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VOLUME 146 ISSUE 76 | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2026 | STANLYNEWSJOURNAL.COM

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Stanly NewS Journal THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL

WHAT’S HAPPENING Trump admin to remove 760K Affordable Care Act enrollees over fraud claims Washington, D.C. Vice President JD Vance and White House officials are announcing plans to remove 760,000 Affordable Care Act enrollees from public healthcare exchanges. They allege the individuals were fraudulently enrolled or do not exist. On Tuesday, Vance said this move would save $2.2 billion, ensuring subsidies go to those who need them. The Trump administration is also suspending new brokers from signing up enrollees for six months, citing fraud concerns. As of early 2026, about 19.2 million Americans are enrolled in ACA marketplace plans.

Trump signs U.S.Denmark-Greenland agreement to bolster Arctic security United Nations The United States, Denmark and Greenland have signed an agreement to strengthen security in the Arctic and North Atlantic. President Donald Trump signed the deal Tuesday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Trump earlier announced he planned to bolster the U.S. military presence in Greenland while keeping it under Danish and Greenlandic control. Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire for Greenland to become part of the U.S., ramping up tension. The agreement recognizes Greenland’s sovereignty and aims to boost security for all parties involved. The U.S. military presence in Greenland has decreased significantly since 1945. There are currently around 200 U.S. troops on the Pituffik Space Base.

Flights disrupted across Northeast U.S. due to technical problems at key air traffic center Technicians have repaired data lines that failed at a key regional air traffic control center, and all major airports in the New York area began resuming operations after hundreds of flight cancellations rippled through the Northeast. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in an online post that primary and backup telecom lines were fixed by Monday evening, allowing affected airports to resume operations. Hundreds of flights were canceled due to the issues.

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Election season President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance made separate campaign stops in North Carolina this past week to stump for Republicans on the ballot, including, most prominently, U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley. Trump came to Gastonia last Wednesday, while Vance flew into Greensboro on Monday.

Albemarle High reports gains in academics, student opportunities Academic growth continues at high school By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — Albemarle High School Principal Beverly Pennington gave Albemarle City Council an update this week on what she described as a three-year academic and cultural turnaround at the school. On Monday night, Pennington, in her fourth year as principal, told the council that the school has focused on consistency, stronger relationships and providing students

with more rigorous academic opportunities. “We have turned the data around,” Pennington said. “We have created an experience for students that is rigorous. It is preparing them for career and college after high school, and it is established in relationships.” Albemarle High currently has 383 students enrolled, with a growing number taking advanced coursework. Pennington said 26% of students are enrolled in Career and College Promise courses through Stanly Community College, while 78 students are taking at least one Advanced Placement course. The school now offers five

“We have turned the data around.” Beverly Pennington, Albemarle High principal AP courses, up from one three years ago. Eleven students are enrolled in two AP courses, while six are taking three. Ninth graders are also taking a computer science course through Stanly Community College to meet a new graduation requirement. Pennington highlighted Albemarle High’s AVID program, which serves 75 students and

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inside Wagfest event returns with new 2-mile walk/run

Did you know there’s a school in Mississippi that helps teach baby raccoons how to be … raccoons? Turn to page A4 for the full story.

“Come out and support a great cause.” Christy Tietgens, event coordinator

The Wagfest festival event is back in Albemarle on Saturday from 2-8 p.m. Stanly County Humane Society By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — Wagfest will return to Stanly County on Saturday for an afternoon of live music, vendors, food, games and adoptable animals benefiting the Stanly County Humane Society. The free dog-friendly festival will run 2-8 p.m. at Market Station, located at 501 W. Main St. in downtown Albemarle.

All proceeds from the event will go directly to the humane society to support its work caring for local animals and helping them find permanent homes. This year’s Wagfest will begin with the inaugural Leashes and Laces 2-Mile Walk/Run, a nontimed event open to participants of all ages. The race will start at 2 p.m., beginning and ending at Market Station and following the Roger F. Snyder Greenway for a 2-mile course. Organizers are inviting runners and walkers of all experience levels to take See WAGFEST, page A4

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focuses on college and career readiness, organization, study habits, note-taking and collaboration. The school has also implemented schoolwide binders and regular binder checks as part of an effort to improve student organization. “We believe that it’s important in order to be successful in any of our content areas, students have to know and engage with what they read,” Pennington said. Tutoring is also being offered four days a week. Among the school’s most significant academic gains, Pennington said, is Albemarle

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Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 23, 2026

WEDNESDAY

9.23.26 #147

Federal Reserve official says fighting inflation likely to be ‘painful’ Supply shocks force the central bank to choose between inflation and employment

“Join the conversation” North State Journal (USPS 518620) (ISSN 2471-1365) Trip Hoffend Publisher Jim Sills VP of Local Newspapers Cory Lavalette Senior Editor Jordan Golson Local News Editor Shawn Krest Sports Editor Dan Reeves Features Editor Lauren Rose Design Editor Jesse Deal Reporter ADVERTISING Kateland Treece Advertising Representative Published Wednesday and Sunday as part of North State Journal 1548 NC 24-27 BYP W Albemarle NC 28001 TO SUBSCRIBE OR PLACE LEGAL NOTICE: 704-982-2121 STANLYNEWSJOURNAL.COM Annual Subscription Price: $100.00

By Christopher Rugaber The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — A top Federal Reserve official said Monday that the central bank may have to cause economic pain in the form of higher unemployment to combat stubbornly high inflation. Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, said in a speech in London that the Fed is facing a series of persistent supply shocks that have driven up inflation, including higher oil prices from the Iran war and tariffs. Typically, Goolsbee noted, the central bank would essentially wait for such shocks to fade and inflation to fall on its own rather than raise borrowing costs. But faced with an ongoing series of persistent supply shocks, the Fed now has little choice but to hike rates, Goolsbee said. The increases are needed to lower consumer and business demand to a level consistent with reduced supply, he added, which

“It’s going to be painful. It would necessarily be painful.” Austan Goolsbee, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago president should bring inflation back to the Fed’s 2% target. “The only way to bring inflation down is to raise rates and narrow the gap between supply and demand,” he said in a written copy of his remarks. “Forcing inflation back to target in the short run means pushing employment below target. ... In the short run, supply shocks force a difficult trade-off” between the Fed’s goals of low inflation and maximum employment. “It’s going to be painful,” Goolsbee said later to reporters. “It would necessarily be painful.” Goolsbee’s comments contradict Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh’s remarks last Wednesday at a news conference that took place after the Fed lifted its key interest rate for the first time in three years to about 3.9%.

“I don’t believe that we need to do harm to the labor markets to achieve our objective,” Warsh said last week. The Fed generally fights inflation by raising interest rates to cool borrowing and spending. Historically, such rate hikes have often slowed growth and have even led to recessions. Yet in 2022-23, the Fed sharply raised interest rates and inflation did decline, without a significant rise in unemployment or economic slowdown. Goolsbee also suggested while speaking with reporters that the Fed may need to implement more than just the one additional rate hike later this year that policymakers, as a group, forecast last week. There are signs that surging investment in data centers for AI is also pushing up inflation, he said, suggesting that strong demand is playing a role, as well as the supply shock from oil. If inflation mostly comes from supply shocks, then just one more rate hike could be sufficient, Goolsbee told reporters. “And if we get evidence that convinces us that it’s coming from demand, then it likely would not be enough,” he said.

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happening Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in and around Stanly County.

Sept. 26 City of Locust Summer Concert Series Finale 7-10 p.m. The City of Locust closes out its summer concert series with the Michael Christopher Band, capped by an end-of-summer fireworks display. The free event includes food and craft vendors and activities for kids. 211 Town Center Drive Locust

Downtown Albemarle Murder Mystery Game 6-9 p.m. Ticket holders roam downtown Albemarle shops, quizzing business owners to identify "Albemarle's Most Wanted" in this interactive mystery game. Participants 21 and older can enjoy beverages along the route, with proceeds supporting local arts. Downtown Albemarle 130 S. 2nd St. Albemarle

Sept. 27

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Carolina Dance Masters Solo Title Preliminary Competition

Send address changes to: North State Journal 1201 Edwards Mill Rd. Suite 300 Raleigh NC 27607

8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dancers compete for solo titles at this preliminary round. Stanly County Agri-Civic Center 26032 Newt Road Albemarle

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SCUSA Transportation General Public Service is available to all Stanly County residents. Providing service to people in need of transportation to Medical Appts, Work Personal Business & other locations. Wheelchair accessible vehicles. available.

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Austan Goolsbee, left, then-Council of Economic Advisers chairman under President Barack Obama, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in February 2013.

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Albemarle High School Principal Beverly Pennington speaks at the Albemarle City Council meeting on Monday night.

High exceeded expected student growth last year for the first time while maintaining a “C” school performance grade. The school also posted a five-year high in its performance score and academic achievement score, along with a four-year upward trend in its growth score. Pennington said the school continues to expand its course offerings, adding electives in medical assisting, criminal justice, Bible history and artificial intelligence. The criminal justice course is being taught

with assistance from the Albemarle Police Department. Extracurricular offerings are growing as well. Albemarle High launched the district’s first girls’ flag football team and plans to add boys’ volleyball in the spring. “We are all amazed at the progress you’re making at Albemarle High School,” Mayor Ronnie Michael said. “To look at that graph and see the changes in basically the last three years is amazing.” The Albemarle City Council will hold its next regular meeting on Oct. 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers.

(704) 984-8837 Phyllis Kimrey & Adrian Lash

Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 23, 2026

THE CONVERSATION Trip Hoffend, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor VISUAL VOICES

COLUMN | SUSAN MILLS

Get to know the real Michael Whatley Just remember who closed schools and churches but left open liquor stores and abortion clinics.

I HAVE KEPT SILENT hoping people will educate themselves before voting, but I still see fellow Republicans trying to tear down a good person. I was elected NCGOP vice chair to serve with Michael Whatley. I worked with him closely for over three years. He is a man of faith, family and freedom. He loves his beautiful family and would never put his children in harm’s way by “hiring” a person that preys on children. He did not hire Harvey West. Harvey was elected by his constituents in the 1st District. Harvey was already a member of the Plan of Organization Committee when Whatley became chair of the NCGOP. Many people are kept on committees to allow their knowledge of how the committee works to be passed down to new members. There was nothing strange about keeping Harvey on that committee. Look at organizations in your community, state and country. Do you throw out all their institutional knowledge to bring on someone that is new and has no idea of where to begin?

Whatley is a man of faith. We started each meeting, event, dinner with a prayer. He is a God-fearing person. He always wanted to do what was right, and he did. No one is perfect, so stop looking for perfection in anyone! Whatley loves the people of North Carolina and of this great country. I have seen it firsthand. He doesn’t put himself first. It’s the folks of N.C. who he put first and always will. He is a man of his word and not a person that lies. We need Whatley in the U.S. Senate. Just remember who closed schools and churches but left open liquor stores and abortion clinics — the Democratic candidate did that! As a person that has worked closely with him and considers him a close friend, I ask you to vote for Michael Whatley for U.S. Senate! Susan Mills is a public high school teacher who lives in Fayetteville.

COLUMN | DANIEL MCCARTHY

The immigration politics of a felon’s pardon “Mandatory deportation” should mean just that.

HOW FAR will New York Gov. Kathy Hochul go to keep immigrant criminals in this country? So far, she’ll even pardon a man convicted of an aggravated felony if that’s what it takes to prevent the United States Supreme Court from setting a restrictionist precedent. Keisy Guerrero Mariano is a Dominican who spent two years in prison for committing a violent crime: second-degree assault. Mariano, known as “G.M.” in court documents, is exactly the sort of lawbreaker Americans overwhelmingly want to see deported. But not Hochul — she granted him clemency Aug. 28. His case stood out from those of the other five people she pardoned that day: The others were nonviolent offenders who’d committed their crimes decades ago: two in the 1980s, two in the ’90s, and just one as recently as 2007. G.M. was convicted in 2015. The governor decided he merited special leniency, for political reasons. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested G.M. in 2020, intending to deport him based on his criminal record. ICE had to let him go in 2022, however, because of a nationwide injunction related to COVID-19 that required the agency to review custody of individuals with certain medical conditions. While ICE had him, though, G.M.’s lawyers challenged the agency’s right to hold him for a prolonged time without a bond hearing. That’s what Hochul’s pardon is really about — the Trump administration planned to make the Dominican’s appeals a test case before the U.S. Supreme Court, one likely to establish that G.M. and others like him are not entitled to a bond hearing. Bond hearings are an easily exploited weakness in America’s immigration security, not only protracting the legal process of deporting lawbreakers but also giving them an opportunity to get out of detention temporarily — and then permanently fail to show up when they’re due for their next hearing. G.M. came to this country legally in 2011, but he forfeited any right to remain here once he committed a felony. Only now Hochul has nullified his conviction to undercut

ICE’s grounds for removing him and collapse the appeals process that was leading to the Supreme Court — and to a probable defeat for those who want to make deportation as difficult as possible. The governor isn’t looking out for New Yorkers here: Her maneuver is about liberal politicians’ zeal for maximum immigration, even when it means letting violent criminals remain in our communities. This is the second lucky break Hochul’s side has had recently. The other test case the Trump administration had teed up, involving a Jamaican national convicted (also in New York) of sexually abusing a child under the age of 11, has been taken out of the courts as well after the offender left the country and filed a court declaration saying he would not be coming back to America. Self-deportation is one way to get immigrants convicted of heinous crimes out of here. But ICE can’t deport someone who has already deported himself, so his claim of a right to a bond hearing is now completely moot. The big question still has to be answered, though: Can immigration enforcement detain these violent perps and sex offenders until they can be tossed out? Or if they’ve been in custody for a while, are they entitled to bond hearings that will further delay their removal — and give them the chance to escape back into Americans’ neighborhoods? Solicitor General John Sauer says he’s not going to let Hochul’s gambit succeed. G.M.’s case may have been pulled, but Sauer aims to find another that will bring the fight to the Supreme Court. “Mandatory deportation” should mean just that — even a legal immigrant who commits a serious offense ought to be expelled promptly, and he shouldn’t get the benefit of a bond hearing just because his case takes longer than it should and he winds up in “prolonged” detention. He shouldn’t get the benefit of a liberal governor’s partisan machinations either. New Yorkers — American citizens — elected Hochul, and she should put them first, not foreigners who commit crimes while they’re here, legally or otherwise. Daniel McCarthy is the editor of Modern Age: A Conservative Review. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)

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Raccoon boot camp in Mississippi teaches abandoned kits survival skills Graduating raccoons are released to the tune of “Pomp and Circumstance”

By Sophie Bates The Associated Press PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. — Muddy, sweat-soaked and occasionally bloody, the dedicated staff at a Mississippi wildlife center are drill sergeants. And their soldiers? Baby raccoons. Welcome to raccoon boot camp, where the goal is to help sick or injured animals learn to survive in the south Mississippi wilderness — a skill set they would have learned from their mothers, most of whom died or were separated from their kits by storms, traffic incidents or other traumatic events. It’s a challenge that’s left Woodside Wildlife Rescue’s founder, Paula Woodside, with cuts from scared, defensive raccoons and their sharp claws, and when she isn’t able to save a kit, emotional scars too. “When these babies come in and they’re so desperate, it’s heartbreaking,” said Woodside, who most days is covered in sweat from caring for the animals in the Mississippi heat and dirt from curious kits crawling up her legs and onto her shoulders. “It’s really important for them to get a little bit of a head start.” Wildlife rescue staff teach raccoons by example Woodside, a former U.S. merchant mariner, opened the rescue in 2019 after she helped rehabilitate a baby raccoon found aboard her ship. The rescue in the coastal city of Pass Christian typically raises dozens of kits each year, 76 so far this year, alongside other indigenous wildlife. City animal control and citizens call Woodside, or the rescue’s director, Raquel Priest, when they find a raccoon in need of saving. Together, they attempt to reunite the kits with their mothers, if they can find them, or bring the kits to the rescue. The youngest raccoons will spend a few weeks mostly indoors being bottle-fed by rehabbers until they’re vaccinated for diseases carried by cat colonies and dogs and are

SOPHIE BATES / AP PHOTO

A raccoon kit digs through water and mud at Woodside Wildlife Rescue in Pass Christian, Mississippi, on Sept. 1. ready to move to outdoor pens. Though the kits stay close to their adoptive human parents, they’re eventually allowed to roam free during the day on the rescue’s rural 20acre property, a sprawling mix of meadows and thick forest spotted with ponds and a nearby river. Thanks to that setting, Woodside and Priest can take their troops on learning excursions, a luxury many wildlife rescues don’t have, Woodside said. Woodside and Priest teach by example. They hide worms in the dirt to show the kits how to dig for food and break open pine cones or acorns to reveal the seeds inside. The raccoons’ eyes light up when they encounter a new tasty food, and they run to show their discovery to their rehabbers before hurrying back to fend off other kits who might try to steal their find. Where a drill sergeant might yell, ‘Attention!’ Priest and Woodside give a shrill trilling sound, mimicking the raccoon call for danger, that sends the kits running up trees to safety. A short whistle lets the troops know the coast is clear. The kits also practice fishing in shallow pools, their uncoordinated paws tentatively patting the water until they’re quick enough to snag a snack. A live quail hunt provides hunting experience. While these are skills raccoons would likely learn on their own, Woodside’s staff hopes the training gives the kits a greater chance of survival. On the property’s pond, the

raccoons learn to swim, a critical skill in hurricane-prone south Mississippi. The rehabbers take to kayaks and encourage the kits to swim back and forth. They also take trips to the deep woods, where kits learn to run from tree to tree to avoid being seen by birds of prey and to have a quick escape route from snakes or other dangers on the ground. Raccoons graduate to “Pomp and Circumstance Marches” For their final lesson, a volunteer — who isn’t Woodside or Priest — traps the raccoons in cages, scaring them enough to encourage them to avoid traps and humans. The experience helps the young raccoons wean themselves from their human rescuers, a process Priest said naturally occurs as they mature. When a group of kits is ready for release, about six months after their rescue, Woodside and Priest host a graduation ceremony. They play Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance Marches” and read a roll call of each graduating kit’s name. A reverend then blesses their journey as they’re released onto a different section of the rescue’s forest-covered property. For kits that die in care, the staff holds a second ceremony to bless and scatter their ashes. “It’s like watching your children leave home,” Priest said. “It’s important to see them prosper and go and be the mischievous creatures they were meant to be.”

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A raccoon kit peers through an enclosure at Woodside Wildlife Rescue on Sept. 1 in Pass Christian, Mississippi.

WAGFEST from page A1 part, whether competing on their own or bringing a dog along for the route. Participants can register in one of two divisions. The “2-Legs Division” costs $30 and includes an official event T-shirt, while the “6-Legs Division” — designed for participants bringing a dog — costs $35 and includes a T-shirt and a commemorative bandana for the four-legged teammate. Registration and donations are available online at runsignup.com. “I’ve been working behind

the scenes this year to bring this event together, and it’s finally almost here,” event coordinator Christy Tietgens said. “This year, we’re kicking things off with the Wagfest Leashes and Laces 2 Mile Walk/Run.” After crossing the finish line, participants can remain at Market Station for the rest of the festival, which will include pup cups, food trucks, local beer and wine, craft vendors, raffles, games and other dog-friendly activities. Vendors will offer items including crafts, candles, dog accessories, permanent jewelry and other handmade goods.

Adoptable dogs and cats will also be on site for visitors to meet while learning more about the humane society’s work in Stanly County. Live entertainment will begin with DJ Nikki from 2-4 p.m., followed by Joy Almond from 5-7 p.m. “My good friend DJ Nikki will kick us off, and then Stanly County’s very own Joy Almond will close out the evening,” Tietgens said. “This festival benefits the Stanly County Humane Society, so come walk, run, dance, shop, or just hang out. Come out and support a great cause.” Sponsors include Uwhar-

rie Bank, The Marketplace, Uwharrie Kush, Honey Badger Holdings, Kimrey Lash Re-

alty, Lake Tillery Properties and New South Realty, among others.

Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 23, 2026

on the campaign trail

PHOTOS BY STAN GILLILAND / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL

President Donald Trump flew into North Carolina last Wednesday to campaign in Gastonia for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley and other Republicans on the ticket in the Tarheel state. Vice President JD Vance flew into Greensboro on Monday for a similar event, as the Senate race appears tight in the polls, with former governor Roy Cooper holding a lead over Whatley.

Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 23, 2026

OBITUARIES Annie Dillard, Pulitzer-winning author of ‘Pilgrim at Tinker Creek,’ dies at 81

Curtis Eugene “Gene” Benton Sept. 19, 2026 Curtis Eugene “Gene” Benton, 82, passed away on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at his home in Oakboro, NC. Gene is survived by his wife, Bonnie Hathcock Benton of the home, his daughter, Kelly Foster of Raleigh NC, grandson D. Brandon Foster of Seattle, WA, granddaughter Kristina Ryan of San Francisco, CA, nephew Steve Helms (Vonnie), nephew Scott Helms, and many other nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Elmer Benton and Annie Blalock of Monroe, a sister Shirley Benton Helms, brother inlaw George W. Helms, and niece Gail Norris. Gene was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He was a 20-year Army veteran having served in both the Vietnam and Desert Storm conflicts and was a proud and patriotic military veteran. He loved to watch old movies, enjoyed attending cruiseins, working on his truck, and watching football. Gene was a member of Mineral Springs Baptist Church, where he served in various capacities. Funeral service will be at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at Mineral Springs Baptist Church in Oakboro, with Rev. Dr. Kinney Wallace officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1:00 pm until 1:45 pm prior to the hour of service. Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Locust is serving the Benton family.

She spent more than five decades exploring the intersection of nature, spirituality and self The Associated Press NEW YORK — Annie Dillard, the Pulitzer-Prize winning author and essayist renowned for her poetic explorations of nature, love, spirituality and the art of writing in the “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek,” “The Maytrees” and numerous other works, has died. She was 81. Her literary agent, Rob McQuilkin, said Dillard died Tuesday of natural causes at her home in South Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Starting in the mid-1970s, Dillard completed a wide range of books, from the poetry collection “Tickets for a Prayer Wheel” to what she would call the “jolly journalism” of “Encounters with Chinese Writers” to the novel of marriage, “The Maytrees,” a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner award in 2008. Seven years later, President Barack Obama presented her with a National Humanities Medal for her “profound reflections on human life and nature.” Born Meta Ann Doak, she was a Pittsburgh native who in the 1987 memoir “An American Childhood” looked back at her early years and on her uniquely curious mind. She was raised by nonconformists who gave her a wide range to learn and to discover, and

Annie Dillard

ANDREW HARNIK / AP PHOTO

President Barack Obama, right, awards the 2014 National Humanities Medal to author Annie Dillard during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., in September 2015. she remembered with awe her growing sense of knowledge and self-knowledge. Resistant for much of her life to organized religion, she would find the eternal in animals, mountains, her mother’s skin and in everyday objects. At age 13, she wrote, she was reading “books on drawing, painting, rocks, criminology, birds, moths, beetles, stamps, ponds and streams, medicine.” Dillard had yet to turn 30 when “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” established her as a major, new literary voice and heir to Hen-

ry David Thoreau as a sensitive and idiosyncratic observer of the natural world. Published in 1974 and winner of the Pulitzer for nonfiction, “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” drew upon Dillard’s private writings about the surroundings of her home in Roanoke, Virginia. Invoking Thoreau, about whom she wrote her master’s thesis at Hollins College, she called her book “a meteorological journal of the mind,” in which she would explore “some of the sights of this rather tamed valley.” “I am no scientist,” she

wrote, likening herself to “an infant who has just learned to hold his head up” and gaze about “in bewilderment.” “He hasn’t the faintest clue where he is, and he aims to learn. In a couple of years, what he will have learned instead is how to fake it: he’ll have the cocksure air of a squatter who has come to feel he owns the place,” she wrote. Dillard taught for more than 20 years at Wesleyan University before retiring in 2002. She was married three times, most recently to the late literary biographer Robert Richardson, whom she met after sending him a fan letter admiring his biography of Thoreau. She had one child, Cody, with second husband Gary Clevidence. Her first husband was creative writing teacher Richard Dillard, whom she divorced in 1975 after 10 years of marriage.

Presley Gerber, son of Cindy Crawford, model, dead at 27 His sister praised him last month for being remarkably open about addiction The Associated Press

Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Stanly News Journal at obits@ stanlynewsjournal.com

“He hasn’t the faintest clue where he is, and he aims to learn. In a couple of years, what he will have learned instead is how to fake it: he’ll have the cocksure air of a squatter who has come to feel he owns the place.”

LOS ANGELES — Presley Gerber, the son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessperson Rande Gerber, died Sunday at age 27, a family representative said. Gerber died at a rehabilitation facility, according to online records of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. The medical examiner did not provide a cause of death Sunday. An autopsy was performed, but more testing is required before investigators can give a cause, according to the medical examiner’s website. The death was confirmed by Allie Jenkins, a representative for Crawford and Rande Gerber, who were married in 1998. “The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time,” Jenkins said in an email Sunday night. Gerber was model in own right Gerber was a model and the older brother of model and actor Kaia Gerber. He had been open about his struggles with mental health and substance abuse, documenting his journey on Instagram. He even started a “Mental Health Mondays” series on the platform to raise awareness and share wellness tips. Across multiple episodes, he related his own experiences with substances ranging from ketamine to kratom, as well as his time at rehabilitation facilities. He posted an Instagram video in March from Mexico,

where he said he planned to take ibogaine, a potent psychedelic that is being studied as a treatment for opioid addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder and other conditions. Ibogaine — known to sometimes trigger potentially fatal heart problems — is banned in the U.S. under the federal government’s most restrictive category for illegal, high-risk drugs, although President Donald Trump directed his administration to ease restrictions and spur research. Raised in Malibu, California, Gerber signed with the management agency IMG as a teenager and made his runway debut for Moschino at 16. In 2018, he appeared alongside his mother — whose famous beauty mark he inherited — in a Pepsi Super Bowl ad that paid homage to her 1992 commercial for the soda brand. That same year, he and his sister shot a campaign for Calvin Klein jeans. Gerber later signed with DNA Models. His biography on the agency’s website describes him as an entrepreneur and model who was inspired by “his mother’s legendary modeling career and his father’s lucrative business career.” Rande Gerber’s businesses have included restaurants, nightlife companies and Casamigos — a tequila brand he cofounded with George Clooney and Mike Meldman that was sold to Diageo in a $1 billion deal. Gerber open about struggles with addiction Gerber’s modeling biography also described him as an “avid surfer and skater.” In an Instagram video posted in July 2025, Gerber described growing up as a dedicated athlete

KAMIL ZIHNIOGLU / AP PHOTO

Model Kaia Gerber, left, and her brother, Presley Gerber, pose in Paris in September 2017.

“There’s only so much you can hide from the world. And trying to put a lid on something just makes the person feel like you’re ashamed of them.” Kaia Gerber, model and actor who spent hours in the water nearly every day — a routine that came to a halt when he started working. With less physical activity, Gerber said, he was put on more medication and his quality of life suffered. “For me it took 10 years of looking back at my life being like, ‘Well, what changed?’ A lot of the time people would ask like, ‘You were such a happy kid; what happened to you?’” he recalled. “What happened was life happened and I wasn’t able to worry about one thing, which was my next meal and then get back in the ocean. Like I had to start making money, I had to start — I got a job.”

In an interview with Vogue last month, Kaia Gerber praised her brother for being so open about his experience with addiction. “My parents for most of our lives were very, very private and didn’t share anything— and now we have this absolute teacher, my brother, who says, ‘I’m gonna be very human for everyone,’” she told the magazine. “There’s only so much you can hide from the world. And trying to put a lid on something just makes the person feel like you’re ashamed of them.” In addition to his testimonial videos, Gerber’s Instagram was a collection of modeling shoots and memories that stretched back to childhood. His life around cameras influenced his own interest in photography as an art form. “I have always been the type of person to stop and take a picture when everybody is just focused on the destination,” he told Vogue in 2016, on the occasion of his runway debut. “I feel like people walk by a countless amount of beauty in the world every day, and I hope that I don’t miss all of it.”

STANLY SPORTS

COURTESY DAWN LUCAS PHOTOGRAPHY

North Stanly’s Colton Martin leads his team on the field carrying the American flag.

North Stanly aims for 5-0 record with home game against TJCA The Comets have held two opponents to fewer than three points this season By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — The sixth week of the high school football season will feature three Stanly County teams at home and one on the road. One squad returns from a bye, while the other three are coming off victories. That Week 5 sweep lifted the county’s combined record above .500 at 9-7, with one team still maintaining a perfect

record and another now in the win column. Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy at North Stanly Back in New London after a 7-2 defensive-led win at Mountain Island Charter, the undefeated North Stanly Comets (4-0) will host Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy. The Gryphons (1-3) are coming off an 11-0 home loss to Albemarle and have not won a game since their season opener against Bradford Prep, setting up a favorable situation for a Comets squad looking to im-

prove to 5-0. Last season, North Stanly won its first six games before being handed a loss. West Stanly at Eastern Randolph Rested from a bye week, West Stanly is set to travel to Ramseur to face Eastern Randolph, which had a 14-3 road loss at Asheboro last weekend. The Colts (2-2) and Wildcats (2-3) have each alternated wins and losses every week this fall, with both teams failing to establish consistency through the opening stretch of the season. West Stanly is coming off a 34-28

By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal

PJ WARD-BROWN / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL

The South Stanly Rowdy Rebel Bulls got their first win of the 2026 season last Friday night.

NORWOOD — Nearly a month into the season, South Stanly’s football team has found its way into the win column. The Rowdy Rebel Bulls delivered their most complete performance of the season Friday, rolling past winless Bonnie Cone Leadership Academy 49-14 at home. South Stanly (1-3) set a season high for points and allowed its fewest in a game this year. The Bulls entered the matchup having scored a combined six points in consecutive losses to Piedmont and Anson. The breakthrough did not come immediately. South Stanly built a 13-0 lead before the Eagles answered to pull within 13-8. The Bulls regained control before the break, adding two touchdowns to carry a 28-8 advantage into halftime.

Points allowed by the Comets against Mountain Island Charter

home loss to Central on Sept. 11. Union Academy at South Stanly

Mountain Island Charter at Albemarle

South Stanly will be the first county team this season to begin conference play as it hosts Yadkin Valley Conference opponent Union Academy. After finishing 8-3 last season, the Rowdy Rebel Bulls (1-3) got their first win of 2026 with a 49-14 home victory over Bonnie Cone Leadership Academy on Friday. The Cardinals (2-2, 0-1 YVC) recently had a 33-27 road loss at North Rowan in their own league opener.

Back home after three consecutive road games, the Albemarle Bulldogs (2-2) are scheduled to host the Mountain Island Charter Raptors (3-1), who are fresh off their home loss to the Comets. Albemarle’s defense came alive in the Bulldogs’ 11-0 road shutout over TJCA, providing the team a recipe for success as it faces a Raptors squad that was held to just two points by North Stanly on Monday night.

South Stanly breaks through for first win The Bulls defeated Bonnie Cone by 35 in Norwood

Touchdowns scored by the South Stanly football team against BCLA

Bonnie Cone (0-4) scored again in the third quarter, but South Stanly never allowed the game to tighten. The Bulls led 35-14 entering the fourth and tacked on two more touchdowns to complete a 36-6 run after the Eagles had made it a five-point contest. The loss continued a difficult opening stretch for Bonnie Cone, which has been outscored 159-42 through four games. South Stanly surpassed the Eagles’ season-long scoring total with its 49-point offensive outburst Friday. South Stanly found the end zone in several ways, producing five rushing touchdowns, one

passing score and a defensive touchdown. Sophomore Andre Dockery provided the defensive highlight when he recovered a fumble and returned it 60 yards for a score. The 35-point victory offered a sharp reversal for a team that opened with three difficult losses to West Stanly, Piedmont and Anson. It also gave the Bulls a needed lift before their schedule shifts to Yadkin Valley Conference play. South Stanly is trying to build on an 8-3 campaign in 2025, when it finished third in the conference (5-1) and did not lose a regular-season game by more than six points. That season also secured the program’s first back-to-back winning seasons since 2011 and 2012. Although the nonconference start has left the Bulls below .500, their league goals remain intact with every team beginning conference play on even footing. South Stanly will open its YVC schedule Friday at home against Union Academy (2-2, 0-1 YVC). The Cardinals have already played one conference game, while the Bulls will enter their league opener with momentum after their first win.

Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 23, 2026

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SIDELINE REPORT NFL

NFL says teams can’t sign Harris, Wright after attempts to play for LSU New York The NFL has sent a memo to each of its teams saying Zxavian Harris and Dae’Quan Wright are not eligible to join any NFL teams this season after they attempted to return to college and play for LSU. Harris and Wright both played for Mississippi last season and had tryouts in the NFL this summer after going undrafted. They then tried joining former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin at LSU and sued for the right to regain their college eligibility. LSU left both players off its roster as it opened its season.

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Paralyzed A’s minor leaguer Lasko leaves hospital West Orange, N.J. Ryan Lasko, a minor league prospect with the Athletics who was paralyzed in an outfield collision more than two months ago, was released from an in-patient rehabilitation hospital to continue his recovery from home. The 24-year-old Lasko was released exactly two months after arriving at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in New Jersey. It’s about 35 miles from where he attended college at Rutgers and became a second-round draft pick by the A’s in 2023.

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Knicks star Brunson to make appearance on “Law & Order: SVU” New York New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson will make a guest-starring appearance on “Law & Order: SVU” this fall. NBC announced Brunson will appear in the season’s fifth episode, which is scheduled to air Nov. 5. Details on Brunson’s exact role weren’t revealed. Brunson already is set to host the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” on Sept. 26. He made an appearance in the opening of the Emmy Awards telecast that was hosted by “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay.

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NCAA FOOTBALL

CFP clarifies how committee can respond to Michigan-WMU result The College Football Playoff says it can’t change the outcome of any games played during the regular season but notes that its selection committee relies on various measures beyond wins and losses. The CFP statement follows the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee’s announcement that it also doesn’t have the authority to overturn the result of No. 19 Michigan’s controversial 13-12 victory over Western Michigan. The CFP notes that its selection committee “evaluates all teams on a comprehensive body of work over a full season, driven by how teams perform in each game.”

NASCAR

Pruett is stepping away from NHRA to focus on having a second child with Stewart Leah Pruett, in contention for her first NHRA Top Fuel championship, will step away from the drag-racing series at the end of this season to focus on having a second child with husband Tony Stewart. Pruett sat out 2024 and 2025 to start a family. She gave birth to their son, Dominic, in November 2024. Tony Stewart, a NASCAR Cup Series champion and IndyCar champion, filled in for her. Pruett returned this year, and Stewart moved to Elite Motorsports. They currently rank third and fourth, respectively. Eight-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher will take her seat next season.

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Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Logano claims Cup playoff victory at Bristol Carson Hocevar and Ryan Blaney fought afterward The Associated Press BRISTOL, Tenn. — Joey Logano won the Cup Series race Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway, while the driver he passed for the win stole the show with old-school NASCAR feuding and fisticuffs. Carson Hocevar, a brash 23-year-old who has earned the ire of veterans with his aggressive driving, traded punches in the pits with Ryan Blaney after they were involved in an incident while racing for second with 41 laps left. Hocevar stopped his car after finishing third and was greeted by a shove from Blaney.

The 6-foot-4 Hocevar, who stands several inches taller than Blaney, responded with two overhand rights. The first knocked off Blaney’s hat, and the second connected with Blaney’s left cheek. Blaney fell to the pavement and then scrambled to his feet and out of a crew member’s hold while Hocevar raised his arms and pointed at him. Blaney charged and threw a wild left that knocked off Hocevar’s hat. They then were separated by team members as Blaney continued to yell at Hocevar. “There wasn’t a whole lot of talking,” Hocevar said. “He just kind of said one thing and then went after me, and I wasn’t going to take it. I got ran into a lot for the win. That was for second, and he wants to come fight. They got an old-school Bristol show here.”

“There wasn’t a whole lot of talking,” Carson Hocevar The contact between the drivers started shortly after Blaney took second with an outside pass of Hocevar, who immediately slid his No. 77 Chevrolet down the track. Blaney moved low to block, and Hocevar stayed in the accelerator to knock the No. 12 Ford into a spin that ended in the inside wall. “I don’t know what I did wrong there,” Hocevar said. “I crossed him over and looked like he spun himself, and then he wants to instigate a fight. I was going to finish that, and it seemed like the crowd was pretty pumped up, so

I was going to play the audience for a second.” Blaney, who led a race-high 202 laps despite starting 29th, was already frustrated after falling into heavy traffic because of a penalty for a pit lane violation with just over 100 laps remaining. His rally was cut short by the crash that dropped him to sixth in the Chase standings with his second consecutive finish outside the top 30. In an interview during the race, Blaney said, “I tried to protect the bottom, he crossed and never lifted, and I got crashed.” When asked which driver was at fault, Blaney said, “I don’t (expletive) know. Each person is going to say they did nothing wrong.” Kyle Larson finished second to move into the Chase lead by a point over Denny Hamlin.

Christopher Bell was fourth, followed by Ty Gibbs, who led 120 laps before finishing fifth. Gibbs and Hocevar exchanged the lead four times in the final 100 laps. Their battle for first after a restart with nine laps remaining opened the door for Logano, who zipped past Hocevar and led the final seven laps. With his 40th career victory and third this season, Logano became the winningest Cup Series driver for Team Penske and moved into third place in the Chase points standings. But he realized all of those accomplishments would be eclipsed by videos of the Blaney-Hocevar fight that he still had yet to see. “I’m sure I’ll see it all week long,” Logano said, pausing to add with a laugh. “They’ll probably forget who won the race.”

WADE PAYNE / AP PHOTO

Ty Gibbs (54) leads Carson Hocevar (77), Kyle Larson (5) and Ryan Blaney (12) during Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol.

Sanchez eyes NWSL record in career season with North Carolina The Courage midfielder looks to score 20 goals By Drew Renner The Associated Press ASHLEY SANCHEZ entered the season with a number in mind. Nineteen goals later, the finish line keeps moving. First, the North Carolina Courage midfielder wanted 10 goals. Then 15. Now, after setting the National Women’s Soccer League single-season scoring record for an American player, Sanchez has settled on another number — and another record to break. “What’s funny was, I did have a goal, and then it just kept moving,” Sanchez said. “Now, I guess it’s just 20.” Sanchez’s latest goal, a curling strike into the top right corner in the 82nd minute against the San Diego Wave on Saturday, moved her within one of Temwa Chawinga’s NWSL single-season record of 20 in 2024. It came after Sanchez scored a hat trick in a 6-0 win over the Chicago Stars, earning her the third NWSL Player of the Week honor this season. For the 27-year-old, this kind of scoring output would have

seemed unlikely a year ago. Sanchez scored five goals in 2024 and two last season. Before this year, she had never recorded a professional brace. Now, she has five multigoal games, including her first career hat trick, and is the runaway leader in the NWSL’s Golden Boot race with six games left for the Courage in the regular season. “This is my first year playing this position,” Sanchez said. “I do think that I could do even more.” The move out wide had an early believer. Sanchez said her fiancé, former professional soccer player Tommy Williamson, was one of the first people to see her potential as a winger. The two trained together, working specifically on the position long before the flurry of goals. “He was like, ‘Oh, I think this would be really good for you in this spot. Let’s get some reps here,’” Sanchez said. Courage coach Mak Lind said the goals are the result of qualities Sanchez already possessed. “She has herself to thank,” Lind said. “The only thing I’ve been doing, together with the coaching side, is to make sure she understands her potential.” As Sanchez has found a new

MARK ZALESKI / AP PHOTO

U.S. midfielder Ashley Sanchez (2) kicks the ball away from Japan midfielder Fuka Nagano (8). rhythm on the field, she has also found more balance away from it. Sanchez said she used to be “lazy” when she came home from training, but getting a second dog about a year and a half ago changed her routine. Benny, an energetic yellow Labrador, joined her French bulldog, Nala, and made sitting around less of an option. Sanchez now takes them to the park nearly every day. Those trips have become a way to slow down, spend time in nature and ground. “This job is a lot, and it’s chaotic,” Sanchez said. “I try to calm myself.”

“What’s funny was, I did have a goal, and then it just kept moving,” Ashley Sanchez On the pitch, opponents are paying increasingly close attention. Ahead of Saturday’s match, Sanchez said one of San Diego’s “Keys of the Game” caught her eye: “Silent Sanchez.” That level of attention is unfamiliar, even for a player who made her senior U.S. national team debut in 2021 and went

to the 2023 World Cup. Sanchez has 28 international appearances but has not been called into a U.S. camp since January 2025. She said this season has not been about proving anything. “I’ve just been really enjoying this season,” Sanchez said, “and I feel like I’m showing the joy that I’m having with the things that I’ve been able to do on the field.” Even as the attention around Sanchez grows, Lind said her approach has stayed the same. “It’s easy to get hyped when you hear people talk about you, but she’s so humble in what she does,” Lind said. “So that makes me believe that she’s not done with scoring goals.”

Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 23, 2026

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By order for service by publication dated the 1st day of September, 2026, and filed on the 10th day of September, 2026, you are hereby notified that on June 18, 2026, Cody Gardinier filed a Petition for Legitimation in the Superior Court of Emanuel County, Georgia. You are required to file with the Clerk of the Superior Court of Emanuel County and serve upon Petitioner’s attorney, whose name and address are: Courtney Joiner Anderson, C. Joiner Anderson, Law, P.C., P.O. Box 1488, Lyons, GA 30436, an Answer to the Petition within sixty (60) days of the date of the Order for Publication. The Court has scheduled a hearing in this matter for November 4, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., in the courtroom of the Honorable Robert S. Reeves, located at 25 S Main Street, Swainsboro, GA 30401. If you fail to answer or appear for hearing, judgment may be entered against you, and the Court may grant the relief requested in the Petition. This notice shall be published once a week for four consecutive weeks. This 16th day of September, 2026. Courtney Joiner Anderson Attorney for Petitioner Signed as Officer of the Court

NOTICE NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned has qualified as Executor of the Estate of DELORES BURLESON KIMMER, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina (Stanly County File Number 26E000027-830). This is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said decedent or her estate to present the same duly itemized and verified to the undersigned Executor or her Attorney on or before the 9th day of December 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the decedent or to her estate are hereby requested to pay the said indebtedness to the undersigned Executor or her attorney. This the 4th day of September 2026. CRYSTAL MISENHEIMER EUDY Executor ESTATE OF DELORES BURLESON KIMMER 1911 Midwood Drive, Apt. 1 Albemarle, NC 28001 CHARLES P. BROWN BROWN & SENTER, P.L.L.C. PO Box 400 Albemarle, North Carolina 280020400 Telephone: 704 982-2141 Facsimile: 704 982-0902 PUBLISH: September 9, 16, 23, and 30, 2026

NOTICE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF STANLY 26E000213-830 In the Matter of the Estate Of Steven Chase Coleman NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Steven Chase Coleman deceased, this is to notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the said decedent to exhibit them to the Stanly County Clerk of Court on or before December 20, 2026 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to said estate are notified to make immediate payment. This the 16th day of September, 2026. Elana Coleman Administrator Brian P. Hayes Attorney Ferguson Hayes Hawkins, PLLC P. O. Box 444 Concord, NC 28026

PUBLIC HEARING The Town of Red Cross will hold a Public Hearing on Monday October 12, 2026 at the Town of Red Cross Town Hall at 7:00 PM. The purpose of this Public Hearing is to hear comments from the public, either for, or against, the adoption of an updated Subdivision Ordinance. Further information is available at the Red Cross Town Hall at 704-485-2002. This message is to be run in the paper on Wednesday September 23 and Wednesday September 30, 2026

NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000411-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Co-Administrator of the Estate of Reinhart Koschatzky deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Reinhart Koschatzky to present them to the undersigned on or before December 9, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 9th day of September 2026. Renee Misenheimer 42615 Caudle Road Richfield, NC 28137 Co-Administrator Ryan Koschatzky 1017 Hornbuckle Ct. Wake Forest, NC 27587 Co-Administrator

NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000292-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Tammy E. Evans deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Tammy E. Evans to present them to the undersigned on or before December 4, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 2nd day of September 2026. Brianna L. Brown 3310 Dunn Commons Parkway Apt. 201 Charlotte, NC 28216 Executor

NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000368-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Theresa M Cutrone, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Theresa M Cutrone to present them to the undersigned on or before December 4, 2026, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 2nd day of September, 2026. Joseph Esposito 47 Church Street, Apt. 2E Malverne, NY 11565 Executor Information John W Webster 146 North 4th Street Albemarle, NC 28001 Attorney Information

Notice of Public Hearing Notice is hereby given that the Town of Norwood Town Council will, on Monday, October 5, 2026, at 6:00 pm, hold a public hearing at the Town Hall located at 212 S. Main St., Norwood, NC, to consider the request for a text amendment to add Short Term Rentals (STR) to the town zoning ordinance. A copy is available to view at town hall. Persons interested in speaking for or against these requests will be heard.

NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000394-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Administratrix of the Estate of Ricky Dale Lisenby deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Ricky Dale Lisenby to present them to the undersigned on or before December 23, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 23rd day of September 2026. Amanda Lisenby Cranford 6700 Kluttz Road Concord, NC 28025 Administratrix

NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000413-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of Teressa Strawn Martin deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Teressa Strawn Martin to present them to the undersigned on or before December 23, 2026 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 23rd day of September 2026. Rachel Rhodes Perry 5927 Morris Woods Drive Stanfield, NC 28163 Executor

Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 23, 2026

the stream

RICHARD SHOTWELL / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Chiwetel Ejiofor, left, and Kane Parsons arrive at the premiere of “Backrooms” on May 7 at Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, California.

‘A Different World,’ ‘Toy Story 5,’ Kenny Chesney Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson star in the comedy “Brothers” The Associated Press THE DISNEY+ debut of “Toy Story 5” and a new album from Kenny Chesney are some of the new television shows, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also, among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: the “A Different World” sequel, “Backrooms” and “Silent Hill: Townfall.” MOVIES TO STREAM It might be great or terrible news for parents, depending on their views about screen time and whether movies are an exception, but “Toy Story 5” has finally made its way to Disney+. Appropriately, the film, co-written and directed by Andrew Stanton, pits toys against tech in the battle for Bonnie’s attention. In his review for The Associated Press, film writer Jake Coyle said, “It may fall shy of the first three and probably ranks as the fifth best of these movies. But ‘Toy Story’ has a high bar and the quality and thoughtfulness that have long distinguished Pixar is very much present here in the film.” Even if you didn’t catch “Backrooms” in theaters this summer, you probably heard something about its box-office success and the then-20-year-old YouTuber-turned-filmmaker Kane Parsons behind it. Coyle, in his review, wrote that “where ‘Backrooms’ came from is more interesting — and potentially meaningful — than the result,” calling it “a fitfully unsettling nightmare that never convincingly builds beyond its creepy, dated-decor premise.” It’ll be on HBO Max starting Friday. Leo Woodall plays a piano tuner who gets caught up in the criminal underworld, using his unique ears to crack safes in “Tuner,” a whip-smart, original thriller from Daniel Roher, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “Navalny.” I called it one of the best of the year so far, and a spiritual descendant of a “Good Will Hunting.” It is streaming on Paramount+. And finally, Jacob Tremblay plays Ted Kaczynski in “Unabomber,” which debuts Fri-

CJ RIVERA / INVISION / AP PHOTO

Singer Kenny Chesney performs on NBC’s “Today” at Rockefeller Plaza on Sept. 17 in New York. His 21st album, “Silver Sands Marina,” drops Friday.

“‘Backrooms’ is a fitfully unsettling nightmare that never convincingly builds beyond its creepy, dated-decor premise.” Jake Coye, AP Film Writer it is not. “Think I’m ‘bout to lose it, I don’t even care no more,” she sings in the song’s chorus. “I’m ‘bout to lose control.” CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO

Woody Harrelson, left, and Matthew McConaughey pose together at the premiere of the show “Brothers” last Thursday in Los Angeles. day on Netflix. The stacked cast includes Russell Crowe as a psychologist and Shailene Woodley as the FBI agent on the case. MUSIC TO STREAM He’s one of the most consistent giants in country music for a reason. Chesney will release his 21st studio album — you read that correctly — Friday, titled “Silver Sands Marina.” It’s full-throated stadium country, with big hooks and bigger heart. You know, like all the great Chesney records.

Introducing the new Tinashe, unlike the old Tinashe except for the swagger. Her last album, 2024’s “Quantum Baby,” was defined by its viral hit “Nasty.” But she’s not interested in flash-in-the-pan moments. Her latest, “Popstar,” can be described in one word: unexpected. From the sped-up “Melatonin” to the falsetto and Kesha-esque talk-sung chorus of “Too Easy” there is no pop experiment too off-kilter for Tinashe. And the courage pays off. Just don’t call it a complete 180: “Crash Out” is Tinashe at her R&B-pop best, but a love song

SERIES TO STREAM Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson play exaggerated versions of themselves in “Brothers,” an eight-episode comedy from “The Office” alum Lee Eisenberg. After Harrelson’s daughter’s wedding falls apart, he moves his family to McConaughey’s Austin ranch — only for McConaughey’s mother (played by Holland Taylor) to reveal a secret suggesting the lifelong buddies might be brothers. The series marks a rare return to comedy for Harrelson, whose work on the small screen since “Cheers” ended in 1993 has largely been drama, including “True Detective” and “White House Plumbers.” The first two episodes are now streaming on Apple TV. Nearly 40 years after the

original premiered, Netflix revives the beloved HBCU sitcom “A Different World” on Thursday. Maleah Joi Moon plays Deborah Wayne, the daughter of Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison), who is starting her freshman year at their alma mater, Hillman College. Guy, Hardison, Jada Pinkett Smith and other original cast members return for the first season. In “S.W.A.T.: Exiles,” Shemar Moore returns as Sgt. Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson in a spinoff of the CBS procedural, which ended its eight-season run in 2025. Pulled from forced retirement after a mission goes wrong, Hondo takes charge of an experimental S.W.A.T. unit made up of young recruits. Starz has already renewed it for a second season. It premieres Friday. VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY In 2019’s “Control,” a government agent explored the inside of a Manhattan skyscraper that had been warped by paranormal forces. Bad news, New Yorkers: In “Control Resonant,” the hostile entities have left the building and are running rampant across the borough. Good news: The agent now on the case has supernatural powers of his own, including the ability to wield a giant Thor-style hammer that shapeshifts into other weapons. Finland’s Remedy Entertainment is best known for its small-town “Alan Wake” thrillers; we’ll see how well the studio can translate that eeriness to the big city. Start spreading the news Thursday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S or PC. One of the all-time great horror series made a spectacular return in 2025 with “Silent Hill f,” which moved the terror from its American roots to 1960s Japan. One year later, the nightmare is spreading to 1990s Scotland in “Silent Hill: Townfall.” This time, a guy named Simon finds himself in a foggy seaside village with no memory of how he got there — though he knows he has been summoned to “put things right.” As usual, you have just a few simple weapons to defend yourself against the zombies and other monsters roaming the streets. The miasma descends Thursday on PlayStation 5 and PC.

Stanly News Journal for Wednesday, September 23, 2026

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