 0 - 0 in Yadkin Valley (2-17 last year)
Last week’s scores:
• Lost 72-50 vs. West Stanly
This week’s schedule:
• Dec. 2 vs. Anson
• Dec. 3 at Central Academy
graduations and other announcements: community@stanlynewsjournal.com |
MARTINA HURLEY VIA AP
Left, Miami mascot Sebastian the Ibis leads the team onto the eld before the start of a game. Right, Nicole Hurley poses for a photo on the day of University of South Carolina’s commencement ceremony, wearing her cap, gown and Cocky the mascot feet.
WILFREDO LEE / AP PHOTO
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Public Hearing Notice
The City of Locust will hold a public hearing on Thursday, December 11, 2025, at 7:00 pm in the Joel Huneycutt Community Room to hear citizens comments for or against the conditional rezoning request submitted by, BPD Elkin, LLC, parcel pin# 55653028560000 Cabarrus &, 6719 NC Hwy 24/27, Locust NC
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000591-830
Having quali ed as Executrix of the estate of Ann Green Mundy deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, This is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Ann Green Mundy to present them to the undersigned on or before February 27, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.
All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment.
This 26th day of November, 2025 Donna P. Shaver 41350 Cotton Tree Lane New London, NC 28127
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000598-830
Having quali ed as Co-Executors of the estate of Reba H. Watkins a/k/a Reba Hill Watkins deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, This is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Reba H. Watkins a/k/a Reba Hill Watkins to present them to the undersigned on or before February 20, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.
All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment.
This 19th day of November, 2025 James Taylor Smith 49679 Quail Trail Road Norwood, NC 28128 Herman Francis Smith PO Box 936 Walkertown, NC 27051 Co-Executors
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000584-830
Having quali ed as Co-Executors of the estate of Sherrill Edwin Clark deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, This is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Sherrill Edwin Clark to present them to the undersigned on or before February 20, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery.
All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment.
This 19th day of November, 2025 Brenda Shoe 16217 HWY 73 E Mt. Pleasant, NC 28124 Co-Executor Annette Harkey 28410 NC 73 HWY Albemarle, NC 28001 Co-Executor
NOTICE OF ALBEMARLE CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARINGS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to the general public that the City of Albemarle City Council will conduct public hearing(s) concerning the item(s) listed below at the dates, times, and location provided herein:
Annexation (AX 25-01) and Initial Zoning (ZMA 25-05).
Annexation requested by petition, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes 160A-31, and a request for Initial Zoning, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes 160D-602, of approximately +/- 42.14 acres along Sweet Home Church Road (Tax Records 1496, 19922, 19945) from Stanly County RA, and G-B, and City of Albemarle R-8 (Neighborhood Residential) to City of Albemarle R-15 Cluster (Conservation Residential). The amendment to the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Albemarle, North Carolina, by transfer from Stanly County, changes the city’s boundaries through voluntary annexation of the aforementioned parcel.
Annexation (AX 25-02) and Initial Zoning (ZMA 25-06).
Annexation requested by petition, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes 160A-31, and a request for Initial Zoning, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes 160D-602, of approximately +/-26.16 acres located nearest NC 24-27 Bypass W and Judy Street (Tax Records 4245) from Stanly County RA to City of Albemarle R-10 (General Residential). The amendment to the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Albemarle, North Carolina, by transfer from Stanly County, changes the city’s boundaries through voluntary annexation of the aforementioned parcel.
Rezoning (ZMA 25-04). Request for a Zoning Map Amendment for one parcel totaling +/- 10.03 acres located at the end of Sta ord Drive (Tax Record 20000) to change the existing split zoning of HID (Heavy Industrial District) and R-10 (General Residential) to R-10 (General Residential).
Rezoning (ZMA 25-07). Request for a Zoning Map Amendment for one parcel totaling +/- 0.5 acre located at the corner of Ash Street and Moose Street (Tax Record 21833) to change the existing zoning of LID (Light Industrial District) to R-8 (Neighborhood Residential).
Envision Albemarle 2045 - Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Request for adoption of the Albemarle 2045 Comprehensive Land Use Plan represents the goals, policies, and recommendations for guiding the city’s future land use and physical development. It is the key policy document that helps make the City livable and prosperous by aligning physical development with environmental, social, and economic issues. The document enhances the coordination of services and improves decision-making functions.
The hearing(s) will be conducted in the City Council Chambers of City Hall, located at 144 N Second St., Albemarle, N.C. 28001 at the following time(s): Monday, December 15th, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.
All interested parties are invited to attend the hearing. Anyone wishing to speak for or against this action shall adhere to applicable City policies and statutes regarding open meetings. The City Council’s approved agenda can be found on the city’s website, www.albemarlenc.gov
Dated: November 24, 2025
Publish: Wednesday, December 3, 2025, & Wednesday, December 10, 2025
George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Zac
Brown
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds drop “Live God”
The Associated Press
GEORGE CLOONEY playing a dashing movie star with nagging midlife regrets in “Jay Kelly” and Zac Brown Band returning with fresh tunes are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also, among the streaming o erings worth your time this week: The latest “Mission: Impossible” lm, “The Final Reckoning,” begins streaming on Paramount+, Net ix has the American Western series “The Abandons” with women at the center of its story, and Nintendo’s Samus Aran returns with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
MOVIES TO STREAM
Clooney plays a dashing movie star with new nagging midlife regrets in “Jay Kelly” (Net ix on Friday), Noah Baumbach’s comic drama about fame and family. As Jay’s youngest daughter (Grace Edwards) prepares for college, a trip to Europe turns into a deeper self-examination. With Adam Sandler as Jay’s long-su ering manager and Laura Dern his publicist. In his review, the AP’s Mark Kennedy wrote that “reality and ction beautifully weave in and out in Baumbach’s love letter to Hollywood.”
The latest “Mission: Impossible” lm, “The Final Reckoning,” begins streaming on Paramount+ on Thursday. The Tom Cruise adventure, directed by Christopher McQuarrie, concludes the chapter begun with 2023’s “Dead Reckoning Part One.” Whether dead or nal, a reckoning may be in order for the eight- lm Ethan Hunt franchise. In her review, AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr wrote: “In a series that has often been best when it’s not taking itself too seriously, dour developments start to feel a little unintentionally silly.”
The Christmas movies cometh. One of the rst out of the gate this year is “Oh. What. Fun.” (Now on Prime Video). Michelle Pfei er stars as a matriarch who, after years
Band, Michelle Pfei er
“Reality and ction beautifully weave in and out in Baumbach’s love letter to Hollywood.”
Mark Kennedy, AP Film Writer
of handling all the season’s festivities for an ungrateful family, goes missing. Michael Showalter directs a cast including Felicity Jones, Chloë Grace Moretz, Denis Leary and Dominic Sessa.
MUSIC TO STREAM
Zac Brown Band re ects on life’s highs and lows on their new album, “Love & Fear,” out Friday. Some of the singles out so far include the Jimmy Buffett-like “I Ain’t Worried About It,” the weed-friendly “Let It Run” with Snoop Dogg, the
sweet ballad “Butter y” with Dolly Parton” and the anthemic party banger “Give It Away.” Perhaps the best of the bunch is “Hard Run” featuring Mar-
cus King, starting quietly with a twang, building to harmonies and some funk, adding a touch of Broadway and then someery guitar work. The band is
making a splash with the album’s drop date, performing at the Sphere in Las Vegas and kicking o several nights there in December and January.
If you adored Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds last album “Wild God,” here’s some good news: The alternative rock legend and his formidable band is releasing “Live God,” which includes live versions from the album, as well as catalog favorites such as “From Her to Eternity,” “Papa Won’t Leave You, Henry” and “Into My Arms.” And if you just can’t get enough of Cave, there’s more: The Royal Danish Library has put its “Stranger Than Kindness: The Nick Cave Exhibition” online, allowing fans to explore 300 objects collected or created by Cave during his career.
SERIES TO STREAM
“The Abandons,” a new American Western series comes to Net ix with women at the center of its story. Taking place in the 1850s, Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey star as two widowed women who are the heads of their household and who are ghting over land. Kurt Sutter, who created “Sons of Anarchy,” is behind this one. Nick Robinson and Aisling Franciosi also star. It debuts Thursday.
Starz has a new “Spartacus” series out Friday called “Spartacus: House of Ashur.” Nick E. Tarabay reprises his role as Ashur from “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” and “Spartacus: Vengeance,” which explores what may have happened if the character had survived the events of “Vengeance” instead of being killed. This series also features a woman in a powerful role. Tenika Davis plays a female gladiator.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
Fans of Nintendo’s Samus Aran have been waiting a long time for the spacefaring bounty hunter to return to the 3D world of Metroid Prime. At long last, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is here — but it remains to be seen if Samus’ years in limbo have made her stronger. She has landed on a jungle planet lled with hostile wildlife, and another bounty hunter is in hot pursuit. In addition to her usual high-tech arsenal, Samus has gained some psychic powers — not to mention a wicked motorcycle. Can this long-delayed sequel live up to its beloved predecessors? Find out Thursday on Switch and Switch 2.
PETER MOUNTAIN / NETFLIX VIA AP
George Clooney stars in the comic drama “Jay Kelly.”
CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO
Tenika Davis poses for a portrait to promote “Spartacus: House of Ashur” during Comic-Con International in 2025 in San Diego. The series premieres Friday on Starz.
VIANNEY LE CAER / INVISION / AP PHOTO
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds will release live versions of songs from their acclaimed album “Wild God” on the upcoming collection “Live God.”
