Supreme Court will consider whether the Second Amendment covers AR-15 rearms
A Supreme Court that has expanded gun rights will consider whether bans on semiautomatic ri es often called assault weapons violate the Second Amendment. The justices said Tuesday they will take up an appeal asking the court to strike down bans on the AR-15 and similar semiautomatic rearms in the Chicago area and Connecticut. Similar bans are in place in about a dozen states, covering major cities like New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. A national assault weapons ban expired in 2004.
Supreme Court upholds state laws banning transgender girls and women from school athletic teams
The Supreme Court is upholding state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams, in another setback for transgender people. The court’s conservative majority has repeatedly ruled against transgender Americans in the past year. It rules Tuesday that state bans in Idaho and West Virginia don’t violate the Constitution or the federal law known as Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education. More than two dozen other Republicanled states have adopted bans on female transgender athletes. Left unresolved by the outcome are lawsuits challenging state laws and regulations in Connecticut, California and elsewhere that permit transgender athletes to compete consistent with their gender identity.
Virginia to allow recreational marijuana to be sold in retail stores next year
Recreational marijuana sales are set to begin next year in Virginia. Five years ago, Virginia became the South’s rst state to legalize possession of the drug but until now had failed to set up a retail market. That will change under budget legislation that reached nal passage Monday. Under the new law, up to 350 cannabis shops can open across the state and will be able to sell to adults over 21 beginning July 1, 2027. The change marks the latest expansion of access to the drug through state-level policy making. Marijuana remains illegal at the federal level.
Albemarle City Council passes 2026-27 budget
The budget increased during the review process
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — The Albemarle City Council unanimously approved the city’s 2026-27 budget Monday night, adopting a spending plan that keeps the property tax rate unchanged while increasing the general fund from the current year.
Presented by City Manager Darren Rhodes, the budget
covers the scal year beginning July 1. Albemarle’s property tax rate will remain at 61 cents per $100 valuation.
The approved general fund totals $26.5 million, up 6.4% from the city’s 2025-26 general fund budget of $24.9 million. The gure also represents an increase of about $1.5 million from the original proposed general fund budget of roughly $25 million.
Rhodes told council members during the budget process that the proposal was built to address the city’s current needs while also preparing for future
“At the last meeting, council heard all of the changes that we were considering.”
Mayor Ronnie Michael
obligations. In a process that featured several weeks of review, the budget was rst presented to council May 4, followed by work sessions on May 12 and May 14. A public hearing was
SCS names new principal, student safety director
School district announces two leadership hires
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — Stanly
County Schools has lled two district leadership roles, naming Ashley Walker as principal of North Stanly Middle School and Zachary Caldwell as director of student safety and security.
The district announced the hires in separate news releases in late June.
Ashley Walker, principal
Walker, who has spent the past three years as assistant principal at North Stanly Middle, is entering her 14th year in education and fourth year in school administration.
“My leadership style is collaborative and centered on
high expectations that drive student success,” said Walker, who was named runner-up for Stanly County Schools Assistant Principal of the Year for the 2025-26 school year. “I believe the best outcomes are achieved when educators, students, families and the community work together.”
Before joining North Stanly’s Comet community, Walker taught health and physical education and coached volleyball at Mallard Creek, Kings Mountain and West Cabarrus high schools. She earned a bachelor’s degree in health and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Gardner-Webb University.
Walker said her time at North Stanly Middle has given her a foundation as she moves
held June 1 before the council moved forward with nal adoption Monday.
Mayor Ronnie Michael noted that council members had already reviewed and acted on several budget changes before the nal vote.
“At the last meeting, council heard all of the changes that we were considering,” Michael said. “We made a motion and approved those changes to be included in the budget.”
Those revisions included changes across multiple city funds.
In addition to the general fund increase, the city’s new proposed water and sewer fund stands at $16.8 million, while the electric fund is set at $33.4 million. The solid waste collections fund totals $3.1 million, the land ll fund
Strawberry moon
A time-lapse, bracketed photo shows the full moon glowing over Lake Tillery on Monday night.
moon of summer is often nicknamed the Strawberry Moon.
Negotiations led to the safe release of captive guards and most inmates within hours
By John Raby The Associated Press
INMATES overpowered correctional sta and took over parts of a jail in eastern North Carolina early Monday, but the siege ended hours later when law enforcement o cers entered the facility and seized control.
Three guards and 88 inmates were inside the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center in Windsor when the takeover began at about 5 a.m., prompting an immediate response from local, state and federal authorities, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said in a statement posted on social media. By early afternoon, the Bureau of Investigation and the FBI had “cleared the facility,” the state bureau said in a statement. ”All inmates and sta are safe and accounted for, and those who sustained injuries have received treatment.”
Inmates have been transferred to other facilities and the jail will remain secured while the damage is assessed, the Bureau of Investigation said. The 90-bed jail located about 120 miles east of Raleigh houses pretrial detainees and short-term inmates for Bertie and Martin counties.
Inmates took two guards captive and the third guard escaped. Negotiations led to the release of the two guards along with 80 inmates, leaving only eight inmates inside, Bertie County Sheri Tyrone
Monday afternoon.
Flowers also referred questions about the facility’s security to a jail administrator, who did not immediately return a telephone message. Authorities have not addressed why there were three guards overseeing the jail at the time of the takeover.
Ru n said at a news conference.
Ru n said the two guards who were released were undergoing medical treatment but he had no details about their injuries.
Most of the remaining inmates “complied and exited the facility as soon as entry was made,” said Chad Flowers, a spokesperson for the State Bureau of Investigation. It wasn’t immediately known whether o cers red any lethal or non-lethal rounds upon entering the jail. In a telephone interview, Flowers said law enforcement o cials were in a meeting about the incident and unavailable late
“The perpetrators must be held accountable for this horrifying action,” Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, said on the social platform X. “We also must do everything in our power to ensure this doesn’t happen again — and that includes doing more to recruit, retain, and compensate the county and state o cials who are charged with keeping our jails and prisons safe.”
Ru n did not indicate what caused the takeover.
“Right now we have a lot going on that we’re trying to get under control,” he said. “I will release that information to the public as soon as I can.”
Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Stanly County.
Now through July 4
Now through
July 3
July 4
July 8
THE CONVERSATION
Trip Ho end, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor
VISUAL VOICES
Connecting solutions for a healthier North Carolina
A child who shows up to school hungry isn’t just missing a meal, they’re missing the ability to concentrate, to learn.
PUBLIC POLICY conversations have a habit of happening in separate rooms. Health care gets discussed over here, education over there, workforce development somewhere down the hall.
Food, health care, education and economic opportunity are each assigned their own stakeholders, their own budget lines, their own lanes, as if the people a ected by these issues live their lives the same way. They don’t. At a time when state leaders are making consequential budget decisions, the way we frame these challenges matters just as much as the solutions we pursue.
For many North Carolinians, the challenges arrive together and compound one another. A parent struggling to put food on the table is often the same parent delaying a doctor’s visit because of cost. A child who shows up to school hungry isn’t just missing a meal, they’re missing the ability to concentrate, to learn, and eventually to emerge ready to contribute to the success of their communities. A rural community navigating health care shortages is rarely navigating that challenge alone. It’s often working to maintain access to maternity care, recruit teachers and health professionals who encourage families to stay and build their futures there.
At the North Carolina Alliance for Health, we work alongside organizations, educators, health care providers, advocates and community leaders from across the state. Through partnerships, community conversations, and on-the-ground collaboration, we see rsthand how these challenges intersect in people’s daily lives. What
we hear, consistently and from every corner of North Carolina, is that the forces shaping people’s health and well-being rarely operate in isolation. Neither should the solutions. Health shapes educational outcomes, workforce participation and economic mobility. It in uences whether children are ready to learn, whether adults can show up for work, and whether communities can thrive.
As we are set to embark on our 25th year, if there’s one lesson the past quarter century has driven home, it’s that the most e ective solutions are also, more often than not, the most practical ones. Children who are consistently fed learn better, miss fewer days of school, and are less likely to need costly interventions later. Adults with access to preventive care are less likely to end up in emergency rooms and better able to remain in the workforce. Communities with strong public health infrastructure are more resilient when crises hit. These aren’t just good outcomes for families. They’re good outcomes for the state.
That’s why we’re encouraging North Carolina’s leaders, as they nalize the state budget, to invest in the building blocks of a healthy and prosperous state. These investments may appear in di erent sections of the state budget, but they all contribute to the same outcome: healthier people, stronger families, and a more prosperous North Carolina.
That means maintaining a strong Medicaid program, including Medicaid expansion, so that North Carolinians can access preventive care, manage chronic conditions, and receive
treatment before health challenges become crises. Medicaid supports children, seniors, people with disabilities, and working adults alike, while helping build a healthier workforce, stronger families, and more resilient communities. It means the state invests in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and SUN Bucks that help families a ord groceries and ensure children continue to have access to healthy meals when school is out of session. It means ensuring that every child has access to healthy school meals so they can start the day ready to learn, grow, and succeed. By pairing investments in school meals with strong farmto-school programs, North Carolina can improve student health and academic outcomes while supporting local farmers and rural economies. These investments help children thrive today while strengthening the workforce and communities our state will depend on tomorrow. Across North Carolina, there is broad agreement that children shouldn’t go hungry, that families should be able to access care, and that communities deserve a genuine shot at success. What’s sometimes missing is the high-level vision of how these goals are connected and how to achieve them through smart, scally responsible policy.
As leaders across the state continue shaping North Carolina’s future, the opportunity in front of us is signi cant. We can invest in solutions that strengthen families, support communities, and build healthier futures, not by treating every challenge as a separate problem to be solved in isolation, but by recognizing what North Carolinians have always known. Their lives are whole, their challenges are connected, and their solutions should be too.
This is a moment to invest in a coordinated vision for health, because when North Carolinians are healthy, our state is stronger.
Abby Emanuelson is executive director for the North Carolina Alliance for Health.
Democrats declare war on school choice
In Florida, the biggest program of all, with more than 1 million kids enrolled in these school choice voucher programs, the kids are racking up better test scores than their peers in the public schools.
WHY ARE DEMOCRATS and their teachers union masters trying to shoot down parental choice in education even when we now have so many examples of these programs working?
Choice and competition are two of the hallmarks of the American economy. When stores compete, customers win. Turns out this is also true for schools. That’s an inviolable law of economics. A corollary is that monopolies tend to put customers last.
This is all happening at a time when public monopoly schools are showing at or negative performance despite more funding than ever before.
This is one reason why so many states are turning to the new model of school choice, with public funds going to scholarships and charter schools, and tax incentives for charitable donations to private and Catholic schools. About 23 mostly red states are experimenting with such programs, and so far the results in test scores and parental satisfaction are mostly positive.
Today about 1.5 million kids are taking advantage of these programs. In Florida, the biggest program of all, with more than 1 million kids enrolled in these school choice voucher programs, the kids are racking up better test scores than their peers in the public schools. This is incentivizing public schools to up THEIR game.
That’s the idea. But Democrats, acting as if school choice is the bubonic plague, are trying to shoot it down across the country.
No one has been more of a disappointment than Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, whose 2027 budget would slash $500 million from charter schools and gut education tax credits.
This could put 30,000 kids at risk of losing their scholarships. Already there are about 70,000 kids who want to go to a private school, but the scholarship money isn’t available because of program caps. Once again, a prominent Democrat places the unions ahead of the kids.
Then there is Arizona: Dems and teachers unions have put an initiative on the November ballot to roll back one of the nation’s largest school voucher programs, which has exploded to more than 100,000 students. Parents can get $7,000 per student to use for private and charter school tuition and homeschooling.
Even worse is the Florida Education Association, which has led a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s school choice and charter school programs, which provide education for 1.4 million kids. The Florida Constitution guarantees a “uniform” system of free public schools but does not prohibit the legislature from expanding educational options beyond the traditional public school model.
In Rhode Island, Democratic Gov. Dan McKee wants to cap funding for popular charter schools even as the school budgets expand. Why the barriers to these educational opportunities?
Let me be loud and clear on this point: The Dems and their union puppet masters don’t want to get rid of these programs because they are failing the kids. They want to abolish them because they are getting better results than the public schools. Florida’s public charter sector maintains an aggregate grade of “A,” outperforming traditional public school counterparts in 55 of 77 metrics.
Maybe the unions de ne a “uniform education
system” as one that is uniformly bad.
What is sad is that even with a robust school choice program, probably two of three kids will still be enrolled in public schools for the foreseeable future. But with alternatives, school boards, teachers and principals will have to prove their value to the customers — the parents.
Even worse is that kids already attending charter, Catholic or special ed schools may have to return to the very classrooms that didn’t work for them in the rst place.
It used to be that unions could claim to parents that alternative schools would be WORSE for their children. But that’s proven not to be the case for these new private choice schools. I know rsthand that in private schools, kids are challenged, disciplined and taught to learn that failure is not an option. In public school, you get kicked into the next grade through social promotion, and the learning de cits are allowed to linger.
The Trump tax cuts will allow potentially millions of disadvantaged kids to get scholarships from tax lers who put money in the schools. It costs the states NOTHING to allow kids into the program. Amazingly, more than half the states with Democratic governors are passing up the FREE money to the parents in their states.
That’s just plain dumb. Maybe these politicians and school administrators have had too much social promotion.
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 | STEPHEN MOORE
COLUMN | ABBY EMANUELSON
Limits on election spending overturned
By Mark Sherman The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. —
The Supreme Court erased limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president, striking down a federal election law that is more than 50 years old.
Prodded by a Republican-led lawsuit that includes Vice President JD Vance, the court’s conservative justices were again in the majority of the latest decision that upended congressionally enacted limits on raising and spending money to in uence elections. The court’s 2010 Citizens United decision opened the door to unlimited independent spending in federal elections.
The limits on party spending stem from a desire to prevent large donors from skirting caps on individual contributions to a candidate by directing unlimited sums to the party, with the understanding that the money will be spent on behalf of the candidate.
“Every time we interfere with the congressional design, we make matters worse.”
Justice Sonia Sotomayor
The Supreme Court had previously upheld the limits, in 2001.
The Republican committees for House and Senate candidates led the lawsuit in Ohio in 2022, joined by Vance, then a senator from Ohio, and thenRep. Steve Chabot. After President Donald Trump took o ce for his second term, the Federal Election Commission dropped its defense of the law and joined with Republicans in urging that it be overturned.
Democrats had called on the court to uphold the law, even though there is wide agreement that the spending limits have hurt political parties in an era of unlimited spending by other organizations.
Last year, the coordinated party spending for Senate races ranged from $127,200 in several states with small populations to nearly $4 million in California, the most populous state. For House races, the limits were $127,200 in states with only one representative and $63,600 everywhere else.
Entrenched divisions between liberal and conservative justices over campaign nance restrictions were on display when the court heard arguments in December.
“Every time we interfere with the congressional design, we make matters worse,” said Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a dissenter in Citizens United and the court’s other campaign money cases.
By contrast, Justice Samuel Alito, a member of the Citizens United majority, described the decision as “much maligned, I think unfairly maligned.” The e ect of the decision was to ”level the playing eld,” Alito said, by expanding the right to spend freely that had previously belonged only to media companies.
By Mark Sherman
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON, D.C. —
budget but remained dissatised with some parts of the plan.
“I think it was a good process that our city went through, but there were many issues in there that frustrated me greatly,” Bramlett said. “I plan to vote for this budget, but there are a lot of things in there I’m not really happy with, and I wish we could confront some of those at a later time.” Originally scheduled to meet July 6, the Albemarle City Council will now hold its next regular meeting July 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.
A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a broad conception of birthright citizenship, rejecting President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring that children born to people who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens.
The justices relied on a long-settled understanding of the 14th Amendment, adopted after the Civil War, and more recent federal laws in ruling that anyone born in the country, with very limited exceptions, is a citizen.
“Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights—to freely participate in our political community. The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land,’” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court, citing congressional debate over the amendment. “We keep that promise today.”
Three conservative justices would have allowed the restrictions to take e ect.
“The Court today takes the extraordinary step of holding facially unconstitutional the President’s Order excluding from citizenship the children of foreign temporary visitors and illegal aliens,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in a 91-page dissent, more than three times as long as Roberts’ opinion. “In doing so, the Court adds to the sad history of the Fourteenth Amendment, which was designed and understood to secure equal rights for the freed blacks but has instead been repurposed for political projects that the Reconstruction Congress did not support.”
The Republican president’s restrictions had been blocked by several lower courts and had not taken e ect anywhere in the U.S.
During arguments in April,
“Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights—to freely participate in our political community.”
Chief Justice John Roberts
both conservative and liberal justices questioned the order’s legality in a momentous case that was magni ed by Trump’s unprecedented attendance in the courtroom.
The case framed another test of Trump’s assertions of executive power that defy long-standing precedent for a court with a conservative majority and a robust view of presidential power that has largely ruled in his favor. In the notable exceptions when the court has not, Trump has responded with starkly personal criticisms of the justices.
The justices ruled on Trump’s appeal of a lower-court ruling from New Hampshire that struck down the citizenship restrictions.
The birthright citizenship order, which Trump signed on the rst day of his second term, is part of his administration’s broad immigration crackdown.
Birthright citizenship was the rst Trump immigration-related policy to reach the court for a nal ruling.
The justices previously struck down global tari s Trump had imposed under an emergency powers law that had never been used that way.
Trump reacted furiously to the late February tari s decision, saying he was ashamed of the justices who ruled against him and calling them unpatriotic. He also seemed to recognize the court was likely to rule against him on birthright citizenship, too, using his Truth Social platform to criti-
cize “dumb judges and justices” and wealthy pregnant women from China and elsewhere who come to the U.S. to give birth so their newborns will have American citizenship.
Trump’s order would have upended widely held views that the 14th Amendment confers citizenship on everyone born in the U.S., excluding only the children of foreign diplomats and those born to a foreign occupying force.
The amendment was intended to ensure that Black people, including former slaves, had citizenship, though the Citizenship Clause is written more broadly. “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside,” it reads.
In a series of decisions, lower courts have struck down Trump’s executive order as illegal. The decisions have invoked the high court’s 1898 ruling in Wong Kim Ark, which held that the U.S.-born child of Chinese nationals was a citizen.
The Trump administration argued that the common view of citizenship is wrong, asserting that children of noncitizens are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and therefore are not entitled to citizenship.
More than one-quarter of a million babies born in the U.S. each year would have been affected by the executive order, according to research by the Migration Policy Institute and Pennsylvania State University’s Population Research Institute.
While Trump has largely focused on illegal immigration in his rhetoric and actions, the birthright citizenship restrictions also would have applied to people who are legally in the United States, including students and applicants for green cards, or permanent resident status.
JORDAN GOLSON / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL
Venezuelans search more earthquake ruins as attention turns to humanitarian crisis
A cash-strapped government faces questions about coordinating relief for thousands now homeless
By Juan Pablo Arraez and Isabel Debre The Associated Press
LA GUAIRA, Venezuela — With the window for nding survivors shrinking fast, Venezuelans combed Monday through more ruins of buildings toppled by last week’s powerful back-toback earthquakes, and attention turned to the country’s humanitarian crisis that could persist for years.
Relief organizations say the rst 72 hours after a natural disaster is the most crucial time period for rescues, though survival can be extended if people have access to food and water. Five days after the twin quakes, questions loomed about whether the cash-strapped government will be able to coordinate the effort needed to care for thousands of people who have been left homeless.
In other developments, a 4.6 magnitude aftershock rumbled through the disaster zone in the northern state of La Guaira.
The death toll stood at more than 1,700 people, according to the government, which has long retained tight control over news media.
Venezuelan government promotes its e orts
Facing criticism that authorities have done too little, too slowly, government o cials aggressively promoted their recovery and rescue e orts. Police and military o cers on Monday handed out cans of tuna and crackers to hungry displaced people in La Guaira.
In a speech, Jorge Rodríguez, the leader of the Venezuelan National Assembly and brother of acting President Delcy Rodríguez, said electricity had been restored to 90% of the hardest-hit state of La Guaira. He said authorities were racing to evaluate damaged buildings that still posed a danger and had set up 15 temporary displacement camps.
Many Venezuelan news reports have avoided politically
SCS from page A1
into the principal’s role.
“I am especially excited to continue my journey with the Comet community,” Walker said. “Over the past three years, I have seen rsthand the incredible dedication of our students and sta . I look forward to building on the strong foundation that already exists as we strive for academic growth and opportunities for all students to succeed.”
Caldwell, meanwhile, will move into a districtwide role overseeing student safety and
delicate questions related to the earthquake, such as the widespread collapse of buildings, sticking instead to safer stories about heroic rescues. Delcy Rodríguez, who came to power in January after U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration seized former President Nicolás Maduro, shared footage Monday of emergency workers lifting a man out of the ruins to applause after a 43-hour search e ort.
“Each life saved is a victory for hope,” she wrote on X.
Such bright spots are rare at the quake’s epicenter, where families keep vigil at search sites.
“We have to stay strong, even without food, without sleep,” said Ana Rada, watching as civil defense workers looked for her brother. “Until I see the body, I still have hope.”
Aftershock rattles rescuers
After what the government said were more than 600 aftershocks since Wednesday’s quakes, a moderate temblor on Monday struck 17 miles north of Caraballeda on Venezuela’s Caribbean coast and measured 4.6 magnitude, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Jorge Rodríguez said there were no reports of damage, but the shock sent residents in the capital of Caracas screaming into the streets.
“Here we are again, back in the street. I don’t know when we’ll have a moment of true peace,” said Concepción Hernández, 51, evacuating her apartment in the Chacao municipality of Caracas.
security e orts.
An Albemarle native and West Stanly High School graduate, he has worked in law enforcement for the past seven years. His experience includes serving as a patrol o cer, narcotics detective and, most recently, a school resource o cer with the Stan eld Police Department.
Before entering law enforcement, Caldwell served nearly four years in the United States Army, including a deployment to Afghanistan. He also earned an associate degree in criminal justice from Stanly
Questions over extent of U.S. help
Dozens of countries have offered assistance. But the disaster has raised expectations for the Trump administration after its takeover of Venezuela’s oil industry earlier this year.
In a brie ng with reporters, a senior State Department o cial said 300 rst responders sent from the U.S. are working on the ground and two dozen C-17 military transport planes arrive every day with supplies. Financial support from the U.S. now exceeds $300 million.
The U.S. military is also assisting with repairs at the port in La Guaira to allow an inux of relief supplies by sea and manage air tra c after the quakes destroyed part of the control tower at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas, said the o cial, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. It seemed unlikely, however, that the Trump administration would grant temporary humanitarian protections to Venezuelans as previous administrations have done for people from disaster-stricken countries already in the U.S. Such action was taken after earthquakes in 2010 in Haiti and 2001 in El Salvador.
Venezuelans have been a major focus of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. More than 100 Venezuelans recently deported from the U.S. were being held at a hotel in the country when the
Community College.
“I am honored to serve as the director of student safety and security for Stanly County Schools,” Caldwell said. “My goal is to continue building on the tremendous progress our school system has made in school safety over the past several years. My priority is to ensure a safe and secure learning environment for all students and sta while maintaining positive, approachable relationships throughout our schools and community.”
He said the work will include safety planning and relationship-building across schools.
quake hit, and many are now missing, survivors say.
Rescuers included a miner deported from the US
Among the rescuers digging through the rubble Monday was 31-year-old miner Jean Sosa, who said he was deported from the U.S. in January over a missed immigration court hearing and returned to Caracas last month, dazed by an odyssey that began in shackles at an Arizona immigration detention center.
He had built a new life in New York City over the past four years, he said, working at a taco stand near Penn Station, before Department of Homeland Security o cials detained him. They ultimately shuttled him between immigration detention centers across the U.S. before leaving him and a busload of other deportees in southern Mexico without his passport, phone or wallet. He then paid his way back to Venezuela.
Since arriving Wednesday in La Guaira, Sosa has scrambled to pull people from the rubble with his old mining pickaxe in the absence of national rescue teams.
“Many people could have been saved if there had been equipment and support from top authorities from the very beginning,” he told The Associated Press, wearing a helmet and a black T-shirt splotched with dust in the port city where he said he had already rescued 20 people alive.
Those rescues heartened him, he said, despite the lack of supplies. “We’re working without gloves, without equipment, borrowing supplies, improvising bandages and whatever else we can.”
The full scale of damage remains unclear
Experts are struggling to assess the scope of damage, but they generally agree that the government’s gures are a vast undercount.
Many Venezuelans are skeptical of o cial pronouncements, particularly since Maduro’s government claimed victory in the 2024 presidential election despite a vote count showing he had lost to the opposition movement led by María Corina
Machado.
The now-exiled opposition leader has criticized the government response to the earthquake and on Monday accused it of temporarily closing the airspace to prevent her from returning to the country. She did not o er evidence.
Jorge Rodríguez said that as of Monday, the earthquake had a ected a total of 15,866 people. The United Nations, meanwhile, says that up to 6.8 million of Venezuela’s nearly 30 million residents may be a ected — which could mean being displaced or losing access to electricity and water. The Venezuelan Red Cross said it expected to address the needs of at least 300,000 people for the next two years.
While Rodríguez said the number of damaged or collapsed buildings had reached 855, a preliminary assessment by NASA put that number at 58,870 buildings. The assessment relied on radar imagery from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellites, which can detect changes to infrastructure.
The updates to government gures are given in brief televised announcements where journalists have no opportunity to ask questions or request more details. In another obstacle to coverage, the Venezuelan press union said Monday that the Ministry of Communication was blocking access to La Guaira for at least some foreign reporters for 48 hours.
It said the ministry cited the need “to reduce noise during rescue operations.” The union urged the government to drop the restriction: “As hours pass, the health situation may worsen, and the country needs veri ed and timely information.”
Because of the chaos and poor phone service, many Venezuelans have turned to non-governmental digital databases to report their loved ones as missing. More than 50,000 people were reported missing on one such database, though it is unclear how many have been found.
Fire ghter Kleider Carrillo said nothing prepared him for the destruction in La Guaira.
“When you study for this profession, you’re trained for situations like this,” he said. “But what’s in textbooks is one thing. Reality is another.”
COURTESY STANLY COUNTY SCHOOLS
Ashley Walker, left, and Zachary Caldwell have new leadership positions with Stanly County Schools.
PEDRO MATTEY / AP PHOTO
A rescuer carries a girl pulled from the rubble four days after twin earthquakes struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Sunday, June 28, 2026.
Rosaland Elaine E rd
Nov. 8, 1947 – June 21, 2026
Rosaland Elaine E rd, 78, of Oakboro, NC passed away Sunday, June 21, 2026 at Tucker Hospice House in Kannapolis.
Elaine was born November 8, 1947 in Albemarle, NC to the late Guilford Lee Almond and the late Mildred Louise Furr Almond.
Survivors include son, Je rey E rd of Rockwell, NC; son, Neil E rd of Mint Hill, NC; son, Daniel E rd of Concord, NC; and sister, Kathy Almond Crisco.
In keeping with Elaine’s wishes, no formal services will take place at this time.
Hartsell Funeral Home of Concord is serving the E rd family.
Memories and condolences may be shared at www. hartsellfh.com
Brenda Parks Almond
May 14, 1948 – June 22, 2026
Brenda Parks Almond,78, of Locust, NC, passed away on June 22, 2026, at the Harris Hospice Unit at Novant Health in Charlotte, NC.
Though she navigated signi cant physical and health challenges and pain for almost 50 years, she refused to let her circumstances de ne her spirit. Instead, she was a pillar of kindness, love, strength, and quiet determination for everyone who had the privilege of knowing her. She loved her family, friends, owers, cross stitching, crafting, and reading. Her resilience taught those around her about patience, courage, and the true meaning of perseverance.
Born on May 14, 1948, Brenda was the daughter of Emmanuel Guy Parks and Dorothy Parks. She was preceded in death by her parents, and a premature baby boy. She is survived by her husband of nearly 55 years, Floyd Gene Almond; her daughter Jennifer Reeves (Spencer) of Canton, NC; her grandsons, Dawson and Dallas Reeves; her sisters, Bernice Simmons of Stuart, VA and Elaine Smith of Albemarle, NC; as well as a host of extended family and friends.
Special gratitude to her sister, Bernice, who served in conjunction with Brenda’s husband, Floyd Gene, as her primary caregivers, so Brenda could remain at home throughout her later years. In lieu of owers, donations may be made to Hospice Care through the Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Foundation at www.presby. supportnovanthealth.org.
OBITUARIES
MIKE EUDY
DEC. 2, 1957 – JUNE 23, 2026
Michael Joe Eudy, 68, of Oakboro, passed away on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at Atrium Health Cabarrus in Concord.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on Friday, June 26, 2026, at Bethel Baptist Church in Locust. Reverend Brian Bolding will o ciate. A visitation will follow in the fellowship hall.
Mike was born December 2, 1957, in Stanly County to the late Jessie and Lucille Almond Eudy. He graduated from West Stanly High School, class of 1976. He was a salesman for Eudy’s Cabinet Shop. Mike enjoyed working and in his spare time liked gardening, riding his tractor, camping and riding horses with his wife, Janie. He was a great carpenter. Mike had a servant’s heart, he helped people in the community and his church family. In his spare time, he enjoyed watching the TarHeels, Atlanta Braves and the Carolina Panthers.
Most of all, he loved his grandchildren! He was an active member of Bethel Baptist Church, where for over 45 years he served as Music Director. He is survived by his wife, Janie Aldridge Eudy of the home; sons, Mitchell Eudy (Elisabeth), their children, Venice and Reese; Justin Eudy(Mariah); brother, Jerry Eudy(Jeanne).
STACY EUGENE SHERRILL
MAY 31, 1967 – JUNE 23, 2026
Stacy Eugene Sherrill, 59, of New London, North Carolina, passed away unexpectedly at his home on Tuesday morning, June 23, 2026. Born on May 31, 1967, in Statesville, North Carolina, Stacy was the son of Jeannie Sherrill and the late James “Jim” Sherrill. He grew up in Statesville and carried with him throughout his life the values of family, kindness, and hard work.
Stacy was a devoted husband, father, son, brother, and friend. He shared 30 wonderful years of marriage with the love of his life, Sherri Sherrill. Together they built a home lled with love, laughter, family traditions, and countless cherished memories. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his son, Hunter Sherrill; his daughter, Hannah Sherrill; his mother, Jeannie Sherrill; his brothers, Todd Sherrill (Cindy) and Terry Sherrill (Sue); along with many extended family members and lifelong friends.
For 21.5 years, Stacy faithfully served with the North Carolina Department of Transportation. He was known for his dependable work ethic and his caring heart. Over the years, many four-legged companions found their way into his home and, more importantly, into his heart.
Stacy found joy in life’s simple pleasures. He loved gathering with family on Sundays to watch football, especially when his beloved Miami Dolphins were playing. He enjoyed collecting and selling antiques and had an eye for uncovering hidden treasures.
Above all, Stacy loved being home with his family and pets. He never met a stranger and had a friend in every corner of his life. He had a gift for making others feel welcome and valued. He never failed to make those around him smile, laugh, and feel loved. No matter what challenges life brought, Stacy had a way of making things seem brighter simply by being himself. His quick wit, infectious smile, and caring nature brought comfort and joy to everyone who knew him. His generosity, kindness, and unwavering friendship left a lasting impact, and his absence will be deeply felt by all who were blessed to know and love him.
A Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at Stanly Funeral Home Chapel, o ciated by Rev. Boyd Joyce. Following the service, family and friends are invited to gather at the Sherrill home, 40221 Mountain Creek Road, New London, North Carolina, to share memories, stories, and celebrate a life well lived.
In lieu of owers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Though his time here was far too short, the memories he created, the laughter he shared, and the love he gave so freely will live on forever in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.
DIANNE RIGGSBEE
FEB. 15, 1947 – JUNE 25, 2026
Vonda Dianne Ross Riggsbee, 79, of Norwood, formerly of Locust, passed away Thursday, June 25, 2026, at Atrium Health Cabarrus.
Funeral services will be held at 3:00 PM on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at Edwards Funeral Home in Norwood. Pastor Charles Ray Carver will o ciate, and interment will follow at Locust Presbyterian Church cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service.
Ms. Riggsbee was born on February 15, 1947, in Stanly County to the late Herman and Bonnie Helms Ross. She graduated from West Stanly High School in 1965 and worked for Belk Store Services and Food Lion in Locust. Dianne loved her family and spending time with them. She enjoyed reading, watching a good movie, and listening to anything Elvis.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her two sons: Bruce and Bobby Riggsbee. She is survived by her children: Kimberly Carpenter (Dean) and Ginger Morton (Ernest); seven grandchildren: Dakoda Carpenter (Amanda), Nicholas Carpenter (Lachelle Si ord), Curtis Riggsbee, Nova Morton, Lisa Marie Morton (Adam), Hazel Morton, and Baelee Morton; three great-grandchildren: Vincent, Jaxon, and Maverick; and one sister: Irene Ross.
GRADY RALPH RUMMAGE
OCT. 1, 1937 – JUNE 25, 2026
Grady Ralph Rummage, 88, of Lexington, passed away peacefully at his home on June 25, 2026.
A funeral service to celebrate his life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, June 29, 2026, at Union Grove Baptist Church, o ciated by Pastor Jeremy Blake. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at the church from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m., prior to the service.
Born on October 1, 1937, in Stanly County, North Carolina, Ralph was the son of the late Grady Lee Rummage and Mary Pearl Talbert Rummage.
A faithful member of Union Grove Baptist Church, Ralph lived a life marked by hard work, unwavering faith, and deep devotion to his family. He retired as Plant Manager from Wiscassett Mills after many years of dedicated service. His work ethic was evident in everything he did, but it was his steadfast Christian faith that de ned his life. Even in his nal days, when conversation became di cult, he never lost the ability or desire to pray.
His family found great comfort in witnessing the depth of his faith, which remained strong until the very end. Ralph faithfully read his Bible and loved the Lord with all his heart. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather whose greatest joy came from spending time with those he loved. He especially enjoyed cheering on his grandchildren and greatgrandchildren as they played sports and treasured every opportunity to be present for their activities.
A gifted woodworker, Ralph enjoyed building things with his hands and was happiest when creating something for those he loved. He was also a devoted sports fan who faithfully cheered for the Washington Redskins and the Atlanta Braves.
On August 9, 1957, Ralph married the love of his life, Cornail Morton Rummage. Together they shared nearly sixty-nine years of marriage, building a home centered on faith, love, and family. He is survived by his beloved wife, Cornail Morton Rummage; sons, Roger Rummage (Jamie), Randy Rummage (Shelia), and Todd Rummage (Raine); daughter, Cindy Bowman (Allen); grandchildren, Allen “Bug” Bowman, Michael Rummage (Jessica), Summer Blackburn (Derrick), Jordan Rummage (Amanda), Ryne Rummage (Brittany), and Brittany Tomlin (Matt); and great-grandchildren, Jacob Byrd, Jeremiah Blackburn, Brawley Bowman, Asher Rummage, Gracyn Blackburn, Courtlen Bowman, Tucker Rummage, Ava Rummage, Tessa Rummage, Logan Rummage, Maverick Tomlin, and Owen Tomlin. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sisters, Lois Kimrey and Delilah Rummage.
The family would like to express their heartfelt appreciation to everyone who has remembered them with prayers, love, and acts of kindness during this di cult time.
GARY MARTIN THOMPSON
AUG. 7, 1953 – JUNE 25, 2026
Mr. Gary Martin Thompson, 72, of Albemarle, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at Atrium Health Stanly.
A funeral service to celebrate Gary’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 29, 2026, at Bethany United Methodist Church, o ciated by Rev. David Cochran. Burial will follow at Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery. In accordance with the family’s wishes, there will be no formal visitation.
Born on August 7, 1953, in Stanly County, Gary was the son of the late Hugh Martin Thompson Jr. and Tommie Jean Burris Thompson. Gary retired from Lowe’s of Albemarle after many years of dedicated service. Prior to his retirement, he was employed with Textilease in Charlotte. A faithful member of Bethany United Methodist Church, Gary found joy in life’s simple pleasures. He loved spending time shing and boating, cheering on his beloved North Carolina Tar Heels, and taking drives in his cherished Ford Mustang. Above all, he treasured the time he spent with his family, who were the center of his life.
Gary is lovingly survived by his devoted wife, Sheila Poplin Thompson, of the home; his daughter, Lisa Hash and husband, Richard; his son, Ashley Thompson and wife, Micki; his grandchildren, Hunter Hash, Luke Hash, Abby Kimrey, and Jake Thompson; and his beloved great-grandchildren, Kenley Hash, Julia Hash, Harrison Hash, William Kimrey, Jeremiah Kimrey, Ellison Kimrey, Elias Thompson, and Lillian Thompson.
Gary will be remembered for his quiet strength, his steadfast love for his family, and the joy he found in the outdoors and the people he loved. His kindness, gentle spirit, and unwavering devotion to those closest to him will leave a lasting legacy in the hearts of all who knew him. Though he will be deeply missed, the memories he created and the love he shared will continue to bring comfort and strength to his family and friends for years to come.
Penelope Keith, star of classic British sitcom ‘The Good Life,’ dies at 86
Her velvet voice and imperious wit made her beloved across British television
The Associated Press
LONDON — Penelope Keith, a comic performer who shone as inty but loveable upper-crust characters in British sitcoms “The Good Life” and “To the Manor Born,” has died aged 86. Keith’s family said Monday that she had been diagnosed with cancer and died at her home in Surrey, near London. Keith began her acting ca-
reer onstage and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1963. But she found her greatest fame on television. She won a BAFTA award in 1977 for “The Good Life,” playing Margo Leadbetter, a snobbish suburbanite appalled by her back-to-the-land neighbors Tom and Barbara Good, played by Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal.
Kendal called Keith a “comic genius.”
“She was a joy to know and work with, and she will be much missed,” Kendal said.
“She was a joy to know and work with, and she will be much missed.”
Felicity Kendal, “The Good Life” co-star
Keith’s velvet tones featured on children’s show “Teletubbies” and in ads for everything from Pimm’s to Parker Pens. She also presented cozy documentary TV series, including “Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages.”
Keith played cash-strapped aristocratic widow Audrey orbes-Hamilton, forced to sell her country estate to a nouveau millionaire, played by Peter Bowles, with whom she has a love-hate relationship.
Keith displayed a similar mix of imperiousness and deadpan wit in “To the Manor Born,” broadcast between 1979 and 1981 and brought back for a 2007 Christmas special.
Keith continued to perform in stage roles into her 80s. Theaters in London’s West End will dim their lights on Wednesday evening in tribute to her. In 2014 she was made a dame, the female equivalent of a knight, for services to the arts and to charity.
She is survived by her husband, Rodney Timson, and their two adopted sons.
STANLY SPORTS
Wampus Cats return home for reworks matchup
Uwharrie hosts Queen City on Friday night
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — After a ve-day break, the Uwharrie Wampus Cats are set to return to Don Montgomery Park for a night of baseball and reworks.
Albemarle’s college wood-bat team will host the Queen City Corndogs on Friday night in an Independence Day-themed matchup, with rst pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.
“This Friday, July 3, reworks are back at Don Montgomery Park as Albemarle’s
Uwharrie Wampus Cats will put on a special show after their game against the Queen City Corndogs,” the Wampus Cats announced this week. “Gates open at 6 p.m. First pitch is at 7 p.m., with reworks right after the game. Bring your family, friends and neighbors!”
Advance tickets are $8 online at wampuscatsbaseball.com and $10 at the gate.
The Stanly County Convention and Visitors Bureau also promoted the event as part of the area’s summer holiday festivities.
“Celebrate America 250 NC with baseball and reworks on July 3 at a Uwharrie Wampus Cats game in Albemarle,” the or-
Stanly Babe Ruth All-Stars claim third straight WNC title
Team now advances to Southeast Regional
By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal
ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Babe Ruth All-Stars will soon be heading to Florida after securing another Western North Carolina championship.
Stanly County defeated South Park 5-3 on Saturday at Carmel Middle School in Charlotte to win the 2026 Western NC Babe Ruth 13-16 State Championship, completing an unbeaten run through the tournament.
The title marked the third consecutive Western NC championship for the all-star team, which includes players ages 13-16 and represents both Stanly and Montgomery counties.
Stanly County entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed in the seven-team bracket and opened play Friday morning with a 17-0 win over No. 7 North Buncombe at Carmel Middle School.
The team then advanced to the championship game with a 1-0 win over No. 3 McDowell Coun-
ty, setting up a matchup with top-seeded South Park. Both teams entered the nal undefeated before Stanly County pulled away with the 5-3 victory.
With the win, Stanly County earned a berth in the Babe Ruth Southeast Regional Tournament, scheduled for July 14-19 in Ocala, Florida.
“As the team prepares for the trip, they’ll be fundraising to help cover travel, lodging and team expenses,” Albemarle Parks and Recreation announced. “If you’d like to support these players as they represent our community, stay tuned for more information in the coming days on how to make a donation. Congratulations to the players, coaches and families!”
Before making the trip, the team will hold a cornhole fundraiser Saturday, July 11, at the Walter B. Hill Events Center at the old Stanly County Fairgrounds, located at 24302 Bowers St. in Albemarle.
Signups are scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon, with bags set to y at 12:15 p.m. The cost is $20 to play, with a $10 optional airmail derby also available.
“Bring your family, friends and neighbors.”
Uwharrie Wampus Cats
ganization said in a statement. “Sounds like a great American celebration — come visit Stanly County and join our patriotic celebration.”
The Wampus Cats are midway through their fourth summer season and their rst as a founding member of the Blue Ridge League.
Uwharrie enters Friday’s game at 7-10 after a di cult stretch in which it has lost eight
of its past nine games. The skid has dropped the Cats to fth place in the eight-team league standings, trailing the Carolina Disco Turkeys, Queen City, Joanna Hornets and Spartanburg County Peaches.
The Cats’ lone win since the rst week of June came last Friday in Albemarle, where they shut out the Greenwood Flying Monkeys 3-0.
Skylar Faircloth, a rising sophomore pitcher at Pfei er, earned the win with eight scoreless innings, allowing three hits.
Carter Callicut led Uwharrie at the plate with three hits, while Brendan Fulcher added two.
leb Beals, Greyson Daniels, Mason Lockrem and Carter DeVore also recorded hits for the Cats in the shutout.
Following Friday’s home game, Uwharrie is scheduled for a road stretch against the Disco Turkeys, Flying Monkeys, Hungry Mothers and Corndogs.
The Cats’ regular-season home schedule currently runs through July 25, when they are set to host Davie at Don Montgomery Park. The top two teams in the Blue Ridge League standings will meet in a best-of-three championship series in late July.
Uwharrie nished 13-14-1 last summer before playing in the inaugural Blue Ridge Invitational Tournament.
“As the team prepares for the trip, they’ll be fundraising to help cover travel, lodging and team expenses.”
Albemarle Parks and Recreation
The team is also holding a sportsman’s ra e fundraiser to help cover travel, lodging and tournament expenses. Tickets are $20 each or six for $100, with the drawing scheduled for July 11. Ra e items include a
COURTESY UWHARRIE WAMPUS CATS
The Wampus Cats hosted an Independence Day reworks show last season in Albemarle.
PHOTOS
NFL
Parents of former player Martin allege excessive police force led to his wrongful death
The parents of former NFL running back Doug Martin have led a wrongful death lawsuit against Oakland, California, police o cers and an ambulance company, claiming excessive force and delayed medical care led to Martin’s death last year. The lawsuit states Martin was experiencing a mental health crisis in October when police used excessive force to subdue him. The 36-year-old was a standout player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
FOOTBALL
CFL won’t allow QB Sorsby to sign with teams or be added to negotiation lists
Toronto
The CFL said it won’t allow 22-year-old quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who was permanently ruled ineligible by the NCAA for sports betting to sign with any of its teams or be placed on their negotiation lists. Sorsby admitted to placing thousands of bets totaling nearly $90,000. After being ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA, Sorsby attempted to join the NFL’s supplemental draft, but that league told him it wouldn’t hold one this year. The CFL said in a statement “upholding the integrity of the league and ensuring fair competition” was paramount.
MLB White Sox chairman Reinsdorf o ciates wedding of former Rookie of Year Kittle during game
As the White Sox were slugging their way to a 22-1 victory over the Royals, former player Ron Kittle was getting married in a ballpark suite with Chicago chairman Jerry Reinsdorf o ciating. Kittle tied the knot with his girlfriend, Barbara, in Reinsdorf’s suite during Chicago’s 10-run third inning. The White Sox went on to score their most runs since May 1970. Harold Baines and Greg Walker, Kittle’s teammates on the 1983 White Sox squad, and their spouses also attended the quick ceremony.
WNBA Parker, Delle Donne lead Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame class Knoxville, Tenn.
Candace Parker’s basketball journey has come full circle. It started at the University of Tennessee in 2004. It included two national titles, three WNBA crowns, two WNBA MVP awards and two Olympic gold medals. Saturday night, Parker was one of eight inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville. Others included players Elena Delle Donne, Amaya Valdemoro and Isabelle Fijalkowski; coaches Cheryl Reeve and Kim Muhl; television analyst Doris Burke; and posthumous veteran honoree Barbara Kennedy-Dixon.
SKIING
Prosecutor dropping drug case against Olympian skier Miller
An Idaho prosecutor is dropping misdemeanor drug charges against Olympic gold medalist skier Bode Miller. The 48-year-old Miller was arrested in eastern Idaho on June 6 and charged with possessing psilocybin mushrooms. Prosecutors are dismissing the case because of new information. She declined to release that information. The six-time medalist said online he was pulled over after passing another vehicle on a highway and his friend had a small amount of drugs he didn’t know about.
Share with your community! Send us your births, deaths, marriages, graduations and other announcements: community@stanlynewsjournal.com Weekly deadline is Monday at noon
Van Gisbergen is NASCAR’s leading active winner on road and street courses with Sonoma victory
With eight wins, he’s one o the all-time record
The Associated Press
SONOMA, Calif. — Shane van Gisbergen continued his remarkable run on the twistiest tracks in NASCAR, but this was no easy Sunday drive.
The Trackhouse Racing driver became the winningest active Cup Series driver on road and street courses with his second consecutive victory at Sonoma Raceway. Though he led 74 of the nal 83 laps after starting sixth on the 1.99-mile road course north of San Francisco, van Gisbergen had to fend o a charge by runner-up Chase Briscoe with a No. 97 Chevrolet that hadn’t been entirely to his liking since practice a day earlier.
“We were really bad yesterday, and these guys did an amazing job turning this car into a winner,” said van Gisbergen, who celebrated with a massive burnout for the grandstands.
“(Briscoe) was coming. He was really, really good, and I ran out at the end. Yeah, a couple more laps, we would have had some problems.”
Finishing second to van Gisbergen at Sonoma for the second consecutive year, Briscoe came up 0.357 seconds short and was left lamenting a mistake in getting his No. 19 Toyota into Turn 1 with four laps remaining.
“Not very many people get that close to him at the end of one of these road course races,” Briscoe said. “Just frustrated
with myself. I felt like I de nitely had the better car. I didn’t do as good of a job as he did driving. I was having to push so hard, and that was where I would make up my ground. It was just such a razor’s edge, and I about crashed. If I don’t make that mistake, I’m probably ahead of him at the end.
“Just bummed that it was my fault we didn’t win with the best car. Against that guy, you’ve got to be absolutely perfect.”
Van Gisbergen notched the eighth victory of his career on the tracks that require left and right turns, breaking a tie with 2020 Cup champion Chase Elliott.
With his second win this season, van Gisbergen improved three spots to 14th in the points standings, moving back into a provisional spot in the Chase.
But there are no road or street courses remaining over thenal 18 races of the season, so the
New Zealand native will need to diversify his skill set after entering NASCAR three years ago with no experience on ovals.
“I need to really step it up on the ovals,” he said. “This is an oval championship, and I need to keep getting better at them.”
Pole-sitter Ty Gibbs nished third, and Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell rounded out the top ve.
In-Season Challenge upset
For the second year in a row,
“A couple more laps, we would have had some problems.”
Shane van Gisbergen
the top seed was knocked o in the opening race of the In-Season Challenge, the bracket-style tournament that pits 32 drivers head to head with the top nisher advancing.
Tyler Reddick nished four laps down in 36th because of a power steering problem. That turned his rst-round matchup into a walkover for 10th-place nisher Alex Bowman, who nabbed the 32nd and nal seed in the In-Season Challenge despite missing four races with vertigo.
“It’s just a very odd issue,” Reddick said. “Everything seemed ne when we left the pit stall, and then the steering just really got notchy with the power steering going in and out. It was just really really hard to make any kind of lap time with it.”
The 23XI Racing driver salvaged a point by setting the race’s fastest lap after the team made repairs. After leading the Chase standings since winning the Daytona 500 season opener, Reddick fell one point behind Denny Hamlin with eight races remaining in the regular season.
“I’d say we got pretty fortunate,” Reddick said. “All things considered, for the issues that we had, we were very fortunate to only lose nine points to Denny while nishing last.”
CHIU / AP PHOTO
Shane van Gisbergen (97) drives in front of Chase Briscoe (19) and Connor Zilisch (88) during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway.
JEFF CHIU / AP PHOTO
Shane van Gisbergen celebrates after winning the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma.
FOR SALE
2 BURIAL PLOTS for sale in the Stanly Gardens of Memory –
Includes 2 concrete vaults –Located near the Chime Tower – Please call for more information – 828-320-3323
Let’s Work Together
Full-Time
• Coordinator,
• Coordinator, Clinical
• Coordinator, Clinical Nursing Level II (9 month)
• Coordinator, Customized Training Program
• Instructor, Engineering and Networking Technologies (12-month)
Part-Time
• Adjunct Instructor, Carolina Auction Academy
Become part of something great...
We are eager to welcome individuals who are dedicated to our mission and committed to enhancing our community. Interested candidates are invited to browse our open full and part time positions via the website below to nd out how to apply for one of our job openings at SCC.
bid submission.
Town of Norwood LBP test / LBP Clearance / Asbestos & Radon Tests LBP test / Asbestos & Radon Tests Asbestos & Radon Test Re-Test Clearance LBP Re-Test Clearance Asbestos
Town of Norwood shall retain the Request for Proposal (RFP) and all related terms and conditions, addenda’s, exhibits and other attachments in original form in an archival copy. Any modi cations in vendor’s submission are grounds for immediate disquali cations. Town of Norwood further reserves the right to reject any and all submittals. Town
of Norwood is an equal opportunity employer. Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) including small and minority rms and Section 3 rms are encouraged to participate in the project.
RFP Bid Sent Out: July 1, 2026
RFP Bid Due: July 31, 2026
Please email all proposals to Valerie Greene – townclerk@norwoodnc.gov For Questions and/or Comments: Contact Matthew Rea, Construction Management Specialist (Centralina) 330-885-0937 / mrea@centralina. org
This information is available in Spanish or any other language upon request. Please contact Valerie Greene at (704) 474-3416 or at 212 South Main Street | PO Box 697 | Norwood, North Carolina 28128 for accommodations for this request.
Esta información está disponible en español o en cualquier otro idioma bajo petición. Por favor, póngase en contacto con Valerie Greene al (704) 474-3416 o en el 212 South Main Street | PO Box 697 | Norwood, North Carolina 28128.
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
Public Notice
BEARING CONSTRUCTION, INC. is currently soliciting quotes from state of NC certi ed MBE/WBE contractors to bid on the Long Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant project. For a complete scope of work and access to plans and specs contact fcarman@bearingconstruction. net or call 410-556-6100
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
The Town of Red Cross Town Council will hold a public hearing on Monday, July 13, 2026, at 7:00 PM at Red Cross Town Hall, located at 176 East Red Cross Road, Oakboro, North Carolina 28129. The purpose of this public hearing is to receive comments from the public regarding a proposed update to the Town’s current zoning fee schedule. Interested citizens are encouraged to attend and provide comments for or against the proposed changes. A copy of the proposed zoning fee schedule is available for public inspection at Red Cross Town Hall and may also be viewed online at www.townofredcross. com. For additional information contact the Red Cross Town Hall at 704-485-2002. Published: June 24, 2026 and July 1, 2026
NOTICE
In the general court of justice Superior Court division before the clerk File Number 26E000249-830
Having quali ed as executor of the estate of Verda M Cavender, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said the decedent to present them to the undersigned on or before the 12th day of September 2026, or the same will be pleaded with the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This 10th day of June 2026. Send claims to A.P. Cavender Executor of the estate of Verda M. Cavender 1217 Hope Ct Oakboro, North Carolina 28129
NOTICE
NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000255-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having quali ed as Executor of the Estate of Paula Marie Case, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Paula Marie Case 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. Brian Thomas Wilson 102 Wineberry Way Yorktown, VA 23692 Executor
‘Enola Holmes 3,’ Madonna, ‘Obsession,’
‘Legally Blonde’ prequel series ‘Elle’
The Associated Press
“ENOLA HOLMES 3” and a new album from Madonna are some of the new television, lms, music and games headed to a device near you. Also, among the streaming o erings worth your time this week: the “Legally Blonde” prequel series, a look at Ralph Lauren’s stamp collection celebrating America’s 250th birthday and “Obsession” arriving on premium video-on-demand services.
MOVIES TO STREAM
Unexpected box-o ce staying power pushed back its home release, but Curry Barker’s “Obsession” is now streaming on premium on demand. Despite a production budget of $750,000, the Focus Features release has amassed more than $337 million in worldwide ticket sales since opening in midMay. In it, Bear (Michael Johnston) uses a One Wish Willow to wish that his crush (Inde Navarrette) loves him.
Millie Bobby Brown returns as the younger sister of Sherlock Holmes in “Enola Holmes 3” on Net ix. In the series’ third lm, Enola prepares for her impending wedding to Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) when her brother, Sherlock (Henry Cavill), is kidnapped.
Lexi Minetree plays a young Elle Woods in the Prime Video series “Elle.”
MUSIC TO STREAM
Madge hath returned. “Confessions II,” the sequel to Madonna’s beloved 2005 album “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” arrives Friday — 21 years after the original. The original has been widely regarded as a return to the top of her pop powers. The critically acclaimed release, which produced such hits as “Hung Up,” “Sorry,” “Get Together” and “Jump,” was dancepop disco for a new era of clubgoers. So, what will this new era bring? Judging by the previously released “Confessions II” tracks,
the breathy “I Feel So Free,” the house rhythms of “Love Sensation” and the Sabrina Carpenter collaboration “Bring Your Love,” a good time is on the horizon.
SERIES TO STREAM
Oscar winner Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”) stars in “Zorro,” a new limited French series about Don Diego de la Vega, a dashing, wealthy nobleman living in 1821 Los Angeles. This Diego de la Vega hasn’t tapped into his Zorro alter ego for 20 years, but when he unexpectedly becomes the mayor
“But out here on the dance oor I feel so free, I can't explain. On the dance oor I feel so free.”
Madonna
of LA, he nds himself in a battle against corruption threatening his city. The Zorro persona is reborn, and de la Vega must balance politics, family and his secret role as a vigilante. The show is streaming now on MHz Choice and its subscription channels on Prime Video and Roku.
We learn in the new Prime Video series, “Elle,” that before she went to Harvard law school, Elle Woods was a happy teen living in the Los Angeles sunshine in a McMansion, until her father gets a new job in…Seattle. The bubbly pink-loving teen quickly nds out that her new school is in its grunge period where Nirvana rules, and even the school’s cheerleaders wear annel. Despite a variety of setbacks, Elle eventually nds her people and comes to love her new school. Newcomer Lexi Minetree plays the younger Elle, but at certain angles and in certain moments you’ll swear you’re looking at Reese Witherspoon. Season 2 is now streaming.
You may have heard that Ralph Lauren has designed a USPS Stamp Collection in time for America’s 250th birthday. Thirteen stamps were chosen that honor quintessential American images. A new special by The History Channel called “Ralph Lauren’s American Icons” dives deeper into the intention behind the project and features both previously unseen archival material and interviews with David Lauren, Ken Burns and more. It streams Sunday, July 5 on the History Channel app.
VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
Dating as far back as the Game Boy, Nintendo consoles have long appealed to players who like a little toe-tapping with their alien-zapping. “Rhythm Heaven Groove” continues that tradition, challenging gamers to chop vegetables, punch fruit and swing sledgehammers while keeping to the beat. Those are just a few of the 80 single-player minigames in this package, which also features Beatspell, a rhythmic role-playing adventure that requires nimble nger-work to cast spells. You can also round up three friends for 30 multiplayer contests, some competitive, some cooperative. Get into the groove Thursday, July 2, on the Switch.
JOHN WILSON / NETFLIX VIA AP
Louis Partridge, left, and Millie Bobby Brown star in “Enola Holmes 3.”
