YES! Weekly - May 28, 2025 by YES! Weekly

Mental Health Month & Beyond

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EDITORIAL

Editor CHANEL R. DAVIS chanel@yesweekly.com

YES! Writers JOHN BATCHELOR MARK BURGER KATEI CRANFORD LYNN FELDER JIM LONGWORTH IAN MCDOWELL

PRODUCTION

Senior Designer ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com

Designer SHANE HART artdirector@yesweekly.com

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Marketing ANGELA COX angela@yesweekly.com

Promotion NATALIE GARCIA

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT ANDREW WOMACK

We at YES! Weekly realize that the interest of our readers goes well beyond the boundaries of the Piedmont Triad. Therefore we are dedicated to informing and entertaining with thought-provoking, debate-spurring, in-depth investigative news stories and features of local, national and international scope, and opinion grounded in reason, as well as providing the most comprehensive entertainment and arts coverage in the Triad. YES! Weekly welcomes submissions of all kinds. Efforts will be made to return those with a self-addressed stamped envelope; however YES! Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. YES! Weekly is published every Wednesday by Womack Newspapers, Inc. No portion may

3 Marketplace Cinemas in Winston-Salem resumes its “FILMED IN WINSTON-SALEM” series sponsored by the Piedmont Triad Film Commission (PTFC) on Sunday, June 8, in addition to the 3:30 p.m. screening of Shifting Gears , the 2018 comedy filmed in Winston-Salem.

4 All aboard, y’all! DJ SUZCHEF is pulling up to the Hanes House, spinning the best in Yacht Rock wonders, for the upcoming House Hangs at NCMA Winston-Salem on May 30.

6 In their joint effort to make MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — The Final Reckoning the best in the lucrative franchise, producer/star Tom Cruise and producer/ director Christopher McQuarrie have made the eighth outing the biggest and, with a 170-minute running time, the longest. But it’s not the best. Nor, for that matter,

8 While May may be the officially recognized month for Mental Health Awareness, local agencies are working to bring awareness around MENTAL HEALTH all year long.

11 LOCAL BUSINESSES are often important pieces of what makes a rural community what it is, making relationships between the two not just beneficial, but essential.

12 At the May 15 work session of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, Chair Skip Alston introduced representatives of a corporation that wants to EXTEND A GAS PIPELINE into the Piedmont Triad.

Bring your friends to Better Bring Your Friends

When

Marketplace Cinemas in WinstonSalem resumes its “Filmed in Winston-Salem” series sponsored by the Piedmont Triad Film Commission (PTFC) on Sunday, June 8, in addition to the 3:30 p.m. screening of Shifting Gears , the 2018 comedy filmed in Winston-Salem, there will also be a special preview screening of the documentary feature Better Bring Your Friends at 1 p.m.

Both screenings will take place at Marketplace Cinemas, 2095 Peters Creek Parkway, and admission is free. To register for free tickets to Better Bring Your Friends, visit https://louiepoore.com/bbyf. For more information about the series, visit https://www. mpcws.com/filmed-in-winston-salem/ Better Bring Your Friends marks the feature debut of filmmaker Louie Poore, the community programming manager for the RiverRun International Film Festival. It follows two runners seeking redemption, self-discovery, and community. Set against the backdrop of community running clubs, the film focuses on how its principal runners overcome various adversities and hurdles as they strive to reach new levels of physical performance.

“ Better Bring Your Friends is a film about community and showing up for others — all dressed up as a story about running,” Poore explained. “My family moved to Winston-Salem in 2021 when the pandemic was in full effect and our opportunities for meeting folks and getting to know our new home were pretty limited. Many during that time turned to outdoor activities as a way to gather, and I started going to local running clubs on a weekly — sometimes more than weekly — basis. Running clubs across the country have increased by 25% in just the last few years and I’m confident that can be attributed to so many of these new runners seeing an

opportunity to meet like-minded folks, to gain a support network, and to make new friends.”

It wasn’t long before Poore began to see the cinematic possibilities. “The people I met at these groups made me feel welcome, made me feel a part of a community, and it wasn’t long before acquaintances became meaningful friendships. As a filmmaker, I’m drawn to real people doing real things, and I was confident that my experience at these runs wasn’t unique, so I started following two specific runners, each setting out to tackle significant personal goals, and realized quickly how important their communities were to that process. From training to local races to hanging out, these groups of fellow runners offered the support and encouragement necessary to really push into new levels of achievement and fulfillment.”

“Louie Poore is a fantasy documentary filmmaker and friend,” said Zack Fox, general manager of Marketplace Cinemas and an award-winning filmmaker in his own right. “His new documentary film was shot right here in Winston-Salem and it feels fitting to show it here as part of the screening series. I am excited for an audience to see an early cut of the film, before it’s found its audio engineers and colorist. It’ll be a superb way for people to see how films come together and how much work goes into them — and this is a great way to support local indie film! I hope to show the film again in the future when it’s 100% complete for the audience to see once again.”

Poore is excited to screen Better Bring Your Friends to the “hometown crowd” and get feedback from the audience.

“The local filmmaking scene, or at least the version of it that I’m involved in, is scrappy and ambitious and wildly collaborative. Everyone is looking for opportunities to work together on each other’s projects and, in my experience, everybody’s cheering each other on.

“The film is nearing the finish line — no pun, I swear!” Poore said. “Next up is mixing the audio and the color grade. The free preview screening is paired with a fundraiser to help pay for those finishing needs. From there, I’m planning to submit the film to festivals

around the country. The film is about runners and running, so of course I expect runners to get a lot out of it. I hope they see themselves, their own running clubs, and find inspiration in how our Winston-Salem running community is getting it done. But I’m convinced that this story resonates beyond runners. So many of us are really just looking for our people, for that community, and I’m excited to see it connect with nonrunners and have a really successful festival run.”

“Making movies is difficult,” Poore admitted. “It’s an expensive, time-consuming pursuit. But having that community — sharing resources or expertise or contacts — makes a huge difference. Having an idea and then bringing it to life on film is something we can do here, and that’s pretty special.” !

Mark Burger

Contributor

DJ Suzchef brings the Big Apple to Camel City

All aboard, y’all! DJ Suzchef is pulling up to the Hanes House, spinning the best in Yacht Rock wonders, for the upcoming House Hangs at NCMA Winston-Salem on May 30.

When not cooking up the freshest in vinyl digs under her DJ moniker, Susan D. Santos-Mandel is serving in just about every facet of artistry. A multi-hyphenate across the performing arts, she’s a classically-trained cellist who has graced the stage and screen in both chamber and contemporary music circles; an advocate and founder of Ambra Artists (a contracting service dedicated to promoting opportunities for marginalized musicians); an educator at UNC-School of the Arts and Elon University; and neither last nor least: the Music Coordinator for the Grammy, Tony and Emmy-award winning Cynthia Erivo’s upcoming album “I Forgive You” (out June 6 via Verve Records/Republic Records).

Santos-Mandel considered the album a “deeply rewarding, major accomplishment” in her storied career. She’s performed in legendary spaces like (le) Poisson Rouge, Brooklyn Bowl, the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Dolby Theater, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; with major label artists including Lady A, Hozier, Eminem, and Alicia Keys; and has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, Saturday Night Live,

Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

In the world of Chamber music, Santos-Mandel has worked with Broadway Sinfonietta, Brooklyn Orchestra, LoftOpera, and the Chelsea Symphony. And she’s no stranger to Broadway: holding chairs and principal player seats in productions like Ratatouille the Musical, Rocktopia, and Pretty Woman at Nederlander Theater.

But it’s her own winding brick road to North Carolina she sees as the most unique and profound thus far. “As a native New Yorker with extensive experience in the music industry, moving to Winston-Salem has enriched my life and work in unexpected ways,” she said. “This project with Cynthia allowed me to bring a bit of that world back with me.”

“Working with Will Wells, Cynthia’s producer, has undoubtedly been one of the most enriching experiences of my career,” Santos-Mandel continued, explaining the fruits of their ﬁrst connection, when Santos-Mandel performed the cello and piano arrangements during Erivo’s “You’re Not Here” performance on Jimmy Fallon. “Since then, Will and Cynthia have entrusted me with the considerable responsibility of assembling orchestral personnel for various highproﬁle recording sessions in New York, an honor I do not take lightly.”

As the album’s music coordinator, “I had to consider the genre and stylistic demands of the music, the acoustics and spatial characteristics of the recording environment, and, most critically, the personalities and collaborative spirit of each musician,” Santos-Mandel explained. “It’s not just about what they play, but how they play and interact within an ensemble.”

“The ideal musicians needed to possess an uncommon blend of understanding, empathy, and ﬂexibility, coupled with a multi-faceted grasp of the industry’s complexities,” she continued. ”They had to be as stylistically versatile and genre-blending as Cynthia herself. Also, personally, I feel it is imperative for me to cultivate an orchestra that mirrors the vibrant diversity of New York City. If you’re going to record in NYC, the ensemble must embody the city’s unique cultural tapestry. This allowed me to

bring together not only beloved freelancers I’ve known for over two decades, but also a selection of exceptionally dedicated and talented new favorites from North Carolina (UNCSA alumni: Gavin Hardy, 2024 and Pierce Martin, 2023), fostering a truly synergistic and representative group.”

For Santos-Mandel, having two UNCSA alumni speaks to the incredible talent of the area. “Winston-Salem is a remarkable testament to urban reinvention,” she said. “Its industrial past, rooted in Camel City and the tobacco warehouses, has been beautifully repurposed, a transformation that deeply resonates with the city’s vibrant artistic community.”

“I’ve been constantly impressed by the sheer breadth of creative support, from community-driven events like the Ardmore Artwalk and ArtCrush Fridays to the globally recognized International Black Theatre Festival. Even the public library (Central Library, one of my favorite places in WS) actively engages

PHOTO BY @PATRICKMARTINOPHOTOGRAPHY

in this artistic embrace, with captivating displays woven throughout the city’s public spaces. It’s super cool to see a city rebrand like this.”

Professing a love for the city’s profound commitment to art at all levels, “I feel lucky to live here,” Santos-Mandel noted — in contrast to her NYC experiences just a few years ago, hopping from Carnegie Hall to NBC Studios; “grasping the wild, kaleidoscopic beauty of New York’s musical landscape,” with unyielding appreciation.

“To thrive in the New York precariat is to surrender to the city’s ‘everything, everywhere, all at once’ ethos,” she said. “Success there isn’t about curated experiences; it’s about diving headﬁrst into the full spectrum. This could mean performing a symphony one moment, then rushing to an ELO rehearsal, literally applying your stage mustache on the subway.”

“In my early 20s, living in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, was a masterclass in living

Katei Cranford

Contributor

in squalor,” she continued. “I lived with other artists above a recording and rehearsal studio, an illegal, pre-code warehouse space void of typical domesticities (like no kitchen, no closets, no heating). For years, we stuck it out and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I met my closest friends in the hustle. My fellow New York precariat workers united. It was worth the G train, three-train transfers to get anywhere.”

Train talk aside, Santos-Mandel’s nostalgic 6a-1a grind isn’t entirely unfamiliar to southern musicians. Neither is the hustle. “The current landscape for young artists entering this industry is daunting. I certainly don’t envy the challenges they face, distinct from those of my own formative years,” Santos-Mandel said, shifting into her life as a Winstoner as Assistant Director of High School Life at UNCSA. “Today, it’s no longer su cient to simply perform; one must also be performative. Talent and diligent work, while still vital, are just the prerequisites. The pervasive ‘performance aspect’ of being a musician — the constant need to cultivate and project an image — has become mandatory.”

“The reality is, I’m still striving to fully grasp the complexities young people face in music,” she continued, with a noted dedication to nurturing the next generation of talent through guidance and advocacy. “In a world that constantly barrages them with new obstacles, I want to leverage my own experiences, and much like the incredible musicians who mentored me, help them navigate this turbulent landscape and achieve their goals.”

Reﬂecting on those experiences, she’ll channel memories of her ﬁrst proper gig: a 19-year-old in an ELO cover band, as she serves grooves at the Yacht Rock edition of House Hangs at NCMA W-S.

Still something of a ﬁsh out of water, Santos-Mandel credits developing her DJ persona (and spaces like the Ramkat and Fair Witness) for helping build her Winston legs.

“Trading NYC for Winston when my partner got a job was a huge leap,” she insisted. “I was a mix of nervous and thrilled to experience something new. Living and traveling throughout the South has profoundly shifted my perspective on our history and politics. The past here is not just learned; it’s palpably present, both its beautiful narratives and its extremely painful realities.“

Two years in, “I love the poetic nature of the southern vernacular,” she insisted. “No one in the north appreciates the metaphoric poetry here. My favorite was a neighbor describing the tied-down patio furniture. Otherwise, they’d take o like ‘a toupee in a tornado.’”

Looking to sail into the Yacht Rock sea — on the winds and inherent joy of sharing choice tunes — Santos-Mandel’s DJ Suzchef is a sonic captain expressing boundless appreciation for the full spectrum of musical genres and the talent to serve ﬁne musical selections to her neighbors and new friends alike.

“While moments of nostalgia for my Brooklyn days and my NYC identity still arise, my current life is, without a doubt, signiﬁcantly more brilliant and creative as a direct result of the community here,” she insisted. “Winston-Salem’s supportive art community has truly made me braver than ever before. I feel an unprecedented freedom to experiment with new artistic forms, a direct result of the strong local support for the arts.”

Catch DJ Suzchef in the mix at NCMA W-S’ House Hangs on May 30. !

Overkill clouds latest Mission: Impossible

In their joint e ort to make Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning the best in the lucrative franchise, producer/ star Tom Cruise and producer/director Christopher McQuarrie have made the eighth outing the biggest and, with a 170-minute running time, the longest. But it’s not the best. Nor, for that matter, is it the worst.

One of the interesting things about the Mission: Impossible ﬁlms is that the 1996 original (directed by Brian De Palma) and the 2002 follow-up (directed by John Woo) were the weakest entries in

the series, with Mission: Impossible 2 ranking as Woo’s worst American ﬁlm. The ﬁlms have all been box-o ce hits, grossing a collective $4 billion+ over the last 29 years, and they tended to get better (and more coherent) with each subsequent sequel.

Once again, Cruise takes center stage as the indefatigable, indestructible Ethan Hunt, leader of the IMF (Impossible Missions Force). Picking up where 2023’s Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One left o (there will be no Part Two), The Final Reckoning sees Ethan hot on the trail of “The Entity,” the insidious AI virus that has inﬁltrated the world’s computers, dissemination disinformation on a global level and methodically moving to control the planet’s nuclear arsenal. What’s at stake? The future of humanity, that’s all. With the clock ticking, The President (no-nonsense Angela Bassett) essentially gives Ethan carte blanche to carry

out what inevitably will be a very risky operation. The globe-trotting narrative requires several modes of transportation, including but not limited to automobiles, helicopters, jets, biplanes, ships, submarines, and in one instance dogsleds. McQuarrie, at the helm of his fourth Mission movie, is by now an old hand at orchestrating big-budget, grand-scale action, and to its credit, The Final Reckoning continues in that tradition.

Although the narrative seems to veer into science-ﬁction territory at times, replete with some psychedelic visuals, the tone this time is a little more serious and somber than before. Then again, how easy is it to make light of a potential apocalypse, even in an escapist action movie?

Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Henry Czerny (as the everunctuous CIA director Kitteridge) are back aboard, as are Pom Klementie as the lithe, lethal assassin Paris, who has uno cially joined Ethan’s team, not so much to save the world as to exact vengeance upon her former ally, the ruthless and elusive Gabriel (Esai Morales). Morales was great fun in Dead Reckoning Part One but is o screen too much this time, which diminishes his presence no matter how much Gabriel is talked about. In smaller roles, Nick O erman,

Assistant Professor of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies

(Winston Salem, NC): Research & teach critically engage content areas of Black Transnational Feminisms/Black Diasporic Feminism, Caribbean feminism, transnational migrations & queer studies. Reqs. incl. PhD in Interdisciplinary Gender Studies, or rel., & demonstrated research & teaching interests in the same.

Send CV to Wake Forest Univ., 1834 Wake Forest Rd., Winston-Salem, NC 27109, Attn: N. Lynch.

Holt McCallany, Janet McTeer, Hannah Waddingham, and Tramell Tillman lend a little heft to stock characters. For whatever reason, screenwriters McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen have decided to incorporate various elements from the earlier films to fashion this film’s storyline, which succeeds only in complicating a plot that is complicated enough. The quickest route between two points is a straight line, a tried-and-true approach the writers have opted not to follow. That’s not to say The Final Reckoning is in any way a failure. In terms of action and spectacle, it’s certainly up to par for the franchise, with Cruise engaging in various hair-raising sequences, each one designed to surpass the one preceding it. But as the film enters its third hour, it simply becomes too much of everything. The action scenes go on forever and the exposition becomes so repetitious that one becomes impatient for things to be wrapped up.

Although this is being touted as the ﬁnal Mission: Impossible ﬁlm, it’s sure to be another box-o ce smash and, circumstances being what they are, further adventures are not an impossibility, as it were. That’s show-biz, folks! !

Mark Burger

Contributor

spread Mental Health Month and Beyond

While

May may be the o cially recognized month for Mental Health Awareness, local agencies are working to bring awareness around mental health all year long.

“Mental health impacts every other part of our lives, from the connection between mental health and physical health and chronic health conditions, to how we perform at our workplace, how are we able to perform in the school environment, and our relationships. It is one of the key components that a ects everything else. I think if we saw nothing else through the pandemic, we saw the impact of how stress can change the world and how it can shift and change our priorities and how we think about things,” said Kelly Graves, president and CEO of The Kellin Foundation. “Unfortunately, there are so many people who don’t have access to mental health care. They’re trying to navigate their own levels of stress and navigate the system without access to proper resources.”

Graves said that is where the foundation comes in.

“We are in existence to try to help people get earlier and easier access to the help they need, whether that’s through direct mental health counseling, whether that’s through support groups, whether that’s through our navigation programs that help people get to the resources that they need, even if they’re not mental health, if they’re housing or food or tutoring or whatever, job assistance. We want to be a bridge for those people to get to the places that they need,” Graves said. “Too many people don’t have access to those types of resources unless they have insurance or have the means to pay for all the di erent costs related to the resources. So we believe that regardless of your ability to pay, you should have access to the help that you need.”

Graves said that it is important for people to recognize that mental health

is not just for the month of May, but “it impacts us throughout the entire year.”

“When we’re mentally healthy, we’re at our best to be able to succeed and reach our goals. We’ve been trying to shift the narrative from focusing so much on addressing mental illness and mental health to really, how do we think about building mental wealth? All of us can build coping skills, build our relationship skills, and build stress management skills. Whether we are diagnosed with a mental health condition or not, those are things that all of us can beneﬁt from. When we’re mentally healthy, our community thrives,” she said. “We see in every single system, even beyond the month of May, the strong demand for mental health support, whether that’s in the housing community, the criminal justice community, the school community. Today, everyone is saying we need more mental health support. So I think it just highlights the fact that that is a thread not only across all of our systems but also across the calendar year, as well. It is a holistic focus and that mental health is just as important as physical health as we take care of ourselves and our families.”

The Kellin Foundation is a Guilford County-based nonproﬁt 501(c)(3) organization that “strengthens resilience among children, families, adults, and communities through trauma-informed behavioral health services focused on prevention, treatment, and healing.”

The agency provides free services that help its clients overcome mental health and substance use challenges. They also o er wraparound services, to help connect those in need with the services and support they need. They o er outreach and education services to build awareness of conditions, prevention, and treatments while “building systems which bring the resources of many partners together to help the “whole person.”

Having opened in 2013, the foundation is now assisting more than 12,000 individuals each year through free services aimed at supporting mental and emotional well-being.

Graves said that part of pouring into the community is to focus on increasing access to services while decreasing the stigma by “helping people to understand that we all benefit from

improving our mental wellness.

“It’s not just for individuals who are ultimately struggling. And the earlier we do that, the better and more healthy we are. The more we focus on our stress early on, it can divert us from continuing to elevate to where we say something or do something that we didn’t mean to do and it’s gotten us in trouble, or we’re failing in class, or we’ve missed so many days from work that we may be at risk of losing our job. All of those things are signs of stress that escalates without support. The way we can help to provide a bigger focus on building our mental wealth is by creating more opportunities in communities to have access to these services so that we don’t wait till people get into crisis mode to get the help that they need,” she said.

A recent poll released by High Point University shows that adults in North Carolina and across the nation “agree on the importance of mental health and shows widespread support for improvements in youth education, access to care and open dialogue.”

The report also stated that 25% of North Carolinians had heard of the 988 mental health crisis line, compared to 21% of adults nationwide. In both samples, a clear majority of respondents — more than 70% — had not heard of the line, which was launched nationwide in 2022 as an emergency resource for mental health crises. Only 7% of North Carolinians and respondents in the national sample said they had used the line, and 6% in North Carolina and 7%

nationally said someone they know had used it.

“This data powerfully conﬁrms what mental health professionals have long observed — mental health still struggles to gain parity with physical health in our systems of care,” said Dr. Lorrie DavisDick, assistant professor of nursing and psychiatric mental health coordinator at HPU’s Teresa B. Caine School of Nursing, in a media release.

Support for improving mental health education for young people was strong and consistent across states. In North Carolina, 45% of adults said signiﬁcant improvements were needed, and 26% said slight improvements were needed. Nationally, 44% called for signiﬁcant improvements, and 30% for slight improvements.

Most respondents agreed that young people need more resources dedicated to their mental health needs. In North Carolina, 81% either strongly or somewhat agreed with that statement. National results showed the same overall pattern, with 80% in agreement.

Most people in North Carolina were not content with mental health treatment in the U.S. Nearly 60% of North Carolina residents and the same proportion of the national sample agreed that they were not content with the status of mental health treatment.

Perceptions of discrimination and social stigma for people su ering from mental health issues remain widespread. About 76% of North Carolinians said

Chanel Davis

Editor

they agree that people with mental health conditions face discrimination in everyday life. In the national sample, 73% agreed. When asked whether mental health impacts all major policy issues in the country, 69% of North Carolinians agreed. National respondents showed nearly identical levels of agreement.

Graves said that year-round, the Kellin Foundation is focusing on providing earlier and easier access to mental health support who traditionally fall through the cracks.

“We primarily serve uninsured or underinsured, meaning the copays and deductibles are so high that they can’t access the supports that they need. The Kellin Foundation’s Hope Hub is a new facility that expands our reach for not only mental health services but additional integrated services under one roof. So when people come to the Hope Hub, they can get their mental health support, but they can also go to the food pantry that’s on-site to get food security. They can also talk to a housing coordinator. They can get connected to free summer camps for kids. There’s free tutoring, GED classes, and SAT prep classes. There’s free access to sports camps and sports equipment. So all of the things that holistically make us healthy people. And then lead us into healthy communities. The Hope Hub is really focusing on providing that earlier and easier access for people so that we can build community mental wealth collectively across the lifespan.”

The Kellin Foundation is not the only agency in the Triad placing awareness around mental health.

The Prestigious Pearls of Northern Guilford County, an o cial interest group of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® (AKA), in partnership with the Kappa Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, will host a Breaking the Silence: Mental Health Expo on Saturday, May 31, from 10 a.m. to noon

at Northeast Middle School, located at 6720 McLeansville Road in McLeansville.

The community event is designed to raise awareness, reduce the stigma, and promote accessible mental health resources in the area. This event is free and open to the public. There will be speakers, a variety of mental health and wellness vendors, and food.

“We recognize the importance of coming together to talk about mental wellness and provide support to those who may be struggling,” said a spokesperson for the Prestigious Pearls in a release.

“This expo is about educating, empowering, and connecting our community with the tools and resources that promote better mental health outcomes.”

On Friday, June 13, the Mental Health Associates of the Triad and City Help of the Triad will host Mental Health Matters: Fatherhood Initiative Breakfast. The breakfast, which will be at the Pinnacle Financial Partners, located at 1585 N. University Parkway in High Point, will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The cost to attend the event is $20 and includes breakfast and full access to all the sessions. The event will feature: honest discussions about health, wellness, and fatherhood; Tools for stress, emotional strength, and family life; and Health screenings and local resources.

To register, visit. https://givebutter. com/junemhmbreakfast.

For more information on The Kellin Foundation, visit www.kellinfoundation. org. !

CHANEL DAVIS is the current editor of YES! Weekly and graduated from N.C. A&T S.U. in 2011 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. She’s worked at daily and weekly newspapers in the Triad region.

NEED help?

If you’re struggling, it’s okay to share your feelings. Call 988 or visit www.988lifeline.org

JUNE 13-15

Stokely ft. Chante’ Moore and Envision Concert at Winston-Salem Fairgrounds

Weekly Specials

MON: $3 Domestic Bottles & All Burgers $10.99 TUE: 1/2 Price Wine | WED: $4 Draft THU: $8 Bud Light Pitchers & $3 Fireball

Daily Happy Hour Specials

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 3-6PM

MON: $9.99 Wings | TUE: $9.99 Nachos WED: $5.99 Snackables

MONDAY-THURSDAY 11AM-10 PM | FRIDAY-SATURDAY 11AM-11PM SUNDAY 11AM-8PM | BRUNCH 11AM-2PM

5.24.25 | Winston-Salem | Photos by

Bobby Roebuck

Community Connections: The Power of Rural Schools and Local Businesses

BY DR. MARY

In rural communities, like the many we have here in North Carolina, local public schools are often community hubs, serving as places of learning as well as connection and growth. Likewise, local businesses are often important pieces of what makes a rural community what it is, making relationships between the two not just beneficial, but essential. When partnerships can be fostered between local businesses and schools, the entire community benefits as students gain access to new resources and opportunities, educators receive vital support and businesses become more deeply connected to the future of their communities.

These partnerships can take many forms. Whether it’s through providing financial resources, volunteering time and expertise, or helping to meet the basic needs of students and their families, local businesses are uniquely positioned to make a real difference. By identifying needs and stepping in to address them, businesses can improve the educational experience for students while strengthening the local connection that makes our rural communities so special.

These collaborations are particularly important given the unique challenges rural communities face. With limited access to resources and gaps that urban areas may not experience, rural schools may have to turn to community to fill critical needs, but they also provide a great contribution. Strong local public schools play a vital role in

ensuring that rural communities are able to thrive by preparing kids for life, strengthening the local workforce, and helping maintain a sense of community pride and identity. Without well-resourced local public schools, the long-term success and sustainability of rural areas would be at risk.

Unfortunately, the funding gap between the wealthiest and least wealthy districts has been persistently growing in recent years. As a result, there are significant disparities in the ability of counties with different levels of wealth to provide their schools with the resources they need, particularly given the increasing role of local spending over time. Lower-wealth counties also tax themselves at higher rates than wealthier counties, but are still unable to generate comparable tax revenue to wealthier counties that make less taxing effort.

The disparity will sadly only be exacerbated with the loss of federal education funding. We’ve already seen rural districts abruptly lose funds being used for school construction projects and teacher recruitment during an ongoing shortage of qualified teachers. Because of these losses that will inevitably hurt students, the need for public schools to receive support from within their community is especially important at this moment.

Everyone has a role to play in supporting local public schools. Local businesses have the power to make a tangible impact on the lives of students by helping schools prepare those students for life. Schools, in turn, provide businesses with a way to invest in their community’s future while cultivating the next generation of leaders, innovators, and workers. As we look ahead, it’s clear that these collaborations will only become more important. The challenges facing rural schools are real, but so are the opportunities for communities to come together and create meaningful change. The future of rural communities depends on all of us working together. By fostering and strengthening these partnerships, we can ensure that every

student, no matter where they live, has the support and resources they need to thrive.

As Governor Stein reminded us during this year’s N.C. Rural Summit,

“Our state’s path to success runs right through rural North Carolina. That path is paved, first and foremost, by our public schools.” !

ANN WOLF Public School Forum of NC President & Executive Director

Pipeline safety record contradicts claims at meeting

At the May 15 work session of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, Chair Skip Alston introduced representatives of a corporation that wants to extend a gas pipeline into the Piedmont Triad.

Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Williams Companies operates the Transcontinental (Transco) pipeline, which pumps liquified natural gas from Texas to New York City. Natural gas is 95% methane, a colorless, odorless, and highly flammable combination of carbon and hydrogen. It is also a potent greenhouse gas, which according to the Environmental Protection Agency, contributes to global warming.

In the past decade, natural gas has become the largest energy source in the U.S., representing 33% of all energy produced and 43% of electricity generated.

The proposed Southeast Supplement Enhancement Project (SSEP) would carry an additional 1.6 billion cubic feet of methane gas daily across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Alabama, including approximately 28 miles of pipeline in Guilford, Forsyth, Davidson, and Rockingham counties. If approved, Williams will begin construction in Spring 2026, with the expansion operational by late 2027.

“The total economic impact will be 97 construction jobs during the pipeline installation,” said Kyle Tarpley, Community and Project Outreach for Williams.

“That’s $1.6 million in wages and benefits with an estimated $4.9 million in economic impact. We’ve reliably and safely served North Carolina for over 75 years. Over the last 10 years, we have donated, just to North Carolina, nearly $2 million from our foundation based in Tulsa.”

After Tarpley spoke of “frequent inspections” of the pipeline, District 4 Commissioner Mary Beth Murphy asked how frequent those inspections would be.

“Once a week? Once a year? Every five years?”

This question was fielded by Joey Page, senior operations manager for the district that Williams Company has designated North Carolina North, which extends from Kernersville to the Virginia border and is headquartered in Oak Ridge.

“We have what we call pipeline control inspections where we send people out on foot or by vehicle, just looking for any disturbances.” While Page did not state the frequency of ground-level inspections, he added “We do aerial patrols weekly.” He also said, that every six years, an inspection gauge is moved through the line by gas pressure to check for corrosion and other weak points.

Murphy asked how many of the 97 jobs cited in the presentation would be local. “Will you be hiring people here in Guilford County?”

“We try to have a 40% local workforce,” said Tarpley. “That’s not necessarily local to the county.”

Citing the homes, schools, medical centers, and churches along the proposed expansion, Murphy asked how much warning time they would receive if there were a pending explosion.

“I can’t speak to the warning time and I don’t know if Joey can,” said Tarpley. “That’s probably federal, like PHMSA, the Department of Transportation’s Hazardous Material Pipeline Safety Administration. Thirty seconds is probably their timeline.”

Murphy asked how people would be notified. “Is there a warning system in place?”

“There’s no warning system,” said Page, “but if we determine that there’s a risk, then Williams will determine who needs to be evacuated and take care of it.”

“They drive out there and say the area might be unsafe and advise evacuation?” asked Murphy.

“Yes,” said Page, “we go door-to-door.”

Tarpley said the following about pipeline safety:

“We have a commitment to safe operations that is built from the highest standards of safety governance, culture, and continuous improvement. That kind of sounds like corporate jargon, but what that really means at a practical level is that we have detailed procedures in place that are overseen by federal regulators and supported by 24-hour monitoring.”

Public records from the United States Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) show that, since 2008, Williams and Transco have been fined $3,418,100 for accidents and failed safety procedures at various plants across the country, including explosions in which six people were killed and 102 were injured.

In 2008, a Transco pipeline exploded in Appomattox, Virginia. Five people were hospitalized and two homes destroyed. Finding that the explosion resulted from failure to monitor pipeline corrosion, PHMSA fined Transco $925,000.

In 2011, PHMSA fined Transco $23,800 for failure to properly inspect and test compressor stations in Texas and Louisiana. Later that year, pipeline corrosion resulted in a massive explosion of a Williams Transco pipeline in Sweet Water, Alabama that was heard 30 miles away and burned eight acres of forest.

In 2012, an explosion led to a fire at a Williamsowned compressor station in Springville, Pennsylvania. Also that year, PHMSA fined Williams $74,300 for safety and monitoring failures at its Carlstadt, New Jersey facility; and $50,000 for failure to adequately monitor and maintain its pipelines on Staten Island.

In 2013, explosions at two different plants resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries. After one in Geismar, Louisiana, killed two people and injured 77 others, a U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigation found safety management deficient for years before the explosion. Also that year, an explosion at a Williams compressor station in Branchburg, New Jersey, injured 13 people, two seriously. After its investigation found inadequate safety procedures in Branchburg, PHMSA fined Williams $167,000.

Also in 2013, a recently installed Williams natural gas pipe ruptured in Cameron, West Virginia; an explosion released one ton of methane from a Williams compressor station in Brooklyn Township, Pennsylvania; and a Williams natural gas plant leaked the carcinogen benzene into groundwater near Parachute, Colorado.

In 2014, a pipeline explosion and fire at a facility in Plymouth, Wash. injured five people; a natural gas pipeline exploded at a Williams-owned facility in Moundsville, West Virginia; and an explosion and fire at a major national Williams pipeline hub resulted in the evacuation of the entire town of Opal, Wyoming.

In 2015, an explosion at a plant in Gibson, Louisiana, killed four workers and seriously injured two others. Also that year, the rupture of a Williams pipeline in Lycoming, Pennsylvania released approximately 96,379,000 cubic feet of methane; PHMSA fined Williams $56,800 for failing to inspect pipeline valves in New Jersey and New York City; and PHMSA found safety violations responsible for an accident at Williams’ field services station in Houston, Pennsylvania.

Ian McDowell

Contributor

In 2016, after investigating the fatal 2015 Gibson explosion, PHMSA fined Williams $1.6 million for violating federal safety regulations; notified Williams of safety violations at Transco facilities in Alabama, Georgia, and Maryland; and cited Transco for releasing 3.2 million cubic feet of methane at a facility in Clarke County, Mississippi. Also that year, the EPA found multiple safety violations at Transco’s Fort Beeler Station in West Virginia, for which the agency fined the company $35,000 for unsafe discharge of airborne pollutants.

In 2017, PHMSA found probable safety violations at Transco facilities in Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina. That same year, OSHA fined Williams $7,000 for safety violations in Grover, North Carolina.

In 2018, PHMSA fined Transco $33,700 for failing to conduct required testing of welds of steel pipelines in Boston, Virginia.

In 2019, PHMSA fined Transco $344,700 for failing to inspect pipelines at its compressor station in Sudley, Virginia for atmospheric corrosion.

Extra! Extra!

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Assistant Professor of Spanish

(Winston Salem, NC) - Professor for 2-3 courses/semester of courses in the Spanish curriculum, incl. classroom instruction, course design, grading, supervision of student work & advising. Reqs. incl. PhD & 1 yr. post-secondary teaching exp. Send CV to Wake Forest Univ., 1834 Wake Forest Rd., Winston-Salem, NC 27109, Attn: N. Lynch.

Assistant Professor of History

(Winston Salem, NC) - Teach courses in European & world history & conduct research & publish in the field of central European history. Reqs. incl. PhD & 2 yrs. teaching/advising exp.

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Send CV to Wake Forest Univ., 1834 Wake Forest Rd., Winston-Salem, NC 27109, Attn: N. Lynch.

In 2021, PHMSA fined Transco $41,000 for failing to inspect visual structural supports and foundations at its plant in Carlstadt, New Jersey.

In October 2024, PHMSA fined Transco $59,800 for operating steel pipelines at above the maximum allowed pressure, for not completing all required information in its 2020-21 annual reports, and for not identifying multiple 5-story apartment buildings and a stadium adjacent to Transco’s right-of-way in Harrison, New Jersey as being in a high consequence area. A high-consequence area extends 660 feet to either side of a segment of pipeline that passes through developed areas in which people live or frequently gather, such as residential neighborhoods, apartment complexes, schools, or auditoriums. Pipelines within these areas are required to have extra safety features or precautions. !

IAN MCDOWELL is an award-winning author and journalist whose book I Ain’t Resisting: the City of Greensboro and the Killing of Marcus Smith was published in September of 2023 by Scuppernong Editions.

2008 Virginia Transco explosion

2014 explosion that evacuated Opal, Wyoming.

ACROSS

1 Fuel dispenser

8 Lord’s home

14 Made untidy

20 The Beatles’ Rigby

21 Coated with gunky stu

22 Box up

23 “Sk8er Boi” singer making an exit?

25 Stir to action

26 Go kaput

27 Italia’s capital

28 Very sad tune from the “Sir Duke” singer?

30 Stephen of the screen

32 Very big bird

34 Seattle-to-L.A. dir.

35 Jaded

36 Hazard encountered by the “Thank U, Next” singer?

42 By birth

44 Diatribe deliverers

45 Many a stencil user

48 Dog in The Thin Man

52 Consent (to)

53 “Lean on Me” singer makes twisting movements?

55 Pub potable

56 Unit of petrol

57 “@” signs

58 Total up 59 Cambodian money unit

75 Inﬁrmity-free

76 Leah’s father, in the Bible

77 Ellipsis part 79 “That’s someone — problem!” 81 Lacking hair 85 Webpage for devotees of the “Don’t Speak” singer? 88 Spain’s peninsula

Morays, e.g.

Creator of body designs

Splash, as cooking oil 93 Stanley Cup org. 94 Person painting a portrait of the “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” singer? 96 Port in Iraq 100 Hawaiian strings, for short 103 Binge-watching aid, in brief 104 Part of R&R, in brief 105 “Toxic” singer dissects a sentence? 110 Soothe 112

61 Part of QED

63 Actor Carroll O’—

64 “Grease” singer’s big country home?

69 Subway system named after the “Careless Hands” singer?

72 UFO crew

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73 Czech-German river

[SALOME’S STARS]

Week of June 2, 2025

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Lots of possibilities begin to open up by midweek. Some seem more appealing than others, but wait for more facts to emerge later on before you consider which to choose.

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Bravo to the determined Bovine! While others might give up, you continue to search for answers. Expect your Taurean tenacity to begin paying o by week’s end.

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You might want to consider stepping back from the task at hand for a while. This could help you get a better perspective on what you’ve done and what still needs to be done.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Your keen CANCERian insight should help you determine whether a new o er is solid or just more ﬂu ‘n’ stu . The clues are all there, waiting for you to ﬁnd them.

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) Being ignored is di cult for any proud LEO or LEOna, but pushing yourself back into the spotlight might be unwise. Instead, let things work themselves out at their own pace.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Trying to uncover a colleague’s secret under the pretext of showing concern is ill-advised. Control your curiosity in order to avoid raising resentment in the workplace.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Expect to hear good news about a loved one. Also, be prepared for some

changes in several family relationships that could develop from this lucky turn of events.

[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Some surprises are expected to accompany a number of changes that will continue through part of next week. At least one could involve a romantic situation.

[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) You might be upset by some of your critics. But most of your associates continue to have faith in your ability to get the job done and done well.

[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A workplace goal that suddenly seems out of reach is no problem for the sure-footed Goat, who moves steadily forward despite any obstacles placed in their way.

[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Uncertainty about who is right and who isn’t might keep you from making a clearcut decision. Wait until you know more about what you’re being asked to decide.

[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Be careful to keep your emotions in check when dealing with a demanding personal situation. You need to set an example of strength for others to follow.

[BORN THIS WEEK: You have an extraordinary ability to rally people to do their best. You would be a treasure as a teacher.

answers

[CROSSWORD]

crossword on previous page

[

TRIVIA TEST] by Fifi Rodriguez

[1. ACRONYMS: What do the acronyms “AM” and “PM” stand for?

[2. TELEVISION: What is the name of the Jack Russell Terrier in the sitcom Frasier?

[3. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which vice president went on to win a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007?

[4. MOVIES: How many Inﬁnity Stones are in Avengers: Endgame?

[5. U.S. STATES: In which state would you ﬁnd the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve?

[6. GEOGRAPHY: What is Scotland’s o cial national animal?

[7. LITERATURE: Which cities are the settings for Charles Dickens’ novel “A Tale of Two Cities”?

[8. SCIENCE: Which two planets in our solar system have no moons?

[9. HISTORY: Who was the ﬁrst woman Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives?

[10. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Which branch of the U.S. military uses the recruiting slogan, “It’s not just a job; it’s an adventure”?

answer

10. The Navy.

9. Nancy Pelosi.

8. Venus and Mercury.

7. London and Paris.

6. The unicorn.

5. Idaho.

[WEEKLY SUDOKU]

sudoku on previous page

4. Six.

3. Al Gore, vice president to Bill Clinton, won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in climate change.

2. Eddie Crane (real name is Moose).

1. Ante meridiem and Post meridiem (before noon and after noon)

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HOW MANY OF THESE INTRIGUING