Bobby MaGee Lopez , an artist based in Colorado, works on a new mural on West Main Street in Albemarle last Saturday.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Senators approve withholding their own pay during future government shutdowns
Washington, D.C.
Senators have unanimously approved a resolution to withhold their pay during government shutdowns.
Lawmakers said the measure approved Thursday would discourage future funding stando s after a series of record-breaking shutdowns. The proposal requires the secretary of the Senate to hold senators’ salaries during shutdowns and release the money once funding resumes. It’ll take e ect the day after the Nov. 3 general election.
Republican Sen. John Kennedy, the bill’s sponsor, says the measure ensures lawmakers share the burden faced by unpaid federal workers.
Average US long-term mortgage rate eases to 6.36% in rst drop after two weekly increases
Washington, D.C.
The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate edged lower this week, its rst drop after rising the previous two weeks.
Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the benchmark 30-year xed rate mortgage rate fell to 6.36% from 6.37% last week. One year ago, the rate averaged 6.81%.
Home loan rates remain below where they were this time last year, they have been mostly trending higher since the war with Iran began at the end of February as surging prices heightened in ation worries.
County approves $812K in opioid settlement funding for programs
The funds will support 10 local programs
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — Stanly County commissioners have unanimously approved more than $812,000 in opioid settlement funding for local programs focused on recovery, treatment and overdose response.
On Monday night, the board authorized the recommended programs and appropriated money from the county’s Opioid Settlement Fund for the scal year running from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
County Manager Andy Lucas presented the recommendations, which he developed in a committee with Health and
Human Services Director Dolly Clayton and Human Services Program Specialist Wendy Growcock.
The county issued a request for grant proposals from local agencies in February, focusing on priorities such as recovery
Living Locust to host vendor market
at Meadow Creek Farm
More than 30 local vendors are expected at Sunday’s free event
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
LOCUST — Locust residents looking for a local spring event can attend a free vendor market at Meadow Creek Farm this weekend.
Living Locust, a social media platform that highlights Locust-area businesses and events, is hosting its rst Spring Vendor Market from 3-6 p.m. Sunday at Meadow Creek Farm at 17669 Meadow Creek Church Road in Locust.
The free event will feature more than two dozen local small business-
es, food vendors, youth activities and a ra e bene ting Faith Alive Ministries.
The market will include boutique shopping, permanent jewelry, candles, home decor, co ee, dirty sodas, barbecue, charcuterie, sweet treats, face painting and piercings.
“We are going to have over 30 local vendors, food trucks, co ee and drinks, bounce houses for the kids — and Red Barn Farm is bringing a petting zoo,” said Liz Peele, Living Locust’s marketing manager. “The ra e prizes are good, and over 30 local businesses donated prizes. You don’t have to be here to win, so you can grab your tickets ahead of time.”
housing and support services, post-overdose response, evi-
COURTESY STANLYTV
The Stanly County Board of Commissioners approved the next round of opioid settlement funding for local programs on Monday night.
SENIOR NUTRITION MEALS |
Burnin’ to learn
Albemarle High School students in Mr. Beasley’s Fire Tech II class participated in ventilation training on Tuesday, learning about how combustion and smoke in burning buildings is a ected by changes in air ow.
CRIME LOG
May 4
• James Phillip Meggs, 53, was arrested for communicating threats.
• Keytavious Shamaud Lewis, 18, was arrested for larceny of a motor vehicle and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
• Saleeka Tyrosha Greene, 32, was arrested for possession of marijuana and attempted larceny.
• Kaila Marie Garcia, 33, was arrested for violation of school attendance law.
• Christina Toler Mullis, 38, was arrested for simple assault and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
May 5
• Heather Miranda Puckett, 37, was arrested for breaking and entering to terrorize or injure, communicating threats and injury to real property, and other charges.
• Zane Curtis Moore, 31, was arrested for felony eeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle, tra cking in opium or heroin and felony possession of cocaine, and other charges.
• Capel Zachary Tyler Hampton, 40, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.
• Diego Malaspina, 39, was arrested for civil contempt.
May 6
• Leo Thomas Liles, 42, was arrested for resisting a public o cer and misuse of 911 system.
• Kayla Danielle Bowers, 31, was arrested for larceny of a rearm, uttering a forged instrument and obtaining property by false pretense.
• Guy Hampton McBryde, 33, was arrested for attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit armed robbery.
• Cameron Nicholas Varner, 27, was arrested for attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and simple possession of a controlled substance, and other charges.
May 7
• Ashley Michelle Coble, 45, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and misdemeanor larceny, and other charges.
• Robert Alvin Crisco, 34, was arrested for injury to personal property.
• Lisa Gant Turner, 58, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny and driving
on a revoked license.
May 8
• Ricardo Bustos, 22, was arrested for driving while impaired, carrying a concealed gun and driving on a revoked license, and other charges.
• Eric Orlando Poole, 42, was arrested for domestic criminal trespass.
• Karen Sue Dorsey, 49, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.
May 9
• Danny Lee Lehman, 59, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon.
• Na’gee Ali Gray, 28, was arrested for misdemeanor larceny.
• Danny Joe Almond, 49, was arrested for possession of a rearm by a felon, felony conspiracy and felony aiding and abetting, and other charges.
• Dominick Spencer Stephenson, 55, was arrested for breaking and entering, possession of drug paraphernalia and injury to real property, and other charges.
May 10
• Tanika Shawan Perry, 49, was arrested for simple assault and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
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
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Stanly County:
May 21
Stanly Early College Graduation
2 p.m.
Stanly Early College holds its commencement ceremony at the Agri-Civic Center.
Stanly County Agri-Civic Center 26032 Newt Road Albemarle
Stanly Academy and SCoVE
3:30
Stanly
Thursdays
7:30 p.m.
The Salisbury Swing Band performs as part of the annual free outdoor summer concert series in downtown Albemarle. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
Market Station 501 W. Main St. Albemarle
May 22
Albemarle High School Graduation
10 a.m.
Albemarle High School holds its commencement ceremony on campus. Albemarle High School 311 Park Ridge Road Albemarle
Oakboro Cruise-In
5 p.m.
Monthly car, truck and motorcycle show drawing vehicles and spectators to downtown Oakboro. The free event runs through approximately 9:30 p.m. with no registration required. Downtown Oakboro Main Street Oakboro
COURTESY STANLY COUNTY SCHOOLS / FACEBOOK
THE CONVERSATION
Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
VISUAL VOICES
Tell women the truth about motherhood
Women who achieve great career success without children don’t nd themselves free of oppression but with a longing unful lled.
AMERICA LOVES to celebrate mothers while doing little to inspire young women to become them.
The biggest news this Mother’s Day is how few new moms there are. The U.S. fertility rate hit another record low, according to CDC data released last month. There were 53.1 births per 1,000 women of childbearing age. That was a 1% drop from 2024 and a 23% decline since 2007.
There is much debate about why this is happening, especially since it’s a worldwide phenomenon. While there are lots of factors at play, consider this question.
What is the good life?
For millennia, the answer of most women would have centered around or included being a mother. In the Bible, children are both an answer to prayer and a reward. Barrenness, however, was a source of deep distress and shame. This emphasis on motherhood isn’t unique to Christianity. Isis in Egyptian mythology and Aphrodite in Greek mythology are two of the many examples of ancient fertility goddesses.
Having children was an aspirational goal that gave women meaning and purpose. It also had major societal bene ts; most obviously, it allowed societies to grow and survive.
What a contrast to the message pushed by modern feminism. It teaches girls and
young women that motherhood is “the heart of woman’s oppression,” as feminist Shulamith Firestone wrote in her 1970 book
“The Dialectic of Sex.” She also claimed, “It was woman’s reproductive biology that accounted for her original and continued oppression.”
Feminists tell women that their highest purpose is competing with men in the corporate world. That’s hard to do when you’re pregnant and caring for a newborn, let alone multiple young children. In this narrative, children are an anchor that detracts from women’s highest meaning and purpose — earning money and power.
There’s no doubt that this “girlboss” mindset is the dominant message girls receive in today’s culture.
Look around and see the results. Many of the women who’ve spent decades climbing the corporate ladder now look around and nd they’re alone.
A 2014 cover of Bloomberg Businessweek featured Brigitte Adams with the headline “Freeze your eggs, Free your career.” She enjoyed her work in tech marketing and believed this procedure would help her “in the quest to have it all,” as the magazine wrote.
Years later, she sought to get pregnant, but none of the eggs or embryos resulted in a successful pregnancy. She screamed “like
Angry about high prices? Blame Biden and big government!
So if you’re angry about the high price of nearly everything, Bidenomics is the primary villain.
THE NEW CONSUMER prices report showing a 3.8% price rise in April con rms what Americans have been complaining about for months: In ation is continuing to squeeze family budgets.
It’s indisputable that oil and fertilizer supply disruptions in the Middle East are driving up prices here at home.
But that’s only part of the in ation story. Consumer prices overall are up nearly 30% since COVID-19 derailed the U.S. economy six years ago. That’s the worst stretch of in ation since the bad old 1970s under Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, when in ation hit double-digit levels.
It’s important to remember why this spurt of rising prices has hit consumers right in the nose — er, wallet — if we are going to solve the a ordability crisis.
If we look at the year-by-year bump up in prices, we see that in ation was tame in Donald Trump’s rst term (2017-21), with an annualized rate of 2.5%. It would have been closer to 2% had it not been for COVID-19 and the lockdowns. In ation was running below 2% in the months before Joe Biden took over the White House.
Then in ation rocketed to 9% in 2022.
The average annual in ation rate was 5% over the Biden presidency, with an overall 21% rise in prices. That was
the worst in ation stretch since Carter.
Through the rst 16 or so months of Trump 2.0, the in ation rate is running at just above 3%.
About 80% of the rise in prices over the past six years has been under Biden’s presidency. So if you’re angry about the high price of nearly everything, Bidenomics is the primary villain.
Why did prices rise so rapidly under Biden? The answer is so obvious that only a Ph.D. Ivy League economist couldn’t get the answer right. It was runaway government spending. During COVID-19 and its aftermath, Uncle Sam spent more than $4 trillion.
Remember the Build Back Better Act, CHIPS and Science Act, In ation Reduction Act and other “stimulus” bills? Every penny of that spending blitz was borrowed and essentially printed. Trump deserves some of the blame here for spending $1 trillion in his nal months of his rst term.
What’s worse is that none of that multitrillion-dollar emergency spending splurge has been drained out of the permanent budget.
What causes in ation? Too many dollars being spent on too few goods. Ironically, more than a dozen high-ranking economists, including three Nobel Prize winners, wrote in The New York Times that
‘a wild animal,’ throwing books, papers, her laptop — and collapsing to the ground,” The Washington Post reported. She described it as “one of the worst days of my life.”
What a tragedy. And she’s not alone.
“At midlife, between a third and a half of all successful career women in the United States do not have children,” Sylvia Ann Hewlett wrote in Harvard Business Review in 2002. She continued, “The vast majority, in fact, yearn for children.”
But “in the words of one senior manager, the typical high-achieving woman childless at midlife has not made a choice but a ‘creeping nonchoice.’”
Evidence shows that it still holds true today. Think about what this reveals. Women who achieve great career success without children don’t nd themselves free of oppression but with a longing unful lled.
Now, the answer isn’t for society to tell women that the only interest they should ever pursue is having children. But what a cruelty to hide the reality that, for most women, motherhood is a source of meaning and joy that a corporate career could never match.
Victor Joecks is a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and host of the “Sharpening Arrows” podcast. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
the Biden spending blitz “wouldn’t cause in ation.” Whoops!
What’s the point of this in ation/ a ordability history lesson? Private sector growth in output lowers in ation. More apples produced means apples are cheaper. Government growth usually accelerates in ation.
Here’s the impending political and economic danger for Republicans. The solution isn’t just to get the oil owing through the Persian Gulf. We also have to reduce government spending right now. Republicans have a $200 billion supplemental spending bill for the military with not a penny of o setting spending cuts.
If Republicans don’t start watching their P’s and Q’s, as the old saying goes, we could see another Biden-type in ation surge with voters mad as hell. They can’t unilaterally get the oil owing from the Middle East, but they can stop spending $2 trillion more than they take in. Trump recently announced a national initiative for physical tness. How about one for scal tness?
Stephen Moore is a former Trump senior economic adviser and the cofounder of Unleash Prosperity, which advocates for education freedom for all children. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
COLUMN | VICTOR JOECKS
COLUMN | STEPHEN MOORE
IN MEMORY
ROY DONALD MORRIS
NOV. 4, 1929 – MAY 11, 2026
Roy Donald Morris, age 96, of Stanly County, went to be with his Lord and Savior on May 11, 2026. A man of quiet strength and profound loyalty, Roy’s life was de ned by nearly a century of service to his family, his country, and his community.
His funeral service will be 11 AM on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in the Stanly Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Dr. Kendell Cameron o ciating. Burial will follow in the Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Monday evening from 5-7 PM at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle.
Barbara Jean (Taylor) Drye
April 17, 1936 ~ January 14, 2023
Barbara Jean Taylor Drye, 86, of Oakboro, passed away Saturday, January 14, 2023 at her home.
Barbara was born April 17, 1936 in North Carolina to the late Robert Lee Taylor and the late Eva Belle Watts Taylor. She was also preceded in death by husband of 61 years, Keith Furr Drye, and brothers, Robert Lee Taylor, Jr. and George Kenneth Taylor.
SHIRLEY EFIRD
OCT. 6, 1946 – MAY 11, 2026
Shirley Shinn E rd, 79, of Stan eld, entered her Heavenly home on May 11, 2026, surrounded by the love of family and the peace of her unwavering faith in Jesus Christ.
Dwight Farmer
January 24, 1939 ~ January 15, 2023
Born on November 4, 1929, in Stanly County, North Carolina, he was the son of the late Duma Ray and Mary Fannie Bost Morris. Roy was a proud veteran of the United States Navy, honorably serving his country during the Korean War.
James Roseboro
Born on October 6, 1946, Shirley was the daughter of the late Lawson and Helen Shinn. She lived a life marked by kindness, hospitality, service to others, and a steadfast devotion to her faith and family. To know Shirley was to feel welcomed, loved, and encouraged. Her gentle spirit and warm smile left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to cross her path.
Dwight Britten Farmer Sr., 83, of Norwood died Sunday morning, January 15, 2023 at Forrest Oakes.
Following his military service, Roy returned home and dedicated 28 years to the City of Albemarle, where he retired as a supervisor of the meter reading department. His commitment to safety and his neighbors led him to become a founding member of the Bethany Volunteer Fire Department, helping to build a legacy of protection for future generations.
Survivors include children, Debbie (Mike) Williams of Albemarle, Teresa (Tom) Curry of Oakboro, Douglas (Tammy) Drye of Oakboro; grandchildren, Melissa (Don) Parrish of Albemarle, Samantha (Destiny) Smith of Oakboro, Bradley Smith of Oakboro, Jonathan Stover of Peachland, and Jessie Stover of Lylesville; sisterin-law, Beatrice Goodman; many nieces and nephews; and her beloved cats, Bo and Gar eld.
A man of deep-rooted faith, Roy was a lifelong member of Prospect Baptist Church. His hobbies included shing, carpentry, and cheering on the Braves baseball team.
He was preceded in death by his cherished wife of 70 years, Rubye Kendall Morris; and his siblings: John Horace Morris (Zella), Winola Morris Poplin (Dewey), Byron Frank Morris (Ollie), and Bruce Chester Morris (Jewel Lee).
Dwight was born January 24, 1939 in Stanly County to the late Walter Virgil and Martha Adkins Farmer. He was a 1957 graduate of Norwood High School and was a United States Army Veteran. He was a member of Cedar Grove United Methodist Church where he had served as church treasurer and choir member. He began his career with the Stanly County Sheri ’s Department moving to the Norwood Police Department and retiring as Chief of Police with the Town of Norwood after many years of service.
June 23, 1967 ~ January 10, 2023
James Arthur Roseboro, 55, of Albemarle, passed away Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Anson Health and Rehab.
Albrecht Weinberg, Holocaust survivor who returned to Germany in his 80s, dead at 101
John B. Kluttz
March 23, 1935 - January 9, 2023
Prior to retirement, Shirley worked in the textile industry as a warehouse supervisor for Stanly Knitting Mill and Wendy’s Embroidered Specialties. She was known for her strong work ethic, leadership, and caring nature toward those she worked alongside throughout the years.
Mr. Roseboro was born on June 23, 1967 to the late Robert and Delena Shipp Roseboro. He graduated from South Stanly High School and was employed by Triangle Brick. He enjoyed watching football and basketball, especially the Carolina TarHeels and Miami.
More than any title or accomplishment, Shirley cherished her family. She is lovingly survived by her four children: Debra Eudy and husband Ricky Eudy, Cindy Capps and husband Wayland Capps, Wendy Stroupe and husband Torben Stroupe, and Kenneth Page Jr. She also leaves behind eight beloved grandchildren and ten treasured great-grandchildren, all of whom brought tremendous joy to her life.
After returning to his hometown, he tirelessly recounted his experiences to warn against forgetting
Doris Jones Coleman
Barbara was a member of Oakboro Baptist Church for over 60 years. She worked over 30 years at Stanly Knitting Mills. After just two years of retirement, she began managing the Oakboro Senior Center and did that for 18 years until this past week. Barbara was known for her good cooking and always taking care of others. She also loved going on day long shopping trips - she could out walk and out shop people half her age. She kept her mind and body active through gardening, word searches, and various other hobbies.
His legacy is carried on by his son, Steven Donald Morris and wife Daphne of New London; two grandchildren, Matthew Donald Morris and wife Joanna of Benson and their children Sophia, Selah, and Samuel, and Hannah Elizabeth Morris of Rockwell, and several nieces and nephews, all of whom he loved dearly.
In addition to her children and extended family, Shirley is survived by her sisters, Betty Chaney and Ella Thomas.
Dwight was an avid gardener, bird watcher and Carolina fan.
He is survived by his wife Hilda Whitley Farmer; one son D. Britten Farmer Jr. (Mary) of McLeansville, NC; one daughter Sharon Farmer Lowe (David) of Norwood; one sister Geraldine Dennis of Troy; two grandchildren, Dwight Britten “Dee” Farmer III and Whitley Rose Hui Lowe.
CALLIE WILLIAM “BILL” FREEMAN
JULY 20, 1940 – MAY 11, 2026
Callie William “Bill” Freeman, 85, of Charlotte, passed away peacefully on Monday, May 11, 2026, at Atrium Health Hospice & Palliative Care Union.
A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at Stanly Funeral Home Chapel of Locust, with Rev. Michael Owens o ciating. Burial will follow at Locust Presbyterian Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 1:00 p.m. until 1:45 p.m. at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Locust.
In addition to his parents he is preceded in death by his brothers and sisters: Barbara Lee Roseboro, Dorothy Brown, Verna Roseboro, Henrietta Ingram, and Harold Roseboro.
John grew up in the Millingport community where he drove a school bus and worked at the local gas station during his High School years. He graduated from Millingport High in 1954 and entered into service with the US Airforce immediately afterward. Upon return from the service, he and his high school sweetheart Julie were married in 1956. He graduated from Nashville Auto Diesel College later in 1959 and began his career as a diesel mechanic at Mitchell Distributing Company, moving his growing family to Charlotte where they lived until their retirement.
For 27 faithful years, Shirley was a devoted member of Providence Church of God. Her love for her church family was evident through her tireless service and joyful spirit. She faithfully led the senior adult class, helped care for the church grounds, and found meaningful ways to make others feel welcomed and loved. Shirley beautifully combined her passion for sharing the love of God with her fondness for cultivating owers by placing colorful potted arrangements at the church entrance so that every person arriving would feel the warmth, beauty, and welcoming spirit found within the church doors through the over owing love of the Holy Spirit
He was preceded in death by his son Alex, brothers, Tommy and Jimmy, sisters, Nancy, Cornelia Annabell, Glennie Mae, and Betty. Memorials may be made to Cedar Grove United Methodist Church, Cemetery or Choir Fund c/o Pam Smith 36071 Rocky River Springs Road, Norwood, NC 28128.
Bill was born on July 20, 1940, in Anson County to the late Callie and Bernice Freeman.
He is lovingly survived by his devoted wife of 52 years, Martha Freeman. He also leaves behind his son, Alan Freeman (Beth) of Mint Hill, NC; daughter, Monica Phillips (Ian) of Wendell, NC; grandchildren, James Freeman and Natalie Freeman; and his sister, Carol Boyer.
In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his son, Brian Freeman; brothers, Tommy Freeman and Jimmy Freeman; and sister, Shirley Boyer.
Bill was the proud owner and operator of VIP Cleaners in Locust for over 20 years. A proud veteran of the United States Army, he was known for his outgoing personality, kind heart, and ability to make friends wherever he went. Bill never met a stranger and deeply loved his family, his hometown of Lilesville, and staying connected with lifelong friends.
The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the sta of Hospice of Union County for the compassionate care and support shown to Bill during his declining health.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of Union County, 700 W. Roosevelt Blvd., Monroe, NC 28110.
Bill will be remembered for his warm spirit, friendly nature, and the love he shared with all who knew him. His memory will be cherished by his family and friends for years to come.
Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in SCJ at obits@stanlyjournal.com
He is survived by his sisters: Helen (James) Roseboro Edwards of Albemarle, Mary Roseboro of Washington DC, and Marion Morrison of Albemarle; brothers: Thomas D. Roseboro of Charlotte, Robert Roseboro (Patricia) of Norwood, and Van Horne; a special friend of over 40 years, Michelle McLendon of the home; special nieces: Nybrea Montague, Knya Little, and Laquanza Crump; special nephews: Robert Jr., Desmond Roseboro, and Marcus Lilly; and God daughter, Daphne Johnson; and special friends, Vetrella Johnson and Ben McLendon.
October 11, 1944 - January 10, 2023
The Associated Press
BERLIN — Albrecht
Doris Elaine Jones Coleman, 78, went home into God’s presence on January 10 after a sudden illness and a valiant week-long ght in ICU.
Weinberg, who survived several Nazi concentration and death camps and lost most of his family in the Holocaust before returning to Germany in his 80s, has died at the age of 101, authorities in his home region said Tuesday.
When John purchased his rst Model A Ford at the age of 17, he said that he took the car to the community mechanic when he had a small problem.The mechanic told him that if he was going to keep the car, he needed to learn to work on it. This is when John’s passion for Model A Fords began and how he spent his happiest days with his best friends from around the globe for the rest of his life!
Shirley found great happiness tending to her garden at home, where owers ourished under her care much like the people in her life did. She especially treasured time spent with her family, whether gathered around a table, sharing stories, or simply enjoying one another’s company.
In her later years, Shirley developed a special calling for comforting those nearing the end of life. She spent countless hours sitting beside others, o ering companionship, daily care, encouragement, and prayer. Through these acts of compassion, she formed many close friendships and shared the love of Christ with countless individuals.
Even in her nal days, Shirley’s faith remained undeniable. Family and friends found comfort and inspiration in the joy she radiated while speaking about the goodness of God to those who came to visit her. Though her loved ones grieve deeply during this season of loss, they rejoice in knowing Shirley’s eternal home was secure through her faith in Jesus Christ.
Darrick Baldwin
January 7, 1973 ~ January 8, 2023
Doris was born on October 11, 1944, in the mountains of Marion, NC while her father was away ghting in the US Navy during World War II. Raymond Jones was so proud to return after the war and meet his little girl! Doris grew up in Durham, NC and graduated from Durham High School. She furthered her studies at Watts Hospital School of Nursing in Durham and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1966.
Weinberg died in Leer, in northwestern Germany, weeks after he marked his birthday and the premiere of a lm about his life, “Es ist immer in meinem Kopf” (“It is always in my head”), attended by hundreds of guests, the city said in a statement.
At age 50, after years as a Detroit Diesel Mechanic he and Julie decided to take the plunge and open a full Model A Restoration Shop. They thrived at their shop in Cornelius, NC until their retirement in 1998 when they moved back to Cabarrus County. John once again set up shop in his back yard garage where he attracted a loyal group of friends who visited almost daily. While on the farm in Gold Hill, John also began a lifelong love with Alis Chalmers tractors after he restored his Dad’s tractor and began amassing his collection of tractors as well.
To honor Shirley’s lifelong love of gardening and her devotion to her church, a memorial ower garden lled with vibrant blooms has been planted at Providence Church of God as a lasting tribute to her beautiful life and welcoming spirit. If Shirley were still here, she would undoubtedly encourage everyone to pause and enjoy the beauty of the owers, but even more importantly, to come to know Jesus — because she believed there is no greater love than the love found in Him.
Darrick Vashon Baldwin, age 50, entered eternal rest, Sunday, January 8, 2023, Albemarle, North Carolina. Born January 7, 1973, in Stanly County, North Carolina, Darrick was the son of Eddie James Baldwin Sr. and the late Phyllis Blue Baldwin. Darrick enjoyed life, always kept things lively and enjoyed making others smile. His presence is no longer in our midst, but his memory will forever live in our hearts.
Doris married Rev. Dr. Ted Coleman in 1966 and had two daughters Amy and Laura. Doris raised Amy and Laura in North Augusta, SC.
“Since returning from New York to his East Frisian home 14 years ago, Albrecht recounted tirelessly and with incredible energy his terrible experiences during the Nazi era and warned again and again against forgetting,” Mayor Claus-Peter Horst said.
Weinberg, who was born in Rhauderfehn, near Leer, on March 7, 1925, survived incarceration at the Auschwitz, Mittelbau-Dora and Bergen-Belsen camps as well as three death marches at the end of World War II. He spent years teaching high school students and others about the atrocities he had to live through.
John restored many cars of his own and had the crowning achievement of winning the most prestigious award from MARC, The Henry for a restoration that garnered top points. He was also presented with the Ken Brady Service Awardthe highest award given to members at the national level.
This is what John’s Model A Community had to say upon learning of his death: He was an active member of Wesley Chapel Methodist Church where he loved serving as greeter on Sunday mornings. He also belonged to the United Methodist Men.
A memorial service celebrating Shirley’s life will be held on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. in the sanctuary of Providence Church of God with Pastors Jerry Ingle, Torben Stroupe, and Tracy Hardwick o ciating. All family and friends are warmly welcome to attend as they gather to honor and remember Shirley’s life and legacy.
Shirley’s life was a testimony of faith, compassion, and unconditional love. Her legacy will continue to bloom in the lives she touched, the family she cherished, and the faith she so faithfully shared.
He was educated in the Stanly County public schools and attended Albemarle Senior High School, Albemarle.
He was a great conversationalist and loved meeting people. Darrick never met a stranger and always showed love and compassion for his fellowman. He also loved his dog, Rocky.
“I sleep with it, I wake up with it, I sweat, I have nightmares; that is my present.” Albrecht Weinberg
Doris was an incredible neonatal intensive care nurse for most of her career, and this was her passion. The Augusta Chronicle did a feature on her in 1985. She was a clinical nurse manager in Augusta, Georgia at University Hospital NICU and worked there for 20 years. During this time, Doris mentored young nurses and assisted in saving the lives of so many babies. She also worked for Pediatrician Dr. William A. Wilkes in Augusta for several years prior to her NICU career. Doris retired from the mother/baby area at Atrium Stanly in 2007 after over 40 years of nursing.
Speaking last year, Weinberg said the memories of his wartime experiences still haunted him. “I sleep with it, I wake up with it, I sweat, I have nightmares; that is my present,” he said. He said he worried what would happen when he was no longer around to bear witness.
“When my generation is not in this world anymore, when we disappear from the world, then the next generation can only read it out of the book,” he said.
Doris was a gentle and sweet spirit and loved her Lord. She never met a stranger, and she always left you feeling uplifted after talking with her. She would often claim that she had “adopted” friends into her immediate family, and honestly, she never made a distinction between the two. Positivity radiated from her like sunlight. She was sel ess, funny, smart, and sentimental. During her lifetime she was an active member of First Baptist Church of Durham, First Baptist Church of Augusta, Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Augusta, and Palestine United Methodist Church in Albemarle. She especially loved helping at church with older adults, youth, and children.
She was especially talented at sewing from a young age and made gifts for friends, Christmas ornaments, Halloween Costumes, doll clothes, pageant dresses, prom dresses, coats, tote bags, scarves, out ts for Amy and Laura, and Christening gowns for each of her grandchildren.
Weinberg was awarded Germany’s Order of Merit in 2017 but handed it back last year in protest at a parliamentary vote in which a motion put forward by Friedrich Merz, now the country’s chancellor, calling for many more migrants to be turned back at Germany’s borders passed with the help of a farright party.
He is survived by his father, Eddie J. Baldwin Sr.; sisters: Crystal (Eric) Jackson, LaFondra (Stoney) Medley, and Morgan Baldwin; brothers: Eddie Baldwin Jr., Anton Baldwin, and Lamont Baldwin; a host of other relatives and friends. A limb has fallen from our family tree. We will not grieve Darrick’s death; we will celebrate his life. We give thanksgiving for the many shared memories.
Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Stanly News Journal at obits@stanlynewsjournal.com
John is survived by his wife Julie Ussery Kluttz, for 66 years of the home. He is also survived by a son John David Kluttz (Kim) of Oakboro, NC; two daughters, Sally Simerson of Denver, CO and Betsy Tusa (John) of Lafayette, CO; three grandchildren, Bonnie Kluttz Sammons (Ben) of Rich eld, NC John Alexander McKinnon (Sarah) of Asheville, NC and Seth William McKinnon (Amanda) of Germany; ve great-grandchildren, Charlotte, Meredith, Grant, Victoria and Ronan. John is also preceded in death by his parents, J.S. Kluttz and Mary Wyatt Clayton Kluttz; a large and loving group of brothers and sisters, Jack Methias Kluttz, Annie Lou Kluttz Honeycutt, Jake Nelson Kluttz, Julius Kluttz, Mary Patricia Phillips and a grandson, Kevin Fowler Kluttz.
Israel’s ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, said in a post on X that he had got to know Weinberg well and paid tribute to him as “a bridge — between past and present, between pain and hope, between the dead he could never forget and the young people whom he encouraged to seek the truth.”
Doris was preceded in death by her father Arthur Raymond Jones, her mother Mary Ellen Cameron Jones, and her sister Maryanne Jones Brantley. Survivors include her two precious daughters: Amy Cameron Coleman (partner Dr. Edward Neal Chernault) of Albemarle, NC, and Laura Lindahl Coleman Oliverio (husband David) of Cincinnati, Ohio; seven grandchildren: Cameron David Oliverio, Stephanie Jae Dejak, Luca Beatty Oliverio, Coleman John Dejak, Carson Joseph Oliverio, Ryan Nicholas Dejak, and Jadon Richard Oliverio; and numerous in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and loved ones.
OPIOID from page A1
dence-based treatment, reentry programs for incarcerated individuals, addiction treatment for incarcerated persons and early intervention.
A total of 10 programs were recommended for funding, totaling $812,479.
That gure is down from the $878,203 adopted for the current scal year and well below the nearly $1.6 million requested by agencies for the upcoming cycle.
The recommended allocations — now approved by commissioners — include $2,500 for Health and Human Services, $85,000 for Bridge to Recovery, $168,615 for EMS, $71,219 for Nazareth, $124,000 for Christian Recovery Centers Inc., $104,000 for SPARE, $105,145 for Uwharrie Harm Reduction, $70,000 for Will’s Place, $75,000 for Daymark Recovery Services Inc. and $7,500 for Safer Communities.
Lucas said the county set a $235,000 cap on grant requests
“Most of the recommendations kept everyone at the level they were this year, unless they asked for less.”
Andy Lucas, county manager
for the upcoming funding cycle to help preserve the long-term sustainability of the settlement money.
Beginning in 2022 and continuing through 2038, Stanly County is receiving nearly $8.8 million through national opioid settlement agreements with drug manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies.
The settlement money is governed by the North Carolina Memorandum of Agreement, which directs 85% of the funds to county and municipal governments and 15% to the state to address the opioid overdose epidemic.
Lucas said the county has
tried to balance current needs with the need to stretch the programs beyond the 18-year funding window.
“Instead of just cutting folks o at year 18, we’ll have some funds remaining so we can continue those programs,” Lucas said. “Our recommendations were really set on, ‘Let’s not grow anyone substantially unless we really feel like there’s a real need for the increase based on performance.’ Most of the recommendations kept everyone at the level they were this year, unless they asked for less.”
The county’s anticipated reserve balance for the Opioid Settlement Fund will be approximately $1.5 million as of June 30, 2026, with the expectation to receive an additional $550,000 during the 2026-27 scal year.
The Stanly County Board of Commissioners will hold its next regular meeting on June 8 at 6 p.m. in the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons.
Jason Collins came out at the tail end of his 13-year professional career
By Tim Reynolds The Associated Press
JASON COLLINS, the NBA’s rst openly gay player who went on to become a pioneer for inclusion and an ambassador for the league, has died after an eight-month battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer, his family announced Tuesday.
Collins spent 13 years as a player in the league for six different franchises. He revealed in 2013 that he was gay, an announcement that came toward the end of his playing career.
Collins had been diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma, which has an extremely low survival rate. He was 47.
“Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar,” Collins’ family said in a statement released through the NBA. “We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
Just last week, Collins received the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award at the Green Sports Alliance Summit. He was too ill to attend, and his twin brother, former NBA player Jarron Collins, accepted for him.
“I told my brother this before I came here: He’s the bravest, strongest man I’ve ever known,” Jarron Collins said while accepting that award.
Jason Collins averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in his career. He helped the New Jersey Nets reach two NBA Finals and in his best season averaged 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds for them in 2004-05.
“Jason Collins’ impact and in uence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “He exempli ed outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador. Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that dened his life and touched so many others.
“On behalf of the NBA, I send my heartfelt condolences to Jason’s husband, Brunson, and his family, friends and colleagues across our leagues.”
Jason Collins spent the bulk of his career with the Nets, and also played for Atlanta, Boston, Memphis, Minnesota and Washington.
“This one hurts,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd, a former teammate and coach of Collins, wrote on X. “Jason Collins was a pioneer. He had courage like you’ve never seen. He was an incredible teammate. And having him in Brooklyn at the start of my coaching journey meant so much. Those who knew him were blessed to call him a friend. You are already missed my brother. Rest in power.”
Jason Collins revealed his sexuality in a rst-person account for Sports Illustrated in April 2013. He was a free agent at the time, said he wanted to keep playing, and went on to play in 22 games with Brooklyn the following season.
“If I had my way, someone else would have already done this,” he wrote at that time.
“Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand.”
His decision was widely lauded, with star players such as Kobe Bryant quickly speaking out in support of Collins.
There was even support from the White House and then-former President Bill Clinton — whose daughter, Chelsea, went to Stanford with Collins. At Stanford, Collins was roommates with someone who was part of another American political dynasty, that being Joe Kennedy III, who spent eight years in Congress representing Massachusetts. Collins, in the piece for Sports Illustrated, wrote that he realized he needed to go public about his sexuality when Kennedy walked in Boston’s gay pride parade in 2012 — but Collins couldn’t do the same.
Until then, Collins kept his feelings about gay rights close to the vest. He wore jersey No. 98 for the majority of his nal three playing stints with Boston, Washington and Brooklyn — a nod to the year that Matthew Shepard, a gay college student in Wyoming, was killed. He also wore 46 in one game for the Nets, since it was the only jersey the team had available when he signed.
Tributes poured in Tuesday from around basketball and beyond. The Human Rights Campaign, a civil rights advocacy group, released a statement that said in part, “stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation. He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community.”
Added Arn Tellem, the agent who represented Collins: “Representing Jason Collins was one of the great honors and privileges of my life — not only as an agent, but as a counselor and con dant. ... The courage he showed changed lives and transcended our game. His impact reached far beyond basketball.”
A moment of silence was held Tuesday before the Minnesota at San Antonio playo game, in tribute to both Collins and Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke — whose death was announced Tuesday as well. The Spurs lauded Collins not just for breaking barriers, but for “his bravery and kindness.”
Collins made nearly 61% of his shots in his career at Stanford, which remains a school record. He was an honorable mention selection for The Associated Press’ All-America team in 2001, a few months before the Houston Rockets took him with the 18th pick in that year’s NBA draft.
“It’s a sad day for all of us associated with Stanford basketball when we lose one of the program’s greats,” former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery said. “We all have great memories of Jason and the kind of person he was. It’s hard to separate Jarron and Jason because they thought so alike, but even though he was an identical twin, Jason was unique in his own way. The impact he had on Stanford was immense, as he could match up against anyone in the country because he was big, smart, strong and skilled, all while being a very bright and nice person.”
JONATHAN BACHMAN / AP PHOTO Brooklyn Nets center Jason Collins warms up before an NBA game in New Orleans in 2014. Collins died last week from brain cancer.
Warsh assumes leadership of the Fed amid persistent in ation and concerns about Trump’s in uence
By Christopher Rugaber and Joey Cappelletti
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON D.C. — The Senate con rmed President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, bringing new leadership to the world’s most powerful central bank at a fraught moment for the global economy.
Warsh was con rmed Wednesday in a largely party-line vote. His nomination had been thrown into doubt in recent months after Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said he would block the nomination while the Justice Department investigated Fed Chair Jerome Powell. The Powell probe was dropped in April, clearing the way for the Senate to con rm Warsh.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) urged colleagues to support Warsh during a oor speech Wednesday morning, saying it’s critical that a Fed chair “understand not only the macro” but also “appreciate the microeconomy: and that’s the hardworking Americans, their jobs and their livelihoods.”
“Kevin Warsh is just such a person,” Thune said.
Warsh, 56, a former top Fed o cial, will become chair at an unusually di cult time for the independent agency.
In ation has topped the Fed’s 2% target for ve years and is now rising faster because of spiking gas prices. The Fed’s interest rate-setting committee is divided and saw the most dissenting votes in more than three decades last month. And Powell, after years of personal attacks from the Republican president and an unprecedented legal investigation by the Justice Department, plans to stay on the Fed’s board even after his term as chair ends, potentially creating a competing power center.
Trump demanded change at Federal Reserve
The Fed has faced numerous threats to its independence from Trump, who has repeatedly attacked Powell for not cutting interest rates. Trump also sought to re Fed governor Lisa Cook and launched an investigation into brief Senate testimony by Powell on a building renovation.
Kevin Hassett, director of
the White House’s National Economic Council, said in a Fox News interview on Sunday that he believes the markets are relieved that Warsh “is going to help lower interest rates over time.”
“Obviously, data driven,” said Hassett. “I’m not putting any pressure on Kevin Warsh.”
In December, Trump said on his social media platform that he wanted a Fed chair who would cut interest rates when the stock market rose — the opposite of what traditional economics would prescribe — and added, “Anyone that disagrees with me will never be the Fed chairman!”
Trump’s comments have fueled concerns over whether Warsh will set rates based on economic conditions or seek to cut rates to appease Trump, even if doing so could worsen in ation. At Warsh’s conrmation hearing last month, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, derided him as a “sock puppet” for Trump. Warsh declined to say that Democrat Joe Biden had won the 2020 election against Trump, who has falsely claimed that voter fraud cost him reelection.
Still, Warsh denied at the hearing that Trump had pressured him to reduce the Fed’s key rate.
“The president never once asked me to commit to any particular interest rate decision, period,” Warsh said then. “Nor would I ever agree to do so if he had. ... I will be an independent actor if conrmed as chair of the Federal
Reserve.” Critic of Fed’s leadership in the past
Warsh has been highly critical of the Fed’s recent track record, particularly the in ation spike in 2021-22, the worst in four decades, and has called for “regime change.” Yet he has provided only broad outlines of what that change would involve.
He has called for limiting the Fed’s communications, which would be a sharp shift after decades of increasing transparency. He has argued that some of its communications tools, such as quarterly forecasts of where its key rate may head, have made it harder for o cials to switch gears.
Senate Democrats have also condemned Warsh for not ful-
ly divulging the details of his extensive wealth, which disclosures show amounts to at least $100 million. His investments include stakes in Polymarket and SpaceX, but he hasn’t revealed how large those holdings are. He promised to sell all such assets within 90 days of being sworn in.
“He will be the wealthiest Fed chair in history, but he refuses to provide transparency to the American people about who he is entangled with,” Warren said. Warsh faces di cult economic conditions
The Fed is still grappling with how to respond to the 50% spike in gas prices from the Iran war. The increase has boosted in ation, which reached 3.8%
in April.
The Fed is tasked by Congress with keeping prices stable, which it seeks to do by raising its short-term rate to make borrowing and spending more expensive, cooling growth and in ation.
The Fed typically looks past temporary price increases that stem from supply disruptions, such as the war’s cuto of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, because those prices typically level o — or even fall back down — once the supply is restored.
But the Fed also followed that approach after the coronavirus pandemic snarled global supply chains for goods, lifting prices for things like cars, furniture and electronics. In ation turned out to last longer than expected, and Powell and other Fed ocials have acknowledged they waited too long to raise rates. In ation surged to 9.1% by June 2022.
The Fed’s rate-setting committee has kept rates unchanged for three straight meetings as it evaluates the impact of the gas price spike. At its most recent meeting last month, three members of the committee objected to language that suggested its next move would be a rate cut. They preferred more neutral language that would allow for a hike. Many Fed watchers saw those dissents as a warning shot to Warsh that he won’t be able to easily engineer rate reductions.
A fourth member of the 12-member committee, Stephen Miran, dissented in favor of a rate cut, as he has at every meeting since Trump appointed him to the Fed’s board last September. Miran is serving until a replacement is named, and Warsh will take his spot.
Powell, meanwhile, said at a news conference April 29 that he would remain as a Fed governor until the Justice Department closes its investigation into the Fed’s building project, the rst time a chair may stay on the board for an extended period since 1948. His term as a governor lasts until January 2028. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has dropped the government’s probe, but she has said it could be reopened if the Fed’s inspector general, which has been examining the issue, nds evidence of criminal activity.
Small cities in big Texas metro areas lead as fastest-growing municipalities in United States
The surge re ects migration away from expensive coasts toward a ordable Southern job markets
By Mike Schneider
The Associated Press
SMALL CITIES IN big Texas metro areas were the fastest-growing municipalities in the United States last year, as smaller communities in the South outpaced the rest of the nation, which has experienced a population slowdown since the start of the immigration crackdown last year, according to gures released Thursday.
Celina, Princeton, Melissa and Anna — all part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex — were the Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 5 fastest-growing U.S. cities with populations of 20,000 residents or more from mid-2024 to mid2025, according to population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Fulshear, in metro Houston, was the second-fastest growing U.S. city. The ve Texas cities’ year-over-year growth rates ranged from almost 15% to almost 25%.
In pure numbers, Celina, with only 64,000 people, grew by more residents — 12,700 — than Seattle and Houston, cities that are 12 times and 37 times larger respectively.
Small- to medium-sized cities hit a sweet spot between the largest U.S. cities, which were most impacted by the loss of immigrants from the crackdown started last year during the second Trump administration, and anemic growth in small towns, according to
Matt Erickson, a Census Bureau statistician.
Texas cities dominate
Nine out of 10 of the largest population gainers in pure numbers were cities in the South because of a healthy job market and its comparative affordability. The biggest numeric gainers were Charlotte; Fort Worth, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; and Celina.
Fort Worth leaped over Jacksonville last year as the 10th most populous U.S. city, putting four Texas cities in the nation’s top 10 most populous, with the other cities being Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.
Austin skipped over San Jose for the 12th most populous spot, as Texas’ capital city surpassed 1 million residents for the rst time. It is now one of a dozen U.S. cities with 1 million residents or more.
Seattle makes comeback
Seattle was the only non-Southern city to crack the top 10 in numeric population gains last year, at the No. 5 spot.
Like many large cities, particularly on the coasts, Seattle lost population during the height of the pandemic a half-decade ago. But recent construction of new housing has helped ease the city’s a ordability, making it more attractive for residents to stay in the core city rather than move to farther out suburbs in the metro area, according to the Washington State Ofce of Financial Management. The growth was driven by immigrants, particularly from China and India. International migration accounted for al-
most three-quarters of the area’s population gains, according to county-level population estimates released in March.
Tight housing market, natural disasters drive population losses
The two cities with the greatest rates of population loss last year — Twentynine Palms, California, by Joshua Tree National Park and Key West at the southern tip of Florida — were in places with tight housing markets. Their losses ranged from -2.4% to -2.9%.
1M
Austin, Texas, is now the 12th-largest city in the country, one of a dozen with more than a million residents
In Twentynine Palms, a large chunk of the housing stock has been converted into short-term rentals for tourists heading to the national park. Just under 40% of its housing is occupied by
its owners, compared with the national average of 65%, according to Census Bureau gures. Hemmed in on all sides by water, the limited housing stock in Key West, as well as some of the highest home insurance rates in the U.S., have driven up housing costs for the Conch Republic. The median price for a home in Key West was $1.3 million at the start of this year, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Other cities that had some of the biggest rates of population loss last year were hit by natural disasters.
US deportations to El Salvador double as Bukele aligns himself with Trump administration agenda
The gures underscore El Salvador’s strategic role in Trump’s acceleration of regional deportations
By Marcos Alemán and Megan Janetsky
The Associated Press
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — The number of people deported to El Salvador from the U.S. nearly doubled in the rst months of 2026, according to o cial gures, coming as Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has positioned himself as an ally willing to help the Trump administration accelerate deportations, a central priority.
The U.S. deported 5,033 Salvadorans back to their country in the rst three months of 2026 compared with 2,547 deportees in the same period in 2025, according to El Salvador migration authority gures obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday.
That marks nearly a 98% increase at the same time that the Trump administration has boosted deportation ights across the world. Globally, deportation ights from the U.S. jumped around 61% between 2024 and 2025, according to data compiled by the Asociación Agenda Migrante El Salvador, or AAMES, and other organizations.
The U.S. has stopped regularly releasing deportation data, so experts instead are relying on other information from countries like El Salvador, deportation ights and other numbers.
The sharp increase in deportations “con rms a real hardening of the U.S. immigration system toward the region,” said César Ríos of AAMES.
The jump comes as Bukele, a tough-on-crime politician, has sought to align himself with U.S. President Donald Trump, and the U.S. government has lined up allies across Latin America to help him car -
“(It) con rms a real hardening of the U.S. immigration system toward the region.”
César Ríos, AAMES
ry out his agenda. While Mexico and other Central American nations have quietly accepted deportees from third countries, Bukele has boldly embraced Trump’s e orts in Latin America.
In March 2025, Bukele most notably accepted 238 Venezuelan deportees accused of being members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and locked them up in a mega-prison built for accused gang members in Bukele’s ongoing o ensive on El Salvador’s gangs. The incident fueled wide -
spread accusations of human rights abuses.
The geopolitical restorm came after Trump’s government struck a deal with Bukele to accept what they described as transfer and imprisonment of foreign criminals to El Salvador. Under the agreement, El Salvador would receive $6 million from the U.S.
In April, the Trump administration mistakenly deported a Maryland resident and Salvadoran citizen Kilmar Abrego García with protected status in the U.S., becoming yet another legal and political ashpoint. Bukele originally refused to return Abrego García and denied accusations of beating and torture — which have been widely documented by human rights groups in Salvadoran prisons.
He was later returned to the U.S. in June to face charges that he helped bring immigrants to the U.S. illegal-
ly, something his lawyers call “baseless.” Abrego García has pleaded not guilty and asked a judge to dismiss his case as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that it hoped to deport Abrego García to Liberia.
Even more recently, Bukele joined a coalition of other right-leaning Trump allies in a group of countries that Trump dubbed the Shield of the Americas, purportedly aimed at cracking down on criminal groups in Latin America, even though the two most essential countries in that e ort — Mexico and Colombia — refused to attend.
Meanwhile, many migrants in the U.S. are turning their eyes on U.S. Supreme Court arguments as Trump seeks to stop shielding hundreds of thousands of migrants from Haiti and Syria, a decision many of the more than
El Salvador President Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez listens as President Donald Trump speaks during the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 5 in Washington, D.C.
200,000 Salvadoran migrants with temporary protections worry might eventually a ect them.
Bukele has helped the U.S. with its immigration agenda even before Trump entered o ce.
In 2023, El Salvador’s government began to slap a $1,130 fee on travelers from dozens of countries connecting through the nation’s main airport, amid pressure from the Biden administration to help control the number of migrants moving toward the United States’ southern border. At the same time, migration from El Salvador, fueled by gang violence and poverty, dipped following Bukele’s contentious war on the gangs.
Analysts said that Bukele’s government used dips in migration as a bargaining chip to o set human rights criticisms by the U.S.
JULIO CORTEZ / AP PHOTO
The Dallas skyline is visible through the framing of Reunion Tower on Nov. 6, 2025, in Dallas.
EVAN VUCCI / AP PHOTO
DeGrasse Tyson takes on aliens, how
we
should greet them in ‘Take Me to Your Leader’
The astrophysicist o ers the rst etiquette guide for humanity’s potential encounter with aliens
By Mark Kennedy
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Neil de -
Grasse Tyson has had a lifelong fantasy of being abducted by aliens. That’s right, he actually wants to be taken.
“I even picture the scenario in my head: I’m sitting out there alone, and a beam of light comes down,” he says. “It’s not a spacecraft that’s hovering over me. It’s just a beam of light from space. And I just get lifted up into that beam of light, and I appear in a new place.”
America’s favorite astrophysicist has turned that lifelong fascination into a book, “Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter,” which — like that beam of light — illuminates what we know about possible space critters and what we can anticipate if they ever come calling.
“Even if it doesn’t actually happen, there’s value to going through the thought experiment of what could happen,” he says. “Maybe there’s some takeaways that o er insights into how you think about the world, how we think about each other and the future of our civilization.”
The book, out Tuesday, is a unique road map into the prodigious brain of Tyson, who has an ability to blend pop culture with quantum physics. Tyson is the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
“Take Me to Your Leader” references evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould and Cartoon Network’s “Rick and Morty” and weaves ideas from both the French philosopher Voltaire and lyrics by Katy Perry. It mixes the physics of invisibility with “Star Trek” and has digressions into multispectral vision, how Superman — an alien, remember? — could kill us all just by fart-
Neil deGrasse Tyson appears at a premiere of “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” in New York on Nov. 10, 2025. His new book is “Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter.”
ing and why supersonic planes “look badass.”
They’re going to be smart
Tyson concludes that if aliens were to arrive on Earth, they are likely to be much more advanced than humans.
He writes it would be like trying to teach a chimp long division.
“They’ll not only be brilliant, but they’ll be way more powerful than us in practically any way that matters, which is why it’s so laughable when you see in Hollywood movies some mothership arrives and people pull out their pistols and start shooting guns at it. Like, ‘Really? Have you thought this through?’”
During rst contact, he advises against trying to shake hands or raising a hand in a sign of hello. “Leave all your habits at home, until you learn a thing or two about theirs,” he writes.
The book arrives during a spasm of interest in aliens.
The Pentagon has begun releasing a new batch of les on UFOs, “Project Hail Mary” was a smash and Steven Spielberg prepares his alien movie “Disclosure Day,” while former President Barack Obama declared on a podcast that aliens are real. (He later clari ed that he had seen no evidence but that “the odds are good there’s life out there.”)
Tyson decided to write his book after watching recent congressional hearings on UFOs, noting that both Republicans and Democrats seemed uni ed in nding the truth.
“They had a common subject that they’re both interested in,” he says. “When I saw it hit that level, I realized I have something to contribute.”
A book of etiquette
It is the rst book under Simon & Schuster’s new Simon
Six imprint led by Jonathan Karp, Tyson’s editor, who called the scientist “the Bruce Springsteen of astrophysicists.”
“You name a respected scientist who has ever written
“Maybe there’s some takeaways that o er insights into how you think about the world, how we think about each other and the future of our civilization.”
Neil deGrasse Tyson
a book of etiquette on how to meet aliens. It hasn’t been done. This is truly terra incognita,” Karp says.
The aliens will, of course, not speak any Earth languages, but Tyson thinks we can still communicate via science — universal constants like the speed of light, Newton’s laws of motion and gravity and Einstein’s relativity. The aliens may even recognize our periodic table — not the names or symbols — but the simple organization, which they may likely also have done.
He also concludes that they won’t be tiny or enormous, citing brain-to-body-weight ratios. Too big and they collapse under their own body weight. Too small and they couldn’t construct a spaceworthy vehicle. “The laws of physics greatly restrict the likelihood of Earth being visited by, much less invaded by tiny aliens,” he writes.
If they’re monitoring us, though, there’s a good chance they’ll want to be taken to our apparent leader — Taylor Swift. Instead, Karp says Tyson should be the point man for the human race and the book is his calling card.
“I think this is the funniest factual book that anyone will ever read on aliens and that’s quite a statement,” says Karp. “There’s so much chaos and con ict in the world, and it’s a book on aliens that has the potential to bring us all together. He’s clearly been thinking about aliens his entire life, and he’s managed to write about them with the acuity of a scientist and the appeal of an entertainer. That’s a powerful combination.”
MARKET from page A1
As part of the event, Living Locust is hosting its “Locust Gives Back” ra e fundraiser for Faith Alive Ministries. Three winners will receive prize bundles made up of donated items from local businesses.
Ra e tickets are available online at go.rallyup.com/locustgivesback through 6 p.m. on Sunday. Cash ticket purchases will also be available in person at the event, with winners set to be drawn at 10 a.m. on Monday.
“We would love for you to bring your whole family out on Sunday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for a fun afternoon supporting local businesses and our com-
“We’re just really excited to partner with Living Locust for an event that brings the community together while also giving back.”
Jordan Whitley, Faith Alive Ministries executive director
munity,” said Jordan Whitley, executive director of Faith Alive Ministries. Whitley said the fundraiser will help support the nonprofit’s outreach e orts in assisting Stanly County and other communities by helping meet prac-
tical and spiritual needs. The organization supports widows, children, foster families and people facing hardship through resources, encouragement and outreach.
“Living Locust is also hosting a huge ra e fundraiser, and 100% of the proceeds are going directly to Faith Alive Ministries to help support our ministry, which includes widows and children in foster care right here in our community,” Whitley said. “We’re just really excited to partner with Living Locust for an event that brings the community together while also giving back.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, more than $1,000 had been raised for Faith Alive Ministries through the ra e fundraiser.
STANLY SPORTS
Stanly teams keep state playo runs alive
Four local baseball and softball teams won third-round matchups
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — Four Stanly County baseball and softball teams carried their seasons into Friday’s fourth round of the NCHSAA state playo s after strong showings in Tuesday’s third-round games.
Two of the county’s three remaining baseball teams advanced Tuesday, while both local softball teams moved within one win of the regional nals.
In baseball, West Stanly continued its run through the 4A West bracket with a 4-1 home win over No. 8 R-S Central (19 - 6) in Red Cross. The top-seeded Colts (25-2) hosted No. 4 Lincoln Charter (20-7) on Friday with a spot in the 4Anal four on the line.
West Stanly previously received a rst-round bye before defeating No. 17 West Stokes in the second round. The Colts are seeking another deep postseason run after reaching last year’s regional nal series, where they fell to East Rutherford.
North Stanly also moved on, shutting out No. 9 Union Academy (19-10) 7-0 in New London behind junior pitcher Jarrett
31
Unanswered runs scored in the state playo s by South Stanly softball
Hinson’s 12 strikeouts in seven innings. The top-seeded Comets (24-4) hosted No. 12 Patton (17-10) on Friday in the 3A West fourth round. The Comets opened the postseason with a rst-round bye, following that with a second-round win over No. 17 East Surry.
South Stanly’s baseball season ended in the third round of the 2A West bracket with a 10-0 road loss to No. 4 Corvian Community (18-9) in Charlotte. The fth-seeded Rowdy Rebel Bulls nished 17-11 this season. On the softball side, West Stanly advanced in the 4A West bracket with an 11-2 home win over No. 5 Pisgah (19-4), behind two RBIs apiece from junior Kennedy Austin and sophomore Laney Tucker. The fourth-seeded Colts (23-5) traveled to King on Friday to face No. 1 West Stokes (22-4). West Stanly had a rst-round bye before beating No. 13 Hibriten in the second round.
Friday’s matchup marked the Colts’ rst road game of the state playo s. South Stanly remained alive in the 2A West bracket with another dominant home performance, shutting out No. 9 East Wilkes (13-12) 10-0 in Norwood behind a complete-game e ort from sophomore pitcher Lyric Rucker. The top-seeded Bulls (23-2) carried a seven-game winning streak into Friday’s fourth-round matchup with No. 4 Starmount (20-7). After a rst-round bye, the Bulls have opened postseason play with back-to-back shutouts, beginning with a 21-0 second-round win over No. 17 Hayesville.
Pfei er baseball, softball teams enter NCAA Tournament
The Falcons’ programs earned automatic bids after USA South titles
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
MISENHEIMER — Pfei er’s baseball and softball teams have taken their USA South championship seasons into the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Both Falcons programs recently notched automatic bids by winning their conference tournament titles, extending two of the school’s top spring seasons into national postseason play.
Pfei er’s baseball team opened NCAA Division III Tournament play Friday in Baltimore, where the Falcons faced Johns Hopkins in the rst round of a four-team regional at Stromberg Stadium.
The double-elimination regional, scheduled to run through Sunday, includes top-seeded Johns Hopkins (33 -9), No. 2 Pomona-Pitzer (31-12), No. 3 Mary Washington (26-12) and No. 4 Pfei er (25-20).
The Falcons earned their spot in the eld with a 6-0 home shutout of William Peace in the USA South Tournament championship game on May 9, giving the program its rst conference tournament title since joining the league.
The NCAA trip marks Pfei er baseball’s second national tournament appearance in program history and its
“It’s the work that we put in when nobody else was watching.”
Craig Bolton, Pfei er baseball coach
rst at the Division III level.
“It’s the work that we put in when nobody else was watching,” Pfei er coach Craig Bolton said of his team’s success this year. “That ultimately leads us here, so we’re excited and looking forward to the trip.”
Pfei er also entered the tournament with two of the USA South’s top pitchers.
Sophomore James Eason became the rst Pfei er player to be named USA South Pitcher of the Year. He also earned USA South Tournament MVP honors after helping lead the Falcons through their conference title run.
Freshman teammate Cameron Cooper, a former North Stanly standout, became the rst Falcon to earn USA South Baseball Rookie Pitcher of the Year honors.
Pfei er’s softball team also began NCAA play this week, traveling to Virginia Beach, Virginia, for a four-team regional at TowneBank Park. The Falcons opened the tournament Thursday against Manhattanville.
The double-elimination regional, scheduled to run through Saturday, includes No. 1 Vir-
ginia Wesleyan (45 - 0), No. 2
Pfei er (39-9), No. 3 Manhattanville (35-8) and No. 4 John Jay (18-20).
The Falcons entered the national tournament after winning their fourth consecutive USA South regular-season and tournament championships. Pfei er went 17-1 in conference play, carried a ve -game winning streak into the NCAA eld and had won 24 of its previous 25 games.
On May 8, Pfei er advanced after defeating N.C. Wesleyan 6-4 in the USA South Tournament title game.
“We’re down in the dirt, we’re going to be ballers, we don’t back down from situations,” Pfei er softball coach Monte Sherrill said of his team’s approach. “The score doesn’t matter. We’re just here to take care of the process.” Junior Landry Stewart was named USA South Player of the
Pfei er’s softball team celebrates after winning the 2026 USA South Tournament championship game.
Year for the second straight season, while Pfei er also claimed two of the league’s top freshman awards. Heather Vaughn, a freshman rst baseman, became the third Falcon to earn USA South Softball Rookie of the Year honors. Freshman pitcher Abigail Bowman also became the second Pfei er player to be named USA South Softball Rookie Pitcher of the Year.
PJ WARD-BROWN / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL
North Stanly’s Aiden Hamilton takes a swing during the Comets’ home win over Community School of Davidson on April 16.
Does NHL need more replay reviews for penalties and scrums, or would game be slowed down?
Hockey’s speed makes it tough to get calls right in real time
By Aaron Beard
The Associated Press
RALEIGH — Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour gures the NHL has the best o cials in the world. He still thinks they could use some help in sorting through the chaos — both before and after the whistle — that comes with the NHL playo s.
Brind’Amour has backed the idea of using more replay reviews to look not just at penalty calls but everything going on in those testier-with-every-round scrums. Not everyone agrees with Brind’Amour when it comes to reviewing penalty calls, though his larger point stands about getting the right call with the stakes involved in chasing the Stanley Cup.
“You can’t get better ocials. We have the best — I want to make sure everybody understands that — I know no one else could do a better job,” Brind’Amour said with his team up 2-0 in a second-round series against Philadelphia. “But man, it’s just hard to see some of the penalties that are getting called, that if you just took a quick peek, you’d go, ‘Oh wait a minute, that’s not what happened.’
“We’ll get to it at some point, but I think they could use a little hand.”
Playo games this year are averaging 10.6 penalties and 25.1 penalty minutes. That is the highest average number of penalties since 2009 (10.9), while this is just the second time since 2012 that the average of penalty minutes has exceeded 25 per game (it was 28 PIMs per game in 2023).
NHL o cials can review calls for non ghting major and match penalties, then either con rm it or reduce it to a two-minute minor. They can also review double-minor high-sticking penalties to determine whether the stick involved actually belonged to the player being penalized.
Brind’Amour rst raised the topic after a rst-round sweep of Ottawa. That came after Sen-
ators forward Ridly Greig delivered two sucker punches to Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker — the second an uppercut to the face — while Walker was engaged with Senators forward Warren Foegele.
Greig wasn’t penalized, though the NHL later suspended him for two regular-season games. Compounding matters, Brind’Amour said, was the fact the Hurricanes emerged from that sequence shorthanded. He suggested having someone work solely to monitor replays and assist on-ice o cials.
“The only reason (Greig) did that was because he looked, no one’s watching, doesn’t get called for it, and we somehow ended up short on that,” Brind’Amour said. “That’s wrong. That’s not right. Just get it right.”
“It is impossible to referee our sport live, it really is — it’s just everything’s happening so fast.”
Rod Brind’Amour, Hurricanes coach
The issue is how best to accomplish that if expanded replay usage is one day adopted by the league.
“That’s a good question because like a lot of times guys get away with stu in there,” Bu alo Sabres forward Josh Dunne said about more replay reviews of scrums in particular.
“Some guy starts, another guy gets the penalty for it,” he said. “It’s hard, it’s a hard line. It’s why it’s so much on the judgment of the refs where it’s like they can only see what they see, where it’s like you never really know how these things get going.”
His coach, meanwhile, chuckled that he’s “not a huge fan of another video review.”
“I don’t mind Rod’s thinking at all,” said Lindy Ru , whose Sabres are facing Montreal in Round 2. “I just think, boy, if now we’re going to review something, we start reviewing scrums, I just think players will start taking acting lessons.”
“It is impossible to referee our sport live, it really is — it’s just everything’s happening so fast, now you’re getting embellishment everywhere,” Brind’Amour
Cox, Hall of Fame Braves manager, dead at 84
He managed Atlanta for 25 years, bringing the city its rst World Series title
By Charles Odum
The Associated Press
ATLANTA — Bobby Cox, the folksy manager of the Atlanta Braves whose teams ruled the National League during the 1990s and gave the city its rst major title as well as World Series trips that fell short, died Saturday at 84 in Marietta, Georgia. He had a stroke in 2019 and heart issues that complicated his recovery.
“Bobby was the best manager to ever wear a Braves uniform. He led our team to 14 straight division titles, ve National League pennants, and the unforgettable World Series title in 1995. His Braves managerial legacy will never be matched,” the Braves said in a statement.
Cox took over a last-place team in June 1990 and led the Braves to a worst-to- rst nish in 1991, losing the World Series to the Minnesota Twins in seven games. That was the start of what was to become a record 14 consecutive division titles, a feat no professional team in any sport had accomplished.
He managed the Braves for 25 years and led Atlanta to its rst World Series title in 1995, retired after the 2010 season and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.
Cox ranks fourth all-time with 2,504 wins, fth with 4,508 games, rst with 15 division titles including a record 14 in a row, rst with 16 playo appearances and fourth with 67 playo victories. Only Connie
Mack, John McGraw and Tony La Russa had more regular-season wins than Cox.
“He was the rst one to the park every day,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said of Cox. “He’d have his spikes on at 12 o’clock. I never saw a manager wear spikes, but that was one of Bobby’s trademarks. He just loved the game. He loved the game, and he loved leading a group of men trying to win a championship.” Cox also was rst in being ejected from 158 regular-season games. Weiss, who called Cox
instrumental in bringing him back to the Braves as a bench coach, was asked if he might get tossed in Cox’s honor.
“It’s a di erent game now, you know, a very di erent era,” Weiss said. “Nobody can do it like Bobby, believe me.”
The Braves retired Cox’s No. 6 jersey in 2011, when he joined the team’s Hall of Fame.
“RIP my second father,” Andruw Jones wrote on social media. The 10-time Gold Glove winner with Atlanta in July will become the sixth who played for Cox with the Braves to be
“Honestly, I’m just doing my job. I let everything else fall where it may.”
Bobby Cox
inducted into the Hall of Fame. Cox spent 29 seasons as a major league manager, including four with Toronto. He managed 16 postseason teams. He brought an old-school approach to the dugout. He always wore
said then. “Sticks aren’t even coming close to you, they’re doing this (leans his head back) because why? Because if this goes like this (raises arm), you’re getting a call. But if you’ve got a guy on the review that said, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, that’s embellishment,’ it would be out of the game.”
Dunne said he worried about the idea of slowing the game too much with more replay reviews, while Colorado Avalanche forward Brock Nelson said he largely “liked where the game is at.”
“I don’t want to make too many adjustments or critiques to the game,” Nelson said.
“I’m a traditionalist. The more rules you make, the more you have,” said Anaheim Ducks coach Joel Quenneville.
spikes and stirrups, and his fatherly demeanor inspired loyalty from his players.
Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux said players around the league always wanted to know what it was like playing for Bobby Cox.
“The rst word that comes to mind is respect,” Maddux said. “He had that from players. When Bobby talked, we listened. We wanted to play for him.”
Cox was the rst NL manager to win at least 100 games in a season ve times. He was Manager of the Year four times and the only one to win in consecutive years (2004, 2005). He also had close ties with his successors, Fredi González and Brian Snitker.
Despite all his regular-season success, Cox won only the one World Series title in ve tries. He led the Braves to Atlanta’s rst major professional sports championship in 1995, beating the Cleveland Indians in six games to win the World Series. Cox said critics usually focused on the World Series losses instead.
“It’s a game of breaks when you get down to a four-game, must-win series,” Cox said. “We’ve played well. We’re proud of what we’ve done. They always ask that, though. It is irritating, to be honest with you.”
“He lived a great life,” said Dodgers rst baseman Freddie Freeman, who played the rst 12 seasons of his career with the Braves. “Everyone loved him in baseball. Braves country loved him.”
Cox usually shied away from the limelight and was uncomfortable when talking about himself.
“Honestly, I’m just doing my job. I let everything else fall where it may,” he said.
KARL DEBLAKER / AP PHOTO
Referee Gord Dwyer (19) announces a call while referee Francis Charron (6) speaks to Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal (11) during a playo game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
CARLOS OSORIO / AP PHOTO, FILE National League manager Bobby Cox, right, and American League manager Cito Gaston look over Camden Yards during All-Star workouts in Baltimore on July 13, 1993.
Pirates’ Konnor Gri n is greeted by his teammates after scoring.
MLB’s rookie class making impressive impact
Young prospects are making an impact faster than in the past
By David Brandt The Associated Press
PHOENIX — Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Konnor Grifn stepped to the plate against the Arizona Diamondbacks and ripped a 110.1-mph laser high o the center- eld wall at Chase Field, cruising into second base for a double.
“Twenty years old and driving the ball o the center eld wall,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “Let’s go back to being 20 years old. I was just getting hair under my armpits, and this guy’s in a big-league baseball game. It’s impressive.”
Gri n — who just turned 20 a few weeks ago — is part of an MLB rookie class that’s made an instant impact. He’s batting .256 with two homers, 16 RBIs and is 8 for 8 on stolen bases, all while playing shortstop at a high level.
No wonder the Pirates were comfortable handing him a $140 million, nine-year deal in April.
Lovullo has been the manager of the D-backs for 10 seasons and said he’s noticed a huge di erence in the readiness of young players when they get to the big leagues.
The data backs that up too. As measured by Wins Above Replacement, three of the ve most productive classes of rookie hitters since 1950 graduated in the past four years, in 2023 (67.5 WAR), 2022 (53.7) and 2024 (49). This year’s class is on pace for 47, which would rank fth.
Even the 2025 class, which wasn’t as deep, featured examples of players ready to make an unusually fast impact. Nick Kurtz got just 210 at-bats in the minor leagues before joining the Athletics, then batted .290 with 36 homers and 86 RBIs over 117
“Let’s go back to being 20 years old. I was just getting hair under my armpits, and this guy’s in a big-league baseball game. It’s impressive.”
Torey Lovullo on Konnor Gri n
games to win American League Rookie of the Year in 2025.
“Everything is fast-forwarded now, everything’s on speed dial, everything happens really quick,” Lovullo said. “These kids are developing.”
Here’s a look at some of the other top rookies in the big leagues through the season’s rst 11⁄2 months.
Kevin McGonigle, SS, Detroit Tigers
The 21-year-old made the bigleague club with a strong spring performance and continues to impress, batting .299 with two homers, 16 RBIs and an .845 OPS while splitting time between shortstop and third base. That’s why Detroit was comfortable signing him to a $150 million, eight-year deal in April.
JJ Wetherholt, 2B, St. Louis Cardinals
The No. 7 overall pick in 2024, Wetherholt has popped seven homers for a Cardinals team that’s been a pleasant surprise in the NL Central.
Chase DeLauter, OF, Cleveland Guardians
DeLauter actually made his MLB debut last season when he became one of the few players in big league history to get his rst call-up in the playo s. So far this spring, he’s shown why the Guardians had enough condence to bring him up for those
Justice Grambling
pressure-packed games, batting .306 with six homers and 23 RBIs.
Munetaka Murikami, 1B, Chicago White Sox
The veteran Japanese slugger has made an instant impact in the big leagues, crushing 14 homers in just 37 games. He needs to cut down on the strikeouts and may never consistently hit for high average, but there’s no doubt the power is legit, and he’s still just 26 years old.
Kazuma Okamoto, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays
The 29-year-old is older than all of the other players on this list and had a slow start while making the transition from Japan. But he’s picked up the pace over the past few weeks and is batting .246 with 10 homers and 23 RBIs.
Sal Stewart, 1B, Cincinnati Reds
The 22-year-old made a good impression during a short stint last season and has continued to hit this spring. Playing mostly rst base, he’s batting .245 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs.
Nolan McLean, RHP, New York Mets
McLean, a Garner High alum, has been one of the Mets’ few bright spots. He dazzled in an eight-start cameo last season and has pitched well so far in 2026. The 24-year-old has a 2.97 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 391⁄3 innings through seven starts.
Parker Messick, LHP, Cleveland Guardians
The left-hander has been one of the best pitchers in the American League this season with a 3-1 record and a 2.40 ERA through seven starts.
North Stanly, track and eld
Justice Grambling is a senior on the North Stanly track and eld team. He is headed to the state championships after winning regional championships in two events at the NCHSAA Class 3A Central Regional meet last week.
Grambling won the 100 meters with a time of 10.82. Teammates Ra’Cere Bruton and Jamar Crute joined him on the podium as the Comets swept the top spots. He then teamed with both of them and Kylan Dockery to win the state title in the 4x100 relay, winning by a margin of 0.68 seconds. Dockery also won a regional title in the 200, and the 4x200 relay team took rst as well.
Grambling has helped the relay team set a school record in the 4x100 this season, and he has an individual school record in the 60. He was also named North Stanly’s male athlete of the year.
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TOM E. PUSKAR / AP PHOTO
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NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Executrix of the estate of Londa Kay Aldridge deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Londa Kay Aldridge to present them to the undersigned on or before July 26, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 26th day of April 2026. Cathy Ann Aldridge Lanier 814 Blake Road Albemarle, NC 28001 Executrix
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000033-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Administrator of the estate of Jeanette Victoria Banister deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Jeanette Victoria Banister to present them to the undersigned on or before July 26, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 26th day of April 2026. David Eric Kenimer 6515 Santa Claus Road Monroe, NC 28110 Administrator
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000142-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Administratrix of the estate of Tommy Wayne Furr deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Tommy Wayne Furr to present them to the undersigned on or before August 5, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 3rd day of May 2026. Becky Furr Jenkins 2204 Quail Drive NC Concord, NC 28027 Administratrix
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The undersigned, having quali ed as the Administrator of the Estate of Walter Charles Rideout, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the Estate to present such claims to the undersigned Administrator at 9512 Emory Grove Road, Gaithersburg, MD 28077-3502 on or before the 14th day of August, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the estate will please make immediate payment. This the 29th day of April, 2026. Lee Rideout Administrator of the Estate of Walter Charles Rideout 9512 Emory Grove Road Gaithersburg, MD 28077-3502
David A. Beaver Attorney for the Administrator 160 N. First Street (P.O. Box 1338) Albemarle, NC 28001 (28002) 704-982-4915
Dates of publication: May 9,16, 23 and 30, 2026
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The undersigned has quali ed as Administratrix of the Estate of SYLVIA MAULDIN FAULKNER, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina (Stanly County File Number 26E000174-830).
This is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said decedent or her estate to present the same duly itemized and veri ed to the undersigned on or before the 27th day of July 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the decedent or to her estate are hereby requested to pay the said indebtedness to the undersigned Administratrix or her attorney. This the 21st day of April 2026. RHONDA FAULKNER PERKINS Administratrix ESTATE OF SYLVIA MAULDIN FAULKNER 404 East Mountain View Road, #201 Johnson City, TN 37601
CHARLES P. BROWN Resident Process Agent PO Box 400 Albemarle, North Carolina 28002
CHARLES P. BROWN BROWN & SENTER, P.L.L.C. PO Box 400 Albemarle, North Carolina 28002-0400
Telephone: 704 982-2141
Facsimile: 704 982-0902
PUBLISH: April 26, May 3, 10, and 17, 2026
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The undersigned has quali ed as Administrator CTA of the Estate of LARRY KEN FRICK, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina (Stanly County File Number 26E000204-830). This is to notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said decedent or his estate to present the same duly itemized and veri ed to the undersigned on or before the 11th day of August 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the decedent or to his estate are hereby requested to pay the said indebtedness to the undersigned Administrator CTA or his attorney. This the 5th day of May 2026.
KENNETH E. FRICK Administrator CTA ESTATE OF LARRY KEN FRICK 620 Lisk Street Albemarle, NC 28001 CHARLES P. BROWN BROWN & SENTER, P.L.L.C. PO Box 400 Albemarle, North Carolina 28002-0400
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NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000223-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Executor of the estate of Heath Jerry Johnson a/k/a H. Jerry Johnson, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Heath Jerry Johnson a/k/a H. Jerry Johnson to present them to the undersigned on or before August 18, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 17th day of May 2026. Kevin Heath Johnson 36404 Old Salisbury Road New London, NC 28127 Executor
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NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000175-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Administratrix of the estate of Debra Staton Furr deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Debra Staton Furr to present them to the undersigned on or before July 26, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 26th day of April 2026. Amanda Je ries 204 S. Love Chapel Road Stan eld, NC 28163 Administratrix
NOTICE The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Marlene Ann Harp late of Stanly County, North Carolina, hereby noti es to all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said Estate to present them to the undersigned on or before August 10, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to the said Estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This, the 10th day of May, 2026. Chad Michael Harp Executor 64 Wineco Avenue NW Concord, North Carolina 28025 Emily G. Thompson, Esq. Attorney for Executor Reed & Thompson, PLLC 204 Branchview Drive SE Concord, NC 28025 Estate File No.: 26E000157-830
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In accordance with NCGS 159-11 & 12, the proposed budget for the scal year 2026-2027 has been presented to the Town Board of New London and a copy has been led with the Town Manager and is available for public inspection at the New London Town Hall or online at newlondonnc.org. A public hearing on the proposed budget for 2026-2027 will be held at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, June 2, 2026 in the New London Community Center, 114 W. Gold St., New London. Anyone that would like to make comments regarding the proposed budget are invited to attend the Public Hearing or contact Town Hall at 704-4635423. Susan Almond Town Manager
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The undersigned, having quali ed as Administrator for the Estate of Tab Dwain Little, deceased, late of Stanly County, NC. hereby noti es all persons, rms, and corporations having claims against the said decedent to present to the undersigned on or before August 15, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms and corporations indebted to said estate are noti ed to make immediate payment. Brittney Jordan Little, Administrator for the estate of Tab Dwain Little, Estate File 25e000407-830, c/o Jacob Shelton, Attorney at Law, PO Box 1385, Mt. Pleasant, NC 28144.
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25E000483-830 NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY
The undersigned, having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of William Claude Cook AKA William C. Cook, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, does hereby notify all persons, rms and corporations having claims against said estate to present them to the undersigned on or before July 26, 2026, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, rms or corporations indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This is the 26th day of April 2026. Crystal C. Page Administrator of the Estate of William Claude Cook AKA William C. Cook PO Box 1273 Norwood, NC 28128 N. BLANE STANALAND Teague Rotenstreich Stanaland Fox & Holt, P.L.L.C. 101 South Elm Street, Suite 350 Greensboro, NC 27401 Telephone: (336) 272-4810
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NOTICE
Kids
in ‘reading recession,’ as test scores continue to decline
A few states and districts are reversing the trend with phonics-based instruction
By Sharon Lurye, Jocelyn Gecker, Lily Altavena and Ruth Serven Smith
The Associated Press
MODESTO, Calif. — Before every important test, teacher Nancy Barajas dims the lights, turns on a disco ball and blasts music from her playlist. Her sixth graders dance together as a “precelebration” to boost their con dence, then take their exam.
Lately, there’s been a lot to celebrate in elementary schools in Modesto, California. Both reading and math scores have increased consistently over the past several years.
But across the country, results are gloomier. Researchers warn that the U.S. is experiencing a reading recession — a slide predating the pandemic’s disruptions in schooling.
Scholars at Harvard, Stanford and Dartmouth analyzed state test scores from third to eighth grade for more than 5,000 school districts in 38 states, allowing comparisons across school districts and states in a national Education Scorecard.
What they found was sobering: Only ve states plus the District of Columbia had meaningful growth in reading test scores from 2022 to 2025. Nationally, students remain nearly half a grade level behind pre-pandemic reading scores and only slightly better in math.
While schools have focused on catching kids up since the COVID-19 pandemic upended education, reading test scores have been falling since 2013 for eighth graders and 2015 for fourth graders, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
“The pandemic was the mudslide that had followed seven years of steady erosion in achievement,” said Thomas Kane, a Harvard professor who helped create the Education Scorecard.
Still, some states and school districts are making progress — largely by shifting toward phonics-based instruction and providing extra support for struggling readers.
The picture is also brighter in math.
Almost every state in the analysis saw improvements in math test scores from 2022 to 2025. Student absenteeism also declined in most states. In more than 400 U.S. school districts,
including Modesto, reading or math growth outpaced demographically similar districts in the same state.
Shift toward phonics, extra reading support
Researchers are still debating the reading recession’s causes.
One possible factor, researchers say, is the rise of social media on smartphones and corresponding declines in kids’ recreational reading. States have also backed o on strict consequences for schools whose students fail to make progress on standardized tests, Kane said.
But the states that improved reading scores — notably Louisiana, Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana — all had one thing in common: They ordered schools to teach with a phonics-based approach known as the “science of reading.”
For years, schools taught reading using approaches that deemphasized phonics and encouraged strategies such as guessing words based on context clues. As reading scores tumbled over the past decade, parents, scholars and literacy advocates pushed for teaching methods that align with decades of research about how kids learn to read — largely by sounding out words.
Along with reforming teaching methods, states have also required schools to screen for learning disabilities such as dyslexia and hire coaches to
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000188-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Executor of the estate of Jimmy R. Davis a/k/a Jimmy Rowland Davis a/k/a Jimmy Roland Davis deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Jimmy R. Davis a/k/a Jimmy Rowland Davis a/k/a Jimmy Roland Davis to present them to the undersigned on or before August 5, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 3rd day of May 2026. Barry D. Davis 1503 Old Charlotte Road Albemarle, NC 28001 Executor
help teachers improve their reading instruction.
That said, “science of reading” reforms did not guarantee success. Some states, including Florida, Arizona and Nebraska, changed parts of their reading instruction but still saw test scores fall.
In Modesto, reading instruction was revamped during the pandemic, and math a couple years earlier. The district created a new department to help students who are still learning English. Schools also ramped up teacher training, paying educators $5,000 to complete an extensive “science of reading” program called LETRS, or Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling.
Modesto’s test scores grew enough to represent an extra 18 weeks of learning in math and 13 weeks in reading. Nevertheless, the district still has a way to go: Overall scores remain far below grade level.
Getting kids “consistently in the seat” key to Detroit’s success
A focus on reading has also improved scores in Detroit — but so have e orts to get kids in school more consistently. For years, the large urban district struggled with deplorable school conditions, leading to a 2016 lawsuit in which students argued they’d been denied the “right to read.” The lawsuit ended in a settlement of more than $94 million,
“The pandemic was the mudslide that had followed seven years of steady erosion in achievement.”
Thomas Kane, Harvard professor
money that helped move the needle. While the district is still far below the national average, student test scores have grown faster than in similar urban districts in Michigan.
“It took a lot to rebuild systems, and now kids are learning at higher levels, but I’m still not satis ed,” said Detroit Superintendent Nikolai Vitti. “And I think that’s the next challenge: continuing to motivate, inspire and change things.”
The money has helped Munger Elementary-Middle School, located in a largely Latino neighborhood in Detroit, to employ 18 educators who give kids extra support in small groups.
An attendance agent also makes calls to the homes of absent students, even showing up at their doors.
Just a few years ago, rst grade teacher Samantha Cia one said, it was normal for about seven or eight kids to be absent from her class every day. Now it’s usually only one or two.
“It allows us to be better educators to see kids consistently in
the seat instead of once or twice a week,” said Cia one. “It makes such a di erence.”
Bright spot in the South
For the last decade, the South has stood out as a region leading the way on education reforms — bucking an established trend of landing at the bottom of education rankings. Southern states were quick to change to research-based teaching methods, and states have paid to train and coach teachers.
It’s paid o . Louisiana and Alabama were the only states where math scores were higher in 2025 than pre-pandemic. Louisiana is also the only state that beat its pre-pandemic average in reading, with 87% of traditional public school students attending a district where scores are higher than in 2019. Alabama had standout gains in reading following the pandemic, driven by a state law requiring every school to use phonics-based instruction. The Legislature modeled math reforms in 2022 o Alabama’s reading successes. The state’s Numeracy Act standardized math instruction, required regular testing and mandated intervention for kids who lacked adequate math skills.
Oxmoor Valley Elementary in Birmingham hired a full-time math specialist this year to help struggling kids. The school, which made the state’s “failing” list in 2016, has steadily improved math and reading scores, although a majority of kids still test below pro cient in both subjects.
“We can provide all of these supports but at the same time, hold kids to high expectations,” Birmingham Superintendent Mark Sullivan said.
Researchers stress such progress is possible across the U.S. because it’s been done before. Starting in the 1990s, the country saw decades of growth in test scores and graduation rates while racial disparities declined. That progress continued until the mid-2010s.
“We made enormous progress as a country in terms of educational success from over a 30-year period. Test scores went up dramatically,” said Stanford professor Sean Reardon. “And so I think that says, as a country, we can improve education and educational opportunity.”
At Modesto’s Fairview Elementary, where Barajas teaches, students now practice their reading speed and uency every day. After a dance break, the class reads a one-page text together in unison for one minute, then students split into pairs to read again. Students learning English are paired with native English speakers, and each child gets a turn reading with Barajas.
“Eventually, you get through the word like it’s water,” one boy said. “You just say it smooth.”
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000173-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Executrix of the estate of Barbara A. Pennington a/k/a Barbara Harrington Pennington deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Barbara A. Pennington a/k/a Barbara Harrington Pennington to present them to the undersigned on or before July 26, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 26th day of April 2026. Tamma Pennington Shope 40 Moon Flower Walk Youngsville, NC27597 Executrix
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000189-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Administrator CTA of the estate of Bobby Ray Mesimer deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Bobby Ray Mesimer to present them to the undersigned on or before July 26, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 26th day of April 2026. Michael David Mesimer PO Box 1305
ANNIE BARKER / AP PHOTO
Sixth graders read a passage and give constructive feedback to their partners during Nancy Barajas’ class at Fairview Elementary School on May 6 in Modesto, California.
famous birthdays this week
Sugar Ray Leonard turns 70, Pete Townshend is 81, Joan Collins hits 93
THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week.
MAY 17
Musician Taj Mahal is 84. Boxing Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Leonard is 70. Sports announcer Jim Nantz is 67. Singer-composer Enya is 65. TV host-comedian Craig Ferguson is 64. Musician Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) is 61.
MAY 18
Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson is 80. Musician Rick Wakeman (Yes) is 77. Musician-composer Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo) is 76. Country musician George Strait is 74. Actor Chow Yun-Fat is 71. Comedian-writer Tina Fey is 56.
MAY 19
TV personality David Hartman is 91. Musician-composer Pete Townshend (The Who) is 81. Singer-actor Grace Jones is 78. Former racing driver Dario Franchitti is 53. Basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett is 50. Country musician-producer Shooter Jennings is 47.
MAY 20
Japanese baseball star Sadaharu Oh is 86. Singer-actor Cher is 80. Actor-comedian Dave Thomas is 77. Republican Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho is 75. Political commentator Ron Reagan is 68. Musician Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go’s) is 68. Actor Bronson Pinchot is 67.
MAY 21
Singer Ronald Isley (The Isley Brothers) is 85. Singer Leo Sayer is 78. Actor Mr. T is 74. Actor Judge Reinhold is 69. Filmmaker Nick Cassavetes is 67.
MAY 22
Actor- lmmaker Richard Benjamin is 88. Songwriter Bernie Taupin is 76. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is 69. Singer Morrissey is 67. Singer Johnny Gill (New Edition) is 60. Actor Brooke Smith is 59. Model Naomi Campbell is 56. Tennis player Novak Djokovic is 39.
MAY 23
Actor Joan Collins is 93. Tennis Hall of Famer John Newcombe is 82. Chess grandmaster Anatoly Karpov is 75. Comedian-TV host Drew Carey is 68. Comedian-actor Lea DeLaria is 68. Singer-songwriter Maxwell is 53. “Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings is 52.
EVAN AGOSTINI / INVISION / AP PHOTO
Singer Cher turns 80 on Wednesday.
GEORGE WALKER
Singer George Strait turns 74 on Monday.
Taj Mahal turns 84 on Sunday.
Kraus’ ‘Angel Down,’ Wohl’s ‘Liberation’ among winners of Pulitzer Prize in arts
Yiyun Li won for “Things in Nature Merely Grow”
By Hillel Italie The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Pulitzer
Prize o cials awarded the ction prize to an author with a history of experimenting with genres and with language itself: Daniel Kraus, cited for “Angel Down,” a World War I narrative with a celestial twist that unfolds over some 300 pages in one long sentence. “Liberation,” Bess Wohl’s look back at the feminist consciousness-raising groups of the 1970s, received the drama prize.
Winners include two books rooted in the country’s founding. Jill Lepore’s “We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution” won for history, and Amanda Vaill’s “Pride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution” was the winner for biography. Yiyun Li’s “Things in Nature Merely Grow,” her blunt account of the suicides of her two sons, was cited for memoir-autobiography. “There is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America,” by Brian Goldstone, won for general non ction.
The poetry prize went to Juliana Spahr’s “Ars Poeticas,” and the music award was given to Gabriela Lena Frank for “Pica or: A Future Myth,” a
symphonic work inspired by Andean legend and California wild res.
The 50-year-old Kraus has had a diverse and proli c career quite unlike the average Pulitzer ction winner. He has written horror, science ction, graphic novels and books for kids. He has collaborated with lmmakers George Romero and Guillermo del Toro, whose Oscar-winning “The Shape of Water” was conceived with Kraus’ help. He has received numerous prizes over the years, including the Bram Stoker Award for horror, but had never imagined he’d win a Pulitzer. When he began receiving texts Monday — that included such messages as “Wow!” — he worried that he had somehow gotten himself in trouble.
Pulitzer o cials praised “Angel Down” as “a stylistic tour-de-force that blends such genres as allegory, magical realism, and science ction into a cohesive whole, told in a single sentence.” Kraus said that he at rst used a conventional narrative but found that abandoning traditional punctuation better suited a story of war that seemingly had no end.
“It’s like you have the feeling of being locked into the book forever,” he told The Associated Press during a telephone interview.
Wohl’s memory play collects second-wave feminists from
“It’s like you have the feeling of being locked into the book forever.”
Daniel Kraus
all walks of life as they tackle misogyny, internalized homophobia, domestic abuse and gender roles. The play navigates between past and present, and six of the actors disrobe for the Act 2 opening scene.
Lepore is a New Yorker sta writer and Harvard University professor whose Pulitzer helps con rm her as one of the country’s most prominent historians. Her previous honors include the Bancroft Prize for “The Name of War” and the Anis eld-Wolf Book Award for “New York Burning.” In 2023, she contributed an introduction to Paul McCartney’s book of Beatles photos, “1964: Eyes of the Storm.” Goldstone is a journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Republic and other publications. Spahr is a poet, critic and editor whose prize-winning collection is a statement of poetry’s vitality during the darkest times, and Frank is a Grammy-nominated artist known for combining inuences ranging from Latin American folklore to Western classical music.
Late actor Perry’s ‘Friends’ keepsakes, artwork up for auction
The sitcom star died of a drug overdose in 2023 at age 54
By Andrew Dalton
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — “Friends” memorabilia, artwork and other valuables from the estate of Matthew Perry are being put up for sale at an auction to bene t the charitable foundation established in the actor’s name soon after his 2023 death.
The June 5 event put on by Heritage Auctions will benet the Matthew Perry Foundation, which works to destigmatize addiction and aid in recovery from substance abuse.
“Matthew believed addiction should be met with compassion and science, not stigma and silence,” the foundation’s CEO Lisa Kasteler Calio said in a statement. “This auction fuels the Foundation’s work to expand access to evidence-based care and confront stigma. It is one more way we ensure that
no one has to ght this disease alone.”
Items from Matthew Perry’s collection that will be sold
• A collection of 26 of Perry’s “Friends” scripts from key episodes, including “The One With Ross’s Tan,” “The One Where Joey Speaks French” and the two-part series nale.
• Scripts from the pilot and part one of the series nale signed by Perry and co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, donated by Warner Bros., which produced the series.
• A 1995 Screen Actors Guild Award, which Perry won for best performance by an ensemble in a comedy series.
• Perry’s personal replica of the yellow peephole frame from Monica and Rachel’s apartment on “Friends.”
• Perry’s “Friends” photo album, titled “The One With the Last Supper.”
• Works of art by Banksy and Mel Bochner that Perry owned.
HERITAGE AUCTIONS VIA AP
A Screen Actors Guild Award belonging to Matthew Perry and a cast-signed copy of the “Friends” pilot are among items for sale bene ting the late actor’s foundation.
About the Matthew Perry charity auction
The auction site opened last Tuesday. Items will be on display from May 18 to May 29 in Beverly Hills before the June 5
auction that will be held at Heritage Auctions’ Dallas showroom and online. Net proceeds will go to initiatives supported by the foundation. They include the Matthew Perry Fellowship in Addic-
“Matthew believed addiction should be met with compassion and science, not stigma and silence.”
Lisa Kasteler Calio, Matthew Perry Foundation CEO
tion Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, grants to organizations that work directly with recovering addicts, and Healing Appalachia, a recovery-focused sober music festival.
Perry played Chandler Bing for a decade from 1994 to 2004 on NBC’s culture-changing sitcom “Friends.” It made him one of the biggest television stars of his generation.
Perry was found dead in the hot tub of his Hollywood home at age 54 on Oct. 28, 2023. The medical examiner determined that the acute e ects of the anesthetic ketamine were the primary cause.
AMY HARRIS / INVISION / AP
The Go-Go’s Jane Wiedlin turns 68 on Wednesday.
RICHARD SHOTWELL / INVISION / AP PHOTO Musician
LINDSEY BRISBINE / LITTLE FANG VIA AP
Irene So a Lucio, left, and Kristolyn Lloyd appear in the Broadway production of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Bess Wohl’s “Liberation” in New York.
this week in history
Mount St. Helens erupts, Amelia Earhart crosses Atlantic, Johnny Carson signs o
The Associated Press
MAY 17
1792: The Buttonwood Agreement, a document codifying rules for securities trading, was signed by 24 New York stockbrokers, marking the formation of the New York Stock Exchange.
1875: The rst Kentucky Derby was held; Aristides won the race, ridden by jockey Oliver Lewis.
1954: The U.S. Supreme Court, in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, ruled unanimously that racially segregated public schools were inherently unequal and unconstitutional.
MAY 18
1863: The Siege of Vicksburg began during the Civil War; it ended July 4 with a Union victory that gave its forces control of the Mississippi River.
1933: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a measure creating the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public utility.
1980: Mount St. Helens in Washington state erupted, leaving an estimated 57 people dead or missing.
MAY 19
1536: Anne Boleyn, the second wife of England’s King Henry VIII, was beheaded at the Tower of London after being convicted of adultery.
1883: William Cody staged the rst of his “Bu alo Bill’s Wild West” shows in Omaha, Nebraska.
1920: Ten people were killed in a gunbattle in Matewan, West Virginia, between coal miners — led by a local police chief — and private security guards hired to evict them for joining a union.
MAY 20
1861: North Carolina seceded from the Union, becoming the 10th state to join the Confederacy early in the Civil War.
1862: President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, encouraging settlement west of the Mississippi River by making federal land available for private ownership and
On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Brown v. Board of Education that segregated public schools were unconstitutional, striking down the “separate but equal” doctrine.
farming; by 1934, about 10% of the nation’s land — roughly 270 million acres — had been privatized.
1873: Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis received a U.S. patent for riveted work pants, leading to the large-scale production of denim blue jeans.
1956: The United States exploded the rst airborne hydrogen bomb over Bikini Atoll in the Paci c.
MAY 21
1881: The American Red Cross was founded by nurse and educator Clara Barton in Washington, D.C.
1927: Charles A. Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St. Louis monoplane near Paris, completing the rst solo airplane ight across the Atlantic Ocean in 331⁄2 hours.
1932: Amelia Earhart became the rst woman to y solo across the Atlantic Ocean as she landed in Northern Ireland about 15 hours after leaving Newfoundland.
MAY 22
1939: The foreign ministers of Germany and Italy, Joachim
von Ribbentrop and Galeazzo Ciano, signed a “Pact of Steel” committing their two countries to a military and political alliance.
1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson, speaking at the University of Michigan, outlined the goals of his “Great Society,” saying that it “rests on abundance and liberty for all” and “demands an end to poverty and racial injustice.”
1992: After a reign lasting nearly 30 years, Johnny Carson hosted his nal episode of NBC’s “The Tonight Show.” (Jay Leno took over as host three days later.)
MAY 23
1915: Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary, aligning with the Triple Entente of Russia, France and the United Kingdom.
1934: Bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were shot to death during a police ambush in Bienville Parish, Louisiana.
1984: Surgeon General C. Everett Koop issued a report saying there was “very solid” evidence linking cigarette smoke to lung disease in nonsmokers.
AP PHOTO
AP PHOTO
Mount St. Helens in Washington state erupts on May 18, 1980.
