North State Journal — Vol. 2., Issue 33

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VOLUME 2 ISSUE 33

WWW.NSJONLINE.COM |

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

Inside Wyndham Championship preview Sports

PHOTO COURTESY OF PARI

Stars twinkle over one of the 26-meter radio telescopes at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute in the Pisgah Forest about 30 miles southwest of Asheville. The path of totality will cross over PARI at 2:36:44 p.m. and last for 1 minute, 47 seconds.

the Wednesday

NEWS BRIEFING

Gert strengthens to hurricane force, second of 2017 Atlantic season Storm Gert has strengthened into the second hurricane of the 2017 Atlantic season, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Monday. The hurricane, now located about 445 miles west of Bermuda is expected to pass about 250 miles east of Cape Hatteras by midweek with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour.

California sues Trump administration over sanctuary policy California sued the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday over federal restrictions on some law enforcement grants to sanctuary cities, continuing Democrats strategy of fighting President Donald Trump’s administration by lawsuit.

The city of San Francisco also filed its own lawsuit against the Justice Department late last week, saying the federal government has improperly sought to force local jurisdictions to enforce national immigration law by imposing funding conditions.

N.C. boy, 13, bitten by shark at Hilton Head Linton Suttle of North Carolina was pushing his sister on a boogie board in the ocean near Sea Pines Beach Club last week when a shark bit him. Suttle, 13, had only minor injuries to his foot, and authorities believe it was either a blacktip or sharpnose shark. This is the fourth reported shark bite off Hilton Head this summer, but none have resulted in lifethreatening injuries.

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

Redistricting criteria adopted, race considerations prohibited

By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — As the court-mandated Sept. 1 deadline approaches, the Joint Redistricting Committee convened for more than four hours on Thursday to consider and adopt criteria for the drawing of new legislative maps. A total of 10 defined criteria were adopted by the committee, among them language that stipulates “data identifying the race of individuals or voters shall not be used in the drawing of legislative districts in the 2017 House and Senate plans.”

The undue consideration of race in the drawing of legislative districts in 2011 was found to be unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, resulting in nine Senate districts and 19 House districts being sent back to the drawing board to comply with the court ruling.

“The purpose of today’s meeting is for the committee to adopt criteria by which the maps will

be drawn,” said chairman Rep. David Lewis (R-Harnett) upon commencing the meeting. “After review of the public comment, the online public input database, the committee meeting last week, and the proposed criteria submitted in writing by Sens. [Erica] Smith-Ingram and [Ben] Clark, chairman [Sen. Ralph] Hise and I submit the following criteria for adoption.”

Even the exclusion of racial consideration, though, drew the ire of committee Democrats that complained that the unconstitutional racial groupings in the 2011 maps could not be properly rectified without again considering the race of voters in the map drawing process.

“Do you understand that, by not using race, you’re defeating your own purpose?” asked Rep. Mickey Michaux (D-Durham).

“The districts were declared unconstitutional because of race.

If you don’t use race to correct See REDISTRICTING, page A2

INSIDE

N.C. GOP files ethics claim against Cooper Jones & Blount EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

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20177 52016 $2.00

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Sen. Jay Chaudhuri (D-Wake) looks over maps during the first joint meeting of the Select Committee on Redistricting at the Legislative Office Building in Raleigh on July 26.

Western NC readies for historic eclipse Areas in path of totality expecting huge crowds

By Mollie Young North State Journal ASHEVILLE — On Aug. 21, a sliver of North Carolina from south of the Great Smoky Mountains to west of Brevard will be draped in total darkness in the biggest cosmic event this century. And as the skies go dark above the western part of the state, communities and businesses in and near the solar eclipse’s path of totality are being illuminated.

Bryson City, which will see a full eclipse for 2 minutes and 30 seconds, has been advertising for months. A visit to their tourism website, GreatSmokies.com, leads you to an eclipse section filled with what might be every business owner in town wearing a custom blackout T-shirt.

Derailed Bar at Anthony’s Restaurant has been serving patrons a specialty “Cosmicpolitans” all summer, and High Test Deli has homemade “Galaxy 500” frozen sandwiches to keep visitors cool before the sun is hidden.

With three stores all located within the path of totality, Heavenly Fudge Depot and Chocolate Lounge has been baking up tasty Black Moon Rising Turtles and Orange Eclipse Meltaways for weeks.

And as the long weekend of astronomical activi-

“While solar eclipses are not as rare as they may seem, having a total solar eclipse come right over our home is the event of a lifetime.”

— PARI astronomer/ educator Dr. Bob Hayward

See ECLIPSE, page A3

Durham vandals to face felony charges in wake of Charlottesville violence Continued debate over

Confederate monuments fueled by Virginia violence over the weekend

By Donna King North State Journal DURHAM — After Saturday’s deadly clashes between white nationalists and counter protesters in Charlottesville, Va., some in Durham took matters into their own hands on Monday, storming the site of a Confederate monument outside a courthouse.

Demonstrators from the Durham chapter of the communist Workers World Party toppled a bronze statue from its base. They took turns stomping and kicking the statue, which depicts a Confederate soldier returning home.

On their Facebook page the group called their act “The People’s Victory.”

On Tuesday, Durham County Sheriff Mike Andrews said that those involved will face felony charges for desecrating a public monument. He said that the event went too far despite his office meeting with community leaders prior to the event.

“As the sheriff, I am not blind to the offensive conduct of some demonstrators nor will I ignore their

criminal conduct,” said Andrews.

“With the help of video captured at the scene, my investigators are working to identify those responsible for the removal and vandalism of the statue.”

The Workers World Party followed with a press conference calling for the city to drop any charges.

Their page also called forConfederate statues nationwide to be taken down, saying “No free speech for racists and Nazis!”

“The Durham protestors were expressing their outrage at the Charlottesville terror attacks, continued racial disparities in our communities, and the president’s reluctance to take a firm stand against these pervasive, hateful and divisive ideologies,” read a statement from Rep. G.K. Butterfield (R-N.C.), who represents Durham in Congress.

“I don’t condone the destruction of government property, but I understand the hurt and pain the continued existence of confederate monuments cause to many in our communities, whether it is on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, state capitals or any other locations,” Butterfield added.

The drive by civil rights groups and others to do away with Confederate monuments gained moSee DURHAM, page A3

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

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08.16.17 #89

Decisions on oil, gas leases off NC coast are nearing Groups in favor of drilling call for seismic testing; opponents concerned

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REDISTRICTING from page A1 it, how are you going to show the court that they’re not still unconstitutional?”

Lewis defended the criterion based upon the court order that faulted GOP map makers for failing to show that they needed to rely on racial data to comply with the Voting Rights Act, and that they emphasized race too much in the 2011 redistricting process.

“The only way to comply ... is not to consider race in that process,” said Lewis.

Besides eliminating racial considerations, the adopted criteria included equal population rules; required contiguity of districts by land or water; designated county groupings and traversals; requirements that districts meet certain measures of compactness; consideration of municipal boundaries when drawing districts; reasonable efforts to avoid pitting incumbent lawmakers against each other

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal KINSTON — The clock is winding down with less than a day remaining for North Carolina to make its voice known on the restarting process for offshoring drilling on the crystal coast.

President Donald Trump has instituted an “America-first offshore energy strategy” that welcomes drilling in the Atlantic Ocean and reverses President Barack Obama’s initiatives against it.

Under the current five-year National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, Obama put restrictions in place from 2017-2022 that no oil and gas leases would be available in the Atlantic Ocean. On Trump’s quest to overturn Obama’s decision, in April he ordered a new five-year program offering individual leases in the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic. Trump’s new program would go into effect in 2019.

The federal government controls gas and oil leasing in the Atlantic Ocean; three nautical miles from the North Carolina shore.

This has drilling backers and their opponents battling in a war on words for what is best for the North Carolina coast.

“We believe North Carolina has not only a duty from a national security perspective, but an economic perspective to at least understand better what our resources are,” said David McGowan, executive director of the North Carolina Petroleum Council. “The first step in doing that is the seismic survey to understand what we have offshore, how much, and then we can all have a really informed discussion and decision

when drawing new maps; allowing the use of election data for consideration in drawing districts; and prohibiting the establishment or maintenance of partisan advantage as a criterion when constructing new maps.

The criteria to protect incumbents and allow for the use of election data were met with criticism by Democrat members that complained it equated to ensuring partisan advantages for the Republican supermajorities in both chambers.

Unlike excessive racial considerations, these facets of redistricting are legal, and the entire process of legislative map drawing is necessarily political.

“I’m saying that redistricting itself is an inherently political process,” said Lewis.

Three proposed amendments offered by Democrats failed to gain committee approval, namely the inclusion of “communities of interest” as a consideration, the option

on how to develop that resource.

“North Carolina has an opportunity to produce oil and natural gas, to increase economic development, and to a provide a resource that people use every day.”

Seismic testing is essentially an ultrasound of the ocean floor.

McGowan noted the last national seismic survey data from the Atlantic dates back 30 years and an updated survey is needed to analyze what lies beneath and to weigh the pros and cons of potential drilling.

“The conversation about drilling is premature,” he said. “This should be a conversation about surveying and seismic testing to better understand what those resources are.”

Seismic testing is funded entirely by private investors, and federal law requires any data recovered to be shared to the federal government.

Gov. Roy Cooper has adamantly opposed offshore drilling and seismic testing, announcing this summer that he would not support such activities off the coast of North Carolina.

State government officials held a series of public hearings to allow residents to speak on the issue at hand. Last week, citizens representing both sides of the spectrum spoke before the N.C. Division of Environmental Quality at hearings held in Wilmington, Morehead City and Manteo.

“We are asking the Trump Administration to not move forward with offshore oil exploration or seismic testing,” said Randy Sturgill, southeast regional organizer for Oceana, which is located in Southport. “Everything changed Nov. 8 with a new administration and their willingness to drill anywhere and everywhere. They basically hit the reset button on the five-year plan.”

Oceana, the largest international ocean conservation organization, is encouraging all

“I’m saying that redistricting itself is an inherently politically process.”

— Rep. David Lewis (R-Harnett)

of splitting precincts to achieve equal population balances, and assurances that the contiguity of a district by land or water aligned with commercial accessibility.

Michaux (D-Durham) argued for communities of interest to be considered similarly to municipal boundaries because they “are a salient factor in all redistricting.”

Communities of interest may

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

The sun sets over the Pamlico Sound as seen from Cedar Island, N.C.

governors, elected officials and constituents to make their voices heard on the issue.

“This is a forever decision,” said Sturgill. “If we make the wrong decision now, we will deal with the choice of our decision forever. Once oil rigs set up shop, they don’t let go.”

Sturgill noted that seismic testing can affect the hearing of whales and dolphins.

“Research has shown the sound of a seismic testing blast can be heard 2,500 miles,” said Sturgill.

“A deaf whale is a dead whale as they rely so much on their hearing for everyday interactions. It is totally unacceptable to put this type of equipment in the water where studies have said there will not be that much oil and gas there.”

Sturgill also notes that disruptions in fishing grounds, moving schools of fish away, and reductions in catch rates would also be affected if seismic testing and offshore drilling should occur.

Public Policy Polling, in a report for the Natural Resources Defense Council, found that 51 percent of North Carolina residents were “very concerned” and 19 percent were “somewhat concerned” about the federal government’s plan to begin offshore drilling off the North Carolina coast.

The deadlines for the states to submit comments to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is Aug. 17. The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality will accept public comments through Aug. 15.

be loosely defined as those united by community factors and could extend into neighboring jurisdictions, but are largely perceived as one homogeneous community.

“There are communities of interest that sometimes overshadow municipal boundaries, and could be used and should be used in terms of criteria for redistricting,” said Michaux. “Within a municipal area you’ve got an urban community, and you’ve got a suburban community, and you’ve got maybe an agrarian community all combined in one.”

Chairman of the committee Rep. David Lewis (R-Harnett) argued against the adopted language, saying there is no consensus definition of those communities like there is for counties and municipalities.

“At this time I would not support an amendment to this criteria for communities of interest because municipalities are defined and understood; communities of interest

aren’t even agreed to in this room,” asserted Lewis.

Ultimately, Clark (D-Cumberland) submitted the amendment asking for the ability of the committee to consider such communities when they draw maps.

Clark was also the motive force behind efforts to amend the contiguity criterion. Originally, the proposed criterion read, “Legislative districts shall be comprised of contiguous territory. Contiguity by water is sufficient.”

In his unsuccessful appeal to the committee members, Clark argued that such a vague definition would allow for districts that, while contiguous on a map, were not practicably contiguous.

As such, accessing one point of a district from another may require traveling into other districts because of limited transportation infrastructure.

The legislature has roughly two weeks to adopt final maps before the Sept. 1 deadline.

“This is a forever decision.

If we make the wrong decision now, we will deal with the choice of our decision forever.”

— Randy Sturgill, Oceana

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North State Journal for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

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Charlotte police chief’s finding in 2016 shooting will stand

Not the full show, but still an eclipse party

Keith Lamont Scott’s family says they are considering a civil lawsuit over his death

Chapel Hill’s Morehead Planetarium hosting eclipse celebration; southwestern N.C. best place to view total eclipse

By Greg Lacour Reuters CHARLOTTE — A civilian review board in Charlotte handed down a split decision, 4 to 4, on Thursday over a finding by the city’s police chief that an officer acted properly in killing a black man in 2016. They also made policy change recommendations for the police department, but would not release what those recommendations are.

While Charlotte’s Citizen Review Board has no authority to enforce its decisions, it was the first time since it was established in 1997 that a majority on the panel did not agree with the police chief in such a case.

The board has 11 members, but one seat is vacant and two members were unable to attend the hearing because of work commitments, said Cary Davis, the board’s attorney.

Board members spent more than two days last week hearing evidence in the death of Keith Lamont Scott, a 43-year-old black man shot by Officer Brentley Vinson in September 2016. His death touched off two days of demonstrations that turned to violent riots and left another man dead.

The dark couple of days last fall in Charlotte, made national news, resulted in extensive property damage, and prompted strong criticism of Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts.

The board’s split vote means Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney’s determination that Vinson acted in accordance with department policy will stand.

In November, District Attorney Andrew Murray determined that Vinson, who also is black, committed no crime.

“The board was split — which has come a long way from the chief’s earlier determination that

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

JASON MICZEK | REUTERS

A man shouts during a protest in Charlotte against the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott.

“We are still looking into the likelihood of success in a civil lawsuit.”

— Justin Bamberg, attorney for Scott family this shooting was absolutely, 150 percent justified,” said Scott family attorney Justin Bamberg. “We are still looking into the likelihood of success in a civil lawsuit.”

City policy requires any board member who votes to have attended the entire hearing, which was conducted mostly in closed session because it covered a city personnel issue.

The review board also voted 8-0 to make a series of policy rec-

ommendations to Putney and the department. Those were not disclosed because they involve personnel.

The department “is committed to ensuring the safety of the community it serves, as well as encouraging transparency and open dialog,” city spokeswoman Sandy D’Elosua Vastola said in a prepared statement on Thursday. D’Elosua said the department would consider any recommendations.

The board was founded 20 years ago after white police officers shot and killed three unarmed black citizens. But its lack of independent power has led to frustration, especially in Charlotte’s black community.

The city adopted reforms in 2013 that broadened the board’s ability to obtain internal police documents and question witnesses, and complainants have won more hearings since then.

CHAPEL HILL — The Triangle will experience about 93 percent obscuration of the sun during the Aug. 21 solar eclipse — enough to make an event of it at the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center in Chapel Hill, but nothing like those in southwestern North Carolina will see if they live in or travel to areas where the moon will block the sun in its entirety.

The sun will be completely blocked in a 70 milewide path from South Carolina to Oregon, and it will start at 2:35 p.m. for those in that range in North Carolina, lasting two minutes and 40 seconds.

While Molly Molpus, communications manager at Morehead Planetarium, is expecting a potential record-breaking crowd to visit the planetarium, she’s still encouraging people to travel west for the full show.

“I’ve been told they’ll be glad they made the trip,” Molpus said. “If they have interest in the first place in this type of event, it will make a difference. But I’ve never experienced one myself. … If at all possible, they should go to the path of totality, because it’s not going to be the same [here].”

Molpus won’t get to experience the 160 seconds of total obscuration this time either, as she’ll be working at the planetarium where — if weather cooperates — they expect thousands of visitors.

At Morehead Planetarium and in the Triangle, the moon’s passing — when viewed with eclipse glasses — “will be like the moon is taking a bite out of the sun. But it’s not going to get dark, necessarily,” Molpus said.

The 2012 transit of Venus was a big event for Morehead Planetarium, drawing 3,000 to 4,000 people, and the eclipse could, well, eclipse that.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event that provides a platform for us to deliver on our mission,” Molpus said. “It’s a great teaching moment in many ways.”

The Aug. 21 eclipse will be the first time since 1970 that a total eclipse can be seen in North Carolina. The next, according to the Morehead Planetarium website, will be May 11, 2078.

Morehead Planetarium’s Solar Eclipse Celebration will be noon to 4:30 on Aug. 21. Tickets have already sold out to eclipse presentations inside the planetarium, but there will be activities open to the public, including a live stream of the path of totality, games and activities, food trucks and more.

eclipse glasses while supplies last.

Brevard: The path of totality draws a line over 26 national forests managed by the National Forest Service, and the vast wilderness that comprises North Carolina’s sprawling Nantahala National For-

est is one of them. If you want to be in the middle of nature when wildlife reacts to the sudden darkness, this may be your spot. Anywhere that you can see an afternoon sun will work.

If you’re looking for more company, head to Oskar Blues Brewery from noon to 8 p.m. to raise a glass to the historic event.

Bryson City: The Fry Street Block Party will close off the street right next to the Railroad Depot with live music featuring blazing bluegrass from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and modern Appalachian during the peak hours of the eclipse.

Darnell Family Farms is hosting a Great Eclipse Tomato Party from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., opening their produce fields to visitors who would like to camp overnight or just pop in for a day filled with farm fresh

DURHAM from pageA1

all, 19 people were hurt, some critically. Two Charlottesville police officers were also killed when their helicopter crashed when they were responding to the outbreak. Former U.S. Army enlistee James Alex Fields Jr., 20, was arrested and was due to be appear in court Tuesday on murder and other charges stemming from the deadly car crash.

“We must rediscover the bonds of love and loyalty that bring us together as Americans,” said Trump on Monday.

He was widely criticized by some who said he did not denounce the violence strongly enough over the

weekend.

“Racism is evil,” Trump said. “And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans.”

On Tuesday morning, one young man turned up in Robert E. Lee Park in Charlottesville, dressed in a gray Civil War-era uniform, carrying a Confederate battle flag and a long rifle. The man was then surrounded by six bystanders who shouted “Terrorist go home.”

Police quickly arrived and packed him into the back of a squad car and ferried him to safety.

The man, Allen Armentrout, 21, said he wanted to “stand guard” over the statue because he did not want it torn down like one in his home state of North Carolina. According to his Facebook page he is originally from High Point, but now lives in Cherokee and works in maintenance at Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

“I am here to honor my ancestors,” Armentrout said. “People need to see that not everyone who honors their ancestors is racist.”

mentum after an avowed white supremacist murdered nine African-Americans at a Charleston, S.C., church in 2015. The shooting rampage ultimately led to the removal of a Confederate flag from the statehouse in Columbia.

While stripping the country of its confederate memorials has been lauded by the NAACP and other groups, some warn that it could be a slippery slope, leading to the elimination of more symbols from the past if this trend were to continue.

“What else will be subjected to

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE FRIENDS OF GORGES STATE PARK

Volunteers improve the trails at Gorges State Park in anticipation for the increased crowds over the solar eclipse weekend.

Sunday and Monday after the park’s viewing party at Clingmans sold out just in five minutes.

But Bryson, Asheville and many other North Carolina towns in the diagonal path that stretches from Oregon to South Carolina are still ready to open their doors to visitors and celebrate this once in a lifetime event.

With a little advance planning and an early head start, anyone in the N.C. can make their way into the path of totality come Monday — preserving memories for years to come.

Asheville: Asheville’s Solar Eclipse Festival at Pack Square will party as 99 percent of the sun is covered in city center. Hosted by the Museum of Science and UNC Asheville, the festival will run noon to 3 p.m. with music, food and solar

their eradication and denunciation?” said conservative commentator Laura Ingram in a television interview on Monday. “This is about the control of the narrative and a destruction of historical recognition. That is terrifying. And what about books? Are they going to start burning books, too?”

The debate gained steam over the weekend after conflict between white nationalists and counterprotesters turned violent.

Protester Heather Heyer, 32, was killed when a Dodge Charger was driven through the protesting crowd, mowing people down. In

— Molly Molpus, Morehead Planetarium

foods, hay rides, inflatables and a petting zoo.

Cherokee: The Cherokee Cultural Celebration, beginning on Sunday at 2 p.m., will tap into ancient culture when natives once believed a giant frog that lived in the sky had swallowed the sun causing darkness to occur during the daytime.

This two-day party, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on eclipse day, will transport visitors back in time with Native American performances by the Warriors of AniKituhwa, storytelling and a traditional bonfire at the end of each day. Admission is $25 per day, which includes a pair of glasses. Children under 6 are free.

Franklin: From noon to 6 p.m., the town’s Solar Eclipse Block Party on Iotla and East Main streets will hand out free viewing glasses to the first 2,000 people to arrive.

Mills River: Just outside of the path of totality, Sierra Nevada’s mega brewing campus will feature live outdoor music with sets “worthy of such an occasion” from noon to 4 p.m.

Sapphire: Gorges State Park will open early to host three days of astronomy-themed events beginning on Aug. 19. On eclipse day, the park will open at 5 a.m. and direct visitors to established viewing areas.

Park officials suggest visitors settle into a designated location by 11 a.m. and plan to spend the entire day at the park. Music, food vendors and educational activities will be offered until 4 p.m.

Sylva: Bridge Park Solar Eclipse Fest, from Friday until Monday, will block off streets to provide space for viewing and a planetary walk of the solar system scaled to fit Main Street. Shuttles to the downtown viewing site will run from the Jackson County Justice Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for $1 per ride; parking is free. Bring a chair or blanket, but leave the alcohol behind.

ECLIPSE from page A1 ties and festivals begins, shop owners Paula and Jeff Fuller are bracing for impact.

“We have seen tremendous interest and response, and expect big crowds beginning Friday evening,” said Paula Fuller, owner of the Cherokee and Bryson City storefronts. “We have done a lot of advance planning and made a lot of extra product — we’re just hoping we don’t run out!”

Asheville Brewing Company launched a spin on one of their most popular beers, “Perfect Day,” turning the tasty Pale Ale black and branding it “Perfect Night.”

“Today has been crazy. People were here before we opened,” said Pete Langheinrich, owner of the downtown beer and pizza hotspot, moments after they launched the specialty dark brew a week in advance of the big day. “There is a huge surge for us over the eclipse.”

The brewery teamed up with the Museum of Science to give away a pair of eclipse glasses to the first 100 customers who purchased a pint — they ran out of glasses within minutes of 5 p.m.

The certified eclipse glasses have become a hot commodity. Many vendors have been sold out for days, reserving some quantities for day-of distribution.

Headwaters Outfitters in Brevard sold 500 glasses on Monday alone, with proceeds going to the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute.

The PARI observatory campus, equipped with 26-meter radio telescopes, sold out a $250-per-ticket event months ago, along with other area overnight lodging and special events.

In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the road to Clingmans Dome will be closed both

“When something is this real to a child or to a young adult that’s this memorable, it can be an a-ha moment, I think, that strikes an interest in them.”

2017 Total Solar Eclipse 1:07 p.m.: eclipse begins 2:36 p.m.: total eclipse of the sun lasting up to 2 minutes, 30 seconds 4:01 p.m.: eclipse ends

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North State Journal for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Nation & WORLD

Tech companies urge Supreme Court to boost cellphone privacy Washington, D.C. More than a dozen high technology companies and the biggest wireless operator in the U.S., Verizon, have called on the Supreme Court to make it harder for government officials to access individuals’ cellphone data. The companies filed a 44-page brief with the court this week in a high-profile dispute over whether police should have to get a warrant before obtaining data that could reveal a cellphone user’s whereabouts.

Man arrested in Oklahoma bomb plot that echoed 1995 attack Oklahoma City An Oklahoma man has been arrested by the FBI on charges that he tried to blow up an Oklahoma City bank building with a van he thought was packed with explosives, U.S. prosecutors said on Monday.

Jerry Varnell, 23, of Sayre, Okla., was taken into custody Saturday after an eight-month investigation. Prosecutors say he wanted to use an explosive device similar to the one that was detonated outside a federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995, killing 168 people.

Saudi Arabia and Iraq to reopen border crossing after 27 years Arar, Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia and Iraq plan to open the Arar border crossing for trade for the first time since 1990, when it was closed after the countries cut ties following Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, Saudi local media reported on Tuesday. Saudi and Iraqi officials toured the site on Monday and spoke with Iraqi religious pilgrims, who for the past 27 years had access to the crossing only once annually during the haj season, the Mecca newspaper reported.

Taliban urges Trump to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan Kabul, Afghanistan The United States should withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan and stop listening to “stooges” in Kabul, the Taliban warned in an open letter to President Donald Trump on Tuesday. The Trump administration is working to finalize a regional strategy that could include nearly 4,000 additional U.S. troops, part of a NATO-led coalition, that have been requested by commanders in the country.

Indonesia police uncover alleged plot to bomb presidential palace Jakarta, Indonesia Indonesian police on Tuesday arrested five suspected Islamist militants and seized chemicals near the capital, Jakarta, that they said were being used to make bombs for attacks on the presidential palace at the end of August. Two of the five had been deported from Hong Kong for allegedly spreading radical ideology. The group studied bomb-making techniques through a website run by an Indonesian believed to be fighting with Islamic State in Syria, police said.

Bird flu confirmed in South Africa Cape Town, South Africa South Africa’s Western Cape has detected type H5N8 bird flu on two ostrich farms, the province’s agriculture department said on Tuesday. The virus is highly pathogenic in birds but considered unlikely to infect humans.

TORU HANAI | REUTERS

People walk in front of a monitor showing news of North Korea’s fresh threat in Tokyo.

North Korea holds off on Guam missile plan Defense Secretary Mattis says U.S. can take down missiles fired at Guam

By Christine Kim and Idrees Ali Reuters SEOUL, South Korea/WASHINGTON, D.C. — North Korea’s leader has delayed a decision on firing missiles toward Guam while he waits to see what the U.S. does next, the North’s state-run media said on Tuesday, as South Korea’s president said Seoul would seek to prevent war by all means.

Signs of an easing in tension on the Korean peninsula helped stock markets rally for a second day running even as the U.S. and South Korea prepared for more joint military drills, which infuriate the North, and experts warned it could still go ahead with its provocative plan.

In his first public appearance in about two weeks, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the command of the North’s army on Monday, examining a plan to fire four missiles to land near the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, the official KCNA said in a report.

“He said that if the Yankees persist in their extremely dangerous reckless actions on the Korean peninsula and in its vicinity, testing the self-restraint of the DPRK, the latter will make an important decision as it already declared,” the report said.

The DPRK stands for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

In photos released with the KCNA report, Kim was seen holding a baton and pointing at a map showing a flight path for the missiles appearing to start from North Korea’s east coast, flying over Japan toward Guam. North Korea has often threatened to attack the U.S. and its bases and released similar photos in the past but never followed through.

Pyongyang’s plans to fire missiles near Guam prompted a surge in tensions in the region last week, with President Donald Trump saying the U.S. military was “locked and loaded” if North Korea acted unwisely.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Tuesday there would be no military action without Seoul’s consent and his government would prevent war by all means.

“Military action on the Korean peninsula can only be decided

by South Korea and no one else can decide to take military action without the consent of South Korea,” Moon said in a speech to commemorate the anniversary of the nation’s liberation from Japanese military rule in 1945.

“The government, putting everything on the line, will block war by all means,” Moon said.

Speaking to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said it was urgent the United States and North Korea “put the brakes” on mutually irritating words and actions to lower temperatures and prevent an “August crisis,” China’s Foreign Ministry said in a state-

“The bottom line is, we will defend the country from an attack; for us that is war.”

— Jim Mattis, U.S. Secretary of Defense ment.

Japan will be seeking further reassurance from Washington in meetings between Japan’s defense chief and foreign minister and their U.S. counterparts on Thursday.

“The strategic environment is becoming harsher and we need to discuss how we will respond to that,” a Japanese foreign ministry official said in a briefing in Tokyo.

“We will look for the U.S. to reaffirm its defense commitment, including the nuclear deterrent.”

North Korea has persisted with its nuclear and missile programs, to ward off perceived U.S. hostility, in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions and sanctions.

On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the crisis was approaching a critical juncture and urged all sides in the standoff to help “put out the flames” and not add fuel to the fire.

Hua said she noted comments

by U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson about using diplomacy to resolve the issue, saying China hoped these words can be put into action.

“We also call on North Korea to echo this in response,” Hua told a daily news briefing.

The United States and South Korea remain technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.

North Korea is currently holding three U.S. citizens it accuses of espionage or hostile acts but now was not the right time to discuss them, KCNA cited a foreign ministry spokesman as saying in a separate report.

Pyongyang has in the past used detainees to extract concessions, including high-profile visits from the United States, which has no formal diplomatic relations with North Korea.

U.S. officials have in recent days played down the risk of an imminent conflict while stressing their preparedness to respond militarily to any attack from North Korea.

Mattis said on Monday the U.S. military would know the trajectory of a missile fired from North Korea within moments and would “take it out” if it looked like it would hit the U.S. Pacific territory.

“The bottom line is, we will defend the country from an attack; for us that is war,” Mattis said.

On Guam, home to a U.S. air base, a Navy installation, a Coast Guard group and roughly 6,000 U.S. military personnel, residents expressed some relief at the lessening of tensions.

“I’m reading between the lines that I don’t see an imminent threat,” Guam Lt. Gov. Ray Tenorio told a media briefing in the island’s capital of Hagatna.

More than 300 killed in Sierra Leone as mudslide sweeps away homes Deforestation, makeshift settlements put residents at risk

By Christo Johnson Reuters FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — More than 300 people were killed and 2,000 were left homeless when a mudslide struck the outskirts of Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown on Monday, sweeping away homes.

The Red Cross said at least 312 bodies, including 60 children, had been taken to the central morgue in Freetown, a city with approximately 1.2 million residents. Police and military personnel were at the scene in the mountain town of Regent searching for people trapped in the debris.

The death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are recovered, Red Cross spokesman Abu Bakarr Tarawallie said.

“It is likely that hundreds are lying dead underneath the rubble,” said Vice President Victor Foh. He said a number of illegal buildings had been erected in the area at sea

level increasing the chance of a deadly mudslide.

“The disaster is so serious that I myself feel broken,” he said. “We’re trying to cordon the area. Evacuate the people.”

Standing in the rain, people cried and gestured toward a muddy hillside where dozens of houses once stood, a Reuters witness said.

“We were asleep when we heard the noise of one of the walls falling down. By the time we got up water was flowing in and the whole house was flooded,” said 36-yearold Salimatu Bangura.

She escaped, but her brother died, she said.

According to locals, mudslides and floods are fairly common during the rainy season in West Africa, where deforestation and makeshift settlements have put residents at risk.

Sierra Leone is a nation where 60 percent of the residents live in poverty. The country is still struggling to recover from Ebola virus outbreak in 2014 that killed 4,000 people. The Red Cross warns that now cholera and other waterborne illnesses are expected to reach crisis levels.

ERNEST HENRY | REUTERS

People inspect the damage after a mudslide in the mountain town of Regent, Sierra Leone.

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

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Republicans on track for tax reform, but new talks put health care back in the race With the first major tax overhaul in 30 years underway, the Republican-led Congress and White House want to simplify how businesses and individuals pay taxes for generations to come

By Donna King North State Journal WASHINGTON, D.C. — Doubling the standard deduction, changes to mortgage interest rate deductions, and taxing pass-through businesses are all creating the ultimate test of D.C. lawmakers’ policy-writing skills.

The head of the House Ways and Means Committee said this week that Republicans are on track to pass tax reform this year and are united around a common plan, even as the details are still being hammered out.

“We have the White House, the House, the Senate working together on the same page unifying behind a single tax reform plan. That didn’t happen with healthcare,” Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), the committee chairman, told CNBC. Brady, speaking ahead of a planned speech on the issue scheduled for Wednesday, said Republicans had yet to finalize details, but they are on track to deliver “transformational” tax reform this year.

The White House floated an initial tax proposal in April that reduced the tax brackets from seven to three and doubled the standard deduction to $24,000.

That plan would be the largest personal tax cut since the Reagan Administration.

However, some worry that if the standard deduction were raised that much, millions of Americans would not itemize their deductions for charities and the interest on mortgages.

The National Association of Realtors issued an “August Recess Talking Points” circular imploring members to remind lawmakers that “Homeowners must be treated fairly in tax reform [to avoid] another housing crash.”

The group cited a report it commissioned from PwC that an estimate half of all homeowners would decide not to itemize, and realtors say home values could quickly dive more than 10 percent.

“The pressure is just going to be relentless as we get later in the fall.”

— Former Rep. Charles Boustany, (R-La.) Taxpayers claim an estimated $13 billion each year in charitable deductions.

Charities fear giving would plummet if the standard deduction were doubled without creating a universal deduction.

Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross, said reducing charitable deductions would be “devastating.”

If lobbyists defeat the reform efforts, Congress could try to cut rates without structural tax code changes, said Charles Boustany, a former Republican member of the tax code writing House Ways and Means Committee who left Congress in January.

“The path of least resistance becomes an old-fashioned tax cut on the individual side,” said Boustany. “The pressure is just going to be relentless as we get later in the fall.”

The pressure is already stepping up.

Fresh from a failed vote on health care, tax reform is all the talk on Capitol Hill.

But quietly, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) has reportedly been meeting with the White House three or four times a week, working on a new proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

Cassidy and Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.) are working on legislation to block grant Obamacare funds to states while eliminating the employer and individual mandate.

Graham appeared on Fox News Sunday this weekend saying they have 50 votes for the plan and will increase the pressure on leadership to take it up as they garner more votes.

Cassidy appeared at the Baton Rouge Rotary Club on Monday and said it is “about the only game left in town” if Republicans want to fulfill the campaign promise to repeal and replace President Barack Obama’s signature health care bill.

Meanwhile, the White House said it will release a tax reform framework in September, but not accompanying legislation. White House legislative director Marc Short said he expected legislation to come before lawmakers for debate after Labor Day and be voted on in October and November.

President Donald Trump’s framework is expected to come from a key group of legislators called the “Big Six,” who released their own working framework in July after months of closed-door talks. It is expected to lay out areas of agreement between the Trump administration and both chambers of Congress, and could also include input from discussions with Democrats.

The Big Six includes Brady, Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), Senate Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House economic adviser Gary Cohn.

“We’re going to push rates as low as we can and we’re going to incentivize as much business investment now and in the future as we can,” Brady told CNBC, adding that any changes should be permanent “so that families and businesses can count on this.”

One of the thorniest issues is how to slash taxes on so-called pass-through businesses. Businesses ranging in size from the corner Mom-and-Pop shop to accounting firms and industrial conglomerates are called pass-throughs because their profits flow to owners and are taxed as individual income, often at the top 39.6 percent rate.

By contrast, publicly held corporations have a top corporate income tax rate of 35 percent. Corporate profits are further taxed when they flow through to shareholders as dividends.

Republicans want to give passthroughs their own tax rate of 15-25 percent, limiting it to 30 percent of a business owner’s income to prevent people from reclassifying their wages and salaries as pass-through business income to qualify for the new low rate.

Republicans have promised to get tax reform legislation to the president’s desk by the end of the year. With the possibility that health care could rise back to the top of the agenda in the fall, pressure on lawmakers will likely heat up as the weather cools down.

U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, sits for an interview about upcoming tax legislation proposals with Reuters journalists in Washington, D.C.

HANNIBAL HANSCHKE | REUTERS

Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg attends the press conference after the meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin.

Norway’s prime minister doubles down on tax cuts in bid for second term Election will be held Sept. 11

By Joachim Dagenborg Reuters ARENDAL, Norway — With four weeks to go before an election that is too close to call, Norway’s Conservative Prime Minister Erna Solberg pledged on Monday to cut taxes to boost growth and job creation if she was re-elected.

In power as head of a minority coalition government since 2013, Solberg is attempting to become the first conservative prime minister to win re-election in more than three decades.

While taxes, unemployment and a rural backlash against government reforms are hotly debated, opinion polls show a near dead heat between Solberg’s coalition and left-leaning parties seeking to replace it in a Sept. 11 vote for parliament.

Support for the main opposi- Solberg tion Labour Party, which seeks to hike taxes, has slipped slight- would be ly in recent weeks, erasing their the first narrow lead held in most polls conservative during spring and early summer.

“We must get across the mes- prime sage that Norwegian politics minister won’t have to go left when it’s so obvious that the economy is im- to win reproving and jobs are being creat- election ed,” Solberg said on the sidelines since 1985 of a news conference.

She highlighted spending on education and transport, as well as “growth-enabling tax cuts” as key priorities ahead.

The price of oil, Norway’s key export, fell by more than 70 percent from 2014 to 2016, lifting unemployment to a 20-year high of 5 percent last year, but crude has since staged a partial recovery and the jobless rate has eased to 4.3 percent.

The government sharply raised spending from Norway’s $975 billion sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, to aid the recovery, but the growth in public spending should moderate now that growth is normalizing, Solberg added.

An Aug. 11 poll by Respons on behalf of daily Aftenposten showed Labour and two key backers, the Centre Party and the Socialist Left, obtaining a combined 44.6 percent support, down from 46.3 percent in June, while the government and its backers rose to 47.1 percent from 46.3 percent.

The outcome of the vote could ultimately be decided by the fate of several small parties, including the right-leaning Liberals, the far-left Reds and the unaligned Green Party, that are all battling to overcome a 4 percent election threshold.

JONATHAN ERNST | REUTERS

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North State Journal for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Murphy to Manteo

Jones & Blount jonesandblount.com @JonesandBlount

Pasquotank

Guilford Mitchell

NC GOP files ethics complaint against Cooper campaign

By Jeff Moore North State Journal

Cherokee

Hyde

Buncombe

Burke

Rutherford

Randolph Onslow

Mecklenburg

New Hanover WEST

Former WNC resident “Wild Bill” sentenced for 5 Panama murders

Teen charged with starting N.C. wildfire last year Rutherford County A 17-year-old faces two misdemeanor charges in connection to the Party Rock Fire that burned for several weeks in western N.C. last November.

The fire burned more than 7,000 acres and created a mandatory evacuation of residents in areas of Lake Lure, Chimney Rock Village and Bat Cave.

Firefighting costs are estimated at $7 million.

FOX8

WNC community colleges make Top 10 in nation Mitchell and Cherokee counties In a recent ranking of the country’s best community colleges, SmartAsset said North Carolina had five of the top 10 schools, including two are in western North Carolina — Mayland Community College in Spruce Pine and Tri-County Community College in Murphy. SmartAsset, a financial advice website, ranks the colleges based on three factors: graduation and transfer rate, student-to-faculty ratio, and instate tuition and fees. Mayland ranked ninth and Tri-County ranked 10th on the list of 808 schools.

CITIZEN-TIMES

A7

Buncombe County Former Asheville resident William Dathan “Wild Bill” Holbert was sentenced to 47 years in prison for robbing and killing five Americans in a Caribbean tourist destination.

Holbert’s ex-wife, Laura Reese, was sentenced to 26 years for her involvement. Holbert admitted to killing five people between 2007 and 2010. The bodies were found buried on the property of a hostel that Holbert owned. Holbert and Reese met at a local gym in Asheville and moved out of state in 2005. They lived in Panama under the alias Cortez and were arrested while entering Nicaragua to flee from investigation.

PIEDMONT

Randolph Co. teacher acquitted of sexual battery charges

Charlotte Law School loses license Mecklenburg County As of this week the Charlotte School of Law no longer has a license to operate.

According to an official with the UNC Board of Governors, the school had been operating on a restricted license for more than a month but did not meet all of the requirements set by the Department of Education, necessary for students to get federal loans. The law school says they are working diligently to meet the requirements and earn back the licensure.

INSIDEHIGHERED.COM

Randolph County Southwestern Randolph High School teacher and coach Jarrett Elliot was found not guilty Friday of sexual contact with a student. Elliot was forced to resign in April after the Randolph County Sherriff’s Office filed charges against him based on a complaint from a student who took a picture of a male classmate sitting on Elliot’s lap. The student in the picture testified that he did not feel threatened

by Elliott and attended #freeElliot rallies in support of the 13-year veteran teacher. There were cheers in the courtroom when the verdict was read.

The school system has not said whether Elliot will be reinstated.

CITIZEN-TIMES

Protest over bathroom use outside of Case Farms Burke County Poultry workers gathered outside Case Farms in Morganton on Monday to protest what they say is an unfair policy that does not allow workers to use the bathroom when needed. Workers reported that Case Farms operates on an arbitrary point system which gives strikes to employees using the bathroom when they are not allowed.

Protestors requested a closed-door meeting with the manager. Case Farms has not yet responded.

THE NEWS HERALD

FOX8

Greensboro police warn of rape on UNCG campus Guilford County UNCG officials and Greensboro police are warning students to stay alert on campus and careful on social media after a female UNCG student reported that she was raped in a dorm room by someone she met online. The suspect is described as having sandy blonde hair and a facial piercing and is not a student at UNCG. The police report was filed at 11 p.m. Saturday night.

FOX8

Employee charged with stealing $1.5M from hospital Guilford County A former finance director for UNC Regional Physicians was charged with taking more than $1.5 million while she worked at High Point Regional Health.

Kimberly R. Hobson, 46, of Kernersville, was arrested Tuesday by police detectives and the U.S. Secret Service.

She was charged with embezzlement and her bail is set at $1 million. Her court date is Sept. 15.

EAST Camp Lejeune Marine’s body escorted to Arlington Onslow County The body of Sgt. Joseph Murray, one of seven service members of Camp Lejeune’s 2nd Marine Raider Battalion killed on July 10 when a KC-130 crashed in a Mississippi field, is on its way to Arlington National Cemetery.

Murray’s body will be escorted by the Patriot Riders for the nearly six-hour escort from Jacksonville, N.C., to Virginia.

Erin Brockovich joins GenX panel at UNCW New Hanover County Noted clean water advocate Erin Brockovich will appear on a panel at UNCW Wednesday, Aug. 15, focusing on the local impact of GenX. Joining her will be fellow clean water advocates Robert Bowcock and Kemp Burdette, and UNCW professor Larry Cahoon.

The panel will be held at UNCW’s Cameron Hall in Room 105 at 6:30 p.m.

STARNEWS

WITN-TV

PCL Construction sets up website for those with OBX outage claims Hyde County Businesses, residents and visitors who were impacted by the power outage on the Outer Banks now have a website to file their claims directly with the company responsible. Work crews from PCL Construction cut into an underground utility line that carries power to Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, turning the islands dark for a week during the peak tourist season.

For those who had experienced losses can file claims at http://outerbanks.pcl. com/.

NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Historian encounters mystery of 19th-century painting to Elizabeth City Pasquotank County As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, the Museum of the Albemarle arranged to borrow a 19thcentury painting of an aristocratic woman from the Lewis Walpole Library at Yale University. Elizabeth City historian Marjorie Berry traced the story of the “Nags Head Portrait” believed to be of Theodosia Burr Alston, daughter of the third U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr and wife of South Carolina Gov. Joseph Alston.

The mysteries and theories of the oncemissing portrait return to Elizabeth City to be displayed in the “Our Story” exhibit through February 2018.

DAILY ADVANCE

NEWS & RECORD

NCSTATEFAIR.ORG

RALEIGH — Robin Hayes, chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, announced Aug. 9 that the state party was filing an ethics complaint against Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and his campaign Cooper for North Carolina for alleged illegal fundraising activity, requesting an investigation.

On June 18, 2017, Cooper for North Carolina hosted an event with the North Carolina Advocates of Justice (NCAJ) at the Sea Trail resort in Sunset Beach, N.C., as part of the NCAJ annual convention. The complaint alleges that up to $50,000 was raised directly from NCAJ members during the event while the legislature was in active session with pending legislation, a violation of campaign finance laws.

The NCAJ is a nonpartisan association of legal professionals and registered lobbying organization.

“When you don’t follow the law, it’s a major concern,” said Hayes at a press conference last week. “Particularly when it’s something as significant as raising money from a PAC during a legislative session when there is pending legislation that directly affects your members and your PAC.” According to North Carolina statute, political campaigns are prohibited from soliciting donations while the General Assembly is in regular session, stating “No limited contributor shall solicit a contribution from any individual or political committee on behalf of a limited contributee” while the legislature is in

session and voting on legislation.

The N.C. GOP asserts that Cooper, as a member of the Council of State and his campaign committee, Cooper for North Carolina, is considered a “limited contributee.” Likewise, the NCAJ, registered with the N.C. Secretary of State as a principal lobbying organization, is considered a “limited contributor.”

“It doesn’t pass the smell test any way you go around,” said executive director of the N.C. Republican Party Dallas Woodhouse.

“There would be legal penalties for, potentially, the receiver of the funds and the donor. You would think a bunch of trial lawyers would know better. Ultimately that would be for the board of elections to decide, which Cooper has blocked.”

Further, the General Assembly was at the time considering legislation that affected levels of allowed damages in certain nuisance claims, a bill that reportedly was the focus of more than $1 million of lobbying fees paid in a mere 24-hour period with high interest from the legal community.

“You cannot raise money while the legislature is actively in session,” reiterated Hayes. “That’s very clear, but then you put on top of that they had legislation pending that directly impacts their members and their association, that, to my way of thinking, makes it a much more serious problem.”

While the complaint has been filed and investigations staff is in place, the State Board of Elections currently has no appointed members to rule on the matter.

The lack of a board stems from a dispute between Cooper and the General Assembly about legislation that reformed the body.

Steinburg will run for potential new Outer Banks Senate seat

By Mollie Young North State Journal EDENTON — As lawmakers released a first draft of the new N.C. General Assembly voting districts, significant changes to representation in northeast North Carolina has opened the door for a new state Senate seat. Rep. Bob Steinburg, an Edenton Republican who represents the sprawling 1st District in the N.C. House, has said his intention is to run for that open seat if the current map is approved.

“If the maps are approved, I will seek the Republican nomination for state Senate in the new district,” Steinburg said from his Raleigh office on Tuesday.

Sen. Bill Cook currently represents Senate District 1 that comprises Beaufort, Camden, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hyde, Pasquotank and Perquimans counties. But the new map moves Beaufort, and Cook’s hometown, into a different district — making Cook, a Republican, ineligible for run for his former seat.

The proposal would add Hertford and Gates from the north, and Chowan, Washington and Tyrrell from the west to Senate District 1 — creating a mega 11-county-wide district, and the largest single representation in the state legislature.

“I see the 11 counties as giving me the ability to have some real leverage in the Senate, representing an entire section of the state — hopefully with a unified voice,” said Steinburg, who has already run in nine of the 11 counties at some point during his political career.

“I have a great familiarity with this entire district, and we’ve made great progress here in the Northeast,” he said. “I’d like for that to continue.”

It is unclear whether Cook will run in his new Senate district, which would border District 1 to the west.

The General Assembly has until the end of the month to submit remedial maps to a federal court panel. Lawmakers say they plan to vote on the proposed changes by Aug. 24.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

BUSINESS

MIKE BLAKE | REUTERS

Intel Corp CEO Brian Krzanich was among three top business leaders to resign from a presidential advisory council this week.

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This week, NSJ highlights the Piedmont Triad Partnership: Founded in 1991, the Piedmont Triad Partnership (PTP) is a leadership organization bringing together the business community in the Triad region to promote prosperity and growth. PTP supports regional development platforms including megasite development, the aeroplex anchored by Piedmont Triad International Airport and the redevelopment of Whitaker Park Complex. PTP believes supporting these transformational projects will prepare the Triad to compete for major economic development job generators.

The Piedmont Triad Partnership is a private leadership organization connecting and leveraging the region’s leaders and assets to drive increased economic growth and jobs.

The Piedmont Triad will be globally recognized as a dynamic and prosperous region where collaborative culture, emerging innovation and thriving talent generate sustainable, significant economic growth outpacing the southeast United States.

Trump hits back at CEOs over response to Virginia violence

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

By Susan Heaves and Scott Malone Reuters WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump hit back on Tuesday at business leaders who quit a presidential advisory panel in protest over his response to a rally by far-right groups that turned deadly in Virginia, calling the executives “grandstanders.”

Trump has faced a storm of criticism from Democrats and members of his own Republican party over his initial response to Saturday’s violence around the rally in the Southern college town of Charlottesville.

Three business leaders quit a Trump panel in protest on Monday and on Tuesday, Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, said on Twitter he was also resigning “because it is the right thing for me to do.”

Trump bowed on Monday to two days of pressure for a more forceful response, singling out groups behind the “Unite the Right” rally that were widely seen as stoking the disturbances. But he was still clearly frustrated over the reaction to his response.

“For every CEO that drops out of the Manufacturing Council, I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on.

JOBS!” Trump said on Twitter on Tuesday.

The head of pharmaceutical company Merck & Co Inc, Kenneth Frazier, left the president’s American Manufacturing Council in protest on Monday. The CEOs of sportswear manufacturer Under Armour Inc and semiconductor chip maker Intel Corp, Kevin Plank and Brian Krzanich, followed suit later in the day.

On Monday, Trump had struck back at Frazier, saying in a Twitter post that now he had left the panel, the Merck executive would have more time to focus on lowering “ripoff” drug prices.

Criticism of Trump from within his own party has not abated.

U.S. Representative Charlie Dent said Trump’s comments on Monday, when he denounced

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Wilson Mayor Awarded for Lifetime of Superior Service

JONATHAN ERNST | REUTERS

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a statement at the White House on the deadly protests in Charlottesville, Va.

“Every member of Mr. Trump’s advisory councils should wrestle with his or her conscience and ponder Edmund Burke’s famous warning that ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,’” — Larry Summers, former Treasury Secretary neo-Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacists by name, were better than his “failed response” over the weekend. But it still looked “a little bit forced and half-hearted,” Dent told MSNBC. A Democratic National Committee statement on Tuesday said in part: “The president should never keep the American people in suspense about whether he condones or opposes white supremacy.”

Former U.S Treasury Secretary Larry Summers hailed Frazier for taking a stand against what Sum-

mers said had been Trump’s “manifestly inadequate” response to the Charlottesville violence, and urged leaders in American industry to look to the example.

“Every member of Mr Trump’s advisory councils should wrestle with his or her conscience and ponder Edmund Burke’s famous warning that ‘A ll that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,’” Summers, treasury secretary under Democratic former President Bill Clinton, wrote in the Financial Times on Tuesday.

After making his statement on Monday at the White House, Trump also lashed out at the media, where many commentators said his response to the unrest still rang hollow.

“Made additional remarks on Charlottesville and realize once again that the #Fake News media will never be satisfied...truly bad people!” he said in a tweet.

CNN has been one of the media most targeted by Trump for criticism. On Tuesday morning, he retweeted a cartoon that showed a train labeled “Trump” colliding with a person depicted as CNN and captioned, “Nothing can stop the #TrumpTrain !!” The tweet was deleted shortly afterwards.

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On Saturday, when presenting Wilson Mayor Bruce Rose with the North Carolina Public Power Lifetime Achievement Award, Wilson City Manager Grant Goings said, “This award is about more than who Bruce Rose is as a mayor; it’s about who he is as a man.”

Currently serving his fifth term in Wilson, a city that owns its electric service, Rose is the kind of mayor who attends citizens’ birthday and anniversary parties and church tent revivals. He’s the kind who surprises an autistic child with the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at the city team’s season opener.

Rose has also overseen a major transformation in the city he loves.

Before he was elected mayor, he served for 30 years with the Wilson Fire Department—seven of those as fire chief. He received the 1999 Governor’s Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service.

The North Carolina Public Power Lifetime Achievement Award is reserved for those who have shown leadership, innovation and creativity in their support of communityowned public power in our state. Mayor Bruce Rose is that and more, and we salute him.

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

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THE BRIEF Gov. Cooper announces 2,250 new jobs as Allstate Insurance expands in Mecklenburg County

MARIO ANZUONI | REUTERS

Solar eclipse sunglasses are pictured in Los Angeles, Calif.

America’s total eclipse floods market with fake sunglasses

By Steve Gorman Reuters

The first total solar eclipse visible in North America will happen August 21 at 2:30 eastern time IF YOU ARE HEADED to western N.C. with plans to turn your eyes skyward for the historic solar eclipse, eye protection is critical. Getting proper solar sunglasses could mean the different between and awe-inspiring experience and dangerous. For the nation’s first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in a century, these glasses are flooding the market, but experts caution the public to stay clear of unsafe counterfeits.

Even as makers of certified, safety-tested solar eye ware rushed to meet surging demand before the Aug. 21 eclipse, they have joined astronomers and optometrists in warning of defective knockoffs flooding the U.S. market.

“It’s a bunch of unscrupulous people cashing in on the eclipse and putting public safety at risk,” said Richard Fienberg, press officer for the American Astronomical Society (AAS).

Staring at the sun without proper filtration, even when it is partially obscured by the moon during an eclipse, can damage or destroy photo-receptor cells of the eye’s retina, leaving blind spots in a person’s field of vision, experts said.

Special eyeglasses made with proper solar filters allow viewers to safely gaze at the sun any time for unlimited duration, the AAS said.

Although the advent of solar-safe sunglasses dates back more than three decades, they

JANE ROSS | REUTERS

Solar eclipse glasses that will be handed out by the community are pictured in Depoe Bay, Oregon.

A solar eclipse is a lineup of the Sun, the Moon, and Earth. The Moon, directly between the Sun and Earth, casts a shadow on our planet. If you’re in the dark part of that shadow, you’ll see a total eclipse.

If you’re in the light part, you’ll see a partial eclipse. have never been so widely available to the public as for the 2017 event, which Fienberg said may rank as the most watched total solar eclipse in human history.

That is largely because this year’s spectacle will be the first in 99 years to span the entire conti-

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nental United States - the world’s third most populous nation across a 70-mile-wide path over 14 states, from the Pacific coast of Oregon, through western North Carolina, to the Atlantic shore of South Carolina.

It will also be the first total solar eclipse visible from any of the Lower 48 states since 1979.

As a measure of excitement surrounding the event, a leading supplier of solar lenses, Arizona-based Thousand Oaks Optical, has sold enough of its filters this year alone to produce roughly 100 million pairs of glasses, company owner Pat Steele-Gaishin told Reuters.

While no data exists for how many made-for-eclipse eyeglasses are in circulation overall, shady distributors of purportedly solar-safe shades abound on the Internet, Fienberg said.

The lenses of some obvious fakes allow the penetration of

light from such relatively faint sources as fluorescent lamps, while the only thing one should see through authentic solar-safe filters when looking at objects fainter than the sun is pitch blackness.

Other bogus glasses have come stamped with forged logos of reputable manufacturers or with phony safety labels.

Peru State College in Nebraska, which lies in the path of the eclipse, ordered 7,500 pairs for students but discovered the shipment from a Chinese distributor was defective and came with safety certificates for ordinary sunglasses.

Peru marketing director Jason Hogue said the college has since reordered from a legitimate supplier.

The AAS and NASA have posted a list of reputable solar filter brands, retail distributors and online dealers.

Prices range from as little as 99 cents for a pair of paper-frame glasses to $20 or $30 for a more stylish plastic set.

While a last-minute rush has left many dealers out of stock two weeks before the big day, the good news is that U.S. astronomy buffs have to wait only seven more years for the next total solar eclipse over North America, in April 2024.

Made from an extremely opaque black polymer film containing fine carbon powder, true solar-safe lenses are designed to screen out 250,000 times more visible light than would otherwise reach the naked eye, said B. Ralph Chou, a Canadian optometrist who led development of global standards for solar optics.

Any filter less opaque than that may cause severe eye damage that would not become evident until hours later, Chou warned.

The legitimate glasses, which offer no views outside the eclipse, carry their own hazards, however.

“When you put the glasses on, you can look at the sun, but don’t try to walk around,” Chou said.

Charlotte Allstate Insurance Company will add 2,250 jobs over three years in North Carolina as it expands its operations in Mecklenburg County, Governor Roy Cooper announced last week. Allstate already employs more than 1,400 people in the area. As part of the expansion, the company plans to invest more than $22 million in the Charlotte area. “Charlotte’s role as a leader in the financial services sector makes our state an excellent fit for Allstate,” said Governor Cooper.

“North Carolina has so much to offer growing companies, including our celebrated universities and community colleges, highly skilled workforce, competitive business climate and outstanding quality of life.” The company’s major business is private passenger auto and homeowner’s insurance, but its product mix also includes retirement and investment products, accident and health insurance, business insurance and life insurance. It is the largest publicly-held property and casualty insurer in the U.S. “Allstate has prospered in Charlotte and they’ve made the right decision to continue their expansion here,” said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland.

“We congratulate the company on this exciting time of growth and diversification.”

Trade groups call on U.S. to investigate CSX rail disruptions Jacksonville, Fla. Dozens of U.S. trade groups have asked federal rail regulators to investigate CSX Corp’s “chronic service failures,” saying problems at No. 3 U.S. railroad have rippled across the North American rail network. The letter, from the Rail Customer Coalition sent on Monday, is the latest challenge to CSX Chief Executive Hunter Harrison’s effort to ramp up productivity at the Jacksonville, Florida-based railroad and fulfill investor expectations for substantially better financial performance. The 44 trade groups, representing chemical and agricultural companies, steel and auto makers, and beer producers and importers, among other companies, told U.S. lawmakers on House and Senate Transportation committees “chronic service failures” could degrade the nation’s broader rail network. “This has put rail dependent business operations throughout the U.S. at risk of shutting down, caused severe bottlenecks in the delivery of key goods and services, and has put the health of our nation’s economy in jeopardy,” they said.

The shipper groups want Congress to make it easier for them to file complaints and allow other operators to use CSX track during service disruptions, according to their letter. A spokeswoman for Representative Peter DeFazio from Oregon said his office received the letter and is “continuing to monitor the situation.”

Helping farmers grow with technology www.vantagesouthatlantic.com

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

A10

north STATEment Neal Robbins, publisher | Ray Nothstine, opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | RAY NOTHSTINE

Our broken identity and finger-pointing politics IN HIS MEMOIR “An Easy Burden,” American Civil Rights

One must only look to Durham on Monday evening, where a mob toppled a Confederate statue, to see the wrong kind of response to Charlottesville.

icon Andrew Young tells the story of a man racing up to him with a Confederate flag flying from his pickup truck while he was out campaigning for Congress in the Atlanta suburbs. His account stresses a moment of fear, understandable since it had only been a few years since the assassination of his friend Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy. The individual merely was excited to meet the former King assistant and was there to pledge his support for his campaign. Young had to admit, while certainly justified by past circumstances, he carried his own biases.

Atlanta, as it is sometimes still described today, was then the epicenter of “the New South.” It represented an eclectic mix of racial backgrounds and traditions making some positive strides on race, especially in regards to listening and a broadening tolerance.

Young was the first black citizen since Reconstruction to be elected to Congress from Georgia in 1972. Now 85, he often points to the importance of making progress particularly in regards to substance over symbols, including those linked to the Confederacy. As a former Christian minister, he understands that there are problems with using symbols as distractions or scapegoats for deeper issues that plague the human heart. Like a good doctor, Young’s main interest is in treating the root causes of a disease, instead of merely the symptoms.

Unfortunately, in the age of identity politics and elevating ideology above all else, those types of more reasonable dialogues are diminishing. One wonders if the disturbing scenes from Charlottesville, Virginia this weekend will have any impact on bringing people together? Perhaps very briefly in some communities, but adherence to identity politics often propagated by large segments of the left is exacerbating national fragmentation akin to what Hoover Institution fellow Victor Davis Hanson has called a “Cold Civil War.” One must only look to Durham on Monday evening, where a mob toppled a Confederate statue, to see the wrong kind of response to Charlottesville. The vandalism of monuments, perhaps perpetuated by some on different political spectrums is repeating itself across the country.

After decades of championing special victim statuses that classify Americans by groups, who can now be shocked that dangerous identity politics is gaining some traction among a small minority of white Americans? Identity politics and ideology begets new competing factions, instead of our e pluribus unum, or “out of many, one” motto. That is why after Charlottesville, it remains prudent to denounce all forms of racism and violence, which certainly includes an abhorrent and un-American white supremacist ideology.

But using tragedies as a means to a political end, in this specific case to primarily blame conservatives and perhaps even more shockingly Christians, only fuels the finger-pointing narrative so prevalent in our broken politics today. Of course, Christianity is the radical inverse of supremacy ideologies and conservatism said Russell Kirk, “is the negation” of ideological servitude.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Florida Senator Marco Rubio were two of the first to denounce the hate and terrorism taking place at Charlottesville by white supremacist groups, but almost immediately New York Times reporter Eric Lipton unfairly chastised them for “posturing for 2020” presidential runs. Of course, ideology above all else in the eyes of this reporter, who like many, is quick to turn a tragic situation into his own political posturing or blame game.

“In a world where change is inevitable and continuous, the need to achieve that change without violence is essential for survival,” declared Andrew Young. Whether that violence comes from elements of the left or right is ultimately less important than our shared history and destiny as a people. Unfortunately, our politics and much of culture no longer recognizes a broad tolerance and the national dialogue continues to spiral out of control. It’s up to millions of good Americans to change that.

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Fire and fury Ronald Reagan called Libyan strong man Muammar Kaddafi “a mad dog of the Middle East (who) has a goal of a world revolution.”

“THEY WILL BE MET with fire and fury like the world has never seen.”

Has any American president before President Trump ever issued such direct and descriptive terms to a foreign adversary? Or has every other president turned the other cheek when the United States has been threatened by a madman, dictator, emperor, king or power-mad maniac and let them do what they wanted to do?

Consider the excerpts below from the Potsdam Declaration of July 26, 1945 which was issued by President Harry S. Truman, the President of China, Chiang Kai-shek and Winston Churchill, PM of Great Britain and issued to the Emperor of Japan as the ultimate ultimatum to end the bloodiest war the world has ever known, World War II: • The full application of our military power, backed by our resolve, will mean the inevitable and complete destruction of the Japanese armed forces and just as inevitably the utter devastation of the Japanese homeland.

• The time has come for Japan to decide whether she will continue to be controlled by those selfwilled militaristic advisers whose unintelligent calculations have brought the Empire of Japan to the threshold of annihilation, or whether she will

follow the path of reason.

• We call upon the government of Japan to proclaim now the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces, and to provide proper and adequate assurances of their good faith in such action. The alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction.

Other U.S. Presidents have “rattled the saber” when it came to identifying the threat to American and free world interests and spoken directly about the danger at hand.

Ronald Reagan called Libyan strong man Muammar Kaddafi “a mad dog of the Middle East (who) has a goal of a world revolution.” (1986) Thomas Jefferson responded to the tribute demands of the Bey of Tripoli with this short, direct answer: “I sent a small squadron of frigates into the Mediterranean.” (1801) Teddy Roosevelt didn’t say “Speak softly but carry a big stick” because he was inviting foreign adversaries to a tea party at the White House.

Perhaps if President Trump had cribbed the above language from the Potsdam Declaration and had Chinese President Xi Jinping sign it along with every ally America has around the world, his threats to North Korea might have been considered less alarming to

the mainstream media and his political opponents.

No one really knows what is going on inside the head of Supreme Leader of DPRK Kim Jong-Un. He and his father and grandfather have been bewildering outside observers since 1946 like evil villains in a bad James Bond movie series.

Perhaps he is jockeying for more concessions as he exacted from Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Perhaps he is appearing to stand up to “evil America” to prolong his regime amidst fears his life will end in similar fashion to Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife who were overthrown and publicly executed on Christmas Day, 1989.

In 1981, Israel grew so concerned about Saddam Hussein in Iraq developing a nuclear reactor they instigated an air strike and destroyed it before it was fully operational. If China can not or will not force North Korea back into the world of reason, what choice would the free world have left other than to destroy any nuclear missile before it left its launchpad?

The one thing the world has to agree on is that the Supreme Leader of North Korea must never be allowed to push the button that launches a nuclear-tipped missile anywhere in the world.

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

A11

GUEST OPINION | MIKE CAUSEY

Volunteer fire departments face recruitment struggles Just as there is no one reason for the membership recruitment and retention problem, there is no one solution.

OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, I’ve been touring volunteer fire departments and talking to firefighters and emergency workers in all regions of our great state.

These firefighters, who selflessly give their time and effort to help all of us in almost any kind of emergency, confirmed something I already knew: Many volunteer fire departments are struggling with membership recruitment and retention.

The problem isn’t new, nor is it unique to North Carolina. Volunteer fire departments are having difficulty recruiting and retaining members nationwide.

It wasn’t always that way. Cherryville Fire Chief Jeff Cash told our office that decades ago, things were a lot different.

“When I first broke into the service back in the late 1970s, volunteer fire departments had a waiting list,” Chief Cash said. He serves on the Executive Committee of the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC). He said that “someone almost had to die” to create a volunteer firefighting vacancy when he first got into fire service.

The NVFC has studied the issue and notes that there is no one reason for the shortage. Among the top factors, the report says, are “more demands on people’s time in a hectic modern society; more stringent training requirements; population shifts from smaller towns to urban centers; changes in the nature of small town industry and farming; internal leadership problems; and a decline in the sense of civic responsibility.”

Previously, when more businesses were locally owned, business-owners were more vested in their communities. They’d let their employees take off to fight fires. Now, many businesses not locally owned don’t look as favorably toward such practices.

In addition, many employees now have longer commutes to work. That makes it more difficulty for would-be firefighters to balance time spent with their families and time necessary for training and firefighting.

Speaking of training, volunteer firefighters in North Carolina are required to complete 36 hours of training every year to qualify for certain benefits.

Local departments are also allowed to set other training standards and are required to offer at least four hours of training a month for their members.

The NVFC report also notes other reasons that fire departments may have difficulty retaining volunteers.

Cultural reasons and department leadership come

into play. Some volunteers may not feel like they fit in, or may feel that the organization is too cliquish.

Just as there is no one reason for the membership recruitment and retention problem, there is no one solution.

However, part of the solution is to encourage younger men and women to get involved in firefighting and emergency services.

As the State Fire Marshal, I recently visited the High School Firefighter Challenge held in Buncombe County. I could see some of the classwork and handson training that these teenagers were getting.

Last fall, 27 of our high schools had firefighter academy programs, where teenagers can learn firefighting skills and fight virtual fires. More high school programs could be added this fall. These classes are taught by firefighters, people who know what they’re doing. Of course, we don’t let students younger than 18 fight actual fires.

Other fire departments have a junior firefighter program, allowing teenagers to learn the skills and develop a rapport with volunteer and professional mentors.

Both programs produce gung-ho firefighters.

Many go on to professional or volunteer firefighting.

Some do both.

I applaud the youth who are training to make a difference in their communities, along with all the fire chiefs and firefighters – both volunteer and professional – who literally risk their lives to save ours and make our communities safer.

These youth programs will help with our fire department recruitment needs. But they won’t solve all the problems. I encourage leaders in volunteer fire departments to make an extra effort to make sure that their members have a sense of belonging. The NVFC report offers suggestions on how to do that.

The need for firefighters and first responders must be met. Having ample volunteer firefighters can result in lives saved, injuries prevented, property protected, savings on insurance premiums, and potentially savings on local property taxes.

In closing, I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank all the firefighters and emergency personnel for the work that they do in making North Carolina a great place to live. I also want to thank their families for the sacrifices they make when these men and women answer the call of public service.

Mike Causey is North Carolina’s Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal.

White nationalists carry torches on the grounds of the University of Virginia, on the eve of a planned Unite The Right rally in Charlottesville, Va.

ALEJANDRO ALVAREZ | REUTERS

COLUMN | RICH LANDESBERG

Shine the light of journalism on white supremacists The shoutfests that have become a stable of cable news add nothing to our understanding of issues.

STAY WITH ME ON THIS. I support the recent Charlottesville march of Nazis and white supremacists. I don’t want to limit their free speech and assembly any more than I want someone to limit mine. I don’t want government or any entity to decide what speech or what march is OK and what isn’t. I don’t want someone to decide my beliefs are un-American and should be censored.

We’ve been there before. It doesn’t end well.

But we’ve also seen how badly it ends when Nazis or white supremacists try to prevail. They have rightfully been relegated to the dust bin of history yet they seem, like the proverbial nuclear-warsurviving cockroach, to keep coming back. If we all do our jobs right, having them out in the sunshine will be the best thing for our country.

Still with me? Let them march. And let our good and true media cover what these supremacists do and what they say. Let journalists do what they do best: pour sunshine into dark places.

Cowards and vermin don’t like the sun. Let these people who claim to be superior stand up in public and show their faces. Not all evil people are knuckle-draggers who drool on themselves. Some are well dressed, well educated, and well spoken.

Some may be our neighbors or coworkers.

We need to be able to see them. We need to know who they are.

Now is the time to support local and national journalists who can contextualize what is going on in our country and know how to cover a story without hype. There is enough heat in our nation that no one needs to add to it for the sake of ratings or clicks. The shoutfests that have become a stable of cable news add nothing to our understanding of issues.

The best journalists — and there are many — are in it for the right reasons. They understand

that their constitutional right of freedom of the press comes with an ethical responsibility: to serve the public, all of us, by informing and helping us understand complex issues.

There is also the responsibility to expose those who would harm us whether that harm comes from people whose good-sounding ideas mask the fact that they are morally bankrupt or the harm is in the form of domestic terrorists who would aim their speeding car into a crowd of peaceful protestors in a quiet college town.

Passionate hard-working journalists, who can be found in my town and yours, have a responsibility to remind our elected leaders that they work for us. They need to keep asking politicians the hard questions that make sure they can’t hide in the dark.

Our leaders need to be constantly reminded that the emails and memos they write belong to the people. And journalists need to make sure elected leaders remember that what they do and say should reflect the highest American ideals, not pander to their perceived political base.

But let’s get back to the Nazis. I still want to see them and I still want everyone to see them. I am even willing to help provide some entertainment for their next rally. I suggest we all chip in to rent one of those photo booths and that we encourage them to have their picture taken ... maybe even provide emails so that we can know how to get in touch.

The constitution provides protection for free speech. It does not protect anyone from the consequences of that speech.

Rich Landesberg (rlandesberg@elon.edu) is an associate professor of communications at Elon University in Elon, N.C.

WALTER WILLIAMS

Women and men are equal OOGLE FIRED software engineer James Damore for writing a 10-page G memo critical of the company’s diversity

policy. The memo violated the company’s code of conduct by “advancing harmful gender stereotypes” by suggesting that biological factors were part of the cause for the male/female gap in the tech industry.

I shall make the case that Google’s actions were totally justified. Other than differences in certain physical attributes such as genitalia, capacity to give birth and the presence of functional mammary glands, males and females are identical in every other respect. Any remaining male/female differences are a direct result of oppression, discrimination and victimization by the larger society.

To examine just one aspect of female victimization, let’s examine the majors of female college students compared to their male counterparts.

According to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, there are significant sex differences in college majors. For example, though women and men are equally represented in the population at large, women make up only 17 percent of engineering degrees conferred compared to 83 percent conferred to men. How can such a gross disparity be explained? I recommend an investigation to discover whether colleges are steering women away from higher-paying fields such as engineering and into lower-paying fields such as education and social sciences. Seventyseven percent of education majors are women and so are 64 percent of social sciences majors.

To balance this all out they can disallow large numbers of men from majoring in engineering and instead force them to major in education or the social sciences.

One wonders how such a disparity among equals can exist. I have personally visited George Mason Univeristy’s Volgenau School of Engineering. There are no signs forbidding women from becoming an engineering major. But just because there are no visible prohibitions doesn’t mean there is no evil plot against women. A number of years ago, I took a tour of UC Berkeley College of Engineering. Not only did I observe a paucity of women but also, because of the racial appearances of the students in some of the classes, I could have easily been in Asia. Colleges have the power to ensure that there are just as many female as male engineering majors. They can mandate that fewer female freshmen major in social sciences and education and instead major in engineering. To balance this all out they can disallow large numbers of men from majoring in engineering and instead force them to major in education or the social sciences.

Although Damore’s memo was seen

by Google as “advancing harmful gender stereotypes,” at least he didn’t make any suggestion of male/female IQ differences. Doing so would have led not only to his firing but being ordered to leave the state of California. A number of studies show that male IQ has greater variance than female IQ. In other words, female IQs show less variance and cluster toward the middle. Males IQs have more variance and therefore occupy the extreme high and low ends on the intelligence scale. That boils down to the fact that there are more male than female geniuses. But on the down side there are more male than female morons.

Since men run the IQ tests and probably rig it against women, the claim that there are more male geniuses could be bogus.

Kay S. Hymowitz’s City Journal (summer 2011) article, “Why the Gender Gap Won’t Go Away. Ever,” shows that female doctors earn only 64 percent of what male doctors earn. But it turns out that only 16 percent of surgeons are women, whereas 50 percent of pediatricians are women. Even though surgeons have put in many more years of education and training than pediatricians and earn higher pay, should their salaries be equalized? Alternatively, medical schools might force more female medical students to become surgeons and force male students to become pediatricians to promote wage equality.

You say, “Are you serious, Williams? Or are you making light of the Google firing of James Damore?” My vision is that Damore has the right to say whatever he wishes about the company’s racist and sexist diversity policy, and Google has the right to fire him for saying it.

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University.

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

A12 NEWS IN IMAGES

Main, a meteor streaks past stars in the night sky above Leeberg hill during the Perseid meteor shower in Grossmugl, Austria.

Bottom left, Spanish bullfighter Juan Mora is seen through a small window of a door as he performs a pass to a heifer during a “tentadero” (a small bullfight to check the bravery of heifers which are not killed) at Reservatauro Ronda cattle ranch in Ronda, near Malaga, southern Spain.

HEINZ-PETER BADER | REUTERS

JON NAZCA | REUTERS

MIKE SEGAR | REUTERS

For generations, we’ve given doctors, nurses, firefighters, soldiers, scientists, shopkeepers, farmers, mechanics, moms and dads a ride to school.

A small-town company can make big dreams come true. At Thomas Built Buses, we’re proud of our contribution to the educational system. Each and every day, we put our hearts into the quality and durability of our buses. We’re so proud of the millions of young Americans who sat in a Thomas seat and are now incredible success stories. None of it would have happened without the communities where we live and work. You, our friends and neighbors, are part of the Thomas family. We sincerely thank you for working with us to make our communities and businesses the very best they can be.

Through the DaimlerCares program, Thomas Built Buses and Daimler work to support charities and philanthropies in the communities they serve, by encouraging employees to give back in both time and company-matched funds.

1408 Courtesy Road, High Point, NC 27260 | thomasbuiltbuses.com TBB/MC-A-105. Thomas Built Buses, Inc. is registered to ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004. Copyright © Daimler Trucks North America LLC. All rights reserved. Thomas Built Buses Inc. is a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, a Daimler company.

Bottom right, boys stand together on a section of marsh while they enjoy playing in a mud bog at low tide in Barnstable Harbor on Cape Cod, Mass.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2017

Fun with the new toys Carolina Panthers wide receiver Damiere Byrd (18) catches a pass for a touchdown against Houston Texans defensive back Marcus Gilchrist (21) in the second half at Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 9.

the Wednesday SIDELINE REPORT

SPORTS

NFL

Panthers hope Newton can continue throwing The Carolina Panthers are hoping quarterback Cam Newton, sidelined all offseason by shoulder surgery on his throwing arm, will be able to continue throwing in team drills on Wednesday and Thursday of this week after participating in throwing drills for the first time on Sunday.

Newton completed 3-of-4 passes in a short red-zone drill but did not throw deep. “I told you guys, it’s just a matter of time,” coach Ron Rivera said.

The Panthers beat the Houston Texans, 27-17, in their preseason opener at Bank of America Stadium. While snaps were extremely limited for the starters, the game still started providing answers to some of the questions swirling around the team as the 2017 season looms. Here’s what you need to know about the preseason opener: How did the stars look?

Cam Newton, who has been battling injury throughout the preseason, didn’t play, giving backup Derek Anderson the start. Panthers legend Julius Peppers, who rejoined the team in the offseason, also sat out the game.

The starters who did suit up saw a very early end to their night. Running back Jonathan Stewart had two carries for four yards. Tight end Greg Olson had an impressive 32-yard catch over the middle. Linebacker Luke Kuechly was in on one tackle.

Woods toxicology report shows five drugs in blood

NFL

Bills deal Watkins, Darby, pick up WR Matthews Former Panthers front office executive and North Carolina native Brandon Beane has been busy in the early going as GM of the Buffalo Bills and made a huge splash over the weekend with a pair of trades. First Beane sent star wide receiver Sammy Watkins to the Los Angeles Rams for a secondround pick, then he acquired a third-round pick and wide receiver Jordan Matthews (a former second-round pick) from the Eagles for cornerback Ronald Darby.

NFL

Jags RB Fournette out with foot injury The Jaguars first-round pick Leonard Fournette, the consensus favorite to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, will miss Jacksonville’s Week 2 preseason game against the Buccanneers with a foot injury.

“We’re just being smart on it,” Jags coach Doug Marrone.

Fournette rather notably said the NFL is “a lot slower than I really thought” after rushing nine times for 31 yards in Week 1’s preseason game.

Panthers flash weapons in preseason action

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

PGA

PGA Tour golfer Tiger Woods was not lying when he said he did not drink on the night of his arrest for DUI in Florida.

Woods BAC level was 0.0, but a toxicology report released by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office showed Woods had five different drugs in his system at the time of his arrest.

Vicodin, Dilaudid, Xanax, Ambien and THC were all present in his bloodstream. It is not yet confirmed whether Woods was prescribed to the medication or not. THC, short for tetrahydrocannabinol, is the active ingredient in marijuana. Medical marijuana is currently legal in Florida.

JEREMY BREVARD | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

Any candy coating Benjamin added after last season was long gone by game time.

There was no flab or stretch in his jersey.

Is Kelvin Benjamin in midseason shape?

ROB KINNAN | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

A CBS Sports sand sculpture outside the clubhouse at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro during the Wyndham Championship.

Snead’s GBO legacy endures at Wyndham The 2017 Wyndham Championship is set to kick off in Greensboro Thursday.

By Tom LaMarre The Sports XChange The Wyndham Championship, coming on the heels of the PGA Championship and wrapping up the regular season before the start of the FedExCup playoffs, serves as a launchpad for golfers on the fringe hoping to make a run at the sport’s postseason.

It is a fascinating turn for an event previously known as the Greater Greensboro Open, one of the premier stops on the circuit, with Sam Snead winning that first year at Sedgefield Country Club and adding a record seven more titles in the event that will be played for the 78th time this week.

Snead won the last of his PGA Tour record 82 titles at Sedgefield in 1965, becoming the oldest winner in the history of the circuit at the age of 52 years, 10 months and 8 days.

“Sam Snead won the Greater Greensboro Open for the eighth time today and every senior golfer smiled,” Lincoln A. Werden wrote in the New York Times.

Snead won by five strokes over a field that included the likes of Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Billy Casper, Tony Lema, Julius Boros, Charlie Sifford, Dow Finsterwald, Dave Marr and Doug Ford.

It was “Sam Snead Week,” in honor of the fact that he was playing in the tournament for the 25th time, and at a banquet before the event, “Slammin’ Sammy” said: “I don’t expect to win, but the boys had better watch out.”

When it was over and he again was holding the trophy, the question was if he thought anybody could ever equal his eight titles, and Snead quipped: “You know, I don’t think these youngsters are ready yet.”

The champions’ list in Greensboro, N.C., is an impressive one, including Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Player, Casper, Boros, Ford, Gene Littler, George Archer, Ralph Guldahl, Lloyd Mangrum, Bob Goalby, Seve Ballesteros of Spain, Bob Charles of New Zealand, Tom Weiskopf, Raymond Floyd, Al Geiberger, Craig Stadler, Larry Nelson, Lanny Wadkins, Scott Simpson, Sandy Lyle of Scotland, Steve Elkington of Australia, Hal Sutton, Mark O’Meara and See WYNDHAM, page B4

Wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin stirred up the offseason rumor mill, when photos of him looking very heavy surfaced on the internet.

Any candy coating Benjamin added after last season was long gone by game time. There was no sign of flab or stretch in his jersey.

His play on the field provided even more convincing proof that Benjamin is ready to go. He had bullied tacklers out of the way to turn a four-yard catch into a 17-yard gain. Later in the first quarter, he stretched upward while backpedaling into the end zone to out-fight a cornerback for a touchdown.

How did the draft picks look?

Running back Christian McCaffrey was the team’s first-round choice in this spring’s draft. He was on the field in the first quarter, with the starters, and had seven carries for 33 yards. McCaffrey See PANTHERS, page B4

INSIDE

BOB DONNAN | USA TODAY SPORTS

Another weekend, another massive recruiting haul for the Duke Blue Devils. Coach Mike Krzyzewski managed to reel in a few big recruits despite spending time in the hospital with his latest back surgery, including the Tuesday announcement of Marvin Bagley, the No. 1 high school recruit in the 2018 class, who said on SportsCenter he plans to reclassify and start in Durham early. Shawn Krest breaks down all the latest Duke recruiting news. B3

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

B2 WEDNESDAY

08.16.17

TRENDING

Tom Brady: Patriots quarterback was asked how the 2017 Pats team compares to other impressive squads from the past (namely 2007’s undefeated squad) and declined to compare the teams, noting it “is really unfair to set expectations” and pointing out those were “some magical years.”

Chad Bettis: Colorado Rockies pitcher returned from a battle against cancer this week, taking the mound for the first time in the 2017 season and putting on a performance for the ages, shutting out the Atlanta Braves over seven innings while striking out two and helping Colorado pick up a 3-0 win. “There wasn’t a doubt it would happen for me,” Bettis said after the game.

Ryan Mathews: Eagles running back was released by the team after passing his physical. Mathews missed the entire offseason after undergoing neck surgery.

Maria Sharapova: Former world No. 1 ranked women’s player granted a wild card to play in the 2017 U.S. Open, her fifth event since returning from suspension.

beyond the box score POTENT QUOTABLES

PGA

After a successful run in Charlotte that ended with him hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy, 2017 PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas left Quail Hollow and headed out to dinner. He decided to spend the evening with a guy who has seen some success on the PGA Tour, joining Tiger Woods out on the town. And he even brought the trophy with him.

BOB DONNAN | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

“I love hot dogs like any other American. I love football like any other American.

But I don’t love segregation.”

Seahawks DE Michael Bennett explaining why he sat for the national anthem.

VIA TWITTER | @TIGERWOODS

NHL

MLB

KYLE TERADA | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

“I’ve got him on the outside – like 11, 12.”

Cleveland Cavaliers guard and erstwhile enforcer Dahntay Jones drew the attention of many around the NBA when he declared that Warriors point guard and former MVP Stephen Curry is not one of the 10 best players in the entire NBA.

VIA TWITTER | @NHL

Penguins wingman Phil Kessel is a two-time Stanley Cup winner and as such knows how to celebrate with the Cup. Kessel decided to take the Cup golfing and eat hot dogs out of it.

JASEN VINLOVE | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

Mets outfielder Tim Tebow made one woman’s day when he gave a shoutout via video to someone’s grandmother from a game. The woman, who recently had a stroke, lit up smiling.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

B3

Logano knows time is short for making Chase run Joey Logano is eying a shot at the playoffs but knows he is running out of time

By Matt Crossman The Sports XChange

JAYNE KAMIN-ONCEA | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley (11), quarterback Dak Prescott (4) and running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) head to the field for the game against the Los Angeles Rams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Aug. 12.

Elliott to appeal six-game suspension The Cowboys running back will fight a lengthy punishment from the NFL

By The Sports XChange OXNARD, Calif. — Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will appeal a six-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy because of alleged domestic violence against a former girlfriend in July of 2016.

Elliott, who was not arrested nor charged in the case, continues to maintain his innocence.

The Columbus city prosecutor said he didn't believe that he could make a case because of conflicting and inconsistent information.

Elliott will try to discredit Tiffany Thompson in the appeal process by highlighting, her threats to "ruin his career," including one that was racially based, according to sources.

The NFL announced Elliott's suspension Friday, saying it has photo and digital evidence supporting a finding "that (Elliott) engaged in physical violence against Ms. Thompson on multiple occasions during the week of July 16, 2016."

Elliott's appeal game plan includes highlighting Thompson's already chronicled text messages encouraging a friend to lie to police about an alleged domestic assault on July 22, misleading testimony to NFL lead investigator Lisa Friel, and repeated threats to ruin his career after breaking off the relationship.

Elliott has not talked to the media since the start of training camp, and was escorted from the locker room following Saturday's preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams.

But he made his feelings known on Twitter on Friday, saying he was "both surprised and disappointed by the NFL's decision" and "I strongly disagree with the league's findings."

His representatives also blasted the NFL in a statement Friday for their "factual inaccuracies and erroneous conclusions" and promised "a slew of additional credible and controverting evidence will come to light" during the appeal.

It's unclear what role Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will play in the appeal. But a source says Jones is "angry" about the suspension after being adamant that, after reviewing all of the league's evidence, no assault occurred and Elliott would

not be disciplined.

Jones also has uncharacteristically not spoken with the media since the suspension.

Elliott's absence will leave a massive hole in the Cowboys' offense. He led the league in rushing a season ago as a rookie and is a home-run threat whenever the ball is in his hands.

"For us it's very shocking," running back Darren McFadden said.

"We didn't know what was going on exactly. To hear six games, it was definitely a surprise to us. We didn't expect anything to happen.

But they made a decision. For us as a team, we are going to rally around him and keep going forward."

And while the Cowboys were hopeful that Elliott would not miss any games, fueled by Jones' blatant confidence, the team did prepare for the possibility, per head coach Jason Garrett.

"We suspected that something like this might happen," Garrett said. "We prepared our team accordingly by building it the right way and we're going to focus on what we control with our football team. As players and coaches, we're going to coach as well as we can and we're going to play as well as we can with the players we have available to us.

"We talked to our team about the situation and the importance of focusing on what we can control," Garrett continued. "We can't control what the NFL does. It's not my place to comment on whether I think it's justified."

Tight end Jason Witten and the rest of the team are confident in the depth behind Elliott. McFadden and Alfred Morris have been 1,000-yard rushers in the league, and Rod Smith has impressed early on in training camp.

"We'll get through this because that's what we're all about," Witten said. "You look last year when we had adversity in different ways with injuries and different things that come up, I think our team has grown closer to each other and I suspect that we'll do the same thing moving forward. That's my job, that's coach Garrett's job as leaders on this team and guys will step up.

"At the running back position, that's a position that we feel like we have a lot of depth there, guys who played at a high level for quite a few years in this league. Opportunity for them to hold it down until Zeke gets back. Our team will do that."

Garrett has not determined if

Elliott will play in the preseason.

He played in only one preseason game last year and Garrett said that will likely be the case again if he plays at all.

Meanwhile, the suspension gives the Cowboys 13 player suspensions since 2014 for a total of 108 games. There have been a total of 16 suspensions involving those 13 players. Defensive end Randy Gregory has received two suspensions for a total of 30 games, and linebacker Rolando McClain three for a total of 30.

Witten also measured his words when talking about the domestic violence investigation into Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott and his subsequent six-game suspension.

This is a matter that hits close to home for Witten, who grew up with an abusive father.

"I'm not privy to all the information that's gone on over the last year," Witten said. "I'd say this: there's no place for a man to put his hand on a woman. Most of you know that that's a situation that's affected my family as a younger kid, so I put a lot of work and attention and have a platform to step out and speak on stopping domestic violence.

"Having said that, Zeke continues to work through it. He's talked about it. How many games and all that stuff? That's not what you really deal with. He's a teammate and we just need to work through it with him and have this opportunity to grow from it. I think that's what his purpose is right now."

Witten has discussed the situation with Elliott and is hopeful that he grows from it.

"Certainly, these situations are never easy," Witten said. "But Zeke's been a teammate of mine for the last year and I've enjoyed having that relationship with him. Not only as a tremendous football player, but the opportunity to be able to have a relationship with him and mentor him. ... I'm certain that he'll work through it and be better and grow from it.

"Quite frankly, it's uncomfortable even having the conversation right now, but you go through it, and (you're) in a position to be a leader, and you continue to show the way and allow guys to grow, and I know that's been a tough year on him. I think that his mindset has been such what he's said, what he's already released, I think that that's a pretty good perspective on what he's trying to do moving forward."

BROOKLYN, Mich. — With three races left before the playoffs start, Joey Logano is on the outside looking in. His failure to qualify so far is arguably the biggest surprise of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season in terms of performance.

He admitted at Michigan International Speedway to feeling desperate, but he sees the closing stretch of regular-season races as really good for him, particularly Bristol and Richmond.

"Bristol is probably one of our best racetracks as well, especially in the fall race," said Logano, driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Fusion.

He has two career wins at Bristol in 17 starts. He also has two wins at Richmond. He won there in the spring, but a rules violation meant the win was declared encumbered, so it does not lock him into the playoffs.

Darlington is the only weak spot in the group. His average finish there is 18.4, and he has just two top 5 finishes in eight starts.

"I don't look at that race track (Darlington) and say we don't have a chance," he said. "I feel like we'll still be fine there, it just might be a little bit different."

Logano is too far back to points-race his way in, so his team is likely to take aggressive chances to try to grab a win.

"Every moment becomes more and more important on the racetrack, and that's OK," he says.

"That's where you find out what you're made of, so I'm all right with that."

Rookie Daniel Suarez's top 10 streak ends at Michigan Coming into this weekend, Joe Gibbs Racing's Daniel Suarez was on a streak of four consecutive top-10 finishes in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and was looking to make it five.

Unfortunately his day was cut short after tangling with Kasey Kahne late in the race.

Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS, was attempting to pass Daniel Suarez for position on Lap 139. But he pulled up before he cleared Suarez. The contact slammed Kahne's right side into the outside wall just past Turn 2 ending his day. He finished 38th.

"We had to fight from the back

and had a good LIFTMASTER Chevrolet," Kahne said. "We kept working to get up there. Daniel (Suarez) was going backwards and I was going by and I ran the bottom. I expected we could be close off the corner, and I was just coming off and then we hit."

Suarez was having another good run in the first stage of the race in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry, but in the final stage he started to struggle with a tight racecar before the incident.

"I was trying to give him some room, but actually I got out of the throttle at that point, but I don't know if he was told it was already time to go up -- I don't know. It's just unfortunate because we came from a streak of top-10s, and now this is going to be the end of it," said Suarez, who finished 37th. "We're going to regroup and come back stronger next week."

Michigan's Erik Jones ponders a win at his home track Of course Erik Jones thought about it. How could he not?

With the race halted by a red flag for a little over five minutes with just two green flag laps left in the Pure Michigan 400 on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, Jones let his mind wander to what it would be like to win the race.

Not only would it have been the first win of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career and lock him into the postseason, but it would have come at his home town track. A native of Byron, Mich., Jones grew up 99 miles from the racetrack. "(The red flag) gives you a lot of time to play through scenarios on the restart and how you want it to work out. It's very rare it ever works out the way you picture it in your head," he said. And this one didn't, either. Instead, Jones settled for third.

He would have had to beat his teammate to get that win. Jones was second on the final restart alongside his Furniture Row Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. Before the question could even be asked, Truex said flatly Furniture Row Racing does not have so-called "team orders" and that there was no chance he would let Jones win.

Jones cannot make the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs on points, and will have to win one of the next three races to make the postseason.

KEVIN HOFFMAN | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano (22) during the I Love New York 355 At The Glen at Watkins Glen International in New York on Aug. 6.

Duke adds top recruit Bagley to strong weekend haul Marvin Bagley, one of the top recruits in the country, committed to Duke this week

By Shawn Krest North State Journal DURHAM — Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski may have spent the weekend in the hospital, recovering from knee replacement surgery, but that didn’t stop him from dominating the recruiting trail.

Duke added two top-10 recruits in a two-day span, giving the Blue Devils their first 2018 commitment, as well as a key piece for the 2017-18 team.

Duke got its first commitment from the 2018 class on Sunday, when Tre Jones announced that he would be a Blue Devil.

Jones is the top point guard in the class and the No. 9 prospect, overall. The five-star is a 6-2, 175-point playmaker from Saint Paul, Minnesota. Last season, he averaged 23 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds per game. On the Nike summer basketball circuit, Jones averaged 20.4 points, 7.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds.

Jones follows his brother, Tyus, who was the point guard for the 2015 National Champions in his only season at Duke. Jones also had offers from Minnesota, Ohio State, UCLA, USC, Arizona and Baylor, but Duke appeared to be the favorite from the very beginning of his commitment.

Next season, Jones will likely replace Trevon Duval, an incoming freshman at Duke who is expected to be a one-and-done, declaring for the NBA Draft after

a season as Duke’s point guard.

Another incoming 2017 freshman, Gary Trent Jr., was Jones’ teammate at Apple Valley High School.

On Monday night, Duke added a player that will help him this upcoming season. Marvin Bagley III, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound power forward, committed to the Blue Devils.

Bagley was originally expected to be a rising senior in high school, and he’d been rated the top prospect in the 2018 class, according to the 247 Sports Composite Index.

However, Bagley plans to graduate early and has petitioned the NCAA to allow him to reclassify to the class of 2017. That would allow him to enroll in college immediately and be eligible for the 201718 season.

Bagley announced on ESPN’s SportsCenter that he will reclassi-

fy and “forgo my senior year.”

The NCAA hasn’t officially approved the request yet, but a confirmation is expected shortly.

The five-star big man then announced that he was choosing Duke over USC and UCLA, who were the other two finalists in his recruiting battle.

Duke was the favorite to land Bagley, but he had one last surprise to unveil.

Bagley reached into a bag and pulled out a Duke jersey, announcing his future college home.

He then unfolded the jersey to display the number 35. Bagley said he would wear the number, even though it was retired in 1989.

“I would like to thank Danny Ferry and Coach K for allowing me to wear his retired No. 35 at Duke University,” Bagley said.

Ferry wore the number during

his four-year Duke career. He was a two-time ACC Player of the Year, the National Player of the Year in 1989, and he led Duke to three Final Fours, twice being named Regional MVP. Bagley is expected to play the stretch-four position for Duke.

He’ll team with five-star forward Wendell Carter Jr. and returning sophomore center Marques Bolden to give the Blue Devils a powerful front line.

Duke’s freshman class now has three of the top five recruits in the class in Bagley, Carter and point guard Trevon Duval. Shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. is in the top 20. The Blue Devils also bring in four-star shooting guard Alex O’Connell, four-star small forward Jordan Tucker and threestar shooting guard Jordan Goldwire.

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

B4

Demon Deacons ready to build on success Fedora’s Nashville NCAA

trip an inconvenience, not a distraction

Dave Clawson’s 2017 season is a crucial one, but Wake Forest has the foundation built

By The Sports XChange Wake Forest finally realized some of the rewards after a series of rough seasons. Now, the Demon Deacons face the task of pushing further upward.

"We're looking forward to building off the momentum and the improvement that we made in the '16 season," fourth-year coach Dave Clawson said.

The Demon Deacons had an uplifting victory in the Military Bowl by defeating Temple to finish with a 7-6 record and snap a three-game losing streak from the end of the regular season.

Before last season, the team posted losing records in seven consecutive years, including three-win marks in 2014 and 2015.

So it's probably no surprise that the preseason polls haven't looked all that favorably on the Demon Deacons entering this season.

"We're used to it," senior tight end Cam Serigne said of low preseason ratings. "We want to be there. We want to be that team."

That underdog mentality is a mindset that seems to be spreading throughout the roster.

"We want the other teams to doubt us," senior defensive lineman Wendell Dunn said. "We want them to think, 'Oh, it's just Wake Forest we're playing,' so when we get out there and punch them in the mouth (it feels better)."

An upgrade on the offensive side is in order, and with a cast of promising running backs competing behind an upgraded offensive line that could be in the works.

Running backs Matt Colburn and Cade Carney could be major factors, particularly with the quarterback situation unclear amid the competition between Kendall Hinton and John Wolford.

After all, it's a Wake Forest team that failed to score more than 14 points in half of its regular-season games last year.

"I think on offense for the first time, you're looking at a lineup that

The Carolina coach will not allow a trip to Nashville for NCAA reasons derail his season before it begins

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal

JEREMY BREVARD | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Dave Clawson speaks to the media during the ACC Kickoff at the Westin Charlotte on July 13.

isn't freshmen and sophomores," Clawson said.

"Even last year I think there was a game that we started nine freshmen and sophomores on offense. ... That's the thing I'm most excited about is you can become more creative when kids understand the system."

Wake Forest was involved in its share of close games last year, going 4-2 in outcomes decided by eight points or less.

Yet Clawson points out that his Wake Forest teams have yet to register a real eye-catching result.

"We want to have that big, signature win against one of the top teams in the conference," he said.

"That's something that we still haven't accomplished, and that is certainly a big goal for this year is you win one of those games, you're like, 'Wow, Wake got it done.'"

MOST IMPORTANT: DB Jessie Bates III — He made a big impact a year ago as a redshirt freshman and now the stakes are raised. The Demon Deacons lost a large chunk of their experience in the defensive backfield, so now it will be Bates' turn to provide some leadership as well. He was second in the ACC last year with five interceptions, returning two of those for touchdowns so he has displayed the big-play capabilities. He's also a punt returner Clawson would like

to see break loose.

BREAKOUT STAR: QB Kendall Hinton — He ended up taking a redshirt season in 2016 despite a promising stretch in the first couple of games before an injury. He entered the 2017 preseason camp atop the depth chart, although he's battling QB John Wolford for the first-string role for the second year in a row. The Demon Deacons know the benefits of Hinton winning the job, with the redshirt sophomore potentially holding that role for a few years. He has breakaway speed and shows a good knack when he's able to tuck the ball and run. He has made three career starts, including once last year before going out for the season with a knee injury in the third week.

NEWCOMER: WR Sage Surratt — The true freshman is competing at a position where the Demon Deacons have needed to find more production. He received largely positive reviews through the early part of camp, so he won't be overlooked when the coaching staff determines what roles he can fill. He received state Player of the Year recognition in football and basketball in high school in North Carolina, so his athleticism is well-documented. His brother, Chazz Surratt, is a candidate for the starting quarterback role at North Carolina.

CHAPEL HILL — The last place any coach wants to be just three weeks before the start of a new season is any place that separates him from his players and their preparation.

But that’s where North Carolina’s Larry Fedora will be on Wednesday.

Instead of being in Chapel Hill getting his football team ready for its opening game against California on Sept. 2, Fedora will be traveling to Nashville to appear before the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions.

Fedora, along with men’s basketball coach Roy Williams and women’s coach Sylvia Hatchell, will be among those representing the Tar Heels as they defend themselves against five major allegations involving UNC’s African and Afro-American studies department.

The case is so complex that the NCAA has allocated two days for the hearings.

As much of an inconvenience as the unplanned trip will be for a coach working to rebuild an offense decimated by graduation and early departures to the NFL, it might have been worse for Fedora had Wednesday not already been scheduled as a day off from preseason camp.

“It was fortunate that I had already planned that the guys were going to be off on the 16th,” Fedora said last week at his team's media day event. “It just happened that way. We have a practice on the 17th and we’re not going to change that. Whether I’m here or not, the staff will handle it and they’ll do a great job.”

Fedora said that it was only a

coincidence that his appearance before the Committee on Infractions fell on a day off from from practice, since he and his staff set their camp schedule last spring — long before the NCAA issued its second Amended Notice of Allegations and set a hearing date.

Although he isn’t happy about having to leave town during his busiest time of the year, Fedora was anything but surprised when he learned of the NCAA’s request for him to testify in person.

“I knew it was a possibility,” he said. “You can look at every case across the country and whoever’s in charge of football, whoever’s in charge of basketball, they’re always there. So I had a feeling. I was hoping it wouldn’t. But that’s the way it happened.”

UNC faces five Level I charges, including the most serious lack of institutional control, for academic irregularities that took place over an 18-year span from 1993-2011. The university has countered that the anomalous classes do not fall under the jurisdiction of NCAA bylaws.

Fedora said that he doubts his testimony will have much of an impact on the case either positively or negatively, since he wasn’t hired until 2012 and his program has already been sanctioned by the NCAA during a previous phase of the investigation.

The Tar Heels served a oneyear postseason ban during Fedora’s first season in Chapel Hill.

They were also forced to vacate 15 scholarships over a three-year span, along with 16 wins earned during 2008-09 under former coach Butch Davis.

"I’m there for support, really,” Fedora said. “There’s nothing I can add to what happened before I ever got here. Me being there is important not only for the NCAA, but for the university. It shows that compliance is important to me and our program.”

PANTHERS from page B1

WYNDHAM from page B1

seemed a little hesitant on runs up the middle, but he showed his burst of speed when given the opportunity to go around the end.

The 5-foot-11, 205-pound McCaffrey also showed that he’s big enough to help with pass protection, picking up Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Cushing on a Houston blitz.

Ohio State receiver Curtis Samuel, the team’s second-round pick, and Miami corner Corn Elder, a fifth-rounder, both sat out with injuries — hamstring for Samuel and knee for Elder.

Offensive lineman Taylor Moton, picked up by the Panthers with the team’s second pick in the second round, showed that he could make an immediate impact. Moton started the evening at left guard, then moved to right tackle — where he’s battling veteran Darryl Williams for the starting job — in the second quarter.

At both positions, Moton showed very clean blocking, neutralizing his man in pass protection and clearing paths on the run. Moton also showed good mobility, pulling frequently from his left guard spot.

Defensive end Daeshon Hall, a third-rounder out of Texas A&M, entered the game with five minutes remaining in the first quarter. True to his pre-draft scouting report, he showed speed, but size might be a concern. Hall was able to change directions quickly and pressure mobile rookie quarterback Dashon Watson when he rolled out of the pocket. He also showed an ability to cover tight ends on short pass plays, picking up a pass-breakup in the second half. On plays when Watson stayed in the pocket, however, Hall was often stopped in his tracks by blockers. Hall also got knocked off his feet twice by linemen.

Sixth-rounder Alex Armah was drafted as a fullback out of West Georgia. The team doesn’t make frequent use of a two-back formation, which could hurt his ability to see the field. Armah entered the game at the end of the third quarter and appeared in a handful of plays, blocking well as he cleared a path for tailback Jalen Simmons. He also was in on the second-half field goal team, although he’ll likely need to have a bigger special teams role if he hopes to earn a spot on the roster.

The Panthers picked kicker

Sergio Garcia of Spain.

However, nobody has come close to Snead’s record of eight.

Davis Love III, a Carolina boy, came the closest by taking the title three times, most recently in 2015 at age 51 — for the last of his 21 PGA Tour titles while barely falling short of Snead’s age record.

“It means a lot here at Greensboro,” Love said after beat Jason Gore by one stroke. “They’ve always been good to me for a long, long time. It’s thrilling to do it here where I played at (the University of) North Carolina.

“To have your name thrown out there with Sam Snead at any point is incredible. I did think about that a couple times out there today, that for some reason this tournament has been good to guys in my age group. You know, multiple winners.

“When you get to a tournament where you feel good and comfortable and having fun and got a lot of fans, it certainly makes it a little bit easier and more fun to play.

“It’s just nice to be mentioned with Sam Snead and to get another win here because this tournament, this state, this town has been so good to me.

“I can’t catch him. ... I don’t think I’ll chase that record.”

Si Woo Kim of South Korea became the latest winner of the Wyndham last year, beating Luke Donald of England by five strokes for his first PGA Tour victory at the age of 21.

Kim, who is unable to defend his title because of a back injury, became the second-youngest winner in tournament history behind Ballesteros, who was 20 when he claimed the title at Sedgefield in 1978.

Kim showed it was no fluke by becoming the youngest player to win the Players Championship earlier this year by three shots over Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa and Ian Poulter of England.

“I’m very happy being the youngest winner this (season),” said Kim, who shot a Sedgefield course record of 60 in the second round and sank a 14-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to tie the tournament record of 21-under 259 set by Carl Pettersson of Sweden in 2008.

“I never expected a course record.”

It seems Greensboro is a place to make history, no matter how old you are.

JEREMY BREVARD | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Devin Funchess (17) is upended by Houston Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson (25) in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Aug. 9.

Harrison Butker in the seventh round, and the Georgia Tech product is pushing veteran Graham Gano. Butker got his chance in the second half, hitting a PAT and a 51-yard field goal. He had one touchback on kickoffs but gave up a 15-yard return when his second kickoff only made it to the four.

Any update battles?

on

position

Right tackle: Williams started at right tackle and didn’t make any glaring errors, likely allowing him to maintain his early lead over the rookie Moton.

Kicker: Gano had two PATs and a 45-yard field goal. He hit the upright on a 50-yard attempt.

On kickoffs, Gano’s specialty, he had two touchbacks. However, Houston returned one that went midway into the end zone, and he sent another kick to the 10.

Punter: Newcomer Michael Palardy and incumbent Andy Lee each got two punts. Palardy had a 51 yarder and a 41-yarder, sending both inside the 20. Lee’s punts went for 40 and 32 yards, giving Palardy a big early lead.

Third wide receiver: With Samuel out due to injury, Rus-

sell Shepard had the chance to pull away in the competition. He didn’t do much with the opportunity, however, finishing without a catch and rarely getting open enough to become a target.

Slot cornerback: Returning veteran Captain Munnerlyn got first crack at the spot, getting one tackle. Second-year Panther Zack Sanchez struggled a bit, getting beaten badly by the tight end once, although Watson overthrew his target, allowing Sanchez to save face, somewhat.

Safety depth: Colin Jones was the first to see the field, getting two solo tackles and two assists.

He also got bulled into the end zone on a Texans’ touchdown run.

Dezmen Southward was next and had a mixed bag on the night. He had a good hit on the second series of the game and followed up with a nice open-field tackle. He missed a tackle on the touchdown run, however and later missed a tackle on a long pass reception.

L.J. McCray didn’t get into the game until very late, but he did well, getting a good hit on the quarterback on a blitz and laying out a receiver on a long reception.

How did the local college guys do?

Duke linebacker Jeremy Cash entered the game in the third series. He promptly got his hands on a fumble, ran down a receiver from behind and pressured the quarterback on a third-and-goal incompletion. He also went offside on a blitz.

ECU linebacker Zeek Bigger made a tackle on kickoff coverage, blitzed on a play that resulted in a sack and made several tackles late, including a sack on a blitz. He also picked up a blocking penalty on a punt return.

NC State receiver Trevor Graham was on the kickoff return team in the second half and lined up at wideout late in the third quarter. He was targeted once, on a pass that was broken up in the end zone.

Charlotte receiver Austin Duke had a slow start, with drops on his first two targets, including one that nearly cost the team seven points, when it was initially ruled a fumble. He recovered with a good punt return (wiped out by a return team penalty) and made two long catches, including one over the middle in double coverage.

WEDNESDAY

08.16.17

NORTH

STATE

Celebrate National Rum Day, minus the glass, with cake

JOURNaL

the good life IN A NORTH STATE OF MIND

thrive | in the classroom

play list

Aug. 18 Asheville Wine & Food Festival Asheville The Asheville Wine & Food Festival is a celebration of the finest regional, national and international wines, exceptional restaurants, craft beer and spirit and artisanal foods. Please your palate while getting to know the eclectic city of Asheville.

Aug. 18-Nov. 19 Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit at Reynolda House Winston-Salem To celebrate 100 years of Reynolda and 50 years of Reynolda House Museum of American Art, the museum will display "Georgia O'Keeffe: Living Modern" from Aug. 18 to Nov. 19. Reynolda House Museum of American Art is a nonprofit, public museum dedicated to the arts and education.

Aug. 19 National Airborne Day Celebration Ceremony Fayetteville

PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNC REX HEALTHCARE

UNC REX Healthcare hosted a “Stuff the Bus” event to gather donations of school supplies for students and teachers in need in Wake County.

North Carolina heads back to school Teachers, students prepare to return; supplies gathered for those in need

“We can all feel good about helping kids start the school year with the tools they need to succeed.”

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal KINSTON — Across North Carolina, more than 1.5 million students in K-12 are heading back to the classroom. This means teachers are preparing lesson plans, parents are buying school supplies, football practices have begun and students are preparing for a new academic year.

From church and community book bag drives to physicals for sports teams and study tips for success, North Carolinians are preparing for the year in a variety of ways.

“Teaching is a passion. Seeing the excitement on the faces of students as they begin the school year and helping them move toward graduation is a true calling and privilege,” said Cheryl Bynum, a high school Spanish teacher at the North East Carolina Prep School in Tarboro.

“We want our students to succeed. I encourage students to regularly talk with their teachers and guidance counselors regarding questions they have regarding assignments, testing and overall grades,” she added.

Teachers are the best advice-givers when it comes to preparing for success in the classroom. Leigh Anne Orr, a seventh-grade math and science teacher at Elm City Middle School in Wilson County, offers these tips for students: • Be organized. Have class notes and work separated by different tabs in binders.

• Have notebooks for each

Kerry Grace Heckle, UNC REX Healthcare

More than 7,000 school supplies were collected in Wake County for “Stuff the Bus.”

class.

• Have a daily planner or agenda to write homework assignments, task lists, etc.

• Review notes daily. Make notecards for vocabulary words to review over the course of the year.

• Don’t be afraid to ask the teacher questions. Ask how the test will be formatted. Ask for additional help in areas that are difficult.

• Recopy or type notes for additional study practice.

• Use resources, like YouTube, to search for math or science examples to gain additional practice.

• Be an individual and proud of who you are. Be open to all new experiences and topics while respecting the opinions of others.

“The AVID rule of thumb is to study your notes for 10 min-

utes, every 24 hours, seven days a week,” said Orr. “If you don’t succeed the first time, you are not failing. This is teaching life lessons and shows you how to try again. Don’t be discouraged.

Ask the teacher for help if you need clarifying on a subject.”

It’s not just the teachers who want students to meet their academic goals for the year. It’s communities, too.

For many students, obtaining school supplies can be a financial challenge or burden. Civic and church groups, along with health care organizations such as UNC Health and UNC REX Healthcare, are stepping up to meet the needs of their communities.

“Our first Stuff the Bus effort was a definite success,” said Kerry Grace Heckle, public relations director for UNC REX Healthcare. “Co-workers from across UNC REX Healthcare, and members of the community, collected school supplies to support kids and teachers in Wake County Public Schools.

“As one of Wake County’s largest employers, UNC REX co-workers were proud to make a positive impact and give back to their community,” she added. “We can all feel good about See SCHOOL, page B6

Honor the 77th anniversary of the U.S. Army's airborne forces and the 17th anniversary of the opening of the Airborne and Special Operations Museum (ASOM).

Visit the ASOM and see static displays from the XVIII Airborne Corps, United States Army Special Operations Command and 82nd Airborne Division.

Aug. 19 "Bee Amazed" National Honey Bee Day Celebration Goldsboro Come out for a day of fun and education at the "Bee Amazed" — National Honey Bee Day Celebration, hosted by the Beekeepers of the Neuse with activities for the entire family. Enjoy face painting, candle making, a scavenger hunt and live music with plenty of BBQ and homemade ice cream.

Aug. 19 Taste of Kannapolis Wine & Beer Festival Kannapolis Local vineyards, wineries and breweries will be sharing a selection of their wines and beers. Vendors will have food, arts and crafts and local products for sale.

Aug. 19 Hot Nights, Cool Rides Show Forest City Experience one of the largest car shows in the southeast where more than 400 cars, trucks, and motorcycles take over downtown Forest City for the entire day. Thousands of spectators will come out to enjoy the live entertainment, food and fun. Entries include hot rods, decked-out cycles and vintage trucks.

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

B6

NeCessities! history marked August 13, 1587 Manteo, friend to the Roanoke colonists

August 17, 1816 Death of Samuel Johnston of "Hayes" in Chowan County

On this day, Manteo, an Algonquian Indian, was baptized into the Church of England on Roanoke Island. The baptism was the first in the New World.

A friend to colonists from earlier English attempts to settle on Roanoke Island, Manteo also traveled to England in 1584 and again in 1585. He returned to his home with the members of the 1587 colony, who would later become known as the Lost Colony. While in England, Manteo met Sir Walter Raleigh and spent time with the scientist Thomas Harriot, with whom he was already acquainted. He worked with Harriot learning English and teaching Harriot the Algonquian language. Raleigh designated Manteo "Lord of Roanoke," and it is possible that his baptism was a requirement of receiving that title. His name lives on today as the name of the county seat of Dare County.

Born in Scotland, Samuel Johnston immigrated to North Carolina as an infant. Trained as a lawyer, he represented Chowan County in the colonial assembly until the advent of the American Revolution. During the Revolution, Johnston was a strong leader of the patriot cause. He was a member of North Carolina's Provincial Council, a delegate to the first four provincial congresses and worked as treasurer to fund and supply the war effort. When North Carolina's first constitutional convention met in Hillsborough in 1788, Johnston, a leading Federalist, was elected president, even though the majority of delegates were opposed to ratification.

He served in the same role in 1789 convention in Fayetteville. A relative of royal governor Gabriel Johnston, Johnston served in the state's top job from 1787 to 1789, before being elected one of the state's first U.S. senators in 1789. He retired from public life briefly, before being called on to again serve in the state legislature, this time representing Martin County. His last public position was a superior court judge between 1800 and 1803, and he died less than two weeks after retiring from that post. He is buried at "Hayes," his Chowan home.

August 18, 1587 Virginia Dare, first English child in the New World Virginia Dare became the first child born in the Americas to English parents. She was named in honor of the Virgin Queen of England, Elizabeth I. Her parents, Eleanor and Ananias Dare, were part of the Roanoke Colony, an early attempt by the English to establish a permanent settlement in the New World. Her birth was recorded by her grandfather John White, governor of the colony.

White returned to England seeking supplies. It took three years before he could secure passage back to Roanoke Island, and upon his return he found the colonists had vanished. On Aug. 18, 1937, the state of North Carolina issued a delayed birth certificate to Virginia Dare, partially to promote the newly established outdoor drama “The Lost Colony.”

August 19, 1956 Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain date back to 1956

pair chose the August 1956 date to commemorate the anniversary of an important event in the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion against in Scotland, though the event was moved to the second weekend in July two years later.

The Avery County event has gained international fame, and its competitions in athletics, bagpiping, drumming and dancing are recognized worldwide. The games also have the distinction of being the largest "clan gathering" in the world since it draws so many Scottish family heritage groups. North Carolina had the largest settlement of Highland Scots outside of Scotland until well into 1800s.

The first Grandfather Mountain Highland Games were held near Linville in 1956. The games were conceived

by Agnes MacRae Morton and Donald MacDonald. MacDonald was inspired to start games in North Carolina after attending a similar event on a trip to Scotland. Morton heard of a similar gathering in Connecticut and thought that Grandfather Mountain would be the perfect setting to try something comparable in North Carolina. The

SOURCE: NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES

National Airborne Day

stir it up

Cheers to National Rum Day

By NSJ Staff

By NSJ Staff

N.C. is home to the U.S. Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division

North Carolina is home to around 40 distilleries, making hundreds of different spirits. There are at least nine distilleries making rum in the Old North State.

National Rum Day is Aug. 16, so here’s a list of some of the best rum the state has to offer: Carolina Coast Silver Rum from Broadslab Distillery — Benson Carolina Agricole Rum from Fair Game Beverage Co. — Pittsboro Hazel 63 Rum from H&H Distillery — Asheville

National Airborne Day is observed on Aug. 16 and was created in 2002

by President George W. Bush by a presidential proclamation. The United States Senate recognized National Airborne Day with a Resolution in 2009. The Airborne ranks include the vaunted 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, and the "Screaming Eagles" of the 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Ky., along with the elite

special forces units which are also headquartered at Fort Bragg.

Aug. 16, 1940, marks the date of the first official Army parachute jump at Ft. Benning, Ga. The successful jump validated the innovative concept of inserting United States ground combat forces behind a battle line by parachute. These sky soldiers represent some of the most prestigious and effectively trained forces in the U.S. Army.

Aug. 16, 2000, is the founding date for the Airborne & Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, which is hosting a 77th Anniversary Celebration of the first parachute jump on Saturday, Aug. 19.

Mother Earth Rum from Mother Earth Spirits — Kinston Queen Charlotte's Reserve from Muddy River Distillery — Belmont Kill Devil Rum from Outer Banks Distilling — Manteo Pamlico Rum from Scotts Point Distillery — Bath Seven Jars Rum from Seven Jars Distillery — Charlotte

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADOBE STOCK

Table Rock Rum from South Mountain Distilling Company — Connelly Springs

Muddy River Rum Cake Ingredient: Cake

1 Yellow Cake Mix box 1 Vanilla Pudding Mix box 4 eggs ½ cup Canola Oil ½ cup Water ½ Cup Rum (Queen Charlotte, Carolina Rum or Spiced Carolina Rum)

Ingredients: Glaze

1 stick butter ½ cup water 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup Rum (Queen Charlotte, Carolina Rum, Coconut or Spiced Carolina Rum)

Instructions: Cake

Instructions: Glaze

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Melt one stick (1/2 cup) butter in a saucepan.

Add cake mix and dry vanilla pudding mix together in a large bowl.

Stir in four eggs, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup canola oil and 1/2 cup rum.

Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly.

Turn off burner and add 3/4 cup rum.

Grease Bundt pan and pour in mixture.

Stir and bring to a quick reboil.

The glaze will still be thin.

Sprinkle nutmeg, cinnamon and nuts if desired.

Pour about 1/3 of the glaze over the bottom of the cake and let soak in for a few minutes.

Recipe by Muddy River Distillery

helping kids start the school year with the tools they need to succeed.”

For Wake County, more than 7,000 school supplies were collected including: 100-plus backpacks, 1,400 notebooks, 850 boxes of pencils, 815 folders and 100 full-size pumps of hand sanitizer, to name a few.

UNC Medical Center held a simultaneous drive to garner

Add 1/4 cup water and one cup sugar.

Wisk until smooth.

Bake for 35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

SCHOOL from page B5

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

school supplies for those in Orange County and collected more than 5,000 supplies.

In addition, many UNC Physicians Network practices are offering $10 sports physicals for new patients. For resources on understanding the difference between a well exam (physical) and sports physical, or to print the $10 sports physical form, visit https://www.uncpn.com/pn/ care-treatment/back-to-school/.

Members of the Army’s Black Daggers and Golden Knights parachute teams soar into Fort Bragg during the Iron Mike Rally, April 29, 2016.

Flip the cake over and poke with a fork so the rum will have holes to run into.

Drizzle the rest of the glaze over the top of the cake.

A1C JAMES RICHARDSON | U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO

PHOTO COURTESY OF UNC REX HEALTHCARE

UNC REX Healthcare called their first “Stuff the Bus” a success.

U.S. Army paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division descend to the ground after jumping out of a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, over drop zone Sicily during Joint Operations Access Exercise at Ft. Bragg, N.C., on Sept. 10, 2011. JOAX is a one-week exercise to prepare the Air Force and the Army to respond to worldwide crises and contingencies.

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

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ENTERTAINMENT FILM REVIEW

‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ Samuel L. Jackson plays the hitman, Ryan Reynolds the bodyguard

By Peter Debruge Variety

JEFF KANDYBA | REUTERS

A sketch of Taylor Swift and her attorneys in Denver Federal Court during the Swift groping trial in Denver on Aug. 8.

Taylor Swift wins groping trial against DJ “I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this.”

— Taylor Swift

By Keith Coffman and Jann Tracey Reuters DENVER — Taylor Swift won her trial against a Colorado radio personality on Monday after a jury found that the former DJ assaulted and battered the pop star by groping her bare bottom, and awarded her the symbolic $1 in damages she had sought.

Swift cried and hugged her mother as the verdicts were read in U.S. District Court in Denver and mouthed an emphatic "thank you" to members of the jury as they left the courtroom.

The six-woman, two-man jury, which deliberated for less than four hours following a sensational week-long trial, also rejected claims by radio personality David Mueller that members of Swift's management team — her mother and a radio station liaison — got him fired from his "dream job" as a DJ by making false accusations.

"I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this," the 27-year-old

singer said in a statement released immediately following the verdicts.

"My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard," Swift said, adding that she would make donations to organizations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves.

Mueller, 55, showed no reaction as the verdicts were read.

The DJ had initiated the litigation after he was fired from his job after the groping claim was reported to the radio station. In his lawsuit he called the groping accusations false, and he sued Swift, her mother, Andrea, and radio station liaison Frank Bell over his termination.

During closing statements in the case, Mueller's attorney, Gabriel McFarland, argued that his client was a respected industry veteran who would never have risked his $150,000-per-year radio job by grabbing a major celebrity's rear end.

But Swift was firm on the witness stand, saying that there was no question in her mind that Mueller had intentionally slipped his hand under her skirt to clutch

TV REVIEW

‘Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update’ SNL skit gets summer stand-alone

By Sonia Saraiya Variety LOS ANGELES — If "Saturday Night Live's" enduring "Weekend Update" segment is your cup of tea, then a standalone summer edition will be a welcome respite.

If not, "Weekend Update: Summer Edition" is unlikely to seduce you. NBC's special edition of the faux newscast stretches the segment and adds a commercial break, which that means more than ever its success rests not on the momentum of the evening, the charisma of the host, or the enthusiasm of the studio audience but on the talents and chemistry of anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che. Those two are still grappling with a stilted awkwardness in their "Weekend Update" personas that make them both less engaging than they would otherwise be on their own. But as "Saturday Night Live" has enjoyed a resurgence in ratings and cultural relevancy, Jost's and Che's growing pains have smoothed out into a predictable dynamic.

Tonight's premiere of "Weekend Update: Summer Edition" had the advantage of a ton of Donald Trump-related material to work with and several guest appearances: "SNL" cast member Leslie Jones, featured cast members Mikey Day and Alex Moffat, and alum Bill Hader (in a committed impression as Anthony Scaramucci). Jost's biggest laugh — one punctuated with gasps and groans — came from a remark about how even President Frank-

lin Roosevelt knew when to stand up. Che, meanwhile, found his sweet spot in the midst of a long analogy about how the Statue of Liberty had gotten "bougie" lately, which ended with his exclamation: "Bitch, you ain't China!"

Still, with the news being what it is — and with so many other shows in the satirical news space — the humor didn't quite match up to the material. During the regular season, "Weekend Update" gets a handicap precisely because it is buried in the middle of a 90-minute live sketch show with just one week to throw everything together. On its own, the premiere of the summer edition was a reminder of how sharp and hilarious the political satire game can be elsewhere.

Where "Weekend Update" can stand out is in its commitment to things that aren't funny-ish one-liners based on headlines.

That's why Jones' appearances as a randomly horny version of herself are always so welcome. Oddly, the best joke of the night was Moffat as Eric Trump, aah-ing over a fidget spinner, maybe because it barely had to be written at all: Moffat just stared at it, while Day (as Donald Jr.) spun it for him.

With the threat of nuclear war in the headlines, it's nice that "Weekend Update" is around for the summer to add a little more levity to a news cycle that is full of fire and fury. And for fans of "Saturday Night Live," "Weekend Update: Summer Edition" promises to feature contributions from a number of the show's key cast members during the next few weeks, providing a nice holdover until the mothership returns for Season 43 in the fall.

her bare bottom.

Her attorney, Douglas Baldridge, said during his closing remarks that Swift was seeking only $1 in damages because she had no desire to bankrupt Mueller, but only wanted to send a message.

"It means 'no means no' and it tells every woman they will decide what will be tolerated with their body," Baldridge said of the principle Swift was trying to defend.

U.S. District Judge William Martinez on Friday dismissed Mueller's accusation against Swift, saying there was no evidence that she had acted improperly. The judge left standing the entertainer's assault and battery countersuit against Mueller.

He also left intact a single claim

by Mueller accusing Swift's mother and Bell of interfering with his contract and effectively ending his career at radio station KYGO-FM. The jury rejected that claim.

Before the trial, Martinez had tossed out Mueller's defamation-of-character claim against Swift, ruling that he had waited too long to file a lawsuit on those grounds.

Netflix discussing keeping Disney’s Marvel, ‘Star Wars’ films

By Lisa Richwine Reuters LOS ANGELES — Netflix is in "active discussions" with Walt Disney Co. about keeping Marvel and "Star Wars" films after 2019, when new Disney and Pixar movies will stop appearing on the streaming service, a senior executive said late on Thursday.

Disney announced on Tuesday that it was pulling new Disney and Pixar films from Netflix, starting with new releases in 2019. It will start putting the movies on a new Disney-branded online service that year.

Disney CEO Bob Iger told analysts the company had not yet decided where it would distribute superhero films from Marvel Studios and movies from "Star Wars" producer Lucasfilm, which the company owns, at that time.

Netflix is still in discussions with Disney about retaining rights to stream Marvel and Lucasfilm releases after 2019, Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos told Reuters.

Shares of Netflix were up 1.3 percent at $171.41 in afternoon trading after falling 5 percent in the two days following Disney's announcement.

A Disney spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Iger said on Tuesday that the Marvel and Lucasfilm movies could go to Netflix or another streaming service after 2019, or Disney might retain the rights for itself.

Sarandos said he expected Disney's service to be "complementary" to Netflix, which carries other family-friendly programming such as animated movies from "Despicable Me" creator Illumination Entertainment and "Shrek" producer Dreamworks Animation.

Disney's plan to stream its content directly to consumers is "a natural evolution" for traditional media companies that Netflix expected, Sarandos said in an interview at an event to celebrate Emmy nominations for his company's drama, "The Crown."

"That's why we got into the originals business five years ago, anticipating it may be not as easy a conversation with studios and networks" to license their content, he added.

Disney's break from Netflix applies only to its film deal in the U.S., where the streaming service runs new Disney movies shortly after they leave theaters.

LOS ANGELES — "The Hitman's Bodyguard" is about as close to a live-action cartoon as you're likely to get this year — you know, the kind where someone blows a cannonball-shaped hole through Wile E. Coyote's abdomen or a stick of dynamite reduces him to a pile of cinders, and the next thing you know, he's up and chasing the Road Runner again. That's not a style that works much of the time (see "Shoot 'Em Up" or early Arnold Schwarzenegger flop "The Villain"), but in the hands of "The Expendables 3" helmer Patrick Hughes — and more importantly, owing to the chemistry of stars Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds — it makes for a delightfully ridiculous screwball action comedy.

The premise is simple: Jackson plays the hitman, Darius Kincaid, while Reynolds plays his bodyguard, Michael Bryce, and they both need to get from London to the Hague without getting killed. That's easier said than done as a seemingly inexhaustible army of Belarusian mercenaries do their best to rub them both out (to the extent of firing bazookas down Amsterdam canals) in order to prevent Kincaid from giving testimony against genocidal warlord Vladislav Dukhovich (Gary Oldman, projecting pure evil from his eyes, while the rest of his face is hidden behind prosthetic facial scars).

Normally, Bryce and Kincaid are bitter rivals. The former works to keep his clients alive, no matter how corrupt they might be, while the latter has led a very successful career in eliminating them. Kincaid has nearly killed Bryce no fewer than 28 times, but only once has he managed to eliminate someone Bryce was hired to protect (we'll leave it to you to discover/ guess who that might have been). Actually, it's too obvious to write around, so skip this sentence if you're afraid of spoilers: The movie opens with the botched job that ended Bryce's relationship with Interpol agent Amelia Roussel (Elodie Yung) and cost him his triple-A status.

Now Bryce is back at the bottom of the food chain, living in his car and chauffeuring around white-collar deadbeats (like Richard Grant, who plays a hopped-up human target with a periwinkle Rolls“The Royce and a massive quantity of Hitman’s heroin stashed up his rectum).

Bodyguard” Meanwhile, with more than 200 kills to his name, Kincaid is better is at the top of his game when than much he gets nabbed visiting his wife, costlier Sonia, in hospital (Salma Hayek like you've never seen her, saltier studioand more ferocious even than backed Jacki Weaver was in "Animal equiv­ Kingdom"). "When she severed that dude's carotid artery with a alents.” beer bottle ... I knew right then," Kincaid says, misting up as he remembers the violent couple's bloody meet-cute.

With his beloved Sonia behind bars (it's unclear why they can do this, although that flashback bar fight alone might justify it), Kincaid is willing to do anything for her release, even if it means risking his own life. That's essentially what it comes down to, since his protection detail has been compromised, and Interpol's assistant director (Joaquim de Almeida, playing it obvious) is working directly with Dukhovich to kill Kincaid en route to the tribunal — except that the evidence, when it finally comes, suggests that the hitman would've been fine just turning over access to his FTP site. No matter: It's more fun trying to follow this "get me to the church on time"-style runaround, as Bryce is forced to make nice with Kincaid in hopes that it will give him a second chance with Amelia.

It's no small challenge to multitask two romantic subplots while also trying to manage the already-combustible dynamic between Bryce and Kincaid, and yet, Hughes pulls it off, thanks to a wildly irreverent script credited to Tom O'Connor — only his second to be produced, though earlier thriller "Fire With Fire" offers zero trace of this film's comic touch, suggesting the work of other, unsung contributors here.

Jackson and Reynolds come to the table with very distinct star personae, and it's clear the foulmouthed comedy went through a serious rewrite to fit its two leads. In a film that's only so-so in the action department, the real fun comes from the incessant bickering between the two stars. Reynolds plays it cute, but Jackson steals the show, putting Bryce in his place with an existential question — the kind philosopher-hitman Jules Winnfield might have asked in "Pulp Fiction" — about which of the two men has chosen the more righteous path.

The rest is so over-the-top, the only way to play along is to treat it as an elaborate Road Runner cartoon, where Kincaid can take a bullet to the leg, extract the bullet himself (a Rambo-era cliche meant to convey gritty realism amid completely unbelievable violence) and jump off a roof, without so much as limping. An early staircase shootout pales in comparison to last month's "Atomic Blonde" (although this movie makes better use of ’80s songs), while other sequences are either too heavily computer-assisted or shot with blatant stunt doubles — as when Bryce wears his helmet for the entirety of a drawn-out motorcycle chase.

Coming from a company known for pyrotechnic B movies, "The Hitman's Bodyguard" is better than much costlier studio-backed equivalents. Plus, it comes with the added bonus of listening to ackson sing the original (Oscar-eligible?) ditty "Nobody Gets Out Alive." It's a nice display of versatility from an actor who is very comfortably within his wheelhouse here, ultra-cool and cockroach-unkillable as he laughs off every scrape.

North State Journal for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

B8

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SOLUTIONS FROM 08.09.17

DISCOVER

SUMMER

Discover exciting things to do across all 100 North Carolina counties!

ncdcr.gov/discoversummernc

NC DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES