VOLUME 146 ISSUE 81 | WEEKEND EDITION, OCTOBER 10-11, 2026 | STANLYNEWSJOURNAL.COM
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Bridge to somewhere The waters of Lake Tillery and the Pee Dee River are quiet beneath the Swift Island and James Garrison bridges in the early morning of Oct. 2.
WHAT’S HAPPENING Unemployment benefit claims dipped slightly last week as layoffs remain low The number of people applying for U.S. unemployment benefits fell slightly last week as layoffs remain low and most American workers enjoy job security. The Labor Department said Thursday that initial jobless claims ticked down to 197,000 from a revised 199,000 the week before. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, dropped by 2,500 to 198,000. The report suggests that most companies are confident enough in the economy and their sales to hold onto their workers. At the same time, hiring has been sluggish, resulting in a “low-hire, lowfire” job market.
MLB proposes shortening season to 154 games in 2029, expanding Division Series to best-of-7 MLB proposed to shorten the regular season to 154 games from 162 games starting in 2029 and to expand the Division Series to best-of-seven in bargaining with players. Owners also proposed to allow higher-seeded teams in the first two rounds of the postseason to pick their opponents beginning next year and to make Monday a day off for most teams starting in 2029 except for those in one or two nationally broadcast games.
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Authorities raid Stanly County vape stores in countywide investigation Products and cash were reportedly seized during the searches By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — A law enforcement operation targeting vape, tobacco and hemp retailers unfolded Tuesday across Stanly County, with authorities searching businesses as part of what the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office called an “ongoing and complex” investigation. The SCSO said it was leading a countywide multiagency investigation involving local, state and federal partners. As of Wednesday, officials had not released details about
what prompted the searches, what substances investigators allege were being sold illegally or whether charges had been filed. “We appreciate the community’s patience as our deputies and partner agencies work thoroughly,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. Vape store employees across multiple municipalities told SNJ they believed every store throughout the county had been targeted and raided. Notices placed at some businesses said they had been temporarily closed as part of an investigation into the sale of illegal controlled substances. Among the businesses swept into the operation was Uwharrie Kush, a hemp retailer with
Temporary closure notices from the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office were posted at vape stores Tuesday across the county. JESSE DEAL / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL
locations in Albemarle and Norwood. Co-owner Margaret Linen said law enforcement entered both stores at approximately 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, temporarily detained employees and pre-
sented a search warrant that had been obtained the previous evening. Linen said personnel from the SCSO and federal agencies See RAID, page A5
Board honors 15 schools inside for hitting academic growth targets
Huge amounts of PVC pipe that washed away from a factory are still being cleaned up from downstream rivers after Helene. Turn to page A7
“Stanly County Schools showed broad improvement in the accountability results for the 2025-26 school year.” Superintendent Jarrod Dennis
Four schools also earned awards for high growth By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — The Stanly County Board of Education recently recognized 15 schools for meeting or exceeding academic growth expectations, with four receiving additional honors in their respective categories. The school recognitions, presented Tuesday night,
followed improvements in the district’s accountability results, with 68% of schools meeting or exceeding expected growth during the most recent school year. “Stanly County Schools showed broad improvement in the accountability results for the 2025-26 school year,” SCS Superintendent Jarrod Dennis said. “Twenty-nine of 35 reported proficiency indicators increased from 2024 to 2025, and the district outperformed the See SCHOOLS, page A6
O OTE E V VOT TE E VO OT TE V V VO O OT T TE E EV TE V E O T T O V E O OT V O OTE E V VO E E VO OT TE V T V E E VO OT TE V VO OTE TE V VOT OTE T TE V VO OTE E V VO TE TE V VOT O T O V VO E T TE V VO OTE E V VO E EV T O E T V O E V VO T O OT T TE E EV T V O E T V O VO VOTE TE V VO OTE TE V VOT OTE E VO V VO O OTE E at T TE E EV E E VCommisioner T O County Large T T V O V VO T TE O O O OT E EV T V O E T V O V VO TE TE V VOT TE E VO VOTE TE V O V VO OT O TE E TE VO
BILL LAWHON
Proven conservative business man
Supports farm land to stay farm land Supports public safety
Supports water and sewer infrastructure Supports funding teachers, teacher assistant, and other staff Supports job growth for our citizens
ALLISON JOYCE / AP PHOTO
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Stanly News Journal for Sunday, October 11, 2026
SUNDAY
10.11.26 #152
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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 Stan Gilliland Photographer 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
SENIOR NUTRITION MEALS | WEEK OF OCTOBER 12 Stanly County residents 60 and older can enjoy nutritionally balanced lunches at five locations Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to noon. First-time participants must register by calling 704-986-3773. Meals must be eaten on-site — no takeout is available. Donations are welcomed but not required. Sites also offer social activities including bingo, Bible study, crafts and music. Locations are the Niven Center in Albemarle, community centers in New London and Norwood, the Old Boy Scout Hut in Oakboro and the Locust Community Building.
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OCT. 12
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• Hot dog with bun, chili and onions • Creamy coleslaw with shredded carrots • Baked beans • 2 sugar cookies • Mustard and ketchup
• Spaghetti • Tossed salad with green pepper, carrot and tomato • Garlic bread • Hot peaches • Salad dressing
• Chicken salad • Whole wheat bread (2) • Lettuce and tomato • Veggie pasta • Banana pudding with bananas and wafers
• Pork roast with gravy • Turnip greens • Vinegar • Macaroni and cheese • Cornbread • Fruit
• Taco salad with taco-seasoned ground beef and pinto beans • Shredded lettuce and cheese • Diced tomatoes • Spanish rice • Tortilla chips • Banana • Mild salsa
Ex-Marine to face death penalty in 2025 mass shooting at North Carolina bar Prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty despite the defendant’s military service and brain injury The Associated Press BOLIVIA — A prosecutor announced Wednesday that he would seek the death penalty against a former Marine charged in a mass shooting last year that left three people dead and several others wounded. “We are not blind to who this defendant is,” Brunswick County District Attorney Jon David said of defendant Nigel Max Edge. “He served this country in Iraq as a Marine, suffered a traumatic brain injury and has struggled with serious mental illness. Those
facts are important and they were weighed but must be balanced against the circumstances of the crime.” Authorities allege Edge piloted a small motorboat up to a dockside cocktail bar in Southport on Sept. 27, 2025, and opened fire with a short-barreled semiautomatic rifle. He faces three counts of first-degree murder, as well as multiple attempted murder and weapons charges. In April, Superior Court Judge Jason Disbrow ordered Edge to undergo psychiatric treatment after it was determined he was unable to understand his legal proceedings enough to help his lawyers. Defense attorney Matthew Geoffrion filed a motion to continue Wednesday’s hearing, arguing that the extent of
“Those facts are important and they were weighed, but must be balanced against the circumstances of the crime.” Jon David, Brunswick County District Attorney Edge’s brain injury will likely make it impossible for him to stand trial. Edge was shot multiple times during a firefight in Iraq, including once in the head. “The chances of capacity restoration in this case appear low,” Geoffrion said in his motion.
David countered that experts at the state hospital where Edge is being treated “have concluded he is likely to be restored.” But he added that the decision to proceed with a capital punishment case was not final. “A capital designation guarantees the defendant the highest level of protection our system offers, including the appointment of a second qualified attorney and the most rigorous scrutiny our courts provide,” David said. “If evidence emerges bearing on Mr. Edge’s sanity at the time of the offense, we will reassess. If he is never restored to capacity, the death penalty would not be a lawful sentence and would be removed from consideration.” Edge’s next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 7.
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CRIME LOG
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Sept. 28
Send address changes to: North State Journal 1201 Edwards Mill Rd. Suite 300 Raleigh NC 27607
• Adajaiah Louise Watkins, 22, was arrested for felony possession of cocaine and misdemeanor larceny. • Ashley Monique Crump, 35, was arrested for assault by strangulation, assault with a deadly weapon with a minor present and misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, and other charges.
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• Mark Jerome Hartsell, 40, was arrested for breaking and entering a place of worship, larceny after breaking and entering and injury to real property. Sept. 29 • Jason Andrew Prosser, 41, was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon; possession of a firearm by a felon; and possession with intent to
manufacture, sell or deliver a controlled substance, and other charges. • Trexler Brent Almond, 30, was arrested for breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering and driving on a revoked license, and other charges.
paraphernalia, misdemeanor larceny and shoplifting by concealment of goods, and other charges. Oct. 1
Sept. 30
• Caleb Joshua Eaves, 32, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, driving on a revoked license and fictitious or altered registration.
• Allen David Sinclair, 60, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine.
• Gary Carlos Shine, 42, was arrested for failure to register as a sex offender.
• Heidi Lynn Wise, 58, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of methamphetamine.
• Marticus Slaughter, 45, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of methamphetamine.
• Phillip Douglas Gee, 42, was arrested for possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a weapon of mass destruction.
Oct. 2
• Thomas Steven Helms, 49, was arrested for possession of drug
• Jason Maynard Parry, 47, was arrested for misdemeanor stalking and attempted breaking or entering of a building.
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• Amy Jane Shaver, 49, was arrested for misuse of 911 system and resisting a public officer. • Jesse Wayne Mercer, 44, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of methamphetamine. • Kevin Chavez, 27, was arrested for misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. • Nicholas Bailey Sasser, 22, was arrested for aiding and abetting an underage alcohol purchase and giving fortified wine, liquor or mixed beverages to a person under 21. • Thomas Allen Stogner, 48, was arrested for assault on a female, misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and sexual battery.
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Stanly News Journal for Sunday, October 11, 2026
THE CONVERSATION Trip Hoffend, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor VISUAL VOICES
COLUMN | STEPHEN MOORE
Why are Americans so pessimistic?
Poverty rates just hit their lowest level on record.
IN NEARLY EVERY WAY, Americans have more material wealth, better health, better housing and more of just about everything than ever before. Not just the rich, but nearly everyone. Americans’ standard of living is roughly 50% higher, after inflation, than it was 50 years ago. The median family income is now close to $90,000. That’s an income level higher than that of 90% of families living in the rest of the world. These are the good old days. Yet over the past 30 years, nearly every poll has shown that a plurality of Americans think things are “headed in the wrong direction” versus “the right direction.” The latest polling is no different. Americans are glum. Karlyn Bowman, an expert on polling at the American Enterprise Institute, has examined these trends. She finds that there have only been two times in recent decades when voters said the country was headed in the right direction. One of these times was in the mid-1980s during the Reagan economic boom. The other was in the mid-1990s when Bill Clinton was president and the federal budget was balanced for the first time in 30 years. So why are we not appreciating the overall progress of the country economically and financially? It could be social trends, not economic trends. I’ve noted that the decline in marriage, parenthood and religion has made people more depressed. A record 30 million
American males between the ages of 20 and 40 are unmarried. Many of them are not happy with the direction of their lives. Bowman surmises that pessimism has grown with the size of government. People believe that the trends of government spending may not be sustainable. Patriotism and love of country have fallen, so people don’t feel blessed to be in this country like they used to. One of the other few times when people briefly felt a rush of optimism and patriotism was after the 9/11 attacks. There is also a more recent unhealthy development. That is the complete polarization of our society. President Donald Trump will never get an approval rating higher than 50% because half the country hates him. Republicans felt the same way — and for good reason — when Joe Biden was president. But it’s weird that the richer and wealthier we get, the more people complain. Money isn’t everything, and it can’t buy love or happiness. But it sure beats being poor. And poverty rates just hit their lowest level on record. Isn’t that a sign we’re on the right track? Stephen Moore is co-founder of Unleash Prosperity and a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
COLUMN | VICTOR JOECKS
What you can do to preserve liberty
If you have the option, vote early.
MAKE SURE you don’t read the news like you read a history book. You can shape the outcome of the trends shaping today’s top stories. Over the last several weeks, we’ve dug deeply into the topic of liberty. We’ve seen how rare freedom is both historically and globally. We’ve examined America’s Christian roots. We’ve discussed why liberty requires virtue, not license. And we’ve looked at how socialism and Islam threaten it. But these grand themes can feel disconnected from your day-to-day life. Sure, things need to change, but these problems can feel too overwhelming for one individual to make a difference. It’s an understandable feeling, but it isn’t accurate. The collective choices of individuals are what created our current society and culture. Fixing them requires individuals — including you and me — to make better choices. And whatever obstacles you face, you have full control over your individual choices. Here are practical things you can do to preserve liberty. The most obvious is at the ballot box. If you’re reading this, you’re likely someone who votes automatically. But most people — including your friends, fellow church members and neighbors — aren’t like you. They don’t vote habitually. Go through your phone and find 20 people whom you personally are going to chase to the polls. Ask them what their plan is to vote. Invite them to come vote with you. If you have the option, vote early. There’s value to the civic ritual of voting on Election Day, but voting early is a strategic advantage for your side. Campaigns are monitoring who has already voted. If you vote early, campaigns no longer have to make sure you vote. They can spend that time and money turning out a low-propensity voter. But there’s much you can do even when it’s not election season. Start with your personal relationship with God. What
made America a Christian nation wasn’t merely that the vast majority of the Founding Fathers were Christians. It was the faith of individual Colonists. Also, every Christian can pray for their family, community and country. God can do more in a moment than you can do in a lifetime. It’s hard to pass on a legacy of liberty when young people aren’t getting married and the fertility rate is plummeting. Young adults, put yourselves in positions to meet a potential spouse. If you know eligible young people, it’s time to play matchmaker. As the Institute for Family Studies has shown, marriage is good for men, women and society. If you and your spouse can have another child, do it. And yes, my children significantly outnumber my wife and me. Ask a young married couple when they are going to have kids. If they have kids, ask if they’ll have more. If you see a family with a lot of children, congratulate their parents, even if their kids are acting like kids. Especially for your family, provide the practical help — like babysitting, cleaning the house or taking kids places — that makes having more children seem doable. Housing prices are extremely high. You may have both the financial means and a child who’s making wise financial choices but can’t afford a home. Gift them a down payment today. You can’t fix housing policy, but you can help your child afford a home for your grandchildren. Look around. What can you build? Who can you mentor? How can you leverage what God has given you to preserve freedom? The signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged “our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor” to establish the country that protects the liberty we enjoy today. Even though we won’t end up in history books, it’s time to pledge our time, treasure and talents to preserve it. Victor Joecks is a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. (Copyright 2026 Creators.com)
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Stanly News Journal for Sunday, October 11, 2026
obituaries IN MEMORY
THOMAS LLOYD ROSE APRIL 23, 1959 – OCT. 5, 2026
ELAINE MABRY SMITH MARCH 3, 1955 — OCT. 6, 2026
NATALIE HARRIS MARCH 31, 1964 — OCT. 7, 2026
Thomas Lloyd Rose, 67, of New London, passed away on Monday, October 5, 2026, at his home surrounded by his loving family. A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, October 9, 2026, in the Stanly Funeral Home Chapel, with Pastor Delane Burris officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Memorial Park with military honors. The family will receive friends on Friday from 11:00 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle. Born April 23, 1959, in Wilson County, Thomas was the son of the late Clarence and Linda Rose. Thomas is lovingly survived by his wife of 48 years, Robin Wilhoit Rose. Those also left to cherish his memory are his daughters, Susan Strawn (Adam) and Amanda Lukach (Michael); grandchildren, Braxton Strawn, Garrett Strawn, Addie Lukach, and Lilly Lukach; and brother, Edwards Rose, Jr. (Samantha). In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his stepfather, Lowell Lowder. Thomas was a devoted husband, a wonderful father and grandfather, and a man whose family always came first. He shared 48 years of marriage with Robin, and the life they built together was one of his greatest treasures. He took great pride in his daughters and especially cherished his role as a grandfather, finding tremendous joy in each of his grandchildren. A proud veteran, Thomas loved his country and was deeply honored by his military service. He carried that same sense of dedication into his everyday life as a hardworking man who believed in taking care of those he loved. Beneath that strong work ethic was a generous heart. Thomas was always willing to put the needs of others before his own and was happiest when he could lend a helping hand. Those who knew Thomas will also remember his mischievous side and wonderful sense of humor. A natural jokester, he loved making people laugh and could often bring a smile to those around him when they needed it most. His kindness, generosity, humor, and devotion to family are qualities that will be remembered long after his passing. The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the staff of Tillery Compassionate Care for the kindness, care, and support shown to Thomas and his family during his declining health. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Tillery Compassionate Care, 960 N. First St., Albemarle, NC 28001, or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Thomas leaves behind much more than memories; he leaves the example of a life centered on family, service, generosity, and laughter. Though his presence will be deeply missed, the smiles he brought, the love he freely gave, and the many lives he touched will remain a lasting part of his legacy. His family will carry him with them always; in their hearts, in their laughter, and in the countless memories of a husband, father, grandfather, veteran, and friend who loved them well.
Elaine Mabry Smith, 71, of Albemarle, passed away peacefully Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at Tucker Hospice House in Kannapolis, NC, surrounded by the love and care of those who meant so much to her. A funeral service celebrating Elaine’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, October 9, 2026, in the Stanly Funeral Home Chapel, with Rev. Stephen Smith officiating. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 9:30 until 10:45 a.m. Burial will follow at Stanly Gardens of Memory. Elaine was born March 3, 1955, in Stanly County, NC, to the late James Craig Mabry and Irma Lee Mabry. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ivey Ray Smith, Jr., who passed away January 25, 2022. Elaine and Ivey shared a life and family together, and his absence was deeply felt in the years following his passing. She was also preceded in death by her brother, Larry Mabry. Those left to cherish Elaine’s memory include her son, David Smith (Mary) of Albemarle; her daughter, Melissa Terry (Harold) of Albemarle; and her four grandchildren, Benjamin Smith and Ryan Smith of Raleigh, NC, and Milo Eudy and Jaxson Eudy of Albemarle. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Peggy Blalock of Charlotte and Audrey Mabry of Richfield. Elaine was of the Baptist faith and spent many years working at Stanly Regional Hospital in the Material Management Department before her retirement. Through her years of work, she formed friendships and touched the lives of many people. In her spare time, Elaine enjoyed collecting owl figurines, and over the years her collection became something special to her. But no collection or pastime could compare to the joy she found in her family. Her children and grandchildren held a very special place in her heart, and nothing meant more to Elaine than the people she loved. She treasured time spent together, the everyday conversations, family gatherings, laughter, and memories that made a house feel like home. Her family was truly the center of her life. Elaine will be remembered for the love she had for her family and for the many simple and meaningful ways she showed that love throughout her life. Though her family will deeply miss her presence, they will carry with them the memories she helped create, the love she gave so freely, and the special place she will forever hold in their hearts. The family would like to extend a very special and heartfelt thank you to Elaine’s caregivers, Keely Horton, Carol Dunn, Carol Wright, Diane Morse, and Cheryl Aldridge. Their kindness, friendship, compassion, and loving care meant more to Elaine and her family than words can adequately express. The family also wishes to thank the nurses and staff of Tillery Compassionate Care and Tucker Hospice House for the comfort, dignity, and compassionate care they provided Elaine during her final days. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Tillery Compassionate Care, 960 North First Street, Albemarle, NC 28001, or Tucker Hospice House, 5003 Hospice Lane, Kannapolis, NC 28081.
Natalie Dawn Blalock Harris was so many things to so many people—a daughter, sister, wife, Mama, aunt, cousin, friend, educator, and eventually the title she treasured most of all: GiGi. Funeral services will be held at 2:00pm Saturday, October 10, 2026 at Mt. Zion Methodist Church. Rev. David Hatley and Rev. Ken McRae will officiate and interment will follow in Norview Gardens. The family will receive friends from 12:30 until 1:45 Saturday at the church. Natalie was preceded in death by her husband, Adam Frank Harris, and her parents, Robert and Faye Blalock. She leaves behind to cherish a lifetime of memories with her daughters, Holly Litaker and husband Mike, and Andria Harris. But perhaps no role brought Natalie more pride or joy than being GiGi, a title lovingly earned through Caroline Grace Johnson, Jensen Frank Litaker, and Carlea Scout Johnson. Her grands were her world. If there was a game, activity, performance, event, or moment that mattered to them, GiGi was there. Not sometimes. Not when it was convenient. Every single time. She showed up, because that was simply who Natalie was. She also leaves behind her brother, Alex Blalock and wife Paula; nephews Cale Blalock and wife Tonya and Clifford Blalock and wife Tracy; and their children, Kallie, Bella, and Alex, whom she loved dearly; the Patterson herd; her best friends and cousins, Sandy, Gloria, and Trish; and her walking best friend, Jenny. The truth is, the list of people who will miss Natalie is far longer than any obituary could hold. Natalie was the heart of her family, and so many of the traditions they treasure continued through her. Sunday lunch at Mama’s house—although she would quickly remind you it was “dinner”—was more than a meal. It was family, or whoever showed up, gathered around her table, tables, or somewhere in the house. There was conversation, laughter, familiar food, and the comfort of knowing exactly where you belonged on a Sunday. And when a holiday came around, Natalie made sure it felt like one. She had a way of making every holiday special. The meals, the decorations, the gathering together, and all the little things she did were Mama’s way of loving her family. Sunday dinners and holidays will never quite be the same, but the memories made there will always be theirs. Her ability to make people feel loved extended well beyond her family. During her years working with students, Natalie had a gift that could not be taught. Even when students were not assigned to ISS, they wanted to be with her. They sought her out because they knew what so many others knew about Natalie: being around her meant being cared for, accepted, and loved. Retirement certainly did not slow her down. Instead, her circle simply grew. Through every ballgame, school activity, performance, and event she attended for her beloved grandchildren, she became “GiGi” to countless others. There was always room for one more to be cheered for, encouraged, fed, fussed over, or simply loved. Natalie loved her people fiercely. She showed up. She took care of people. She made people laugh. And she had a way of making people feel like they belonged. Her absence will be felt in the places she filled so completely—in the stands at games, around the table on Sundays, during every holiday, on walks, at family gatherings, and in those ordinary moments when someone instinctively wants to call her or tell her something. What Natalie leaves behind can be found in all of those places, too: in grandchildren who never had to wonder whether GiGi would be there, former students who still remember how she made them feel, friends who became family, and Sunday gatherings and holidays. She was Mama. She was GiGi. And to so many, she was simply one of those people who made life better by being in it. She was deeply, deeply loved. Memorials may be made to Albemarle Middle School Athletics at 1811 Badin Road, Albemarle, NC 28001, Albemarle High School Athletics at 311 Parkridge Road, Albemarle, NC 28001, or The Talent Company Albemarle at PO Box 346, Albemarle, NC 28001.
GEORGE ALLEN CARPENTER DEC. 2, 1935 — OCT. 5, 2026 George Allen Carpenter, 90, of Albemarle, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 5, 2026, at his home surrounded by his loving family. A graveside service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at Fairview Memorial Park with Rev. Delane Burris officiating. Military honors will be presented in recognition of George’s faithful service to his country. The family will receive friends on Thursday from 12:00 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. at Stanly Funeral and Cremation Care of Albemarle prior to the service. Born December 2, 1935, in Stanly County, George was the son of the late Moses Clarence Carpenter and Sallie Frances Hinson Carpenter. He was a graduate of Albemarle High School. George was a skilled tradesman who spent his working years as a plumber, pipe fitter, and welder. A member of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union 421, he took great pride in his profession and was known for his strong work ethic and remarkable ability to repair just about anything. To those who knew him best, George truly was “Mr. Fix-It.” If something was broken, chances were George could find a way to make it work again. George was most proud of the grandfather clock he built from scratch. A proud veteran of the United States Navy, George served his country with honor and carried that same sense of duty and service throughout his life. He was also a member of Grace Baptist Church, where his faith was an important part of the values by which he lived. George is lovingly survived by his wife of 67 years, Pauline Russell Carpenter. Their marriage was one of enduring love and devotion, and George took great pride in caring for Pauline and making sure her needs were always met. Those also left to cherish his memory include his nieces and nephews, Donnie Lowder (Beverly), David Lowder (Traci), ), Melissa Torres (Adam), Allison Dennis (Paul), Susan Hefley, Lorraine Hill (Billy), Ralph Carpenter, Sammy Carpenter, Brittney Cotter, Julie Stiles, Cole Curlee, Bret Curlee, Luke Torres, Corey Dennis, Calvin Lowder (Cedal), Linda Lowder, Melanie Harris (Chuck), and Chad Lowder (Tonya); along with many other extended family members and countless close friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Beach Carpenter and Ralph Carpenter; and sisters, Manny Poplin, Lorane Curlee, Estelle Cooper, Ethel Coley, Helen Kinney, and Ruth Tucker. At the heart of George’s life was a servant’s spirit. He served his country, his community, his family, and especially his beloved wife. He was dependable, hardworking, capable, and generous with both his time and talents; a man whose character offered an example for others to follow. George also knew how to enjoy life. He loved traveling and had the opportunity to visit every state, creating many treasured memories along the way. He especially enjoyed roller coasters, revealing an adventurous side that remained with him through the years. George will be remembered as a good and faithful man who understood that a meaningful life is built through service, hard work, loyalty, and love. He leaves behind the example of a devoted husband, proud veteran, skilled craftsman, and trusted friend. Though his hands have finished their work here, the many things he built, repaired, and made better; and, more importantly, the lives he touched along the way; will stand as a lasting testament to a life well lived. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in George’s memory to Grace Baptist Church, 644 Edgemont Street, Albemarle, NC 28001.
BETTY ANN HUNEYCUTT MELTON JAN. 7, 1953 — OCT. 6, 2026 Betty Ann Huneycutt Melton, 73, of Albemarle, passed away Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at Atrium Health Cabarrus in Concord. Celebration of Life services will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at Union Grove Baptist Church with Rev. Jerry Blalock and Rev. Barry Yates officiating. Betty was born January 7, 1953, in Stanly County, a daughter of the late Connie Sylvester Huneycutt and Mary Virginia Connell Huneycutt. She was a graduate of Richfield High School and went on to enjoy a long career in healthcare, working as a Certified Nursing Assistant II at Stanly Regional Medical Center. Her work reflected a caring and compassionate nature and gave her the opportunity to serve others throughout her career. Betty was a member of Union Grove Baptist Church. Her faith, family, and the relationships she formed throughout her life were important to her. Above all, Betty treasured her family and especially enjoyed the generations that followed her. She was blessed to see her family grow to include grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, each of whom held a special place in her heart. She is lovingly survived by her husband, James Harold Melton, Jr. Those also left to cherish her memory are, her son, Michael Daniels and wife Sheila of Albemarle; stepson, Jerry Melton and wife Summer of West Virginia; daughter, Samantha Queen of Albemarle; sister, Patty Kendall and husband Michael of New London; and her grandchildren, Rachael Cabrera, Casey Eudy, Isabella Garmon, Emma Weatherman, Brandon Daniels, Wyatt Melton, and Eleanor Melton. She is also survived by her great-grandchildren, Sophia Adams, McKenzie Eudy, Hayden Eudy, Maya Cabrera, Charlotte Cabrera, Leo Raya, Olivia Raya, William Weatherman, Benjamin Weatherman, Nicholas Weatherman, and Millie Weatherman. Betty was preceded in death by her parents and her daughters, Julie Ingold and Betty Garmon. Betty’s family will remember her for the love and care she gave to those around her and for the joy she found in watching her children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren grow. Her years of caring for others through her work in healthcare and the devotion she showed to her own family leave a lasting legacy for those who knew and loved her.
Celebrate the life of your loved ones. Submit obituaries and death notices to be published in Stanly News Journal at obits@ stanlynewsjournal.com
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Stanly News Journal for Sunday, October 11, 2026
RAID from page A1 entered both stores simultaneously before seizing legal hemp-derived THC flower, prerolls, vapes and concentrates, along with cash from registers and safes. Hemp-derived THC gummies were left behind. “Both of our locations were simultaneously entered by DEA, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, ICE agents and every sort of alphabet soup that you could imagine,” Linen said. Uwharrie Kush maintains that the products taken from its stores complied with existing state and federal hemp laws. Linen said the business keeps documentation for its merchandise on site and explained its compliance procedures to investigators. “We have our documentation in the store at all times, and they did ask questions about our policies, and we walked them through how we make sure everything’s compliant,” she said. “But they said they still had to take the product in order to verify that.” Linen said she was told the seized merchandise would be
sent to a Raleigh laboratory for testing. The seizure has left the business facing what Linen estimated to be “well into six figures” in lost retail value. “They made no promises on anything coming back to us at all,” Linen said. “We’re expecting to probably not get any of that product back. It’s a significant loss for our shop.” The legal distinction between hemp and marijuana has allowed a market for intoxicating hemp products to develop since the 2018 federal Farm Bill. North Carolina law currently defines hemp as cannabis and its derivatives containing no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis and excludes qualifying hemp from the state Controlled Substances Act. Retailers have relied on that distinction to sell products containing THCA, a cannabinoid that converts into intoxicating delta-9 THC when heated. North Carolina lawmakers have separately considered broader restrictions through House Bill 328, but the proposal remains pending. Broader federal hemp chang-
es are scheduled to take effect Dec. 11, including a total-THC standard and a 0.4-milligram-per-container limit for finished hemp-derived cannabinoid products. “We were hopeful that the state was going to be able to pass its first set of legislation to create some sort of framework, but unfortunately that didn’t work out,” Linen said. “So now all eyes are on the federal level.” For now, Uwharrie Kush is preparing to reopen with limited inventory, primarily gummies and beverages. The Albemarle store is scheduled to reopen Monday, followed by the Norwood location Tuesday. Linen said the company employs nine local workers, including two veterans, and that the stakes extend beyond Tuesday’s losses. The federal hemp changes scheduled for Dec. 11 would effectively remove many of the products Uwharrie Kush currently sells from the legal hemp market, a shift Linen said could force the business to close. The SCSO had not said as of Wednesday whether Tuesday’s operation was connected to any recent or pending changes in state or federal law.
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Trial begins for man accused of killing UNC student Faith Hedgepeth 14 years ago DNA evidence is central to the prosecution’s case, but the defense questions its conclusions By Holly Ramer The Associated Press THE TRIAL of a man accused of killing a North Carolina college student 14 years ago began Wednesday with the prosecution alleging she was killed in a fit of rage by a stranger who left his DNA all over the crime scene. The defense said the evidence doesn’t add up. Miguel Salguero Olivares is charged with first-degree murder, rape and burglary in the death of Faith Hedgepeth. She was a 19-year-old sophomore at the UNC Chapel Hill when she was found beaten to death in her off-campus apartment in September 2012. In her opening statement, Assistant District Attorney Angela Garcia-Lamarca said the defendant left his DNA on the murder weapon — a bottle of rum found covered in blood — inside Hedgepeth’s body and on a note written on a fast-food bag found at the scene. “The evidence in this case is louder than the noise around it,” she said. She described Hedgepeth as a caring friend who was beloved by everyone who knew her and was on track to become the first person in her family to graduate from college. “You will see from the evidence in this case that the defendant committed these acts against Faith in a fit of rage, not because he knew her,” she said. “He didn’t do this to her because of who she was, he did it because of who he is.” Garcia-Lamarca said Hedgepeth and her roommate had been at a popular club that night, and that Hedgepeth, the designated driver, drove them home around 2 a.m. The roommate was drunk and sick, she said, but later called a friend to come pick her up around 4 a.m. She returned hours later and found Hedgepeth dead.
“This case is not complicated. It’s devastating, it’s horrifying, it’s a family’s worst nightmare. ... but it’s also simple,” the prosecutor said. “The evidence is loud and clear.” In his opening statement, defense attorney James Rainsford said prosecutors left out key details and urged jurors to ask themselves, “Where’s the rest of the evidence?” The friend who picked up Hedgepeth’s roommate told police he saw what looked like blood on her hands. A downstairs neighbor reported hearing loud thumps between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. And police later lost evidence related to what appeared to be blood in the apartment’s bathroom. “Is this just noise or are you starting to hear things that don’t add up?” he said. “Maybe that’s noise to some people; that sounds like forensic evidence to others.” Salguero Olivares was arrested in 2021, more than nine years after the killing. His arrest came after a DNA sample submitted to the state crime lab by the State Bureau of Investigation and the Chapel Hill Police Department matched a profile found at the original crime scene, authorities said. “Finding something doesn’t mean a crime occurred. You have to connect them,” Rainsford said of the DNA evidence. “It doesn’t mean what you think.” The prosecutor said the message on the fast-food bag — “I’m Not Stupid (expletive) Jealous” -- called to mind an old adage. “Men, some men, are terrified women will laugh at them,” she said. “Women are terrified of being killed or raped.” As one of their first witnesses, prosecutors called Kareena Rosario, who found her roommate’s lifeless, battered body. Rosario sobbed as she described the 911 dispatcher asking her to touch Hedgepeth to see if she was warm. “And I told them that she felt cold,” she said through tears. As she waited for an ambulance to arrive, Rosario said “it felt like a thousand hours.”
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In this frame grab from video, Miguel Salguero Olivares, who is on trial for the murder and rape of University of North Carolina student Faith Hedgepeth, listens to the prosecution’s opening argument at a courthouse in Durham, N.C., on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026.
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Stanly News Journal for Sunday, October 11, 2026
Trump administration suspending Microsoft from green card program, alleging fraud The administration contends Microsoft laid off American workers while replacing them with foreign visa holders By Seung Min Kim and Rebecca Santana The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump’s administration is suspending tech giant Microsoft from a program to apply for green cards for workers who come to the U.S. to live and work using H-1B visas as it accuses the company of fraud. Supporters of the Republican president have long argued that various programs like the one Vice President JD Vance accused Microsoft of abusing essentially empower American companies to recruit foreign workers for jobs that end up undercutting Americans. In a wide-ranging announcement Thursday, Vance and other top administration officials also called out universities over their use of J-1 visas for international students and information technology outsourcing firms. The announcement came hours before Trump was scheduled to award the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, part of an event at which he is granting some of the nation’s most prestigious science and technology awards to his tech billionaire allies. Vance says U.S. workers replaced with “foreign indentured servants” Vance said that the program from which Microsoft is being suspended requires companies to advertise jobs in America be-
SCHOOLS from page A1 North Carolina average in 20 of 35 indicators.” Seven schools exceeded growth expectations: Locust Elementary School, Oakboro Choice STEM School, South Stanly Middle School, West Stanly Middle School, Albemarle High School, Stanly Early College and Stanly STEM Early College. Eight schools met growth expectations: Badin Elementary School, Central Elementary School, East Albemarle Elementary School, Millingport Elementary School, Stanfield Elementary School, North Stanly Middle School, North Stanly High School and South Stanly High School. Four schools also received special recognition as High Growth Award recipients in their respective categories. Locust Elementary earned the elementary school honor, Oakboro Choice STEM received the STEM school award, South Stanly Middle was recognized in the middle school category and Albemarle High earned the high school honor. The board also recognized Endy Elementary School teacher Cindy Behling as the district’s Exceptional Children’s Educator of Excellence. Behling leads the district’s Abilities and Possibilities class, which serves students ages 5 to 22.
fore applying to the Department of Labor to show they need to give a foreign worker a green card because of a lack of American workers. “They’ll put an advertisement in a small-town newspaper. They’ll go out there and say that ‘We have advertised for a position with our company, and nobody is responding to it.’ And they will use that lack of response to then go and replace American workers with what is effectively foreign indentured servants,” Vance said. “There has been no company in the United States, unfortunately, that has used this system more than Microsoft.” Microsoft, which is based in Redmond, Washington, near Seattle, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Vance said Microsoft last year laid off 6,000 American workers but also obtained 6,300 H-1B visas and almost 3,000 green cards. “If you do the math, for every worker that Microsoft laid off, they replaced that worker with one and a half foreign indentured servants,” Vance said in a White House news conference announcing the decision. “Our message to Microsoft is: You’re a great American company, but you’ve got to hire great American workers.” Vance said H-1B workers are effectively foreign indentured servants because if they lose their job, they have to leave the country, and they earn less than Americans in the same position. H-1B program scrutinized The H-1B program has long been a target of Trump supporters who say that the program undercuts American workers and is rife with abuse. H-1B visas are meant for
“Behling is known for creating individualized learning opportunities, building essential life skills and helping her students grow in confidence and independence,” the district said in a statement. “She is also a passionate advocate for meaningful inclusion, working to ensure her students are an active and valued part of their school community.” In November, Behling will represent SCS at the Exceptional Children’s Conference; her nomination has been submitted to the North Carolina Office of Exceptional Children. “I just want to share that I love teaching, every student has a right to learn, and every student has the ability to learn,” Behling said. Representing the school board, Chair Glenda Gibson, Vice Chair Robin Whittaker and board member Carla Poplin each received an Award of Excellence from the North Carolina School Boards Association. The Boardmanship Award recognizes individual board members who complete at least 30 hours of training during the current academy year. The Stanly County Board of Education’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Nov. 3 at 6:15 p.m. in the Gene McIntyre Meeting Room at Stanly County Commons.
CAROLYN KASTER / AP PHOTO
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella walks to the White House to attend a state dinner hosted for China’s President Xi Jinping on Sept. 24 in Washington, D.C. high-skilled jobs that are difficult to find American workers to fill. Technology companies are the biggest users, with nearly three-quarters of approvals going to workers from India. Trump also targeted foreign students The Vance announcement came a day after Trump’s administration launched another broadside against international students and their ability to work in the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday proposed a $70,000 fee for international students seeking to work in the United States. The proposed rule would require schools to pay the fee for ev-
“If you do the math, for every worker that Microsoft laid off, they replaced that worker with one and a half foreign indentured servants.” Vice President JD Vance ery student who participates in the Optional Practical Training program, known as OPT, which allows students to work in jobs related to their major during or after their time in school. Vance also called out universities that he suggested were abusing a program to allow in-
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ternational students to come to the U.S. These temporary visas, called J-1 visas, allow international visitors to temporarily come to the U.S. for work and study exchange programs. Vance singled out nine universities that he said merited further investigation for J-1 visa fraud, saying they used the program in greater proportions than their counterparts. The universities were Harvard; Yale; Stanford; Brown; the University of Pittsburgh; the University of California, Davis; the California Institute of Technology, or Caltech; Arizona State; and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT. The universities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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A7
Stanly News Journal for Sunday, October 11, 2026
PVC pipes swept away by Hurricane Helene flooding still dominate cleanup of NC river The cleanup has consumed 50,000 work-hours and $1.5 million, with years of work still ahead
“We want to avoid that stuff sitting there forever and just slowly deteriorating and breaking into smaller and smaller pieces.”
By Tammy Webber and Allison Joyce The Associated Press WOODFIN — They’re piled on river banks, lodged in uprooted trees, embedded in sediment and jammed under logs. Many are tangled in mounds of debris up to two stories high. Two years after Hurricane Helene leveled forests, bulldozed houses and filled western North Carolina rivers with everything from cars to refrigerators, the work of cleaning up the debris goes on. And along the iconic French Broad River, known for its whitewater rapids, one item stands out among the rest: massive numbers of PVC pipes that washed away from a factory north of Asheville. “Just the amount of time and energy that we put into removing all this pipe is exhausting,” said Jon Stamper, operations director at MountainTrue, the nonprofit conducting cleanup on several rivers affected by Helene. “We still have stretches of river that haven’t been touched.” MountainTrue estimates its crews have pulled hundreds of thousands of pipes from the river — most of which went to landfills — with an untold number still littering the river for 70 miles (113 kilometers), to a large lake at the Tennessee border. Canada-based IPEX would not say how many pipes were stored at its Woodfin, North Carolina, site before the storm or share results of a company-funded study of how much remains in the river, calling the information “commercially sensitive.” Officials did say 60% of pipes stored outdoors at the site, sandwiched between railroad tracks and the river, were swept away in the 2024 flood, but most were recovered fairly quickly. But the company acknowledged that the remaining debris was significant and has agreed to pay MountainTrue $500,000 toward continued cleanup on the French Broad, which will allow the organization to continue working into next year. A $10 million state grant
Jon Stamper, MountainTrue operations director
ALLISON JOYCE / AP PHOTO
Workers from MountainTrue paddle IPEX PVC pipe they collected from the riverbank July 22 in Alexander. awarded to MountainTrue in 2025 to clean up debris in several western North Carolina rivers that was set to expire in December has been extended to February. The organization said there’s still a long way to go, and estimates that it’s spent 50,000 work-hours and over $1.5 million just on pipe removal, which is only in the French Broad. PVC pipe comprises 80% of the debris in some areas, according to MountainTrue, posing risks to rafters and kayakers, changing water flow and altering the ecosystem. “We understand the ongoing challenge,” IPEX CEO Colleen Pritchett said. “We recognize that ... recovery efforts are complex, they’re resource-intensive, and it’s constantly shaped by the river conditions.” Epic flood took everyone by surprise Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina in late September 2024, dumping more than 30 inches of rain in some areas, triggering landslides, toppling trees, pushing buildings off their foundations and choking waterways. At IPEX, an earthen berm was the only thing separating tall stacks of pipes from the French Broad River. Company officials said they expect-
ed a so-called 100-year flood — meaning it has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year — and moved pipes out of that flood zone. But the flooding from Helene was 10 times worse. “We secured the site as best we could and we sent people home a day before the flooding was expected,” said Johnny Drummond, vice president of manufacturing. He said the company did not anticipate a 1,000-year flood, which has a 1-in-1,000 chance of occurring. The company closed the factory for a couple of months afterward, with losses “well over $100 million,” Pritchett said. It since has invested over $100 million to repair and strengthen the buildings, and now is studying ways to contain the pipes in future floods — something MountainTrue had publicly urged for months. Though there’s much more than IPEX debris still in the waterways, the pipes are so ubiquitous that “there are places where you go that it makes up almost everything that we remove,” said Stamper, who formerly worked for a whitewater river outfitter and now oversees 10 cleanup crews totaling about 100 people — many of them former river or fishing guides who lost their livelihoods after the hurricane.
Removing the pipe is especially vexing because it binds with other debris and has embedded in the river bottom, where fish and other creatures have taken up residence inside. Stamper said he also worries about long-term environmental and health effects from the pipe, which can degrade and become brittle, leaving microplastics in the river. “We want to avoid that stuff sitting there forever and just slowly deteriorating and breaking into smaller and smaller pieces,” said Stamper. “Some of the pipe that’s been sitting out since Hurricane Helene that has been exposed to the sun all the time is getting to the point where you could crack it when you grab it.” Removing pipes tedious, sometimes dangerous Some of the pipes — both straight, rigid plastic and flexible coils that have unraveled — are under huge piles of tangled logs topped by other debris, often in mounds 20 feet (6 meters) high. Cleanup crews “just sort of picture it as a jungle gym” that they must climb and balance on as they clear the pile, said Jemima Filiss-Cook, who leads the cleanup in Madison County, where most of the pipe is concentrated.
She said many crew members were already cleaning up the river before MountainTrue hired them, as a way of “trauma bonding” over what had happened. They include avid outdoorspeople, including rock climbers, because the cleanup is “quite a tedious and technical process” that requires a comfort with the rigors of the job, said Anna Alsobrook, MountainTrue’s French Broad Riverkeeper. Crews saw longer pipes into smaller chunks, load them on a boat, then take it downstream to a landing spot where it’s loaded onto a truck. Almost all of the pipe goes to a landfill, though some in good condition are given to community members, because there are no good recycling options, MountainTrue said. “I truly don’t think anybody else could do this work except for our debris team members,” said Alsobrook, noting they must be able to navigate whitewater rapids with a boat full of pipes and saws. The first priority was removing pipes that could pose an immediate danger or entrapment hazard to tubers or kayakers, and much of the remaining debris stranded in flood plains and on banks, especially around riverbends and corners and vulnerable to being washed away in another flood, Stamper said. But it becomes apparent that many pipes are still in the river whenever the water levels change, he said. MountainTrue is applying for other grants to help extend its program after state and IPEX funding run out, Stamper said, because it could take years to remove all the debris. “We’re going to do our best as long as the funding allows,” he said. “But there’s going to be pipe out there that we can’t get ever.”
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Stanly News Journal for Sunday, October 11, 2026
HBCUs underfunded; legal effort starting in Missouri seeks to fix it Federal law mandates equitable funding for these schools, but only Delaware and Ohio comply By Heather Hollingsworth and Collin Binkley The Associated Press AN EFFORT TO address decades of underfunding at some historically black colleges and universities kicked off Wednesday with a lawsuit against the state of Missouri. Students and graduates of Lincoln University in the state’s capital of Jefferson City allege the lack of financial resources undercut their education and devalued their degrees. More than a dozen other states are in the crosshairs of a newly formed group called the 1890 Project. “It is very unfortunate that we still live in a climate where, depending on the color of one’s skin, one gets precedence over the other,” said Lincoln graduate Jeanneth Johnson, a 54-year-old from the Detroit suburb of Sterling Heights, who is a plaintiff in the lawsuit. The University of Missouri system and the governor’s office both said in written statements that they couldn’t comment on pending litigation. HBCUs missed out on money Back in 2023, the administration of then-President Joe Biden found HBCUs in 16 states had missed out on $12.6 billion in funding over the last three decades. The finding and an ensuing call for the governors in those states to boost spending came one year after members of Congress also raised concerns. At issue is the funding of land-grant universities. The first batch was established in 1862 under the Morrill Act, which gave public lands to states to pay for colleges that focused on educating students in practical fields like agriculture and engineering. It was a departure from traditional colleges at the time, which focused mostly on classical subjects for the elite, such as Latin, Greek, philosophy and theology. But the law’s namesake, Justin Smith Morrill, a senator from Vermont, believed higher education should be accessible to all social classes. In the wake of the Civil War, Morrill, an abolitionist, called for an update to the act. Passed in 1890, the new law required states either to open their land grants to students of all races or establish separate land grant schools for black students. Missouri, a border state that allowed slavery but fought with the Union during the Civ-
SUMMER BALLENTINE / AP PHOTO
A statue sits on the campus of Lincoln University, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, in Jefferson City, Mo.
“The problem is that the state made an intentional choice not to match the federal appropriation. And that’s where Lincoln really was cheated.” Don Calloway, 1890 Project leader il War, wasn’t about to open its flagship University of Missouri campus in Columbia to black students. To meet the new requirement, it looked toward what was then called Lincoln Institute, which a Black Union Army unit started at the end of the war by pooling their wages. Seventeen other mostly former Confederate states and border states established 18 other land grant schools for black students. They included Tuskegee University, the only private 1890 land grant. Federal law requires an equitable distribution of state funding for all of a state’s land-grant universities — whether HBCU or otherwise. But the 2023 Biden administration analysis found that only two states funded traditional and HBCU land-grants equitably — Delaware and Ohio. Lincoln University alone was underfunded by $361 million from 1987 through 2020, the newly filed lawsuit says, citing federal numbers. Today, Lincoln’s enrollment has fallen to around 2,200 students, down from around 3,400 in 2011 and just a fraction of the approximately 32,000 enrolled on the University of Missouri’s Columbia campus, which was roiled by protests in 2015 over racial injustice, leading to the resignation of two top administrators. “We’re not saying they should be funded equally, but they should be funded on parity,” said Don Calloway, a for-
mer Missouri state lawmaker who leads the 1890 Project. “And the feds funded Lincoln with the proper parity. The problem is that the state made an intentional choice not to match the federal appropriation. And that’s where Lincoln really was cheated.” He blames millions in deferred maintenance on some of Lincoln’s enrollment woes. Calloway said he also is talking to attorneys general in several other states, including Virginia, Arkansas, Maryland, North Carolina, Alabama and Georgia. Over the decades, lawsuits also have been filed in several of those states over underfunding of HBCUs, including one in Maryland that led to a $577 million settlement. Missouri first legal target But those lawsuits mostly focused on state-level funding disparities between all HBCUs and non-HBCUs. There are dozens of HBCUs that aren’t 1890s land grants, often started by nonprofits and religious groups. Calloway said his legal strategy is focused just on the 1890s schools. “We expect to negotiate and/or litigate in multiple jurisdictions over the next year,” he said. “Missouri is the first.” Herbert Kitchen, a plaintiff whose great-great-grandfather, Caleb Lindsey, was one of the soldiers whose pay founded Lincoln, recalled his residence hall frequently was without heat and hot water when he was a student at Lincoln in the 1980s. Rumors were swirling that the school might close, and he said some employers looked at his degree as “second rate.” Kitchen, a retired California community college administrator, thinks of his great-great grandfather as he fights for Lincoln, a school generations of his family have attended. “I am,” he said, “the hope and dream that my great-grandfather had when he was a slave.”
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COURTESY NORTH STANLY BOOSTER CLUB AND WEST STANLY ATHLETICS
The North Stanly, left, and West Stanly volleyball teams are champions of their respective conferences once again.
North Stanly, West Stanly extend volleyball title streaks Both teams finished unbeaten in conference play By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — North Stanly and West Stanly have kept their conference championship streaks intact, finishing league play unbeaten as the county’s top two volleyball teams prepare for the state playoffs. The Comets earned their fourth consecutive Yadkin Valley Conference title with a 10-0
league record, while the Colts went 12-0 to secure their eighth straight Rocky River Conference championship. Demonstrating their dominance over their leagues, North Stanly has won 19 consecutive conference matches, while West Stanly’s streak stretches to a staggering 87 league victories, a run that began in 2019. Both programs are coming off postseason runs that helped distinguish them as the county’s top teams last fall. North Stanly finished 18-11 in 2025, went 9-1 in conference play and reached the third round of the North Carolina High School
Athletic Association’s 3A state playoffs. West Stanly advanced to the fourth round of the 4A playoffs, the deepest postseason run among county teams. The Colts finished 23-4 overall and 12-0 in the Rocky River Conference. Entering the scheduled rematch in Red Cross (Thursday, after press time), North Stanly was 23-5 overall and West Stanly was 18-5. North Stanly won the teams’ first meeting this season, opening its schedule with a 3-1 home victory Aug. 11 in New London. Five North Stanly seniors rank among the YVC’s top three in
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Consecutive conference wins for Colts
individual statistical categories. Outside hitter Emmy Talbert leads the conference with 206 kills, while Reese Coble ranks third with 134. Setter Arlee Stevens has a league-leading 459 assists, and middle hitter Stella Marks tops the YVC with 43 to-
tal blocks and ranks third with a .189 hitting percentage. Libero Landon Kimrey is second with 220 digs. Over in Red Cross, West Stanly sophomore outside hitter Melaina Yow leads the RRC with 253 kills, while senior Layla Little ranks third with 197. Sophomore setter Caroline Barbee is tops in the conference with 524 assists. Senior libero Georgia Moffitt ranks second in the league with 326 digs. Elsewhere in the county’s regular-season results, South Stanly (16-10, 7-3 YVC) finished second in the YVC, recording its first winning season since 2021. Gray Stone (13-6, 5-5 YVC) placed fourth and matched last season’s 13 victories. Albemarle (5-10, 2-8 YVC) finished fifth, again earning two conference wins. State playoff brackets are scheduled to be set for Thursday, with first-round matches beginning Saturday, Oct. 17.
Pfeiffer ends losing streak with win over Virginia State Four Falcons scored in the 4-1 home win By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal MISENHEIMER — Pfeiffer’s men’s soccer team broke a five-game winless streak Wednesday night, defeating Virginia State 4-1 at Lefko-Mills Field in Misenheimer. The Falcons (5-3-2, 0-2-1 USA South) picked up their first victory since Sept. 15 after going 0-3-2 over their previous five matches. Additionally, their four goals were the team’s most in nearly a month, with four different players scoring against the Trojans (1-7-2). Freshman forward Tyler Ridley put Pfeiffer ahead in the fourth minute, finishing off an assist from sophomore midfielder Barrett Owens. Alex Michael, the reigning USA South Player of the Year, made it 2-0 in the 35th minute on an assist from senior midfielder Drew Garro. Pfeiffer carried that lead into halftime, but Virginia State pulled within a goal in the 51st minute when Isaiah Sims scored with an assist from Everett Saunders. The Falcons responded 10 minutes later. Owens scored in the 61st minute, with Garro and junior forward Wesley Hooker credited with assists. Garro finished with two assists, while Owens contributed a goal and an assist. Sophomore forward Aiden Dualan added Pfeiffer’s final goal in the 89th minute, scoring off an assist from sophomore defender Adrian Carmona. Still seeking their first USA South Athletic Conference victory of the season, the Falcons sit seventh in the league stand-
COURTESY PFEIFFER ATHLETICS
Pfeiffer’s Barrett Owens passes the ball to a teammate during a match earlier this season. ings after losses in their first two conference matches and a tie in their third. Their league schedule began with a 2-1 home loss to N.C. Wesleyan on Sept. 26. A 3-2 loss at William Peace followed Sept. 30 before the Falcons tied Greensboro 2-2 on the road last Saturday. Under 10th-year coach Tony Faticoni, Pfeiffer is trying to fol-
low one of the program’s strongest seasons. The Falcons went 13-0-4 overall and 5-0-2 in conference play in 2025, claiming their first USA South regular-season championship and finishing second to Methodist in the league tournament. Those 13 wins were the most of Faticoni’s tenure and Pfeiffer’s most since its 19-3 season in 2016. The unbeaten fin-
ish was the program’s best since its 25-0 national championship campaign in 2015. Pfeiffer was scheduled to host Methodist in its homecoming game Saturday at 1 p.m. in Misenheimer, giving the Falcons a rematch of last season’s conference tournament final. The Falcons will then welcome Johnson & Wales for a nonconference match Wednesday at 5 p.m.
0
USA South wins for Falcons this season
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Stanly News Journal for Sunday, October 11, 2026
Robot umpires flip 54% of challenged calls in ABS debut as teams learn to time appeals Catchers were much more successful at challenging than batters By Ronald Blum The Associated Press NEW YORK — Robot umpires overturned 54% of challenged calls in the first season of the Automated Ball-Strike System, and catchers were far more successful than batters. The Cincinnati Reds had a net gain of 16.8 runs. The Los Angeles Angels were next at 14, followed by the Athletics (12.3) and Minnesota (10.1). Cleveland was 30th at minus-13.4, and several other playoff teams rated poorly by that metric: the Los Angeles Dodgers (26th, -8.5), Tampa Bay (25th, -7.8). Houston’s Jose Altuve topped batters with 5.6 projected runs gained, followed by Seattle’s Cal Raleigh (4.6), Colorado’s Kyle Karros (4.5) and Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart (4.4) and JJ Bleday (4.1). The Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki led with 5.7 runs projected lost in defensive challenges, just ahead of the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (5.5), the Cubs’ Ian Happ (5.2) and Michael Busch (5.1), and the New York Mets’ Brett Baty (3.5). Milwaukee’s William Contreras led catchers with 5.2 projected runs prevented, just in front of Cleveland’s Patrick Bailey (5.1), the Mets’ Francisco Alvarez (4.5) and San Diego’s Freddy Fermin, Kansas City’s Carter Jensen and Drew Romo of the Chicago White Sox (all 4.3). “It’s like a new muscle for players to learn,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “You have instincts over what to do in certain situations. This is a new instinct of knowing when to challenge and instinctively within a second, oh, that’s a ball. What’s the situation?” There were 10,557 challenges, an average of 4.35 per game, and 5,686 led to overturned decisions. Catchers succeeded on 59% of their challenges, while batters had a 49% success rate and
CAROLYN KASTER / AP PHOTO
A call is overturned to a walk by the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System during a game in Cincinnati pitchers — who seldom challenged compared to catchers and batters — were at 40%. Contreras, Realmuto stand out among players Contreras led all catchers with 185 challenges, and he also won the most with 105 (57%). Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s J.T. Realmuto had the highest success rate among catchers with at least 75 challenges at 81%. He was followed by the Cubs’ Carson Kelly (69%), Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson and Colorado’s Hunter Goodman (68% each), and Detroit’s Dillon Dingler (66%). The lowest percentages among those with 75 or more challenges were Alvarez (47%), Fermin, Romo (48%) and Edgar
Briscoe fends off Larson’s last-lap surge to win in Las Vegas All three stages went to the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, who got maximum points By Kirk Kern The Associated Press LAS VEGAS — Chase Briscoe held off a last-lap charge from points leader Kyle Larson to win the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Briscoe swept all three stages on the 1.5-mile track to earn
the maximum 75 playoff points. Larson lost control on the final stretch, hit the wall and collided with Tyler Reddick, who slid into the infield but still recovered to finish third. “I saw Kyle charging hard behind me on those final laps,” Briscoe said. “He was pushing as hard as he possibly could on the high line, and I just tried to stick to my defensive marks, stay smooth, and protect the bottom. When you’re driving for a guaranteed spot in the Championship 4,
Quero of the White Sox (49%). Stewart led batter challenges with 51 appeals and won 28 (55%). Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper was next with 47, winning 21 (45%). On success rate, Arizona’s Gabriel Moreno (68%) led batters with 20 or more challenges, followed by Miami’s Esteury Ruiz (65%) and Raleigh (64%). Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela and Colorado’s Willi Castro were at 25%, the lowest success rate among players with at least 20 challenges. Tampa Bay’s Yandy Díaz had 686 plate appearances without attempting a challenge, by far the most in the majors by a batter, ahead of Toronto’s Nathan Lukes (450). Díaz has said he’d consider challenging a call in the World Series.
nobody is going to give an inch.” It was Briscoe’s first career Cup Series victory in Las Vegas, where he led a race-high 175 laps. Briscoe also moved up to sixth in The Chase standings. Denny Hamlin, who entered second in the playoff standings, finished 16th and was shut out of stage points. Hamlin is still second but fell 40 points behind Larson. “I know everyone looks at the points lead and talks about the buffer we have, but I don’t view the gap like that at all,” Larson said. “There are still a lot of points on the table, a lot of restarts left, and anything can happen down the stretch.” Briscoe takes second stage Briscoe drove back from third place to pass Austin Cindric late in the second stage for the win. Cindric finished second in the stage, followed
Cincinnati’s 62% success rate led MLB, followed by the Athletics and Arizona (60% each), the Cubs (59%), Texas (58%), Detroit and Philadelphia (57% each) and Miami (56%). Pittsburgh was least successful at 47%, with the White Sox and Cleveland at 49% each, and Baltimore and San Diego at 50%. Players more aggressive with ABS challenges in late innings Knowing teams lose their right to challenge after two incorrect appeals, players used ABS less often early in games. There were more challenges in the ninth than any other inning — sometimes because teams knew there would be no
“When you’re driving for a guaranteed spot in the Championship 4, nobody is going to give an inch.” Chase Briscoe by Christopher Bell in third. Larson salvaged a stage point by finishing 10th, while Hamlin was shut out of stage points in 14th. Briscoe gambles for first stage points Briscoe won the opening stage ahead of Bell and Ryan Blaney. Briscoe elected not to pit for tires during a late green-flag pit cycle, holding off the field on the restart to secure the stage victory. Hamlin led the first 39 laps
later innings to save them for — even though many games end without the bottom half. ABS was used in 1,366 ninth-inning challenges, with a 40% success rate. The average for innings 1-3 was 1,005 challenges with a 61% success rate. Teams also got more aggressive as the season went on. Challenges per game rose from 3.76 in March to 4.60 in August and 4.61 in September, with most of that increase in catcher appeals. “You can overthink it if you let yourself,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “You start talking about saving it for certain situations, it probably doesn’t end well. My message was the lower the leverage, the more certainty you have to have.”
and was running third when he spun three laps before the end of the stage. Although he avoided major damage and continued, the lack of a caution flag caused him to fall back to 28th at the stage break. Hamlin set the fastest lap of the stage at 29.572 seconds on the third lap. “We had the speed to run up front, we showed that on the pole run and early in Stage 1,” Hamlin said. “But when you lose 25 spots, you spend half the race just working your way back to where you belong.” Larson, who started sixth, endured a 26-second green-flag pit stop while his pit crew made rear suspension adjustments. After dropping to 32nd place, he worked his way back to 24th by the end of the stage. Though he briefly fell off the lead lap, Larson regained it on lap 45 when a caution flew for a Zane Smith spin.
Chase Briscoe (19) leads the field during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Las Vegas.
SAM MORRIS / AP PHOTO
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Stanly News Journal for Sunday, October 11, 2026
ACC continues ongoing quest for football respect Pitt is the latest conference team looking for national recognition By Will Graves The Associated Press PITTSBURGH — Pat Narduzzi is tired of ACC football being a punching bag in the polls and seemingly everywhere else. The pathologically unfiltered Pittsburgh coach is ready for the league to start punching back. Narduzzi landed the first but likely hardly the last salvo of the season just moments after the Panthers fended off Virginia Tech on the road last Friday, a game decided on a missed 36-yard field goal as time expired. In the frantic aftermath, the longest-tenured coach in Pitt history encouraged AP Top 25 voters to “wake your (butts) up,” just as Narduzzi promised ACC commissioner Jim Phillips he would after the Panthers improved to 5-0. Narduzzi wasn’t just stumping for Pitt, which did sneak in at No. 25 when the latest poll was released Sunday, but the entire conference. What else is there to do after being told before the showdown with the Hokies that it marked the first time two Power Four programs entered a game with identical 4-0 records and neither was ranked? “It’s disrespectful to the ACC,” Narduzzi said Monday. If Narduzzi sounds a little touchy, maybe it’s because he has grown increasingly annoyed about repeatedly hitting the same talking points to an audience not particularly interested in listening. While he leans into the fight, part of him wonders why one always seems to be necessary. Well, actually maybe he doesn’t wonder. “I think it’s all the brands,” Narduzzi said, seemingly alluding to the Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference. “Everybody wants to look at the logo and gets all infatuat-
MATT FREED / AP PHOTO
Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi argues a call. ed with logos and all that stuff.” The Big Ten has six teams ranked this week. The SEC has nine. The ACC? Just three: No. 4 Miami, with SMU at 24, one spot ahead of the Panthers. Narduzzi knows there’s a part of him that is trying to have it both ways. He repeatedly said during September that the early season polls don’t matter. Yet he knows he’s in the minority, and it’s much easier for him now at 60 to put the poll in what he considers the proper perspective. As if to prove a point, he made a not-so-veiled reference to an unnamed program that had a number next to its name earlier in the season, a number that has since vanished. “I mean, you look at the school down the road gets into the Top 25, and what did they really do to get into the Top 25?” he said. Asked later who he was referring to, Narduzzi just laughed, though longtime rivals West Virginia and Penn State both fit the profile. The Panthers are hardly the only ACC team off to a promising start but unable to make serious inroads in an effort to change the perception of the league. Wake Forest is 4-1, with its lone loss a game effort against the Hurricanes. The Demon Deacons edged an improved Purdue team by two on the road earlier in the season, did the same to disappointing Louis-
ville and crushed Stanford by 54 points on Saturday, the biggest-ever blowout win in conference play for a charter member of the ACC. Duke is unbeaten at 4-0 with a victory at Illinois on its resume. Neither the Demon Deacons nor the Blue Devils currently find themselves ranked. “Your stomach starts to turn, and you’re like, ‘Golly, we’ve got a lot of work ahead,’” Narduzzi said. The ACC would like the conversation around the league to evolve to the point where an in-conference loss doesn’t send a team’s stock tumbling, a courtesy voters extended to Mississippi State this week, which dropped just one spot after getting drilled at home by SEC rival Alabama by 33 points. It doesn’t appear to be there yet, as the bid for national relevance instead of national curiosity drones on. Three years ago, the CFP committee left unbeaten Florida State out of the then-four-team playoff after quarterback Jordan Travis was hurt late in the season. Two years ago, SMU received the lone ACC bid as the 11th seed when the CFP expanded to 12. Last year, Miami made the CFP as the 10th seed and made it all the way to the title game. By the time the Hurricanes reached the final, the nip/tuck nature of their at-large bid was largely forgotten. Yet rather than Miami’s success serving as a stamp of approval that the league as a whole is legit, it seems to merely have certified the impression that “The U” is back. The rest of the conference it plays in, seemingly not so much. So Narduzzi will keep banging the drum. Asked if he feels his almost defiant stance is as much about saying the quiet part out loud for an entire league as it is for the program he’s run for 146 games and counting, he nodded. “Absolutely,” the fourth-longest-tenured Power Four coach said. “Absolutely.”
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Emmy Talbert
PJ WARD-BROWN / STANLY NEWS JOURNAL
North Stanly, volleyball Emmy Talbert is a senior outside hitter for the North Stanly volleyball team. The Comets are 23-5 on the season, and Talbert leads the squad in kills. She’s also second on the team in digs, receptions and service aces. In a win over North Rowan last week, Talbert led North Stanly with eight kills. She added another five against Albemarle in another win. For the season, Talbert leads the Yadkin Valley 2A/3A conference in kills and ranks third in digs. She’s also fourth in all of North Carolina Class 3A in kills.
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Wake Forest tight end Kamrean Johnson, right, catches a touchdown pass as Miami linebacker Mohamed Toure defends on Sept. 18 in Winston-Salem.
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NOTICE TO CREDITORS
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
The undersigned have qualified as CoAdministrators CTA of the Estate of SHELLEY S. HERRIN, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina (Stanly County File Number 26E000414-830). 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 Co-Administrators CTA or their Attorney on or before the 11th day of January 2027, 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 CoAdministrators CTA or their attorney. This the 10th day of October 2026. RANDY CONRAD HERRIN JAMES CURTIS HERRIN Co-Administrator CTA Co-Administrator CTA 920 Marsh View Dr. 4656 Bluff Dr. North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582 Shallotte, NC 28470 CHARLES P. BROWN Resident Process Agent PO Box 400 Albemarle, NC 28002 CHARLES P. BROWN BROWN & SENTER, P.L.L.C. PO Box 400 Albemarle, North Carolina 28002-0400 Telephone: 704 982-2141 Facsimile: 704 982-0902 PUBLISH: October 11, 18, 25, and November 1, 2026
NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Clerk Before the Clerk 26E000422-830 Having qualified as Co-Executors of the Estate of James R. Nance, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the Estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned or his attorney on or before December 20th, 2026, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 16th day of September, 2026. JAMES E. NANCE CAROLYN N. BAUGH CO-EXECUTORS FOR THE ESTATE OF JAMES R. NANCE MARK T. LOWDER ATTORNEY AT LAW PO Box 1284 Albemarle, NC 28002 Telephone (704) 982-8558 Publish: September 20, 27 and October 4, and 11, 2026
NOTICE TO CREDITORS The undersigned have qualified as Co-Executors of the Estate of JERRY MARSHALL BRATTAIN, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina (Stanly County File Number 26E000434-830). This is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against said decedent or his estate to present the same duly itemized and verified to the undersigned Co-Executors or their Attorney on or before the 4th day of January 2027, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons, firms and corporations indebted to the decedent or to his estate are hereby requested to pay the said indebtedness to the undersigned CoExecutors or their attorney. This the 4th day of October 2026. LORI ANN BRATTAIN CHRIS MARSHALL BRATTAIN Co-Executor Co-Executor 215 Brattain Rd 215 Brattain Rd Locust, NC 28097 Locust, NC 28097 CHARLES P. BROWN BROWN & SENTER, P.L.L.C. PO Box 400 Albemarle, North Carolina 28002-0400 Telephone: 704 982-2141 Facsimile: 704 982-0902 PUBLISH: October 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2026
NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA, IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE DISTRICT COURT DIVISION STANLY COUNTY. 26CV001358-830 ELEUTERIA BENITEZ CARRILLO, Plaintiff, vs JOSE EFRAIN DEL CID BENITEZ, Defendant NOTICE OF SERVICE BY PUBLICATION
HIRING Stanly County Reporter Stanly County Advertising Representative jobs@stanlynewsjournal.com
To: Jose Efrain Del Cid Benitez, Defendant Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the aboveentitled civil action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: That the plaintiff, Eleuteria Benitez Carrillo be granted an absolute divorce from you, the defendant, Jose Efrain Del Cid Benitez. You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than the 6th day of November, 2026, said date being 40 days from the first publication of this notice, and upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service against you will apply to the Court for the relief sought. This is the 18th day of September, 2026. James A. Phillips, Jr. Attorney for the Plaintiff P.O. Box 1162, Albemarle, NC 28002 704.983.2709 Publish September 27, 2026 October 4, 2026 October 11, 2026
NOTICE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION COUNTY OF STANLY. BEFORE THE CLERK File No. 24E001518-830 IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF KOST BOSNAKES Deceased.
NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY’ IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK 26SP000130-830 MARK T. LOWDER, Public Administrator for the Estate of CLAUDE JUNIOR HUNEYCUTT, Deceased, Petitioner, vs. KENT TRULL, Guardian Ad Litem for UNKNOWN HEIRS, Respondents. NOTICE OF SALE Under and by virtue of an Order of the Clerk of Superior Court of Stanly County, North Carolina, entered on the 2nd day of September, 2026, made in the above captioned Estate, the undersigned, was by said Order appointed Commissioner to sell the land described in the Petition, and will on the 14th day of October, 2026, at 12:00 Noon at the Stanly County Courthouse, Albemarle, North Carolina, offer for sale to the highest bidder for cash, that certain tract or parcel of land lying and being in Stanly County, North Carolina and being more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at a stake on the North side of Liberty Street in the Western portion of
the town of Albemarle, N.C. and bounded as follows: BEGINNING at a stake on the North side of Liberty Street and runs W. 100 feet to a stake; thence N. 200 feet to a stake; thence E. 100 feet to a stake; thence S. 200 feet to the beginning and being Lots Nos. 13 and 14 of the A. A. Mills Property as sold on December 6, 1924. Said lots shown as Lot No. 9 on Map or Plat Book of Mrs. F. C. Anderson property, which map or plat is recorded in Plat Book No. 1, page 96 in the office of the Register of Deeds for Stanly County, North Carolina, reference to which records is hereby made for a more complete description of said lots. For reference see deed from Haywood Norris and wife Violet H. Norris to James Hatley, dated July 13, 1978 and recorded in Deed Book 308, page 537, Stanly County Registry. For further reference see Deed Book 286, page 177, Stanly County Registry. James Tillman Hatley died testate, a resident of Stanly County. North Carolina, on November 10, 1984, and by Article Six of his Last Will and Testament which has been probated in the Office of the Clerk of Superior Court of Stanly County, he devised all real property remaining in his estate to Beulah Mae Hatley Furr, Betty Sue Hatley Earnhardt, Violet Ann Hatley Norris (Fowler) and Claude Junior Huneycutt, the grantors herein. Letters of Testamentary on the estate of James Tillman Hatley were issued to Beulah Mae Hatley Furr by the Clerk of the Superior Court of Stanly County on November 14, 1984. As Executrix Beulah Mae Hatley Furr caused Notice to Creditors to be published
in the Stanly News and Press on January 4, 11, 18 and 25, 1985. Consequently, under the provisions of North Carolina General Statutes 28A-17-12(a) (2) as contained in Volume 2A of the 1983 Cumulative Supplement to the General Statutes of North Carolina, Beulah Mae Hatley Furr as Executrix joins with the grantors in the execution of this deed. The Address of the property is: 1604 Liberty Avenue, Albemarle, North Carolina The above-described real property will be sold subject to any and all liens or encumbrances, superior mortgages, deeds of trust liens, including, without limitation, easements, conditions, restrictions and matters of record, and any unpaid county and city ad valorem taxes, including those for the year 2026, and city assessments, if any. Subject to any encroachments. An earnest money deposit equal to five percent (5%) of the bid price, or $750.00, whichever is greater, will be required from the highest bidder at the time of sale as evidence of good faith. This sale will be held open for ten (10) days for upset bids. This the 18th day of June, 2026. MARK T. LOWDER Commissioner M.T. Lowder & Associates Attorneys at Law P.O. Box 1284 Albemarle, NC 28002 Telephone: 704-982-8558 Fax: 704-986-4808 PUBLISH: October 4 and 11, 2026
NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Executor of the Estate of KOST BOSNAKES, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of the said KOST BOSNAKES to present them to the undersigned or her attorney on or before January 11, 2027 or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to the said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 11th day of October, 2026. Executor: LINDA A. HARRIS 4824 DOGLEG DRIVE HALTOM CITY, TX 76117 Attorney for Estate: Connie Edwards Mosher 239 N. First Street Albemarle, NC 28001 704-983-0086 Publish: October 11, October 18, October 25, November 1
Public Notice The Richfield Board of Commissioners regular meeting date of October 28th is changed to October 20 th at 6:00 pm. Please take notice if you plan to attend the meeting. Please contact Town Hall (704-463-1308) if you should have questions.
NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000451-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Co-Executors of the Estate of Joyce Soots Smith a/k/a Joyce S. Smith deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Joyce Soots Smith a/k/a Joyce S. Smith to present them to the undersigned on or before January 12, 2027 or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 11th day of October 2026. Mark Dewayne Smith a/k/a Mark Dwayne Smith Po Box 805 Locust, NC 28097 Co-Executor Marian Lambert 1758 Pergola Place Charlotte, NC 28213 Co-Executor
NOTICE NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE STANLY COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION BEFORE THE CLERK FILE NO. 26E000410-830 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Executrix of the Estate of Shirley Hathcock, deceased, of Stanly County, North Carolina this is to notify all persons having claims against the Estate of said Shirley Hathcock to present them to the undersigned on or before December 29, 2026, or the same will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 27th day of September, 2026. Stephanie Mullins 28731 Rowland Road Mount Pleasant, NC 28124 ________________________________ _______ Executrix Information John W Webster 146 North 4th Street Albemarle, NC 28001 _________________________________ _________ Attorney Information
PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Town of Oakboro will hold a Public Hearing at Oakboro Town Hall located at 109 N Main Street, Oakboro, NC 28129 on Monday, October 19, 2026 at 7:00pm. The purpose of this hearing is to hear comments for, or against, the text amendment changes for Historic Guidelines. Further information is available at Oakboro Town Hall. Any person wishing to speak should plan to attend the Public Hearing. Leslie Hatley-Murray Town Clerk
NOTICE TO CREDITORS NORTH CAROLINA STANLY COUNTY In the General Court of Justice Superior Court Clerk Before the Clerk 26E000432-830 Having qualified as Public Administrator of the Estate of Anthony William Maurice, deceased, late of Stanly County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms and corporations having claims against the Estate of said deceased to exhibit them to the undersigned or his attorney on or before January 11th, 2027, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said Estate please make immediate payment. This the 2nd day of October, 2026. MARK T. LOWDER PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE ESTATE OF ANTHONY WILLIAM MAURICE MARK T. LOWDER ATTORNEY AT LAW PO Box 1284 Albemarle, NC 28002 Telephone (704) 982-8558 Publish: October 11, 18, 25, and November 1, 2026
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Stanly News Journal for Sunday, October 11, 2026
Parton’s multifaceted legacy showcased at Nashville, Tenn., museum, hotel The 240-room hotel houses a museum with exhibits from across her entire career By Kristin M. Hall The Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Dolly Parton’s longtime creative director, Steve Summers, designed hundreds of dresses and outfits for the late singer and entertainer every year, so he saw her in many stages of her career. “Every person in here has a different Dolly Parton that they are in love with,” Summers told a crowd of fans gathered Tuesday for the opening of a new museum in Nashville dedicated to the beloved singer who died in August at age 80. The 20,000-square-foot Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum includes exhibits focused on many different aspects of her life and legacy, from her Smoky Mountain roots and Dollywood, to her movie roles, her fashion, her faith, her family and the Imagination Library. “You’ve got to find her and find out where you fell in love with her and then follow the
“It’s beautiful to get to see all of her work come to life, and it’s hard to know that she won’t ever have seen it.” Steve Summers, creative director path from there. So I think the journey is what most people are going to enjoy the most,” Summers said. The museum is located inside a 240-room themed hotel called Dolly Parton’s SongTeller, where the lobby and open spaces are adorned with glitter, rhinestones, guitars, butterflies, Dolly portraits and lots and lots of pink. The building also includes two performance spaces, a cafe and hotel rooms that come with musical instruments to encourage songwriting. One of the not-to-be-missed sights is Parton’s original wedding dress that she wore when she got married to husband Carl Dean. The dress was believed lost until Parton’s niece Rebecca Seaver, who is curat-
GEORGE WALKER IV / AP PHOTO
Portraits of Dolly Parton adorn the Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum, Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee. ing the museum, found it about a year ago wrapped in a paper bag and shoved into a trunk, Summers said. For many in Parton’s orbit,
the opening of the museum and hotel is bittersweet without the person who inspired it. “We were as surprised as anybody that she’s not here to
see it,” Summers said. “It’s beautiful to get to see all of her work come to life, and it’s hard to know that she won’t ever have seen it.”
Skydance mashes proven properties of Paramount, Warner Bros. into uncertain Hollywood hybrid The merger creates an entertainment giant, but integration challenges and job concerns cloud the future
A visitor walks past portraits of DC Comics superheroes at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood media preview in June 2021 in Burbank, California.
By Lindsey Bahr and Andrew Dalton The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Continuity will be the immediate emphasis for Skydance, the newly created entertainment behemoth born of Paramount’s $81 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery that closed on Tuesday. For now, it will show off its bulging bundle of intellectual properties, with the official announcement touting “a franchise portfolio spanning Top Gun and Harry Potter to White Lotus and SpongeBob SquarePants.” Several such lists could be made without any overlap. Tony Soprano is now under the same roof as Michael Corleone. The creations of J.R.R. Tolkien and Taylor Sheridan now share a home. And the DC Universe is in the same space as “Star Trek.” Both companies also have a storied history — some of it even recent — of nonfranchise creations, whose creators are worried about what will be left for them as big swaths of Hollywood fear for their jobs and productions. Moviegoers and TV viewers may wonder what all the fuss was about in the short run, while in the long run they may not recognize the landscape that’s left. Here’s a look at how the consumption and production of film and television will look in the near future. What does it mean for TV, streaming? The streaming services that provide the most direct interface viewers have with the two merged companies — HBO Max for Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount+ for Paramount — will look the same Wednesday as they did Tuesday, but they won’t stay that way. In its announcement of the completed deal, echoing what CEO David Ellison previously told shareholders, Skydance said the two streamers “will unify into a single service over time.” No timeline was given. The classic broadcast and cable properties the two companies own that feed those services — HBO, TNT, HGTV,
CHRIS PIZZELLO / AP PHOTO
and Food Network for Warner Bros. Discovery and CBS, MTV, BET and Nickelodeon for Paramount — should also show no short-term evidence of change, but that won’t mean major upheaval isn’t coming. Combined, the two services have well over 200 million subscribers, though it’s not wholly clear how much overlap there is between the two. HBO Max’s share of that is nearly double that of Paramount+. That could have an effect on the branding of the chimera to come, and some of the HBO Max name — which Warner Bros. Discovery previously tried to drop in favor of just Max — could live on. “I do not believe the consumer is going to observe the difference in the organization, whether it be in raised subscription fees to HBO Max or raised subscription fees to Paramount+ or new programming rolled out in the first quarter,” said J. Christopher Hamilton, a professor at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. “I think it’s going to take some time for them to really, really lock in on what implemented changes will have the least amount of disruption to the consumer base, but also to the town.” Skydance TV slate includes “Pitt,” “Potter,” “Lotus,” “Landman” The pipelines for each streamer have kept pumping as though no massive change was coming. The biggest forthcoming piece of TV for Warner Bros. is its Harry Potter reboot, with a Christmas premiere for Season 1 on HBO Max and Season 2 shooting already underway for whatever its streamer is called when it drops.
“They’re just real film people. And these studios are real studios. There’s no reason for them to be merged or pulled apart.” Tony Gilroy, filmmaker
Season 3 of “The Pitt,” which won best drama Emmys for each of its first two seasons, is well underway and set for an early 2027 release, and “The White Lotus” is set to finally complete its monthslong shooting of Season 4 on the French Riviera with a release sometime next year. “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” has wrapped shooting its second season and is slated to start rolling out episodes early in 2027, and the fourth and final season of its fellow “Game of Thrones” scion “House of the Dragon” is set to start shooting in the new year. Paramount+’s slate is dominated by the many cowboy-coded creations of Sheridan, with new seasons forthcoming on “Landman,” “Tulsa King” and several of the spinoffs, prequels and sequels of his “Yellowstone.” One major change is inevitable: Sheridan’s contract runs out in 2028, when he’ll be off to NBCUniversal. What does it mean for movies? In the past week, Paramount announced two franchises in development: a G.I. Joe movie with Bradley Cooper, directed by Danny McBride, and a live-action Transformers film, executive produced and creatively shaped by Steven
Spielberg. The Paramount slate has in the past dozen-plus years been heavily weighted toward franchise fare, whether it’s “Mission: Impossible,” “Star Trek,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” or any of the other big-name brands in its arsenal. While the studio had a slew of best picture winners in the 1990s, including “Forrest Gump,” “Braveheart” and “Titanic,” it’s been a bit of a drought since. Acclaimed executives among early exits Warner Bros., meanwhile, had been on a hot streak with a combination of original and franchise films. This year, under the stewardship of Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, they collected 30 Oscar nominations and won 11, including best picture for “One Battle After Another.” Ellison wrote in a post on X last week that by combining the two storied studios, “we aren’t rewriting history — we’re equipping these iconic studios with a more powerful engine.” But neither Abdy nor De Luca will be part of the merged operation, which left filmmakers like Tony Gilroy reeling. Gilroy called their exits “a seismic change in Hollywood of a magnitude that I don’t remember,” adding, “They’re just real film people. And these studios are real studios. There’s no reason for them to be merged or pulled apart.” Paramount Motion Picture co-chairs Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg will lead the overall film operation for Skydance now. James Gunn and Peter Safran are expected to continue running DC Studios. “I think everyone’s really
happy that the uncertainty, at least in some elements, is over and we get to focus on doing the work,” Safran told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “Thankfully James and I get to keep telling the big story that we want to tell with the resources and support that we need.” Asked how Skydance might change the direction in which DC is headed, Safran said, “As far as we can tell, not at all. David Ellison was like, ‘I just want you to keep doing what you’re doing.’ ” Skydance will also include Warner Bros.’ newest specialty label, Clockwork, with former NEON executive Christian Parkes remaining its head. The label was established to support independent projects, both produced in-house and acquired, with future releases including “Anora” filmmaker Sean Baker’s latest, “Ti Amo!,” and Park Chan-wook’s Matthew McConaughey and Pedro Pascal movie “The Brigands of Rattlecreek.” What about movie theaters? Theatrical exhibition lives or dies by a robust release schedule, and the promise of “a minimum of 30 high-quality theatrical films” a year will likely be an appealing one to exhibitors. Next year, the combined studios could exceed that with some 36 releases including a Superman sequel, a Minecraft movie sequel and “A Quiet Place Part III.” Over the past two years, North American theater owners have reinvested some $2.7 billion in their cinemas, according to a report from the trade association Cinema United. The domestic box office is currently healthy, up around 19.5% from last year and is expected to cross the $8 billion mark this week. The merged company has some big releases on the horizon for the remainder of this year too, including “Dune: Part Three.” Cinema United’s president and CEO Michael O’Leary last month reiterated that their primary objective is to safeguard theaters from the “harms of legacy consolidation,” but the group was encouraged by the consent decree’s language on “increased film production for five years, meaningful theatrical exclusivity and wide distribution, prohibitions on cost increases, and continued access to the catalogs of Paramount and Warner Bros.”
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Stanly News Journal for Sunday, October 11, 2026
famous birthdays this week
this week in history Hurricane Hazel makes landfall, Marie Antoinette beheaded, Baby Jessica rescued
Chris Wallace is 79, Sacha Baron Cohen turns 55, Ziggy Marley hits 58
The Associated Press
The Associated Press
OCT. 11
THESE CELEBRITIES have birthdays this week. OCT. 11 Former U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry is 99. Actor Amitabh Bachchan is 84. Singer Daryl Hall (Hall and Oates) is 80. Actor Joan Cusack is 64. Actor Jane Krakowski is 58. OCT. 12 Journalist Chris Wallace is 79. Singer-songwriter Jane Siberry is 71. Actor Hiroyuki Sanada is 66. Jazz musician Chris Botti is 64. Actor Hugh Jackman is 58. Actor Kirk Cameron is 56.
CHARLES SYKES / INVISION VIA AP
Film director Mira Nair turns 69 on Thursday.
1776: The Battle of Valcour Island was fought on Lake Champlain off present-day New York state; British forces captured or destroyed most of an American fleet under the command of Benedict Arnold. 1968: Apollo 7, the first crewed flight of the Apollo program, was launched. 1991: Anita Hill accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. OCT. 12
Gospel singer Shirley Caesar is 88. Singer-musician Paul Simon is 85. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is 84. Singer-musician Sammy Hagar is 79. NBA coach Doc Rivers is 65. Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice is 64. Actor Sacha Baron Cohen is 55.
1492: Christopher Columbus’ first expedition made landfall on what is now San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. 1870: Gen. Robert E. Lee, former overall commander of the Confederate States Army in the Civil War, died in Lexington, Virginia, at age 63. 1997: Musician and activist John Denver died when the experimental light plane he was piloting crashed into Monterey Bay off the California coast.
OCT. 14
OCT. 13
OCT. 13
Former White House counsel John W. Dean III is 88. Fashion designer Ralph Lauren is 87. Football Hall of Famer Charlie Joiner is 79. Fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi is 65. Actor Steve Coogan is 61. TV host Stephen A. Smith is 59. Singer Usher is 48.
MANUEL BALCE CENETA / AP PHOTO
Former astronaut Mae Jemison turns 70 on Saturday.
OCT. 15 Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Palmer is 81. Musician Richard Carpenter is 80. Film director Mira Nair is 69. Britain’s Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, is 67. Chef Emeril Lagasse is 67. Actor Dominic West is 57.
1792: The cornerstone of the Executive Mansion, later known as the White House, was laid by President George Washington during a ceremony in the District of Columbia. 1972: A Uruguayan chartered flight carrying 45 people crashed in the Andes. In order to stay alive, survivors resorted to feeding off the remains of some of the dead.
2010: Thirty-three men were rescued from a collapsed Chilean mine after being lifted one by one in capsules 69 days after they were trapped 2,300 feet underground. OCT. 14 1066: Normans under William the Conqueror defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings. 1944: German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel took his own life rather than face trial and certain execution for allegedly conspiring against Adolf Hitler. 1947: U.S. Air Force Capt. Chuck Yeager flew a Bell X-1 rocket engine-powered aircraft over a California desert, becoming the first person to break the sound barrier. 1964: Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. OCT. 15 1815: Napoleon Bonaparte, the deposed French emperor, arrived on the British-ruled South Atlantic island of St. Helena. 1954: Hurricane Hazel made landfall near the North Carolina-South Carolina border as a Category 4 storm. Hazel was blamed for about 1,000 deaths in the Caribbean, 95 in the U.S. and 81 in Canada. 2017: Actor and activist Alyssa Milano tweeted that women who had been sexually harassed or assaulted should write “Me too” as a status. Within hours, tens of thousands had used the #MeToo hashtag. OCT. 16 1793: Marie Antoinette, queen of France, was beheaded
AP PHOTO
Singer-songwriter John Denver died Oct. 12, 1997, when the experimental plane he was piloting crashed into Monterey Bay. during the French Revolution. 1859: Abolitionist John Brown raided the U.S. arsenal at Harpers Ferry in an unsuccessful attempt to spark a slave rebellion. He was captured and later executed. 1987: Eighteen-month-old Jessica McClure was pulled from an abandoned well in Midland, Texas, after being trapped for more than two days. The effort to rescue “Baby Jessica” captured national attention. OCT. 17 1777: British Gen. John Burgoyne surrendered to American forces at Saratoga, New York, in a turning point of the Revolutionary War. 1931: Mobster Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion in Chicago and later sentenced to 11 years in prison. 1989: A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Northern California, killing 63 people and causing up to $10 billion in damage. The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the Battle of Hastings, fought Oct. 14, 1066, when William the Conqueror’s Norman forces defeated the English.
OCT. 16 Actor Fernanda Montenegro is 97. Actor Barry Corbin is 86. Actor-director Tim Robbins is 68. Rock musician Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 64. Filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan is 64. Actor Terri J. Vaughn is 57. Singer John Mayer is 49. OCT. 17 Singer Gary Puckett is 84. Actor-musician Michael McKean is 79. Former astronaut
AMY HARRIS / INVISION VIA AP PHOTO
Singer Daryl Hall turns 80 on Sunday. Mae Jemison is 70. Country singer Alan Jackson is 68. Animator-filmmaker Mike Judge is 64. Reggae singer Ziggy Marley is 58. Musician Wyclef Jean is 57. Golf Hall of Famer Ernie Els is 57. Rapper Eminem is 54.
PUBLIC DOMAIN / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Blues legend turns 90, celebrated at sold-out Radio City Music Hall show John Mayer, Derek Trucks and more showed up for “Buddy’s Got the Blues” By Hillel Italie The Associated Press NEW YORK — Two months past his 90th birthday, Buddy Guy is still up for a little bragging, a lot of cursing and a long night of partying. The blues great was celebrated last Thursday night with a sold-out show at Radio City Music Hall in New York, where a lineup of guest musicians and a house band led by Rolling Stones drummer Steve Jordan had the audience on its feet for much of the three-hour-plus “Buddy’s Got the Blues” concert. Guy was only on-stage part of the time, but his name was heard throughout and his spirit always present. One of the last of the Chicago bluesmen who thrived in the mid-20th century, Guy has become so much the ideal of the genre that musi-
cians didn’t need to perform his songs to summon his legend. John Mayer, with an ache in his voice on Otis Redding’s “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember,” and Eric Gales and Joe Bonamassa jamming on the Jimmy Reed standard “Baby What You Want Me to Do,” seemed as fitting as Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks reviving an old Guy-Junior Wells favorite, “Messin’ with the Kid.” But no one was going to top the guest of honor. Guy, wearing a dark cap, dark pants and a polka-dot shirt, opened the show with a long, raunchy acoustic workout of John Lee Hooker’s “I’m in the Mood” and only seemed to get friskier after bringing out his electric guitar. He leered and joked with longtime friend Shemekia Copeland on a duet of “Rock Me Baby,” left no doubt about the meaning of “to buzz all night long” in Slim Harpo’s “I’m a King Bee” and carried on a lot more when joined by one of his few contemporaries, Bob-
CHARLES SYKES / INVISION VIA AP
Susan Tedeschi, Shemekia Copeland, Bobby Rush, Buddy Guy, Gary Clark Jr., John Mayer, Derek Trucks and others perform at “Buddy’s Got the Blues: A 90th Birthday Concert Celebration” at Radio City Music Hall in New York last Thursday. by Rush, just a month away from his 93rd birthday. Everyone came on at the end for an all-out, self-fulfilling “Got My Mojo Workin.’” Guy is still making plans. His team announced this week that he has a new album out next year, produced by Jordan and featuring multi-instrumentalist Ivan Neville, bassist Willie Weeks and others who played at Radio City Music Hall. Guy didn’t seem at first to
have a lot on his mind last Thursday besides the next double entendre or the next profanity. “Help me f--k up this song,” he liked to call out. But the tributes offered by the younger performers and the presence of Rush, who testified that he would have walked from Mississippi just to be here, left him moved and near tears. “I didn’t think this many people would be coming out for a 90-year-old man,” Guy said, af-
“This is the greatest day I ever had in my life.” Buddy Guy ter confiding he didn’t have the strength to blow out that many “f--kin’ candles” on the cakes brought out at the end. “This is the greatest day I ever had in my life.”
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Stanly News Journal for Sunday, October 11, 2026
Keefe’s ‘London Falling’ picked as finalist for nonfiction Baillie Gifford prize
Community
The winner will be announced Nov. 4 at a ceremony in London
COMFORT, CARE &
The Associated Press
At Taylor House, residents enjoy private rooms, daily meals, housekeeping, and activities in a warm, family-style setting.
CALL (704) 982 - 4217 TO SCHEDULE A TOUR
MANUEL BALCE CENETA / AP PHOTO
Author Patrick Radden Keefe testifies at a House Oversight Committee hearing on Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family in Washington, D.C., on June 8, 2021.
“It is an eclectic list united by stories of people navigating a world full of conflict as well as hope.” Kirsty Lang, journalist and panel chair Story of Revolution” rounds out the list. Journalist Kirsty Lang, who is chairing the judging panel, said, “There is something for everyone: a romantic nov-
elist, a civil rights activist, an 18th-century explorer, an ancient king, the Syrian revolution told from the ground up, and a dark portrait of contemporary London. “It is an eclectic list united by stories of people navigating a world full of conflict as well as hope.” Founded in 1999, the prize recognizes English-language books in current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts. It has been credited with bringing an eclectic slate of fact-based books to a wider audience.
Depeche Mode fans flock to Prague’s Charles Bridge to recreate 1988 band photo The British group appealed to fans of goth, New Wave and electro-rock By Karel Janicek The Associated Press PRAGUE — A constant eye-catching queue that forms daily at a sculpture on Prague’s Charles Bridge has become a new feature of the 14th-century landmark. Tourists have long flocked to the bridge over the Vltava River to visit the statue of St. John of Nepomuk. Now, visitors are lining up at the nearby Pietà sculpture to recreate an iconic 1988 photograph of music icons Depeche Mode. The British electro-rock band first crossed the Iron Curtain in March 1988 to play a historic concert in Prague, then the capital of communist Czechoslovakia. They returned that November with renowned Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn, who captured them exploring the city for photographs that later appeared in his book, “Depeche Mode: Strangers.”
One black-and-white image has a particular appeal for fans: Dave Gahan and Martin Gore standing beside the Pietà sculpture. Fans have been making the pilgrimage for years, but photographs of a mass gathering on the bridge between the band’s Prague concerts in 2024 appear to have helped fuel a modern-day boom. Currently, the photo recreated by the visiting fans is trending with millions of views on social media. Jorge Sanchez, from California, and his wife were among the recent visitors. “Well, I remember seeing the picture from way back, and then I kind of remember, and I looked it up, and I learned that it was here, so I wanted to make sure I took a picture,” Sanchez said. “I think it fit at the time, you know, with their music, you know, and their message and their music with your personal Jesus and all of that, so it’s kind of fitting.” Maria Hofer and Lara Hinteregger came from Austria. “We just saw this on Pinterest or on TikTok, and it’s kind
“It’s kind of one of the most famous pictures you can take here in Prague, so, we wanted to do it as well.”
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Maria Hofer, Depeche Mode fan of one of the most famous pictures you can take here in Prague,” Hofer said. “So we wanted to do it as well,” Hofer said. “Yeah, and we also like the vibe of the music. We feel like it fits the vibe of the city pretty well,” Hinteregger added. St. John Nepomuk was tortured to death at the request of King Wenceslas IV in 1393 because he refused to violate the seal of the confession and reveal to him the sins of his wife. His dead body was thrown into the river from Charles Bridge. It is said that touching the polished engravings of the event placed at the pedestal of the Nepomuk statue will bring luck and ensure a return to Prague.
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PETR DAVID JOSEK / AP PHOTO
Jorge Sanchez of Los Angeles holds a 1988 photo of Depeche Mode while waiting to recreate it near Prague’s Charles Bridge on Sept. 24.
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LONDON — The true story of a teenager who died after being caught up in the shadowy world of London’s superrich is among six finalists announced Thursday for Britain’s leading nonfiction book prize. “London Falling” by Patrick Radden Keefe is on the shortlist for the 50,000-pound ($67,000) Baillie Gifford Prize. The New Yorker magazine writer won the prize in 2021 for “Empire of Pain,” his book about the Sackler pharmaceutical family and its role in unleashing America’s opioid crisis. The biography-heavy list of finalists includes Nicholas Boggs’ “Baldwin: A Love Story,” about the American writer James Baldwin; Matthew Sweet’s biography of romance novelist Barbara Cartland, “The Great Dictator”; Edmund Richardson’s study of Alexander the Great, “Alexander: God, King, Man”; and Andrea Wulf’s “The Traveler,” about the 18th-century naturalist and explorer George Forster. Anand Gopal’s Syrian saga “Days of Love and Rage: A
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Stanly News Journal for Sunday, October 11, 2026
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