North State Journal — Vol. 1., Issue 54

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 54

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www.NSJONLINE.com |

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

“We are proud people. We are determined people.

We have a goal of making Princeville great again.” Bobbie Jones, mayor of Princeville

PHOTOS BY MADELINE GRAY AND CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

the weekend News Briefing State legislature to send its first bill to Gov. Cooper Raleigh The N.C. legislature is preparing to send it’s first bill to Gov. Roy Cooper. In a final vote expected early next week, the N.C. Senate is expected to pass a bill that was already passed by the House. The measure would shrink the size of the UNC Board of Governors by 25 percent, from 32 to 24 board members. The bill passed the Senate after Republicans turned down Democrats’ amendment that would have set quotas on member political affiliations and alma maters. The board would be reduced over three years as members’ terms expire.

Trump nominates Acosta as his new labor secretary pick Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump on Thursday announced former National Labor Relations Board member R. Alexander Acosta as his new choice to lead the U.S. Department of Labor. The announcement came a day after his original pick, businessman Andrew Puzder, withdrew under congressional pressure.

Also on Thursday the U.S. Senate narrowly confirmed S.C. congressman Mick Mulvaney to serve as Trump’s White House budget director in a 51-49 vote that largely followed party lines.

GOP to introduce Obamacare repeal/replace Washington, D.C. House Republicans say they will file a bill that repeals and replaces the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, when they return from next week’s recess.

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said the Congressional Budget Office is estimating the cost of the bill.

The announcement comes after Humana announced on Tuesday that it will pull out of the ACA marketplace in 2018. It also follows a report Tuesday that total U.S. medical spending in 2017 is estimated to rise 5.4 percent to $3.36 trillion after a 4.8 percent spending uptick in 2016. The ACA was aimed to chip away at soaring health care spending, but data shows costs are still rising.

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

Trump meets with retailer to talk taxes, imports CEOs of Target, Best Buy and other big chains sat down for high level tax talks at the White House

By Ginger Gibson Reuters WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump this week called tax code revisions a critical way to boost the nation’s economy as he kicked off a White House meeting with chief executive officers of Target, Best Buy and six other major retailers.

The retailers spoke with Trump about an overhaul of the corporate tax law and infrastructure improvements. While companies like Best Buy and Target support changes to the tax code, they urged Trump to oppose a proposal for a new border tax on imported goods.

The border tax is among sweeping changes proposed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. Convincing Trump to oppose the measure would probably bring an end to it.

Trump had said on Thursday that he would announce his own “phenomenal” tax plan in the coming weeks. U.S. stocks hit record intraday highs, and the U.S. dollar and bond yields rose.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Trump said work on a tax plan was going “really well” but gave no details except to say it would simplify the tax code.

The meeting included Target’s Brian Cornell, Best Buy’s Hubert See TRUMP, page A2

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Princeville moves from rising waters to rebuilding a town

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal RINCEVILLE — Established by freed slaves after the Civil P War, Princeville was settled on

an unwanted flood plain. When Hurricane Matthew ripped through the state in October 2016, Princeville was once again underwater only 17 years after the last major flood.

“In 1999, I was in denial. I didn’t think the town would flood and when officials asked us to evacuate, I didn’t,” said Mayor Bobbie Jones.

“The day after the Hurricane Floyd, water had risen to thigh level and I couldn’t get out. I waited too late,” he continued. “A helicopter came to get me.”

“This time, the evacuation was mandatory when Hurricane Matthew came,” said Jones. “The flood of 1999 helped prepare us for the flood of 2016. We were well-coordinated, organized and we didn’t lose a life in Princeville.”

President Donald Trump speaks as Marvin Ellison, left, chief executive officer of JCPenney, and Jill Soltau, the chief executive officer of Jo-Ann Fabrics, listen during a meeting of the Retail Industry Leaders Association and member company CEOs.

The elevation of Princeville is 30 feet. The dike protecting the town stands at 37 feet.

When hurricanes reach landfall in Edgecombe County, the Tar River, though picturesque and silent, brings rising water causing massive destruction to this low-lying town.

In 1999, water rose to 42 feet and engulfed the entire town. In 2016, water rose to 36 feet, one foot shy of the dike’s peak. While the dike held, water entered the town where the dike tapers off, flooding pockets of Princeville which included Main Street, Town Hall, the Senior Center and Princeville Elementary School.

“We are proud people. We are determined people. We have a goal of making Princeville great again,” said Jones.

Following the flood, residents were dispersed to shelters, hotels, or homes of friends and family.

“With every flood people move See PRINCEVILLE, page A3

NC Senators want to cap income tax constitutionally Senate Bill 75 would offer a statewide referendum to voters on whether to add a constitutional amendment capping the income tax level at 5.5 percent

By Jeff Moore North State Journal

Joshua Roberts | REUTERS

5

Sitting adjacent to the Tar River, the Town of Princeville, the oldest town chartered by blacks in America, has long been inundated with flooding since its inception as natural disasters routinely plague Eastern North Carolina

RALEIGH — After several successful years of passing tax reform legislation aimed at expanding the tax base and lowering rates, some Republicans in the N.C. Senate are looking to lock in their gains via constitutional amendment. The state constitution already contains an amendment limiting the rate to 10 percent, but Senate Bill 75 would allow for a referendum on whether or not to lower the cap on income tax rates by almost half that to 5.5 percent.

Sen. Andrew Brock (R-Davie),

a primary sponsor of the bill, said recent economic shifts highlighted the downsides of over reliance on income taxes and a lowered cap would help ensure the lesson is learned.

“It’s currently capped at 10 percent and we saw during the recession that dependence upon the income tax is not a good source for revenue,” said Brock. “It’s counterproductive to tax people on their productivity. Most economist will say you want to stay away from the income tax as much as possible.”

Stay away they have, as Republican majorities have slashed personal income tax rates down to 5.4 percent since achieving legislative majorities in 2010, marking a significant departure from tax structures and trends of the last several decades.

North Carolina first enacted the personal income tax in 1921, ranging from 3 to 7 percent on a See AMEND, page A3

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

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02.18.17

Wayne Goodwin

Robin Hayes

TRUMP from page A1

Chairman of the N.C. Democratic Party Before election as chairman, Wayne Goodwin served four terms in the N.C. House and served two terms as N.C. Insurance Commissioner, before being defeated for re-election in November 2016.

Chairman of the N.C. Republican Party

Joly, Gap’s Art Peck, Autozone’s William Rhodes, Walgreens Boots Alliance’s Stefano Pessina, J.C. Penney’s Marvin Ellison, Jo-Ann Stores’ Jill Soltau and Tractor Supply’s Gregory Sandfort.

“We stressed the importance of taking a thoughtful approach to tax reform for both individuals and corporations,” Rhodes said after the meeting.

The group also met with the heads of the two tax-writing congressional committees, Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Brady and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) are leading the push to cut the corporate income tax to 20 percent from 35 percent, impose a 20 percent tax on imports and exclude export revenue from taxable income.

Companies that rely heavily on imports, such as retailers, automakers and refiners, say House Republicans’ border tax would outweigh the benefit of a lower headline corporate tax. Critics also say the tax would lead to higher consumer prices for imported products.

Retailers have become the most vocal opponents to the proposal, saying a 20 percent tax on imported goods would cause prices to increase for consumers and erase

Before serving as party chairman Robin Hayes served two terms in the N.C. House and as U.S. congressman from North Carolina’s 8th District.

“Elevate the conversation” Catch your favorite NSJ staffers on TV and radio regularly on these broadcasts: Front Row with Marc Rotterman and Donna King UNC-TV Friday at 8:30 p.m.

NC Channel, Friday at 9:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

The Chad Adams Show Opinion Editor Drew Elliot Mondays at 10 a.m. chadadamsshow.com.

99.9 The Fan Sports Editor Will Brinson Reporter’s Roundtable, Time-Warner Cable News Capital Reporter, Jeff Moore Tuesdays at 7 p.m.

Visit North State Journal online! nsjonline.com jonesandblount.com nsjsports.com carolinabrewreview.com chickenbonealley.com

We stand corrected To report an error or a suspected error, please email: corrections@nsjonline.com with “Correction request” in the subject line.

North State Journal (USPS PP 166) (ISSN 2471-1365) Neal Robbins Publisher Donna King Managing Editor Drew Elliot Opinion Editor Will Brinson Sports Editor Jennifer Wood Features Editor Published each Wednesday and Saturday by North State Media, LLC 819 W. Hargett Street, Raleigh, N.C. 27603 TO SUBSCRIBE: 866-458-7184 or online at nsjonline.com Annual Subscription Price: $100.00 Periodicals Postage Paid at Raleigh, N.C. and at additional mailing offices.

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State political parties chart a post-election course November 2016 voter turnout:

With November elections barely in the rear view mirror, N.C. Republicans and Democrats are taking stock and planning for 2018 and 2020.

78%

By Donna King North State Journal

of registered Republicans voted

68%

of registered Democrats voted

63%

of registered independents voted

ALEIGH — Former N.C. Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin was R elected last week by a wide margin to head

the N.C. Democratic Party. He succeeds outgoing chairman Patsy Keever, leading the party after a year in which Democrats claimed the Executive Mansion, but failed to deliver N.C. for Hillary Clinton or stop a veto-proof Republican majority from returning to Raleigh. Goodwin told members of the state party after his election that his goal is to help Gov. Roy Cooper fulfill his policy agenda.

“Republicans in the legislature have taken every opportunity to squelch the will and the votes of our people, and have tried restricting and restraining our governor and our Democratic Party, a party that represents more North Carolinians than any other,” he said on his campaign site. “We’re entering a cycle where Republicans for the time control the legislative branch and have a majority on the Council of State, but have a Democrat as governor. ... We are in a unique time.”

This week, NCGOP Chairman Robin Hayes said he too is ready to get the post-election machine running, announcing he will seek re-election to his post at the helm of the state Republican party.

Hayes also said he will focus on combating what he called “ballot insecurity,” voter fraud and getting party affiliations indicated on the ballot for upcoming judicial races, something he believes contributed to the defeat of incumbent N.C. Supreme Court Justice Bob Edmunds.

“Just as you, I am heartbroken we lost the governor’s race, by the narrowest of margins,” said Hayes in his letter. “Moving forward, we must mount a full-time effort to counter the radical left protest movement and their cheerleaders in the media.

I am taking, along with our staff, a very

aggressive stance against the radical protesters, exposing their motives, funders and goals while publicly fighting the media bias that allows them to flourish.”

Both N.C. political parties engaged million of volunteer hours and dollars to reach their voters over the last year. Republicans report their volunteers knocked on 2.3 million doors and made 2.8 million phone calls to get Republican voters to the polls for their candidates. It worked: Republicans turned out at a 10 percent higher rate than registered Democrats or Independents.

In the Rolesville meeting where he was elected to a two-year term as chairman, Goodwin told representatives of the state party that one of his goals is to reconnect with registered Democrat voters who did not cast a ballot in November.

While both chairmen appear optimistic about the energy and commitment within their party, many are reporting an army of volunteers that are battle-worn after a highly charged campaign season and protests that are a near weekly occurrence, even after the election. With near-daily visits from Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, get-out-the-vote efforts and event coordination was a major focus of the state parties over the last year. In the end N.C. went for Republican Donald Trump.

One of the challenges facing both leaders are funding issues. Asking for continued volunteer and financial support from party members, Hayes revealed in his letter that the state party had been in such a financial bind when he took over that it was three weeks away from having to close its door for lack of funding. He assured supporters the party is back on strong financial footing due to aggressive fundraising and donations.

Also struggling financially, the N.C. Democrats were rumored last year to be considering selling their historic Hillsborough Street office building. Goodwin made a part of his campaign for chairman a promise to boost fundraising to the Democratic Party.

Goodwin takes office effective immediately and Hayes will face re-election at the Republican party’s state convention in June. Working to boost grassroots enthusiasm in their parties, both chairman know that the 2017 work wins 2018 and 2020 elections.

“Tax reform is one of the best opportunities to influence our economy.”

— President Donald Trump any profits the companies currently make. Nearly all of the nation’s clothing, shoes and electronics are imported into the United States, as well as foods that cannot be grown domestically, like coffee and palm oil.

The largest U.S. electronics retailer, Best Buy, for example, has circulated a flyer to lawmakers, which cites an analyst forecast that a 20 percent tax would wipe out the company’s projected annual net income of $1 billion and turn it into a $2 billion loss.

Trump has voiced some concern about the House tax proposal, calling it “too complicated.” But the White House also has said a border tax on goods from Mexico is one option under review to pay for a wall along the nation’s southern border.

Since the 1994 implementation of NAFTA, trade between Mexico and the United States has risen more than six fold. Each country exported about $40 billion to the other in 1993. Last year the U.S. imported $294 billion in goods from Mexico and exported $231 billion back, U.S. Census data show.

“Tax reform is one of the best opportunities to influence our economy,” Trump said in brief opening remarks that included no mention of the border tax idea.

The prospect of a big import tax is also pitting large U.S. companies against one another. A group of major exporters, including Boeing, General Electric and Pfizer, has formed a coalition to support the import tax.

ing 3,000+ school profiles includ er, and traditional public, public chart in state private schools participating scholarship programs.

Explore school options with the new NCSchoolsAroundMe web app!

NCSchoolsAroundMe.com | (888) 858-3707

A special project of:

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

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PHOTOS BY MADELINE GRAY AND CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

A rebirth from the water Above, Princeville residents, some who are still living in hotels, work to rebuild their community on Feb. 13, 2017, after flooding caused by Hurricane Matthew destroyed much of the town in October 2016.

Left, Princeville Mayor Bobby Jones at the old Town Hall that was destroyed by flooding caused by Hurricane Matthew.

PRINCEVILLE from page A1 away from Princeville and people move back to Princeville,” said Jones. “I expect people to do the same this time around.”

In 1999, the population was 2,100. In 2016, the population was 2,200.

Based upon assessments by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state of North Carolina, there is an estimated $1.5 million in damage to townowned properties, said Jones.

Following Floyd, President Bill Clinton created a new council to draw up a plan to more adequately protect the town. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers drafted an extensive construction plan that is still awaiting funding from Congress. The plan last appeared in a 2015 feasibility report.

For Princeville, upgrading the dike is critical. The town was given projected estimates for the upgrade by state and federal government as totaling $22 million.

Since the flood, there has been speculation and discussion around the state as to whether Princeville will rebuild or move the town. Jones sets the record straight.

“We will rebuild,” said Jones.

“The heart of Princeville is to stay where it is. Our ancestors’ blood, sweat and tears built this town. If we move, what does that say about the sacrifice and work of the freed slaves who established us?”

Rebuilding takes time. Of the 2,200 residents displaced, Jones estimates that 60 percent of the population has returned to their homes. Many are still living in hotels and FEMA trailers as they rebuild their lives, homes and sense

AMEND from page A1 progressive scale. Then, property and sales taxes made up the majority of tax revenues, with the income tax only representing approximately 10 percent of tax receipts in 1957.

Brackets were added and top rates raised during the 1990s and 2000s until rates topped 8 percent and made up more than a third of state tax revenues.

As the economy turned down sharply in 2008 and 2009, income tax receipts followed, leaving the state government in an unenviable fiscal situation as liabilities soared

Below, Josiah Martin, 21, of Pennsylvania builds subflooring in a home that was ruined by flooding after Hurricane Matthew.

Volunteers from across the country, including some from Mennonite Disaster Service, have been in Princeville since the fall to help clean and rebuild houses.

of community. Rebuilding doesn’t come without struggle.

“When you go through this, there will be something good in it, but you have no control,” said resident Mike Graham. “All around me there is hurting. I feel other people’s pain. I feel my pain.

When you don’t know where you’re going, when your family will be all right — there’s no control — I can’t make sandwiches every day, wash my own clothes, or stand at the sink and wash my dishes.”

“I try to be strong, but it’s tear­ ing me down,” he added. “I can’t let my wife see me like this.

I’m the man. I’m supposed to be the strong one. I gotta show my kids and grandkids that it will be OK. I keep telling them that, but I don’t know that.”.

Graham and his family have been living in the Quality Inn Hotel in Tarboro since October.

They are waiting on a FEMA trailer.

“We have a small tax base. If our people can’t rebuild, then our population decreases,” said Jones.

The N.C. Works Disaster Relief Employment Grant provides funding for programs to provide temporary jobs to North Carolinians who have become unemployed as the result of a natural disaster. The purpose of these jobs is to assist local recovery efforts through clean up and repair.

Graham is one of many Princeville residents able to take part in this program. He works for both the Quality Inn and the Distribution Center.

“In rebuilding lives, we have to rebuild the whole person, the whole person mentally, spiritually, physically and financially,” Jones said.

and collections sank.

In recent years the trend was reversed as Republicans took control, aggressively ratcheting down rates and expanding sales taxes.

“It keeps us from being heavily dependent upon it, which it is not only bad for our economy it’s bad for our state budget as well,” said Brock. “We’re trying to set up a win-win-win situation for the least amount of impact on individuals, the smallest impact possible on business, and then basically some steady consistent streams of revenue for the government to keep key operations going.”

See more accounts of the town trying to rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Matthew in the Good Life section.

Should S.B. 75 pass the legislature and the referendum succeed, the constitutional amendment may also serve to cement the legacy of former state senator and tax hawk Bob Rucho (R-Mecklenburg).

Rucho was perhaps the biggest champion of Republican-led tax reform efforts and consistently advocated for chipping away at income tax rates until they were eliminated altogether.

“Sen. Rucho, he was the tip of the spear for tax reform in North Carolina and we owe a great deal of thanks to him,” said Brock of his former chamber mate. “One

thing about it is it takes a while to get complete reform in place, and I think if we can keep expanding the base and lowering the rates then hopefully we can have it one day where it’s zero-zero.”

Corporate income tax rates have also come down considerably in recent years, and their contribution to total tax receipts has dwindled as well, so might the General Assembly cap that rate as well?

“For the corporate income tax I think that without an amendment it’s going to go away, and we’re looking at how to wean ourselves off that,” said Brock.

The ability for current lawmakers to bind future legislatures on issues such as tax rates is very limited, a fact demonstrated by the Republicans’ tax reforms, but S.B. 75 is one way to have a lasting effect on the policy of the General Assembly for years to come.

“We think by having that amendment out there on the tax level that that will send a clear signal to future legislative bodies that you need to keep it low, [income tax] is not beneficial it actually hurts the economy, and we need to make sure we lock it in place and it doesn’t go up.” said Brock.

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

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Murphy Mission Hospital

to

Wake Forest University Medical Center

February is American Heart Month Designated by the American Heart Association, February marks American Heart Month. For both men and women, heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death, and strikingly 1 in 4 deaths per year are caused by heart disease. It’s a scary subject, but all Americans are susceptible to the risks. Heart disease can be prevented by healthy choices and preventative care. N.C. is filled with nationally recognized heart centers, some that rank among the top in the nation.

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

Jones & Blount

Manteo

jonesandblount.com @JonesandBlount

Cone Health Heart and Vascular Center

Winston-Salem

NC House votes to make class size more flexible

Greensboro

Asheville

Duke University Hospital

♥

Mission Hospital has been recognized by Truven Health Analytics as a “Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospital” 10 times, most recently in 2016, one of only two hospitals in the Carolinas to ever gain this recognition. Compared to 1,000 other heart programs throughout the nation, Mission Hospital consistently performs in the top 2 percent within four categories by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center

WakeMed Health Hospital Raleigh

New Hanover Regional Medical Center

Wilmington

New Hanover Regional Medical Center is home to the largest concentration of board-certified cardiologists in southeastern North Carolina. The Cardiology Center treats a number of issues from heart failure to palpitations and blockages. The NHRMC - Outpatient Services building includes NHRMC Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.

Moore Regional Hospital Pinehurst

By Jeff Moore North State Journal

Durham

Duke University is one of the leading cardiology centers in the nation, treating more than 65,000 people with heart disease each year. Many of the nation’s leading cardiology specialists are staffed at the hospital. The Duke Division of Cardiology is one of the largest in the country, specializing in patient care, teaching and research. The day the center reached 25 years, it marked 1,000 heart transplants.

Charlotte

UNC Hospitals Chapel Hill

UNC Rex Hospital Raleigh

PIEDMONT

west Banner Elk gets new theatre troupe Avery County The theatre troupe Ensemble Stage just moved from Blowing Rock to the historic Banner Elk school. The troupe will give performances throughout the year as well as set up permanent residence. The partnership with the Town of Banner Elk will include improvements to the school that will come from funds in the lease agreement. The school, built in 1939, is owned by the town and home to the Banner Elk Book Exchange and offices for a lifestyle magazine.

Banner Elk Tourism News

Schools reach full capacity Macon County Elementary schools in Macon County are near or over capacity with administrators seeking a solution. A potential $1.6-million expansion could help free up classroom space, but has been described as a “drop in the bucket” with requests for capital projects from principals reaching $14 million. County commissioners will be discussing the improvement requests over the next months as they prepare a 2017-18 budget.

Smoky Mountain News

Small earthquake reported Swain County A small, 2.1 magnitude earthquake was reported shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday in Bryson City. The earthquake followed another one that registered as a 1.7 magnitude and occurred a day earlier in Great Falls, S.C. Fox8 WGHP

Six charged after $3 million worth of marijuana seized Buncombe County A shipment of 2,300 pounds of marijuana was found Tuesday in a van at an Asheville home. The marijuana was valued at $3 million.

Law enforcement received information a large shipment was expected in the area. Six people were each charged with two felony counts of conspiracy to traffic marijuana, and two of the six lived at the home where the marijuana was seized.

CNBC

Chamber of Commerce conference picks Salisbury Rowan County The Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives selected Salisbury for their management conference April 26-28. Meetings will be held at the Historic Salisbury Depot and will include national and regional speakers on best practices for chambers. The Rowan County Chamber as well as Convention and Visitors Bureau have been working for years to bring the event to Salisbury, and more than 120 visitors are expected.

Salisbury Post

Lexington Ponzi scheme founder gets 15-year prison term Davidson County Paul Burks, 70, was sentenced Monday by a federal judge to three concurrent prison sentences of 14 years and eight months. Burks was the founder of ZeekRewards.com, one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history with more than 800,000 victims worldwide in the $939-million scam.

Winston-Salem Journal

Plane hits deer on takeoff, makes emergency landing Mecklenburg County An American Airlines plane leaving Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Wednesday had to make an emergency landing after striking a deer on the runway while taking off. Fuel began leaking from the plane, which quickly made an emergency landing so all 44 passengers and four crew members could evacuate safely. While large animal strikes are uncommon, the airport includes many fenced acres of undeveloped land.

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EAST

Girl Scout Council nominates Kinston teen to represent North Carolina

N.C. shrimpers say new rules will destroy industry New Hanover County Thousands signed a petition against a proposal that could impact commercial fishermen. The new rules, drafted by the state Marine Fisheries Commission with accordance to a petition by NC Wildlife Federation, reduce the size of trawler nets, limit time in the water, and limit shrimping to three days per week. Critics of the new rules say development on estuaries, not commercial fishing, is to blame for decline in fish stocks.

Business Insider WRAL

Alamance organization deemed a hate group

Troops return to Fort Bragg

Alamance County The Southern Poverty Law Center listed an Alamance County group, ACTBAC NC, on its online “hate map.” ATBAC, a Southern rights organization, formed in 2015 to ensure the Confederate Monument in Graham would not be removed. SPLC categorizes the group as “neo-Confederate.” Gary Williamson, ACTBAC’s founder, said it was “blasphemy,” and there’s nothing the group has done that expresses racism or hate.

Cumberland County Forty-four troops of the Combat Support Hospital were reunited with their families on Wednesday night. The soldiers were deployed for nine months, the first combat hospital for Operation Inherent Resolve, a coalition to defeat Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The soldiers established a Role 3 Hospital, and officials said the unit treated more that 1,500 patients made up of U.S and coalition troops, civilians and contractors.

Greensboro News & Record

Fayetteville Observer

Lenoir County Victoria Kosinski, a senior at Kinston High School, was named by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards as one of the top two North Carolina youth volunteers of 2017.

Kosinski was also a 2016 recipient of the Free Press 20 Under 40 Award.

For completion of her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouts, she taught a self-defense course and coordinated renovation of a new domestic violence shelter. She will travel to Washington, D.C., with a chance to be named as one of the top 10 youth volunteers in America.

Kinston Free Press

Beach widening projects announced for May Dare County Beach-goers and residents of Duck, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and possibly Southern Shores, were informed sections of the beach will be closed for widening projects. The project includes 1,000-foot stretches at a time from May to September as dredges pump offshore sand onto beaches.

Outer Banks Voice

RALEIGH — Among the bills moving through the N.C. House this week was H.B. 13, legislation that would give school districts more flexibility to meet average class size requirements issued as part of the most recent state budget. Instead of requiring schools to meet the exact number on the basis of average class size, administrators get a three student cushion in meeting the mandated average.

It passed the House unanimously Thursday on its way to the N.C. Senate, championed on the House floor by Rep. Chuck McGrady (R-Henderson).

“An unintended consequence of the mandate was that it took the flexibility in terms of spending money away from the LEA’s [Local Educational Agency] rather quickly, and frankly they couldn’t adjust that quickly to the change that was reflected in the budget,” said McGrady.

Due to lowered class size mandates, many districts were facing large costs for the construction of additional classrooms and personnel changes. Wake County, the state’s largest school district estimated that with out this bill they would need to build up to 400 additional classrooms and teachers at a cost of $64 million.

“In Henderson County the mandate would require schools to fire or remove from higher grades approximately 48 teachers and would probably require the the hiring of additional personnel which the county estimates would

cost about $2.5 million,” said McGrady.

The Henderson County Republican doesn’t typically focus on education issues, acknowledging as much when he spoke on the bill.

However, as the majority pushes initial pieces of 2017 legislation, those close to the majority’s agenda say that McGrady’s relationship with both sides of the aisle adds credibility to a bill that appears contrary to recent initiatives to lower class sizes statewide.

The discrepancy was not lost on House Minority Leader Rep. Darren Jackson (D-Wake), who spoke at length against what he called a false choice. He argued the state should fund the added costs for lowered class sizes outright before ultimately voting for the bill.

“My point in speaking was that the choice between higher class sizes and cutting the arts, music, PE, and other vital school services is a lose/lose situation,” said Jackson.

“If you support public education, there is no good outcome. I voted for H.B. 13 because it was the better of two bad options. ” Others, like Rep. Larry Yarborough (R-Roxboro) argued that the whole issue was unnecessary.

“I don’t know why we’re deciding class sizes in the state legislature,” said Yarborough. “It sounds like a good idea to have smaller class size but we end up needing to build more classrooms. We end up diluting the teachers down and going to quantity instead of quality in our teachers.”

Yarborough did vote for the bill because, “It does fix a problem that was caused by us monkeying around with the class size in the first place.”

H.B. 3 would add eminent domain protections to Constitution

By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — An eminent domain bill that saw limited action in previous legislative sessions is moving through the N.C. General Assembly, having passed the N.C. House of Representatives on Thursday. H.B. 3 is an act to amend the constitution to prohibit the condemnation of private property except for public use, restricting the abuse of eminent domain.

“It protects property rights, it ensures jury trial and just compensations are paid and I’d like to see that in our constitution,” said Rep. Chuck McGrady (R-Henderson) a primary sponsor of the bill.

Article I of the N.C. Constitution, Sec. 38 would be amended to read: “Private property shall not be taken by eminent domain except for a public use.

Just compensation shall be paid and shall be determined by a jury at the request of any party.”

If the bill passes the N.C. Senate and is signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper, the amendment would be put to North Carolina voters Nov. 6, 2018, asking if they are “For” or “Against” adding the language.

“Most of the people in this room have voted on this thing numerous times and they always had broad bipartisan support,” said McGrady on

the House floor Thursday. “I’m hoping we’ll be a little more successful in getting the senate to move on the bill.”

The issue came into sharper focus in 2005 when the United States Supreme Court decided in Kelo v. City of New London that the use of eminent domain to transfer property from one private owner to another private owner for economic development qualified as a “public use” in a landmark 5-4 decision. According to McGrady, having the right to a jury trial enshrined via constitutional amendment would protect citizens from the term “public use” being defined to broadly.

The bill received broad bipartisan support from the chamber, but a few House Democrats broke from their caucus in voting against the measure. One such vote came from House Minority Leader Rep. Darren Jackson (D-Wake) who thinks the amendment is unnecessary.

“I have consistently voted against amending our state constitution on a variety of matters,” said Jackson. “In my opinion, our state law already reflects this policy and is adequate to prevent things like what happened in the Kelo case from happening in NC. I don’t disagree at all with the policy or the law, only the need to have it enshrined in our state constitution.”

The bill has now been sent to the N.C. Senate for consideration.

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North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

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north STATEment Neal Robbins, publisher | Drew Elliot, opinion editor | Ray Nothstine, deputy opinion editor

EDITORIAL | Ray Nothstine

Moral march a far cry from civil rights legacy

Visual Voices

It’s only natural that activist organizations want to claim the moral authority and legacy of the American Civil Rights Movement. In many ways, that American movement carries with it a timeless model for civil disobedience and exacting change. Unfortunately, while possessing many good intentions, Moral Mondays and last Saturday’s Moral March in Raleigh make for a poor heir to that legacy.

While some of Saturday’s posture and symbolism mirrors historical civil rights activism, it fell woefully short on substance. In his Raleigh address, Rev. William J. Barber II proclaimed that Moral Monday is akin to civil rights giants like the martyr Jonathan Daniels, or Fannie Lou Hamer and Rosa Parks. However, referring to a fellow Christian like the Rev. Franklin Graham as somebody who embodies “hate” and “heresy” is laughable.

Civil disagreements on political aims or the role of God in the public square is fine, but falsely tagging a Christian as heretical because he does not support your partisan legislative agenda makes for an impoverished witness. Would Barber call the late great The very notion of placing Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, the hero of the Birmingham Civil limits on governmental Rights Movement, “hateful” power is to expand the or heretical for opposing dignity of every human same-sex marriage?

Continuing to claim moral person. superiority by depicting the biblical narratives of deliverance with more government largess and programs only cheapens the true meaning of the Gospel’s timeless message. Calling other mainstream North Carolina politicians “racist” and “greedy extremists” for representing a different worldview only foments unhelpful division. It’s equally unhelpful to accuse Americans of wanting to replace Obamacare as doing so because they “despise a black president.” As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. so beautifully noted: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

Barber, of course, quoted King on Saturday, but King was enormously successful because he was always trying to expand his aims to an increasing number of Americans. He continually drew from the deep well of America’s founders, the rule of law, and the dominant Protestant language to convince people of his ideas.

In his famous 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech, King made no mention of contemporary figures, except for a reference to his children and the Alabama governor. The “I Have a Dream” speech and “Letter from Birmingham Jail” borrowed from many conservative ideas because he wished to convince the dominant white culture or those that opposed him to take his arguments seriously.

Barber should be applauded for injecting moral arguments and biblical language into debates, but he should strive to reach beyond the simple-minded arguments of linking limited government and conservatism to racism. After all, the very notion of placing limits on governmental power is to expand the dignity of every human person, elevating him or her above the power of the state.

Barber wants more North Carolinians to march with him and follow his big-government agenda. That’s fair enough, but he would be much more effective by curtailing the namecalling and harsh rhetorical stereotypes.

EDITORIAL | Drew Elliot

Who’s against property rights?

North Carolina’s property protections are not as straightforward as they ought to be.

On Thursday, the state House of Representatives passed an important bill.

House Bill 3 would put before voters a proposed amendment to the North Carolina constitution establishing that the government cannot take private property through eminent domain except for a public use, and with just compensation.

Additionally, the bill makes key statutory changes that narrow the scope of eminent domain from a taking for the “public use or benefit” to merely the “public use.” The removal of “benefit” is an attempt to ensure that eminent domain is used only for public roads, schools, utilities and the like, not economic development boondoggles.

These are good and necessary changes — and popular: the bill passed the House 104-9.

The amendment is necessary because North Carolina’s property protections are not as straightforward as they ought to be.

The North Carolina constitution states that a citizen cannot be “deprived of his life, liberty, or property” except “by the law of the land.” Not a word about compensation, or any limits on why the state can take away your property. In other

words, all it takes is one bad bill on Jones Street to force Granny off her homestead to make way for a shopping mall, nature center, etc. That’s a loophole big enough to build a greenway through.

Consider the recent state Supreme Court decision Kirby v. NCDOT, which struck down parts of the Map Act. Because there is no explicit constitutional protection, the unanimous opinion — while perfectly reasoned — had to pull from sources as varied as John Locke, James Madison, and state Supreme Court decisions to establish that compensation is required.

Cheers to the General Assembly for making the protection of property rights a priority, but there may be something else going on as well.

Recall those key statutory changes discussed above? By adding those into the bill, the legislature opened it up for a veto by Gov. Roy Cooper. Normally, a constitutional amendment proposal does not go to the governor, it becomes law after passing the General Assembly. But since H.B. 3 also makes statutory changes, Cooper’s veto pen will be in play.

Was that a mistake, or did lawmakers lay a

trap for the governor?

Cooper has proven no friend to private property rights. As attorney general, he defended the Map Act all the way to the Supreme Court. And remember, under the “Cooper Rule,” the attorney general was very clear that he defended only laws he personally thought were constitutional. (See H.B. 2, Voter ID, etc.) But it’s worse than that: when he was a member of the legislature, Cooper voted for the Map Act. Thus, he not only thought it constitutional, but good policy as well.

If H.B. 3 passes the Senate, Cooper will be forced to make a choice: veto a popular, bipartisan measure that puts citizens’ rights ahead of the government’s needs; or sign a bill that exposes him to charges of flip-flopping on property rights issues. Cooper will almost certainly choose the latter option, but it may be the that General Assembly Republicans are toying with him a little along the way.

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

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column | Garland Tucker

michael barone

Partisan lines stay fixed amid Trump turmoil

Photo courtesy of Senior Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz

Yale University President Peter Salovey at a public event in New Haven, Connecticut in 2016.

John C. Calhoun and Elihu Yale Perhaps Yale University itself will soon be known by another, more acceptable name.

On Feb. 11, Yale President Peter Salovey notified alumni that Yale University’s Calhoun College was no more. Reversing his earlier decision, Salovey caved in to the pressures of political correctness sweeping through American higher education.

Yale’s decision in 1931 to honor alumnus John C. Calhoun was never intended as a tribute to Calhoun’s defense of slavery. It was rather a recognition of his stature as a leading American political thinker, senator, and vice president. For much of Calhoun’s career, the tariff — not slavery — was the battleground issue of greatest national consequence.

Calhoun and his Jeffersonian cohorts feared an expanding federal government, which they knew would mean a bloated bureaucracy, abuses by the executive branch, and ever higher tariffs.

It was only after the Nullification Crisis of 1833 that Calhoun turned increasingly to a defense of slavery. Because Calhoun’s devotion to Jeffersonian principles became so identified with the defense of slavery and the ultimate dissolution of the union, many overlook his substantial contributions to constitutional history and political philosophy.

Modern historians have wrestled with how to evaluate Calhoun. His intellect was beyond dispute, and his honesty and consistency won the unqualified respect of his generation. On his death in 1850, Calhoun was widely eulogized throughout the South, of course, but the tributes of non-Southerners — even abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison — were more revealing.

Daniel Webster praised him as a “man of undoubted genius and of commanding talent.”

Yale’s action is just one of

many similar measures by which college administrators seek to cleanse the American scene of any history which does not comport with their sense of 21st century political correctness.

Recently, Williams College announced an inquiry into whether to remove their campus “Haystack Monument.” This marker commemorates the 1806 founding of the American Christian missionary movement.

Apparently there is rampant concern among Williams faculty that this is an oppressive commemoration of “religious imperialism.”

Princeton University has been convulsed by attempts to erase any memory of its most famous president, Woodrow Wilson. The segregationist policies of Wilson’s administration are the sole basis on which his whole career and contributions are to be judged.

On several campuses of the University of North Carolina, Charles B. Aycock’s name has recently been removed from buildings. Aycock was an early 20th century governor who had, for several generations, been hailed as the great “education governor.” However, because Aycock’s public education was tainted by the segregationist policies of his day, his name will no longer be remembered.

A recent op-ed piece noted the links between many important figures in Yale’s history and slavery. Included in that group was founder and namesake, Elihu Yale. Perhaps Yale University itself will soon be known by another, more acceptable name.

There have been demands that the University of Virginia banish patron saint Thomas Jefferson from the campus. At Washington and Lee University, a faculty member has proposed expunging

the names of “Washington” and “Lee” from the university. It goes on and on….

This is not a new dilemma.

Succeeding generations have always looked back on the past through the lens of current political consensus. This has never meant celebrating historical events or philosophies that have fallen into disrepute, but it has meant an ability to evaluate dispassionately and to appreciate the lives and achievements of historical figures by the standards of their own times.

Cicero saw the challenge — and the danger — clearly: “To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history.” These words pierce through the veil of today’s political correctness.

In this case, Calhoun was an undoubtedly flawed historical figure, but also one of real merit.

He deserves to be remembered for his contributions as well as his flaws.

Are we so hamstrung by our political correctness that we cannot stand with Henry Cabot Lodge, who spoke these words in 1910 at the dedication of Calhoun’s statue in the Capitol rotunda?: “His statue is here of right. He was a really great man, one of the great figures of our history…. There is no trace of the demagogue about him. He was a bold as well as deep thinker, and he had to the full the courage of his convictions.”

Garland S. Tucker III is chairman of Triangle Capital Corporation in Raleigh and author of “Conservative Heroes: Fourteen Leaders Who Changed America- Jefferson to Reagan.”

Publisher’s Note

The deadlines they are a-changin’ We want to hear from our readers about what we have done right and what we need to improve.

Welcome to the first weekend issue of the North State Journal. In the past few weeks, we have reached several of our goals as a publication, including our new printing process, weekend business section, and Wednesday issue. Each of these steps make us better as a publication and we hope makes readers happy. This week marks a shift in our publication date from Sunday to Saturday. This change serves two purposes.

First, a Saturday publication allows us to deliver to more people across the state on the same day.

Second, publishing on Saturday allows us to maintain a Friday night print deadline for our journalists so that the news they report gets to you in a timely manner.

We hope that you have noticed an even better North State Journal when it comes to the quality of our printing.

We recently moved to a new printing press and made improvements to our design and photo process to take advantage of our highquality paper and full-color pages.

The Wednesday issue of the North State Journal has allowed us to take a step forward in our news gathering.

As a weekly newspaper, our

editors felt the burden to tell the important stories for an entire week and to help you step into a new week. Now, we are able to focus on a Tuesday evening deadline to bring you important mid-week news, which allows the weekend issue to be less of a digest and more focused on lateweek news and weekend topics.

As we approach the end of our first year and close Volume 1 of the North State Journal, we want to hear from you about what we have done right and what we need to improve (email me directly at neal@northstatemedia.com). As with any new venture, the market and the stakeholders ultimately have their say regardless of best laid plans. Our recent changes are all part of what we believe our readers want: more business coverage, more publication days, and more same-day delivery locations.

We are committed to elevating the conversation in our state and we hope that you will continue to support our team by renewing your subscription in the weeks and months ahead.

Neal Robbins, from Asheboro, is publisher of the North State Journal.

Amid the turmoil of the first month of the Trump administration, with courts blocking his temporary travel ban and Michael Flynn resigning, the solid partisan divisions in the electorate remain in place.

In Congress, Republicans have almost unanimously supported administration policies and appointments (except for withdrawn Labor nominee Andy Puzder). Democrats have almost unanimously opposed them, casting more “nay” votes on cabinet nominees than at any time in memory.

The same thing is apparent in polls. Past new presidents have enjoyed honeymoon periods, with many opposition party voters giving them approval. Not so with Donald Trump.

The RealClearPolitics average of recent polls shows him with 44.9 percent approval and 49.5 percent disapproval.

Even the ban on travel from seven Middle Eastern countries elicits a similar response — though a 57 percent majority, according to a Fox News poll, rejects the belief held by many liberal columnists and some federal judges that it amounts to the “Muslim ban” that candidate Trump briefly advocated more than a year ago.

During the 2016 campaign, it was widely assumed that many Republicans would not vote for Trump. Some college-educated Republicans didn’t, but their numbers were offset by noncollege-educated whites who had previously voted Democratic. Many Trump voters have qualms about their candidate, but for the moment, they’re sticking with him.

They’re also standing by the GOP. Public opinion is more favorable to the Republican Party than it has been in years. That’s not because Democratic voters like it more, but because Republican voters who previously had some reservations about it have rallied to its standard.

Democrats are abandoning the advantage that an opposition typically has in off-year contest.

Meanwhile, Democratic politicians and, it seems, a large majority of Hillary Clinton voters remain totally disinclined to compromise with the candidate most had assumed she could easily beat. Some style themselves “the Resistance,” as if they were Frenchmen opposed to the Hitler-allied Vichy regime.

They seem to assume that vitriolic — and sometimes even violent or vulgar — opposition to Trump will turn around a critical mass of voters. That’s possible, if he is seen as producing bad results, but there’s little evidence it’s happened yet.

In the process, Democrats are abandoning the advantage that an opposition typically has in off-year contests, the fact that its candidates can adapt to local terrain while the president’s party is tethered to his persona and record, which may be unpopular as his actions reduce his appeal in one or another segment of the electorate.

That’s what Democrats did in 2006, with Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean’s 50-state organizational efforts and the recruitment by Rahm Emanuel and Chuck Schumer of moderate candidates in previously Republican-leaning congressional districts and states. Today’s Democrats, in contrast, seem bent on defeating in primaries incumbents and challenger candidates who make any bows to Trumpism.

That’s high-risk, given the political map.

The Senate seats up in 2018 were filled in Democratic 2006 and the Obama re-election year of 2012, and Democrats hold 25 to Republicans’ nine and have a chance to gain only two. Democrats must defend five seats in states Trump carried by double-digit percentages and five more he carried more narrowly, plus three more Clinton won by only 2 to 5 percent.

In the House, Democrats need a net gain of 24 seats for control. But thanks largely to demographics, with Democrats clustered in central cities, Trump carried 230 congressional districts, compared with Clinton’s 205.

Democrats are talking of targeting the 23 Republican-held districts carried by Clinton, 15 of which have large numbers of collegeeducated whites. They’ll have a test run in the April 18 special election to fill the Atlanta-area seat of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price; previously heavily Republican, it gave Trump only a 1.5 percent margin.

But will the rage exhibited in the streets of Brooklyn and Berkeley reverberate in Buckhead? It’s certainly not likely to help the 12 incumbent House Democrats defending districts carried by Trump.

Currently, both sides are sticking with the approach they employed in 2016. Events can change attitudes, but at the moment, it looks like uphill sledding for the side that lost narrowly — but decisively — in November.

Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime coauthor of The Almanac of American Politics.

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North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

Nation & WORLD

NEWS IN IMAGES

Shannon Stapleton | REUTERS

Rumor, a German shepherd and winner of Best In Show at the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, is fed steak at Sardi’s in New York.

Hezbollah says TrumpNetanyahu meet signaled end to Israeli-Palestinian negotiations Beirut Lebanese Hezbollah said on Thursday the outcome of President Donald Trump’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had effectively signaled an end to peaceful negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

“After what came out after the meeting between Netanyahu and Trump, I am not exaggerating if I say that yesterday there was a semi-official announcement of the death of the path of negotiations,” Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a live televised speech. Trump on Wednesday dropped a U.S. commitment to a two-state solution to the IsraeliPalestinian conflict.

Survival rates for extremely preterm babies improving in United States

U.S. health care costs to escalate over next decade: government agency

Harvard, MIT research institute holds on to gene-editing patent rights

Washington, D.C. The Trump administration on Wednesday proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act individual insurance market that insurers welcomed as a good start but that raised the possibility of higher out-of-pocket cost for consumers. President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have promised to scrap the 2010 health care law, often called Obamacare, that is a key legacy of Democrat Barack Obama’s presidency. But they are struggling to agree on a replacement for the law, which extended health insurance to 20 million Americans.

Durham The first decade of the 2000s saw a small but significant increase in the survival of extremely premature infants without early neurodevelopmental problems, according to a study of nearly 4,500 babies born at 11 U.S. medical centers. “We’ve seen a slight increase in the number of infants who survived without signs of impairment at 2 years of age,” chief author Dr. Noelle Younge of Duke University in Durham.

Washington, D.C. The cost of medical care in the United States is expected to grow at a faster clip over the next decade and overall health spending growth will outpace that of the gross domestic product, a U.S. government health agency said on Wednesday.

A report by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) cited the aging of the enormous baby boom generation and overall economic inflation as prime contributors to the projected increase in health care spending.

Boston The Broad Institute, a biological and genomic research center affiliated with MIT and Harvard, will keep valuable patents on a revolutionary gene-editing technology known as CRISPR, a U.S. patent agency ruled on Wednesday. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board in Alexandria, Va., rejected a claim by a rival team, associated with the University of California at Berkeley and University of Vienna in Austria, that they invented the technology first.

Transgender facilities access may be on the ropes H.B. 2, Supreme Court, Trump administration are all a part of the national battle over bathrooms

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

JOSHUA ROBERTS | REUTERS

EPA pick confirmed by Senate as White House seeks to limit regulations

By Timothy Gardner North State Journal WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to run the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday. Senators voted 52-46 to approve Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, whom Sen. John Barrasso, a Republican and the head of the chamber’s environment committee, said would reform and modernize the EPA. Republicans have said the agency has killed jobs in coal and in oil drilling by limiting emissions, and nearly all Republican senators voted for him and two Democrats from energy-producing states, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, approved Trump’s choice as well.

The rest of the Democrats and green groups objected, worried he will gut the agency, as the administration readies executive orders to ease regulation on drillers and miners. Pruitt is expected to be sworn in quickly and next Trump likely will issue executive orders to reshape the EPA, sources said.

Pruitt’s nomination was controversial in liberal circles. He sued the agency he intends to lead more than a dozen times while top prosecutor of his oil and gas producing state, and has expressed doubts about the human contribution to

Assistants of businessman Vitaly Yan-Vin-Tin (not pictured) work on a polyurethane and fibreglass sculpture of a dinosaur in Beryozovka, Russia.

Trump administration proposes stricter Obamacare rules

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt testifies before a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington.

Former N.C. environment official, Donald van der Vaart, in the running for a top spot on Pruitt’s leadership team

Ilya Naymushin | REUTERS

Amir Cohen | REUTERS

A man walks on a bridge crossing over the Besor stream on a rainy day, near Kibbutz Tze’elim in Israel’s southern Negev desert.

climate change. He also opposed former President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan that intended to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal- and natural gas-burning plants. The plan was put on hold by the U.S. Supreme Court after Oklahoma and 24 other states sued to block it.

Democrats held an all-night session on Pruitt Thursday, and tried to extend debate on Pruitt until late February, when emails between him and energy companies will likely be released under a judge’s order. An Oklahoma court ruled this week that Pruitt will have to turn over 3,000 emails between his office and energy companies by Tuesday after a watchdog group, the Center for Media and Democracy, sued for their release.

The confirmation comes after staff at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency revealed Wednesday that they have been told Trump is preparing a handful of executive orders to reshape the agency, to be signed once a new administrator is confirmed.

A senior EPA official who had been briefed by members of the Trump administration mentioned the executive orders at a meeting of staffers in the EPA’s Office of General Counsel on Tuesday, but did not provide details about what the orders would say, said the sources, who asked not to be named.

“It was just a heads-up to expect some executive orders, that’s it,” one of the sources said.

The second source said attendees at the meeting were told Trump would sign between two and five executive orders.

Trump administration officials did not respond to requests for comment.

Trump has promised to cut U.S. environmental rules as a way to bolster the drilling and coal mining industries, but has vowed to do so without compromising air and water quality.

The meeting came as Republicans in Congress prepare for a cold welcome for Pruitt at EPA. On Tuesday, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology, asked the EPA’s inspector general to investigate whether EPA staff were using encrypted messages to coordinate efforts to derail the new administration’s agenda, in possible violation of federal records laws.

Pruitt is expected to be sworn in quickly and top agency leadership choices may soon follow. One North Carolinian in the running is Donald R. van der Vaart, former secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. Van der Vaart is in the final vetting stage for deputy EPA administrator under Pruitt.

Van der Vaart earned his bachelor’s degree from UNC Chapel Hill, his master’s degree in chemical engineering from NC State, and a doctorate in the same field from Cambridge. He also holds a law degree from N.C. Central.

Supporters of van der Vaart say his reformist nature, and frequent criticism of federal environmental policy mandates, make him a good fit for a Trump administration intent on reducing government regulations.

RALEIGH — When voters put a Republican in the White House it may have had a cooling effect on the march toward making gender identity protected under Title IX rules, and N.C. is right in the center of that fight. The state’s controversial House Bill 2 is a part of a many-headed issue being debated in several states and nationally in the executive, legislative and judicial branches.

New Gov. Roy Cooper offered up what he says is a ”compromise” to repeal H.B. 2 this week.

The bill was not well-received by Republicans in the state legislature who said it was a retread of Democrats’ earlier ultimatums and doesn’t prevent men from entering women’s facilities.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice — now led

by President Donald Trump’s Attorney General Jeff Sessions — opted to step away from defending former President Barack Obama’s executive order that asserted a student’s gender identity would be considered that student’s sex in situations such as bathroom usage in public schools. The courts blocked the order and now Sessions’ DOJ says they won’t defend it.

Texas has also now joined the fray, with its own “bathroom bill,” Senate Bill 6, drawing criticism from celebrities and even the NFL, who hinted the Super Bowl — just played in Houston earlier this month — might not return to the state if the law was passed.

The issue is further complicated by the U.S. Supreme Court case regarding Gavin Grimm, a 17-year-old transgender student who sued his school board in Virginia for the right to use the boys’ bathroom. Grimm was born a female but identifies as male.

The high court is set to hear the case March 28, just eight days after confirmation hearings will begin for Judge Neil Gorsuch, President Donald Trump’s nominee to fill the vacant seat on the Supreme Court.

Gorsuch’s hearings and a Senate confirmation vote could carry in to April, meaning an

8 days after SCOTUS nominee

Neil Gorsuch's confirmation hearing begins on March 20 that the court will begin hearing key transgender case eight-judge court would decide on the Grimm case. A 4-4 deadlock would affirm the lower court ruling in favor Grimm’s wish to use the boys’ bathroom at his public school.

It’s also possible Gorsuch could be confirmed prior to arguments in the Grimm case, giving the court a more conservative tilt and perhaps leading to a different ruling. How the Supreme Court rules should set the tone for laws and transgender rights across the nation, including North Carolina.

“Protecting North Carolinians’ rights is the Attorney General’s top priority. That includes civil rights,” Laura Brewer, spokeswoman for new Attorney General Josh Stein, said in an email when asked how any ruling could impact how the N.C. Department of Justice approaches the issue.

Cooper’s office did not respond to an email asking how the new governor — who refused to defend H.B. 2 as attorney general last year — would address transgender rights given Sessions’ recent decision.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, much like former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, has been combative toward corporate critics of his state’s Senate Bill 6. Much like N.C.’s back and forth with the both the NBA and NCAA regarding H.B. 2, Abbott and the NFL have sparred about Texas’ proposed law.

“We don’t care what the NFL thinks and certainly what their political policies are because they are not a political arm of the state of Texas or the United States of America,” Abbott said.

“They need to learn their place in the United States, which is to govern football, not politics.”

As governor, McCrory — a Republican like Abbott — called decisions by the NBA to pull the All-Star Game from Charlotte last year and the NCAA to take seven championships from the state “selective hypocrisy.”

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

Camels from years past Former Campbell University basketball head coaches Danny Roberts, center, and Billy Lee, right, talk with Billy’s son Brooks Lee, left, after they were recognized during halftime of the game against Liberty University on Jan. 28, 2017 in Buies Creek. Roberts led the 1977 team to be the NAIA national runner-ups and Lee led the 1992 when they won Big South Conference championship.

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

the Saturday Sideline report

SPORTS

CBB

Longtime voice of Wolfpack Dillon dead at 91

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal

Former NC State announcer C.A. Dillon died at the age of 91, the school announced on Thursday. Dillon, who began his career calling games for the Wolfpack in 1946 at Thompson Gymnasium, called games for the entire length of the team’s tenure in Reynolds Coliseum (50 years) before retiring after the team moved to the PNC Arena. Dillon was called the “Soul of Reynolds Coliseum.”

B

golf

Tiger told to go ‘horizontal’ by doctors Tiger Woods received more bad news from his medical professionals this week, as doctors told the golfer to “stay horizontal” and not engage in a lot of physical activity.

Woods is attempting to make a comeback on the PGA Tour ahead of the major season (the Masters begin the first week of April) but is struggling with his health in mid-February.

Reports indicate he was having trouble even sitting down to eat, which is obviously not a great sign for the former No. 1 golfer in the world. Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg claimed “we’re not talking about an extended break” when discussing Tiger’s health, but it is difficult to imagine Woods rolling right back onto the golf course after dealing with his latest health issue. nfl

Panthers ink guard Silatolu to one-year deal The Carolina Panthers reupped on an old draft prospect on Friday, signing guard Amini Silatolu to a one-year deal for 2017, the team announced.

Silatolu, drafted with a secondround pick in 2012, battled injuries over the back end of his rookie contract before trying to latch on with the Bears last year. Chicago cut him and he spent 2016 out of football. He is expected to provide good depth for the Panthers on the interior. nfl

Steelers working on deal for Brown, tag for Bell?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are engaging in “priority” negotiations with wide receiver Antonio Brown according to GM Kevin Colbert. Brown came under fire in the playoffs for a video filmed in the locker room, but will likely be re-signed by the Steelers for a lot of money. Running back Le’Veon Bell is a strong candidate to receive the franchise tag, Colbert said. Bell is a free agent this offseason.

Memories remain fresh for Campbell’s two champion hoop teams

Eamon Queeney | North State Journal

NC State head coach Mark Gottfried reacts as Wolfpack forward AbdulMalik Abu (0) is fouled out in the second half of the game against Wake Forest at PNC Arena in Raleigh, Jan. 21, 2017.

Looking back at the rollercoaster ride of Gottfried’s Raleigh run Wolfpack officials announced Wednesday Gottfried will be fired at the end of the season after a 3-11 start in ACC play

By R. Cory Smith North State Journal RALEIGH — Most of Mark Gottfried’s tenure at NC State took place in close proximity to the State Fair, which is appropriate, because his time in Raleigh mostly felt like a rollercoaster ride.

Gottfried took over for former Wolfpack player Sidney Lowe and was handed a ton of talent in a group that included Lorenzo Brown, Richard Howell, Scott Wood and C.J. Leslie. The new coach got off to an 11-4 start entering ACC play. The Wolfpack started 4-1 in the conference, picking up an early pair of conference road wins — a rare achievement under Lowe — against Wake Forest and Miami.

The Wolfpack wasn’t much of a match for ranked teams like UNC,

Duke and Virginia, but Gottfried still steered the team to a 9-7 record prior to his first ACC Tournament in Atlanta. NC State made it all the way to the Semifinals, eventually losing to UNC again. More importantly, it led to NC State’s first berth in the NCAA Tournament in five years.

Then the real magic happened.

Gottfried’s team, an 11 seed in the Midwest Regional, took care of No. 6 San Diego State before stunning No. 3 seed Georgetown for the Wolfpack’s first Sweet 16 trip since 2004-05. The Wolfpack would fall, just barely, to eventual NCAA runner-up Kansas. The only thing bittersweet about the run? Kansas would beat a Kendall Marshall-less North Carolina team in the next round, making a hypothetical Final Four berth tantalizingly close for Wolfpack fans.

That was year one — Gottfried took a program desperately looking for success and turned it into a winning one.

See GottFried, page B8

UIES CREEK — At some point in the next few weeks, probably when the smaller college basketball conference tournaments begin, someone in the stands will earn himself some television time at a game by holding up a sign that says “We want Duke!”

Mark Mocnik has some words of advice for that person and others like him: Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.

Mocnik knows that from experience. He played for Campbell back in 1992, when the Camels qualified for the school’s first — and to this point only — Division I NCAA tournament with a Big South Conference title.

Like most newly minted champions, the Camels were feeling pretty cocky in the days following their victory — until they found out on Selection Sunday that they actually were getting Duke as a first round opponent.

“When you see you draw Duke ... I wish somebody would have took a photo of our faces that night when we saw it,” said Mocnik, the team’s leading scorer at 16 points per game. “We were the first pairing to come up on the screen. It was in Greensboro against the No. 1 team. The facial expressions would have been a great picture to have.”

If the pairing announcement wasn’t enough of a reality check for the Camels, they got an even bigger one a few days later when they actually played the eventual national champion Blue Devils, an absolutely loaded squad that went 34-2, with both losses on the road by a combined six points.

Campbell never had chance, losing 82-56.

“We knew the train was coming,” coach Billy Lee said. “We just couldn’t stop it.”

For Lee and his outmanned team, though, the inevitable outcome wasn’t nearly as important as the experience of being there.

It’s an accomplishment that was recognized recently with a 25th reunion and halftime ceremony during a game against Liberty at Gore Arena. Also honored that day were members of the Camels’ 1977 team, which 15 years earlier advanced all the way to the national championship game of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

“It’s good to be back with the team to see these

“When you see you draw Duke ... I wish somebody would have took a photo of our faces that night when we saw it. We were the first pairing to come up on the screen.”

— Mark Mocnik on Campbell’s 1992 draw

See Campbell, page B7

coming soon

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

With NC State electing to make a change and fire coach Mark Gottfried despite four games remaining in the season, the Wolfpack are already underway on a third coaching search in the last 10 years. The top candidate?

Former player Archie Miller. But lots of names are floating.

This week we break down Gottfried’s tenure (see: B1), next week the candidates to replace him in Raleigh.

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

B2 SATURDAY

02.18.17 Trending

Vince Carter: Longtime NBA star and former North Carolina Tar Heels standout, still playing professional basketball at the age of 40, surpassed Allen Iverson on the NBA’s alltime scoring list. Carter is now No. 23 all time with 24,371 points.

Tony Romo: Cowboys quarterback expected to be released

by Dallas this offseason, rather than traded according to a report from ESPN. Romo will still count against the Cowboys cap space, but could quickly land on another team, with the Broncos considered the favorite to sign him. Romo should see additional suitors on the open market, including the Bears,Chiefs, Jaguars Jets and Texans.

Claude Julien: The Montreal Canadiens stunned the hockey world when they signed Julien to be their next head coach, just days after Julien was fired by the Boston Bruins as their coach. Julien said he could not pass up an “ideal” situation, and the Canadiens reportedly gave him $25 million.

Roughriders: The Saskatchewan football team in the Canadian Football League kicked off negotiations with former NFL QB Vince Young on a possible contract according to Young’s agent Leigh Steinberg. Young has not played professional football since 2011.

Zac Stacy: Former Rams and Jets running back retired at the age of 25 and just three NFL seasons because of injuries.

Stacy, who starred at Vanderbilt in college, ran for 973 yards as a rookie, before being traded just two years later.

beyond the box score POTENT QUOTABLES

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A long-standing tradition between ESPN and the White House is coming to a close, as President Donald Trump declined an invitation from the Worldwide Leader to do a Bracketology show and pick a bracket on television. Former President Barack Obama did a bracket with Andy Katz each year, but Trump won’t be making picks.

John David Mercer | USA TSi

“They’re adding extra things to the criteria to be inducted ... that’s where I’ve lost all respect for it.”

Former NFL wideout Terrell Owens ripped the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction process

KEVIN LAMARQUE| Usa Today Sports images

mlb

hockey

Steve Mitchell | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

“Not very many people talk to me this time of year.”

Dayton coach and former NC State basketball player Archie Miller on rumors NCSU contacted him about the coaching position that was made vacant when the Wolfpack announced Mark Gottfried wouldn’t return

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23 Wins during the regular season for the UNCW Seahawks men’s basketball team after squeaking by Northeastern 66-65 on Thursday. The total sets a new school record for wins in a season, topping out 22 victories achieved by the 2005-06 and 2015-16 Seahawks teams. UNCW remains in first in the CAA and coach Kevin Keatts’ name is popping up in rumors for vacancies.

via youtube

Rick Osentoski | usaTSI

The Detroit Red Wings took to the ice this week with heavy hearts, having just lost owner Mike Ilitch, who died on February 10 at the age of 87. The popular owner was honored by the team, who wore “Mr. I” patches on their sweaters against the Blues.

MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux made a living confusing batters. He carried that confusion into a Cubs spring workout, dressing up as a sound guy and striking out 2016 NFL MVP Kris Bryant as part of an elaborate, hysterical prank.

tennis

Women’s tennis star Genie Bouchard learned the hard way never to make public wagers on Twitter. Bouchard tweeted during the Super Bowl she knew the Falcons would win (when the Falcons were up big) and a young man, John Goehrke, replied, “if patriots win [can] we go on a date?”

Bouchard said “sure” and then the Patriots came back from 25 points to win. She held up her end of the bargain, though, taking Goehrke courtside for a Brooklyn Nets game. @geniebouchard | via twitter

Always Dry. Always Comfortable.

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North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

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Position-by-position look at NFL Combine snubs, surprises Ten other omissions: Jonathan McLaughlin (Virginia Tech), Levon Myers (Northern Illinois), Jylan Ware (Alabama State), Richard Levy (Connecticut), Greg Pyke (Georgia), Tyler Catalina (Georgia), Kyle Kalis (Michigan), Evan Goodman (Arizona State), Cameron Tom (Southern Miss), Jon Heck (North Carolina).

SURPRISE: Collin Buchanan, Miami (Ohio) A player who looks the part, Buchanan needs to find consistency, but the NFL tools are appealing.

A list of guys who should and who should not have made the 2017 NFL combine

By Dane Brugler The Sports XChange HE 2016 NFL Combine is scheduled for Feb. 28-March T 6 in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil

Stadium and provides the best possible opportunity for NFL prospects to improve their standing on a national stage, with every single general manager and coach in the NFL watching.

Even with 330 prospects invited to Indianapolis, there were several notable omissions from the official list.

For prospects who did not receive an invitation, it’s not the end for them. Last year, 38 players were drafted who did not participate at the 2016 Combine, including one player in the third round (safety Kevin Byard) and two fourth-rounders (defensive lineman David Onyemata, tight end Seth DeValve).

Meanwhile, 117 players (35.2 percent) who were invited to the Combine were not selected in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Also new this year is a rule that prevents players with past criminal issues to attend the Combine.

Below is a breakdown of the snubs and surprises at each position: Quarterback SNUB: Chad Kelly, Ole Miss Presumably because of his past off-field issues, Kelly will not be in Indianapolis. He has NFL arm strength, toughness and mobility, but his character is the question mark. Still rehabbing from an ACL injury, Kelly wasn’t expected to workout at the Combine, but it is a missed opportunity to interview with teams. He is nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly.

Ten other omissions: Alek Torgersen (Penn), Patrick Towles (Boston College), Ryan Higgins (Louisiana Tech), Gunner Kiel (Cincinnati), Zach Terrell (Western Michigan), Brady Gustafson (Montana), Antonio Pipkin (Tiffin), Bart Houston (Wisconsin), Nick Mullens (Southern Miss), Austin Appleby (Florida).

SURPRISE: Trevor Knight, Texas A&M An Oklahoma transfer, Knight scored 29 total touchdowns (19 passing, 10 rushing) for the Aggies as a senior. His inconsistent mechanics and decision-making standout but so does his athleticism, which he will show off in Indianapolis.

Pass Rusher Glenn Andrews | usa today sport images

South squad quarterback Chad Kelly of Ole Miss (10) reacts with wide receiver Artavis Scott of Clemson (3) during Senior Bowl practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. on Jan. 26,2017.

Running Back SNUB: Joe Mixon, Oklahoma With his well-publicized offthe-field incident looming large, Mixon will be a hotly debated prospect this spring. And unfortunately for him, the Combine won’t be an option as he attempts to convince an NFL team one terrible decision shouldn’t define him as a person. He broke four bones in the face of an Oklahoma female student with a punch in July 2014.

Ten other omissions: Joseph Yearby (Miami), Marcus Cox (Appalachian State), I’Tavius Mathers (Middle Tennessee), Tarean Folston (Notre Dame), Khalfani Muhammad (California), Anthony Wales (Western Kentucky), Le’Shun Daniels (Iowa), Taquan Mizzell (Virginia), Brandon Radcliff (Louisville), Matt Breida (Georgia Southern).

SURPRISE: Chris Carson, Oklahoma State Carson finished third on the Cowboys in rush attempts (82) this past season, but maximized each carry with a 6.8 yards per rush average and nine touchdowns on the ground.

Wide Receiver SNUB: Chad Williams, Grambling State One of the risers coming out of Senior Bowl week, Williams is a good-sized athlete with natural receiving traits. Unfortunately for him, an arrest last May for marijuana and firearm possession might be the reason he won’t be able to continue that momentum in Indianapolis.

Ten other omissions: Ishmael Zamora (Baylor), Damore’ea Stringfellow (Ole Miss), Tim Patrick (Utah), Austin Carr (Northwestern), R.J. Shelton (Michigan

State), Corey Smith (Ohio State), Tim White (Arizona State), DeAngelo Yancey (Purdue), Geno Lewis (Oklahoma), Gehrig Dieter (Alabama).

SURPRISE: Victor Bolden, Oregon State Although he is undersized and the production doesn’t catch your eye (46 catches, 542 yards, two touchdowns in 2016), Bolden has speed to burn and should light up the 40-yard dash.

Tight End SNUB: Blake Jarwin, Oklahoma State A former walk-on, Jarwin was underutilized as the “Cowboy” back in Oklahoma State’s offense, but his raw athletic traits are draftable.

Ten other omissions: Josiah Price (Michigan State), Jake Maulhardt (Wyoming), Phazahn Odom (Fordham), Taylor McNamara (USC), Billy Freeman (San Jose State), Tyrone Swoops (Texas), Derrick Griffin (Texas Southern), D.J. Dowdy (Cincinnati), Jacob Hollister (Wyoming), Barrett Burns (Appalachian State).

SURPRISE: Scott Orndoff, Pittsburgh With only 23 career catches entering 2016, Orndoff made the most of his senior season and attracted attention from NFL scouts, including after a career-game in the win over Clemson (nine catches, 128 yards, two touchdowns).

Offensive Line SNUB: Erik Magnuson, Michigan With 37 career starts spread between right tackle and both guard spots, Magnuson has a versatile skill-set with the lower body athleticism to see NFL snaps.

SNUB: Hunter Dimick, Utah With 20.0 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks, Dimick had a career-year as a senior, but his production is based more on hustle than skill and the lack of athletic traits kept him from receiving a Combine invite.

Ten other omissions: A.J. Jefferson (Miss. State), Keion Adams (Western Michigan), Lewis Neal (LSU), Pat O’Connor (Eastern Michigan), Deon Hollins (UCLA), Se’Von Pittman (Akron), Darius English (South Carolina), Cameron Malveaux (Houston), Terrence Waugh (Kent State), Corey Vereen (Tennessee).

SURPRISE: Ifeadi Odenigbo, Northwestern After a productive senior season, Odenigbo was overlooked by the major all-star games, but he will receive a chance to audition for NFL scouts in Indianapolis.

Defensive Line SNUB: DeAngelo Brown, Louisville With his strong hands and ball-tracking skills, Brown has the upper-body power to split doubles and collects himself well in space to make stops, collecting a team-best 13.0 tackles for loss as a senior.

Ten other omissions: Joey Ivie (Florida), Ralph Green (Indiana), Travis Tuiloma (BYU), B.J. Singleton (Houston), Matthew Godin (Michigan), A.J. Wolf (Duke), Adam Butler (Vanderbilt), Josh Banks (Wake Forest), Woody Baron (Virginia Tech), Darius Hamilton (Rutgers).

SURPRISE: Fadol Brown, Ole Miss With only four starts and 2.5 sacks, Brown’s senior year didn’t go quite as planned, but he receive an invite to Indy to showcase his skills for NFL teams.

Linebacker SNUB: Calvin Munson, San Diego State Although not elite in any one area, Munson is a well-rounded

linebacker who can defend the run, blitz and drop in coverage with seven career interceptions.

This is a surprise omission.

Ten other omissions: Elijah Lee (Kansas State), Dylan Cole (Missouri State), Steven Taylor (Houston), Javancy Jones (Jackson State), Tau Lotulelei (UNLV), Jimmie Gilbert (Colorado), Psalm Wooching (Washington), Keenan Gilchrist (Appalachian State), Paul Magloire (Arizona), Brandon Bell (Penn State).

SURPRISE: Blair Brown, Ohio It is easy to overlook him due to his undersized frame, but Brown flies all over the field and has the closing burst that should translate to his workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Cornerback SNUB: Desmond Lawrence, North Carolina Lawrence doesn’t have ideal sudden twitch or long-speed for the position, but he checks boxes with his height, length and competitive nature and should be in Indianapolis with the other cornerbacks in this class.

Ten other omissions: Jeremy Cutrer (Middle Tennessee), Dwayne Thomas (LSU), Aarion Penton (Missouri), Greg Mabin (Iowa), Brad Watson (Wake Forest), Michael Davis (BYU), Cole Luke (Notre Dame), Breon Borders (Duke), Najee Murray (Kent State), Brandon Wilson (Houston).

SURPRISE: Jeremy Clark, Michigan Due to a September ACL injury, Clark has been a forgotten prospect, but he will have the opportunity in Indianapolis to show he is fully healthy and draftable.

Safety SNUB: Jordan Sterns, Oklahoma State With a team-best 101 tackles and three interceptions as a senior, Sterns had the 2016 season that earned him a Senior Bowl invite, but it wasn’t enough to get him to the Scouting Combine.

Ten other omissions: Randall Goforth (UCLA), Fish Smithson (Kansas), Dante Barnett (Kansas State), Demetrious Cox (Michigan State), Leon McQuay (USC), Damariay Drew (California), Zach Hoffpauir (Stanford), Weston Steelhammer (Air Force), Tony Conner (Ole Miss), Dymonte Thomas (Michigan).

SURPRISE: Jamal Carter, Miami (Fla.) Often overlooked by former safety teammate Rayshawn Jenkins, Carter led the Hurricanes with 85 tackles in 2016 and was a senior captain.

NFL NOTEBOOK

Pats, Brady talking extension, Dolphins dumping veterans Ex-Falcons WR ‘would’ve fought’ Shanahan

By NSJ Staff Brady, Pats thinking extension soon With the NFL Draft fast approaching and rumors growing about a possible trade of backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, the New England Patriots have started talking about extending quarterback Tom Brady’s contract.

The 39-year-old is signed through the 2019 season and has a cap hit of $14 million in 2017 and $22 million in both 2018 and 2019, the Boston Herald reported.

On Thursday, Jeff Howe of the Herald tweeted: Tom Brady and the Patriots have expressed mutual interest in a new contract, per source. Very early talks.

Nothing imminent.

Brady will be 42 when his current contract expires. On Sunday, he told Peter King of MMQB.com that he would like to play well into his 40s.

“I’d like to play until my mid40s,” the five-time Super Bowl winner told King during a twohour interview while in Montana on a family vacation. “Then I’ll make a decision. If I’m still feeling like I’m feeling today, who knows?

Now, those things can always change. You do need long-term goals too. I know next year is not going to be my last year.

Dolphins cut DE Williams, Albert on trade block The Dolphins are dumping a pair of high-priced and big-name veterans to start the offseason, as Miami officially cut ties with

Barry Chin | REuters

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick (R), hoist the Lombardi Championship trophies during Super Bowl LI victory parade in Boston on Feb. 7, 2017.

defensive end Mario Williams on Thursday. The Dolphins are also expected to trade or release tackle Brandon Albert.

Williams, a former NC State standout, was acquired last year in the offseason. He recorded a career-low 1.5 sacks in 2016 after signing a two-year, $17 million deal with the Dolphins. The former No. 1 overall pick of the 2006 draft, Williams ultimately lost his starting job to Andre Branch and was a healthy scratch in three games.

Albert, who started 12 games in 2016, has the team’s third-highest

salary cap number in 2017. Miami would like to trade him, but is willing to release him if no deal can be reached. The 32-year-old was slated to cost $10.6 million against the cap for the upcoming season, but the projected move would save the Dolphins $7.2 million in cap space.

Albert has played in 35 games during his three seasons in Miami but will give way to Laremy Tunsil, who is expected to be shuffled into the starting left tackle spot.

Tunsil, who was the 13th overall pick of the 2016 draft, spent most of his rookie season at left guard.

Former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White has a bone to pick with Kyle Shanahan following the latter’s play-calling that led to a 25-point lead evaporating against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI. “I’m glad I wasn’t a part of that team because I probably literally would’ve fought him,” White told The Atlanta JournalConstitution’s Jeff Schultz on a recent podcast episode.

The 11-year wide receiver took issue with Shanahan’s decision not to run the ball after Julio Jones’ catch put Atlanta in fieldgoal range in the fourth quarter.

Shanahan was the team’s offensive coordinator before accepting the head-coaching position with the San Francisco 49ers.

“You destroyed a dream for a city,” White said. “It’s bigger than me. The city of Atlanta needed that championship and you had it. [Team owner] Arthur Blank needed that championship and he deserved to win that game, with everything he’s been through. It was finally our time to win and it just hurt me that we didn’t get it done.”

White claimed he would have jumped offsides after hearing the play call on a second-and-11 play in field-goal range.

Shanahan told reporters he’ll live with those calls the rest of his life, but does not regret taking an aggressive stance during the game. The Falcons passed up an opportunity for an easy field goal by throwing the ball late.

Ex-QB Young eyes NFL return Former NFL quarterback Vince Young believes he has more in the tank.

Young hired agent Leigh Steinberg in a bid to help the 33-year-old find a new home in the NFL. Young last played a snap with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011, perhaps most famously remembered for his ill-fated “Dream Team” comment on a club that fell far short of expectation.

Young is looking to achieve his “dream of playing more football, being (a) role model,” Steinberg posted on Twitter Wednesday.

Texas Gov. blasts NFL over future Super Bowls Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ripped the NFL for threatening not to award future Super Bowls to Houston or Dallas if the state’s controversial bathroom bill is passed.

“The NFL is walking on thin ice right here,” Abbott said Tuesday on the show. “The NFL needs to concentrate on playing football and get the heck out of politics.”

Last Friday, days after Houston hosted Super Bowl LI, the NFL responded to questions about Senate Bill 6, which if passed would require people to use bathrooms that correspond with the sex listed on their birth certificate. It targets transgender people and would be similar to a bill that passed in North Carolina that led to the NBA relocating the All-Star Game from Charlotte to New Orleans and the NCAA pulling seven championship events from that state last year.

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

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North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

B5

Core Four, Big Four feature tons of talent in 2017 Stories by NSJ Staff

Wake Forest Last Year The Deacons were a feel-good story in the ACC in 2016 in compiling a 35-27 record and earning the first NCAA tournament bid in nine years. They went on to win three postseason games, beating both Duke and Virginia in the ACC tournament before knocking off Minnesota in the opening round of the NCAA College Station Regional.

The 35 wins were Wake’s most since earning 47 in 2002 and helped four players get selected in the Major League Baseball draft, including national Player of the Year Will Craig — the first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Outlook Despite the loss of Craig, who doubled as a third baseman and bullpen closer, and second baseman Nate Mondou, a fellow AllAmerican who was picked in the 13th round by the Oakland Athletics, Wake still has enough pieces left to make another strong run at qualifying for the postseason.

Two other draftees, pitchers Parker Dunshee and Chris Farish, chose to turn down pro contracts and return to school, while junior centerfielder Stuart Fairchild is a preseason All-American who earned mention on the Golden Spikes Award watch list after a 2016 season in which he hit .293 with five homers, 47 RBI and a teamleading 14 stolen bases.

In addition to Fairchild, the Deacons return four other position players — first baseman Gavin Sheets (.326, 9 HR, 45 RBI), catcher Ben Breazeale (.246, 32 RBI), left fielder/DH Jonathan Pryor (.247) and shortstop Johnny Aiello (.226, 6 HR).

Despite that experience, the Deacons will have to find a way to replace the bulk of their middle-of-the-order offensive production.

While coach Tom Walter figures out how to fill the holes in his lineup, its going to be up to a veteran pitching staff that returns its

North Carolina

entire starting staff to carry the load.

The best of those arms belongs to Dunshee. A senior right-hander who became the first Wake pitcher since 2003 to strike out more than 100 hitters, the Deacons’ Friday night starter compiled a 10-5 record with a 3.20 ERA last season. He was especially strong when it counted most, closing out the year with six wins in his final eight decisions. Seven game winner John McCarron is a solid Saturday starter, but Drew Loepprich and Connor Johnstone will need to be better at the back of the rotation for Wake to exceed its fifth-place prediction in the preseason Atlantic Division poll.

Farish, who made 35 appearances in relief last season, will be a workhorse out of the bullpen again while either junior Donnie Sellers or sophomore Griffin Roberts will get the first crack at replacing Craig in the closer’s role.

Last Year The Blue Devils broke a five-and-a-half decade drought by advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1961.

Duke recorded its third straight 30-win season for the first time since 1992 to 1998, finishing 33-24, 14-15 in the ACC. The postseason was a quick one for the Blue Devils, however. Duke lost a one-and-done ACC Tournament game, then were swept out of the NCAA Tournament in two games.

Outlook Coach Chris Pollard returns his entire starting lineup from last year. In fact, of the 15 players who started games in the field or at DH last year, for a total of 513 starts, only Evan Dougherty, who hit .219 in 26 starts, is not back with the team. The Blue Devils return 94 percent of their runs scored from last year, 96 percent of their hits, 89 percent of their home runs, 95 percent of their RBI and 90 percent of their stolen bases.

Returnees include outfielder Jimmy Herron and infielder Jack Labosky, who both made All-ACC last season. Herron became the first Duke freshman in 19 years to earn All-ACC, also earning Freshman All-America honors. He led the team with 67 hits, 22 doubles and 24 stolen bases. Labosky had a team-high eight home runs and 47 RBI. As secure as the Duke lineup is, the pitching staff is the polar opposite. The entire rotation is gone, which means that the Blue Devils have to replace the arms that made 53 of the team’s 57 starts last year. Pollard will likely dip into last

The junior centerfielder followed up one of the best freshmen seasons in ACC history by putting together another all-conference performance and running his streak of consecutive starts to 106. He was especially good in ACC play last season, hitting .342 — nearly 50 points above his cumulative average — with 12 doubles, three homers and seven stolen bases.

After spending his first two seasons hitting ahead of Craig, Fairchild will have to adjust a new role as the centerpiece of the Deacons’ lineup this season. It won’t be easy, especially without the kind of protection he provided for Craig. But his coach isn’t worried about his ability to deliver.

“He is exactly what you want your center fielder to be, a plus defender with tremendous range and a good throwing arm,” Walter said. “He’ll hit third in our lineup and be as tough an out as there is in college baseball.”

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Last Year The Tar Heels got off to a strong start by winning two of three at UCLA to open the season and appeared to be cruising toward the NCAA tournament after missing out on the event for the first time in 14 years in 2015.

But after being ranked 17th in the nation with a 29-15 record on May 3, the bottom fell out on coach Mike Fox’s team. UNC lost five of its final 11 games, including two of three at rival NC State on the final weekend of the regular season, and was knocked out of the ACC tournament, which resulted in a second straight year of watching the NCAA tournament from the sidelines.

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Outlook Coastal Carolina’s unlikely national championship last year has given midmajor programs all across the country hope that they, too, can legitimately think about crashing the party in Omaha and making some history of their own. With 19 returning lettermen, including nine juniors and nine seniors who have already won an American Athletic Conference tournament championship in 2015 and an NCAA regional title a season ago, ECU’s lofty goals are more than just wishful thinking.

The Pirates are ranked as high as No. 6 nationally by Baseball America and are the overwhelming pick to win the AAC this spring after snagging six of a possible eight first place votes in a preseason poll of the league’s head coaches. They also have the conference’s co-Pitcher of the Year in Evan Kruczynski, a preseason All-American in outfielder Dwayna Williams-Sutton, one of college baseball’s premier bullpen closers in Joe Ingle and the MVP of the 2016 Charlottesville regional in catcher Travis Watkins.

“You know what?” Godwin said. “We’re going to be really good and I’m not afraid to say it on the record.”

As confident at Godwin was about the strength of his team this year, the return of Kruczynski turned out to be an unexpected surprise after the senior left-hander went undrafted last June. He went 8-1 with a 2.01 ERA in 17 starts last season while striking out 95 and walking only 27. He anchors a deep staff that also features fellow weekend starter Jacob Wolfe (6-4, 2.95), along with dependable relievers Matt Bridges, Chris Holba, Sam Lanier and closer Joe Ingle (63, 12 saves).

Offensively, the Pirates must replace leadoff hitter Lamm, but bring back just about everyone else in the lineup, including emerging star Williams-Sutton, home run and RBI leader Watkins, fellow .300 hitter Eric Tyler and versatile shortstop Turner Brown, who hit in virtually every position in the batting order as a freshman last year.

Player to Watch: Dwayna Williams-Sutton A multi-talented outfielder who came to Greenville with high expectations after being drafted out of high school by the Cincinnati Reds, Williams-Sutton burst onto the scene last season by leading the AAC in hitting (.360) and on-base percentage (.455) and ranking second in slugging percentage after racking up 11 doubles, four triples and five home runs.

After earning first-team all-conference honors as a freshman, Williams-Sutton is poised to see his role expand even further after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery.

In addition to being an explosive bat in the middle of the order, Godwin has indicated he plans to move his emerging young star from left to center in order to take full advantage of his speed and defensive skill.

Apparently the ACC’s head coaches subscribe to the old baseball adage that good pitching will always stop good hitting, because despite an offense that was just ninth in the league in runs scored in 2016, the Tar Heels were picked as the preseason favorite to win the Coastal Division.

The reason for that respect, along with a top 10 national ranking, is a pitching staff anchored by ace J.B. Bukauskas. The junior right-hander went 7-2 with a 3.10 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 78⅓ innings as UNC’s Saturday starter last year before throwing 21⅔ without allowing an earned run over the summer for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Bukauskas is joined in the rotation by another experienced starter in junior Jason Morgan, while sophomore Cole Aker moves from the bullpen to battle several freshmen, including highly regarded Luca Dalatri, for a spot in the weekend rotation. The bullpen situation is less clear, with junior Hansen Butler the most experienced returnee.

Offensively, Mike Fox’s lineup is built around the bats of preseason All-American

Brian Miller and shortstop Logan Warmoth.

Former walkon Miller, who moves to centerfield full-time in after also seeing time at first base, hit a team-leading .345 with 21 stolen bases in 26 attempts while emerging as one of the ACC’s premier leadoff men. Warmoth, ranked as the No. 5 player nationally at his position, drove in a team high 53 runs last season while hitting .337.

The trick now is finding enough offense to surround his two stars and improve last year’s inconsistent run production. The most likely breakout candidates are second baseman Zack Gahagen, DH/outfielder Brandon Riley and third baseman Kyle Datres. According to Fox, it’s the little things like two-out hits and playing better defense — UNC allowed 41 unearned runs and ranked 11th in the ACC in fielding a year ago — that will be the key to getting back to the NCAA tournament.

“We need to be better defensively and I think we are,” Fox said. “And then we have to be better with runners in scoring position. That’s the separator. You get very few opportunities to score, especially on those Friday nights. So when you get one, somebody’s got to step up.”

Player to Watch: Logan Warmoth Preseason All-Americans Bukauskas and Miller are receiving most of the early attention, but Warmoth has quietly emerged as a premier player in the ACC. In addition to the versatility to hit either at the top of middle of the order, he is also a strong-armed shortstop who solidifies UNC’s sometimes shaky infield defense.

As big a jump as Warmoth made as a sophomore last season, he appears to still have more room to grow after a standout performance in the always competitive Cape Cod League last summer.

App State Last Year The 2016 season was one to forget for the App State baseball program. After finishing 18-36 overall (9-21 Sun Belt), head coach Billy Jones was replaced with Kermit Smith, handing him a complete rebuilding project in Boone.

App State experienced the brunt of its success at home, winning 11 of its 18 games at Beaver Field. While the team is still looking for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2012, it appears to be heading in the right direction with Smith at the helm.

Outlook The turnaround won’t be an immediate one in Boone, but winning more than 18 games should be a distinct possibility with the talent still on the roster.

That starts on the mound with starter Colin Schmid and reliever Luke Watts.

Schmid got hit pretty hard last year, finishing with a 5.33 ERA, but comes into the season as the No. 10 draft prospect in the Sun Belt for the 2018 class by Baseball America. Meanwhile, Watts came out of the bullpen 17 times last season, compiling a 2.48 ERA with a 24-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 29 innings.

When Schmid wasn’t on the mound, he made 38 starts in the outfield for the Mountaineers. He finished third on the team with a .285 average, and tied for second on the team with 44 strikeouts at the plate.

Matt Vernon and Brian Bauk also bolster a lineup that will likely be top heavy this season for the Mountaineers. Vernon and Bauk enter their senior seasons as two of the most accomplished hitters in the program with Vernon providing the power and Bauk providing some speed on the bases.

With experienced players on the mound and in its lineup, Smith has some talent to work with in his first season. And after taking Lander to the Division II College World Series twice in the last three seasons, Smith will look to make progress after a disappointing 2016 for App State.

Player to Watch: Matt Vernon When looking for power in the App State lineup, look no further than Matt Vernon.

The senior infielder was named to the Perfect Game Preseason All-Sun Belt Team after leading the Apps with a .317 average, eight homers and 42 RBI last season.

Vernon got off to a slow start in 2016, but went on two different hitting streaks of 11 games or more near the end of the campaign. He was also App State’s best clutch hitter with a .368 average with three doubles, a home run, five RBI and three runs scored in ninth inning last season.

Despite not having a lot of power or consistency in the lineup surrounding him, Vernon should be the stalwart for any offensive success in Boone this season.

Last Year NC State played its way into an NCAA Tournament berth and Regional host after a strong 2016 campaign. The Wolfpack then played its way into the championship game at Doak Field before bowing out to Coastal Carolina.

Of course, the Pack had to lose in a ridiculous fashion, allowing four runs in a ninth inning that lasted two days in a 7-5 loss. The Chanticleers went on to win the College World Series for the first time in program history while NC State finished 38-22.

There were several highlights to counter that all-time low, including a series win over rival UNC, Duke and Virginia while finishing 24-9 at home. That doesn’t remove the sting of bowing out to the eventual CWS champion on your home soil.

Outlook Ranked No. 6 by D1Baseball and No. 14 by Baseball America, the Pack clearly brings back plenty of talent on this year’s roster. In a conference that includes seven other teams in the top 25 on at least one of the rankings, remaining near the top of the rankings will be tough.

Elliott Avent’s squad lost Preston Palmeiro and Andrew Knizner during the offeason, but keeps a solid lineup that includes Evan Mendoza and Brock Deatherage. Both players finished with an average above .300 while 71 hits apiece.

Mendoza and Deatherage enter the season as top 20 players in the ACC along with Joe Dunand, who comes in as the No. 6 player, according to Baseball America.

Dunand has been inconsistent at times,

Outlook The good news is there isn’t much rebuilding for Charlotte this season. The 49ers return eight of nine position players in the starting lineup, as well as the designated hitter. Charlotte also brings back all four starting pitchers and 13 of the 17 pitchers on last year’s staff.

The biggest loss on offense is third baseman Derek Gallello, who started 55 games at third base. His .219 batting average was lowest among all regulars in the lineup, but his nine stolen bases were second-most on the team. On the mound, the biggest holes were left by departed relievers Holden Capps (5-2, 3.79) and Nate Traugh (2-0, 6.14). The southpaw Capps appeared in 23 games, third most on the team, and struck out 43, good for second best. The right-handed Traugh appeared in

The junior will have to pace the Blue Devils’ offensive attack. The first baseman led Duke in batting average (.336) and slugging (.571). Batting cleanup, Bellinger finished shy of Labosky’s team lead in home runs (7), RBI (32) and runs (28). If Labosky spends more time on the mound, Bellinger could find himself as the team’s main source of power. When Labosky plays the field, he and Bellinger will help to protect each other in the lineup.

Player to Watch: Brett Kinneman Wait, in a lineup that includes Mendoza, Deatherage and Dunand, a rising sophomore is the player to watch? After the freshman campaign that Brett Kinneman put together, he’s primed for another standout season in Raleigh.

Kinneman finished with at .296/.405/.526 with six homers and 32 RBI in just 34 starts. He was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American for his efforts, but set to see a much larger role in NC State’s lineup in 2017.

Ranked as the No. 22 overall prospect in the 2015 MLB Draft, Kinneman has a chance to blossom into one of the best players in the ACC over the next two years. On a roster that includes plenty of starpower, Kinneman will be critical for the Pack to mirror its success from the last two years.

UNC Charlotte The 49ers made slight progress over previous years, topping the 20-win mark for the first time since 2013. Charlotte’s 12 Conference USA wins were the most in school history, and the team lifted its batting average by 44 points, while scoring more than 100 runs more than in 2015.

Still, no one was satisfied with the 23-32 overall record or the 12-17 league mark.

Charlotte won four of its final six regular season games, but any momentum was short-lived, as the 49ers were eliminated from the CUSA Tournament with back-toback losses by a combined 20-8 score.

Player to Watch: Justin Bellinger

but put it all together last season with a .297/.345/.424 clip along with a .961 fielding percentage.

“I think we’re capable of really big things this year,” Mendoza said. “I think the fans should be really exciting about this year and this team. We’re a really strong group.”

The lineup presents trouble for opposing pitchers, but the experience on the mound is crucial for the Wolfpack. Bringing back Brian Brown, Cory Wilder, Johnny Piedmonte and Karl Keglovits gives Avent plenty of options in the starting rotation.

Though the bullpen loses the likes of both Travis Orwig and Will Gilbert, who led the team in ERA last season, consistency in the lineup and rotation will be key for one of the top teams in the state.

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Last Year

Last Year

season’s bullpen, which returns its top seven contributors, to fill the starting spots.

Labosky (1 start, 2.20 ERA, 0-5 record) could step up as one of the starters, as could James Ziemba (1-1, 3.95, 3 starts). Closer Mitch Stallings (9 saves, 3.23) could get a look as a starter, but that would create a hole at the back end of the bullpen.

The pitching staff will also be bolstered by the incoming freshman class. Six of the nine members of the 24th-ranked class are pitchers. A pair of left-handers—Adam Laskey (fifth) and Graeme Stinson (13th) were ranked among the top 15 incoming ACC prospects. Laskey was drafted by the Giants coming out of high school, and right-hander Matt Mervis was selected by the Nationals.

Both opted for Duke over the minor leagues.

Regardless of how the roles are doled out, the staff will be much younger this year. After having fifth-year graduate students make 43 of the team’s 57 starts last year, 11 of this year’s pitchers will be underclassmen.

UNC Wilmington

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Outlook

The Pirates went 38-23-1 in coach Cliff Godwin’s second season at his alma mater, highlighted by wins against Bryant, defending national champion Virginia and William & Mary to win the NCAA’s Charlottesville regional. As successful and memorable as the season was, it came just 90 feet away from being unforgettable.

But ECU couldn’t get Parker Lamm home from third in the bottom of the 12th in Game 2 of its best-of-three Super Regional series at Texas Tech. That left the door open for the Red Raiders to rally and deny the Pirates an opportunity to advance to the College World Series for the first time in school history.

Duke

Player to Watch: Stuart Fairchild

East Carolina

Last Year:

NC State

16 games, striking out 12.

Preseason All-CUSA players Logan Sherer (senior infielder) and T.J. Nichting (senior outfielder) will help pace the offense for the 49ers. Both were second-team AllConference last season. Nichting hit .358 with three homers, 33 RBI and 22 doubles.

A switch hitter, No9chting had a 17-game hitting streak last year and led the team in two-out RBI and multi-hit games. Sherer hit .336 with 12 homers and 52 RBI. He was second in CUSA in home runs, RBI and slugging (.574), third in total bases (128) and fourth in runs scored (48 Outfielder Reece Hampton was one of the top freshmen in the conference last season and will look to build on his .335 average and 80 hits.

On the mound, Charlotte’s starting staff should remain intact, led by junior lefty Josh Maciejewski (507, 5.51, 65 strikeouts), sophomore right-hander Colton Laws (4-3, 5.43, 36 strikeouts) and senior lefty Sean Geoghegan (2-6, 5.07, 42 strikeouts).

Right-handed junior Philip Perry (1-1, 3.29, 32 strikeouts), who led the team with four saves last year, returns as well.

Player to Watch: Brett Netzer The second baseman is a third-team All-American in the preseason, as well as a first-team All-Conference USA member.

The junior led Charlotte with a .384 average last season and was second in runs, hits, RBI, doubles, triples, homers and walks.

Netzer hit .376 in league games and was one of CUSA’s toughest batters to strike out.

The Seahawks finished with 40-plus wins for the second straight season in 2016 with a 41-19 campaign. That included wins over in-state rivals NC State, North Carolina and Duke en route to a CAA regular season championship and NCAA Tournament berth.

Despite winning the first two games in both the CAA Tournament and NCAAs, UNCW came up short against William & Mary and South Carolina, respectively, in consecutive games. That left a lot to be desired after earning a No. 2 seed in the Columbia Regional.

home and play.”

UNCW will need a powerful lineup to counteract some inexperience in the starting rotation. While Alex Royalty will be the Seahawks’ ace after an 8-2 freshman season, the two likely starters behind him had a combined three starts for UNCW last season.

Josh Roberson posted a 6.04 ERA with a 22-28 strikeout-to-walk ratio in three starts (22.1 innings) with UNCW last season.

Behind him is Logan Beehler, who went 7-1 in four starts for Pitt Community College last season after transferring from NC State.

Outlook

Player to Watch: Nick Feight

Very few teams across the state have as many returning stars as the Seahawks, with seven of its top nine offensive players returning. The loss of leadoff hitter Stephen Linkous and Gavin Stupienski is a huge blow, but help is on the way.

Nick Feight and Brian Mims are coming off First-Team All-America seasons with two of the most powerful bats in the country. The two sluggers combined for 35 home runs, 155 RBI and 334 total bases last season, finishing first and second on the team in each category.

To counter the losses of Linkous and Stupienski, the Seahawks added another power hitter in Mason Berne. The former Topsail High standout was named NJCAA Second-Team All-America last season with Spartanburg Methodist after hitting .381 with 22 homers.

“Everybody here has bought in,” Berne said. “I’m going to try and hop in and do my job. Changing my approach a little bit at the plate and all the coaches have been helping me out. It’s great to be able to come back

Is there really any other player to focus on when it comes to the Seahawks? Feight came from nowhere at the beginning of last season to finish as the CAA Player of the Year and a USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award finalist.

With previous winners like Buster Posey, Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant, Feight taking home the Golden Spikes Award would have been massive. Given another season to earn the honor, Feight has stuck with a similar routine at the plate this offseason.

“Sticking with my work ethic, having a pretty good routine of what I want to do each day is important,” Feight said. “Just try to stick with that, not try to do too much, be there for my teammates. Defensively, I’ve been working pretty hard at that.”

Unlike several teams across the state, the Seahawks have the peace of mind of knowing their cleanup hitter can produce at a high clip. After hitting .349/.410/.726 with 21 HR and 91 RBI in 2016, D1Baseball’s No. 3 catcher in the country will be the catalyst for the Seahawks this year.

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

B6

Here are five teams who can NC has long history challenge Cubs for 2017 World Series of supplying MLB talent State has sent 400 players to the bigs, including nearly two dozen current MLB players

Pitchers and catchers reported last week, and, before too long, MLB spring training will be in full swing across Florida and Arizona.

While North Carolina doesn’t have an MLB franchise, there are plenty of players in Charlotte and Durham who are just a phone call away from a call-up. In addition, there are lower-level minor league teams across the state who have sent players on the road to the bigs, not to mention the alumni of the various colleges in the state.

But what about the state’s true natives? Last season, 21 players born in North Carolina saw action in at least one MLB game.

Brandon Phillips (Raleigh), who completed his 15th season, is the current elder statesman from our state, followed by Ryan Vogelsong (Charlotte) and Ryan Zimmerman (Washington), who each have 12 years in the bigs.

World Series hero and four-time All-Star Madison Bumgarner (Hickory), former Rookie of the Year Wil Myers (Thomasville) and Rays ace Chris Archer (Clayton) also represent the state.

North Carolina has been a fair-

ly dependable source of big league talent throughout baseball history. The state has sent a total of 400 players to the Major Leagues, all time, a figure that compares favorably with our nearest neighbors South Carolina (188), Virginia (285), Tennessee (300), Maryland (305) and Georgia (350). See chart 1.

In fact, only 11 states have sent more players to the Major Leagues than the Tar Heel State.

A total of 185 different cities and towns across the state can proudly claim that they’ve produced a Major Leaguer, but it’s no surprise that the bulk of them came from the state’s biggest cities. See Chart 2.

While Fayetteville’s Moonlight Graham (one MLB game, no at bats) was made famous by “Field of Dreams,” not every North Carolinian had to settle for a cup of coffee in the bigs. Six Hall of Famers came from the state: Luke Appling (High Point), Rick Ferrell (Durham), Jim “Catfish” Hunter (Hertford), Gaylord Perry (Williamston), Enos “Country” Slaughter (Roxboro) and Hoyt Wilhelm (Huntersville).

In addition, 47 North Carolina players (one out of every eight who made it to the Majors) were selected to an All Star team, and they combined for 125 total selections.

See Charts 3-6 for the native North Carolinian leader lists for MLB: (*=active leader)

Chart 1

Chart 2

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

Mike Theiler | Reuters

President Barack Obama (L) receives a jersey with “44” on the back from player Anthony Rizzo as he welcomes the MLB champions Chicago Cubs baseball team at the White House, in Washington, Jan. 16, 2017.

By Roger Rubin The Sports Xchange

A

s soon as 2016 NFL MVP Kris Bryant gloved Michael Martinez’s ground ball and threw across to Anthony Rizzo to end the Cubs’ 108-year World Series drought last November, Chicago was installed as the favorite for the 2017 season.

There is plenty of good reason for that projection.

Almost the entire 25-man roster was signed and slated to return for the coming season. The only free agents of concern were outfielder Dexter Fowler, closer Aroldis Chapman and No. 5 starter Jason Hammel.

The offseason is almost entirely played out, and nothing has changed about who is the front-runner.

Chapman signed with the New York Yankees, but the Cubs acquired another first-rate closer, dealing with the Kansas City Royals for Wade Davis and signing Koji Uehara, the former Boston Red Sox closer, as an insurance policy.

Fowler went to the Rockies, but the Cubs signed Jon Jay to share center with impressive rookie Albert Almora.

The signing of free agent Brett Anderson may prove an upgrade from Hammel, who inked a deal with the Royals.

The Cubs filled every hole and also added several starters for organizational depth. The great young core players, Bryant, Rizzo, Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber, are now experienced and have walked the road to a championship. Why wouldn’t the Cubs be the pick?

But this is baseball, and nothing is ever a lock. Some teams spent the offseason “bulking up” for a run at Chicago. Others will be healthier. Some will be both.

We’ve identified five teams that are the biggest threat to a Cubs repeat — the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox from the American League and the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Washington Nationals from the National League — and explain why they are contenders.

Los Angeles Dodgers The Dodgers won 91 games with Clayton Kershaw missing two months to injury. Imagine what they might have been if he stayed healthy. It seems as if the Dodgers’ free agents thought that way, too. Several of their key players signed back up even though they had better offers elsewhere — third baseman Justin Turner, closer Kenley Jansen, No. 2 starter Rich Hill and infielder Chase Utley.

Los Angeles also added second

baseman Logan Forsythe and bolstered the bullpen by replacing setup man Joe Blanton with former San Francisco Giants closer Sergio Romo on a free agent deal.

Rookie of the Year Corey Seager should only be better. Right now, 91 wins seems like setting the bar low.

vantage in the World Series.

New York Mets

A significant subtraction and a significant addition marked the Red Sox’s offseason after Boston was swept by the Indians in the AL Division Series. Slugger David Ortiz retired after a 38-homer, 127-RBI season. But Boston added a third Cy Young Award contender to its rotation by acquiring Chris Sale in trade from the White Sox. The top of the Red Sox’s rotation is now Sale, David Price and 2016 Cy Young winner Rick Porcello.

Boston signed free agent Mitch Moreland to play first base, moving Hanley Ramirez to DH, and the team returns every other position player from the highest-scoring offense in baseball. The Red Sox should get a full year’s worth of Andrew Benintendi, who was just anointed Baseball America’s top prospect for 2017.

The Sox also made a move to shore up the bullpen behind closer Craig Kimbrel, trading with the Brewers for Tyler Thornburg, who was Milwaukee’s closer at the end of last season and had a 2.15 ERA in 67 games.

Top to bottom, the Mets have the scariest rotation in Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler — but only if that quintet can manage to stay healthy. That’s a real question.

The Mets followed their 2015 World Series appearance by reaching the 2016 postseason even though Harvey, deGrom and Matz were all on the disabled list at the end and Wheeler didn’t make it back on schedule from Tommy John surgery. None are looking at health concerns going into spring training.

New York also re-signed slugger Yoenis Cespedes, and it returns essentially the entire roster of position players. Jay Bruce struggled after being acquired before the trading deadline, but now the pressure is off. And two other regulars who missed most of the season — David Wright and Lucas Duda — should be back, albeit with question marks because of the back issues that sidelined them.

The Mets also re-signed everyone to keep their bullpen intact.

Closer Jeurys Familia is likely to be suspended in the early season under Major League Baseball’s domestic-violence policy for an incident last October, but setup man Addison Reed has closing experience and should be able to fill in.

Cleveland Indians

Washington Nationals

Cleveland was so close to winning the 2016 World Series, losing Game 7 in extra innings. And that was with two front-of-the-rotation starters — Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco — unable to start in the postseason and stud outfielder Michael Brantley missing all but 11 games of the season because of shoulder and biceps injuries.

The potential for a healthier Tribe in the postseason is there, plus the Indians made one of the biggest offensive additions of the offseason by signing free agent Edwin Encarnacion. He averaged 39 home runs over the past five seasons and is one of the biggest run-producers in the game. Encarnacion is the highest priced free agent the club has signed.

The offense isn’t the only place where Cleveland got stronger.

To perhaps the most impressive bullpen end game — Bryan Shaw, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen — the Indians added free agent lefty Boone Logan.

One other thing is key: With so many AL Central teams in various rebuilding stages, the Indians have a shot at the best regular-season record, which this season would mean the home-field ad-

The Nationals entered the past four seasons as a reasonable choice to win the World Series because of the vast talent on the roster. This year is no different, though the window for them to win is growing smaller with the impending free agency of the Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy two seasons away.

The Nats have an impressive rotation with 2016 Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Tanner Roark followed

by Gio Gonzalez at No. 4.

They added a great table-setter by trading with the White Sox for leadoff man and center fielder Adam Eaton. It makes the batting order very long with Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman potentially batting seventh and eighth respectively.

There is one issue, though, that still may need to be addressed.

Washington did not re-sign or replace closer Mark Melancon after the free agent signed with San Francisco. Shawn Kelley goes into spring training as the favorite for the ninth-inning role. The Nationals should have a chance to make a deal, but they need to shore up the back of their bullpen to reach their potential.

Boston Red Sox

World Series Odds (via Bovada)

State

MLB players all-time

California

2,183

Pennsylvania

1,409

New York

1,191

Illinois

1,043

Ohio

1,026

Texas

898

Massachusetts 660 Missouri

602

Florida

515

Michigan

428

New Jersey

423

North Carolina

400

Hometown

No. of players

Charlotte

28

Durham

13

Asheville

11

Greensboro

11

Gastonia

9

Shelby

8

Raleigh

7

Fayetteville

7

High Point

7

Chart 3 NC hit leaders Luke Appling (High Point)

2,749

Mark Grace (Winston-Salem)

2,445

Enos Slaughter (Roxboro)

2,383

Ray Durham (Charlotte)

2,054

Brandon Phillips (Raleigh)

1,863

Chart 3 NC home run leaders Ryan Zimmerman (Washington)*

215

Josh Hamilton (Raleigh)

200

Brandon Phillips (Raleigh)

197

Ray Durham (Charlotte)

192

Mark Grace (Winston-Salem)

173

Chart 4 NC stolen base leaders Otis Nixon (Evergreen)

620

Brian Roberts (Durham)

285

Ray Durham (Charlotte)

273

Brandon Phillips (Raleigh)*

192

Luke Appling (High Point)

179

Chart 5 NC wins leaders Gaylord Perry (Williamston)

314

Jim Hunter (Hertford)

224

Jim Perry (Williamston)

215

Chicago Cubs (9-2)

New York Yankees (25-1)

Miami Marlins (75-1)

Wes Ferrell (Greensboro)

193

Boston Red Sox (9-2)

Texas Rangers (28-1)

Tampa Bay Rays (75-1)

Lee Meadows (Oxford)

188

Cleveland Indians (8-1)

Baltimore Orioles (33-1)

Arizona Diamondbacks (100-1)

Madison Bumgarner (Hickory)*

100

Washington Nationals (10-1)

Detroit Tigers (33-1)

Atlanta Braves (100-1)

Los Angeles Dodgers (10-1)

Kansas City Royals (33-1)

Cincinnati Reds (150-1)

San Francisco Giants (12-1)

Seattle Mariners (33-1)

Milwaukee Brewers (150-1)

Houston Astros (14-1)

Colorado Rockies (40-1)

Minnesota Twins (150-1)

New York Mets (18-1)

Pittsburgh Pirates (40-1)

Oakland Athletics (150-1)

Toronto Blue Jays (20-1)

Chicago White Sox (75-1)

St. Louis Cardinals (22-1)

Los Angeles Angels (75-1)

Chart 6 NC saves leaders Hoyt Wilhelm (Huntersville)

228

Philadelphia Phillies (150-1)

Ted Abernathy (Stanley)

149

San Diego Padres (150-1)

Greg Holland (Marion)*

145

Darren Holmes (Asheville)

59

Sammy Stewart (Asheville)

45

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

B7

Homestand will be pivotal to Hurricanes’ trade deadline plans Carolina looks to enter playoff fray with stretch of games at PNC Arena

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal ALEIGH — The Carolina Hurricanes returned from their R NHL-mandated five-day “bye

week” Thursday with an afternoon practice. Goaltender Eddie Lack returned with a sunburn — one he loudly proclaimed in the locker room would be “golden” in a couple days — while Jeff Skinner spoke of shoveling snow in Toronto.

In all, the group seemed pretty loose despite what’s ahead of them: a homestand that should determine what direction general manager Ron Francis goes before the March 1 trade deadline.

The Hurricanes currently have five pending unrestricted free agents on their roster: forwards Jay McClement, Derek Ryan and Viktor Stalberg; and defensemen Ron Hainsey and Matt Tennyson.

All could be trade fodder if Carolina — eight points behind Toronto for the final wild card spot prior to Friday’s home page against Colorado — falter ahead of the deadline.

“Our next five are at home — we’re a good team at home and

you can win those games,” winger Lee Stempniak said after the bye week. “You don’t know where that puts you, but I think we need to just focus on more the short term than look at the end. You have an idea how many points it takes to make the playoffs and how many games we have left and how many points we need to get to that, so it’s certainly realistic.”

The Hurricanes have been sellers at the deadline the last two years, and had some of the most-coveted players available in defenseman Andrej Sekera in 2015 and captain Eric Staal last year.

That duo netted Carolina a lot of assets. Sekera landed Carolina defensive prospect Roland McKeown and a first round pick, which became 2016 21st overall choice Julien Gauthier, from the Kings.

Staal’s trade to the Rangers netted forward prospect Aleksi Saarela, who is playing the Finland this season, and two second round picks. The 2016 second-rounder was sent, along with Carolina third in 2017, to Chicago for Teuvo Teravainen and Bryan Bickell. The Hurricanes also have the Rangers second round pick in this summer’s draft.

The players Carolina has on expiring contracts are more complementary pieces to potential suit-

Hurricanes right wing Lee Stempniak tries to hook an airborne puck in Carolina’s 5-3 win over Columbus on Jan. 10.

Eamon Queeney | North state JournaL

ors — McClement, Stalberg and Hainsey all could have value as bottom line/pairing players who are good at killing penalties — and won’t fetch anything near the return the Hurricanes received for their assets the last two years.

That makes a push during the homestand and avoiding another fire sale a priority. Their coach even thinks the Hurricanes, with a solid run the rest of February, can convince the front office to add reinforcements at the deadline.

“The group, as it is, is very capable,” coach Bill Peters said. “I’d love to add. I really would. I’d love to make it hard on management and go on a good run here in the next two weeks and be right there knocking on the door, and then they’ve got a hard decision to make. And if they ask my opinion,

it’s going to be to add; add to the group.”

Stempniak, 34, is on his 10th NHL team in 12 seasons, having signed a two-year contract with Carolina this offseason. If anyone knows life at the trade deadline, it’s him: he was dealt to Boston from New Jersey on Feb. 29 last year, and was traded on March 1 each of the two prior seasons.

“I think a lot of times you sort of know it’s coming,” Stempniak said. “If you’re on an expiring contract and you’re going to miss the playoffs, I think you talk with the team and see if there’s going to be a fit to sign an extension. If not, I think you’d be naive to not realize there’s a strong chance you’re going to get traded if you’re out of it.

“It’s hard with a family,” he added. “You’re away from your family

Campbell from page B1 guys that have done so well, to see what they’ve done and what they’ve gotten into,” Lee, now a special assistant to coach Sylvia Hatchell with the North Carolina women’s team, said.

Lee added it’s hard to believe a quarter of a century has passed since that magical 1992 season.

His top scorer, on the other hand, is reminded of how long it’s been whenever he goes out onto a court and plays ball with his children at home in Wake Forest.

And yet, despite the passage of all that time, Mocnik said the memories of that team and the night it got its brief moment in the national spotlight remain as fresh as the night they happened.

“For me it was amazing from the standpoint that it played right into my hands,” said Mocnik, a Fayetteville native who has spent much of his post-basketball life working in the auto finance business with former Camels teammate Bobby Murray.

“Going against Duke with the size they had, we couldn’t go inside. So coach trusted me in how I could shoot the ball and he let me loose that night. It was one of nights where you don’t really remember what was happening while the game was going on, but afterwards when you sit down and watch it, you realize that was a pretty good evening.”

Mocnik said he still has a few souvenirs from his NCAA tournament experience and a DVD of the game, in which he made seven of 13 3-pointers on his way to a gamehigh 29 points.

Other than Mocnik’s individual performance, the most memorable aspect of the Duke game was the number of Campbell fans that traveled from Buies Creek to Greensboro to the game and how the unaffiliated fans in the stands rallied behind the Camels and their spirited effort.

Looking back on that 1992 season, play-by-play announcer Ron McLamb said his best recollections are of the journey rather than the destination.

After getting off to a slow start in the Big South, Campbell got hot at just the right time by winning nine of its last 11 regular season games behind Mocnik’s long-range shooting, the grit and rebounding of undersized forward Joe Spinks and contributions from teammates Billy Ellison, Steve Martin, Scott Neely, Keith Ison, Jamie Lee, Salaam Hall and Doug Mitchell. The Camels then earned their NCAA big by beating Davidson, Liberty and Charleston Southern in the conference tournament.

“All the individual pieces fit so well together on that team. It really was a true team,” McLamb said.

“You remember Mark Mocnik and his ability to shoot the three and Joe Spinks for being such a great all-around player. but you also had certain players that were willing to fill certain roles and they were willing to do that. It was a really big deal for all of us involved back then.”

Photos courtesy of Campbell Athletic Communications

Campbell’s Mark Mocnik shoots a threepoint shot over Duke’s Thomas Davis during a matchup between Campbell and the Blue Devils in the 1992 NCAA Tournament.

Duke would beat Campbell handily and go on to win the national championship.

In many ways, Campbell’s 1977 team took a similar path to its glory.

Although first-team All-American Sam Staggers was consistent while averaging 18.2 points per game, the team took a while to hit

its stride. But once it did, it quickly picked up momentum to become the first unseeded team team in the 40-year history of the small college NAIA national tournament to advance all the way to the final game.

With Staggers and fellow Campbell Hall of Famers Don Laird and Don Whaley leading the way, the Camels beat Elizabeth City State to win the District 29 championship before going to the 32-team national event in Kansas City and

and there’s a transition period.

That part’s difficult. But I’ve been through it a few times and you certainly get used to it to an extent.

But it’s always a surprise when you actually get the phone call.”

The homestand, which includes three Eastern Conference playoff teams, will likely be the determining factor in what direction Francis goes on March 1.

“You see the standings and everything’s tight,” Stempniak said, glancing at the standings board in the locker room that showed Carolina second to last in the conference but with more games left to play than any other team. “We’re not in an ideal spot, but I think we’re in a spot where we’re pretty confident and comfortable as a group.”

knocking off Lincoln Memorial, Southwest Oklahoma State, Alcorn State and Henderson State.

The team ran out of gas in the championship game, losing 7741 to Texas Southern. But like the 1992 team, that defeat did nothing to diminish the pride of those who helped get Campbell that far.

“Even though we lost the national championship, it was a tremendous experience in Kansas City, something we will always remember,” team member Ernie Gilchrist said. “Quite honestly, there may have been better teams at that tournament than we were. But we overcame a lot of challenges.

“My best memory of that team was a team that was resilient and overcame the odds, the ups and downs of that season. At the end, we pulled together and were extremely successful.”

Danny Roberts, the coach of that 1977 team, remembers having a good feeling about his Camels heading to Kansas City, even if few others did.

“When we left for Kansas City, everybody was expecting us to be back the next day,” Roberts said.

“But I thought we had the best player in the country in Sam Staggers and we had a bunch of kids that were good athletes and loved the game.”

Roberts said it meant a lot to him and those players to have Campbell recognize them all these years later. He said his only regret was that Staggers wouldn’t make it to the reunion. He did, however, send a recorded message from his home in Belgium that was played on the Gore Arena video board.

“It really is an honor,” Roberts said. “The place really has changed a lot and grown since we were here.”

One of the most visible signs of that change is the Camels’ current home arena. The modern 3,100seat facility is a far cry from the tiny, outdated and aptly named Carter Gym at which Campbell played until 2008.

Looking around the vibrant, orange-themed court, 1992 coach Lee could only wonder how much different recruiting to Campbell had he had an arena like Gore rather than one in which he’d avoid bringing prospective players to for fear of scaring them off.

“Oh man, what a beautiful place,” he said. “Having a place like this in my day would have made all the difference in the world.”

The one thing missing from the new arena is championship banners.

Although the rafters are filled with flags commemorating the Camels’ athletic accomplishments, only two — that 1977 NAIA run and the 1992 Big South Crown — were earned by the school’s men’s basketball program. This year’s team is 13-13 overall (6-8 Big South).

“It’s a work in progress,” Mocnik said. “I tell my kids that one day, I want to go back and watch Campbell play in an NCAA tournament game.”

Preferably against someone other than Duke.

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North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

Knee surgery will sideline UNC’s Williams for rest of season Williams, a 6-foot-3 sophomore who has started 22 games, suffered the injury at practice on Tuesday

The Pittsburgh native is facing three felony and one misdemeanor charge

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal

By NSJ Staff

ALEIGH — The excitement of another lopsided beating of R rival NC State on Wednesday was

tempered for the North Carolina basketball team by news that guard Kenny Williams will likely miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Williams, a 6-foot-3 sophomore who has started 22 games, suffered the injury at practice on Tuesday.

Coach Roy Williams announced after the Tar Heels’ 97-73 shellacking of the Wolfpack at PNC Arena that his player would undergo surgery early next week and would not return to action this season “unless we play until June.”

That’s unlikely, since the college basketball national championship game is set to be played on April 3.

“He hurt his knee,” Williams the coach said of Williams the player.

“It’s a crazy thing. It’s not an ACL or anything like that. It’s 4-to-6 weeks, but when you look at 4-to-6 weeks at this point in the year, it’s basically the end of the season.”

Kenny Williams is averaging just 6.2 points and 2.2 assists per game this season, but he’s a 34-percent shooter from beyond the arc whose 27 3-pointers ranks third on the team behind only starters Justin Jackson and Joel Berry.

Jets CB Revis facing criminal charges after alleged assault

Christine T. Nguyen | North State Journal

North Carolina guard Kenny Williams (24) reacts during a first half of the NCAA college basketball game at the Smith Center Jan. 26, 2017.

Where he’ll be missed most, however, is on the defensive end of the floor.

“I’ve said all year long that Kenny’s our best perimeter defender,” Roy Williams said. “He really is.”

The good news for the Tar Heels is that Theo Pinson is back in action and ready to step into the void Williams’ injury has created.

Pinson was penciled in as the team’s starting shooting guard at the start of the season. But he missed the first 16 games with a broken bone in his foot. He was forced to sit out three more games after rolling his ankle in a recent win against Virginia Tech.

Finally healthy again, the 6-6 junior made his first start of the year

on Wednesday. He responded by scoring 12 points -- mostly on aggressive drives to the basket -- with four assists, two rebounds and a steal in 24 effective minutes.

“I just wanted to come out there and not try to force anything, because those guys have played together basically all year,” Pinson said of his teammates. “My game is to try and do a little bit of everything and just let the game come to me.

“It definitely has been a long road (back), but I don’t want to be a starter the way I had to start. We’d love to have had Kenny out there.

That’s the real thing. I’m more worried about how he’s doing and where he is right now.”

New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis faces five criminal charges — four of them felonies — in relation to a street altercation in Pittsburgh on Sunday that also left him injured.

Revis was charged Thursday with two counts of aggravated assault, plus robbery and conspiracy, and a misdemeanor, terroristic threats. The police issued a warrant for his arrest, and Revis will turn himself in, his attorney, Blaine Jones, told ESPN. The alleged incident occurred when two men approached Revis at 2:43 a.m. Sunday in the city’s South Side. "(A 22-year-old man from Kittanning, Pa.,) began recording the interaction on his cellphone and continued following Revis.

At some point, Revis snatched the cellphone away and attempted to delete the video,” the police statement read. “Another 21-year-old male from Ross Township (Pa.) attempted to help the 22-year-old retrieve the cellphone. Revis then tossed the phone onto the roadway. A verbal argument followed.

“A male came to assist Revis. Both the 22-year-old and the 21-year-old state they were punched then remember waking up to talk to police. Witnesses state the two were unconscious

for about 10 minutes. The officers viewed the cellphone video and confirmed that the person was Revis.”

Jones told ESPN that Revis needed medical attention, though he did not specify the player’s injuries.

Said Jones: “The bottom line is, Darrelle Revis was the victim in all of this. He never went out to start a fight. He has stellar credibility. ... He feared for his safety.”

A team spokesman acknowledged that the Jets were aware of the incident but said no comment was forthcoming.

Revis, 31, is a four-time AllPro and a former Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots. Once one of the league’s top cornerbacks, his play slipped enough last year that he is viewed as a candidate to be cut next month based on his $15.3 million salary-cap figure.

In 10 NFL seasons -- the first six with the Jets, one each with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Patriots, and the past two with the Jets -- Revis has 29 interceptions, four forced fumbles and two sacks in 140 games (all starts). He was credited with 137 passes defensed.

Revis played 15 games last season, finishing with five passes defensed and one interception.

Revis was the Jets’ 2007 firstround pick (14th overall) out of the University of Pittsburgh. He was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area.

NC State head coach Mark Gottfried walks off the court after the college basketball game against North Carolina at PNC Arena in Raleigh, Feb. 15, 2017. The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the North Carolina State Wolfpack 97 - 73.

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

GottFried from page B1 Gottfried’s second season, however, would exemplify the issues that have plagued NC State for going on several decades. After sniffing some success, the Wolfpack returned a talented team, with Brown and Leslie both declining to enter the NBA Draft. Add in T.J. Warren and the hype was out of control. NC State began the year No. 6 in the country, but barely stayed inside the top 25 throughout an 11-2 start that including a humiliating 20-point, early season loss at the hands of Marcus Smart and Oklahoma State.

An 11-7 mark in ACC play — including home wins over North Carolina and No. 1 Duke — was good for a top-five finish in the conference. But even another run to the ACC semifinals weren’t enough to secure a decent NCAA seed, and Gottfried’s second squad, lost an 8/9 game to Temple.

Following that season, Gottfried experienced his first mass exodus from Raleigh. Seniors Wood and Howell graduated while Brown and Leslie left for the NBA. The first significant transfer came in the form of Rodney Purvis, who left for UConn after not getting the playing time he expected as a freshman.

A quick offseason retool followed, which would become a staple of the Gottfried era. Say what you want about the roster attrition, but Gottfried knew how to scramble for talent.

NC State added Cat Barber, BeeJay Anya, Lennard Freeman and Kyle Washington to a roster that already featured Warren and transfer Ralston Turner. Warren, a future first-round pick by the Phoenix Suns, would morph into a monster in his second season, carrying NC State’s offense en route to winning ACC Player of the Year.

NC State’s entire offense went through Warren, but it was still a short-handed team, that he and secured a First Four bid in the NCAA Tournament and a win over Xavier in Dayton. Things were setting up for another impressive tournament run, but ultimately ended in tragic fashion, with an overtime loss to Saint Louis in the first round of

the tournament that saw NC State blow a 14-point lead due to missing 17 free throws.

Then came the next loss of talent with Tyler Lewis transferring to Butler and Warren leaving for the NBA. Everything should have fallen apart, so naturally Gottfried put together one of the best coaching efforts of his tenure.

Equipped with Barber, Turner, Freeman, Anya and transfer Trevor Lacey, Gottfried led the team to a 19-12 record despite a rocky start prior to ACC play. Those 19 wins included a home victory over No. 2 Duke and a rare road win at No. 15 UNC. After a short stay in the ACC Tournament, Gottfried got his NCAA magic cooking again. The eighth-seeded Wolfpack took down No. 9 LSU on a Anya jump hook in the lane with one second remaining to win by one.

Then they created the world’s saddest piccolo player by taking down the No. 1 seed in their region, Villanova, thanks to Lacey’s 17 points and Abdul-Malik Abu’s 12 rebounds.

The win over a No. 1 seed was the highlight of Gottfried’s tenure despite losing the next game against Louisville in the Sweet 16. The first four years of Gottfried’s tenure were better than anyone could have expected. The last coach to take the Pack to the Sweet 16 twice? None other than the late, great Jimmy Valvano 26 years earlier.

As a result of the accomplishment, AD Debbie Yow rewarded Gottfried with a brand new contract extension through the 201920 season. It was one laced with massive bonuses and a base salary of $760,000 per year. Gottfried would never see the end of it.

Less than 24 hours after the extension was announced, NC State lost its season opener to William & Mary in embarrassing fashion.

To compound the 0-1 start for the Pack, Terry Henderson went down seven minutes into the game and would ultimately miss the rest of the season.

Henderson’s injury coupled with Lacey leaving for the 2015 NBA Draft in the offseason left Gottfried with very little options offensively.

Barber resorted to takeover mode in nearly every game while Abu and Maverick Rowan slowly blossomed into scoring threats.

The season spiraled out of control with Gottfried falling below .500 on the season (16-17) and finishing near the bottom of the ACC at 5-13. It was a major speed bump, but with the injuries he faced and the success he forged in his first four years, Gottfried was given a longer leash than some coaches after a sub-.500 season.

Not to mention, the future was bright. Despite several transfers, and plenty of early summer concern about how he would handle a thinned-out roster, Gottfried rallied quickly. Adding 5-star freshmen Dennis Smith Jr. and Omer Yurtseven to add to an already talented roster of Abu, Henderson, Rowan and Torin Dorn, and there was a recipe for sleeper success cooking.

It never happened, or even came close to happening. The Pack started 11-2 out of conference, but couldn’t keep up in ACC play. Outside of a 26-point win over Virginia Tech at home and a win at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Gott’s re-tooled team was drubbed by nearly every ACC team this year.

Six straight losses, four straight home defeats and three consecutive losses by 24 points or more sealed Gottfried’s fate. While his teams showed plenty of promise during the first four years, the direction of the program was headed the wrong way, according to Athletics Director Debbie Yow. Gottfried, the eternal optimist, is sticking with his team for the final four games out of respect for his players. Regardless of how Pack fans remember him, it’s important to remember that Gottfried was a last-second Hail Mary from Yow who managed to find immediate success in a bleak situation and bring NC State back into the national discussion multiple times during March, something Wolfpack fans didn’t think was possible right away.

It wasn’t always smooth, and it came to a screeching halt, but for fans in Raleigh, Gottfried’s tenure was a heck of a ride.

Brad Penner | usa today sports image

New York Jets corner back Darrelle Revis (24) runs off the field after a game against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on East Rutherford, NJ on Jan. 31, 2017.

Mlb notebook

Braves Rodriguez, Cardinals Reyes done for year

By NSJ Staff Braves IF Rodriguez out for season with rotator cuff Atlanta Braves infielder Sean Rodriguez underwent surgery for a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder this week and likely will miss the upcoming season.

Dr. James Andrews performed the surgery Tuesday on Rodriguez, who signed a twoyear, $11.5 million contract in November after a career season with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Rodriguez is expected to miss as many as eight months as he recovers, putting his potential return date toward the final month of a season on a team that isn’t expected to contend.

Atlanta acquired second baseman Brandon Phillips last weekend and is expected to be the team’s starter.

Cards stud prospect Reyes out for year St. Louis Cardinals rookie right-hander Alex Reyes, whose fastball tops out at 100 mph, is out for the season.

Manager Mike Matheny confirmed Wednesday that Reyes would miss the 2017 season recovering from Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm.

The hard-throwing starter was expected to break camp in the Cardinals’ starting rotation. He was ranked as the top pitching prospect in baseball last month.

The Cardinals were counting on Reyes after the 22-year-old

put up a 1.57 ERA and struck out 52 in six starts in the final month of the 2016 season.

Because of the possibility of re-injury, many teams are giving pitchers at least 16 months to recover from Tommy John surgery, meaning Reyes might not return until the 2018 All-Star break.

Adam Wainwright, Carlos Martinez, Mike Leake and Michael Wacha are expected to start for the Cardinals but the No. 5 spot in the rotation is up for grabs. starter.

Indians OF Brantley no close Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley isn’t close to being ready to play in spring training games and his availability for the start of the regular season is also in jeopardy, according to manager Terry Francona.

Brantley is recovering from surgery to repair a torn right biceps. He played in just 11 games last season due to a shoulder injury and underwent the biceps surgery in August.

Francona doesn’t have a timetable for when the 29-yearold Brantley will start playing in spring-training games.

The Indians advanced to the World Series without Brantley, who finished third in the American League MVP balloting in 2014. Brantley has a .292 career average with 61 homers and 400 RBIs in eight seasons with the Indians.

Dick’s Hot Dogs: If these walls could talk… Page 4

SATURDAY

02.18.17

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL

play list

February 21

the good life IN A NORTH STATE OF MIND

community | edgecombe county

The story of Princeville

Brain Candy Live!

Crown Theatre, Fayetteville Adam Savage, one of television’s most loved personalities, has joined forces with Michael Stevens, one of YouTube’s biggest stars, and they’re coming to the Crown Theatre. They are bringing along more than three tons of their crazy toys, incredible tools, and mindblowing demonstrations for a celebration of curiosity that is an interactive, hands-on, minds-on theatrical experience like no other. crowncomplexnc.com

February 23-25 “The Diary of Anne Frank” Lee Street Theatre, Salisbury The story of Anne Frank, a young girl swept up in the turmoil of the Holocaust, captured the hearts of millions when her personal diary was published under the guidance of her father after World War II. Anne Frank’s life told through her own words gave a deeper understanding of what the Holocaust meant for thousands of families under Hitler’s tyranny and the play adaptation is eerily poignant in its retelling. leestreet.org

February 24-26 18th Annual Nevermore Film Festival Carolina Theatre, Durham

photos by christine T. nguyen | North State Journal

In 1865, Freedom Hill was established by freed slaves on swamp land adjacent to the Tar River. The settlement became the town of Princeville 20 years later, making it the oldest town incorporated by African Americans in the United States.

Fearrington’s Folk Art Show Pittsboro

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal s we celebrate Black History Month, we venture down to A Princeville, the oldest town char-

tered by blacks in America. Nestled next to the Tar River in Edgecombe County, we take a closer look at the history and mystery of this small North Carolina town.

It was 1865, and the Union soldiers declared victory over the South. The defeat of the Confederate soldiers in the Civil War gave approximately 4 million slaves their freedom. These men and women with newfound freedom needed somewhere to go, somewhere to live, and somewhere to call home.

Follow the Tar River down to Edgecombe County where there was water, land, and a little bit of swamp the white men no longer needed.

“It was nothing but swamp land, the white men didn’t want the freed slaves to live in Tarboro (the county seat), but wanted them to live close enough to come to work for them,” said Calvin Adkins, Princeville native and historian.

‘Freedom Hill’ the freed slaves called it. The white men saw this land as not being valuable so they offered it to the slaves for a place to live. Looking at a swamp of nothing, the black men began to make something. The black men chopped down trees to make homes, and the freed slaves continued to come.

“Slaves crossed the river to come here. Slaves came from all over Edgecombe County,” said Adkins.

Created in 1999, the Nevermore Film Festival is a juried competition festival which programs brand-new genre feature and short films from around the world. The festival seeks submissions for narrative feature and shorts with an emphasis on horror, science fiction, dark fantasy, animation, mystery/suspense, and actionthrillers. carolinatheatre.org

The 15th annual Folk Art Show at the Fearrington Barn will preview on Friday, Feb. 24 and run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Barn will be filled with fantastic and thought-provoking folk art from all over the Southeast.

The Folk Art show has garnered a reputation for bringing together an eclectic group of nontraditional artists who create whimsical paintings, fantastical robots, sculptures, pottery, and more. fearrington.com

A display from the Princeville Heritage Museum shows photographs flooding in Princeville after Hurricane Floyd in 1999. More than 20 feet of floodwater covered the town for 10 days.

One freed slave who found his way to Freedom Hill was Turner Prince. A Pitt County native, he was a talented carpenter who assisted in the building of homes as well as the Town of Tarboro’s courthouse at the time.

Twenty years removed from slavery, the freed slaves went to Congress to ask for a charter for the town.

“We know the slaves who went to Congress were smart and had help, but we don’t know who helped

them,” said Adkins.

Slaveholders were opposed to educating their slaves, but these slaves who went to Congress had become educated and the mystery remains as to who and how.

As the tale goes, the freed slaves appeared before Congress and were originally turned down. Congress wanted this new town to be named for President James Garfield.

“The slaves said no. It took a See princeville, page C6

coming wednesday Making old things new again, we met with Chalk It Up to talk about the recreation that comes from custom painted furniture. savor & style

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

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NeCessities accolades

history marked

Lion Ark makes its North Carolina premiere

February 19, 1921

By Emory Rakestraw For the North State Journal “Lion Ark,” the shocking, action-filled documentary of a harrowing rescue and airlift of 25 former circus lions premiered on Saturday in Durham at Full Frame Theater. Movie-goers were treated to a special Q&A with director and producer Tim Phillips and Jan Creamer, who just two days before were on another rescue mission.

Friday night, they flew in from Peru after traveling high in the Andes to rescue a spectacled bear named Dominga by taking her to an Animal Defenders International (ADI) sanctuary in the Peruvian forest. It only seemed fitting the two fly in after such a rescue. Their critically acclaimed film “Lion Ark” follows the story and daring feats that must be accomplished to save animals.

On July 1, 2009, Bolivia banned all animals in circuses. While other countries had started the trend by banning wild animals, Bolivia included domestic animals in the law, citing that this use of animals and the fact that many were beaten and abused for training “constitutes an act of cruelty.” The law was followed by an investigation

by ADI, and aside from finding a shocking amount of animal abuse within the industry, there was also the revelation that many circus operators were killing animals they no longer needed.

Creamer also serves as ADI’s International President and in 2009 called the law “groundbreaking.”

“Lion Ark” was a story that served best as a visual representation by infusing narrative, conversation, reactions, and more action and adventure than a typical documentary.

On the festival circuit, the film won 11 awards and an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding International Motion Picture. Reel Talk called it “the feelgood movie of the year!” and the New York Times said, “Refreshing.”

Director Tim Phillips notes, “We wanted people to experience a frontline animal rescue, both the challenges and the joy. The film tackles a serious issue, but is exciting and leaves people with a smile on their face, knowing they can make a difference as they see the lives of these animals transform.”

During the Q&A, Phillips and Creamer discussed their latest rescue, Operation Spirit of Freedom.

In Peru and Colombia, 100 wild animals were saved from circuses and the illegal wildlife trade. The rescue mission included a massive airlift of 33 lions from South American circuses to Africa.

After a successful rescue mission of Dominga, Phillips said that during their arrival to Durham, “We may look a little exhausted as we will have been sleeping in cars for Dominga the bear’s move to her new home, but that’s how we often look in Lion Ark!” The rescue included two days of moving the almost completely bald bear through the mountains, and then more days on boat along the Madre de Dios River to her new home.

“As a treat for the Durham audience, they will get to see ‘Lion Ark’ and be the first to see images of this latest rescue. It’s also a reminder that the work featured in ‘Lion Ark’ is ongoing,” said Phillips.

voices

Contributors to this section this week include: Samantha Gratton Laura Ashley Lamm Emory Rakestraw

tell us

Know a North Carolina story that needs telling?

Drop us a line at features@nsjonline.com.

Developer, conservationist and photographer Hugh Morton was born in Wilmington. Morton was instrumental in supporting many of the attractions enjoyed by residents of and visitors to the Tarheel State. He served as the first president of Wilmington’s Azalea Festival and was influential in raising funds to bring the battleship USS North Carolina to that port city. He advocated saving the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse by use of artificial seaweed.

February 21, 1893 The General Assembly adopted “Esse Quam Videri” as the official state motto.

Translated from Latin, the phrase means, “To be rather than to seem.” The phrase is a quote from the “De Amicitia,” an essay on friendship by the Roman author and politician Cicero that dates to 44 B.C. Similar sentiments can found in early texts by the Greek poet Aeschylus and the philosopher Socrates.

Information courtesy of N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

turn the page Winter is stil hanging around, but that doesn’t mean our thoughts are turning to spring. A change of season often ushers in the urge to tidy up. We turned to City Gallery & Books in Fayetteville for a few suggestions to help us begin the process of shaking off the cobwebs.

“How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind: Dealing with Your House’s Dirty Little Secrets”

by Dana K. White

“The Joy of Less: A Minimalist Guide to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify”

by Francine Jay

“Real Life Organizing: Clean and Clutter-Free in 15 Minutes a Day”

by Cassandra Aarssen

“The Cleaning Ninja: How to Clean Your Home in 8 Minutes Flat and Other Clever Housekeeping Techniques”

by Courtenay Hartford

y’ought to... raise a glass at N.C.’s oldest tavern The oldest tavern still in operation in North Carolina is fittingly located in Old Salem.

This quaint space known as the Tavern in Old Salem is a family owned business serving Moravian inspired dishes.

Because it is part of the living history that is Old Salem the wait staff even brings your craft beer and cocktails dressed in period attire. If you’re passing through Forsyth County make sure you stop and wet your whistle at this National Historic Landmark.

A delicious state to be in The James Beard Foundation announced its list of Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists for the 27th annual James Beard Foundation Awards. Selected from a list of more than 24,000 online entries, the prestigious group of semifinalists represents a wide range of culinary talent, from exceptional chefs and dining destinations in 10 different regions across the U.S., to the nation’s best new restaurants, rising star chefs, pastry chefs and bakers. On the list were 14 semifinalists who bring their expertise and delicious food to North Carolina.

Outstanding Baker

Best Chef Southeast

A chef or baker who prepares desserts, pastries, or breads in a restaurant, and who serves as a national standard bearer of excellence. Must have been working as a pastry chef or baker for the past five years.

Chefs who have set new or consistent standards of excellence in their respective regions. Eligible candidates may be from any kind of dining establishment and must have been working as a chef for at least five years, with the three most recent years spent in the region.

• Phoebe Lawless, Scratch, Durham • Lionel Vatinet, La Farm Bakery, Cary

• Colin Bedford, The Fearrington House,

Pittsboro

• Steven Devereaux Greene,

Outstanding Chef A working chef in America whose career has set national industry standards and who has served as an inspiration to other food professionals. Must have been working as a chef for the past five years.

• Ashley Christensen, Poole’s Diner, Raleigh • Andrea Reusing, Lantern, Chapel Hill

Rising Star Chef

Herons in the Umstead Hotel, Cary

• John Fleer, Rhubarb, Asheville • Vivian Howard, Chef & the Farmer, Kinston • Matt Kelly, Mateo, Durham • Joe Kindred, Kindred, Davidson • Cheetie Kumar, Garland, Raleigh • Elliott Moss, Buxton Hall, Asheville • Paul Verica, Heritage Food and Drink, Waxhaw

A chef age 30 or younger who displays an impressive talent and who is likely to make a significant impact on the industry in years to come.

• Gabe Barker, Pizzeria Mercato, Carrboro

arrangements

North Carolina Museum of Art announces summer concert series

By Samantha Gratton | North State Journal

As the weather warms up across the state, it’s fun to start thinking more about outdoor activities to look forward to in the spring and summer. Along those lines the North Carolina Museum of Art just announced its 20th Anniversary Summer Concert Series. After a couple of decades of hosting people with blankets and picnic baskets on the lawn, this lineup at the outdoor amphitheater does not disappoint. Featuring several notable artists who got their start right here in North Carolina, you’ll likely want to grab a few tickets and start wishing it was summer already.

Mipso, with River Whyless Saturday, May 6 This indie folk group coalesced at UNC Chapel Hill and became a campus favorite. Not long after, they began selling out shows at Cat’s Cradle and appearing throughout the Triangle and beyond. Their 2015 album, “Old Time Reverie” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Chart, and The Guardian newspaper called it one of the best records of the year. Mipso’s first NCMA appearance celebrates the release of a new album, “Coming Down the Mountain.”

Kaleo Tuesday, June 13 This skyrocketing indie-rock band from near Iceland’s capital city of Reykjavik ironically takes its name from a native Hawaiian word that means “the sound.”

Inspired by American blues and folk, the band relocated

to Austin, Texas, in 2015 after becoming a sensation in its homeland. The single “All the Pretty Girls” released in 2014 helped propel Kaleo to international fame. Last year Rolling Stone magazine named Kaleo first in a listing of “10 New Artists You Need to Know.”

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, with Amanda Shires Sunday, June 18 Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell comes from Alabama and is closely tied to the fabled Southern musical enclave of Muscle Shoals, whose studios produced some of the most enduring popular music of the 1960s and ’70s.

Isbell learned to play multiple instruments as a boy, and at age 22 he joined the Southern rock band Drive-by Truckers.

Six years later he embarked on a solo career. His breakthrough recording “Southeastern” won Album of the Year at the 2014

Eamon queeney | North State Journal file

Rhiannon Giddens performs with Bhi Bhiman, right, and Leyla McCalla.

Americana Music Awards. His follow-up record, “Something More Than Free” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s rock, folk, and country music charts and earned him two Grammy Awards.

Rhiannon Giddens Wednesday, August 9 North Carolina native Rhiannon Giddens continues to develop her extraordinary talent and career.

A co-founder of the Grammywinning Carolina Chocolate Drops, Giddens recorded her first solo album “Tomorrow Is My Turn” with the aid of producer T-Bone Burnett. New York Times music critic Jon Pareles says, “The album is a showcase for Ms. Giddens’s glorious voice, which merges an opera singer’s detail and a deep connection to Southern roots. She can summon the power of a field holler, Celtic quavers, girlish innocence, bluesy sensuality, gospel exaltation, or the pain of slavery. For all her technical control, her voice is a perpetually soulful marvel.”

Giddens’s follow-up record “Freedom Highway,” released in February, features nine songs

she wrote herself. Giddens received the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Singer of the Year in 2016 and won the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Bluegrass and Banjo. Giddens and friends will be pulling out all the stops for this special North Carolina homecoming show, and you won’t want to miss it.

Mandolin Orange, with Joe Pug Saturday, July 22 Mandolin Orange formed in 2009 in Chapel Hill around the talents of singer-songwriter and multiinstrumentalist Andrew Marlin and violinist-guitarist Emily Frantz. The duo made a couple of highly regarded albums before signing with North Carolinabased Yep Roc Records, which yielded the 2013 release of “This Side of Jordan,” which NPR Music called one of the year’s top 10 folk and Americana albums.

Now comes “Blindfaller,” which features a full band sound. No Depression, the Journal of Roots Music, says, “It’s really once in a lifetime that a band comes around like Mandolin Orange.”

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

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gather | north carolina “There’s an energy that comes from working in the same environment as other people.”

Garrett Tichy, owner of Hygge Coworking

photos Courtesy of hygge Coworking photos Courtesy of the Coworking Station

A look inside the Coworking Station, a coworking space in downtown Holly Springs, N.C.

A look inside Hygge Coworking in Charlotte where members have 24/7 access to work.

The power of working together Hygge Coworking in Charlotte provides members with 24/7 access to work.

By Samantha Gratton North State Journal alk in an office and you’re bound to find a few of W the following things: someone with

a bowl of candy to share, someone with an impressive number of knickknacks on their desk, someone with a story from the weekend, and someone with a work problem that needs solving.

Often, when you are a freelancer, self-employed or a remote worker these are all much tougher to find. The loss of these opportunities for conversation and collaboration or a natural break detracts from the workday. Instead of being challenged and inspired by those around you, the day can drag on or you can lose focus.

“There’s an energy that comes from working in the same environment as other people,” said Garrett Tichy, owner of Hygge Coworking in Charlotte. Between two office buildings, the space serves as a workplace for 200 members. It is available 24 hours a day, every day of the week. Work there ranges from nonprofit to renewable energy, from wedding planners to lawyers, and from marketing to city planning.

“I keep the amenities simple,” said Tichy. “What I offer at Hygge is three things: a place to sit, coffee and Wi-Fi. Everything else is on you. We provide space.”

So could you find the same things at home or in a coffee shop?

Sure. But what tends to happen within coworking spaces is a sense of community when the same people show up day after day.

“Community comes from a lot of people who show up regularly — community comes from people,” said Tichy. He finds that the people who seek out a coworking space are

photos Courtesy of hygge Coworking

often those who value that type of commitment in community.

“The benefits are energy and inspiration and motivation — there’s something about sitting next to someone who’s just crushing it,” said Tichy. Further, he says finding someone different than you is even better. Having previously worked in one industry surrounded by people doing the same type of work, he has gained so much more perspective being around people working in a different field.

People are drawn to this style of working all across the state. Jon Harol started the Coworking Station last summer in Holly Springs.

What was once an old police station has now been converted into a collaborative space that not only hosts a number of office spaces and conference rooms but also regular

events such as happy hour yoga or speed networking.

“We started off building a traditional coworking space that was more something you’d find in an urban environment but found we had to adapt because we are a more suburban community,” said Harol.

This meant a few more private offices than community tables. People were still looking for an office with a sense of community around it though, which is why they chose a coworking space over a home office.

To members, the experience is valuable because there are shared resources, shared spaces and shared ideas.

“A lot of companies will be working at a desk with no divider in between them, sharing a conference room, and automatically rubbing elbows with people from other or-

ganizations,” said Harol.

Tichy echoes the same idea.

“For me it’s just an energy thing,” he said. “We have offices that people go in and close doors. But people like the vibe of what’s happening right outside of their office space.”

Collaboration does not always come in the ways you might expect.

Proximity and problem solving go hand and hand. Instead of comparing notes with people in the same field or company, coworking allows for a more varied response.

“A lot of times it’s the guy sitting next to them saying ‘what do you think of this?’” said Harol.

While each space is unique and has its own set of amenities, be it a podcast studio like at Hygge or beer on tap like at the Coworking Station, the best part of a coworking space is the people inside.

Want to learn more about North Carolina Agriculture?

The First Furrow www.FirstFurrow.com

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North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

C5 Lee Gliarmis, right, shakes hands with customer Bill Boles, left, of Wilson, at Dick’s Hot Dog Stand that Lee runs with his family in Wilson. The hotdog stand was started by Lee’s father Socrates Gliarmis in 1921. “I’ve been coming here since I rode my bike down from first through twelfth grade,” Boles said. “Mr. Lee coached me in little league football.”

“At six years old, I would come down with Dad and he would give me something to do. I was usually in the back room slicing cheese. It is a blessing working with my dad every day.”

Soc Gliarmis, son of Lee Gliarmis, who runs Dick’s Hot Dog Stand

A note encouraging employees not to eat behind the counter hangs in the kitchen at Dick’s Hot Dog Stand.

Lee Gliarmis looks at photos from the history of Dick’s Hot Dog Stand in Wilson.

Photos by madeline gray | North State Journal

old haunts | wilson

Beloved family restaurant stands the test of time

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal laces built with strength and endurance tend to stand the test of time. People filled with comP passion and driven by service toward others be-

Matt Rabil, of Wilson, spoons chili onto a hot dog at Dick’s Hot Dog Stand in Wilson. A Famous Hot Dog comes covered in mustard, onions, and Dick’s Homemade Chili, costs $2.15.

Memorabilia is displayed behind the counter.

Lee Gliarmis coached little league for 40 years. Photos and articles from his time as a coach cover the walls of the restaurant along with autographed photos of the many wellknown people who have eaten there.

come revered. Often, when you least notice, those places and people become legendary.

Down in the heart of Wilson, a town built on farming tobacco, there’s a little hot dog stand where the familiar come week after week, where passersby stop for a peek, and where you walk in and feel at home.

Dick’s Hot Dog Stand, situated on the corner of Nash and Pearson streets, began in 1921 when Socrates “Dick” Gliarmis sold the very first hot dog. Across the street from the restaurant’s current location the same delicious hot dogs were sold out of a wooden grocery store for a nickel.

“Daddy sold them there for a year before moving to where the stand is now. Two tobacconists (Tom Moore and Jack Mylum), who were also customers, told him he needed a name for his diner. They said, ‘you can’t name it Socrates, so how about Dick’s?,’” said son Lee Gliarmis.

Ninety-six years later, the name and the restaurant are still going strong. Dick’s Hot Dog Stand survived the Roaring ’20s, two world wars, and the Great Depression, never closing its doors.

“I used to walk up here before school and take the bottle drinks outside helping Daddy get ready for the day,” said Lee. In the early years, Dick’s Hot Dog Stand was surrounded by fields and countryside. The Circus Grounds were the restaurant’s backyard neighbor and in the late 1920s the traveling circus featured famed cowboy Tom Mix. “Tom wanted a hot dog when he came to town, so I remember my father stayed open until 2:30 a.m. one night to feed him a hot dog,” said Lee. Over the years, it has become a meeting place for people of all ages. People stop by before or after the big football game or dance, and for date night or their Sunday meal. Curbside service was offered until 1940.

Actress Ava Gardner, a student at Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College), was dating one of the young boys who worked the curbside service. She would frequently stop by and grab a hot dog.

“She and her boyfriend drove up the night before she moved to New York City and asked me to take their picture,” said Lee. “She left the next morning, and it was the last time I saw her here.”

Socrates died of cancer in 1951 at the age of 60, leaving a young boy fresh out of college at the University of North Carolina to take over the family business.

“I’ve always enjoyed meeting people and working here. This has been a good experience for me,” said Lee. One such memorable occasion was a time during the 1960s, when there was a Wednesday special of five hotdogs for $0.99.

“People would be lined up out the door for the

special. Some would be regular customers and some would be just a Wednesday customer,” laughed Lee. Today, Lee continues the restaurant along with his son, Soc, and daughter, Chris Anne.

“At six years old, I would come down with Dad and he would give me something to do. I was usually in the back room slicing cheese,” said Soc. “It is a blessing working with my dad every day.”

“He is the hot dog stand. People come in to see him and people came in to see his dad before that,” added Soc. Though the menu has expanded over the years to 45 items including gyros and sandwiches, customers favor the hot dogs the best. Covered in mustard, onions, ketchup, slaw, and chili, millions have enjoyed these hot dogs.

The chili, made in secret with fresh ingredients and fresh ground beef, was originally created by Socrates in 1921. Campbell’s Soup once approached Socrates about having his famous chili canned.

“He turned them down,” said Lee. “He wanted to keep the recipe in the family.”

“The chili remains a secret, but otherwise, if we have the ingredients and you want something, we will make it,” added Soc. “We do specialize for our customers — crispy fries, soft fries, regular fries.”

Closed on Mondays, Dick’s Hot Dogs is open Tuesday through Sunday.

“Growing up, as a family, we would come in here on Monday nights and eat as a family when the restaurant was closed,” said Soc. Sitting inside, you never know who you will see at the booth next to you. Athletes, coaches, politicians, celebrities, dignitaries, or your neighbor down the street. The restaurant’s decor remains the same as it was in the 1960s. The green vinyl booths and yellow tables are nestled between the wood paneled walls filled with memorabilia.

The paneled wood walls are covered with photographs, autographs, and memorabilia from all over the nation. It’s become a museum full of legendary greats. Visitors can browse through photographs and autographs of North Carolina senators and governors, athletes such as Harris Barton and Jerry Rice, notable coaches like Alabama’s Bear Bryant and Florida State’s Bobby Bowden, local high school athletic teams, college baseball and football teams, and Gliarmis family photos. There’s even an Academy Awards invitation, signed baseballs, and remnants from the military salutes of three presidential inaugurations.

“I love it here, and I’m thankful to the community.

Sharing stories with everyone is what I love to do,” said Lee. If the walls of the old hot dog stand could talk, Lee believes they would tell him, “Do better and do more.

I wish I could. I love to work.”

Ask anyone who knows Lee and has stopped by for a hot dog, and they will tell you, “He’s done great. He’s done plenty.” That the man behind the counter with his bright eyes, big smile and hot dog stand became legendary.

Tricia Ferrell, of Wilson, serves lunch customers at Dick’s Hot Dog Stand. Tricia worked at the restaurant when she was in high school and when she moved back to Wilson many years later, she started working as a waitress again.

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

C6

Thimble dropped from Monopoly board game Reuters New versions of Monopoly will no longer give players the option of using a tiny silver-colored thimble as their pawn on the board, after fans voted to drop the piece that had featured in the game since its introduction in 1935.

The thimble — a tool used in sewing to prevent pricking one’s thumb with a needle — was the second of the games’ original pieces to be dropped after players gave a thumbs-down to the iron in 2013, Providence, Rhode Island-based game maker Hasbro Inc said on Thursday.

The surviving pieces that trace their roots back to the Great Depression include a battleship, boot and Scottie dog.

Hasbro for reuters

Rumor has it! German shepherd takes top prize at dog show Reuters Rumor, a German shepherd, was named best in show at the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Tuesday, besting more than 2,800 other dogs that competed in New York this week.

It marks the second time a German shepherd has won the top prize at the show. The breed last won in 1987, which also represents the only other time a dog from the herding group has won at Westminster.

“She’s got a lot of beautiful details,” Rumor owner, breeder and handler Kent Boyles, from Edgerton, Wisconsin, said about the features that make Rumor a winner.

Boyles, who said he became “German shepherd crazy” as a child, has been breeding the dog for 35 years.

Boyles said he and his family will drive back to Wisconsin with Rumor, where she will be retired from shows. “This was definitely the ultimate type of win for her,” Boyles said. Rumor, whose favorite snack is prime rib, will likely begin bearing puppies, Boyles said.

Rumor won the herding category in 2016 as well, but lost the top prize to a German shorthaired pointer.

“She is just magnificent,” Judge Thomas H. Bradley III said, in an interview with broadcasters about his pick.

Adrian, an Irish setter from the sporting group, was named runner-up.

A total of 200 breeds vied for the blue ribbon at Westminster, which began in 1877, making it the country’s second longest-running sporting event behind the Kentucky Derby horse race, launched in 1875.

Devlin, a boxer, won the working group on Tuesday, while Tanner, a Norwich terrier, was the winner in the terrier group.

On Monday, the opening night of the two-day competition, in addition to the German shepherd Rumor, a Norwegian elkhound, a Pekingese, and a miniature poodle won their groups.

Devlin, the boxer, has lived with and been trained by Diego Garcia in Lillington, North Carolina for the past two years, and will return to her owner in Canada after the show to retire.

“I started to cry this morning,” Garcia said about returning Devlin.

Three new breeds debuted in this year’s competition: the sloughi, a North African sighthound; the American hairless terrier, first bred in the 1970s to hunt rats and other vermin; and the pumi, an ancient Hungarian herding breed.

This year’s contestants came from 49 states and 16 foreign countries. Dogs are judged on characteristics specific to their breeds.

Stephanie Keith | reuters

Rumor, a German shepherd and winner of Best In Show at the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, poses for photographers with her handler Kent Boyles at Madison Square Garden.

princeville from page C1

lot of strength and courage for these freed slaves to stand up to Congress,” said Adkins. “Eventually, the slaves won the argument.”

In 1885, Freedom Hill became incorporated as Princeville, having been named after Turner Prince.

Though Prince continued to play an important role in the Town of Princeville, he remains a mystery. The details of his life are lost. It is rumored he built a house and lived on Main Street in the largest home in town.

Floods have long ago destroyed what could have been this historical home. More so, the details of his death and even his body are missing.

“We have looked and searched for decades, but we can’t find his grave. Which is disappointing,” said Adkins.

One of the town’s most esteemed residents seems to have vanished. A grave marker? Maybe a wood marker? There isn’t even a photograph of him.

“We’ve not given up hope.

Someone somewhere may have an artifact, pictures, or more information that may have moved away from Princeville,” said Adkins.

Flood waters have silently crept through the town since the 1700s. One major flood came in 1867, shortly after the town was incorporated.

“The land was no good, but the people didn’t have anywhere else to go. Despite the floods, the people continued to stay,” said Adkins.

“Princeville has always been filled with determined people, proud people,” said Adkins.

In the 1900s, the Town of Princeville was self-sufficient with stores and businesses lining the main street.

“You didn’t go across the bridge into Tarboro for much except to work,” said Adkins.

Back during the mid-1920s, as the legend is told, wealthy businessman Orren James was mayor and owned two popular stores. One day, as the river began flooding the town, James gathered his money in stacks, placed them in his boat and was last seen floating down the Tar River never to be heard from again.

Historical documents, photographs, and evidence of a town established by freed slaves disappears a little more each time the water washes through town.

The people of Princeville know their history, share stories through storytelling, and are proud of where they come from. They don’t need a historical marker or document to tell them. They remain resilient and dedicated to returning to the place freed slaves built.

“This is home. This is our history here,” said Adkins. “If God wants water, he’ll send water.

But look at what the slaves went through to get this land. They made something out of nothing.”

Photos by christine t. nguyen | North State Journal

Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist Church, the oldest church in Princeville, was established in the 1870s. The building, which is still in use today, was flooded in 1999 during Hurricane Floyd and last year after Hurricane Matthew.

Above: A bas-relief bust of Abraham Wooten is part of the monument in front of Mount Zion Primitive Baptist Church. Wooten is the founder of the church.

Left: An undated photograph shows houses along the colonial road, where a dike sits today.

Above: A photograph from the museum shows Princeville after flooding in 1954.

Right: A sign for the town of Princeville sits on top of the dike above the Tar River. The dike was built in 1965 by the Army Corps of Engineers.

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

kids’ home newspaper Games, rhymes and riddles for children and their parents, too!

Collard Greens, bluegrass, baiting your own hook, a ďŹ ne oyster roast, a good dog, a festival for every vegetable, and barbecue rank high on my list of life necessities.

C7

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

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pen & Paper pursuits

Janric classic sudoku

Solutions from 2.12.17

the BRIEF

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

BENTONVILLE, AR

Wal-Mart acquires online outdoor retailer Moosejaw for $51 million

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Top, Julia Young places empty bottles on a conveyor belt at the Pine Glo manufacturing facility in Rolesville. Young has worked at Pine Glo for 30 years.

Below, Rosa Santos checks to make sure labels are secure on antibacterial kitchen and bathroom cleaner bottles.

BUSINESS

NEW YORK

Berkshire takes huge bite of Apple, boosts airline stakes

NC family hopes the second generation will clean up AARON P. BERNSTEIN | REUTERS

Demonstrators march during the “Day Without Immigrants” protest in Washington, D.C.

Small business is N.C.’s economic engine employing 1.5 million workers.

One company in Rolesville is embarking on second-generation success.

U.S. immigrants stay home from work to protest Trump policies R

By Donna King North State Journal

“We add to the economy and society. ...

Sometimes people don’t listen until it hits their pockets.”

— Kia Allah, 32

By Joseph Ax and Sharon Nunn Reuters NEW YORK — More than 100 restaurants and dozens of other businesses in cities around the United States shut their doors on Thursday to show support for “A Day Without Immigrants,” a walkout aimed at protesting President Donald Trump’s policies.

Activists called on immigrants to stay home from work, avoid shopping and eating out, and skip classes in an effort to highlight the vital role they play in American society.

The protest was prompted by Trump’s vows to crack down on illegal immigration and his executive order, which was put on hold by federal courts, that temporarily banned travel to the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries. Immigrant rights’ groups expressed alarm after federal raids last week in which more than 680 people illegally in the country were arrested.

The nature of the action made it difficult to ascertain how many immigrants were participating or to measure the economic impact, though local news media in cities like Minneapolis and Austin, Texas, reported that dozens of businesses were shuttered.

Approximately 700 people showed up at a rally in downtown Raleigh.

“We add to the economy and society,” said Kia Allah, 32, a teacher who is Muslim and described herself as half Puerto Rican and half black. “Sometimes people don’t listen until it hits their pockets.

Numerous restaurants, which often depend heavily on immigrant staff, closed for the day in Washington, New York, Chicago and other cities. The media site Uproxx kept a running tally of closed restaurants based on social media and local reports that exceeded 135 by midday.

Celebrity chefs such as Jose Andres in Washington and Rick Bayless in Chicago closed restaurants in solidarity with protesters. A number of restaurants that remained open said they would donate part of their profits to pro-immigrant groups.

“People that never missed one day of work are telling you they don’t want to work on Thursday,” the Spanish-born Andres said on Wednesday. “They want to say, ‘Here we are,’ by not showing up.

The least I could do was to say, ‘OK, we stand by you.’”

At the Pentagon, about half a dozen food outlets were forced to close after staff members joined the protest, according to a Defense Department spokesman.

The protest was the latest in a series of collective actions since Trump took office from women’s groups, immigrant groups and other activists.

Wal-Mart has acquired online outdoor clothing and gear retailer Moosejaw for $51 million in an all-cash deal, the company said on Wednesday, as it works to boost its competitive standing in U.S. e-commerce.

Moosejaw will be Wal‑Mart’s third acquisition in just over six months. The world’s largest retailer paid more than $3 billion to acquire online startup Jet.com in August 2016, and in late December, Jet.com acquired online footwear retailer ShoeBuy for approximately $70 million.

In the five years before the Jet.com deal, the retailer acquired more than 15 startups. Wal-Mart has said it spent a total of $3.1 billion on e-commerce and digital projects in the four fiscal years through January 2017.

OLESVILLE, N.C. — When Robert Diehl was 42 he ruined his wife Carolyn’s kitchen mixer trying to invent a low cost, hospital grade disinfecting cleaner. With his teenage daughter Candice by his side, the pair mixed 19 different formulas in their family bathtub, looking for something that worked but smelled good.

Carolyn turned down all of them, but on the 20th they finally struck gold with what they later named Pine Glo. Pine Glo was founded in 1979 and is a family business in the truest form — its first employees were the Diehls’ four now-grown children. Robert’s first big contract was 35 cases for a shop in Lumberton and the kids filled every bottle. Soon he was in Food Town, now Food Lion, and it was off.

“Now this was 1979 — interest rates were 22 percent, inflation was 20 percent, everything was really high. They thought I was crazy.” said Robert. “But then the bank called me and said, ‘Bob we must be crazy too — because we are going to loan you the money.’ That was back when you could get a loan on a handshake, but now the times have progressed so much, it’s a lot harder to start a business now.”

Matt Diehl got his start in the company at 8 years old, standing on Coca-Cola crates so he’d be tall enough to screw on each bottle cap after his older brother and sister filled the bottles. Robert says in the evening they would all lie in their beds, still hearing the clink of glass bottles rattling in their heads.

Candice said her dad would even check them out of school when they needed to help fill an order. She grew up driving the forklift, filling the bottles and is now plant manager, shepherding orders, working distribution and running the facility with 12 full-time employees and 30 rotating temporary workers.

Decades later, Matt is back in the family business, now the vice president of Rolesville-based Pine Glo, and he personally creates the new product mixes, tapping his chemistry degree from NC State University. He also runs sales, negotiating to get Pine Glo onto store shelves. Candice and Matt even fill in on the line when an employee calls out sick.

See PINE GLO, page D5

with duplin

duplinwinery.com • 800.774.9634 505 n. sycamore street • rose hill, nc 28458

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway was an aggressive buyer of stocks in last year’s fourth quarter, nearly quadrupling its stake in Apple and increasing its stake sevenfold in the four biggest U.S. airlines.

In a regulatory filing, Berkshire reported owning 57.4 million shares of Apple as of Dec. 31, which would now be worth $7.74 billion, up from just 15.2 million shares in the three months earlier.

Berkshire also reported a $9.3 billion airline stake, with investments topping $2.1 billion in each of American Airlines Group, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Continental Holdings.

Get ready for lower life insurance premiums Good money news rolled in with the New Year: Life insurance could be cheaper in 2017.

New rules governing the back-end finances of insurance companies went into effect at the start of the year, and some companies are already in the process of lowering prices for individual term life insurance.

These policies typically charge a monthly fee over a number of years and provide a payout to survivors if the covered person dies.

USAA, a financial services company that caters to customers with a connection to the military, lowered prices an average of 2.6 percent.

Younger people, whose policies are already fairly inexpensive, received the smallest price changes, while those who are closer to age 60 could save around 15 percent.

RALEIGH/DURHAM

Delta announces newest destination from RDU Delta Airlines annouced this week its latest nonstop flight destination from RDU: Nashville, Tenn. The flight debuts June 12 and will be offered twice daily. It will compete against an existing Southwest Airlines service to Nashville.

Delta’s Nashville flight will debut as the airport also rolls out new nonstop options to Austin, Texas, and Seattle in March and June, respectively.

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

D2

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EMORY RAKESTRAW | FOR THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Truffle dog Ava watches Nancy Rosborough, founder and CEO of Mycorrhiza Biotech, with a newly harvested truffle from the company’s demonstration plot in Burlington.

Biotech startup digging for success with proprietary truffles Mycorrhiza Biotech caters to high-end food services with prized ingredient

By Emory Rakestraw for the North State Journal BURLINGTON, N.C. — On a cold January day, Nancy Rosborough, Founder and CEO of Mycorrhiza Biotech, LLC, hops into her Jeep with her trained truffle hunting dog, Ava. Once reaching an unmarked field on the rural outskirts of Burlington, a demonstration plot of hazelnut and loblolly pines, Rosborough gets out of the car undoing a rope securing the area, “The truffle business is a tough business, people will steal dogs, trees, truffles, there’s a lot of secrecy,” she says.

In January, Mycorrhiza, which means “a fungus that grows in association with the roots of a plant in a symbiotic or mildly pathogenic relationship,” announced their first successful truffle harvest. Planted by a client in 2014, the fragrant white truffle, Bianchetto (Tuber borchii) saw success, although a decade in the making.

“When we went in October, we weren’t expecting truffles, we weren’t expecting them til spring.” said Rosborough. Traditional tuber borchii emerges at or around four years, MBT set a record with their harvest of two years and three months.

MBT is the first to grow Bianchetto truffles on both an economically and ecologically important agroforestry tree, the loblolly pine.

Rosborough, who is no stranger to

farming, knew she wanted to be her own boss and started MBT 12 years ago as a mission to assist land owners and farmers in keeping and expanding agricultural enterprises.

“I wanted to keep the family farm going. I knew I wasn’t going to do tobacco, dairy or livestock, and I figured truffles grow on the roots of trees so it would be easier…

It’s supposed to be easy, but it’s not.

You just don’t know what’s going on with the seedling you’re purchasing, and that’s why I started the company.” said Rosborough She noted a key component to the business was receiving grants through the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, “The work we did under that grant actually was the foundation for the current harvest we have now, they were indispensable.”

MBT also partnered with NC A&T Fungal Biotechnology Laboratory for work on both loblolly and pecan truffles, and currently, MBT is the only company in North America producing truffles on loblolly pine. Aside from the demo field, the scientific research, inocu-

lation work and analysis takes place at the laboratory in Burlington.

From the start, MBT has marketed itself as a full-service agribusiness focusing on truffle seedling certification. This includes DNAbased screening, standard analysis, custom assay design and Scanning Electron Microscopy As for her clients, Rosborough says she is, “Over the moon.” The recently harvested white truffles sell for $35 an ounce with a market revolving around high-end food services. While occasionally served on a dish, chefs prefer truffles for their aromatic purposes to finish sauce or enhance the flavor of an entrée dish.

While the initial harvest is cause for celebration, MBT plans for future development, including software to support radio frequency drones for capturing information and additional security systems.

For Ava, her companion turned truffle dog, it seems there’s a lot of hunting in the future. With only the first harvest announced, MBT and Rosborough continue to anticipate the weekly harvests for the remainder of the season.

Warm up to the idea of informed energy decisions.

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Powering and empowering the people and communities we serve.

CEC CR 25636 (10.25x10) NorthState Jrnl 2017.indd 1

2/1/17 12:06 PM

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

U.S. House Democrats escalate effort to obtain Trump tax returns

By David Morgan Reuters WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats tried but failed this week to pressure Republicans into seeking President Donald Trump’s tax returns, saying the scandal over Michael Flynn made it imperative to find out whether the president has business ties to Russia.

A day after the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee dismissed the idea, the panel’s Democrats proposed an amendment demanding that the committee ask the Treasury Department for copies of Trump’s returns by March 1.

“Unless this amendment is Issues at hand adopted, we will never see the president’s tax returns while he’s in office,” Representative Sander Income earned Levin, a Michigan Democrat, Parternships/ told committee Chairman Kevin Brady at a public hearing. corporate ties “Before you stonewall this, I Domestic/ urge you to think twice,” Levin added. “You’ll only keep the international issue... alive. connections or Brady strongly rejected the security risks request as an abuse of the committee’s authority.

Minutes later, committee rejected the amendment along party lines in a 23-15 vote.

The vote represents only the latest skirmish between Republicans and Democrats in Congress over whether lawmakers should review Trump’s tax returns, which critics say would help determine whether the president’s sprawling business empire poses any conflicts of interest. House Democratic aides say the political battle will continue.

The resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn on Monday intensified Democratic interest in the documents, with one lawmaker warning about the potential danger of blackmail.

Representative Bill Pascrell, a New Jersey Democrat, issued the first request for Trump’s returns in a Feb. 1 letter that Brady rejected on Monday.

Experts say federal law authorizes the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee and the Joint Committee on Taxation to examine individual tax returns.

The two other panels are headed by Senator Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican who dismissed the idea of seeking Trump’s returns last week.

House Republicans contend that the authority to examine tax returns was meant to ensure the proper administration of the tax code.

Democrats contend that Trump’s business empire involves state-owned enterprises in China and the United Arab Emirates, as well as other interests in Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Taiwan and the Philippines.

U.S. investors weigh political risks in Trump era

By David Randall and Jennifer Ablan Reuters NEW YORK — Barry James built up his $4 billion mutual fund largely by studying balance sheets, earnings and market share. In the last few weeks, however, he has realized that he must look at a new force in the market: President Donald Trump.

Trump’s unpredictable governing style and stated desire to renegotiate trade agreements and punish companies that seek out lower-cost forms of labor are upending the classic notion of fundamental investing, said James, who manages the James Balanced Golden Rainbow fund.

As a result, he said, his Xenia, Ohio, firm is broadening the market research it follows. He is also moving more of his money into bonds and bracing for a significant decline in the U.S. stock market, just a few months after making a big bet on equities the day after the Nov. 8 presidential election.

“We’re vulnerable to shocks,” he said, “and we’ve got a shocker in the White House.”

With U.S. equities breaking record highs, other investors who have long shunned big-picture trends say they also are paying more attention to the effect of politics on asset prices, and that the high market valuation sets the scene for a steep sell-off.

Fund managers are not just focusing on whatever company Trump mentions in his latest tweet. They say they are also worrying that he could increase global tensions and raise trade tariffs worldwide, hurting companies large and small.

So far, Trump’s political proposals have largely helped the U.S. stock market.

Markets are pricing in lower corporate taxes and an infrastructure spending bill, pushing the benchmark S&P 500 up about 9 percent since Election Day. The market trades at a trailing priceto-earnings ratio of 20.9, the high end of its historical range.

Yet fund managers say they see markets as increasingly vulnerable to political risks as the new administration targets trade and immigration policies that could shift the balance of the global economy.

At the same time, key elections scheduled for later this year in France and Germany could lead to further weakening of the European Union, a risk that fund managers say the global markets do not fully reflect.

Litter-getters save NC taxpayers millions

By Jessica Furr For the North State Journal CONCORD, N.C.— Who would think that the trash on the side of N.C. roadways adds up to roughly $4 million a year? But thanks to The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Adopt-A-Highway Program that is what taxpayers in the Tarheel State save annually. The NCDOT boasts that their AAH program is one of the largest in the nation, representing approximately 6,000 groups that include around 125,000 volunteers statewide.

It’s more than just a way to beautify roadways. The NCDOT says many volunteer groups have used the proceeds from the met-

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al they have collected as a source of revenue. Many types of groups participate in the AAH Program including school, civic, business, religious, professional and social groups. Individuals and families also adopt some sections of highways as well. Groups who adopt enter into a four-year agreement with the NCDOT promising to clean a minimum of four times per year.

Volunteer Jim Smith says, “It’s not so bad. You spend a couple of hours on a Saturday picking up and bagging a little bit of litter, and afterwards you feel good about yourself.”

There are 59 local AAH coordinators statewide who oversee program volunteers in their counties.

BRENDAN MCDERMID | reuters

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York.

“We’re seeing fatigue in the market in reacting to political situations that would historically be very disruptive,” said BMO Global Asset Management portfolio manager Lowell Yura.

One Sneeze Some fund managers are now calling in outside political risk experts whom they might have once ignored or expanding their networks of consultants to determine the effects of Trump’s policies on the U.S. market and abroad.

Political risk firms are reporting a significant increase in business since Election Day. Consultant Business Environment Risk Intelligence said investor inquires were up more than 50 percent since November, and it has been telling clients not to be complacent despite the market rally.

“It takes one sneeze from the Trump administration that can spread flu to these markets,” said Chief Executive Officer Saruhan Hatipoglu.

Ian Bremmer, president of New York-based political risk research firm Eurasia Group, said his business had increased significantly since Trump’s election as well as Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, emerging market scandals and the French presidential campaign. This has led him to increase hiring at his 150-person firm.

“Clients are asking about all of the moving pieces,” he said. “It’s suddenly:

When a group signs up to pick up, their local coordinator works with them to select an available piece of roadway, roughly two miles long. Coordinators make sure participants watch a safety video and adhere to certain rules of the road, and anyone engaging in cleanup efforts must be at least 12 years old. Those between the ages of 12 and 17 must be supervised by an adult and have a release form signed by a parent or guardian.

Volunteers must also wear orange safety vests and work gloves provided by the NCDOT. Groups that adopt a roadway get some recognition, too. It comes in the form of a green sign that lets passerby know they care about clean.

Direct questions about the Adopt-A-Highway Program to the NCDOT Office of Beautification, 1540 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27690-1540; Phone: 1-800-331-5865 (N.C. only) or 919-707-2970.

‘Are we going to be in a much more protectionist world? Is the global marketplace going to fragment?’”

Trading Trump Fund managers say they are trying to take advantage of an anticipated spike in volatility, even as the VIX, Wall Street’s main measure of equity market turbulence, remains near two-year lows.

“Donald Trump clearly is showing that he wants to be a disrupter of the status quo, so political risk is probably the single biggest known driver of potential future volatility that exists now,” said Conventus Capital partner Nicholas Young.

Young said his firm had bought options to hedge against market declines for that reason as well as “the unknown drivers that catch people completely by surprise and cause volatility to spike quickly.”

Thyra Zerhusen, co-chief investment officer of Fairpointe Capital in Chicago, said she had been trimming positions in some stocks and was holding more cash than usual as she expects market declines.

Among her worries is that a move to deregulate the banking industry could lead to something like the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009.

“I am trying to batten down the hatches,” she said. “I’m more concerned about politics now than I’ve ever been.”

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Adopt-A-Highway sign near U.S. 401 South

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North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

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Trump administration proposes stricter Obamacare rules Also, with repeal battle looming, insurance carriers consider next steps carefully

By Caroline Humer Reuters NEW YORK — The Trump administration on Wednesday proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual insurance market that insurers welcomed as a good start but that others pointed out could raise out-of-pocket cost for consumers.

President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have promised to scrap the 2010 health care law that is a key legacy of Democrat Barack Obama’s presidency. But they are struggling to agree on a replacement for the law, which extended health insurance to 20 million Americans.

The proposed new rule, issued by a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, sets out changes that are meant to shore up the system developed by Obama. It is unclear which elements of this system could survive in the Republicans’ replacement.

The rule does not address changes that must be made by law, such as for the Affordable Care Act’s income-based subsidies.

The changes would tighten enrollment processes and allow insurers to collect unpaid premium payments, making it tougher for people to move in and out of insurance plans. Insurers say “gaming the system” has created an unprofitable mix of healthy and sick customers.

Separately, the administration backed off implementing tougher oversight of the individual mandate, the requirement for all Americans to have health insurance or pay a fine, that was due to go into effect for 2016 taxes.

The Internal Revenue Service said as a result of Trump’s executive order to reduce regulatory burden, it will not reject tax filings for the year 2016 that fail to indicate whether they had health coverage or paid the penalty set under the ACA, often called

Brendan McDermid | REUTERS

A trader points up at a display on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Obamacare. This is a return to the policy for 2015 taxes, the IRS said.

The mandate was supposed to bring in healthy customers but Republicans have vowed to overturn it and insurers say it has not worked.

Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini on Wednesday said during a Wall Street Journal forum that the Obamacare exchanges had entered a “death spiral” in which rising premiums pushed out the healthiest customers, which in turn raises rates.

Aetna cut back offering new plans for 2017 and it and Anthem have said that without changes, they might not take part after this year. Humana on Tuesday said it was pulling out of this market altogether for 2018.

“If we don’t take more steps like that, having an Obamacare subsidy will be like having a bus ticket in a town where no buses run, because there will be zero choices to buy.”

— Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) chairman of the Senate health commitee

Bertolini said in a statement that new Health Secretary Tom Price and the Trump administration have “taken some good initial steps with the proposed regulation.” The top two industry groups, America’s Health Insurance Plans and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, echoed that view.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which are part of the Department of Health and Human Services, on Wednesday proposed the new rule that includes verifying the status of enrollees outside of the usual enrollment period.

It also proposes insurers can collect unpaid premiums from members when they sign up with the same issuer again, an incentive for people to always have insurance.

In addition, it proposed lowering the amount of guaranteed coverage for some “silver” level plans in the program, which it said could raise out-of-pocket spending and cut premiums.

It would give the states oversight of doctor and hospital networks included in the plans, reflecting a Republican theme that health care oversight be reduced at the federal level.

The rule proposes shortening the open enrollment period for the individual market to Nov. 1 through Dec. 15, similar to employer-sponsored insurance market and Medicare.

Patient advocate Families USA said the new rules would discourage younger, healthier people from enrolling, reduce financial assistance for families and make it harder for them to find networks that include their doctors.

Republican lawmakers, who are working on an ACA replacement, said the rule was a start.

“If we don’t take more steps like that, having an Obamacare subsidy will be like having a bus ticket in a town where no buses run, because there will be zero choices to buy,” Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate health committee, told reporters outside the Senate.

Anthem said on Wednesday this week it filed a lawsuit to block smaller rival Cigna from officially terminating their proposed $54 billion merger, a transaction already rejected by U.S. antitrust regulators.

The deal would have created the largest U.S. health insurer. Rivals Aetna and Humana had sought their own merger, representing an unprecedented consolidation among U.S. health insurers.

In separate rulings, federal judges struck down both deals as anticompetitive, at the request of the Justice Department. Aetna and Humana said on Tuesday they were ending their deal, but Anthem filed an appeal of its ruling.

Cigna, however, said on Tuesday it notified Anthem it had ended the deal and that Anthem was required to pay a $1.85 billion break-up fee under their agreement.

Trump pledges to protect U.S. jobs during visit to Boeing plant Trump’s visit comes the day after nearly 75 percent of the 3,000 workers there voted against unionizing Reuters

Mike Evans, group leader for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

CHARLESTON, S.C. — President Donald Trump promised to boost U.S. manufacturing and punish companies for moving jobs overseas during a visit on Friday to a South Carolina Boeing plant to celebrate the unveiling of its latest Dreamliner jet.

The Republican president, who previously feuded with the plane maker over projected costs for the next version of Air Force One, gave a ringing endorsement to the company on Friday and used the event to highlight his pitch to boost homegrown job growth.

“I’m going to do everything I can to unleash the power of the American spirit and to put our great people back to work,” Trump told a crowd of workers at the plant, with the presidential aircraft and the new Boeing jet behind him.

“This is our mantra: buy American, and hire American.”

Trump repeated his campaign threat that any company that lays off American workers to move to another country will face a “substantial penalty” when trying to sell their products in the United States.

Trump’s visit to the Boeing plant in North Charleston was a victory for Boeing, which had faced pointed tweets from Trump over the price tag to build a new Air Force One presidential aircraft fleet.

Trump took a tour of the factory along with Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg, and declared that the company had done “an incredible job.”

While Trump praised Boeing during his visit, he also signaled he would keep up pressure on defense

KEVIN LAMARQUE | REUTERS

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at the debut of the Boeing South Carolina Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner in North Charleston, S.C.

companies to cut better deals with the U.S. government.

After delivering his remarks, Trump told reporters that the price for the Air Force One fleet is still “too high, but we’re negotiating.”

He also said that Boeing’s competitor, Lockheed Martin, would have to cut the price of its stealthy F-35 jet or his administration would consider replacing some F-35 orders with Boeing’s F/A-18 Hornet jets.

“We’re going to save billions and billions of dollars,” Trump said.

“Most important, we are going to have a great product from both Boeing and Lockheed.”

On Thursday, Air Force Lt. Gen. Chris Bogdan, who runs the F-35 program for the Pentagon, said the cost of the jet could fall 16 percent to around $80 million in future purchases.

Trump and other U.S. officials have criticized the Pentagon’s most expensive program for delays and cost overruns, but the price per

“It’s a blow, but largely to morale more than anything practical.”

— Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst at the Teal Group in Fairfax, Va.

jet has steadily declined in recent years as production ramps up.

At the South Carolina plant, Boeing is building the 787-10, the largest of three models of its high-tech, carbon-fiber composite Dreamliner. Production of the other 787s is split with Boeing’s factory in Washington state.

Boeing rolled the first 787-10 out of the factory on Thursday. It is due to enter flight testing this year and reach customers in 2018.

Boeing has been pressing to get the 330-seat $306 million plane into production because it is expected to be more profitable than the smallest version. But the company has sold only 149 of the jets, a small fraction of the 1,202 Dreamliners that have been ordered.

Trump’s visit comes the same week that workers voted against an effort by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) to unionize the plant. Almost three-quarters of workers at the plant voted re-

jected union representation.

The secret ballot vote, conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) at polling locations throughout the North Charleston plant, was the first for Boeing and a high-profile test for organized labor in the nation’s most strongly anti-union state.

“We will continue to move forward as one team,” Joan Robinson-Berry, vice president in charge of Boeing South Carolina.

In a statement, IAM lead organizer Mike Evans said: “We’re disappointed the workers at Boeing South Carolina will not yet have the opportunity to see all the benefits that come with union representation.”

South Carolina is one of 28 states that bar unions from requiring workers to join up as a condition of employment, and has the lowest proportion of union workers, at 1.6 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. New York is highest with 23.6 percent.

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

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Amid problems, specialists wonder who’s overseeing group that owns SAT Academic experts question accountability of standardized testing organizations

By Renee Dudley Reuters BOSTON — Last month, the governing body of the College Board — the not-for-profit that owns the SAT college-entrance exam — met at the Ritz-Carlton resort in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for its annual retreat.

In 2016, the organization struggled with myriad problems: security lapses overseas, a major breach of questions from the new SAT in the United States, concerns that math questions on the redesigned exam were too long, and continuing setbacks in its years-long effort to digitize the test.

Whether the organization’s Board of Trustees discussed any of those issues at its Florida retreat is unclear. Trustees have declined to discuss the College Board’s problems. In a statement to Reuters, a spokeswoman cautioned that “outside experts” who comment on the College Board “have no knowledge of the Board of Trustees’ deliberations.”

A lack of disclosure by the board is precisely the issue, say some specialists in nonprofit governance. Oversight of the College Board and its CEO, David Coleman, has been opaque, they say, as members of the Board of Trustees have proved unwilling to discuss how the organization is handling its problems.

Lloyd Thacker, executive director of the Education Conservancy, a nonprofit that seeks to diminish the importance of standardized testing in the college admissions process, questioned whether the trustees are vigilant enough in overseeing the College Board, which had about $77 million in

annual profit and $916 million in revenue in 2015.

“What is the mechanism that holds them accountable? I’m scratching my head,” he said.

“There doesn’t seem to be a countervailing voice here at all.”

The College Board draws most of its 30 trustees from the ranks of its core members, mainly colleges and high schools. Most board members are college administrators or school district superintendents appointed to fouryear terms. The chair, Douglas L. Christiansen, is dean of admissions and financial aid at Vanderbilt University. He has served on the board since 2011. Other trustees include the directors of financial aid at Stanford University and Yale University, and school district superintendents in California, Illinois, Indiana and New York.

“The College Board trustees are treated incredibly well,” said Adam Ingersoll, founder of Compass Education Group, a California-based test-prep company.

“They are made to feel that when they become trustees, they are doing the Lord’s work.”

But in Ingersoll’s opinion, the College Board was “a mess. This is my 23rd year in this business, and I have never seen anything like this.”

In a statement sent through a College Board spokeswoman, Christiansen said the trustees are “proud of the advances the College Board has made to deliver opportunities to students, and we’ll continue to build on those successes.” He said the trustees have established ways to “continually track progress and hold the College Board accountable for the ambitious goals we have set.”

Reuters attempted to talk with more than 50 current and former trustees to ask about their fiduciary role and whether they were aware of the extent of the College Board’s security issues. Those reached by Reuters declined to

Robo-advisers shrug off U.S. fiduciary rule hubbub The ‘fiduciary rule,’ now slated for a 180-day delay, is cheered by digital wealth managers who seek to make traditional wealth managers’ loss their gain

JAY LAPRETE | REUTERS

David Coleman, president and CEO of The College Board, speaks at the National Association for College Admission Counseling conference in Columbus, Ohio.

“What is the mechanism that holds them accountable? I’m scratching my head. ...

There doesn’t seem to be a countervailing voice here at all.”

— Lloyd Thacker, executive director of the Education Conservancy comment on the College Board’s problems; most referred any questions to Sandra Riley, the organization’s vice president of communications.

Reuters obtained a “briefing book” for trustees who attended the College Board’s annual forum for members in October. It included a series of “talking points” about what trustees could say about test security, but “only if you’re asked.”

“Much of the reporting and internet message board activity related to cheating is focused on the old SAT,” the document stated.

“We’ve increased test-form development to reduce form reuse, strengthened our prevention and

detection techniques, and bolstered efforts to monitor and remove test content illegally posted online. We can, and will, do more.”

Through a public records request, Reuters also obtained an email that Dorothy Sexton, a College Board vice president, sent to 15 former trustees in October 2015.

“We understand that a reporter from Reuters is contacting former Trustees to ask questions about the SAT,” Sexton wrote. “If you hear from her, could you please let Sandra Riley know? We ask that you decline the interview.”

On Jan. 21, about two weeks after the organization’s trustees had returned home from the Florida retreat, the College Board suffered a security breach. It reused parts of an SAT exam in Asia that had been administered last June in the United States. Test-prep industry sources told Reuters the exam was widely available in China and had been sold to students in South Korea. The news agency obtained more than 200 pages of scans and photographs of the leaked exam, which had been circulating in Asia.

In a statement to Reuters, spokeswoman Riley said the College Board is investigating the matter and that the organization “will be coming forward with new policies in the coming months” related to test security.

“The best part is that when you buy a bottle it is all made right here.”

Candice Diehl

PINE GLO from page D1 Pine Glo has developed a longterm relationship with loyal shoppers of Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree, all companies that stock with low cost products for a growing customer base. Matt just learned this fall that Pine Glo will also be on store shelves in Wal-Mart for the second year in a row. It means that they will be in 5,000 more stores nationwide, giving them a chance to expand the loyal customer base for their homegrown product. It’s a big victory for a small family owned business.

“You go in and sit down across the table from them, you tell them how great your product is and you tell them your price. Then if they like your product and see potential, you work to get a price that works for the consumer, the retailer and the manufacturer. If you achieve that then you have a winner,” said Matt who said Rolesville turned out to be prime location for them to grow the company.

“This spot ended up being perfect,” he added. “We have the headquarters of several major stores nearby and if you look at an overlay of all the different grocery store chains, we’ve got the most of probably any other state.”

Working with his children has been part of the blessing of Pine Glo for Bob. He says his late wife, Carolyn, encouraged him to take the leap into the business and raised all the kids with an entrepreneurial spirit. His oldest children, Patrick and Robyn, have both run their own companies as well. Candice and Matt come to Rolesville every day working to grow the nearly 40-year-old-business.

“This is home. It’s what Mom and Dad wanted to do. It’s where we are supposed to be,” said Candice.

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Robert Diehl (front) founded Pine Glo in 1979 and continues to run the business with his daughter Candice and son Matthew.

By Anna Irerra and Elizabeth Dilts Reuters NEW YORK — As century-old Wall Street brokerages have agonized over the fate of a major U.S. regulation on retirement advice, younger Silicon Valley counterparts have coolly shrugged their shoulders.

At issue is when and how the federal government will implement the so-called “fiduciary rule” handed down by the U.S. Labor Department last year, now on track to be delayed by 180 days.

The rule, which aims to protect retirees by eliminating conflicts of interest for the brokers paid to advise them, was set to go into effect in April, but is being challenged by President Donald Trump’s administration.

Big wealth managers and insurers most affected by the rule have welcomed signs that the new White House may roll it back.

They have fought hard against the rule in court and on Capitol Hill, arguing that it would raise compliance and technology costs, while restricting brokers’ ability to charge commissions and sell certain high-fee products.

Critics have said the additional costs would force brokerages to dump less well-heeled clients in favor of wealthier ones.

Startups offering digital wealth management services have taken the opposite tack, saying the rule would benefit retirees and their own businesses.

Investors abandoned by big firms might move to digital providers, which offer transparent, lower-cost alternatives, the thinking goes.

In interviews since Trump instructed the Labor Department to review the rule earlier this month, executives at “robo-advisers,” which manage investor money with algorithms, brushed off the impact of the rule on their business.

“An expansion of the fiduciary rule would be nice for our business, but in no way affects our ultimate success,” said Andy Rachleff, chief executive officer of Wealthfront, one of the largest robo-advisers that deals directly with investors.

Among robo-advisers that provide services to brokerages, Mike Sha, co-founder and chief executive of robo-adviser SigFig, said he did not expect the rule’s delay to impact its business or partnerships at all. Wealth units of Wells Fargo and UBS Group AG use SigFig’s technology and offer its online investing tools to their clients.

Robo-advisers represent a small piece of the wealth management industry, overseeing roughly $200 billion of client assets in 2016, according to consulting firm A.T. Kearney. It expects the total to surge to $2.2 trillion by 2020.

The shift to less expensive digital options began before the rule was formalized, driven primarily by customer demand for more digital options. That trend is unlikely to be stopped with or without the rule, analysts said.

“By all projections, there is unbelievable demand for digital advice and solutions,” said Kendra Thompson, a managing director in the financial services group at the consultancy Accenture. The rule is “an accelerator for digital, not an originator,” she said.

The Labor Department proposed the “fiduciary rule” in September 2010 under President Barack Obama but withdrew the proposal in September 2011 after receiving criticism from the financial services industry. The department reproposed the rule in April 2015 and made it final on April 6, 2016.

On Feb. 3, Trump ordered the Labor Department to review the rule — a move widely interpreted as an effort to delay or kill the regulation. On Feb. 8, a U.S. District Court judge upheld the legality of the rule.

The Trump administration could write a new rule to replace or eliminate the Obama-era one.

A spokesman from the Labor Department declined to comment.

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

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TAKE NOTICE CATAWBA AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 15 SP 203 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Shannon Bridget Jenkins aka Shanon Bridget Jenkins (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Shannon Bridget Jenkins) to Young M. Smith, Jr., Trustee(s), dated the 22nd day of February, 2006, and recorded in Book 2731, Page 1853, in Catawba County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Catawba County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Newton, Catawba County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on February 28, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Catawba, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 4 of the Habitat for Humanity of Catawba Valley, Inc. Property, known as Ridgeview Village, as shown on a plat recorded in Plat Book 62 at Page 11, Catawba County Registry.

Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 464 South Center Street, Hickory, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1146915 (FC.FAY)

HARNETT NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 463 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Steven L. Clark and Chae N. Clark to Jeffrey E. Radford, Trustee(s), dated the 14th day of May, 2010, and recorded in Book 2744, Page 77, and Modification in Book 3404, Page 302, in Harnett County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Harnett County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Lillington, Harnett County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on March 2, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Harnett, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 73, in a subdivision known as Stone Cross Subdivision, as shown in Plat Cabinet 2000, Slide 129A, Harnett County Registry, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 326 Stone Cross Drive, Spring Lake, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1196783 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 407 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Andre Joseph Smith, Jr., (Andre Joseph Smith, Jr., deceased)(Heirs of Andre Joseph Smith, Jr.: Andre J. Smith, III, Brennan Alis Smith, Amaya Zembre Smith, Tayveon Marquis Smith, Andre John Cofrei Smith and Unknown Heirs of Andre Joseph Smith, Jr.) to F. Stuart Clarke, Trustee(s), dated the 6th day of January, 2014, and recorded in Book 3185, Page 149, in Harnett County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Harnett County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Lillington, Harnett County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on March 2, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Harnett, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot Number Twenty-Seven (27), in a subdivision known as Carlie Hill, Section Two, according to a plat of the same being duly recorded in Map Slide 99-245, Harnett County Registry, North Carolina, said real property being further identified by the Harnett County Tax Office by PIN 052631-3166.000 and having a physical address of 108 Frenchie Lane, Bunnlevel, NC 28323. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 108 Frenchie Lane, Bunnlevel, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1191672 (FC.FAY)

IREDELL 1192433 DRS 16-SP-573 NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE’S FORECLOSURE SALE OF REAL PROPERTY UNDER AND BY VIRTUE of the power and authority contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed and delivered by Philip C. Arrington and Nina Arrington (hereinafter “Borrowers”) dated May 25, 2011 and recorded on May 25, 2011 and recorded in Book 2121 at Page 48 in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Iredell County, North Carolina (hereinafter “Deed of Trust”); and because of default in the payment of the indebtedness secured thereby and failure to carry out and perform the stipulations and agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the indebtedness secured by the Deed of Trust, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will place for sale, at public auction, to the highest bidder for cash at the usual place of sale at Iredell County Courthouse, 221 East Water Street, Statesville, North Carolina on THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017 AT 12:30 o’clock P.M., all of Borrowers’ right to the real property described herein below, together with any improvements and fixtures existing or hereafter placed on or attached to the real property, and all other appurtenant rights and privileges, situated, lying and being in Iredell County, State of North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: PIN: 4726-11-4390 BEGINNING at an iron pin, a corner of Glenn Browning in the line of S. J. Holland, and running thence with the line of Holland, South 09-30 West 1,787 feet to an iron pin in the line of James Mitchell; thence with the line of Mitchell, North 89-45 West 1,122 feet to an iron pin in the line of James Gilbert; thence with the line of Gilbert, North 07-18 East 1,161 feet to a stone, a corner of Nathaniel Stevenson; thence with the line of Stevenson, North 14-30 East 610 feet to a stone in the line of Glenn Browning; thence with the line of Browning South 89-45 East 1,122 feet to the BEGINNING, containing 46.1 acres, more or less, and being the identical property conveyed to Philip C. Arrington and wife, Nina C. Arrington by General Warranty Deed recorded in Deed Book 924, Page 480, Iredell County Registry.

SUBJECT TO easement over Arrington Farm Lane recorded at Deed Book 924, Page 480, Iredell County Registry.

Address of property: 154 Arrington Farm Lane, Statesville, Iredell County, North Carolina Tax Parcel ID: 4726-11-4390 Present Record Owners:Philip C. Arrington and Nina Arrington The terms of the sale are that the real property hereinbefore described will be sold for cash to the highest bidder. The Substitute Trustee reserves the right to require a cash deposit or a certified check not to exceed the greater of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00). In the event that the note holder or its intended assignee is exempt from paying the same, the successful bidder may also be required to pay revenue stamps on the Trustee’s Deed, any Land Transfer Tax, and the tax required by N.C.G.S. § 7A-308(a) (1).

The real property hereinabove described is being offered for sale “AS IS, WHERE IS” and will be sold subject to all superior liens, unpaid taxes, and special assessments. Other conditions will be announced at the sale. The sale will be held open for ten (10) days for upset bids as by law required.

If the Trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the Trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the Trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice Where the Real Property is Residential With Less Than 15 Rental Units: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the Clerk of Superior Court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

This the 30th day of January, 2017.

Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. Substitute Trustee By: William Walt Pettit, Attorney P.O. Box 12497 Charlotte, NC 28220-2497 Telephone: (704) 362-9255

1199351 DRS 16-SP-2 NOTICE OF SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE’S FORECLOSURE SALE OF REAL PROPERTY UNDER AND BY VIRTUE of the power and authority contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed and delivered by Justmor Homes, Inc. (hereinafter “Borrower”) dated March 19, 2008 and recorded on March 19, 2008 and recorded in Book 1926 at Page 1150 in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Iredell County, North Carolina (hereinafter “Deed of Trust”); and because of default in the payment of the indebtedness secured thereby and failure to carry out and perform the stipulations and agreements contained therein and, pursuant to demand of the holder of the indebtedness secured by the Deed of Trust, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will place for sale, at public auction, to the highest bidder for cash at the usual place of sale at Iredell County Courthouse, 221 East Water Street, Statesville, North Carolina on THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017, AT 12:30 o’clock P.M., all of Borrower’s right to the real property described herein below, together with any improvements and fixtures existing or hereafter placed on or attached to the real property, and all other appurtenant rights and privileges, situated, lying and being in Iredell County, State of North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Lying in Davidson Township, Iredell County, NC: BEING all of Lot 25 of WOODLEAF SUBDIVISION as platted, planned and recorded in Plat Book 49, Page 86, Iredell County Registry, reference to said plat being made for a more complete description.

This conveyance is made subject to all restrictions, easements and rights of way of record, including those for utilities and public roadways.

Address of property: 146 Blue Ridge Trail, Mooresville, Iredell County, North Carolina Tax Parcel ID: 4639325275.000 Present Record Owner:Justmor Homes, Inc. The terms of the sale are that the real property hereinbefore described will be sold for cash to the highest bidder. The Substitute Trustee reserves the right to require a cash deposit or a certified check not to exceed the greater of five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00). In the event that the note holder or its intended assignee is exempt from paying the same, the successful bidder may also be required to pay revenue stamps on the Trustee’s Deed, any Land Transfer Tax, and the tax required by N.C.G.S. § 7A-308(a) (1).

The real property hereinabove described is being offered for sale “AS IS, WHERE IS” and will be sold subject to all superior liens, unpaid taxes, and special assessments. Other conditions will be announced at the sale. The sale will be held open for ten (10) days for upset bids as by law required.

If the Trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the Trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the Trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice Where the Real Property is Residential With Less Than 15 Rental Units: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the Clerk of Superior Court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

This the 30th day of January, 2017.

Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. Substitute Trustee By: William Walt Pettit, Attorney NC Bar No.: 9407 By: William F. Kirk NC Bar No.: 34390 P.O. Box 12497 Charlotte, NC 28220-2497 Telephone: (704) 362-9255

JOHNSTON AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 14 SP 769 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Wilbert A. Lassiter, Jr. and Christina P. Lassiter (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Wilbert A. Lassiter, Jr. and Christine Peterson-Lassiter) to Gary Cooper, Trustee(s), dated the 20th day of April, 1999, and recorded in Book 1819, Page 223, in Johnston County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Johnston County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Smithfield, Johnston County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:00 AM on February 28, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Johnston, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 3, Creekstone Subdivision as depicted in Plat Book 41, Page 211, Johnston County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 104 Creekstone Drive, Benson, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1145549 (FC.FAY)

MECKLENBURG NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 4377 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Mary Mackey to Jeffrey W. Malickson, PLLC, Trustee(s), dated the 10th day of January, 2006, and recorded in Book 19879, Page 800, in Mecklenburg County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:30 PM on February 28, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the City of Charlotte, in the County of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of lot 11 of Tuckaseegee Park Subdivision, as same is shown on map thereof recorded in Map Book 6 at Page 232, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 918 Davenport Street, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1174556 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 4549 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Julia Na to Anthony H. Barone, Trustee(s), dated the 22nd day of March, 2005, and recorded in Book 18502, Page 300, in Mecklenburg County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:30 PM on February 28, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 130 of MCINTYRE subdivision, Phase 1B, Map 3, as same is shown on map thereof recorded in Map Book 38 at page 245 in the Mecklenburg County Public Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 9330 Ames Hollow Road, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1197909 (FC.FAY)

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

MECKLENBURG

NEW HANOVER

ONSLOW

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 14 SP 4025

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 854

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 1344

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Rae Trammel, an unmarried woman (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Sinclair Place At Wallace Farms Owners Association, Inc.) to Chris Kremer, Trustee(s), dated the 25th day of September, 2001, and recorded in Book 12724, Page 489, in Mecklenburg County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:30 PM on February 28, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 15, Sinclair Place, Phase 1, Map 1, as shown on a map thereof recorded in Map Book 30, Page 395, Mecklenburg County Registry.

Together with improvements thereon, said property located at 9521 Forest Path Drive, Charlotte, NC 28269 Parcel ID Number: 02758711 Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed.

Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Vivian Moore-Bruce and Amos Bruce, Jr. (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Vivian Moore Bruce) to The Law Firm of Hutchens, Senter & Britton, P.A., Trustee(s), dated the 12th day of September, 2013, and recorded in Book 5770, Page 4, in New Hanover County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of New Hanover County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on February 28, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of New Hanover, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at a point in the Western line of Anderson Street two hundred ninety-seven feet (297) Southward from the intersection of the western line of Anderson Street with the Southern line of Gwynn Street, and runs Southward with the western line of Anderson Street thirty-three feet (33’); thence Westwardly and parallel with Gwynn Street one hundred twenty-three feet and nine inches (123’ 9”); thence Northwardly and parallel with Anderson Street thirty-three feet (33’); Eastward and parallel with Gwynn Street one hundred twenty-three feet and nine inches (123’ 9”) to the beginning. The same being the Southeast onefourth of Lot 5 in Block 211, according to the official plan of the City of Wilmington, N.C. Together with improvements thereon located; said property being located at 305 Anderson Street, Wilmington, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Robert A. Brodniak and Cecily J. Bundy, (Cecily J. Bundy and Robert A. Brodniak, Both Deceased) (Heirs of Robert A. Brodniak: Steven J. Brodniak, Christine Brodniak Graham, Lisa D. Collins, Catherine M. Brodniak, Andrea T. Brodniak, and Unknown Heirs of Robert A. Brodniak) to Mary A. McDuffie, Trustee(s), dated the 21st day of November, 2006, and recorded in Book 2778, Page 128, in Onslow County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Onslow County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 2, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: All that real property situated in the County of Onslow, State of North Carolina: Being the same property conveyed to the grantor by Deed recorded 05/20/2003 in Book 2026, Page 629 Onslow County Registry, to which deed reference is hereby made for a more particular description of this property. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 905 Winchester Road, Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed.

Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1135006 (FC.FAY)

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 751 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Angela G. Young (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): McIntyre Homeowners Association, Inc.) to Allan B. Polunsky, Trustee(s), dated the 30th day of June, 2010, and recorded in Book 25734, Page 466, in Mecklenburg County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:30 PM on February 28, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 85 of Autumn Woods at McIntyre Subdivision, Phase 4, Map 1, as same is shown on map thereof recorded in Map Book 43 at Page 971 in the Mecklenburg County Public Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 8213 Escaflowne Avenue, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed.

Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1173050 (FC.FAY)

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1200006 (FC.FAY)

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1198526 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 1320 AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 281 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Mildred T. Edgerton to PBRE, Inc., Trustee(s), dated the 14th day of October, 2011, and recorded in Book 5592, Page 2682, in New Hanover County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of New Hanover County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on February 28, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of New Hanover, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Beginning at a point in the northern line of Myrtle Grove Avenue, also designated as State Road #1527, (30.0 feet from its centerline), said point being located south 86 degrees 20 minutes east 283.2 feet from the southeastern corner of Lot 13 as shown on the map of the Tucker-Burnett Subdivision as recorded in Map Book 4 at Page 72 of the New Hanover County Registry; running thence from said beginning point and with the northern line of said Myrtle Grove Avenue, south 86 degrees 20 minutes east 150.0 feet to a point; running thence at right angles, north 3 degrees 40 minutes east 240.0 feet to a point; running thence parallel to the aforesaid at right angles, south 3 degrees 40 minutes east 240.0 feet to the point of beginning, containing 0.83 acres, more or less and being a portion of the 32.2 acre tract of land as shown on the aforementioned map of the Tucker-Burnett Subdivision as recorded in Map Book 4 at page 72 of the New Hanover County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1225 Burnett Road, Wilmington, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1196664 (FC.FAY)

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Alvaro A. Gaitan and Jessica L. Gaitan to H. Terry Hutchens, Esquire, Trustee(s), dated the 13th day of November, 2012, and recorded in Book 3885, Page 194, in Onslow County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Onslow County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 2, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of Swansboro, in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: The following described property: All that certain lot or parcel of land situated in Swansboro Township, Onslow County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 11, Section D, as shown and described on a map entitled “Raymond’s Landing, Section D, Prepared for Raymond’s Legacy, Inc.”, dated October 19, 2010, prepared by John L. Pierce and Associates, P.A. and recorded in Map Book 60, Page 237, Slide M-1791, in the office of the Register of Deeds of Onslow County, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 207 Lanieve Court, Hubert, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1199317 (FC.FAY)

D7 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 1316 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Baron D. McQueen and Gwendolyn L. McQueen to National Title Network, Trustee(s), dated the 9th day of April, 2012, and recorded in Book 3762, Page 220, in Onslow County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Onslow County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 2, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: The land referred to herein below is situated in the County of Onslow, State of North Carolina, and is described as follows: Being all of Lot 229 as depicted and delineated on that map entitled “Revised Map for record of Tri-Field Estates, Section 3 - Phase 1” dated July 24, 2008, prepared by Atlantic Surveying, P.A. and appearing of record in Map Book 57, Page 67, Slide M-901, Onslow County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 101 Dukes Lake Circle, Richlands, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination.

Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1199928 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 1141 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Francis J. Mignoli to William R. Echols, Trustee(s), dated the 2nd day of June, 2014, and recorded in Book 4164, Page 421, in Onslow County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Onslow County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 2, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of Stump Sound, in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Situate in the Stump Sound Township, County of Onslow, State of North Carolina: Being all of Lot 13 as shown on that certain map entitled “Final Plat Showing Rockford Forest, Section I (Revised)” which map was prepared by John L. Pierce & Associates, PA and is recorded in Map Book 59, Page 86, Slide M-1400, Onslow County Registry, which map and the data thereon contained is hereby included by reference as though fully herein set. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 127 Laredo Drive, Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Tax ID No: 076432 Being the same property conveyed by Warranty Deed Grantor: Dicky Wood, Inc., a North Carolina Corporation Grantee: Francis J. Mignoli, Single Dated: 05/28/2010 Recorded 05/28/2010 Doc #/Book-Page: 3412-348 Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1194131 (FC.FAY)

North State Journal for Saturday, February 18, 2017

D8 ONSLOW

PENDER

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 1319

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 228

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Daniel G. Orlando and Stefanie A. Orlando to National Title Network, Trustee(s), dated the 31st day of March, 2012, and recorded in Book 3757, Page 639, in Onslow County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Onslow County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 2, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: The land referred to herein below is situated in the County of Onslow, State of North Carolina, and is described as follows: Being all of Lot 16, as shown on a plat entitled “Morton Manor, Section II”, prepared by Barden Lanier & Associates, Inc., and recorded in Map Book 22 at Page 38, Onslow County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1013 Jennifer Drive, Jacksonville, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Tanja L. Lee and Paxton Girard Lee to Diedre Rhodes and Donna Bradford, Trustee(s), dated the 21st day of September, 2015, and recorded in Book 4607, Page 1054, in Pender County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Pender County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Burgaw, Pender County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 2:00 PM on February 28, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of Burgaw, in the County of Pender, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at a stake on the north side of NC State Highway No. 53, being the northerly common corner between tracts No. 3a and 4a, as allotted in the Division of the P.L. Lee estate, January 2, 1943, and duly recorded, and running thence with the northern edge of NC Highway No. 53 North 47 degrees 6 minutes East 490 feet to the most Easterly corner of the P.L. Lee estate on said highway at or opposite the old “Lee” ditch; thence South 19 degrees 47 minutes East 1158.5 feet crossing said highway and following the old “Lee” ditch and continuing a new line through farm of C.F. Mallard, Jr., to point of intersection with the Southern boundary line of C.F. Mallard, Jr., thence North 81 degrees 57 minutes West 504 feet to a stake; thence with the Western line of Lot No. 4a of the said P.L. Lee Division North 20 degrees 15 minutes West 725.7 feet, crossing N.C. Highway No. 53 to a stake on the Northern edge of said highway, the Beginning corner, containing nine and seven-tenths (9.7) acres, more or less, in Burgaw Township, Pender County, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 3135 NC Highway 53 East, Burgaw, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1199789 (FC.FAY)

ORANGE NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 256 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Nancy Norcott Cheek, (Nancy Norcott Cheek, deceased) (Heirs of Nancy Norcott Cheek; Betsy Bernard Cheek Howland) to CB Services Corp, Trustee(s), dated the 30th day of October, 2007, and recorded in Book RB 4401, Page 272, in Orange County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Orange County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on March 6, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Orange, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING a portion of the land described in the instrument entitled “Declaration of Unit Ownership Under Chapter 47A of the North Carolina General Statutes for Hamlin Park Condominiums” (hereinafter called the Declaration) recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds for Orange County in Book 399, Page 178 through 226, inclusive. And further described in “the Plans” of the six buildings containing 42 units, filed for record in the Unit Ownership File No. 36/28-31, Orange County Register of Deeds, North Carolina.

TRACT 1: all Condominium Unit #606-L as referred to in the Declaration, and more particularly described in the Plans, which Declaration and Plans are referred to above and are incorporated herein by reference.

TRACT 2: An undivided 2.38% interest as tenant in common in and to the Common Areas and Facilities as referred to in Article III of the Declaration, to which reference is made for a more particular description of said common areas and facilities.

Including the Unit located thereon; said Unit being located at 108 Ephesus Church Road, Unit 606 L, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1194391 (FC.FAY)

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1200132 (FC.FAY)

RANDOLPH NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 15 SP 102 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Calvin T. Canty and wife, Cindy E. Canty to Chris M. Roshong, Trustee(s), dated the 12th day of June, 2000, and recorded in Book 1666, Page 565, in Randolph County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Randolph County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Asheboro, Randolph County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on February 28, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Randolph, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all that certain 5.019 acres, more or less, as shown on plat entitled, “Survey for Calvin T. Canty and wife, Cindy E. Canty”, recorded in Plat Book 64, Page 19, in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Randolph County, North Carolina. Together with improvements thereon, said property located at 5107 Bent Ridge Road, Seagrove, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1152347 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 17 SP 4

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 484

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Lois M. Hundley to William R. Echols, Trustee(s), dated the 4th day of November, 2011, and recorded in Book RE2259, Page 83, in Randolph County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Randolph County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Asheboro, Randolph County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on February 28, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Randolph, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: All that certain parcel of land situated in the City of Archdale, County of Randolph, State of North Carolina, being known and designated as all of Lot No. 54, Section II, Phase III Creekside Village, a map of which is recorded in Plat Book 27 at Page 2 in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Randolph County, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 5200 Creek Wood Drive, Archdale, North Carolina.

Together with and including an easement for ingress, egress and regress over the streets, roadways and common areas as shown on plat of Creekside Village, Section II, Phase III, map of which is recorded in Plat Book 27, Page 2 in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Randolph County, North Carolina.

By Fee Simple Deed from Mark C. Beck and Linda K. Beck, husband and wife as set forth in Book 1302, Page 2026 dated 06/28/1991 and recorded 06/28/1991, Randolph County Records, State of North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Leslie J. Mize to William R. Echols, Trustee(s), dated the 14th day of April, 2009, and recorded in Book Re 2126, Page 288, in Randolph County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Randolph County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Asheboro, Randolph County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on February 28, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Randolph, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Beginning at the intersection of the west right-of-way line of Meadowbrook Road and the south right-of-way line of Scenic Drive; thence South 00 deg 35 min West 75.34 feet along the west right-of-way line of Meadowbrook Road to a point; thence South 10 deg 29 min 03 sec East 12.42 feet along the west rightof-way of Meadowbrook Road to an iron pipe marking the southeast corner of Lot 6 of Legend Hills Subdivision; thence a new line South 89 deg 03 min 00 sec West 182.29 feet to the east line of Lot 19 and west line of Lot 6 of said subdivision; thence North 00 deg 35 min East 100 feet along the common line of Lot 6 and Lot 19 to an iron pipe in the south right-of-way line of Scenic Drive; thence South 87 deg East 180 feet along the south right-of-way line of Scenic Drive to the Beginning. Being a portion of Lot 6 of Legend Hills Subdivision as shown by plat recorded in Plat Book 9, Page 16, in the office of the Register of Deeds for Randolph County, North Carolina. This description is based on a survey by Surveying Services dated January 15, 1996 for Sheila Ann Foxx and Mark Steven Brooks. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1323 Meadowbrook Road, Asheboro, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a)(1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed.

Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1201281 (FC.FAY)

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068 https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1200753 (FC.FAY)