8 convicted of terrorism charges in Texas immigration center shooting sentenced to decades in prison
Fort Worth, Texas
A demonstrator who shot and wounded a police o cer during a protest outside a Texas immigration center July 4, 2025, has been sentenced to 100 years in federal prison.
Other protesters also accused of having links to antifa were sentenced Tuesday to multiple decades in federal prison. A federal jury in March found the eight defendants guilty of providing material support to terrorists and other charges.
Prosecutors say the eight took part in a demonstration at the Prairieland Detention Center last July 4 in which a police o cer was shot and wounded. The defendants deny any a liation with the far-left anti-fascist organization.
Trump administration announces $17.5 billion in loans for 10 new large nuclear reactors
The Trump administration is providing $17.5 billion to speed the development of 10 new large nuclear reactors to meet the skyrocketing power demand from massive data centers. The Energy Department announced the loans Tuesday. Energy Secretary Chris Wright cited “tremendous interest” among developers of data centers, called hyperscalers, who would buy the power, as well as utilities and energy companies. The department said seven utilities and energy companies signed letters of intent that identi ed sites. It plans to pick ve, each hosting two reactors. The nancing would be used to purchase nuclear components with long lead times.
Authorities arrest 2 more suspects in planned attack on White House UFC show
Authorities have arrested two more people in Missouri and Washington state in connection with a planned attack targeting the UFC event at the White House earlier this month. Court documents led Monday say one of the suspects was arrested Friday and charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Another was arrested Sunday. Federal o cials say ve others are also facing charges. Federal o cials say the planned attack was disrupted days before the June 14 event.
Badin receives state grant for future community center
State funding will help convert the historic hospital building
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
BADIN — The town of Badin is set to receive nearly $250,000 in state grant funding for a renovation project that will turn a former hospital building into a community meeting and event space. According to an announcement from the North Carolina Department of Commerce last Thursday, Badin has been awarded a $241,700 Rural Downtown Economic Develop-
Albemarle selects new Parks and Recreation director
Rob Hanlen will begin his new role in July
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — Rob Hanlen has been hired as the new Parks and Recreation director for Albemarle.
The city announced Friday that he was selected by City Manager Darren Rhodes to lead the department, which oversees parkland, recreation programs and community facilities.
Hanlen is set to begin July 13.
“I am honored to join the city of Albemarle’s team,”
ment grant through the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA).
The money will support work on the 5,400-square-foot building on Falls Road that once operated as the rst hospital in Stanly County.
Built in 1917, the structure is expected to undergo a series of improvements, including new ooring, interior painting, ceiling repairs, roof and window work, electrical and lighting upgrades, and accessibility improvements to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
“This money, along with the
The president claimed vandals have damaged the pool’s new coating as authorities make multiple arrests
By Nathan Ellgren and Bill Barrow The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. — National Guard members and U.S. Park Police patrolled the deck around the Lincoln Memorial Re ecting Pool on Monday as President Donald Trump’s administration faces a self-imposed deadline to x a botched renovation before the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.
The patrols came two days after Trump said authorities had made “multiple arrests” of people he insisted were responsible for damage to the peeling coating after an algae bloom occurred. The liner was installed as part of his $14 million-plus project.
The president has conrmed the problems most likely require draining the pool again for liner repairs, and he promised a quick x. Without o ering substantiation, he also said vandals dumped fertilizer in the pool and slashed the coating with a box cutter.
But the timeline was not clear Monday, with the White House saying damaged areas are still being assessed. Contractors and federal workers in recent days have been using chemicals and ozone nanobubbles to combat the algae.
Trump pitched the original improvements as intended to clean, beautify and reinforce an iconic site that he said had become dilapidated and dirty because of previous presidents’ neglect. Algae has plagued the pool for a century, and Trump insisted a newly installed “American ag blue” coating, which he selected himself, would turn the pool into a gleaming expanse along the National Mall.
Yet within weeks of Trump declaring the rehabilitation completed in time for Independence Day, the water was plagued by a vivid green algae bloom that clouded the pool’s coating. A piece of liner, about 4 square feet, was observed Friday partially oating in the pool. The Associated Press saw addition-
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Stanly County.
June 25
Free
David Hearn, former Olympic canoe racer
al pieces in the water Monday. Via social media, the president has blamed the problems on “SICK, DERANGED PEOPLE!” He asserted Monday on Truth Social that intentional damages include a “300 foot long gash” and that “chemicals have been illegally placed in the water.” A day earlier, Trump posted, “Work will begin immediately on xing the seriously vandalized Re ecting Pool.”
At an executive order signing Monday, the president said ve people had been arrested and ve more were under suspicion, and he deected blame for the pool’s maintenance issues.
“I can’t help it if somebody goes in with a knife and starts hacking it up,” he said.
He has not backed up those claims, and even if anyone has deliberately peeled or cut the lining, that would not explain the algae bloom that appeared more intensely than what typically occurred before the renovation.
Images showing that Trump’s project apparently back red boomeranged across social media last week,
drawing crowds of onlookers eager to see the e ects themselves. An unknown number ended up being detained by federal authorities.
One man arrested was David Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland. A former Olympic canoe racer, Hearn told The Associated Press that he reached into the pool because he wanted to examine the peeling new coating. He said he brie y touched a chunk that was still attached to the side of the pool, then let go shortly after a park worker told him to. Hearn said he was then detained by National Guard troops and Park Police for ve hours before being released Friday night.
“I’m a curious citizen,” Hearn said in a telephone interview. “I reached down to see what it felt like. It was very rubbery.”
The Park Police did not immediately respond Monday to AP’s questions about how many arrests were made and whether any charges had been led. Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department said Monday that the agency is not involved.
The White House said Monday that any arrests have been made only by the U.S. Park Police.
It was not immediately apparent what criminal or civil violation someone might commit reaching into the pool. Trump, in one of his Truth Social posts, cited laws against defacing monuments as grounds for imprisoning anyone harming the pool.
June 27
June 30 – July 3
This artwork exhibition will be the ninth annual senior art show sponsored by the Stanly Arts Guild. Admission is free.
152 W. Main St. Albemarle
THE CONVERSATION
Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
VISUAL VOICES
Hillary is right
The simple fact that Democrats need to accept is that Americans preferred the convicted felon to the vice president.
IN A NEW INTERVIEW this week, Hillary Clinton identi ed the key decision that resulted in President Donald Trump’s election in 2024. It all boiled down, in her view, to a “terrible miscalculation” — former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s decision to run for reelection. Biden made a “terrible mistake for himself, his legacy and for the country” in deciding to seek reelection at the age of 81. Had he decided to “pass the torch” and the Democratic Party had held a competitive nomination process, “whoever emerged from that contest — whether it was the vice president, or a governor, or a senator or anybody else — would have beaten Donald Trump.”
Or, I would add, they would have had a better chance than Biden did.
Joe and Jill Biden clearly live in a state of denial with respect to Joe’s unpopularity. In some respects, it’s understandable: He wasn’t a bad president and he left the country in better shape than it is now. So why shouldn’t Jill think that even though she was afraid her husband was having a stroke during the debate with Trump, he should stay in the race and if he had, they both seem to believe, he would have beaten Trump. It’s delusional thinking that must have
been reinforced by the deep-seated loyalty of those who had been around him for so long. Sadly, the cost of that delusional thinking is being borne around the world.
The Democratic Party is still struggling to gure out what went wrong. The uno cial o cial autopsy report, which the Party commissioned and then disowned, studiously avoided any criticism of Biden’s decision to seek reelection, which cast doubt on the rest of the report.
Of course, the question remains: Was Kamala Harris the right candidate? That’s the one that even Clinton avoided, pointing out that Kamala would have been a stronger candidate if she’d emerged from a competitive process. But would she have? Emerged from a competitive process, that is. Kamala Harris was the vice president for an unpopular president. She was caught between defending the indefensible and attacking her own administration. She never gured out how to walk that line in the general election and there’s no reason to think it would have been easier in the primaries.
The simple fact that Democrats need to accept is that Americans preferred the convicted felon to the vice president. They got
Not following the example of President James K. Polk
What if you have been clearly winning a war, by any military de nition, and yet the other side doesn’t surrender?
A PRESIDENT orders the onset of hostilities — war — without authorization of Congress and without much in the way of making a case with the public. His troops win important victories and decapitate large parts of the government of the enemy. But in the enemy capital, no one surrenders or will even negotiate seriously.
That leaves the president with the unhappy choice of launching a new military attack on the central focus of the enemy, one riskier and less certain of success than those before, or of declaring an incomplete victory, well short of his essential objective, and just getting the heck out of there.
One president in American history chose the risky rst option and, despite missteps along the way, secured major gains for the country, even if he ultimately fell short of the broader goals that emerged during the con ict. A more recent president has chosen the second option, though the results are still unclear.
Both presidents faced this basic problem: What if you have been clearly winning a war, by any military de nition, and yet the other side doesn’t surrender? Even worse, what if it’s unclear just who is making decisions on the other side and what their goal is?
At this point, it should be clear who one of the presidents is and which power he has chosen to attack and back o : President Donald Trump and the regime of Iran. The other is James Knox Polk, who served as speaker of the House in the 1830s and governor of Tennessee in the 1840s.
Polk pledged to serve just one term. He told historian and Cabinet member George Bancroft that he would pursue just four goals: set up an independent treasury, lower tari s, take uni ed control of the Oregon Territory and take possession of California.
He succeeded at all four in just four years. But not without di culty and controversy.
The treasury and the lower tari s he squeezed out of a Congress with a majority of his fellow
Democrats. Oregon he got after splitting the territory with Britain (which got British Columbia). For California, however, he had to go to war.
There was then some dispute about the borders of recently annexed Texas. Polk ordered Gen. Zachary Taylor to lead troops across the Nueces River to the Rio Grande, claimed by Mexico. Mexican troops attacked Taylor’s Americans.
With American bloodshed on American soil, Polk called on Congress to declare war. Although one-third of members had qualms, they voted for war with Mexico. Taylor then proceeded to beat Mexican troops in multiple battles near the border. But in the capital of Mexico City, or among o -and-on leader Santa Anna’s entourage, no one was negotiating. The great mass of Mexicans lived far south of the U.S. border and weren’t inclined to surrender.
What could Polk, eager to secure rights to California, do? In e ect, he started a second war, ordering Gen. Win eld Scott to land troops at Veracruz and proceed across 11,000-foot mountains, near the route of Cortes three centuries before, to reach Mexico City. It worked. In a feat of generalship praised by the aged Duke of Wellington, Scott beat the elusive Santa Anna, got his successor to surrender, and helped Nicholas Trist negotiate a treaty netting one-third of Mexican territory (but only 90,000 of its citizens). Polk, greedy for more land as Scott headed inland, wanted more and red Trist, but when presented with his treaty, he sent it to the Senate, which quickly rati ed it.
Trump’s actions were driven more by anger over Iran’s 1979 seizure of U.S. diplomats than by any goal as speci c as Polk’s. Still, the joint U.S.-Israel attacks during the June 2025 12-day war seriously degraded Iran’s nuclear program and set it back.
His attacks this year, starting in February, further degraded Iran’s nuclear program and, with pinpoint accuracy, killed the supreme leader
to see them both, up close. Harris ran a better campaign than she gets credit for. She did put her best foot forward. She was well- nanced. Experienced strategists surrounded her. She did not use a private email server, as Hillary did. She did not have investigators nipping at her heels, the way Hillary did. It was, considering everything, a smooth run. She just didn’t win. I have yet to hear any explanation for why she’s a stronger candidate today than she was in 2024, and she would need to be a stronger candidate to defeat a Marco Rubio, for instance. Kamala is leading in most, although not all, of the early polls, but that is a matter of name recognition; perhaps more signi cant is the fact that a majority of Democrats, at this stage, favor candidates other than Harris. And Harris has done almost nothing since the election to distinguish herself as the Party’s leader. Soon enough, we will be hearing more, not only from Gavin Newsom, who is already out there (and being investigated for it), but from Pritzker and Shapiro and Buttigieg, not to mention Jon Osso , Ro Khanna and AOC. The nomination process is awed in many ways, but at least it’s a test, one that Kamala will be forced to pass this time.
Susan Estrich is a lawyer, legal scholar, and political commentator.
(Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
and dozens of subordinates. He in icted great damage on Iran’s weaponry and its economy.
But the mullahs in Tehran, like the leaders in Mexico City, wouldn’t surrender, and they blocked oil tankers from transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Trump was left with two of his goals — higher tari s and zeroing out Iran’s nukes — seeming to produce politically disastrous high in ation.
So Trump decided not to follow the path of Polk. Amid occasional military attacks, he sought a “deal” with a regime that has paraded its hatred of America for 47 years and has made dozens of promises it has no intention of keeping.
In its latest iteration, the administration has been sluggish in revealing the details. The U.S. will be suspending military action and allowing Iran to freely sell oil, e ectively paying the regime billions. In return, Iran promises to negotiate about its nuclear program and to allow tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, if they pay tolls.
Not much better, you might say, than the “deal” former President Barack Obama negotiated with Iran in 2015, which Trump criticized bitterly then but doesn’t mention so much now. Vice President JD Vance says that Iranian leaders have decided they shouldn’t oppose “the Great Satan” as they have for 47 years, though that would be less incredible (though not very credible) coming from the Iranians themselves.
Perhaps Trump believes he can intimidate Iran’s evil leaders not to do things he doesn’t want, the way he has apparently intimidated Venezuela’s not-so-savory leaders. But it’s not clear that such intimidation is working optimally in the geographically closer, culturally more similar Caribbean, and, inevitably, heading into the second half of his last term, Trump’s ire is a waning asset. Neither his vice president nor any possible Democratic successor is likely to share it.
“If you set out to take Vienna, take Vienna,” Napoleon is supposed to have said. Setting out to take Tehran may or may not have been a mistake. Setting out to take Tehran and then not taking it almost clearly is.
Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime co-author of “The Almanac of American Politics.” (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
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Wine brands chase Gen Z with playful tie-ins to Shark Week, NASCAR, more
Younger drinkers are forcing wine to trade stu ness for sass, a ordability and pop culture moments
By J.M. Hirsch The Associated Press
BOSTON — Which wine pairs well with Shark Week? Does a pinot noir have enough acidity to cut through the grime of a Tough Mudder race? Is a big, brassy cabernet bold enough of a qua for a night of naming dead rodents after an ex?
And is a wine named SEX too provocative or not provocative enough?
Absurd as they may sound, these are the questions haunting wine marketers grappling with slumping sales and increasingly elusive drinkers. How consumers — especially younger drinkers — answer them will determine whether an industry long de ned by fuddy-duddy pretense can nd its footing in 2026 and beyond.
“That self-important way that wine can refer to itself — we’re really trying to tip that on its head,” said Helen Kurtz, chief of marketing for The Wine Group, which hopes that o erings such as its easy-drinking Cupcake Vineyards wines can attract a generation that came of age on Frappuccinos and gas station BuzzBallz.
“It’s about being less serious about ourselves, because that’s what this consumer is demanding,” she said.
By which she means partnering the company’s MD 20/20 (yes, it’s a wine) with World Wrestling Entertainment matches (“Mad Dog Enters the Ring”), and launching the aptly named Fuel by Franzia line of boxed wine beverages for NASCAR (“Full Throttle Flavor”).
Alcohol consumption has dropped
DIRECTOR from page A1 319 PALMER STREET ALBEMARLE NC 28001
Hanlen said in a statement.
“The city’s Parks and Recreation Department has a rich tradition of serving the community. I look forward to building on that foundation by creating innovative programming, fostering meaningful partnerships and developing spaces where people of all ages and backgrounds can connect, grow and thrive.”
In his new position, he will succeed Lisa Kiser, who retired March 1 after nine years leading the department and more than
28 years in municipal government.
“I am eager to bring my passion for community engagement and operational excellence to this role, and I cannot wait to get to work alongside such a dedicated team,” said Hanlen, who brings more than 20 years of experience in athletics, recreation and facilities operations. He earned a bachelor’s degree in recreation, parks and tourism management from Penn State and a master’s degree in sports management from Old Dominion.
“It’s about being less serious about ourselves, because that’s what this consumer is demanding.”
Helen Kurtz, Chief of Marketing, The Wine Group
Christian Miller, director of research for the Wine Market Council.
A pretentious image keeps some customers away
Wine, from the labels to the language used to describe it, historically has leaned pricy and pretentious (looking at you, “notes of asphalt and barnyard”). Wine trends also have favored boozy and bracing styles, a hard sell for folks used to sipping hard seltzers at the club.
It’s a fresh lesson on the importance of nding your customer rather than hoping they nd you. Because almost across the board, alcohol consumption is down, a trend that accelerated post-pandemic. A host of factors is at play, including aging Boomers seeking healthier lifestyles, Gen Z’s gravitation to low- and no-alcohol beverages, and widening availability of alternatives such as marijuana.
Each segment of the alcohol industry — valued at around $560 billion in the U.S. — is responding di erently. Hard liquor, for example, has found a rare growth category in ready-to-drink canned cocktails. But the wine industry faces its own constellation of challenges, many of its own making.
For anyone new to wine particularly much-coveted 20-somethings — nding one’s way can be daunting, something of a Château du Stu y e ect.
“You’ve got a bunch of things, what you might call friction points with wine that are particularly salient to younger consumers,” including cost and drinkability, said
He most recently served as director of operations for The Trinity Athletic Center at Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C. In that role, Hanlen helped create a risk management plan focused on safety for members and sta , guiding marketing, operations and grant-funded initiatives intended to support the facility’s long-term needs.
He also previously held several positions with the Montgomery County Department of Recreation in Silver Spring, Maryland. His work there in-
Fewer than a third of Gen-Z households own a corkscrew, according to a trends report by the British household products company Lakeland. Even simply trying a wine comes with a gatekeeper: Hard liquor is easy to sample at a bar or as single-shot nips; most wine requires a full-bottle commitment.
A cadre of wineries has begun pushing the bounds of wine culture by ditching the fussy façade in favor of a sassy vibe and accessible language. Price matters too (the sweet spot seems to be the $8 to $20 a bottle range), but not nearly so much as the message.
It’s about using contemporary communication to pitch “something that’s been made for centuries,” said Charles Smith, founder of House of Smith, the company behind younger, shopper-friendly brands such as Kung Fu Girl Riesling and SEX Rosé. “My mantra is always to communicate the language of wine to everyone because not everyone speaks wine. The wine should be a re ection of the consumer who is going to buy it.”
Can tie-ins to pop culture make wine more relatable?
Bogle Family Wine Collection has leaned in with its Juggernaut Wines. Adorned with almost graphically violent labels showcasing alpha
cluded helping open and expand community centers, including a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certi ed multipurpose facility that drew more than 600 visitors per day.
“Rob Hanlen brings hands-on expertise in community recreation, spanning everything from capital projects and infrastructure planning to programming, scheduling, and daily operations,” Rhodes said. “This well-rounded background makes Rob an exceptional t for Albemarle. His leadership
predators — a shark, a grizzly, an orca, a lion and some sort of particularly angry bird of prey — the bottles are a far cry from the placid villas and languorous ladies plastered across so many wines.
The other side of it is getting those bottles into spaces not traditionally associated with wine, said Jessica LaBounty, the company’s marketing director. For two years, Juggernaut has announced “Adventure awaits” as it sponsored the grueling Tough Mudder races. They’ve also done placements at zoos that host nights where people can name dead rodents and insects after former partners and feed them to the animals. Cheers…?
And this year, it’s Discovery network’s Shark Week. Juggernaut’s chardonnay label sports an especially snappish great white and “just the right amount of bite.”
“The viewer base of Shark Week lines up really, really nicely with who we know our consumer to be,” LaBounty said. “It’s another way to meet them where they are already versus kind of asking them to come to us.”
Learning to speak Gen Z is key
The goal is to bridge a generational divide in which wine got lost. Younger drinkers don’t and won’t talk about wine the way older drinkers do. To that point, there’s a clever social media meme about a Millennial marketing team pitching wine vs. a Gen-Z social media team. The Millennial e ort goes on at length about terroir and full-bodied avors. Gen-Z’s pitch? “it’s giving… yummy”.
Vibe is everything for Bread & Butter Wines, with the tagline, “Don’t overthink it.” As in, pair their red blend with a candy charcuterie board. Or their pinot noir with a Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich. Want fries with that? Try their prosecco.
“The No. 1 goal is to disrupt the shelf because it is so crowded,” said Caitlin Ward, brand and digital marketing director. “Sassiness is a way to do that.”
J.M. Hirsch is a longtime food writer who was food editor of The Associated Press for nearly a decade until 2016.
will be critical as we implement the city’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan.”
Now in its 63rd year, Albemarle Parks and Recreation maintains about 300 acres of parkland across six parks.
The department’s o erings include shing, kayaking, sports elds, playgrounds, pools and educational programs. Residents can register for programs, reserve facilities, sign up for leagues and view its calendar through the city’s online recreation database at albemarle.recdesk.com.
J.M. HIRSCH VIA AP
A variety of pinot noir wines, from left, Josh Cellars Reserve, Juggernaut and Chloe, sit on shelves at a grocery store in Concord, New Hampshire, on June 8.
World Cup ticket buyers left stranded as resale purchases fall through
Some sellers list tickets before owning them, betting on price drops
By R.J. Rico and Emilie Megnien
The Associated Press
ATLANTA — Bina Ramroop broke down in tears when she realized she wasn’t going to get the World Cup tickets she had bought for her grandson’s 13th birthday.
As thousands poured into Atlanta Stadium last Monday to see Spain face Cape Verde in what turned out to be a remarkable scoreless draw, Ramroop stood outside, increasingly stressed as she went back and forth for hours between StubHub representatives on the phone and FIFA representatives in the ticket booth. Each blamed the other.
No one could gure out why the tickets Ramroop bought months ago on StubHub for $485 apiece couldn’t be transferred from the original seller to the FIFA ticketing app. StubHub o ered her a refund and, as Ramroop heard the crowd roar for the start of the match, she knew she had no choice but to give up and take the o er.
“I didn’t want a refund, I didn’t want my money back,” Ramroop said. “I wanted to go to the game.”
The World Cup has delivered thrills on the pitch, but fans have ooded social media with complaints about tickets that never arrived, orders that were canceled at the last minute and hours they spent trying to sort out problems between FIFA’s ticketing system and outside resale platforms. The vast majority seem to be about industry titan StubHub, but people who bought through competitors such as SeatGeek and Vivid Seats have also reported issues. Interviews with fans and industry experts show that some cases stem from technical glitches in the transfer process, while others could involve sellers who never had tickets to deliver in the rst place, though StubHub denies such sales happen on its platform.
A grandmother’s disappointment
FIFA has urged fans to buy resale tickets through its own
CENTER from page A1
many private donations received, will be used to renovate the old hospital into a state-of-the-art meeting and community center which will be a great asset for the town,” the town of Badin said in a statement.
Town o cials said they hope construction can begin in the next couple of months, with completion targeted near the end of the year.
“Many thanks go out to all who helped make this happen. Stay tuned for updates on time-
“I didn’t want a refund, I didn’t want my money back. I wanted to go to the game.”
Bina Ramroop
marketplace, where it slaps a 30% surcharge on every resold ticket — 15% each from the buyer and seller. But many fans bought through other resale sites, either out of habit or because those sites have lower prices or are easier to navigate. Ramroop didn’t realize she was taking a risk when she bought through StubHub, which she had used in the past without issues.
As she and her grandson Elijah Gomes took the long, lonely train ride back to the Atlanta suburbs, Elijah followed the score on his phone. The match had ended scoreless, and he tried to cheer up his devastated grandmother by telling her they hadn’t missed much after all (Cape Verdeans would beg to di er).
“He’s telling me, ‘Grandma, it’s OK, Grandma.’ And he’s trying to console me,” Ramroop said the next day.
She was hardly alone. An Associated Press journalist witnessed more than a dozen frustrated fans at the match who said they were stuck in similar situations.
StubHub blamed FIFA for the transfer problems that buyers like Ramroop have experienced. In a statement, it said FIFA has “poor technology infrastructure,” enacted last-minute transfer restrictions and didn’t launch its new ticketing app until a few weeks before the tournament. The company also called out organizers that “take anti-competitive actions” that limit where fans can buy and sell tickets.
Asked about the technical issues, FIFA last week reiterated that sales through its o cial site are guaranteed to go through.
An industry’s longstanding problem
Industry observers say the problems appear to stem from more than one cause. For some, it may indeed be technical glitches — an issue that StubHub says is “very, very rare” and one that it is hard at work to solve. For others, they say it’s likely a more longstanding scourge: speculative sellers.
Scott Friedman, an industry veteran and co-founder of a consultancy called the Ticket Talk Network, said some sellers list tickets before they actually have them, betting that prices will fall closer to the event so they can buy the tickets at a better price later. But because World Cup ticket prices have surged since the tournament began, those sellers have been forced to either buy expen-
“These grants contribute to our state’s positive momentum by making necessary infrastructure improvements that will bring good-paying jobs and help communities thrive.”
Gov. Josh Stein
lines and progress. This project, combined with the new urgent care clinic, will bring the building back to its former glory and complete the goal of full restoration.”
The Badin project is expected to leverage an additional $12,085 in investment, according to the state.
Gov. Josh Stein announced last Thursday that the RIA ap-
Patrick O’Neil, his wife, Gina Di no, right, and their 15-year-old son, Aidan, attend the World Cup match between Czechia and South Africa in Atlanta on last Thursday
tion laws, but it would be an uphill battle.
A father’s regrets
Pape Ndaw is crestfallen that the high school graduation gift he got for his son — tickets for them to see the Netherlands and Japan near their home city of Dallas — never arrived.
He bought the tickets for about $550 apiece in December. Then, two days before the June 14 match, he received an email from StubHub telling him, “The seller can’t deliver your original tickets.”
Ndaw accepted store credit rather than a refund, thinking he would use the funds to quickly get replacements, only to then realize that the cheapest last-minute tickets were going for more than $1,500 each. Not only were they not going to get to go to the game, but Ndaw said StubHub rejected his belated request for a refund instead of store credit.
Breaking the news to his soccer-obsessed son was brutal, Ndaw said.
sive tickets to ful ll their orders or cancel and accept penalties from resale platforms. StubHub’s penalties are typically 200% of the ticket price, Friedman said.
“This is not new at all,” said Friedman, pointing to other high-pro le events where frustrated fans were left empty-handed, including Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. “This has been going on, but it’s making global news because it’s the World Cup.”
StubHub says it requires sellers to prove they have tickets before they list them.
But regardless of the reason for the canceled sales, Friedman said “StubHub should ll every single order to make sure fans get in the biggest global sporting event that happens every four years.”
That’s what many fans say they expected when they purchased through StubHub.
StubHub’s FanProtect Guarantee promises replacement tickets or a refund if tickets fail to arrive. But the policy repeatedly says those remedies are provided at StubHub’s “sole discretion,” meaning the company can choose a refund instead of securing replacement seats.
“That is pretty explicit language,” said Michael McCann, a sports law expert at the University of New Hampshire. McCann noted that a buyer could try to challenge the language under state consumer protec-
proved eight grant requests to local governments totaling more than $4 million. The projects are tied to more than $126.2 million in public and private investment and commitments to create 396 jobs, 300 of which had been previously announced.
“North Carolina’s small towns continue to attract investment because they are great places to live, raise a family and do business,” Stein said. “These grants contribute to our state’s positive momentum by making necessary infrastructure improvements that will bring good-paying jobs
“It was a disastrous thing,” he said. “He had told all his friends that he was going to that game. He literally cried. I mean, he is a 17-year-old kid, but he cried.”
Others fared somewhat better
Patrick O’Neil of Pittsboro traveled to Atlanta with his wife, son and relatives after purchasing ve tickets through StubHub for the Spain-Cape Verde match. Two tickets transferred successfully, but three never arrived.
O’Neil’s 15-year-old son and his uncle ended up using the two tickets, while O’Neil, his wife and another relative watched from a nearby bar.
After local media caught wind of their ordeal, O’Neil said StubHub contacted the family and o ered tickets to another game. Since the family had already bought tickets to one, though, he and his wife asked the company to instead give the seats to local nonpro t Soccer in the Streets so they could go to people who otherwise might not be able to attend a match.
“StubHub is not evil, but they’re part of the whole system that makes it really hard for just normal kids and people who might want to see a match get to go,” O’Neil said. Last week, a StubHub representative con rmed to the AP that the company would honor the O’Neils’ request and send tickets to the nonpro t.
and help communities thrive.”
The authority approved two requests through the Rural Downtown Economic Development program, including Badin’s grant under the Public Buildings Category.
The RIA is supported by the rural economic development team at the Department of Commerce. Its members review and approve funding requests from local governments for projects such as infrastructure improvements, building renovations, building expansions, demolition and site improvements.
R.J. RICO / AP PHOTO
Gladys Janelle Hutchinson McSwain
March 15, 1936 –June 19, 2026
Gladys Janelle Hutchinson McSwain, 90, of Albemarle, passed away on June 19, 2026, at home, surrounded by her loving sons.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at West Albemarle Baptist Church, with Pastors Adam Hatley and Brent Pope o ciating. Interment will follow at Silver Springs Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. prior to the service.
Ms. McSwain, lovingly known as “Purple Nannie,” was born on March 15, 1936, in Stanly County to the late Charles and Nellie Thompson Hutchinson. She was a homemaker, raising her boys and manning the home front while her husband served in the U.S. Army. At the young age of 28, she set out with her two young sons on a ship to Germany, having never before left Stanly County. She returned with a love of schnitzel and sauerkraut. She and her family also lived for three years in Hawaii and spent time at Fort Bragg during her husband’s stateside assignments. Along with her love for unique treats, she was an accomplished bowler, participating in leagues in both Fayetteville and Albemarle.
IN MEMORY
OBITUARIES
Ms. McSwain maintained lifelong friendships from her years in Germany, Hawaii, and Fayetteville. Over the years, she mailed hundreds— possibly thousands—of cards to faraway friends and family, often enclosing ice cream money for birthdays.
What Janelle would most want to be remembered for, however, was her unwavering faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, her willingness to profess that faith to anyone within earshot, and her diligent prayers. She was a faithful member of West Albemarle Baptist Church, including participation in the Happiness Club, until her health prevented her from attending. She continued to listen to Pastor Adam’s sermons and enjoyed visits from church members.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Larry McSwain; brothers and sisters, Jack Hutchinson, Charles David Hutchinson, Ginger Spivey, Lewis “Pookie” Hutchinson, and Bonnie Hopkins.
She is survived by her loving and devoted sons, Je and Tim; grandchildren, Chase McSwain, Logan (Scott) Evans, and Cody (Hillary) McSwain; great-grandchildren, Harper McSwain, Bruce Evans, and Dylan Evans; sister, Margaret Hutchinson; brother-in-law, Bill Russell; and sisters-in-law, Debbie Hutchinson and Jackie Russell.
The family asks those remembering Janelle to wear purple in her honor. They would also like to extend a special thank-you to Janelle’s caregivers, Windy Cauble, Rachael Kessler, Tillery Compassionate Care, and Stanly County Senior Services Home Delivered Meals, as well as the many friends who stopped by to brighten her day during her extended illness.
In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to the Sid Talbert Youth Fund at West Albemarle Baptist Church in Janelle’s memory
PHYLLIS EFIRD
JUNE 30, 1939 – JUNE 20, 2026
Phyllis Marie Harwood E rd, 86, passed away at Spring Arbor Senior Living in Albemarle, NC on June 20, 2026. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Robert E rd Sr., sister, Linda Burleson, and parents, Crawford and Clyde Harwood.
She is survived by her son, James (Diane) E rd of Charlotte; daughter, Roxanne (Reese) Linnell of Oakboro; son, Bradley (Lori) E rd of Oakboro; eight grandchildren; and four greatgrandchildren, who a ectionately called her Maw-Maw.
She was a lifelong member of Cottonville Baptist Church where she served as a Sunday School teacher and treasurer among other roles. A graduate of Carolina Business School, she was the o ce manager at Lorch Plumbing and Heating for over 40 years. In retirement, she served as a volunteer at Atrium Hospital in Albemarle. She loved family gatherings and walks along the beach where she was a master shell collector.
Visitation will be at Cottonville Baptist Church between 2-3:00 p.m. on June 23. Her funeral will be at 3:00 p.m. with a graveside service following. Rev. Reese Linnell will o ciate, and Edwards Funeral Home is serving the family. Please make memorials to Tillery Compassionate Care, 960 N First Street, Albemarle, NC 28001, or the Taylor House, 319 Palmer Street, Albemarle, NC 28001.
BEATRICE MILDRED BLACKWELDER
JAN. 13, 1935 – JUNE 18, 2026
Beatrice Mildred Blackwelder, 91, of Stan eld, passed away Thursday, June 18, 2026, at Atrium Health Cabarrus Hospital in Concord.
Beatrice was born January 13, 1935, in North Carolina to the late Fred Lee Love, Sr. and the late Dallie Love.
She was also preceded in death by her husband, Fred Edwin Blackwelder; son, Fred Wayne Blackwelder; granddaughter, April Kimrey; sisters, Minnie Drye, Nellie Drye, Doris Mullis, Pauline Virginia Morgan, Faye Smith, Leola Love; and brothers, Fred Love, Jr. and Jessie Love.
Beatrice was a loving and kind soul. She adored spending time with her family and loved ones. In her free time, she would be found doing word search puzzles and relaxing at her home. Beatrice was a devoted member of Kinza Memorial Baptist and deeply loved her church family. Her love for God was evident in her life, in which she never wavered. Beatrice absolutely loved her dog, Molly. Molly was her special companion and a wonderful extension to the family. Beatrice spent many days caring for others and ensured that the ones around her felt loved. Beatrice will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved her.
The family will receive friends from 10:00 am - 10:45 am, Monday, June 22, 2026, at Kinza Memorial Baptist Church. The funeral service will be at 11:00 am followed by burial in the church cemetery at 4311 Love Mill Road, Stan eld.
Survivors include daughters, Mary Sue Kimrey of Stan eld, NC, Brenda (Linn) Reeder of Concord, NC, Belinda Eudy of Albemarle, NC, and Kay Burnette; grandchildren, Kayla Kimrey, Steven (Elaine) Burnette, Richard Burnette, Steve (Amanda) Eudy, Amy (Tim) Ross; brother, Jim Love; eleven great-grands and nine great-great-grands.
ROBERT “BOBBY” RAY BARRINGER
NOV. 2, 1940 – JUNE 18, 2026
Robert “Bobby” Ray Barringer, 85, of Albemarle passed away on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at his home.
A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 11:00 AM at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church. Pastor Phil Thorsen will o ciate. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends the night prior, Monday, June 22, 2026, at Edwards Funeral Home in Norwood from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM.
Bobby was born on November 2, 1940, to the late Burnie Allen and Alice Louise Forrest Barringer. He was a cabinet builder at Homes By Oakwood for 20+ years and later retired from Stanly Fixtures. Bobby was a member of St. Martin’s Lutheran Church. He was also a mason and a member of the Pee Dee Lodge #150 in Norwood.
In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his son, Jerry Ray Barringer, and his siblings: Doug Barringer, Glenn Barringer, Lorene Caudle and Sharon Corl.
He is survived by his wife, Catherine Hartsell Barringer; their children: Patricia Hatley (Roger), and Tammy Sides (Bobby), grandchildren: Shane Hatley (Allison), and Travis Hatley (Bella), great-grandchildren: Hayden, Hinley, Holden, and Zoey; brother Alonzo Barringer and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of owers, donations to the funeral costs may be made to Edwards Funeral Home.
BRENDA HOPKINS
JULY 24, 1948 – JUNE 19, 2026
Brenda Ruth Hopkins, 77, of Albemarle, passed away Friday, June 19, 2026, at Bethany Woods Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Albemarle.
Brenda was born July 24, 1948, in North Carolina to the late Willie Grissom and the late Sara Grissom. She was also preceded in death by her husband, John Larry Hopkins, and her brother, Gurney Gibson.
Brenda spent her time doing word searches, shing and spending time with her family and friends.
The family will receive friends from 6- 8 p.m. on Friday, June 26, 2026, at Hartsell Funeral Home of Albemarle. Burial will take place on Saturday, June 27, 2026, at Bible Tabernacle Cemetery.
Survivors include daughter Denise Purkey (Robert Purkey Jr.), grandson Brian G. Purkey, great-granddaughter Brylee, sister Sarah Hinson, brother Junior Grissom, and nieces and nephews.
In lieu of owers, memorials may be shared to Stanly County Humane Society, 2049 Badin Road, Albemarle, NC 28001.
DONALD RANDALL
MARCH 26, 1950 – JUNE 19, 2026
Donald Wayne Randall, 76, of Norwood, passed away early Friday morning, June 19, 2026, at his home.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, June 21, 2026 at 3:00 PM at Edwards Funeral Home in Norwood. Pastor Chris Boyd will o ciate. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.
Donald was born on March 26, 1950. He served our nation’s military in the Army during the Vietnam War. Donald went on to work in construction, installing nuclear power equipment. He was a member of East Albemarle Church of God. Donald loved church, boating, shing, and trying new restaurants. He was a hard worker and a wonderful husband who loved his church and his family.
In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his brothers and sisters
He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Thelma Randall, of the home; his daughter, Heather Smith; his brother, Kenneth; and his sister, June.
the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Stanly News Journal at obits@stanlynewsjournal.com
STANLY SPORTS
North Stanly baseball trio competes at State Games
Three Comets played for the Region 6 team
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
NEW LONDON — Three North Stanly baseball players represented Stanly County last week at one of the state’s top high school baseball showcases.
Nolan Ellington, Jarrett Hinson and Aiden Hamilton were each selected to play for Region 6 in the 39th annual Bodyarmor State Games of North Carolina high school baseball event, held June 15-19 in Greensboro and High Point.
Ellington and Hinson are rising senior pitchers, while Hamilton is a rising senior shortstop.
Coached by Hickory Ridge’s Jordan Sells, Region 6 nished third among the event’s eight regional teams.
Region 6 opened tournament play with a 4-3 loss to Region 7 on June 16 before bouncing back with a 4-2 win over Region 8 the following day. The team then fell 5-1 to Region 3 before closing the week with a 15-0 win over Region 4 in the bronze medal game.
In a 5-3 nal, Region 3 went on to defeat Region 2 in the gold medal game.
The high school baseball event featured current varsity stars from across North Carolina, with 20 players selected to represent each of the eight regions. Players were chosen after regional tryouts, where coaches evaluated and scored participants before rosters were nalized.
“We are incredibly proud of Nolan, Jarrett and Aiden for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to the game,” the North Stanly Booster Club said in a statement. “Their selection to represent Region 6 is a testament to the talent and character they bring both on and o the eld.”
Games were played at First National Bank Field, Truist Point Stadium and UNC Greensboro. Each team took part in a scout workout June 15 before playing one game per day from June 16-19.
Hosted by the North Caro -
The awards are based on athletic and academic achievements
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
MISENHEIMER — Eleven Pfei er University student athletes across golf and lacrosse were recently recognized on the 2025-26 Academic All-District Men’s and Women’s At-Large teams, selected by College Sports Communicators.
The honorees, announced June 16, included ve golfers and six lacrosse players from the Falcons’ programs.
The CSC Academic All-District awards recognize student athletes for combined success in competition and in the classroom. To be eligible, nominees must have reached sophomore standing academically and athletically while maintaining at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average.
Pfei er men’s golfers Aidan Hollar and Wyatt Reeder were two of the USA South Athletic Conference’s three men’s golf selections, while Ella Couper, Morgan Heilig and Kirstyn Page represented Pfei er among the conference’s nine women’s golf honorees.
The Falcons’ men’s golf team nished fourth in the USA South Tournament, while the women’s team placed fth.
From
lina Amateur Sports nonpro t organization, the Olympic-style competition — featuring more than 12,000 athletes and 600 teams competing in roughly 25 to 30 sports — is North Carolina’s largest multisport festival. The high school baseball portion remains one of the
state’s premier showcases, with coaches from across North Carolina volunteering to hold tryouts and select regional teams. Players also had an opportunity to compete in front of college and professional scouts while representing their schools and communities.
represented Stanly County at the Bodyarmor
“We are incredibly proud of Nolan, Jarrett and Aiden for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to the game.”
North Stanly Booster Club
Pfei er also had four men’s lacrosse players named Academic All-District: Collin Finley, David Foxwell, Sawyer Moretz and Hayden Polakowski. The group accounted for four of the USA South’s 20 men’s lacrosse honorees. The Falcons’ men’s lacrosse team went 16-3 overall this season, nished unbeaten in conference play for the third straight year and earned the program’s second NCAA Division III Tournament win in the past four seasons.
Falcons who made the 2026 Academic All-District golf and lacrosse list
On the women’s lacrosse side, Pfei er’s Rylee Honeycutt and Emma LaFave were two of the USA South’s 18 selections. The Falcons nished fth in
the conference standings with a 5-4 USA South record and an 11-6 overall mark.
Brevard, William Peace, Methodist, Meredith, Piedmont and LaGrange were the other USA South programs represented across the men’s and women’s golf and lacrosse at-large categories.
Academic All-District honorees were also considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America ballot, with selected student athletes moving on for a
Pfei er golfers and lacrosse players had a large showing on the 2025-26 Academic All-District men’s and women’s at-large teams.
national vote by CSC members. Page advanced as an Academic All-America nalist on the women’s golf list. The rising senior averaged 77.2 strokes per round this past season, ranking fth among USA South individual leaders. The King native also captured the individual title at the Camp Lejeune Intercollegiate on April 12.
CSC will announce the women’s Academic All-America teams July 7, followed by the men’s teams July 8.
left, North Stanly’s Nolan Ellington, Jarrett Hinson and Aiden Hamilton
State Games in Greensboro last week.
NBA Sweeney takes over in Orlando, says Magic convinced him t was right Orlando, Fla.
Sean Sweeney landed interviews for more than a few NBA head coaching vacancies over the last few years, and many of them seemed the same. Talking to Orlando, he said, was di erent. Sweeney was introduced last Thursday as the new coach of the Magic, which was the obvious proof that he won them over by his answers during the interview process. Turns out, the Magic won him over with their questions as well.
MLB
Ohtani, in Instagram post,
annouces second child
Los Angeles
Shohei Ohtani is a father again. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has shared the news on his Instagram account. He and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, expressed joy over the safe birth and thanked supporters. A photo of tiny feet and a blue blanket suggest he has a son to go with his daughter, who was born in April 2025. Ohtani missed last Friday’s game when the team placed him on paternity leave. Ohtani was back in the lineup in the leado spot for Saturday’s game.
SWIMMING
Douglass breaks women’s 50-meter freestyle world record in 23.59
Indianapolis Kate Douglass has broken the world record in the women’s 50-meter freestyle at the Tyr Pro Swim Series meet in Indianapolis. She won the nal in 23.59 seconds, bettering Sarah Sjostrom’s mark of 23.61 set in July 2023. Sjostrom had held the seven fastest times in history. Gretchen Walsh was second in 23.78, making her the fourth-fastest performer ever. Anna Moesch nished third in 24.30. Douglass says her time is faster than she ever expected.
NHL Leafs acquire Raddysh from Lightning, sign him to 8-year contract
The Toronto Maple Leafs signed defenseman Darren Raddysh to an eight-year contract after acquiring his rights in a trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Raddysh’s contract is reportedly worth $68 million. The 30-year-old is coming o setting career highs with 22 goals, 48 assists and 70 points in 73 games with Tampa Bay. He produced the same amount over the previous two seasons combined after becoming a full-time NHL player as recently as 2023.
WORLD CUP
Morocco star Hakimi to stand trial in rape case, French appeals court con rms
A French appeals court con rms that Paris Saint- Germain and Morocco star player Achraf Hakimi will stand trial in a rape case. The defender is currently playing with Morocco at the World Cup. Hakimi denied any wrongdoing after facing preliminary charges of rape in March 2023. A 24-year-old woman accused him of raping her at his home in a Paris suburb. The Versailles court’s decision was released just hours before Morocco takes on Scotland at the World Cup. A trial date has not been announced.
Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community@stanlynewsjournal.com Weekly deadline is Monday at noon
Heim outduels Reddick for rst NASCAR Cup win at inaugural San Diego race
Michael Jordan’s 23XI drivers took the top two spots
The Associated Press CORONADO, Calif. — Corey Heim slammed into the wall twice while destroying his tires during the rst few runs in the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Naval Base Coronado.
It was no problem for Heim, whose No. 67 Toyota inexplicably kept getting faster on the way to his rst career Cup Series victory in only his 13th start.
The 23-year-old part-time driver from Marietta, Georgia, took a deep breath before the second half of the race and reminded himself that he had as much experience as the veterans on the 16-turn, 3.4-mile street course on Coronado Island, just south of downtown San Diego.
“I’m speechless,” Heim said.
“Maybe I knocked some good into the car. I have no idea. I had high expectations coming into this race. I just reset and went after it.”
Heim, the 2024 truck series champion who will move full time into Cup next season with 23XI Racing, led the nal three laps after snatching rst from teammate Tyler Reddick.
“I was able to stick with him, and ve to go came, and it was time to put some pressure on him and see if I could get him to make a mistake,” Heim said.
“Sure enough, he did.”
Bubba Wallace nished second to deliver a 1-2 nish for 23XI Racing, the team co - owned by Denny Hamlin and NBA great Michael Jordan. Reddick su ered a at tire in the closing laps and fell to 25th, cutting his lead in the standings to eight points over Hamlin.
“To even have a shot at it at the end was really nice,” said Reddick, who started from the
rear after unapproved adjustments to his No. 45 Toyota. “First and foremost, congratulations to Corey. I thought I was going to be able to hold him o there. It de nitely stings. Really needed a good points day. Had another really bad one, so we’ll try and scrape together.”
Heim became the third rst-time winner in Cup this season, joining Ty Gibbs (Bristol) and Carson Hocevar (Talladega).
“Just crazy,” Heim said. “I hope I don’t wake up from this dream.”
His peers already think Heim’s for real.
“Awesome job by Corey Heim,” two-time Cup champion Kyle Larson said after nishing third. “That’s really cool. He’s a super talented race car driver, and it’s neat to see somebody get their rst win, especially at a challenging track like this.”
“Maybe I knocked some good into the car. I have no idea”
Cory Heim who hit the wall twice before recovering to win
Zane Smith and AJ Allmendinger rounded out the top ve. Hamlin, the driver-owner who had won the past three races for Joe Gibbs Racing, nished 14th.
SVG stunner
Shane van Gisbergen nished 38th in his bid for an eighth road or street course victory (which will make him the active leader among Cup drivers).
After starting from the pole position, van Gisbergen was caught in a crash that started when Trackhouse Racing teammate Connor Zilisch and Austin Hill collided while battling for the lead on a Lap 32 restart. The nine-car incident caused a nine-minute red ag for wall repairs.
“I felt like I was giving Austin space, and the next thing, I was in the wall,” said Zilisch, who led the rst eight laps of his Cup career in the highlight of a miserable rookie season. “Really unfortunate. I hate to end both days for both Shane and I. We had a really fast car today. I had a lot of fun. I really enjoyed just getting to race out front and lead laps.”
Shane Van Gisbergen (97) and Bubba Wallace (23) come out of Turn 2 on Sunday at Naval Base Coronado.
DENIS POROY / AP PHOTO
Cory Heim celebrates in Victory Lane after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Coronado, California.
DENIS POROY / AP PHOTO
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NOTICE
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE FAMILY COURT OF THE SIXTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY OF LANCASTER DOCKET NO.: 2026-DR-29-281 Notice of Adoption ProceedingS TO THE DEFENDANT: JOHN DOE BIRTH FATHER YOU ARE HEREBY GIVEN THE FOLLOWING NOTICE: 1. That an adoption proceeding was led in the Family Court of Lancaster County on April 22, 2026, and in this Complaint, you are alleged to be the father of a Caucasian female child born in Albermarle, North Carolina, on April 28, 2026. 2. That the Plainti s in the above captioned Notice are not named for the purpose of con dentiality; however, the Court knows the true identity of the Plainti s and in responding to this notice, you are required to use the caption and the number 2026DR-29-281. 3. That if Notice to Contest, Intervene or otherwise Respond is led by you with the Court within thirty (30) days of the receipt of this Notice of Adoption Proceedings, you will be given an opportunity to appear and be heard on the merits of the adoption. To le notice to Contest, Intervene or otherwise Respond in this action, you must notify the above named Court at Lancaster County Courthouse, Clerk of Court at Lancaster County Family Court, 100 N. Catawba St., Lancaster, South Carolina, 29720 in writing of your intention to Contest, Intervene or otherwise Respond. The above named Court must be informed of your current address and any changes of your address during the adoption proceedings. 4. That your failure to respond within thirty (30) days of receipt of this Notice of Adoption Proceedings constitutes your consent to the adoption and forfeiture of all of your rights and obligations to the above identi ed child. It is further alleged that your consent to this adoption is not required under S.C. Code Ann. Section 63-9-310 and that your parental rights should be terminated pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. Section 63-7-2570 (7). This notice is given pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. Section 63-9-730 (E). Lori L. Horst, Esquire (SC Bar #106493) Godwin & Horst, Attorneys at Law PO Box 354. Greenville, SC 29602 PH (864) 241-2883 Greenville, South Carolina FAX: (864) 255-4342 May 28, 2026 ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFFS
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000463-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Administrator of the Estate of Jack Curry Nipper deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Jack Curry Nipper to present them to the undersigned on or before September 19, 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 June 2026. Paul Fernandez 6227 Lookout Loop Raleigh, NC 27612 Administrator
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 25E000162-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Marjorie Barden Jarrett deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Marjorie Barden Jarrett to present them to the undersigned on or before September 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 24th day of June 2026 Richard Alton Jarrett Jr. 754 Carneros Circle High Point, NC 27265 Executor
NOTICE
IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE No. 26E000076-830 NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as EXECUTOR of the estate of MICHAEL J. SMITH, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said MICHAEL J. SMITH to present them to the undersigned on or before September 24, 2026, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 24th day of June, 2026. Executor: Ashley E. Smith 32 William Penn Avenue Pennsville, NJ 08070 Erin L. Basinger Attorney at Law PO Box 65 Albemarle, NC 28002
(704) 322-2800
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000238-830
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Executor of the estate of Houston Cameron deceased,
the stream
Paul Simon, ‘In the Hand of Dante,’ ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender,’ Star Fox
British rockers Muse drop “The Wow! Signal”
By Jake Coyle
The Associated Press
A PAUL SIMON concert special and Season 2 of the live-action “Avatar: The Last Airbender” are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you. Also, among the streaming o erings worth your time this week: a new Larry David series celebrating American history, the horror lm “Undertone” and the return of Star Fox.
MOVIES TO STREAM
Filmmaker Ian Tuason uses soundscapes to scare audiences in his debut feature “Undertone,” a minimalist auditory horror about a paranormal podcaster that is streaming on HBO Max on Friday. In his review for The Associated Press, lm writer Jake Coyle wrote that “it’s a testament to Tuason’s evident lmmaking talent that, with these bare bones, ‘Undertone’ swells into a gripping and unsettling experience. This is a movie that summons many of its scares with a sudden boost in audio levels, the thunderous tick of a clock or the scream of … a tea kettle. It’s even rated ‘R’ not for bloodcurdling violence or satanic ghouls but, simply, ‘language.’”
John Cena plays a buttoned-up real estate agent whose carefully curated life gets upended when his chaotic “little brother,” played by Eric André, reappears in his life in the new Net ix comedy “Little Brother,” streaming Friday. Michelle Monaghan, Christopher Meloni and Caleb Hearon are all part of the big ensemble cast. Also arriving on Net ix, on Wednesday is Julian Schnabel’s “In the Hand of Dante,” a divisive “literary gangster” movie with Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot and Al Pacino. Peacock also has a new Tyler Perry and Jason Blum-produced psychological thriller, “Strung,” that will be streaming on Friday. Chloe Bailey plays a talented violinist who takes a
“Undertone” is a testament to Tuason’s evident lmmaking talent that, with these bare bones, ‘Undertone’ swells into a gripping and unsettling experience.”
job as a music tutor for a prestigious family in the Malcolm D. Lee-directed pic.
MUSIC TO STREAM
It’s not as good as catching Simon on the singer-songwriter’s “A Quiet Celebration Tour,” but it is the next best thing.
On Friday, fans can enjoy Simon’s brand-new two -hour concert special, “Paul Simon:
The Quiet Celebration Concert,” streaming on Disney+ and Hulu. Expect deep cuts, new arrangements and timeless hits record live at McCaw Hall in Seattle. It’s also a story of triumph — a legendary performer learning the stage again after beginning to experience hearing loss.
The globally popular English rock band Muse returns with “The Wow! Signal,” a new full-length project named after “a powerful 72-second radio burst detected in 1977 originating from the constellation Sagittarius with a bandwidth and intensity that suggested a possible extraterrestrial source,” according to a statement. It’s a tting source of inspiration for the space-y stadium rock band, and an appropriate title for an album full of retro-futuristic synth songs (“Nightshift Superstar”), scienti c vernacular (“Cryogen”) and anthemic guitars (“Unraveling.”)
SERIES TO STREAM
The live-action “Avatar: The Last Airbender” debuts its second season Thursday on Netix. It’s set in a world divided into four nations based on the four elements: earth, water, re and air. A young Avatar named Aang is the only being who can manipulate each of those ele -
Director Ian Tuason poses for a
California.
ments, giving him power that serves him in both everyday life and as protection. In Season 2, Aang is still learning to master his powers.
For most kids, school is out for the summer, and that includes Charlie Brown and the gang. The animated series “Camp Snoopy” returns for Season 2 on Friday on Apple TV. It follows the adventures of Snoopy, a beagle scout (get it?), Charlie and their friends enjoying the summer at Camp Spring Lake.
Just in time to celebrate America’s upcoming 250th birthday, David stars in a new historical sketch comedy series called “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness. “ Debuting Friday on HBO Max, David plays historical gures alongside guest stars including Jon Hamm, Kathryn Hahn, Vince Vaughn, Bill Hader, Jerry Seinfeld, J.B. Smoove and Isla Fisher. Like David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” this show is largely improvised and features David’s trademark pessimistic, observational humor. Barack and Michelle Obama’s
“Paul Simon: The Quiet Celebration Concert” lands on Disney+ and Hulu on Friday.
Higher Ground company produces the show.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
Fox McCloud saved the day in “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” but it’s been a long time since the dashing ghter pilot headlined a game. Nintendo is taking advantage of his new-
found celebrity with Star Fox, overhauling his 1997 Nintendo 64 adventure for the Switch 2. The high- ying aerial combat game bounces from planet to planet as players defend the Lylat System from an evil mastermind. You can team up with friends on missions or engage in 4-vs.-4 battles online. Blast o Thursday.
MARTIN MEISSNER / AP PHOTO
Matt Bellamy, left, from Muse gestures to the audience after winning the “Best Rock” award at the European MTV Awards 2022 in Dusseldorf, Germany. The band releases “The Wow! Signal” on Friday.
CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO
portrait to promote the lm “Undertone” in West Hollywood,
