Vol. 2 Issue 52

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 52

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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM |

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2017

NSJ’s year in review 2017 NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

In 2017 the nation and the state turned a corner, but where we are headed on this journey is for the history books to determine. From new frontiers in medicine, to historic judicial appointments and rollbacks in taxes and regulations, it’s been a year of change celebrated by conservatives and vilified by liberals. Plus, a chorus of women across every industry saying “enough” in the #metoo movement, surfaced decades of cringe-worthy workplace behavior. Fierce storms swirled off shore too, bringing devastation to our neighbors, but reminding us that the human spirit is greater than politics. The end of several eras materialized, and the rebirth of prosperity began to emerge as the year came to a close.

The stock market hit historic highs this fall, Federal regulations over industry are disappearing by the day, unemployment is the lowest in nearly 20 years, economic growth is over 3 percent, and one of the biggest holiday shopping season in decades left store shelves empty. But emotions are also running at an all-time high with inflammatory social media, protest, accusations and investigations dominating headlines and putting party incumbency at risk. But the biggest tax reform package in three decades sits on the President’s desk, a symbol of Republicans’ 2018 midterm hopes. Will the GOP be able to hold itself together, and hold Washington D.C., or will Democrats and the “resist” movement stop

THE REVOLUTION

GOV. ROY COOPER INAUGURAL BALL | EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP INAUGURATION | DOUG MILLS | REUTERS

NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE | BRENDAN MCDERMID | REUTERS

N.C. TAR HEELS VICTORY AT THE 2017 NCAA | ROBERT DEUTSCH | USA TODAY SPORTS

NCGA | EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

HURRICANE HARVEY | ADREES LATIF | REUTERS

HURRICANE MARIA | ALVIN BAEZ | REUTERS

HARVEY WEINSTEIN | MIKE SEGAR | REUTERS

5

20177 52016 $2.00

8

LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING | CHRIS WATTIE | REUTERS

GREAT AMERICAN SOLAR ECLIPSE | EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Top teams, moments and players of ’17 Sports

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 52

|

WWW.NSJONLINE.COM |

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2017

NSJ’s year in review 2017 NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

In 2017, the nation turned a corner with an expanding economy and America First as the mantra of public policy. From historic judicial appointments to rollbacks in taxes and regulations, it’s been a year of change celebrated by conservatives and vilified by liberals. Plus decades of workplace harassment toward women in private became very public, taking down big players in Hollywood and politics. Fierce storms swirled off shore too, bringing devastation to our neighbors, but reminding us that the human spirit is greater than politics. While opioid addiction and tension with North Korea remain a focus, at the kitchen tables of America the rebirth of prosperity began to emerge as the year came to a close, buoying consumer confidence in one of the biggest

shopping season in a decade. The stock market hit historic highs this fall, 24,000 for the first time ever, federal regulations over industry are disappearing by the day, unemployment is the lowest in nearly 20 years, and economic growth is over 3 percent. But emotions are also running at an all-time high with inflammatory social media, protest, accusations and investigations dominating headlines and putting party incumbency at risk. But the biggest tax reform package in three decades has just been signed into law, along with the repeal of the Obamacare mandate, a symbol of Republicans’ 2018 midterm ambitions. Will the GOP be able to hold itself together — and maintain control in Washington, D.C. — or will Democrats be able to stop

THE REVOLUTION

GOV. ROY COOPER INAUGURAL BALL | EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP INAUGURATION | DOUG MILLS | REUTERS

NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE | BRENDAN MCDERMID | REUTERS

N.C. TAR HEELS VICTORY AT THE 2017 NCAA | ROBERT DEUTSCH | USA TODAY SPORTS

NCGA | EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

HURRICANE HARVEY | ADREES LATIF | REUTERS

HURRICANE MARIA | ALVIN BAEZ | REUTERS

HARVEY WEINSTEIN | MIKE SEGAR | REUTERS

5

20177 52016 $2.00

8

LAS VEGAS STRIP SHOOTING | CHRIS WATTIE | REUTERS

GREAT AMERICAN SOLAR ECLIPSE | EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Top teams, moments and players of ’17 Sports

North State Journal for Wednesday, December 27, 2017

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year in

WEDNESDAY

12.27.17 #108

OPIOID EPIDEMIC

NC sues drugmaker accusing scheme to push opioid

“Elevate the conversation” Visit North State Journal online! nsjonline.com jonesandblount.com nsjsports.com carolinabrewreview.com chickenbonealley.com

Raleigh N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein announced that the state has filed a lawsuit against Insys Therapeutics, accusing the pharmaceutical company of illegally pushing a powerful fentanyl-based

cancer pain medicine called Subsys to boost profits amid the U.S. opioid epidemic.

The lawsuit comes amid a federal investigation that has led to charges against several former executives accused of engaging in a scheme to bribe doctors to prescribe Subsys.

Stein accused Insys of paying kickbacks to doctors to promote and prescribe Subsys for uses other than

treating cancer pain and of deceiving insurers into covering prescriptions for the company’s product.

Arizona-based Insys did not respond to requests for comment. It has said that it has taken steps to prevent past mistakes from happening again and has stressed that Subsys made up 0.02 percent of opioid prescriptions in 2016.

Each day, 3 people die from opioid overdose in N.C. There has been a 73 percent rise in opioid-related deaths in 2015 since 2005.

Opioids caused the deaths of 1,100 people in 2015, and 1,200 people are expected to die from opioids in 2018 if trends continue.

Unintentional opioid-related overdose deaths cost $1.3 billion in 2015, according to the Center for Disease Control

GENX What’s in the Cape Fear River?

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 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365) Neal Robbins Publisher Donna King Editor Cory Lavalette Managing/Sports Editor Frank Hill Senior Opinion Editor

Published each Wednesday

by North State Media, LLC 819 W. Hargett Street, Raleigh, N.C. 27603 TO SUBSCRIBE: 704-269-8461 or online at nsjonline.com Annual Subscription Price: $25.00

BRENDAN MCDERMID | REUTERS

Shopper rolls out a cart with televisions from a Best Buy store during Black Friday shopping in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on Nov. 24.

ECONOMICS With 17-year-low unemployment and national economic growth, wages and consumer spending ticked up half a percent in November.

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Get in touch!

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JUST FIVE YEARS ago, N.C. was economically on the ropes.

Unemployment was one of the highest in the nation at eleven percent Since then nearly 300,000 new jobs have come in and the unemployment rate hovers at 4 percent, a nearly 20 year low and # lowest in the nation. What happened? Republicans point to a corporate tax rate that has dropped from nearly 7 percent five years ago to 3 percent, with

plans for even lower next year.

Personal income taxes have come down for most North Carolinians and a budget surplus has allowed the state to put away for a rainy day. Democrats say that the nation’s economic recovery since the recession has buoyed N.C., and it’s economic development and tech centers have kept companies coming, but wages in rural areas have remained stagnant with a % growth rate, and they complain

that the state government’s focus on taxes over K-12 traditional public education will hurt the state in the long-run. Still, N.C.’s success story has made national news and even formed some of the arguments of D.C. Republicans as they reformed the federal tax code in the biggest overhaul in 30 years. There’s little doubt that N.C.’s economy will be watched as the impact of national tax reform takes shape.

CONFEDERATE MEMORIALS AND STATUES NSJ Poll August 2017 The survey questioned a random sample of 812 likely voters on the issue of confederate monument removal in North Carolina. This poll has a margin error of plus or minus 3.44 percentage points.

North State Journal

37

percent of respondents support removing them @nsjnews

NC DHHS

56

percent of respondents oppose removing them

7

percent of respondents are undecided

THE BEAUTY of NC rivers and the simplicity of turning on the tap took an ugly turn in 2017 when thousands of New Hanover and Brunswick County residents found out that their drinking water could be contaminated with GenX, a chemical compound used to make non-stick coatings. The only place Gen X is produced is in N.C. at Chemours Fayetteville Works plant. It is poorly studied, generally does not break down in the environment, cannot be removed by current water treatment, and its health risks are not well understood.

On June 19, N.C. Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Health and Human Services began investigating GenX. Chemours has been dumping the chemical into the river since 1980’s and there are no federal guidelines on it.

However, controversy erupted early in the crisis as residents demanded to know how much the state knew about GenX and when. DEQ ordered Chemours to stop releasing Gen X, asked the Centers for Disease Control to study its effects and held public information sessions, but they did not suspend Chemours discharge permit until the end of November when it was discovered that a second Gen X spill went unreported.

Some have criticized N.C. DEQ officials for their delayed response. Governor Cooper vetoed a bill to send funds to UNCW to study GenX study perfluorinated compounds and to the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority to work on getting rid of it. Cooper said the bill didn’t allow enough money and wanted fund to go to the Raleigh-based state level agencies.

The GA overrode the veto. In the meantime, thousands of people are drinking bottled water out of concern, but also after some of their private wells were determined to have Gen X also.

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Want to learn more about North Carolina Agriculture?

The First Furrow www.FirstFurrow.com

North State Journal for Wednesday, December 27, 2017

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review 2017

NSJ’s

redistricting As candidate and parties plans for 2018 elections, the cloud of legislative map controversy hangs over the state.

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

IN JUNE 2017, the United States Supreme Court struck down legislative districts in N.C. saying they were unconstitutional because they “packed” black voters into gerrymandered districts minimizing their potential voting impact. A group of N.C. voters demanded new special election with new maps to be held in March, but the request was shot down by federal judges. In August, the N.C. General Assembly passed new maps, but lawsuits were filed on these as well, saying they were the result of partisan gerrymandering. The

U.S. Court of Appeals is still considering the new maps and this fall assigned a California-based “special master” to redraw them.

Republican leadership in the N.C. General Assembly objected to the California professor’s maps, saying it undermined N.C.’s sovereignty. Now, we wait. As the court considers the case, candidates and lawmakers are studying the new districts. N.C. isn’t alone in this fight; The U.S. Supreme Court also ruled against Wisconsin saying for the first time that partisan gerrymandering was unconstitutional.

Ross Wood, left, of Harnett County, gets a photo of himself with Gov. Roy Cooper during a victory rally at N.C. State on Dec. 6, 2016.

GREATEST CLICKS North State Journal’s website has become the first stop for the latest news, opinion and sports coverage.

Here are some of our stories that got the most online readers in 2017. Did you miss these? Visit nsjonline.com to catch up!

1. Bad Behavior by Fans Spoil Epic Game 2. NBA Draft Combined Invitations are Out 3. Tears and Sacrifice in Duke Season-Ending Loss 4 . In a Quiet Move, Cooper Administration Retreats from Waters of the U.S. Lawsuit 5. Who Will Replace Retiring Dale Earnhardt Jr. for Hendrick Motorsports in 2018?

6. NC States Kevin Keatts is Ready for the Moment 7. Victoria Huggins wins Miss North Carolina

N.C. APPROVAL

Gov. Roy Cooper’s job performance approval rating after his first year in the Executive Mansion

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

FIRST YEAR OF COOPER Lawsuits dominate Gov. Roy Cooper’s first year in the Executive Mansion.

ROY COOPER came into office after fifteen years as N.C.’s attorney general and ten years in the General Assembly before that. In 2016, he narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Pat McCrory, becoming the first challenger to defeat a sitting governor in N.C. since 1850.

Cooper entered office with his agenda squarely set on the criticism that the Republican-led General Assembly has garnered from teacher

unions and public education groups for efforts to boost voucher and charter school programs.

Cooper proposed a $23.4-trillion-dollar budget, that grew to $24 trillion the second year, largely focusing increases on K-12 traditional public education. Despite the campaign and efforts to get his policy agenda through, instead the new governor seems to have spent most of his first year in legal tangles with the legislative branch.

The two sides often went to court over separation of powers and election reforms, while the legislature overrode ten of the governor’s 13 vetoes. Five of the vetoes were on bill that Cooper said undermined his executive authority. The governor visited dozens jobs announce-

Your Partner in Precision Agriculture

ments across the state in his first year, and joined the full-court efforts to attract the grand prize, Amazon HQ2, the location of which is due to be announced in 2018. However, he was criticized for not acknowledging that all those ribbon cuttings may not have happened save the Republican-driven tax cuts.

Next up: How with the governor, who has enjoyed big backing from environmental groups over the years, handle two big issues for his hometown region: the unfolding Gen X crisis at N.C.’s coast and the Atlantic Coast Pipeline expected to run through parts of eastern N.C. bringing natural gas, likely jobs and promised economic development to poor communities in the east.

42

percent approve

42

percent disapprove

16

percent have no opinion

NSJ Poll of 817 randomly selected likely voters with a margin of error of 3.4 percent.

Helping farmers grow with technology www.vantagesouthatlantic.com

North State Journal for Wednesday, December 27, 2017

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north STATEment Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor | Troy Kickler, deputy opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

GUEST OPINION | DAN FOREST

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL | FILE

Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest poses for a portrait in his office in the Hawkins-Hartness House.

Looking back at a successful 2017

I commend the General Assembly for the dedicated work to our great state and look forward to continuing our nearly decade-long track record of making North Carolina a better place.

OVER THE PAST YEAR the legislature continued to build upon the great work they began in 2011, when Republicans gained control of the General Assembly for the first time in 140 years. The highlights include increasing teacher compensation for the fifth year in a row, continuing to lower the tax rate for all North Carolinians so that everyone has more money in their pockets, expanding school choice options for children with disabilities through our new Education Savings Accounts, and building up the rainyday fund to nearly $2 billion.

These are amazing accomplishments stacked upon a previous strong track record.

Yet for the purpose of this writing I wanted to highlight legislative accomplishments that were created through my office and became law with the help of the General Assembly.

Let’s start with the rebuilding of the Teaching Fellows program. My office created the Education Endowment Fund three years ago for the purpose of recruiting, retaining and rewarding our highest performing public school teachers. This past year, with the leadership of Sen. Chad Barefoot and Rep. Craig Horn, the Education Endowment Fund was used to create scholarships for students entering specific schools of education in our state to be trained in hardto-staff areas of STEM and Exceptional Children. At a time when schools across our country are struggling to staff STEM and special needs classrooms, particularly in low

preforming school districts, the Teaching Fellows Program will help address those areas of concern in North Carolina, raising the bar for the quality of education afforded to underserved students.

Another bill that I am proud of is the creation of First Responders Day, making Sept. 11 an official State Holiday. Throughout the year, on specific dates, we as a state and country honor our military, veterans and those that have made the ultimate sacrifice.

We are thankful for all those that put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms that we cherish in our country. However, there are often-overlooked heroes in our communities who also risk their lives for our safety, security and well-being. Those are our first responders — our police officers, fire fighters, EMT and state troopers.

Each day these men and women suit up to protect and serve our communities throughout North Carolina. We felt it was time to set a day aside each year to honor these heroes. From here forward, Sept. 11 will be known as “First Responders Day.” This date will forever be remembered as a day in American history that showcased the resolve and heroism of first responders throughout our country.

I was also proud that my office could push through the “Restore/Preserve Campus Free Speech Act.” This law helps to restore and preserve free speech on our public university campuses. Pursuant to this law, the Board

of Governors made a policy that shows our state’s commitment to intellectual and academic freedom. The job of government and our universities is not to shield individuals from speech they might find offensive, but to commit to the principles of free speech, including spontaneous demonstration and access to campus consistent with the First Amendment. The Board of Governors’ statutorily mandated policy also sets out disciplinary measures for students who interfere with the free speech rights of others.

And finally, we continued our work to eliminate the scourge of human trafficking in our state. Working with the Human Trafficking Commission, Sen. Shirley Randleman, and Rep. Allen McNeill, we passed a law increasing the punishment for human trafficking, funding the placement of awareness posters all over North Carolina, and cracking down on illicit massage practices. Importantly, we also gave the SBI original jurisdiction in investigate human trafficking cases.

As we usher in the new year, I commend the General Assembly for the dedicated work to our great state and look forward to continuing our nearly decade-long track record of making North Carolina a better place.

Dan Forest is the 34th lieutenant governor of North Carolina.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2017

BUSINESS

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Elizabeth Johnson, 22, calls out an order at Bitty & Beau’s Coffee in Wilmington, N.C. on June 8. The coffee shop employs 40 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

n.c.

FAST FACTS Sponsored by

The N.C. Commerce Department’s Rural Economic Development Division, created in 2013, was established to improve the economic well-being and quality of life of North Carolinian’s with particular emphasis on rural communities. The Division, directed by an Assistant Secretary of Commerce, has a number of grant programs and planning services to assist rural counties and rural census tracts: Disaster Recovery Grants, Rural Grants Program, Community Development Block Grant for Economic Development (CDBGED) , Industrial Development Fund / Utility Fund, Appalachian Regional Commission, NC Main Street Center, and Rural Planning.

Approved Logos

This week, we highlight how the N.C. Main Street Center’s “Main Street Solutions Fund” works for communities across North Carolina:

The purpose of the fund is to provide maximum support to small businesses in designated micropolitans located in Tier 2 and Tier 3 counties and/or in designated North Carolina Main Street communities.

The grants are used to assist planning agencies and small businesses with efforts to revitalize downtowns by creating jobs, funding infrastructure improvements and rehabilitating buildings. As of June 30, 2017, twenty-three communities have been awarded thirty-two Main Street Solutions Fund grants, totaling $4,118,476. For every $1 invested by the state, an additional $5.13 is anticipated to be invested by the local community.

NC businesses leaving successful year in 2017

By Emily Roberson North State Journal WHILE North Carolina is the only state to have been recognized

by Forbes Magazine among the top five “Best States for Business” for 12 consecutive years, we had never reached number one. Until 2017.

Citing the state’s ingenuity and hustle over the last two decades, creating one of the strongest business climates in the nation in the process, Forbes hails North Carolina as the shining star of the region – a beacon to the South’s current re-imagining of its own economic infrastructures and endeavors.

As the editors noted, “fueled by low business costs, incentives and a young, educated workforce, many of whom have been trained at the strong universities in the state and Research Triangle Park,” North Carolina’s economy clearly has that infrastructure in place, improving and growing by the minute.

With the hiccup of 2016’s HB2 behind us, along with the often-meaningful debates and sometimes-grandstanding public boycotts that followed, North Carolina was poised in 2017 to again focus on the recruitment of new corporate business, the revitalization of main streets across our state, and supporting N.C.’s true economic engines, our small businesses, farms and manufacturers.

This year saw major announcements from national and international corporations such as the proposed expansion of Allstate Insurance in Mecklenburg County, as well as tech-giant Infosys’ headquarters moving to Wake County, each potentially adding over 2,000 jobs to those local economies.

And as the result of a end-ofyear grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation, two of the state’s biggest industries, agriculture and manufacturing, found a home for a state-of-the-art partnership that will provide resources for N.C.’s food innovators and processing businesses at NC State’s North Carolina Research Center in Kannapolis.

Bitty and Beau’s – NSJ 2017 Business Highlight Wilmington coffee shop owner and special needs advocate Amy Wright accepts CNN honor To say that telling our readers about Bitty and Beau’s was a highlight of 2017 would be an understatement. So much more than a highlight, their story is truly the embodiment of the decency, hard work and heart that define our great state.

When NSJ featured this Wilmington coffee shop, its employees and patrons in a story this summer, owner Amy Wright had not yet been nominated for CNN’s “Hero of the Year,” an honor she accepted, chosen from among 10

BUSINESS YEAR IN REVIEW As the nation’s attention turns to growing economic recovery from the Great Recession, N.C. is making headlines with dropping tax rates and the lowest unemployment in seventeen years In 2017, the state got the nod from magazines and policy groups as they look for economic bright points in the national landscape. The kudos are a critical part of Republican talking points as they campaign to hold on to General Assembly seats in the 2018 elections.

finalists nationwide, on December 17th.

Wright, a mother of four, the younger two of whom have Down Syndrome, and her husband opened the shop in 2016 after learning that 70 percent of people with intellectual disabilities are unemployed. She knew that someday her two special needs children would need jobs, and wanted to create a space that would give them and others with similar disabilities the opportunity to earn an income and do meaningful work, while also giving customers the chance to engage with a population they might not often encounter in service roles.

The results have exceeded what both Wright and her community had imagined. Not only does Bitty and Beau’s currently employ 40 workers with intellectual and developmental disabilities, but it has seen such rapid growth in its first year that it outgrew its first location and now welcomes over 2,000 customers per week. Employees are given jobs that best fit their talents whether it’s taking orders, making beverages, selling merchandise, restocking supplies or greeting customers.

In accepting her CNN award, Wright said, “I am bringing this home to the 40 employees who work at Bitty & Beau’s because they are my heroes.”

But Wright had an even more personal message to her own little ones, Bitty and Beau, now 13 yrs old: “I want you to know, because I know you are watching, that I would not change you for the world, but I will change the world for you.”

We think we can safely speak for our entire state, Mrs. Wright, in wishing you much success.

• North Carolina “Best State for Business” in Forbes 2017 Rankings

• North Carolina top-5 for wage growth, says U.S. Census Bureau

• North Carolina wins 2017 Prosperity Cup by Site Selection Magazine

• North Carolina 5th best-balanced budget in Mercatus Center study

• North Carolina ranked #1 for tech job growth in N.C.T.A. study

• North Carolina 1 of 12 states with unanimous ‘AAA’ bond rating

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n.c.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT Sponsored by

What’s Brewing in NC Public Power this Season

Whether you’re ringing in the new year or cozying up by the fire, you’ll find a brew to help you celebrate the season in public power communities throughout the state.

Here are a few to sip: Booneshine (Boone) Long Winter Mocha Stout – brewed with dark chocolate and cacao nibs.

The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery (Farmville) Baltic Porter – deep, rich, velvety soft.

Huske Hardware House Restaurant & Brewery (Fayetteville) Thin-Mint Stout – Huske’s traditional stout with more chocolate, plus vanilla and mint.

Uptown Brewing Company (Greenville) Belgian Dubbel – flavors of toast, plum, raisin, brown sugar and clove.

Brown Truck Brewery (High Point) Belgian Winter Ale – reddish-brown with coffee, chocolate and ginger.

Primal Brewery (Huntersville) Olde Hag Gingersnap Ale – rich and malty with molasses, ginger and spices.

Mother Earth (Kinston) Snow Flurry – light-amber juniper-rye IPA. There’s more than beer brewing in NC Public Power communities. Learn more at www.electricities.com.

North State Journal for Wednesday, December 27, 2017

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Murphy

North State Journal for Wednesday, December 27, 2017

to

Manteo

Jones & Blount jonesandblount.com @JonesandBlount

2017 House Redistricting Plan A2

2017 REDISTRICTING

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2017 House Redistricting Plan 93

!

!

85

120 Cherokee

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81

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Gaston

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98

58

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101

88

109

!

83

Stanly

!!

103

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Moore 52

Anson

Union

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!

Tyrrell

Washington

Dare 9

Beaufort

6

Hyde

79

21

Lenoir

!

The U.S. Supreme Court justices upheld a lower court ruling that said N.C.’s legislative district lines took race too much into account. The case came from a lawsuit over maps drawn by North Carolina officials following the 2010 census. Particularly in District 1 and District 12, opponents said that the maps increased the black voting-age population (BVAP) in the districts, which already elected black Democrats. Registered voters sued on grounds of impermissible racial gerrymandering alleging that state officials packed the BVAP into two districts to curtail political influence. The NC Supreme Court heard the first lawsuit on the issue, Dickson v. Rucho, and decided for the state on account that the redistricting complied with the Voting Rights Act. Although the state argued as much, that ruling did not bar a second lawsuit in federal court where a three-judge panel ruled District 1 and District 12 unconstitutional as racial considerations predominated in the redistricting. The state appealed, but the US Supreme Court, in Cooper v. Harris, affirmed. Justice Elena Kagan stated that proof of racial gerrymandering “is satisfied when legislators have placed a significant number of voters within or without a district predominantly because of their race, regardless of their ultimate objective in taking that step.” This finding not only overruled the earlier decision by the NC Supreme Court, but also posits that the longheld claim of race permissibly serving as a proxy for partisan redistricting may no longer have merit.

Craven

43 ! !

Hoke

12

!

Jones Duplin

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!

3

Cumberland

!

Pamlico

Sampson

45

44

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4

14

22 ! !

47

Carteret

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13

Onslow

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Bladen Pender

15

16

Legend

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46 Columbus

Member by Party

18

!

19

17 Brunswick

Republican

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20 !

New Hanover

!

Democratic

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!

2017 Senate Floor Redistricting Plan – 4th Ed

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2017 Senate Floor Redistricting Plan 0

25

HBK-25

50

100 !

Printed by the NC General Assembly, August 28, 2017.

Wilkes

Forsyth

Yadkin

32

!

Avery

47

49 Buncombe Swain Graham

Haywood

!

Clay

Macon

!

McDowell

Rowan

Rutherford

Henderson

48

Cleveland

Polk

!

44

Lincoln

43

!

Gaston

Transylvania

!

!

!

Mecklenburg !

36

!

Chatham

26

Wake

Montgomery

40

39 !

!

35 Union

Richmond Anson

Hoke

Dare

Sampson

!

Pender

8

Legend

.

Democratic

Counties

!

Republican

0 SCT-2

New Hanover

Columbus

!

9 Brunswick !

25

50

100 Printed by the NC General Assembly, August 28, 2017.

150

Birth certificates may not discriminate against same-sex couples as SCOTUS held in Pavan v. Smith. This ruling came after the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) issued birth certificates to two same-sex couples bearing only the name of the female who had given birth through artificial insemination, excluding her female-spouse and co-parent. ADH relied on a state statute specifying that the names of individuals to appear on birth certificates included the female giving birth and her male-spouse, regardless of the male-spouses biological relationship to the child. ADH argued that birth certificates were merely a marker of biological parentage having no correlation to marriage. SCOTUS found quite the contrary since the statue required the name of the birth mother’s male-spouse irrespective of his biological relation to the child. By using birth certificates as a form of legal recognition for married but not unmarried parents, ADH could not deny same-sex married couples that recognition. Citing Obergefell v. Hodges, SCOTUS found the AK statute unconstitutional because married same-sex couples may not be denied the “constellation of benefits” available to married opposite-sex couples.

200 Miles

NEW N.C. LAWS

2 Carteret

!

Onslow Bladen

13

!

The Asian-American rock band, THE SLANTS™, are singing a victory song. The band’s lead singer sued after the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) denied his application to trademark “The Slants”—a moniker the band chose as a mean to “reclaim” and “drain its denigrating force” on Asian persons. Regardless, the PTO relied on the Lanham Act “disparagement clause” prohibiting registration of marks that disparage people or groups. That was until SCOTUS, in Matal v. Tam, held the disparagement clause unconstitutional

Birth certificates may not discriminate

On January 1, 2018 some key laws took affect across the state. In addition to the $22.9 billion state budget that was vetoed by the governor and overridden by the legislature, and the Regulatory Reform Act which makes changes to state regulations government businesses across the state, these laws on issues from Driver’s Ed to opioids are now on the N.C. books.

Duplin

6

Member by Party

Trademarks have no government say-so

under the First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause. SCOTUS said trademarks are private speech, not government speech.

And while certain private speech, such as commercial advertising, may be regulated, trademarks do not constitute such speech because marks, like “The Slants,” have an expressive component protected by the First Amendment. This decision may have an equally victorious ring for NFL Washington Redskins. Since 2014, the Redskins have battled the PTO’s attempt to cancel six registered “Redskins” marks for disparaging Native Americans. The Redskins battle may be over given SCOTUS’s ruling in THE SLANTS case. To date, the “Redskins” marks remain on the federal trademark registry.

Hyde

Pamlico Jones

!

Cumberland

!

Beaufort

Craven

10

Robeson

Districts

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Registered sex offenders in North Carolina are free to use Facebook and similar social media services, according to SCOTUS. Considering for the first time the relationship between First Amendment speech and modern Internet, SCOTUS ruled unconstitutional a NC law that made it a felony for state registered sex offenders to use online social media services that could lead to interactions with minors. The case, Packingham v. North Carolina, was grounded on fundamental First Amendment principles, such as the right to access places where one can speak, listen, and reflect. Historically, those places were streets and parks. But in today’s tech era, those places are cyberspace and websites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. SCOTUS acknowledged this shift when Justice Anthony Kennedy stated that “[b]y prohibiting sex offenders from using those websites, North Carolina with one broad stroke bars access to what for many are the principal sources for knowing current events, checking ads for employment, speaking and listening in the modern public square, and otherwise exploring the vast realms of human thought and knowledge.” While SCOTUS regarded NC’s interest of protecting minors, it found that the state had done so at the expense of protected rights.

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2017 SAW President Donald Trump’s first Supreme Court nominee seated on the high court bench. Conservative Neil Gorsuch joined the court in April, breaking the 8-8 tie just as it heard some key cases that shaped the year.

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Strengthen Opioid Misuse Prevention (STOP)Act (HB 243)

Driver Instruction/Law Enforcement Stops (HB 21)

The STOP Act of 2017 got widespread support in 2017 and was one of the few issues in which the General Assembly, Attorney General Josh Stein and Governor Roy Cooper could find some common ground. The law limits the number of days and amount of an opioid can be lawfully prescribed for acute pain, reduces “doctor shopping,” and requires that prescribers review a patient’s history and use the N.C. Controlled Substances Reporting System to better track the distribution of opioids.

This law requires that information on police procedures during traffic stops be included in driver education. The Division of Motor Vehicles is to include information in its driver’s handbook and explain what drivers should do when stopped by police and what are appropriate interactions with officers.

The law passed after a series of police interactions ended in tragedy over the past several years, including the fatal shooting of Lamont Scott in Charlotte in 2016 that led to protests and riots in the Queen City.

Electoral Freedom Act of 2017 (SB 656) This election reform bill passed after the legislature overrode a veto from Governor Cooper. The election reform law aimed at making it easier to get third-party candidates on the state’s election ballots, but also canceling the 2018 judicial primaries. Lawmakers say they want to allow newly eligible candidates to be able to get a closer look at planned new judicial district maps.

The effort to update judicial district lines was launched over the summer by Rep. Justin Burr (R- Stanly), but some members of both parties say its overdue.

Choose your Trinity!

Call the community near you or 1-800-HELPING today.

The Trinity communities are affiliates of Lutheran Services Carolinas, a health and human service organization serving senior adults in North Carolina since 1960.

In addition to serving seniors, LSC also works to improve the lives of those facing extraordinary challenges through services such as foster care, adoption, disaster relief and more. Visit the LSC website at LSCarolinas.net or call 1-800-HELPING. “Empowered by Christ, we walk together with all we serve.”

the good life IN A NORTH STATE OF MIND

Top movies of 2017 1. Beauty and the Beast $504,014,165 2. Wonder Woman - $412,563,408 3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 $389,813,101 4. Spiderman Homecoming $334,198,153 5. It - $327,481,748 6. Thor: Ragnarok - $307,556,331 7. Despicable Me 3 - $264,607,830 8. Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi - $261,820,146 9. Logan - $226,277,068 10. The Fate of the Furious $225,764,765

These are the top ten movies based on gross box office receipts for films released on 2017.

PHOTOS BY BERIT ROALD | REUTERS

John Legend performs at the traditional Nobel Peace Prize concert honouring the laureates, at Telenor Arena in Fornebu, Norway, on Dec. 11.

ALY SONG | REUTERS

Producer Ram Bergman, director Rian Johnson and actors Daisy Ridley and Mark Hamill pose for pictures as they arrive for the China premiere of ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ at the Shanghai Disney Resort in Shanghai, China, on Dec. 20.

John Legend to Star in NBC’s ‘Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert’

By Cynthia Littleton Variety

AMR ALFIKY | REUTERS

A tourist takes a selfie picture at Times Square in the borough of Manhattan, New York, on Nov. 26.

TOBY MELVILLE | REUTERS

Britain’s Palace of Westminster is silhouetted against the setting sun, London, on Dec. 18.

2017’s Vacation Hot Spots According to Expedia.com’s newly released study, Disney parks still top the list of most popular things to do on vacation, while Labor Day weekend saw the nation’s highest rate of car rentals.

Still, 2017 was the year of the quick getaway, as most American’s only took two-day trips on average this year.

The most booked domestic destinations: 1. New York 2. Los Angeles 3. Orlando 4. Las Vegas 5. Chicago The most booked international destinations: 1. Cancun 2. London 3. Mexico City 4. Guadalajara “In look at this data, the thing that struck me the most was that so many of these locations were affected by adverse events; either hurricanes or other travel advisories,” said John Morrey, VP of Expeida.com. “I’ve never underestimated the resiliency of the American traveler, but its heartening to see that people still want to get out and see the world.”

LOS ANGELES — John Legend has been tapped for the title role in NBC's live staging of "Jesus Christ Superstar," set for Easter Sunday.

"We're all overjoyed to have world-class musical artist and producer John Legend starring as Jesus," said Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment. "This score demands a singer with an amazing range and an actor with great depth, and there isn't anyone better to bring this story to a new audience. His casting is also groundbreaking as the traditional image of Christ will be seen in a new way."

Legend is a multi-hyphenate musician, songwriter, actor and producer who has become active in television as a writer and producer. He's a 10-time Grammy winner and an Oscar winner

for his work on the song "Glory" from the 2014 drama "Selma."

He won a Tony Award earlier this year as a producer of "Jitney," the August Wilson revival.

"I'm thrilled to join the cast of this production of 'Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,'" Legend said. "It's such a powerful, meaningful musical and I'm humbled to be part of this performance. We've already formed an incredible team, and, as we finish casting, I'm certain we will put together some of the greatest talents around to do this work justice."

NBC announced in May that its latest live musical will bow on April 1. Rocker Alice Cooper has been cast as King Herrod.

"Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert" is based on the 1971 Broadway musical revolving around the last week of Jesus' life.

The project has a murderer's row of producers on board.

Musician John Legend performs during the award ceremony of the Nobel Peace Prize to ICAN at City Hall, in Oslo, Norway, on Dec. 10.

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who have shepherded all four of NBC's live musical productions to date, are on board as are "Superstar" creators Andrew Lloyd

Webber and Tim Rice, and Marc Platt, who was behind Fox's "Grease Live" last year and this past Sunday's "A Christmas Story Live" staging.

Facebook, Universal Music strike multi-year licensing deal

By Jessica Toonkel and Arjun Panchadar Variety SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook Inc and Universal Music Group on Thursday announced a global agreement that will enable users to upload videos featuring music from Universal's library across the social media network as well as Instagram and Oculus.

Through the agreement, which is Facebook's first with a major record label, the social media company will no longer have to require users to take down videos featuring music from Universal's catalog due to copyright infringement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Facebook's deal with Universal Music Group comes as the world's largest social media site is making a big push into video to keep users on its site and attract advertisers.

Earlier this year it launched its Watch video service, which features shows from the likes of Buzzfeed, Discovery Communications as well as some sports like Major League Baseball.

The partnership comes days after Bloomberg reported that YouTube had signed a long-term agreement with Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment.

TOBY MELVILLE | REUTERS

Balloons are seen in front of a logo at Facebook’s headquarters in London, Britain, Dec. 4.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2017

SPORTS the Wednesday SIDELINE REPORT NFL

Panthers’ Davis has suspension cut to one game Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis had his twogame suspension reduced to one game after an appeal, the NFL announced Tuesday.

Appeals officer James Thrash, a former NFL wide receiver, heard Davis’ appeal. Davis missed Sunday’s home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he can return to the active roster on Dec. 26. The Panthers conclude the regular season at Atlanta on Dec. 31. Davis was suspended for his blindside hit Sunday that resulted in a concussion for Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams.

NSJ PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Chubb bet on himself — and won

GYMNASTICS

Maroney claims she was forced to sign NDA about abuse Olympic gold medalist McKayla Maroney sued USA Gymnastics (USAG) last Wednesday alleging that the organization forced her to sign a nondisclosure agreement about sexual abuse she endured from former national team doctor Larry Nassar. The lawsuit, filed by attorney John Manly in the Los Angeles Superior Court states that Maroney was forced to sign a confidentiality agreement in December 2016, because she needed money to pay for psychological treatment. The suit alleges Maroney was sexually abused

by Nassar from about 2009 to 2013 while she was a teenager.

It seeks to invalidate the nondisclosure agreement and seeks unspecified damages.

NASCAR

Childress fires shots at intruders in Reedy Creek home NASCAR team owner Richard Childress fired gunshots at three masked men who allegedly attempted to break into his North Carolina home, according to the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office. Childress, 72, and his wife were upstairs in their Reedy Creek home when they were alerted by the sound of glass breaking downstairs at 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

The NASCAR Hall of Famer grabbed his handgun, went downstairs and fired shots at three men, who appeared to be armed and whose faces were mostly covered, according to police. It was unknown if Childress’ shots struck any of the assailants, who promptly fled the scene.

Childress will not face charges for firing his weapon, as the North Carolina Castle Doctrine allows individuals to defend themselves against home invasions. Per the police statement, Childress told the sheriff that “the only reason he and his wife were here today was because of God and the Second Amendment (the right to bear arms).”

Childress offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, per the Winston-Salem Journal.

Childress is the owner of Richard Childress Racing out of Welcome, N.C., which fields two teams in NASCAR’s top division, the Monster Energy Cup Series, and three in the Xfinity Series. That includes Childress’ famed No. 3, driven for nearly two decades by late NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. Childress’ grandson Austin Dillon has driven the No. 3 since 2014.

ROB KINNAN | USA TODAY SPORTS

NC State defensive end’s final collegiate season will result in a draft payout

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal TWO SEASONS ago, NC State decided to honor former No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Mario Williams by putting a commemorative patch on his old No. 9 jersey and reserving it for a player capable of living up to the high standard he set while playing for the Wolfpack.

Fellow defensive end Bradley Chubb was the first one to wear it.

The next time it’s issued, presumably next season, there’s a good chance the honored jersey will have a second commemorative patch on it.

One bearing Chubb’s name.

“If that happens, it happens,” the 6-foot-4, 275-pound Georgia native said. “I’ll be excited if it does.”

Chubb certainly has the cre-

MELINA VASTOLA | USA TODAY SPORTS

NC State defensive end Bradley Chubb returned for his senior season and was dominant, winning the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as college football’s best defensive player.

dentials to be mentioned in the same breath as the greatest players in State football history.

His career totals of 26 sacks and 60 tackles for loss are both school records, surpassing the previous marks set by Williams.

His play this season helped make

him the first Wolfpack player to be named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and the winner of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the top defender in college football.

Because of those accomplishments and the impact he had on State’s eight-win season, Chubb

has been selected by the North State Journal staff as the North Carolina Player of the Year for 2017.

“He’s the poster boy for hard work, determination and what it can get you,” State coach Dave Doeren said of his star. “He came in an undersized lineman that we moved to linebacker. Then he got big all of a sudden and worked so hard. His dedication, his mindset, his toughness, his competitive spirit and his class is unbelievable.”

Chubb could easily have entered the draft and been taken early following a breakout 2016 season in which he recorded 10.5 sacks. Instead, he decided to return for his senior season to, in his words, “finish what we started.”

Among those goals were earning first-team All-ACC honors and becoming an All-American, both of which he accomplished.

He also improved his already strong draft stock and is now proSee CHUBB, page B3

NSJ PRO TEAM OF THE YEAR

The Durham Bulls remain the gold standard for all of minor league sports Team continues to prove it’s more than just movie fodder with another championship

By Shawn Krest North State Journal IT MAY be a little premature to say this, but it looks like the Durham Bulls’ move to Triple-A

was a successful one.

The Bulls made the jump in 1997 and, 20 years in, have dominated the International League like no other team in history.

The Bulls have won the Governors’ Cup, awarded to the league champion, once every four years.

The 2017 team raised the cup for the fifth time in two decades. Only five I.L. franchises have won more,

including Rochester (who won their first in 1939), Buffalo (1933) and Syracuse (1935).

Since the Bulls joined the league, no other team has won it more than three times. Durham’s 11 trips to the Governors’ Cup Finals — a pace slightly better than once every other season — are fifth-most all time, and no other team has gone more than six times since the Bulls joined the I.L. While dominance has become old hat at the DBAP, the 2017 Bulls team was a special one. The Bulls won the South Division by 15 games, the largest margin in the I.L. since the 2010 Bulls won by 16 games. The team also posted the fourth-highest win total in franchise history, going 86-56. The

Bulls’ South Division crown was its 13th in 20 seasons.

The Bulls — the top affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays — also beat the Pacific Coast League champion, Memphis, in the Triple-A National Championship Game. It’s the second national title for the Bulls, tied for most by any team, and Durham’s three trips to the championship game are more than any other franchise.

Durham’s pitching staff was dominant in 2017. The Bulls led the league with 18 regular-season shutouts, most by Durham in 12 seasons. The Bulls then added two more shutouts in the playoffs.

Durham’s pitchers also struck See BULLS, page B3

North State Journal for Wednesday, December 27, 2017

A10 NSJ COLLEGE TEAM OF THE YEAR

NSJ COACH OF THE YEAR

After success at UNCW, Keatts jumped to the ACC and NC State Up-tempo, attacking style moves north to Raleigh

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

BOB DONNAN | USA TODAY SPORTS

Tar Heels forward Theo Pinson celebrates after defeating Gonzaga in the championship game of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Tar Heels find redemeption in ’17 “The ups and downs that we’ve had? It’s all worth it.”

— Joel Berry, Tar Heels point guard

UNC’s title exorcised the demons of the previous year

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal NOBODY KNOWS for sure whether Babe Ruth really called his shot when he pointed toward the ivy-covered wall of Chicago’s Wrigley Field before stepping into the batter’s box in Game 5 of the 1932 World Series.

It became an implied gesture when the New York Yankees slugger hit the next pitch out of the park.

The same can be said for last year’s North Carolina basketball team.

The Tar Heels didn’t go out of their way to talk about their goal of winning the national championship that so painfully eluded them in 2016. In fact, they did their best to downplay their quest for redemption, But it always seemed to follow them around like a silent shadow until, like Ruth, they hit a home run by beating Gonzaga at University of Phoenix Stadium to secure their elusive title.

Because of that victory and the year-long process that led up to it, UNC has been chosen as the “College Team of the Year” in North Carolina by the staff of the North State Journal.

“This is what we’ve worked for,” point guard Joel Berry said immediately after being named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. “The ups and downs that we’ve had? It’s all worth it. I can’t even describe my feeling right now, but I’m just glad I was able to do something with this team because of the personality and what we went through, I think we just deserved it.”

The Tar Heels’ championship journey that ended in Arizona

on the first Monday in April began exactly one year earlier in Houston the moment Villanova’s Kris Jenkins hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to break their hearts and win the 2016 title.

Though UNC returned a solid core of talent from the squad that barely missed raising a banner to the Smith Center rafters, it was by no means a lock to get back to the Final Four — let alone finishing it off with a happy ending this time around.

There were questions about rebounding, leadership and offensive production thanks to the loss of first-team All-ACC big man Brice Johnson and fouryear starting point guard Marcus Paige. Even coach Roy Williams wondered aloud before the season began whether his six returning veterans had what it takes to become a champion.

“Those six guys who were in the games at crunch time, that’s really going to help them,” he said.

“But now they’ve got to step up there when the defense is aimed at them. That’s a huge difference in basketball. That’s where these guys have got to take their step.”

As it turned out, they did.

Junior wing Justin Jackson made the transition from secondary option to ACC Player of the Year, slimmed-down senior center Kennedy Meeks finally blossomed into a dominating big man, Berry eased seamlessly into Paige’s leadership role and former sixth man Isaiah Hicks became a solid — if somewhat inconsistent — starter while Theo Pinson willingly became the team’s do-it-all energy guy and defensive stopper.

It was a combination that, when combined with the contributions of role players Nate Britt, Tony Bradley and Luke Maye off the bench, came together even more stylishly than one of their coach’s custom-tailored Alexan-

der Julian suits.

That doesn’t mean UNC’s road to redemption wasn’t without its speed bumps and detours.

The plot complications began even before the season did when Pinson broke his foot. Just as he returned to the lineup in mid-January, his replacement, Kenny Williams, suffered his own injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season.

Even after winning the ACC’s regular season title with a 14-4 record, the Tar Heels stumbled into the postseason after losing to Duke in the conference tournament semifinals.

Their hopes took another hit in their opening NCAA tournament game when Berry suffered what would be the first of his two sprained ankles in an easy win against Texas Southern. Two days later, they got another scare when they rallied from five down with three minutes left to avoid elimination against Arkansas.

It was at that point destiny began to kick in.

A miracle last-second shot by unlikely hero Maye beat Kentucky for a trip to the Final Four. Offensive rebounds by Meeks and Pinson off missed free throws helped put away Oregon for a trip to the championship game.

Once there, UNC made sure it wouldn’t be disappointed again by overcoming a rash of fouls, Berry’s bad ankles and a Gonzaga team that had lost only once all season for a 71-65 victory sealed not by a swing for the fences, but by a Meeks blocked shot and a Jackson fast break dunk.

“One of our assistant coaches said, ‘Remember that moment and how we felt last year and we don’t want to do that again,’” Berry said.

“That’s when we were locked in.

We went out there and just gave it our all, literally, and we were able to come out with the win.”

THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS Kevin Keatts had at UNC Wilmington this year were more than enough to earn him serious consideration for our Coach of the Year award.

The Seahawks won their third straight Colonial Athletic Association regular season title in Keatts’ three years at the helm, their first outright. In the postseason UNC Wilmington won its second straight CAA Tournament. In Keatts’ tenure as coach, the Seahawks won six of their seven CAA Tourney games.

With a 29-6 record, UNCW shattered the school record for wins in a season, which had been set the year before, at 25-8. The 15-3 CAA record also tied the school mark, set 15 years earlier by now-Clemson coach Brad Brownell.

Keatts, 45, went to the NCAA tournament for the second straight year, something that had happened just once before in school history, and gave No. 5 seed Virginia all it could handle before falling to the ACC power, 76-71. The Seahawks also put a scare into No. 4 seed Duke the previous year, leading at the half before losing by eight.

Keatts will get plenty of chances to get even with the Blue Devils and Cavaliers. Following the three seasons at UNCW that left Kevin Keatts him with the highest winning per- NC State men’s centage in school history (.736, 61 basketball coach, points higher than Brownell), Ke- formerly of atts left for the vacant NC State UNC Wilmington job.

After a disappointing season that led to the firing of Mark Gottfried, NC State gave Keatts a roster of players filled with uncertainty over the new coach’s up-tempo system and whether they were a good fit.

Keatts posted a big victory by re-recruiting Omer Yurtseven, Abdul-Malik Abu and Lennard Freeman, convincing each of them to stay and selling them on his run-and-gun attack.

“Obviously, when you take over a program, everybody says, ‘These are not my guys,’” Keatts said.

“The day I did the press conference, they became my guys.”

So far, the Pack has sprinted out of the gate, with Keatts urging them to find an even higher gear.

The team is on a record-setting pace for forcing turnovers and set a PNC Arena record for assists in a game, as the Wolfpack showed energy, passion and a willingness to share the ball — all things that were sorely missing as the Gottfried era neared its end.

The Pack will likely find itself on the wrong end of the talent gap in many ACC games as the year goes on, but under Keatts, everyone on the squad seems to have bought in on the system, and the high-speed Wolfpack can be expected to spring a few upsets during conference play. The first came in the Battle 4 Atlantis Thanksgiving tournament, when NC State knocked off then-No. 2 Arizona in its opening game.

The excitement Keatts has brought back to the program also shows in the new coach’s success on the recruiting trail. Keatts has assembled the No. 16 class in the country for next season, including three four-star recruits.

As the architect of a pair of in-state basketball programs, Keatts has earned our nod as Coach of the Year.

Others considered: UNC men’s basketball’s Roy Williams, NC A&T football’s Rod Broadway

NSJ NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Hurricanes’ Aho offers hope for the future of struggling franchise Finnish phenom’s 24 goals were second most by a rookie since the franchise moved to North Carolina

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal ON OCT. 28, 2016, Sebastian Aho was playing just his seventh career NHL game. He hadn’t yet scored — that wouldn’t come until more than two weeks later in game No. 14 — but there he was, at age 19, on the ice after the New York Rangers had pulled their goalie and the Carolina Hurricanes tried to hold on to a 3-2 lead.

The Hurricanes did win, and Carolina coach Bill Peters gave a simple answer as to why the rookie the team had such high hopes for was on the ice in a critical defensive moment.

“It says I trust him, that's what it says. … That's a 19-year-old kid,” Peters continued, “who's got an

unbelievably bright future and a bright hockey mind, and we're going to continue to make sure he understands what we need and want from him in all those situations.”

Peters has continued to trust Aho, who blossomed into a nightly threat the second half of last season and — despite other slow start that saw him wait until the 17th game of the season to score — in the opening months of the 2017-18 campaign for a team perennially desperate for offensive talent.

The first signs Aho could be a special player came way back in the summer of 2015 when he dominated the Hurricanes’ development camp scrimmage, scoring a hat trick before heading back to Finland for the season.

A little more than two years later, Aho is a cornerstone of the franchise. Despite being one of the smaller players in the league — he is listed at 172 pounds, and only eight other current NHL players weigh less — Aho’s fierce competitiveness

The 24 goals, 25 assists and 49 points put up by Sebastian Aho during his first NHL season rank behind only Jeff Skinner’s numbers during his Calder Trophywinning 201011 campaign as the best by a rookie since the franchise moved to North Carolina.

JAMES GUILLORY | USA TODAY SPORTS

and ability to wisely use leverage make him “play bigger” than his 5-foot-11 frame.

And the guy coaches and teammates call “Sea Bass” — based on a combination of Sebastian and a tribute to Cam Neely’s cameo character in “Dumb & Dumber — or its derivative, “Fishy,” oozes talent.

And it’s not just him. There have never been as many prolific young Finnish players in the NHL as there

are right now. Aho’s teammate Teuvo Teravainen, Florida’s Alexsander Barkov, Winnipeg’s Patrick Laine and Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen are just a sampling of the talent Finland has produced in recent years, with more on the way (write down Nashville 2017 first-rounder Eeli Tolvanen as one to watch).

Aho has the potential to be as good as any of them. While he may not have the once-in-a-lifetime re-

lease of Laine or the power forward build of Barkov, Aho makes up for it with a hunger to compete and win.

Those traits will benefit the Hurricanes as they push for the playoffs — and make Aho the North State Journal Newcomer of the Year.

Others considered: Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, Duke basketball forward Jayson Tatum

North State Journal for Wednesday, December 27, 2017

A11

NSJ PLAY OF THE YEAR

Maye’s Kentucky-killer a shot for the ages Former walk-on cements his legacy with buzzer-beater against Wildcats

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal THERE ARE several regular features played on the video boards at the Smith Center during every North Carolina home basketball game.

There’s the “I am a Tar Heel” reel that shows several former players affirming their love for their alma mater, and the montage in which many of those same stars read off a list of UNC’s more impressive accomplishments over the years.

Neither of those, including a climactic appearance by Michael Jordan, is greeted by a louder, more passionate roar from the crowd in attendance than the highlight of Luke Maye’s buzzer-beating shot against Kentucky in the NCAA South Regional final last March that catapulted the Tar Heels to their sixth national championship.

Maye might be one of the breakout stars of the 2017-18 season, putting up first-team All-ACC type numbers. But no matter how much he accomplishes during the remainder of his college career, his place in Tar Heel lore will always be directly connected to that decisive 18-foot jumper in Memphis.

It’s a shot that was chosen as the “Play of the Year” in North Carolina sports by the staff of the North State Journal.

“I definitely look back some days and feel the joy that we felt on that last Monday night and after I hit the shot against Kentucky,” Maye said a few months later. “It's something you dream about.”

The 6-foot-8 forward, who came to UNC as a walk-on, was an unlikely candidate to become a postseason hero.

Although Maye was a regular contributor off the bench for the Tar Heels, his role was primarily that of an energy guy. He averaged just 5.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game as a backup to starter Isaiah Hicks and top reserve Tony Bradley.

He was on the court at such a critical juncture of an NCAA tournament game only because both Hicks and Bradley had gotten into foul trouble and because Hicks was in the midst of a prolonged offensive slump.

Two nights earlier in a similar situation against Butler in the Sweet 16, Maye posted the first double-double of his career with 16 points and 12 rebounds in a season-high 25 minutes. He was just as effective against Kentucky, extending his personal scoring best again — this time to 17 points.

“I put him in for a reason the other night, because I thought he could

NELSON CHENAULT | USA TODAY SPORTS

UNC forward Luke Maye takes aim on the shot that beat Kentucky with 0.3 seconds left in last season’s NCAA South Regional championship game and sent the Tar Heels to the Final Four.

help our team,” UNC coach Roy Williams said at the time. “I thought that Isaiah was struggling and I put Luke in with 7-8 minutes left.”

It turned out to be a fortuitous decision after Kentucky rallied from a seven-point deficit in the final minute to tie the game at 73 on a 3-pointer by Malik Monk with 7.2 seconds remaining.

As is his custom, Williams eschewed calling time out, instead encouraging his team to mount an immediate counterattack.

“When they scored,” the Hall of Fame coach said, “I was just screaming go, go, go.”

The Tar Heels went so fast that Kentucky coach John Calipari, who wanted a timeout, didn’t have a

chance to make the call before Kennedy Meeks inbounded the ball.

Normally point guard Joel Berry would have been the player pushing the ball up court, but because both he and second option Justin Jackson were well-covered, the job went to Pinson instead.

Following Williams’ instructions, Pinson hurried the ball up the right side of the court, then cut toward the middle and appeared as though he would try to take it all the way to the rim as he got to the lane.

As Pinson drove to the basket, a Kentucky defender moved into the lane to cut him off. The junior guard spotted Maye to his left out of the corner of his eye, holding his hand up to get his attention.

Maye was in the right place at the right time because he hustled down the court as Pinson advanced it and instinctively found an open spot on the left wing. He never flinched once he got the ball, catching it and pulling the trigger in a fluid motion before being mobbed by his teammates as the ball hit the net.

“It was a great feeling,” Maye said of his big moment, which thrust him into the national spotlight for the first time and earned him a standing ovation from his classmates when he attended class the following morning. “I thank my teammates so much and my coach for putting me in that situation. I’m just very blessed to have this opportunity.”

NSJ COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR

In the twilight of his career, Peppers comes home to Carolina On his second tour in the Queen City, N.C. native is still a game-changer

By Shawn Krest North State Journal JULIUS PEPPERS sure knows how to screw up a storybook ending.

The 37-year-old future Hall of Famer signed with the Carolina Panthers, the team where he started his NFL career back in 2002 — when current starting quarterback Cam Newton was in eighth grade.

It seemed destined to be a one-season victory lap for Peppers, who left the Panthers as a free agent following the 2009 season.

Reunited with the team that drafted him, in his home state and a 2½-hour drive from his college alma mater, playing on what he called “the best defense I’ve ever been a part of” and getting one last shot at a championship ring — all of that would have been enough for Peppers to merit consideration for Comeback Player of the Year.

The defensive end is showing no signs of preparing to ride off into the sunset, however. Instead, he’s shown that he can still be one of the top players on the Panthers’ defense.

Through 13 games, Peppers has

BOB DONNAN | USA TODAY SPORTS

Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers sacks Green Bay quarterback — and former teammate — Aaron Rodgers on Dec. 16.

9.5 sacks, which ties Mario Addison for the team lead. Addison was a high school running back in his sophomore year, who was still two position switches — he would spend time at quarterback — away from playing defense when Peppers first joined the team.

“That is pretty cool. It really is,” coach Ron Rivera said of his defensive ends. “To see them play the way they have.”

Peppers’ ability to find the fountain of youth is more than just a lux-

Chubb finished this year’s regular season with 10 sacks and 23.5 jected to be one of the first players tackles for loss, a total that ranks second in the FBS, while adding selected next spring.

One thing Chubb didn’t do was 72 total tackles, nine quarterback lead the Wolfpack to an Atlan- hurries, three forced fumbles and tic Division championship. He a blocked kick.

“I just (thank) God he’s on our did, however, succeed in helping his team win a school-record six team,” Wolfpack quarterback conference games while injecting Ryan Finley said.

It is still not known whether it into the national conversation Chubb will play his fiwith wins against divinal game for the Wolfsional powers Florida pack when it takes on State and Louisville and Arizona State at the a ranking that rose as “He’s the Sun Bowl in El Paso, high as No. 14.

Texas, this week or if Chubb’s performance poster boy sit it out to proin the nationally telefor hard work, he’ll tect his draft status vised Thursday night the way Carolina Panvictory against the Car- determination thers rookie Christian dinals and last year’s and what it McCaffery and others Heisman Trophy winner did last year.

Lamar Jackson became can get you.”

Either way, he said his signature moment at he’ll finish his college State.

— Dave career satisfied that He set the tone early Doeren , he did everything he by sacking Jackson on could for himself and the game’s second play, NC State coach his team. then spent the rest of the on Chubb “I feel like this uninight in the backfield givversity has helped me ing the Louisville quarbecome a man in the terback fits — much to the delight of a group of students situation that I have been put in, in the front row at Carter-Finley whether it be in the classroom, on Stadium adorned in body paint the football field or off the field,” spelling out the message “Chubb he said. “The coaches have been great role models and father figfor Heisman.”

“When I first saw it, I thought ures to me. The guys up here are they were talking about my cous- all like brothers to me. I grew a in,” Chubb said, referring to Geor- lot with them, on and off the field, gia running back Nick Chubb. and I have become a lot more ma“But it definitely felt good. The ture since I have got here. It has been a fun journey.” support was amazing.”

CHUBB from page B1

ury for the Panthers defense, with 10-year veteran Charles Johnson suspended for four games for a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs.

“Them boys man,” said defensive tackle Kawann Short, who joined the league when Peppers was already 111.5 sacks into his career.

“You’ve got a legend right there in Pep — and Mario is a young legend.”

Peppers and Addison became the fifth pair of Panthers teammates to have double-digit sacks in the same

year. It is the second time Peppers has been part of a 10-sack tandem in Carolina. He teamed with Mike Rucker in 2002. Rucker, a preseason television analyst for Panthers games, has been retired from the league for a decade.

The strong season has brought Peppers’ career total to 153.5 sacks through 14 games, fourth-most since the NFL started recording sacks in 1982 and just seven shy of former Panther Kevin Greene for third place. He passed Chris Doleman earlier this year, earning a game ball for the accomplishment.

Peppers also won NFL Defensive Player of the Week in the win at New England, becoming the first Carolina defensive lineman to win the award since Star Lotulelei — a seventh-grader when the Panthers drafted Peppers — won it last season.

To put Peppers’ longevity in perspective, he was four years and 45.5 sacks into his career before he recorded one against a quarterback who is still active in the NFL — Drew Brees. He also has five sacks against quarterbacks already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (three against Kurt Warner, two against Brett Favre).

“That’s one of our goals every week is to affect the quarterback,”

BULLS from page B1 out 1,421 batters, setting an alltime minor league record. In fact, despite playing 19 more games in their season, only seven Major League teams have ever posted more strikeouts in a year than Durham.

Lefthander Ryan Yarbrough led the way with a league-leading 159 K’s, the second most in franchise history. Top prospect Brent Honeywell added 152, which averaged out to 11 strikeouts per nine innings.

Honeywell also earned the win in the Futures Game, showcasing the top prospects in the minor leagues as part of the MLB AllStar break. He became the first pitcher in the history of the game to win MVP honors.

Yonny Chirinos was voted the Rays Minor League Pitcher of the Year, going 12-5 with a 2.74 ERA. The big right-hander was the team’s most consistent starting pitcher, averaging 6⅔ innings per start.

The team’s pitching performance was even more impressive, considering three Bulls starting pitchers — Blake Snell, Austin Pruitt and Jake Faria — earned midseason call-ups to Tampa.

The bullpen was a team effort, with 11 different pitchers earning saves this season, none recording more than eight.

The Bulls lineup had a core group of players who were with the team for the entire season,

20

seasons in the International League

11

trips to the Governors’ Cup finals

5

International League titles

a rarity for a good minor league team. Thirteen members of their opening day roster were still with the team when it sprayed champagne in September. Six players saw action in 100 or more games, the most in three years.

The team was led by first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers, who set a Bulls postseason record with 14 hits in the playoffs, earning the Governors’ Cup MVP award. The No. 5 prospect in the organization, Bauers led the I.L. in runs with 79 and finished sec-

said Peppers. “Get him running a little bit, take his eyes off the receivers, get him looking at the rush. You feel like that impacts the game.”

“Unfortunately, he’s only been around for this season,” coach Ron Rivera said, “but he’s the type of guy that makes an impact every time he’s on the field.”

While Peppers’ production on the field has been a pleasant surprise, he’s also given the team a veteran presence in the locker room. Rivera credited a win over Tampa in late October to a fiery locker room speech Peppers gave on the importance of practicing well.

“I think that’s huge when a guy like him steps up and says something about the guys,” Rivera said.

“He’s a guy that I think a lot of guys look up to. When he’s out there, I think that’s something the guys really feel about him.”

In a season when many expected Julius Peppers to collect rocking chairs in one last swing around the league, the Panthers’ franchise player for a generation has showed that his comeback is far more than just a geographical one.

Others considered: NC State basketball’s Lennard Freeman, Carolina Panthers Greg Olson and Cam Newton

ond with 78 walks.

Outfielder/third baseman Patrick Leonard got the team off to a fast start this year, opening the season with a torrid first month to help Durham build its huge lead in the division. Leonard hit .412 in April, earning I.L. Player of the Month.

Shortstop Willy Adames was the third member of the lineup to play in at least 130 games. Voted the team’s MVP, Adames led all I.L. shortstops in hits, total bases and doubles.

First baseman/outfielder Shane Peterson, who led the team in batting at .286, and middle infielder Kean Wong, whose grand slam paced the team in the Triple-A Championship game, rounded out a solid lineup for the Bulls.

Manager Jared Sandberg will be back in 2018, but the team will have to replace several components, including both of his coaches, who earned promotions to the majors. Several veteran players, including Leonard, Peterson and catcher Curt Casali, have also departed.

The Bulls will still have their 2017 rings, however, as well as the title of North State Journal Pro Team of the Year.

Other teams considered: Carolina Panthers, Carolina League champion Down East Wood Ducks, South Atlantic runners-up Kannapolis Intimidators

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