North State Journal — Vol. 2., Issue 14

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VOLUME 2 ISSUE 14

www.NSJONLINE.com |

SATURDAY, April 15, 2017

Inside How the Hurricanes missed playoffs. Sports

Eamon Queeney | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Children race to collect eggs as they are released from the boundaries during the 6 - 8-year-old egg hunt during Garner’s Spring Eggstravaganza Lake Benson Park on April 8. Hundreds — if not thousands — of children descended on Lake Benson park for games, crafts, vendors and a mad dash for candy filled eggs.

the weekend

News BRIEFing Push to revoke taxpayerfunded pensions from bad behavior judges Raleigh The North Carolina Senate took steps on Tuesday to further prevent judges convicted of a felony from collecting taxpayer-funded pensions. Senate Bill 117 would forfeit retirement benefits, except for a return of individual contributions plus interest, for judges impeached, convicted, or removed from office by the state Supreme Court.

Rolling Stone, University of Virginia end defamation case Charlottesville, Va. Rolling Stone magazine and the University of Virginia have reached an agreement which ends a defamation case over the publication’s retracted story about an alleged gang rape at the school. Rolling Stone had been appealing a $3 million defamation verdict a Virginia federal court jury awarded in November to university administrator Nicole Eramo.

Honing Brexit campaign, EU takes aim at UK residence red tape Brussels, Belgium The European Union should tell London to cut red tape that makes it hard for EU expats to confirm their residence in Britain, senior EU officials said after a meeting in preparation for Brexit talks.

Advisers to the 27 other EU government leaders broadly endorsed draft guidelines for negotiations with Britain on its withdrawal, set to begin in June. In a possible mark of fireworks to come, some pressed for clearer, tougher wording on how much Britain must pay to cover its commitments to the Union.

INSIDE

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NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

By Donna King North State Journal RALEIGH — Throughout 2016, North Carolina’s biggest cities were regular sites of prayer vigils, campaign rallies and images of clergy electing to be led away from protests in handcuffs.

Politics in the last year or two has seemed to pull more from the pulpit than ever before. In issues ranging from state budgets to criminal justice to social policy, conservatives and liberals both turn to their faith for guidance, but many are reading the same passages and coming up with a

On your mark, get set ... GO! Garner, N.C., is one of the hottest spots for young families and new construction, and the annual Eggstravaganza showed why

By Donna King North State Journal

different answer.

Faith has long been a flashpoint in American politics. In the election of 1800 between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, one of the big attack campaigns against Jefferson was the inaccurate accusation that Jefferson was atheist. Religious leaders and their followers played key roles in campaigns throughout American history.

“You had Baptists in the early tradition who wanted less of the state involved because they had been persecuted so heavily in Europe and when they came to America they wanted the state out of religion,” said Ray Nothstine, deputy opinion editor of the North State Journal. “Now some Southern Baptists want to see a more moral formation in govern-

GARNER, N.C. — It was an all-out foot race in Garner this weekend for more than 10,000 candy-filled eggs at Lake Benson Park in Garner. The Annual Easter Eggstravaganza drew a 5,000 strong crowd to enjoy the sunshine and the new blooms of spring. For the age 9 to 11 group of egg hunters more than 1,500 eggs were snatched up in less than a minute.

“We hope everyone got their Easter fill. It was a mad rush so we staggered the age groups and times with 30 minutes between hunts,” said Kendrick Mayes, marketing and events coordinator for the Garner Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources (PRCR). Mayes has been with Garner for three years after starting as an intern.

Once a sleepy rural town, Garner has exploded in recent years with population growth and amenities.

Now considered a suburb of the capital city of Raleigh, Garner is drawing more young families every year looking for new home construction and an affordable cost of living.

“We are gearing up for our new indoor rec center that will be coming to Main Street with three fullsized gyms and a 40,000-square-foot elevated walking track,” said Mayes. “We are really looking forward to that as well as more of the growth of downtown, new playgrounds, improvements to our current facility.”

Garner was formed in the late 1840s when a tie-breaking vote by the Speaker of the State House of Representatives chose it as the location of a North Carolina Railroad station between Goldsboro and Charlotte. “Garner’s Station” was established with

See religion, page A3

See egg hunt, page A2

Politics from the pulpit Both sides of the aisle say their faith influences their vote, but is it their of view of God that’s different or their view of government?

Hometown Spotlight | garner

Garner has a population of more than 28,000 people, a 50 percent increase since 2000

Catholic Diocese of Raleigh looks to future cathedral and leader

By Mollie Young North State Journal RALEIGH — As construction on Western Boulevard enters its final weeks, the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh is transitioning to a new role in the hearts of the faithful in eastern North Carolina: both in location and leadership.

The inspiration for a new cathedral was simple: necessity. “Sacred Heart is the second smallest Cathedral in the United States,” said former Bishop of Raleigh and architect of the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral project, the Most Reverend Michael Francis Burbidge. Burbidge served as the leader of the Diocese of Raleigh from 2006-2016. “We simply outgrew Sacred Heart, and that speaks to the rapid growth and vibrancy of the Raleigh area.”

According to UNC’s Carolina Population Center, the Triangle region has accounted for 40 percent of North Carolina’s population growth. And while Southern Baptists make up the largest number of followers statewide, the Catholic Church has the largest number of adherents in Orange and Wake counties.

Migration both foreign and domestic has impacted these concentrations: in 1990 fewer than 150,000 See cathedral, page A2

christine t. nguyen | North State Journal

The new Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, located in Raleigh, will be the fifth largest cathedral in the United States.

North State Journal for Saturday, April 15, 2017

A2

Two-thirds of cancers caused by random genetic mistakes

SATURDAY

04.15.17 #70

In the first-ever estimate of how many cancers are caused by gene errors, the study breaks new ground in the search for a cure

“Elevate the conversation”

By Julie Steenhuysen Reuters

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

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

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

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: North State Journal 819 W. Hargett Street Raleigh, N.C. 27603.

photo illustration by madeline gray | North State Journal

Opioid exposures among U.S. children and young adults top 10,000 a year NC bill would restrict prescriptions to patients

By Andrew M. Seaman Reuters COLUMBUS, Oh. — Between 2000 and 2015, poison control centers in the United States received 188,468 calls about prescription opioid exposures in children and teens, a new study finds.

That translates to roughly 11,700 calls per year placed to poison control centers, researchers say.

“We knew that we were in the middle of an opioid epidemic across the country — certainly in central Ohio, where we’re located,” said study author Dr. Marcel Casavant, who is chief of toxicology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and medical director of the Central Ohio Poison Center in Columbus.

Casavant said data from the National Poison Data System shows that children age 5 and younger usually came in contact with opioids through so-called exploratory exposures — such as when a child sees and eats a pill while crawling around on the floor.

cathedral from page A1

residents identified as Catholic, but that number almost tripled by the early 2010s.

The Catholic boom in North Carolina meant that the 300-seat Sacred Heart Cathedral on Hillsborough and McDowell in Raleigh just simply couldn’t accommodate the demand. Currently, the cathedral hosts 16 regular service masses a week, in both English and Spanish, to serve the congregation.

It was time for a Mother Church, and on Jan. 3, 2015 the Diocese broke ground on a piece of land rich in Catholic history. The “Nazareth property” was purchased in 1899 by the first native-born North Carolinian to be ordained a priest to serve as an orphanage and it later became the first location for Cardinal Gibbons High School.

Burbidge spearheaded the project for the Western Boulevard cathedral, ensuring that the clergy and community it would serve were involved. “We only would build what God’s people wanted us to build,” said the Bishop, “only what we could afford.” And the Diocese stood by that promise: construction of Holy Name

egg hunt from page A1

the construction of a post office in 1878, and the town of Garner’s Station incorporated in 1883. Today, it is one of the hottest housing markets in the state with a booming population of young families.

The town’s parks department was recently recognized with an accreditation by the National Parks and Recreation Department with a Capra award, in recognition of factors including services, safety and management. Garner PRCR is the ninth department in N.C. to receive this recognition..

“We are also a Kaboom Playful City in 2014, 2015, and 2016,” said Mayes. “From the camps to all the events we put on, we like to make sure we are family-oriented with our programs, providing them either free or at an affordable price.”

Playful City USA is nonprofit

54 Counties served by the Diocese of Raleigh

16 Regular masses a week held

by Sacred Heart Cathedral to accomodate the growing congregation

300 Seats in the old

Sacred Heart Cathedral

2,000 Seats in the new

Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral of Jesus Cathedral is estimated at $40 million, and was paid entirely through donations. In addition, the Diocese returned $8 million back to community Catholic missions and $18 million to the par-

group that recognizes cities and towns across the country that provide services to ensure that kids in their communities, particularly kids from low-income families, have access to active play.

The Easter Eggstravaganza led moms Seinna Steinhoff and Emily Cain to bring their girls out for a visit with the Easter Bunny, a jump in the bounce houses and a hot dog lunch on the grass in their hometown.

“This is our first time coming to this event and Garner does a great job of organizing it. I was worried with so many people but the parking was good and it didn’t feel crowded,” said Steinhoff.

Of course, Maddie Steinhoff, 3, was more interested in the colorful plastic eggs that filled her basket.

“I got lots of blue eggs in there ’cause they are my favorite,” she said, investigating the haul.

Children ages 6 to 12 were usually the victims of medication errors, for example, when they were given the wrong dose or accidentally given a second dose.

Calls about teenagers and young adults were mostly due to intentional exposures, such as suicide attempts or drug abuse.

The researchers report in the journal “Pediatrics” that opioid exposures among children and adolescents rose about 86 percent between 2000 and 2009 and then fell somewhat between 2009 and 2015.

The decline, Casavant said, might mean doctors are being more careful in prescribing opioids, parents are getting better at keeping the medications out of reach or locked away, and there’s improved technology for deterring people from obtaining large amounts of opioids.

A bill filed in the N.C. General Assembly recently would also put tighter restrictions on how many opioid prescriptions can be issued to a patient and also require use of a statewide system tracking which patient has how many opioids prescribed to them.

The measure currently has support from both Republicans and Democrats in the legislature, as well as Attorney General Josh Stein.

ishes that helped run the good faith campaign.

In a monumental moment of faith and transition, the church never expected to lose their torchbearer. In October, Burbidge received an unexpected call from Pope Francis that reassigned him to be the Bishop of Arlington, Va. “When I received the call, so close to completion; after 5 years to be at work, only to be transferred right before we crossed the finish line — was somewhat surprising,” said Burbidge, “But they told me the Holy Father believes your work is done, and in a way it was: all the major decisions were completed.”

The Diocese has kept their former leader involved from afar, but hasn’t missed a beat. “We certainly miss him, but we have an impressive team that are still managing their projects and reporting back to the leadership committee,” said Billy Atwell, the Diocesan Communications Director. “The way Bishop Burbidge established it was really providential that we were able to continue and not miss anything.”

While construction is on schedule for completion in late May and dedication set for July 26, there is

86% increase in opioid exposures among children and adolescents from 2000 to 2009

no timeline of when to expect the Pontiff to select Burbidge’s successor.

“Holy week takes on a different tone when you don’t even have your own shepherd,” said Atwell. “It is a very guarded process, until they make it public — even the people that help coordinate the transition only know maybe a few days ahead of time. So, we’re always phone-inhand, ready for the call.”

In the meantime, Archbishops from Atlanta have come in for holy ceremonies traditionally performed by the Bishop of Raleigh.

“The church is very wise in making sure there is still leadership available to you,” added Atwell.

“We’re in a limbo phase, and we are looking forward to having a shepherd.”

While it is uncertain who the next Bishop of Raleigh will be, he will take on a dynamic and growing community of faithful — in a cathedral that stands in grandeur over the state’s capital city. “It is what a cathedral was always supposed to be: a visible presence of God in our midst,” Burbidge remarked about the cathedral that will be the Nazareth of eastern North Carolina.

BALTIMORE — About twothirds of cancers are caused by random typos in DNA that occur as normal cells make copies of themselves, a finding that helps explain why healthy individuals who do everything they can to avoid cancer are still stricken with the disease, U.S. researchers say.

“These cancers will occur no matter how perfect the environment,” said Dr. Bert Vogelstein, a cancer geneticist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore whose study was published in the journal “Science”.

The new findings are based on genetic sequencing and cancer studies from 69 countries around the world. They follow a controversial 2015 study published in “Science” by the same researchers at Johns Hopkins that looked just at cancers in the United States.

That study, by Vogelstein and mathematician Cristian Tomasetti, asserted that random DNA mistakes accounted for a lot more of the risk of developing cancer than previously thought. The finding caused an outcry from cancer experts, who have traditionally held that most cancers were caused by preventable lifestyle and environmental factors or inherited genetic defects.

Although most people know about the hereditary and environmental causes of cancer, such as smoking, few appreciate the risk from random mistakes that occur each time a normal cell divides and copies its DNA into two new cells, Tomasetti said.

Such mistakes are “a potent source of cancer mutations that historically have been scientifically undervalued,” Tomasetti said in a statement.

The new work offers the first estimate of what proportion of cancers are caused by these random mistakes. To get there, the team developed a mathematical model using DNA sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and disease data from the Cancer Research UK database, looking specifically at mutations that drive aberrant cell growth in 32 different cancer types.

Although there was variation within specific cancers, overall, the researchers estimated that 66 percent of mutations in these cancers resulted from copying errors, 29 percent were caused by lifestyle and environmental factors, and the remaining 5 percent were inherited.

Although most of these mutations cannot be prevented, the team stressed that early detection and treatment can prevent many cancer deaths, regardless of the cause.

Though most cancers are due to bad luck, people should not ignore sound public health advice that can help people avoid preventable cancers, including maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding environmental risk factors such as smoking, the team said.

Jeidimar Chavez, 3, looks for any remaining eggs during Garner’s Spring Eggstravaganza Lake Benson Park on April 8.

Hundreds — if not thousands — of children descended on Lake Benson park for games, crafts, vendors and a mad dash for candy filled eggs.

Eamon Queeney | North State Journal

North State Journal for Saturday, April 15, 2017

BUSINESS

the BRIEF Destructive weed threatens U.S. corn fields

Wine Festivals: A step forward for business and cities Winemaking is far from a new thing in Stanly County, with some of its vineyards having decades of experience under their belts

By Dillon Whitley For the North State Journal ALBEMARLE — Winemakers in this part of N.C. are not content simply letting their product ferment. Like any other industry, wineries are always looking for ways to innovate and introduce their products to new people and markets. With advances in the modern day winemaking process and changes in how today’s consumers try out new wines, it’s evident there is no room for idleness in the winemaking market.

At the Stanly County Winter Wine Festival in downtown Albemarle, winemakers demonstrated the vast diversity of the area’s wineries. With all of the largest wineries from inside the county present and even more visiting from other counties, the festival serves as an excellent example of the impact Stanly County’s wine industry holds.

“Our largest goal is always to support our downtown business merchants,” said Katie Furr, head of the Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation which hosted the festival.

Furr said the organization, a local nonprofit, worked with several others such as the Albemarle Chamber of Commerce and the Stanly County Shrine Club to host the Winter Wine Festival.

The Wine Festival introduces new customers to Stanly County’s winemakers. Turnout for this event seemed particularly large this year, however Furr said this level of interest was par for the course. In fact, over the Winter Festival’s eight-year run, both interest and attendance have been steadily rising each year. As a result, the Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation is al-

religion from page A1

ment. Neither is right or wrong but you have splits. The religious left has grown because it’s in part a backlash to the religious right of the 1980s and 1990s.”

Baptist minister Franklin Graham led prayer vigils in state capitals across the country, including Raleigh, in the weeks leading up to the 2016 presidential election, drawing thousands of faithful.

The election results came as a shock to many on the left as voters sent Republican Donald Trump to the White House and swept Republicans into office at the state and local levels nationwide.

Democrats’ new effort to tap into the religious left as a voter base became urgent. Since the election the liberal Christian activist group Sojourners say donations have picked up by 30 percent.

“You see the rise of the religious left with Soujourners and one of the things they believe is that government can help bring in the commands of Jesus by using the welfare state, that the government can really do great things in providing for the needy,” Nothstine said. “While some on the right would say that it needs to be the churches driving the care for those in poverty. It really comes down to a fundamental difference in what do you believe government’s role is.

A3

Winterset, Iowa A U.S. government program designed to convert farmland to wildlife habitat has triggered the spread of a fast-growing weed that threatens to strangle crops in America’s rural heartland. The weed is hard to kill and, if left unchecked, destroys as much as 91 percent of corn on infested land, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is spreading across Iowa, which accounts for nearly a fifth of U.S. corn production and in 2016 exported more than $1 billion of corn and soy.

How artificial life spawned a billion-dollar industry

Courtesy of Dennis Vineyards

Dennis Vineyards was among the wineries present at the Stanly County Winter Wine Festival in downtown Albemarle.

ways looking for new ways to expand the event and accommodate more vineyards in the future.

Dennis Vineyards was among the wineries present at the festival. Headed by Sandon Dennis, the head winemaker, and his wife and office manager, Amy, Dennis Vineyards has plenty of experience adapting to a changing wine marketplace. Beginning as a hobby project roughly 20 years ago, Dennis Vineyards has grown well past that into one of the forefront vineyards in Stanly County.

Dennis Vineyards’s start as an initially small startup gives valuable insight into some of the overarching trends the local wine industry has undergone. Amy

“I think that’s part of the crisis we have today with increasing secularism. People are looking to government for answers instead of to higher things,” he added.

The “Moral Mondays” movement, launched in 2013 by the N.C. NAACP’s the Rev. William Barber, tapped into a liberal base of N.C. voters looking for state government to mandate and fund various social policy issues including abortion access, discrimination and entitlement expansion.

The near-weekly marches and fiery speeches gained national media attention but also served to polarize N.C. politics in a way few secular gatherings could.

Although not as powerful as the religious right, which has been credited with helping elect Republican presidents and boasts well-known leaders such as Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson, the “religious left” is now aiming to further engage their liberal base hoping to become a larger force in U.S. politics.

This disparate group, traditionally seen as lacking clout, says they have been propelled into political activism by Trump’s policies on immigration, health care and social welfare. Leaders of Faith in Public Life, a liberal policy group, coordinated 300 clergy members for a January rally at the U.S. Senate attempting to block confirma-

Dennis explained some of the improvements they have made to their winemaking process over the years to keep up with the ever-increasing demand, such as the implementation of a mechanical grape harvester, bottling line and new steel tanks for fermentation.

Dennis Vineyards has attended the festival since its start eight years ago and has seen the growth of the festival first hand.

“It has always been a pretty decent festival for us, but the last few years have been fantastic,” said Sandon Dennis.

Sandon Dennis said the festival’s excellent turnout, weather conditions and the fact it is an off-season event are great

“It is important for people of faith to understand for their inherent rights in this country that there are rights beyond the state, and if we just look to the state to do things I think we miss the mark.”

Ray Nothstine, deputy opinion editor of North State Journal

tion of Trump’s attorney general nominee, Jeff Sessions, because of accusations of controversial statements on race. Sessions has repeatedly denied the allegations.

A key test of Democrats’ strategy will be how well it will be able to translate its mobilization into votes in the 2018 midterm congressional elections.

“It’s one of the dirty little secrets of American politics that there has been a religious left all along and it just hasn’t done a good job of organizing,” said J. Patrick Hornbeck II, chairman of the theology department at Fordham University, a Jesuit school in New York.

“It has taken a crisis, or per-

for the industry and ultimately lead to more people visiting the vineyards in person. It should come as no surprise that Dennis Vineyards plans to continue to attend events like these, including Wilmington’s recent Azalea Festival.

With the popularity of openair festivals such as these on the rise it may open the way for other types of businesses — such as breweries — to make a name for themselves in Stanly County.

With more than 200 craft breweries present in N.C. — including a local brewery potentially coming to the Pfeiffer campus in downtown Albemarle — the town can certainly look forward to even more events in the future.

ceived crisis, like Trump’s election to cause folks on the religious left to really own their religion in the public square,” Hornbeck said.

Poverty is one of the issues where dialogue between liberal and conservative Christians often disagree. Some in the religious left are inspired by Pope Francis, the Roman Catholic leader who has been an outspoken critic of anti-immigrant policies and spoken often of helping the needy.

However, whether the Bible directs government or the church to be the saviors of the poor is a fundamental question for many Christians.

“Jesus is teaching about taking care of the poor, which is absolutely true, but it’s that dichotomy of is it the state’s involvement or is it your duty as a Christian?” said Nothstine. “You have mandate to take care of the poor but are you really taking care of the poor by having taxes seized from you? Is that really the mandate that Jesus is talking about?”

The Christian political gap isn’t as far as some think. According to a recent survey, 57 percent of Republicans assert that the Bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches compared to 40 percent of Democrats. Meanwhile, 61 percent of Republicans versus 48 percent of Democrats say their religious faith is important in their life.

London Scientists are getting closer to building life from scratch and technology pioneers are taking notice, with record sums moving into a field that could deliver novel drugs, materials, chemicals and even perfumes. Despite ethical and safety concerns, investors are attracted by synthetic biology’s wide market potential and the plummeting cost of DNA synthesis, which is industrializing the writing of the genetic code that determines how organisms function.

Bezos is selling $1 billion of Amazon stock a year to fund rocket venture Colorado Springs, Col. Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos said on Wednesday he is selling about $1 billion worth of the internet retailer’s stock annually to fund his Blue Origin rocket company, which aims to launch paying passengers on 11-minute space rides starting next year. Blue Origin had hoped to begin test flights with company pilots and engineers in 2017, but that probably will not happen until next year, Bezos told reporters at the annual U.S. Space Symposium in Colorado Springs.

Twitter refuses U.S. order to reveal user behind anti-Trump account San Francisco Twitter on Thursday filed a federal lawsuit to block an order by the U.S. government demanding that it reveal who is behind an account opposed to President Donald Trump’s tough immigration policies.

Twitter cited freedom of speech as a basis for not turning over records about the account, @ALT_uscis. The account is claimed to be the work of at least one federal immigration employee, according to the lawsuit filed in San Francisco federal court.

Iowa poised for major overhaul to gun regulations Des Moines, Iowa Iowa lawmakers approved on Thursday amended legislation that would enact sweeping changes to the state’s gun regulations, including a “stand your ground” provision, and sent it to the governor for final approval. The bill, backed by the National Rifle Association, says a law-abiding person does not have to retreat before using deadly force.

North State Journal for Saturday, April 15, 2017

BUSINESS

the BRIEF Destructive weed threatens U.S. corn fields

Wine Festivals: A step forward for business and cities Winemaking is far from a new thing in Stanly County, with some of its vineyards having decades of experience under their belts

By Dillon Whitley For the North State Journal ALBEMARLE — Winemakers in this part of N.C. are not content simply letting their product ferment. Like any other industry, wineries are always looking for ways to innovate and introduce their products to new people and markets. With advances in the modern day winemaking process and changes in how today’s consumers try out new wines, it’s evident there is no room for idleness in the winemaking market.

At the Stanly County Winter Wine Festival in downtown Albemarle, winemakers demonstrated the vast diversity of the area’s wineries. With all of the largest wineries from inside the county present and even more visiting from other counties, the festival serves as an excellent example of the impact Stanly County’s wine industry holds.

“Our largest goal is always to support our downtown business merchants,” said Katie Furr, head of the Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation which hosted the festival.

Furr said the organization, a local nonprofit, worked with several others such as the Albemarle Chamber of Commerce and the Stanly County Shrine Club to host the Winter Wine Festival.

The Wine Festival introduces new customers to Stanly County’s winemakers. Turnout for this event seemed particularly large this year, however Furr said this level of interest was par for the course. In fact, over the Winter Festival’s eight-year run, both interest and attendance have been steadily rising each year. As a result, the Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation is al-

religion from page A1

ment. Neither is right or wrong but you have splits. The religious left has grown because it’s in part a backlash to the religious right of the 1980s and 1990s.”

Baptist minister Franklin Graham led prayer vigils in state capitals across the country, including Raleigh, in the weeks leading up to the 2016 presidential election, drawing thousands of faithful.

The election results came as a shock to many on the left as voters sent Republican Donald Trump to the White House and swept Republicans into office at the state and local levels nationwide.

Democrats’ new effort to tap into the religious left as a voter base became urgent. Since the election the liberal Christian activist group Sojourners say donations have picked up by 30 percent.

“You see the rise of the religious left with Soujourners and one of the things they believe is that government can help bring in the commands of Jesus by using the welfare state, that the government can really do great things in providing for the needy,” Nothstine said. “While some on the right would say that it needs to be the churches driving the care for those in poverty. It really comes down to a fundamental difference in what do you believe government’s role is.

A3

Winterset, Iowa A U.S. government program designed to convert farmland to wildlife habitat has triggered the spread of a fast-growing weed that threatens to strangle crops in America’s rural heartland. The weed is hard to kill and, if left unchecked, destroys as much as 91 percent of corn on infested land, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is spreading across Iowa, which accounts for nearly a fifth of U.S. corn production and in 2016 exported more than $1 billion of corn and soy.

How artificial life spawned a billion-dollar industry

Courtesy of Dennis Vineyards

Dennis Vineyards was among the wineries present at the Stanly County Winter Wine Festival in downtown Albemarle.

ways looking for new ways to expand the event and accommodate more vineyards in the future.

Dennis Vineyards was among the wineries present at the festival. Headed by Sandon Dennis, the head winemaker, and his wife and office manager, Amy, Dennis Vineyards has plenty of experience adapting to a changing wine marketplace. Beginning as a hobby project roughly 20 years ago, Dennis Vineyards has grown well past that into one of the forefront vineyards in Stanly County.

Dennis Vineyards’s start as an initially small startup gives valuable insight into some of the overarching trends the local wine industry has undergone. Amy

“I think that’s part of the crisis we have today with increasing secularism. People are looking to government for answers instead of to higher things,” he added.

The “Moral Mondays” movement, launched in 2013 by the N.C. NAACP’s the Rev. William Barber, tapped into a liberal base of N.C. voters looking for state government to mandate and fund various social policy issues including abortion access, discrimination and entitlement expansion.

The near-weekly marches and fiery speeches gained national media attention but also served to polarize N.C. politics in a way few secular gatherings could.

Although not as powerful as the religious right, which has been credited with helping elect Republican presidents and boasts well-known leaders such as Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson, the “religious left” is now aiming to further engage their liberal base hoping to become a larger force in U.S. politics.

This disparate group, traditionally seen as lacking clout, says they have been propelled into political activism by Trump’s policies on immigration, health care and social welfare. Leaders of Faith in Public Life, a liberal policy group, coordinated 300 clergy members for a January rally at the U.S. Senate attempting to block confirma-

Dennis explained some of the improvements they have made to their winemaking process over the years to keep up with the ever-increasing demand, such as the implementation of a mechanical grape harvester, bottling line and new steel tanks for fermentation.

Dennis Vineyards has attended the festival since its start eight years ago and has seen the growth of the festival first hand.

“It has always been a pretty decent festival for us, but the last few years have been fantastic,” said Sandon Dennis.

Sandon Dennis said the festival’s excellent turnout, weather conditions and the fact it is an off-season event are great

“It is important for people of faith to understand for their inherent rights in this country that there are rights beyond the state, and if we just look to the state to do things I think we miss the mark.”

Ray Nothstine, deputy opinion editor of North State Journal

tion of Trump’s attorney general nominee, Jeff Sessions, because of accusations of controversial statements on race. Sessions has repeatedly denied the allegations.

A key test of Democrats’ strategy will be how well it will be able to translate its mobilization into votes in the 2018 midterm congressional elections.

“It’s one of the dirty little secrets of American politics that there has been a religious left all along and it just hasn’t done a good job of organizing,” said J. Patrick Hornbeck II, chairman of the theology department at Fordham University, a Jesuit school in New York.

“It has taken a crisis, or per-

for the industry and ultimately lead to more people visiting the vineyards in person. It should come as no surprise that Dennis Vineyards plans to continue to attend events like these, including Wilmington’s recent Azalea Festival.

With the popularity of openair festivals such as these on the rise it may open the way for other types of businesses — such as breweries — to make a name for themselves in Stanly County.

With more than 200 craft breweries present in N.C. — including a local brewery potentially coming to the Pfeiffer campus in downtown Albemarle — the town can certainly look forward to even more events in the future.

ceived crisis, like Trump’s election to cause folks on the religious left to really own their religion in the public square,” Hornbeck said.

Poverty is one of the issues where dialogue between liberal and conservative Christians often disagree. Some in the religious left are inspired by Pope Francis, the Roman Catholic leader who has been an outspoken critic of anti-immigrant policies and spoken often of helping the needy.

However, whether the Bible directs government or the church to be the saviors of the poor is a fundamental question for many Christians.

“Jesus is teaching about taking care of the poor, which is absolutely true, but it’s that dichotomy of is it the state’s involvement or is it your duty as a Christian?” said Nothstine. “You have mandate to take care of the poor but are you really taking care of the poor by having taxes seized from you? Is that really the mandate that Jesus is talking about?”

The Christian political gap isn’t as far as some think. According to a recent survey, 57 percent of Republicans assert that the Bible is accurate in all of the principles it teaches compared to 40 percent of Democrats. Meanwhile, 61 percent of Republicans versus 48 percent of Democrats say their religious faith is important in their life.

London Scientists are getting closer to building life from scratch and technology pioneers are taking notice, with record sums moving into a field that could deliver novel drugs, materials, chemicals and even perfumes. Despite ethical and safety concerns, investors are attracted by synthetic biology’s wide market potential and the plummeting cost of DNA synthesis, which is industrializing the writing of the genetic code that determines how organisms function.

Bezos is selling $1 billion of Amazon stock a year to fund rocket venture Colorado Springs, Col. Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos said on Wednesday he is selling about $1 billion worth of the internet retailer’s stock annually to fund his Blue Origin rocket company, which aims to launch paying passengers on 11-minute space rides starting next year. Blue Origin had hoped to begin test flights with company pilots and engineers in 2017, but that probably will not happen until next year, Bezos told reporters at the annual U.S. Space Symposium in Colorado Springs.

Twitter refuses U.S. order to reveal user behind anti-Trump account San Francisco Twitter on Thursday filed a federal lawsuit to block an order by the U.S. government demanding that it reveal who is behind an account opposed to President Donald Trump’s tough immigration policies.

Twitter cited freedom of speech as a basis for not turning over records about the account, @ALT_uscis. The account is claimed to be the work of at least one federal immigration employee, according to the lawsuit filed in San Francisco federal court.

Iowa poised for major overhaul to gun regulations Des Moines, Iowa Iowa lawmakers approved on Thursday amended legislation that would enact sweeping changes to the state’s gun regulations, including a “stand your ground” provision, and sent it to the governor for final approval. The bill, backed by the National Rifle Association, says a law-abiding person does not have to retreat before using deadly force.

North State Journal for Saturday, April 15, 2017

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North State Journal for Saturday, April 15, 2017

Murphy to Manteo

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Jones & Blount jonesandblount.com @JonesandBlount

Senate Confirms Copeland, Hamilton, Regan as Cabinet Secretaries

By Donna King North State Journal Raleigh — Governor Roy Cooper’s picks for three more cabinet posts were finalized by the N.C. Senate on Tuesday.

The Senate unanimously confirmed Tony Copeland as Secretary of the Department of Commerce, Susi Hamilton as Secretary of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and Michael Regan as Secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality.

“I appreciate Secretary Copeland, Secretary Hamilton and Secretary Regan’s participation in the confirmation process, and I wish them every success in directing the agencies tasked with preserving and promoting some of North Carolina’s most

Honey, I’m home!

A bottle of pure honey contains the natural, sweet substance produced by honey bees in one of the world’s most fascinating and efficient facilities, the beehive. For every beehive, about 60,000 or so bees may travel a collective 55,000 miles visiting more than 2 million flowers and gathering enough nectar to make just one pound of honey.

Yet, not all honeys are created equal and there are more than 300 varietals in the United States.

North Carolina is home to more beekeepers than any other state. More than 120 encompass counties from Murphy to Manteo with North Carolina State Beekeeper Association Chapters ranging from the Outer Banks Beekeepers’ Guild to Smoky Mountain Beekeepers. Here, beekeepers focus on certain nectars from certain plants including Sourwood (West), Tulip Poplar (Piedmont) and Galberry (east).

west Dobson Knob forest fire partially put out McDowell County The 1,405-acre Dobson Knob forest fire is 15 percent contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Firefighters conducted successful burnout operations this week. Ground-level smoke may occur in communities in McDowell and Burke counties, where a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day has been issued by the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality.

2 NC kids to perform on NBC’s ‘Little Big Shots’ Wilkes and Surry Counties Presley Barker, of the Wilkes County community of Traphill; and Kyser George, of Francisco in Surry County, will perform on the NBC television show “Little Big Shots” at 8 p.m. of April 16. The boys are part of the Bluegrass band “The Salty Dogs.”

Barker plays guitar and George plays bass.

Wilkes Patriot

U.S. Forest Service

Coach arrested for allegedly smoking pot with students Henderson County A volunteer baseball coach from a western N.C. high school has been arrested for allegedly smoking marijuana with student baseball players off campus following a practice.

Brett Baker, 22, turned himself in to Henderson County officials after he was charged with three misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and neglect by parents. He has a May 19 court date set.

Did you know?

McDowell County A Marion man, Carl Jay Whitson, was arrested on federal child pornography charges April 11. According to multiple news reports, federal and county agents searched Whitson’s house and seized three computers in May 2015.

An in-depth forensic investigation of the computers found child pornography on all three.

WLOS.com

WSPA.com

More than a thousand bills have been filed during the 2017 session, but some earn more media attention than legislative support

EAST

Twins win silver in tennis tournament

Man charged with murder in 61-year-old’s death Rockingham County Reidsville police say Michael Hutson was arrested Wednesday night by the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Department. Hutson was discovered at a home on Barnes Road near Eden shortly after 11 p.m. Deputies found Hutson leaving through the backdoor of the home and took him into custody. He was charged with first-degree murder and placed in Rockingham County Jail under no bond.

WFMY News2

Police find child pornography on Marion man’s computer

Bill filings accelerate as deadlines loom

Designated in 1973, the European honey bee is the official state insect of North Carolina.

PIEDMONT

Caswell County It’s been a post-season of firsts for Bartlett Yancey’s tennis team. Last week, Freshman sisters became the first doubles team from the high school to advance to the state championships. Also for the first time ever the entire team has advanced to post season play, earning a trip to Washington, NC where they’re scheduled to play today, coach Kin Watlington wrote in a text message. The doubles team of Cameron Grace Brown and Carrie Anne Brown will represent BY at the state 2A individual tournament on Friday in Cary.

Corrections officer assaulted by an inmate

Parkdale Mills to shut down Williamston facility Martin County Employees at the Parkdale Mills plant in Williamston were told Tuesday that the facility will be shuttered on June 10.

The company is reportedly consolidating locations, and the Williamston plant will be closed to cut costs. Approximately 97 workers from the plant, which produces yarn for apparel, will lose their jobs, but they have the option to move to one of the company’s other 26 plants.

Green County For the second time in a week, corrections officers at a Green County prison were assaulted by an inmate.

Four officers were assaulted at the Maury Correctional Institution. DPS spokeswoman Pam Walker says the assailant used a homemade metal weapon. She said the corrections officers were not seriously hurt, but one was sent to an area hospital.

U.S. News and World Report

WITN-TV

The Caswell Messenger

Police looking for leads after man found dismembered in apartment

Pinehurst teacher named ‘virtual’ teacher of the year

Forsyth County Police have identified a man who was found dead Monday night in a Winston-Salem apartment complex.

John Douglas Agnew, 75, was found dismembered at 308 Timberline Drive.

Winston-Salem police responded Monday afternoon to the apartment complex after receiving reports of a missing person. The death is being investigated as a homicide, according to police. Detectives are working with the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office and pathologists from the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine if the incident is related to human remains recovered Monday in Randolph County.

Moore County Teryn Odom has been named the 2017 North Carolina Virtual Public School Teacher of the Year by The North Carolina Virtual Public School, the nation’s second largest state-led virtual school with over 55,000 enrollments from all 115 school districts and many charter schools. Odom currently teaches Spanish 2 for NCVPS, which she has taught for the past nine years. Before joining NCVPS, she taught in the classroom at East Garner IB Magnet Middle School, East Millbrook IB Magnet Middle School, Wake Technical Community College and Midway High School. Odom will now advance to the National Online Teacher of the Year competition represent ing NCVPS.

WXII News12

valuable assets — our abundant natural resources, rich cultural history, and hardworking, highly skilled workforce,” said Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham).

Susi Hamilton is a former member of the N.C. House of Representatives from Wilmington with an expertise in city planning and economic development. Tony Copeland served as assistant commerce secretary under then-Gov. Mike Easley (D).

Regan served as the associate vice president of U.S. Climate and Energy and southeast regional director of the Environmental Defense Fund.

The three confirmations are more in a list of cabinet secretaries to appear before a Senate confirmation committee. So far all of Cooper’s nominations for executive posts have been confirmed.

4 arrested in Wilmington heroin bust

Smithfield makes move on market for pig-human transplants Johnston County Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, has established a separate bioscience unit to expand its role in supplying pig parts for medical uses, with the ultimate goal of selling pig organs for transplantation into humans.

Routine pig-human organ transplants are years away, but recent scientific advances are breaking down barriers that frustrated prior attempts to use pigs as a ready supply of replacement parts for sick or injured people, making it an attractive new market.

New Hanover County Four people were arrested after the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office received information that heroin was being sold from a local home. Narcotics detectives executed a search warrant with the FBI’s Coastal Carolina Criminal Enterprise Task Force and the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office. Officers seized 123 bags of heroin, seven grams of crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia and two firearms, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office.

Wilmington Star News

By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — As the April 27 crossover deadline for legislation filed in the N.C. General Assembly approaches, many lawmakers are busy filing bills before the window closes. Amid the flood, some bills that touch on hot button issues such as H.B. 728 grab headlines across the state and nation.

The UNC Institutions/Conference Boycott bill, sponsored by half a dozen House members, is a direct response the the NCAA and ACC boycotts of the Old North State as part of the public relations fallout from the infamous H.B. 2.

“We’ve learned from the past how these boycotts can work to attempt to bully the state and by learning from the past we wanted to enact a piece of legislation that has leverage — no matter what the boycott may be, no matter what the subject matter is moving forward,” said primary sponsor of H.B.728 Rep. Chris Millis (R-Pender).

The legislation would enact triggers that would pull the UNC system universities from a collegiate conference if that conference instituted a ban or boycott of some kind on the State. The University of North Carolina and N.C. State University, two founding members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), would hence be compelled to leave the ACC if boycotts were instituted for any reason.

Despite the media attention the bill has received, its legislative viability is hardly certain. Media coverage, however, can sensationalize a bill filing with no

allusion to its actual prospects.

“To some extent when the media takes a look at a particular bill that’s on a hot button issue they do their readers, or viewers, or their listeners a disservice if they don’t point out that a bill has been filed but only has one or two sponsors and it’s not particularly clear whether the bill is going to go anywhere,” senior political analyst at the John Locke Foundation Mitch Kokai told North State Journal in an interview.

The disconnect seems especially true for another bill filed last week in the N.C. House, H.B. 780, that upholds traditional marriage and provocatively bucks U.S. Supreme Court rulings on the matter. The excited media coverage caused enough frenzy to illicit reassurances from House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain) that the bill would not be granted a hearing.

“Any lawmaker can file a bill on pretty much any topic,” said Kokai. “That is their right as a member of the General Assembly.

That is of some interest, but you shouldn’t spend too much time looking at a bill and saying that it has any chance of proceeding just because it’s been filed.”

While partisans often share support for myriad policy positions, bill filings alone are insufficient to gauge true levels of support among an entire caucus of the General Assembly.

“A lot of bills that are being filed now are bills that are important to one, or two, or three members of the General Assembly, but they aren’t necessarily bills that are going to be the priority for a majority, or even a significant minority of the members of the General Assembly, “said Kokai. “I think too often you see that a bill gets filed on some hot button topic, and while it’s worthy of news coverage, the way in which it’s covered suggests that there is widespread support or that the leadership in either the House or the Senate is pushing this measure...and that’s just not the case.”

WCNT-TV

The Pilot

Promoting and Protecting the Honey Bee for 100 years The North Carolina State Beekeepers Association will celebrate its 100th Anniversary, during its Summer Meeting, July 13-15 in Winston-Salem, the city where it first met and organized January 11, 1917.

Since that initial meeting with just 38 charter members, the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association has grown to an average of 4,000 members and has become the largest and one of the best organizations to work to protect and promote the honey bee.

Altogether, an estimated 15,000 North Carolina beekeepers manage approximately 150,000 colonies and produce $15 million worth of honey each year. However, honey bee pollination is valued as more than $180 million to various fruit and vegetable crops.

Honey bee pollination is essential to the continued success of the North Carolina $84 billion agricultural economy since more than one third of all the food we eat is dependent upon the honey bee for pollination.

Despite heroic efforts to protect the honey bee it remains in crisis, having seen losses of 40 percent and more for each of the past three years.

The North Carolina State Beekeepers Association, in cooperation with the North Carolina State University Apiculture Program and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences is committed to the continued promotion and protection of the honey bee and the good it does for our agriculture economy.

For more information about the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association visit our website at www.ncbeekeepers.org

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

Visual Voices

LETters

EDITORIAL | Drew Elliot

Planes, trains, and re-accommodations The only thing Amtrak fears is loss of that federal support, so don’t look for the railroad to cut funding on lobbying expenses or focus on its profitable routes in the Northeast corridor anytime soon.

Have you heard of United Airlines CEO Oscar Muñoz? If you’re like most Americans, if you hadn’t before April 9 you certainly have now.

Muñoz’s ham-handed response to the bloody, forcible removal of a passenger was terrible. But unlike other commentators, I won’t blame a lawyer for the CEO’s response, where he apologized for having to “reaccommodate these customers.” It had to have been a whole team of lawyers to draft something that bad. Surely it will live in public relations infamy, alongside then-BP CEO Tony Hayward’s cringe-worthy “I want my life back” remark during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Muñoz is now beating himself up on television multiple times a day, part of a whirlwind apology tour to contain the well-deserved outcry over the incident. I’m sure he wants his life back too, but I doubt you’ll hear him say it.

But while Muñoz is a household name, Amtrak CEO Charles Moorman is likely not. Moorman is CEO of the perennially failing government-chartered passenger rail line. (Of course, to paraphrase Ronald Reagan, there’s nothing quite so perpetual as a failing government program.)

Amtrak has had a rough go of it lately, with three accidents in the past few weeks on its tracks, two at New York’s Penn Station and one in Chicago. The derailments on Amtrak-owned track at Penn Station — the busiest railroad station on the continent — paralyzed commutes for workers in New York City and New Jersey. (The latest derailment, on April 3, started off a bad day for alumni of Duke University. Not only were they late to work and getting home, but then they had to watch arch-rival UNC Chapel Hill win the national championship in basketball that night.)

It not all bad news for Amtrak, though. The National Railroad Passenger Corp., as it is officially known, posted a $230 million operating loss for its 2016 fiscal year. How in the world is that good news? Well, it’s quite a bit better than the $306 million loss in 2015, for instance. And when compared to the 2001 deficit of $1.1 billion, it seems downright peachy.

The only reason Amtrak keeps rolling along at all is due to the confidence its creditors have that Congress

will continue to bail out the company. That’s not just speculation. On April 10, the Wall Street Journal reported that Moody’s rating service mentioned “strong federal government support” as a key part of its rating.

In fact, it is a safe bet that the only thing Amtrak fears is loss of that federal support, so don’t look for the railroad to cut funding on lobbying expenses or focus on its profitable routes in the Northeast corridor anytime soon. Cutting losses on unprofitable long-distance routes would make sense in the real world, but it would narrow Congressional support for the entity. In other words, it won’t happen.

So what has happened as a result of the accidents?

Well, the governors of New York and New Jersey are demanding answers. Through strongly worded letters, no less. Also, the CEO may have to testify before a Congressional committee, where he will certainly face strongly worded questions. Poor chap.

In contrast to the political theater of Amtrak, consider what has happened to United. There is the harsh backlash and the autoflagellation by Muñoz. Meanwhile, United stock has lost more than half a billion dollars in value, or about 2 percent. That’s hardly in free fall, but that drop comes in the context of an earnings report due next week expected to beat expectations for the fifth straight quarter. In other words, the stock is taking more of a hit than it would appear at first glance.

It would be disingenuous to try to hold up the airline industry as a shining example of a free market, considering the natural barriers to entry and how heavily regulated airlines are. But it’s still an Adam Smith case study compared to Amtrak.

Most importantly, United is losing its own shareholders’ money when it does not turn a profit. If it loses enough customers — even the ones it hasn’t beat up — it will fold or be acquired.

Airlines, after all, come and go. But Amtrak just sits there, losing our money.

Open enrollment for military families Ray Nothstine drew from an impressive base of knowledge, some of it acquired from personal experience, in explaining why having a choice of school would help many military parents find good schools for their children (“School choice for military families long overdue,” April 8).

Another point worth making is that the federal government has the clear Constitutional authority (“provide for the Common defense”) to fund school-choice vouchers or scholarships for its military families. In contrast, many legal scholars believe federally funded vouchers for the general school population lack Constitutional justification and could have the effect of intruding on local control of education.

It is astounding that North Carolina and a good number of other states refuse to allow military families (or non-military ones, for that matter) to have the benefit of open enrollment, which merely allows children to cross school-district lines in quest of the best available schools.

Inter-district choice would particularly benefit military personnel who often have to expand their school searches as a result of frequent relocations of family as they serve their fellow Americans.

Robert Holland The Heartland Institute Arlington Heights, Ill.

EDITORIAL | Ray Nothstine

Only Easter can make sense of suffering For Christians, Easter is the great reversal.

It makes suffering redemptive and gives meaning to the crosses in our life.

The number of Christians continues to grow despite violent massacres against those that profess the faith. This is particularly true in parts of the Middle East and Africa. There are currently about 2.2 billion Christians worldwide, but that number could surpass 3 billion in a little over 30 years. Last week on Palm Sunday, the long-suffering Coptic Christians in Egypt experienced another heartbreaking attack that killed 40.

Their response is to push forward and celebrate Easter as a Church body that so frequently testifies to Christ with their blood. Bishop Angaelos of the Coptic Church pointed out that many families gather in their homes to pray before attending worship because they wonder if it will be their last time on earth.

But regardless of geographical location, suffering and evil affects all of humanity. The Greeks too waxed poetic about the meaning of suffering. Who can forget the words of Agamemnon of Aeschylus: “He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep pain that cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God.” Even in the medically and technologically advanced Western world, suffering is everywhere.

In some communities and areas of this country,

emptiness, addiction, and pain is worse than it’s ever been. Ultimately, the end of secular suffering is despair. We are surrounded by death in a world where this life is the only thing we know.

In many respects, Christ was not sent to end suffering but to truly teach us about how to suffer.

That God is willing to suffer for us and with us is at the heart of Christianity. The Apostle Paul shatters our modern thinking when he declared that he longed to participate in the suffering of Christ. For what end?

For Christians, Easter is the great reversal. It makes suffering redemptive and gives meaning to the crosses in our life. “A marvelous and mighty paradox has thus occurred, for the death which they thought to inflict on Him as dishonor and disgrace, has become the glorious monument to death’s defeat,” declared Athanasius, the ancient bishop of Alexandria.

Easter is the Sunday that means the New Adam and, through Christ, the uplifting of humanity. One of the most beautiful passages of Scripture is found in John 11 with the raising up of Lazarus. It’s the precursor for all that Christ can and will accomplish for those that are united to Him. The passage unveils the suffering of Mary and Martha who are heartbroken over the loss of their brother. “If you had been here, my brother would not have died,” Martha said

to Jesus. Christ then says and shows Mary and Martha what it means to be the “resurrection and the life” by calling their brother Lazarus out of his tomb after he had been dead for four days.

When the Church universal gathers for Easter, it testifies that there is not only an end to suffering but we are delivered from it. The great Reformer Martin Luther declared, “If you hear the Law, it will say in the language of the ancient chant: ‘In the midst of life, we are in death.’ But the Gospel and faith invert this, and sing, ‘In the midst of death, we are in life.’”

And while there are no easy explanations for what plagues and debilitates us, we know that we have a God that was willing to partake in tremendous suffering on our behalf. For those who are suffering Easter truly is the Good News.

It shows us a glorious future and the end of history. That is why the Apostle Paul can say it is better to be raised up with the Lord than here on earth. This is why the Egyptian Copts and the persecuted Church across the globe will gather on Easter to declare that what has been buried is already being brought to life.

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Guest Opinion | john wester

John J. Parker, the last Supreme Court pick from NC

Parker developed a reputation as a workhorse, writing 184 opinions from 1925-1930.

President Herbert Hoover nominated him to the Supreme Court in 1930.

At 44, Parker was one of the youngest Supreme Court nominees in history.

On April 10, Justice Anthony Kennedy swore in Judge Neil Gorsuch as the 113th Justice of the United States the Supreme Court. The solemnity of that moment contrasted sharply with the weeks of tumult preceding it. Several colleagues have asked me whether, and when, a North Carolinian served or was nominated for service on the Supreme Court. John J. Parker is North Carolina’s last citizen nominated to the Supreme Court, 87 years ago.

The Senate vote against his nomination leaves North Carolina without a son or daughter on the highest court since John Adams nominated, and the Senate confirmed, Alfred Moore in 1800.

Moore succeeded the only other North Carolinian to serve on the court, James Iredell, whom George Washington selected for the first Supreme Court in 1790.

John J. Parker was a native of Monroe, born in 1885. He was the son of John Daniel Parker, an independent grocer, and Frances Ann Johnston, the well-educated descendant of a line of early North Carolina governors, as well as Justice Iredell. Parker worked his way through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he graduated in 1907, securing many academic honors. In 1908, he earned his law degree at UNC through a one year post-graduate course. Although the son of Democratic parents, Parker joined the Republican Party after college, beginning a quick ascent in North Carolina’s legal ranks. He earned a reputation for excellent oratory skills, as well devotion to the painstaking study of the law.

In post-reconstruction North Carolina, Parker sought to represent the state’s emerging industrial interests. At age 25, he became a GOP congressional candidate, received a state attorney generalship nomination six years later, and in 1920 became the party’s gubernatorial candidate.

Parker lost all three campaigns, however, and turned his eyes to a career on the bench. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge appointed Parker to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and he won Senate confirmation without controversy.

Parker developed a reputation as a workhorse, writing 184 opinions from 1925-1930. President Herbert Hoover nominated him to the Supreme Court in 1930. At 44, Parker was one of the youngest Supreme Court nominees in history.

The initial reaction to Parker’s selection was widespread acclaim. By choosing a Republican of Parker’s standing, President Hoover received praise for rewarding the developing Republican Party in the South. Swift confirmation seemed likely. Despite the early momentum, a grassroots effort entered the scene to stop him. For the first time in American history, organized labor (led by the American Federation of Labor) and civil rights forces (galvanized by the NAACP) built sufficient opposition to defeat a major presidential appointment.

Labor unions seized on Judge Parker’s decision in United Mine Workers of America v. Red Jacket Consolidated Coal Co., where he upheld “yellowdog contracts” enforcing an employee’s promise not to join a union while employed. Parker’s supporters maintained that his opinion followed Supreme Court precedent.

The NAACP opposed Parker because of remarks he made in response to charges that his party was

samuel son

Can we consider resurrection as fact? aster is the day that 2.3 billion Christians (32 percent of human E population) will declare that two centuries courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration,

Monroe native John J. Parker (right) examines a document with fellow Nuremberg Trials judge Francis Biddle. USHMM, courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration, College Park.

mobilizing the African-American vote during his 1920 gubernatorial campaign. Parker had distanced his party from these charges, observing that “the Republican party of North Carolina does not desire… the negro as a class to enter politics.”

Although no evidence of racism had appeared in his judicial opinions, these campaign statements, combined with his perceived anti-labor opinions, were enough to sink Parker’s nomination. The Senate vote was 39–41.

The defeat of Parker’s nomination in 1930 was the first rejection of a Supreme Court nominee in almost 50 years. Judicial historians point to this vote as the beginning of the modern confirmation process for federal judges. The Senate’s rebuff signaled a new perception of the Supreme Court as a vehicle for social change. The paradigm central to the evaluation of Judge Parker is parallel to the paradigm that accompanies today’s nominations to the federal courts, with Supreme Court nominations obviously capturing the most attention: does the background and record of the nominee forecast judicial opinions acceptable to the social and political views of Senators — and, as of the Gorsuch nomination — the views of a simple Senate majority?

Following the Senate vote, Parker resumed his service on the Fourth Circuit, serving in this capacity until his death on March 17, 1958. He upheld landmark New Deal regulatory legislation and struck down racially discriminatory municipal zoning ordinances. During the Allied Tribunal in Nuremberg, Parker served as an alternate judge where he contributed to the critical “conspiracy” issue in the tribunal’s final judgment. A leading feature of Parker’s legacy is his forceful advocacy for maintaining the independence of the judiciary, a principle securing heightened attention today.

In 1959, the North Carolina Bar Association established an award in Judge Parker’s memory and honor “to encourage the emulation of his deep devotion and enduring contribution to the law and the administration of justice.” The John J. Parker Award is the highest honor the association bestows.

John Wester is a lawyer with Robinson Bradshaw in Charlotte and a past president of the N.C. Bar Association.

james saft

Chris Potter | flickr

Statements that Matter The following is an excerpt from a financial column, “Consumer debt growth can’t outpace wages forever.” James Saft is a columnist for Reuters.

The larger question is why workers in an economy with such low unemployment see the need to borrow aggressively, even if debt service levels indicate they have headroom.

That’s because though many jobs have been created, they are not, by and large, jobs which allow for middle-class standards of living without spending above one’s income. The savings rate, at 5.5 percent, is well above the crazy 1.9 percent lows of 2005 but is hugely flattered by savings among the richest.

Among the bottom 90 percent of Americans, the savings rate since the financial crisis has bumped along near zero, with the lion’s share made up by a

38 percent savings rate among the top 1 percent.

This paints a picture of an economy badly out of balance. Those consumers taking on credit card debt, and auto debt, and student debt are not, by and large, doing so out of confidence and with prudence, but because of need.

Wages simply have not risen enough for the typical household to make its way, and the fact that debt service has been kept artificially low only serves to underscore exactly how aberrant matters are.

This time, of course, won’t be like last time, and financial institutions are far less likely to be caught wrong-footed by a sudden downturn in the economy. That’s positive because we are far less likely, should we slide into recession, to face anything like a banking crisis. Banks are taking on less risk and monitoring the

risks of their consumer-facing portfolios more closely.

This, though, means that banks will likely turn off the tap of credit availability more quickly, and with less provocation, then last time. Banks won’t be surprised by a recession, they will help cause it by tightening credit availability.

Data from the Federal Reserve’s survey of senior loan officers already shows a tightening is under way, with banks moving from making consumer debt easier to get to harder in the last six months. The last time we saw this pattern was 2008, and though the banks seem to be out in front of economic developments this time it will be of little comfort.

An economy this reliant on debt finance among a huge mass of households who can barely keep their heads above water is a risky proposition.

ago, a Galilean rose from the dead three days after he was crucified by Pontius Pilate.

Resurrection is the founding faith statement of Christianity. Christmas did not birth Christianity, a naive understanding of that religion, but Easter. Without Easter there is no Christianity. In fact, Christians celebrated Easter from the start on a weekly basis. They went to synagogues on Saturday — first Christians were Jews — then broke bread on Sunday mornings because it was on the dawn of the first day of the week that the first witnesses found the tomb empty.

But did the resurrection really happen?

We dismiss this conversation from the start because resurrection, we say, is a matter of faith. And isn’t faith a matter of opinion? Isn’t faith in the resurrection more about believing a God can bring something new out of old, and not about whether it actually happened or not? Such misunderstanding on matters of faith stem from confusion on how we know things, epistemology (for the philosophical minded). We match the verb “knowing” with truth and “believe” with opinions: we believed Duke would win but we know UNC won the NCAA finals (I hope this statement doesn’t open old wounds). Isn’t faith, then, merely a matter of opinion? But Thomas Kuhn, a philosopher of science, says all knowledge requires “believing.” Because “believing” fundamentally means a personal commitment to a claim. No one thinks believing a claim will make it true. We believe a claim because we are confident the claim will be proven true thus worth our commitment. So a person who hears the results of the NCAA finals would say, “I believe UNC won,” basing that commitment on the trustworthiness of his source. If he researches more, he would find corroborating evidences. Then he will conclude and say “I know UNC won,” but it is still an act of “believing.” To be sure, his faith is more confident, but he chooses to continue to organize his life around that truth, i.e. wears a UNC shirt and taunts Duke fans. All truth, no matter the level of proof, requires faith.

Resurrection as recurring myth is totally harmless and acceptable.

But resurrection as history opened up a whole new way of living.

So is resurrection worth one’s commitment?

Our modern science can’t accept resurrection, but we can’t let our worldview execute historical revisions. We can dismiss their claim on the grounds of science but we can’t change what they said, that Jesus rose on a specific date after a specific date of state execution. If we trust the integrity of the witnesses — I see no reason why since the only benefit of their testimony was ostracization, torture and death — then we have to question our assumptions that make us doubt their claim. There is at least one other event science can never explain but simply accepts because it cannot deny its “historical” repercussion: the Big Bang.

From the start, there was pressure to drop the historical claim of resurrection because this insistence for historicity — and thus the bodily resurrection of the Galilean worried the Roman Empire. Rome had gods who died and rose every year with winter and spring.

Resurrection as recurring myth is totally harmless and acceptable. But resurrection as history opened up a whole new way of living. For belief in resurrection made people fearless before death, and governments lose power when people lose fear against their primary weapon, the threat of death. So the Christians continued worshiping on Sunday mornings and creating communities where all social divisions between masters and slaves and ethnicities were shattered, even as some of them were burnt or fed to lions. For them, to deny the resurrection was to deny that the sun was up in the sky. They believed in the resurrection because it was a fact, and their faith made them courageous.

“Easter still matters,” W.S. Di Piero, essayist and poet, says in an interview, “but as a recurrent energy of emergence detached completely from the thought or imagining in mind of Jesus’s intervention in history. That’s shriveled and puny.”

I think it’s worth considering this historical claim of resurrection because if it really happened, then it’s no longer just a matter of joining a church or becoming Christian, but a whole new way of organizing our lives and societies.

Samuel Son is a teaching pastor in Raleigh.

A8

North State Journal for Saturday, April 15, 2017

Nation & WORLD

week in images

Andres Stapff | reuters

A gaucho is unseated by an unbroken or untamed horse during Creole week celebrations in Montevideo, Uruguay April 12, 2017.

Rupak De Chowdhuri | reuters

A Hindu holy man (not pictured) touches a child with his feet as part of a ritual to bless him during a religious procession to mark the Gajan festival in Kolkata, India, April 13, 2017.

Jorge Silva | reuters

Revellers react at a foam party during Songkran Festival celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand April 13, 2017.

Octav Ganea | Inquam Photos via reuters

People light up fires and burn incense near the graves of departed relatives in a cemetery 50 kilometers south west of Romanian capital Bucharest, in the early hours of Maundy Thursday, in Copaciu, Romania, April 13, 2017.

U.S. housing demand holding up despite rising rates

The GBU-43/B, also known as the Massive Ordinance Air Blast, detonates during a test at Eglain Air Force Base, Florida, U.S., November 21, 2003 in this handout photo provided April 13, 2017.

By Donna King North State Journal NEW YORK — Fears that higher home mortgage rates this year will keep buyers away and hit home sales could be overblown.

Home prices are expected to rise at their slowest pace in six years as affordability — an industry measure based on income and home prices — is expected to hit its lowest since the recession.

This may hurt margins at homebuilders such as Lennar Corp and PulteGroup Inc, but a pick-up in volumes as buyers slowly return to the market is expected to offset losses.

PulteGroup said in January it expected 2017 gross margin to come in the low end of its forecast of 24.024.5 percent, partly due to an expected drop in affordability.

Homebuilders are also keeping a tight lid on costs as they rein in home prices to attract buyers, analysts said.

“Even in the face of slowing price growth, I think they’ll continue to see fairly good profitability,” said Alvaro Lacayo, an analyst at New York-based research firm Gabelli & Co. “Builders are more focused on controlling costs to better deal with slowing price growth.”

U.S. home prices have risen steeply over the past four years amid ever-tightening supply and a shortage of skilled labor, crimping affordability for the average homebuyer.

In December, the supply of houses on the market dropped to levels last seen in 1999.

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate, which hovered around 3.77 percent just before the December 2016 Fed interest rate hike, has now risen to about 4.20 percent, according to Freddie Mac. Annual wage growth, meanwhile, has remained firmly below 3 percent, making it difficult for home buyers to save up for downpayments.

All of this is expected to push down the Housing Affordability Index to 153 this year from 164.8 in 2016.

“As rates go up, it is going to increase the monthly costs of servicing a mortgage which in turn means that potential home buyers are going to have to bid a smaller price when they buy homes,” said Robert Dietz, chief economist, National Association of Home Builders.

the BRIEF Police probe motives behind fatal San Bernardino classroom shooting San Bernardino, Calif.

Police in San Bernardino, California, sought more clues on Tuesday to the marital discord they believe led a gunman to walk into an elementary school class taught by his estranged wife and open fire, fatally shooting her and a student before killing himself. Monday’s shooting at North Park Elementary, the latest of dozens of U.S. schools traumatized by armed intruders in recent years, left a second child badly wounded and reopened a debate about what educators can do to safeguard students against gun violence.

Florida prosecutor sues governor to remain on murder cases Orlando, Fla. A Florida state prosecutor, removed from 23 murder cases

by Gov. Rick Scott for refusing to consider the death penalty, on Tuesday filed federal and state lawsuits seeking to reverse his order as unconstitutional.

Aramis Ayala, who took office in January as state attorney for the Ninth Judicial District in central Florida, covering Orange and Osceola counties, last month said she would not seek the death penalty in murder cases. One of those cases is for the killing of an Orlando police officer.

One killed, three injured in explosion at U.S. Army base in Missouri Independence, Mo. One person was killed and three people were taken to a local hospital on Tuesday for evaluation following an explosion at a U.S. Army ammunition plant in Independence, Mo., a spokeswoman for the Joint Munitions Command said.

The Army said no further information was immediately available at a mixing building at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, which has a government staff of 29 civilians and one soldier.

Detained immigrants launch hunger strike in Washington state

u.s. airforce via REUTERS

U.S. unleashes ‘mother of all bombs’ for first time in Afghanistan

By Idrees Ali Reuters WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. dropped “the mother of all bombs,” the largest non-nuclear device it has ever unleashed in combat, on a network of caves and tunnels used by ISIS in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday, the military said.

President Donald Trump touted the bombing as evidence of a firmer U.S. foreign policy since he took office in January after eight years of President Barack Obama.

The 21,600 pound GBU-43 bomb was dropped from a MC130 aircraft in the Achin district of Nangarhar province, close to the border with Pakistan, Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said.

The GBU-43, also known as the “mother of all bombs,” is a GPS-guided munition and was first tested in March 2003. It is regarded as particularly effective against clusters of targets on or just underneath the ground.

It was the first time the U.S. has used this size of conventional bomb in a conflict.

Trump described the bombing as a “very successful mission.” It was not immediately clear how much damage the device did.

During last year’s presidential election campaign, Trump vowed to give priority to destroying ISIS,

which operates mostly in Syria and Iraq. He flexed U.S. military muscles last week by ordering a cruise missile attack on a Syrian government airbase in retaliation for a poison gas attack.

“If you look at what’s happened over the last eight weeks and compare that really to what’s happened over the last eight years, you’ll see that there’s a tremendous difference,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday.

The security situation remains precarious in Afghanistan, with a number of militant groups trying to claim territory more than 15 years after the U.S. invasion which toppled the Taliban government.

So far, Trump has offered little clarity about a broader strategy for Afghanistan, where some 8,400 U.S. troops remain.

Last week, a U.S. soldier was killed in the same district as where the bomb was dropped while he was conducting operations against Islamic State.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the bombing “targeted a system of tunnels and caves that ISIS fighters used to move around freely, making it easier for them to target U.S. military advisers and Afghan forces in the area.”

Spicer said the bomb was dropped at around 7 p.m. local time and described it as “a large,

powerful and accurately delivered weapon.” U.S. forces took “all precautions necessary to prevent civilian casualties and collateral damage,” he said.

Foreign policy experts said that it appeared the use of such a specialized weapon had more to do with the type of target — tunnels — than the U.S. sending any message to other countries by using such a powerful weapon.

“This is a very specialized weapon, we don’t have very many of them, you can only use them in a very narrow set of circumstances,” said Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

Cancian added that while sending a message to Syria or North Korea could have been among the secondary factors considered, they would not have been the main reason for using this type of weapon.

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said recently that he needed several thousand more international troops in order to break a stalemate in the long war with Taliban insurgents.

U.S. officials say intelligence suggests Islamic State is based overwhelmingly in Nangarhar and neighboring Kunar province.

Estimates of its strength in Afghanistan vary. U.S. officials have said they believe the movement has only 700 fighters but Afghan officials estimate it has about 1,500.

The Afghan Taliban, which is trying to overthrow the U.S.backed government in Kabul, are fiercely opposed to ISIS and the two group have clashed as they seek to expand territory and influence.

Tacoma, Wash.

Hundreds of detainees at an immigration holding center in Washington state began refusing meals in a hunger strike to protest conditions at the facility and delayed immigration hearings, activists said on Tuesday. A group of about 100 detainees at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Wash., refused their lunches on Monday, with 300 others joining the protest that night and the following morning, according to Maru Mora Villalpando, an activist in touch with the detainees.

Sessions visits U.S.-Mexico border to push migrant crackdown Port of Nogales, Ariz.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions traveled to the U.S.Mexico border on Tuesday to make his case for increased prosecutions of illegal immigrants, pressuring U.S. attorneys to prioritize cases against criminal migrants.

Sessions, a long-time proponent of tougher immigration enforcement, told U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at the Port of Nogales, Ariz., that more illegal migrants should be prosecuted as criminals.

Obama to join German Protestant Reformation celebrations Former U.S. President Barack Obama will meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin in May as part of celebrations to mark 500 years of Protestantism in Europe, officials said on Tuesday. German officials said they will discuss “taking responsibility at home and in the world” in front of the historic Brandenburg Gate.

SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 2017

Young Canes fall short The youthful Hurricanes will be forced to watch the NHL playoffs at home as Carolina fell short of making the postseason in 2016-17.

the weekend Sideline report

SPORTS

nba draft

Jackson leaves UNC for NBA after netting title

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal ALEIGH — When Carolina Hurricanes general manager R Ron Francis and coach Bill Peters

met with the media Wednesday for their end-of-season press conference, the message was clear: there was progress in 2016-17 in certain areas, but changes that need to be made for next season.

Peters pointed out that the four playoff qualifiers from Carolina’s division, the Metropolitan, finished with 100 points, and that Carolina would need to improve by more than the one point they did from last year to make the postseason in 2017-18.

“There’s lots to change. There’s lots of work to be done,” Peters said.

So what went right and wrong for the Hurricanes in 2016-17?

Here’s a look at each side of the coin and how Carolina can maintain or improve in each area come October.

nba draft

Collins bolts Wake after two years for NBA Draft

NBA

Magic fire GM Hennigan The Orlando Magic fired general manager Rob Hennigan on Thursday the team announced. The Magic just wrapped up its fifthstraight losing season under Hennigan, while also failing to make the playoffs during his tenure as GM. Hennigan was hired in 2012 as the youngest GM in the NBA at the age of 30 but made several controversial moves (trading Victor Oladipo for Serge Ibaka, only to swing Ibaka this year) during his run. nfl

Beast Mode expected to return to NFL with Raiders The wild idea of Marshawn Lynch returning to play in the NFL is becoming a reality and the retired running back is expected to come back and play for the Raiders according to multiple reports. NFL Network reports that a re-worked contract is necessary, but once the Raiders and Lynch agree to terms the Seahawks will deal him to Oakland.

‘Lots to change’ following rough finish for Canes Carolina, eight years removed from the postseason, plan to address goaltending

Justin Jackson, ACC Player of the Year and star of the North Carolina championship team, is leaving Chapel Hill to enter the 2017 NBA Draft the school announced on Thursday. The 6-8 junior forward could have left following last year, but returned to help North Carolina win a championship while simultaneously improving his draft stock a tremendous deal. Jackson, who averaged 18.3 points per game last year and broke UNC’s record for most threepointers in a season (105), is projected as a potential lottery pick in June’s draft.

Wake Forest’s John Collins was the best big man in the Atlantic Coast Conference during the 2016-17 season and he is parlaying it into a jump to the 2017 NBA Draft, announcing on Wednesday he would leave the Demon Deacons and hire an agent.

Collins, who averaged 19.2 points per game (third in the ACC) and 9.8 rebounds per game (second) and shot 62 percent from the field (first).

He is expected to be drafted somewhere between No. 12 and No. 18 overall, but could certainly raise his stock with pre-draft workouts. “I will always bleed black and gold,” Collins said in a statement.

Brad remple | USA TODAY SPORTS

JEROME MIRON | USA TODAY SPORTS

NASCAR Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (48) celebrates winning the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Splitter to Spoiler: Jimmie Johnson suddenly knows how to drive again Johnson mocks doubters after Texas win, Blaney sacrifices first victory for stage wins and what is wrong with Joe Gibbs Racing?

By R. Cory Smith North State Journal Jimmie Johnson has done a lot of winning over the course of his 16-year career with Hendrick Motorsports. Heading into this season, he amassed 80 checkered flags and seven championships, the latter tying him with only Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty atop the list.

Seven-Time has done so much winning, in fact, that questions start being raised when he starts off without one through the first few races.

With just one top 10 entering Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, Johnson was looking to get the monkey off his back at one of his best tracks. Once he did that, he decided to go in on any doubters assuming he was experiencing a drop off after winning his seventh title last year.

“I guess I remembered how to drive,” Johnson said with a laugh. “I guess this team remembered how to do it! I’m just real proud of this team. What a tough track and tough conditions. We were really in our wheelhouse and we were just able to execute all day.”

Johnson’s little stab at his critics comes as he adds to his record-setting win count at Texas with a sevSee NASCAR, page B4

“I’m just real proud of this team.

What a tough track and tough conditions.

We were really in our wheelhouse and were just able to execute all day.”

— Jimmie Johnson on his Texas Motor Speedway victory

Goaltending It was the first item Francis mentioned when asked what the team’s No. 1 offseason priority would be.

“I think if we look at the team it’s not a secret,” he said. “Our goals against was 18th, our save percentage, I think, was tied for 27th in the league. So that’s cer-

tainly an area we’ve got to look at real closely and fix for next season.”

Of the 59 goalies that have started at least 50 games combined the past three seasons, Cam Ward — Carolina’s No. 1 goalie during Peters’ tenure and the team’s since 2006-07 — ranks tied for 51st in save percentage at .908. Eddie Lack, who was brought in to push Ward two years ago, is tied for 44th with four others at .910.

Carolina could target a new goalie via trade, or go after a free agent in the offseason. Ben Bishop, the probable No. 1 goalie on the market, was No. 13 in save percentage the last three years at .919. But Bishop, 31 in November, won’t come cheap and has a history of injury troubles that could scare off Carolina.

A better target could be Chicago backup Scott Darling, who is No. 4 on the save percentage list at .923, a couple years younger than Bishop and will certainly come cheaper.

Forwards Jeff Skinner’s 37 goals were a career-high and he matched his rookie season point total of 63.

That’s all positive, but Carolina needs Skinner to bring the goals early in the year rather than at the end — 17 of his 37 goals (45.9 percent) came in the season’s final 22 games.

Sebastian Aho was, as Francis loves to say, the “real deal” in his first year in North America.

See HURRICANES, page B4

Inside

KYLE TERADA | USA TODAY Sports

After 82 grueling games the NBA regular season is over and once again the Golden State Warriors find themselves as the prohibitive favorites to walk away with the NBA Championship. That’s only exacerbated by the return of superstar forward Kevin Durant, who poured in 29 points in the team’s regular season finale. In the East, the Celtics overtook the Cavs for the top seed, so plenty of drama abounds. We preview the full playoffs. Page 4

North State Journal for Saturday, April 15, 2017

B2 SATURDAY

04.15.17 Trending

Mitchell Trubisky: Former North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback rumored to be a consideration for the Browns with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Cleveland has long been connected with Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett, but a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN indicated the Browns are looking at Trubisky too.

Doug Esleeck: Former UNCG Director of Basketball Operations and Winston-Salem native was named an assistant coach on C.B. McGrath’s staff at UNC Wilmington. Esleeck previously worked at Mercer, Gardner-Webb and UNCG. Aaron Donald: Rams picked up the fifth-year option on the defensive tackle, who was 2014 first-round pick. Donald has been a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in each of his first three seasons but was just the first player to have his fifth-year option picked up by his team.

Yeonis Cespedes: Mets outfielder mashed three home runs against the Phillies on Tuesday night, leading the charge in a 14-4 pounding of Philadelphia. All three of them were no-doubt shots too, exiting the stadium at an average speed of 107.6 mph.

Tom Brady: Patriots quarterback was once again the top jersey seller in the NFL, ending up as No. 1 on the NFL Shop list for the 2016 season.

Brady was followed by Cowboys rookies Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott.

Wil Myers: Padres first baseman and N.C. native became the first MLB player in 2017 to hit for the cycle on Monday.

beyond the box score POTENT QUOTABLES

nfl/nba

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo did not get to give Cowboys fans a proper sendoff, but he got to give one to Dallas sports fans on Tuesday, when Romo suited up for the Dallas Mavericks as an honorary player. Romo participated in warmups with the Mavericks and was introduced before the game but not actually allowed to play.

Kirby Lee | Usa Today Sports images

“I respect Tom Brady tremendously.

But they’re not our big brother anymore.”

Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry explaining why he believes that Miami is capable of sweeping the Patriots in 2017

Kirby Lee | Usa Today Sports images

golf

nfl

“A president of another university.

I mean, to me, that’s just so silly.”

North Carolina coach Roy Williams explaining his thoughts on Maryland president Wallace Loh saying UNC deserved the death penalty

mlb

108 Number of diamonds that will reportedly be featured on the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series rings. The diamonds are designed to signify the number of years the Cubs went without winning a championship, going over a century in between World Series wins. The rings were teased by the Cubs on social media this week after the Cubs opened up the season at home.

Kirby Lee | Usa Today Sports images

World No. 1 golfer Dustin Johnson, who withdrew from the Masters with a back injury suffered the night before the first round in Augusta, announced Thursday he was officially committing to play at the Wells Fargo Championship in Wilmington.

soccer

@OBJ | via instagram

Odell Beckham Jr. decided to show the world a new tattoo he got on his leg, featuring the full face of Michael Jackson. The New York Giants wide receiver said his love for the King of Pop is “tatted on me” but runs “deeper than the surface.”

The match between Borussia Dortmund and Monaco in Germany on Tuesday was postponed after an explosion near the Dortmund team bus nearly caused serious injury to the team. Only defender Marc Batra was injured and fortunately he only suffered an arm injury that will cause him to miss “several weeks.” Fans and the team honored Batra in his absence, while police increased their presence and Monaco fans thanked Dortmund for the hospitality.

Kirby Lee | Usa Today Sports images

North State Journal for Saturday, April 15, 2017

B3

2017 NFL Draft Reset PANTHERS

PERSONNEL TRACKER

2016 STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN

Players re-signed

KIM KLEMENT | USA TODAY SPORTS

Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen (88) and Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) greet each other after he missed the catch for the 2-point conversion against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Panthers need running back help for Cam Newton in the 2017 NFL Draft

By Frank Cooney The Sports XChange

Q

uarterback Cam Newton underwent surgery on a partially torn rotator cuff, and recently began a four-month rehab process. If all goes well, Newton will be full-go at the start of training camp, but the 2015 NFL MVP needs to mend more than just his throwing arm. “(His confidence) was shook,” head coach Ron Rivera said at the NFL league meeting. “Let’s be honest. I’m not going to lie about that. The young man went through a tough time and we went through a tough time.

“Why? Because of the injuries we incurred on the offensive line.

That was probably the biggest thing. It just kind of shows the importance and significance of protecting your quarterback.”

Which is why the Panthers opened free agency by signing left tackle Matt Kalil to a five-year contract worth $24 million guaranteed at signing.

“We did a lot of work on him and I feel really good about it,” general manager Dave Gettleman said of Kalil, a former No. 4 over-

all pick who struggled in his final four years with the Vikings. “He’s the right guy for us.”

After pairing Matt with his older brother Ryan on the offensive line, the Panthers reunited with defensive end Julius Peppers, who is not as dynamic as he was when began his Hall of Fame career in Carolina, but who still has some tread left.

Peppers’ final year in Charlotte was Captain Munnerlyn’s first.

After a three-year stint in Minnesota, he’s back as well. The Panthers have had a gaping hole at nickel back since Munnerlyn left, but his new four-year deal plugs that problem.

In what was easily his most active free-agency period, Gettleman also added safety Mike Adams and receivers Charles Johnson and Russell Shepard. So with their most obvious needs filled, thePanthers head into the draft unencumbered by a to-do list.

“When you’re sitting at eight, you’re going to be looking at a variety,” Gettleman said. “You’re going to be in Ben and Jerry’s. Chocolate, pistachio, rocky road. You’re going to have a variety of guys to look at; it gets you excited.”

Here is a closer look at where the Panthers are, how they got here and a shot at what they should do with their first pick in the draft, at No. 8.

Player

POS

Contract

Mario Addison

DE

$22.5M/3 years

Wes Horton

DE

$2.72M/2 years

Charles Johnson DE

$9.5M/2 years

Colin Jones

S

$ unknown/ 2 years

Kyle Love

DT

$2.2M/2 years

Chris Scott

OL

$980K/1 year

Fozzy Whitaker

RB

$ unknown/ 2 years

Teddy Williams

CB

$855K/1 year

Players acquired Player

POS

Contract

Mike Adams

S

$4.2M/2 years

Garrett Gilbert

QB

$ unknown

Charles Johnson WR

$ unknown

Matt Kalil

OT

$55.5M/5 years

Captain Munnerlyn

CB

$17M/3 years

Julius Peppers

DE

$3.5M/1 year

Russell Shepard

WR

$10M/3 years

Amini Silatolu

OL

$ unknown

2016 finish: 4th NFC South (6-10) Total Offense

343.7 (19th)

Rushing

113.4 (10th)

Passing

230.3 (T21st)

Total Defense

359.8 (21st)

Rushing

91.6 (6th)

Passing

268.2 (29th)

TEAM NEEDS 1. Running back: With the Panthers planning to take quarterback Cam Newton out of the run game, they need more than just the 30-year-old Jonathan Stewart in their backfield.

2. Tackle: Even after giving left tackle Matt Kalil big money, the Panthers’ tackle situation isn’t ideal. Michael Oher will slide to the right side, as long as he’s cleared from a concussion that cost him 13 games in 2016.

3. Defensive end: If this were 2012, pairing Julius Peppers with Charles Johnson would be a great start. But it’s 2017, and the Panthers need to plan for their future pass rush.

Players lost Player

POS

Contract

Philly Brown

WR

Signed by BUF

NFL DRAFT SCOUT SUGGESTS

Kony Ealy

DE

Traded to NE

Rob Rang (April 3 mock draft):

Ted Ginn, Jr.

WR

Signed by NO

Leonard Johnson CB

Signed by BUF

A.J. Klein

LB

Signed by NO

Mike Remmers

OL

Signed by MIN

Paul Solai

DL

Released

Mike Tolbert

FB

Released

Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama. Defensive line is not necessarily the biggest concern in Carolina, but general manager Dave Gettleman may have a hard time letting a talent like Allen slip any further.

Questions about the health of his shoulders and schematic fit could hound the 6-foot-3, 286-pound Allen, but the tape does not lie; he is agile, powerful and technically refined, possessing the ability to play virtually anywhere along the defensive line.

Dane Brugler (April 3 mock draft): Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU. Veteran Jonathan Stewart averaged only 3.8 yards per rush and reached the 100-yard mark in only one game last season, his ninth in the NFL. Fournette is a freak talent who would instantly add juice to the Panthers’ offense.

buccaneers

PERSONNEL TRACKER

2016 STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN

Players re-signed

2016 finish: 2nd NFC South (9-7)

Player

POS

Contract

Total Offense

346.4 (18th)

Chris Conte

S

$5M/2 years

Rushing

101.0 (24th)

William Gholston

DE

$27.5M/5 years

Passing

245.4 (16th)

Joe Hawley

C

$5.5M/2 years

Total Defense

367.9 (23rd)

Josh Robinson

CB

$5M/2 years

Rushing

117.2 (22nd)

Jacquizz Rodgers

RB

$3.3M/1 year

Passing

250.8 (22nd)

Sealver Siliga

DT

$1.1M/1 year

TEAM NEEDS

Players acquired Player

POS

Contract

1. Defensive back:

Chris Baker

DE

$15.75M/3 years

Nick Folk

K

$1.75M/1 year

The Bucs used their first-round pick last season on Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves. Could they double up? Sure. Veteran Brent Grimes will be 34 in July, and even though the Bucs think he has a lot in the tank after tying for the team lead with four interceptions last season, his eventual replacement isn’t on the roster. The Bucs also have a need at safety despite signing Cowboys free agent J.J. Wilcox and bringing back Chris Conte.

DeSean Jackson WR

$33.5M/3 years

Garrison Sanborn

LS

$ unknown

J.J. Wilcox

S

$6.25M/2 years

2. Running back:

Players lost

KIM KLEMENT | USA TODAY SPORTS

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) smiles after they beat the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium.

The Buccaneers have the look of a contender and could add more in the draft

By Frank Cooney The Sports XChange The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have done a good job of building a solid core of young defenders around defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and linebacker Lavonte David. And, of course, their leader is quarterback Jameis Winston, who threw for more than 8,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in his first two seasons.

But turnovers remain a big concern for Winston, with 33 interceptions and nine lost fumbles.

To help accentuate Winston’s positives and take pressure off him, the Bucs signed former Washington Redskins receiver

DeSean Jackson to a three-year, $33.5 million contract.

Jackson, 30, was clocked as the second-fastest player in the NFL during one play last season.

His ability to stretch the field will provide some cover for Pro Bowl receiver Mike Evans.

Defensively, the Bucs added Redskins defensive tackle Chris Baker, which gives them a penetrator to play alongside McCoy. Perhaps the biggest development of the offseason was that defensive coordinator Mike Smith will return with a new contract.

The Bucs defense made big strides in the second half of the season and continuity should be a real asset.

Here is a closer look at where the Bucs are, how they got here and a shot at what they should do with their first pick in the draft, at No. 19 overall.

Player

POS

Contract

Gosder Cherilus

OL

Retired

Mike Glennon

QB

Signed by CHI

Bradley McDougald

S

Signed by SEA

Russell Shepard

WR

Signed by CAR

Akeem Spence

DT

Signed by DET

Alterraun Verner

CB

Released

Eric Weems

WR

Signed by TEN

Paul Worrilow

LB

Signed by DET

Doug Martin will miss the first three games serving a suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. He is 28 and has been injured three of his five seasons. The Bucs resigned Jacquizz Rodgers and both Charles Sims and Peyton Barber return. But the Bucs won’t commit to Martin for 2017 and his contract is no longer guaranteed. With a deep draft at running back, it would not be surprising if the Bucs used an earlyround pick on one.

3. Receiver: This might not seem as big of a need with the signing of DeSean Jackson. But the Bucs lost one of their wideouts when Russell Shepard signed with Carolina. Adam Humphries is strictly a slot receiver.

At some point, they have to develop somebody to play opposite Evans.

NFL DRAFT SCOUT SUGGESTS (No. 31 overall).

Rob Rang (April 3 mock draft): David Njoku, TE, Miami. Cameron Brate has developed into a very solid young security blanket for Jameis Winston, but he does not possess Njoku’s big-play potential. The 20-year-old Njoku is still very much a work in progress, but scouts are enamored with the 6-foot-4, 246 pounder’s ability to create mismatches in the passing game.

Dane Brugler (April 3 mock draft): Obi Melifonwu, S, Connecticut. Tampa Bay has shown plenty of interest in Melifonwu, a player who can wear several hats in the secondary. His tape wasn’t nearly as impressive as his testing numbers, but teams can’t teach his athletic skill-set.

North State Journal for Saturday, April 15, 2017

B4 nba playoffs

Warriors are the team to beat with a healthy Durant back The Sports XChange

Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) shoots the basketball against Los Angeles Lakers guard David Nwaba (10) and forward Thomas Robinson (15) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena.

KYLE TERADA | USA TODAY SPORTS

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Among the certainties of life these days: Death, taxes and the Golden State Warriors as favorites to win the NBA championship.

At least that’s the way it seems to the 15 teams that join the Warriors in the playoffs, which begin Saturday with four first-round games.

Over the last three years, Golden State averaged 69 regular-season victories while winning one NBA title (2015) and coming close to a second (2016).For the third consecutive year, the Warriors will enter the postseason as the team to beat.

“Right now, Golden State is the best team on the planet,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. “OK, fine. Let’s all go try to beat them. Let’s see if somebody can beat them. Portland has the first crack, and (the Blazers) will give it everything they have.”

A look at the eight first-round matchups:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (8) Portland Trail Blazers

(3) Houston Rockets vs. (6) Oklahoma City Thunder

A rematch of last year’s Western Conference semis, Golden State swept the four games against Portland this season.

Kevin Durant, who just returned from a foot injury, feasted against Portland this season, shooting 60 percent while averaging 29.3 points and 7.8 rebounds.

The Blazers finished the season with a flourish, winning 17 of their last 23 games. Portland hopes to regain the services of center Jusuf Nurkic, who missed the final seven games with a non-displaced fracture of his right leg. After coming over in a trade from Denver, The Blazers must get plenty of production from guards Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, who average 50 points between them.

Our pick: Warriors in six.

The series features a delightful one-onone battle of MVP candidates between James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

The Rockets enjoyed a renaissance under first-year coach Mike D’Antoni, who has injected energy into the offense and connected well with Harden.

Houston was hit with some injuries through the latter part of the season, but the Rockets will have their full rotation available to open the playoffs.

This series will feature a battle of “bigs,” with Houston’s rising Clint Capela and Nene taking on Oklahoma City’s formidable pair of Steven Adams and Enes Kanter. Adams is the tough guy and defender, and Kanter the rebounder and scorer off the bench.

Our pick: Rockets in six.

(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Memphis Grizzlies

(4) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (5) Utah Jazz

Neither team enters the playoffs hot.

San Antonio lost four of its last five while Memphis has lost nine of the last 12. The teams split four regular-season meetings.

The Spurs will get starting shooting guard Danny Green, who missed five lateseason games with a quad injury, back.

Memphis, in the playoffs for the seventh straight year, features a veteran group with a nucleus — center Marc Gasol, guards Michael Conley and Tony Allen and reserve power forward Zach Randolph — that has played together for several seasons.

Our pick: Spurs in five.

The Clippers, who beat Utah in three of the four games this year, enter the playoffs on a roll, having won seven in a row and 11 of their last 13 regular-season outings. They sport a dangerous core of three All-Stars — point guard Chris Paul, power forward Blake Griffin and center DeAndre Jordan.

The Jazz have been dealing with injuries down the stretch to several rotation players, including point guard George Hill, shooting guard Rodney Hood and power forward Derrick Favors.

Our pick: Clippers in seven.

(1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Chicago Bulls Boston comes into the playoffs as the East’s top seed, sneaking past the Cavs, and the Celtics are brimming with confidence.

They finished hot, winning nine of their final 12 games, and look to get out of the first round for the first time since 2012.

Chicago split four regular-season meetings with Boston and climbed into the playoffs by winning seven of its last nine games. The Bulls’ point guard, Rajon Rondo, is laboring with a sprained wrist, but backup Jerian Grant has been “terrific,” in the opinion of coach Fred Hoiberg, as the replacement down the stretch of the season.

Our pick: Celtics in six.

(2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (7) Indiana Pacers Even as Cleveland stumbled down the stretch, losing its last four and finishing 4-7 over the final 11 games, there is little reason to believe the defending NBA champions are in trouble.

The Big Three — LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love — are healthy and ready to go. Center Tristan Thompson, who missed four late-season games due to a sore thumb, is back.

The Cavaliers took three of four regularseason meetings with Indiana, one of the league’s streakiest teams.

Paul George has been sensational of late, averaging 33 points in April to help Indiana secure a postseason berth. Even with George at his best, the Pacers are in over their heads against the Cavs.

Our pick: Cavaliers in five.

(3) Toronto Raptors vs. (6) Milwaukee Bucks Toronto is hot at the right time, having won 12 of its final 14 games. Guard DeMar DeRozan is on fire, having scored at least 35 points six times in his past dozen games.

The Raptors won two of three against the Bucks this season, and Toronto has prevailed in 12 of the past 13 meetings.

Milwaukee played well the last six weeks, going 16-7. The Bucks’ hopes rest largely on the shoulders of 6-foot-11 point forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. The “Greek Freak” averages 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists. He must produce a big series for Milwaukee to advance.

Our pick: Raptors in six.

(4) Washington Wizards vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks Washington was up and down over the past month, closing the season 8-9.

However, the Wizards have proved to be one of the top teams in the East, rivaling Toronto for the best backcourt in the conference with John Wall and Bradley Beal. The Washington guard duo combine to average nearly 44 points a game, and Wall is among the top assists men in the league.

The Wizards took three of four games from the Hawks during the season.

The Hawks are perhaps the most balanced offensive team in the postseason, with six players averaging double-figure scoring — led by power forward Paul Millsap’s 18.1 points per game.

Our pick: Wizards in five.

NASCAR from page B1

hurricanes from page B1

enth, top fives at 15, top 10s at 21 and laps led at a ridiculous 1,041.

Even with the repaving project that took place last year, JJ’s dominance in the Lone Star State hasn’t changed.

Oh, and that all comes after Johnson had to start from the 40th position — that’s last, for those counting at home — after he incurred a penalty following a spin during qualifying. Asked if there is new ownership of the track after the repave, Johnson smiled and gave yet another quirky response.

“I thought the repave might change it,” Johnson said. “But I still think I have the keys to the front door.”

As for any questions about Hendrick’s place in NASCAR this season, both Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. proved they are going to be just fine. Johnson, Earnhardt and Chase Elliott all finished inside the top 10 on Sunday, but there is still plenty of room for improvement in the Hendrick stable moving forward.

With two short tracks, Talladega and Charlotte over the next five points races, look for Johnson and Hendrick to keep proving the doubters wrong.

His 24 goals trail only Skinner’s Calder-winning season for the most by a rookie in Hurricanes’ history, and he should only get better. Elias Lindholm also evolved into a near-elite playmaking winger, making good on the potential Carolina saw when picking him fifth overall in 2013.

Jordan Staal continued to drive play and be in the Selke Trophy conversation as one of the NHL’s top defensive forwards, and there’s still untapped growth in Teuvo Teravainen and Victor Rask.

The Hurricanes will look to add some more scoring — perhaps a top-nine center to join Staal and Rask — and figure out their bottom six.

Blaney sacrifices victory for stage wins The new stage format has thrown a wrench in NASCAR that nearly every team is still working on mastering. Seven races into the season, only one driver — Martin Truex Jr. in Las Vegas — has won both stages and went on to take the checkered flag. And Truex needed a late pass of Brad Keselowski to clinch the victory.

On Sunday, Ryan Blaney was trying to do the same. The only difference? His team sacrificed solid positioning to start the third stage for the playoff point in the second.

With a late caution in the second stage, Blaney decided to remain on the track with four old tires instead of heading to the pits. He held off the competition to clinch that playoff point, but would have to restart from the middle of the pack to start the third stage after pitting to get those sticker tires.

The result? Blaney was never able to get back into the top five — overshooting his pit box didn’t help on a late caution — and wound up outside the top 10 despite leading

JEROME MIRON | USA TODAY SPORTS

NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Blaney (21) makes a pit stop during the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

148 of the 334 laps. Johnson, the eventual winner, led a total of 18 laps on Sunday.

Blaney did his best to try to explain what all went into the decision.

“It’s easy to look back on it and say, ‘Oh, we should have done this, should have done that,” Blaney said. “Now I say we should have stayed out the last caution and might have had a better shot at it.

But you can’t really change any of that now. Yeah, in hindsight, that was kind of a judgment call. You give up a stage win, 10 points and a bonus point for the playoffs to try to set yourself for the end of the race.

“We thought we had enough time after segment two to try to work our way back up through there, and a restart actually after segment two really went bad for us. We got jumbled up in [Turns] 1 and 2 and let a lot of cars get by.

That was kind of the deciding factor I feel like. ... I thought we made the right call to stay out there and try to win that segment. I’m for that.”

As I wrote at the end of last month, Blaney is helping revive a program that two years ago didn’t even have a full-time ride. So leading nearly half of the race and coming away with two playoff points to go along with 48 total points in the regular season standings certainly isn’t a bad race.

But for a team still in need of clinching a spot in NASCAR’s postseason for those playoff points

to mean anything, the win would have been much more valuable in Texas.

What is going on with Joe Gibbs Racing?

Looking for the top finisher at Texas for Joe Gibbs Racing? Keep scrolling down the page.

Yeah, you won’t find one until Kyle Busch, who finished 15th on Sunday with teammate Matt Kenseth right behind him. It’s been that kind of year for JGR, which has just one driver — Busch — inside the top 10 in the points standings heading into the first off weekend of the season.

This all comes after Gibbs sent all four drivers to the NASCAR playoffs last year for the second consecutive season. By this point last year, JGR already had three wins and would capture four straight for victories in five of the first nine races.

The only driver with a Gibbs affiliation that is locked in to the playoffs at this point? Martin Truex Jr. with Furniture Row Racing, a formerly single-car team that has looked far more consistent than any Gibbs driver in 2017.

Is there any reason for concern with JGR? Not with nearly 20 races remaining in the regular season.

But with a slew of drivers stepping up early on in the season and only one repeat winner through the first seven races, things are already getting a little crowded at the top as the Gibbs drivers look to play catch up.

Defense There’s a lot to like in top four.

Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce are already established players after two NHL seasons, and Noah Hanifin seized his chance following the deadline trade of Ron Hainsey to join his fellow sophomore blueliners in the top two pairings.

Justin Faulk set a new Carolina mark for goals by a defenseman (17) and seemed to find his game defensively after the deadline.

The bottom pairing is not as

established. Klas Dahlbeck, a restricted free agent this offseason, could be a solid No. 6/7 defenseman for Carolina, but the team needs to upgrade beyond that. Ryan Murphy again failed to show he deserves to be an everyday NHLer, and Matt Tennyson was nothing more than a suitable stopgap.

Haydn Fleury, Roland McKeown and Trevor Carrick could all get looks next year, as could 2016 first-rounder Jake Bean, but Francis could pursue a veteran on D. Coaching Peters is still considered one of the rising stars in the coaching ranks, and Steve Smith did a fabulous job with the young defense and penalty kill. Rod Brind’Amour ran the power play and forwards, and both need to show improvement — but it’s doubtful his job is in danger.

Goalie coach David Marcoux, however, was told Tuesday his contract would not be renewed. Carolina could promote goalie consultant Curtis Joseph to the job, but he has no NHL coaching experience. Jim Corsi — of analytics fame — was released by the Blues when Ken Hitchcock was replaced as head coach, and could be an experienced option given his 15-plus years as an NHL goalie coach.

JAMES GUILLORY | USA TODAY SPORTS

Carolina Hurricanes goalie Eddie Lack (31) makes a glove save on the tip attempt by New York Islanders forward Anders Lee (27) during the second period at PNC Arena.

Fab Ellis knows thrifting and fashion, Page 7

SATURDAY

04.15.17

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL

savor& style IN A NORTH STATE OF MIND

“We want students to come back more and more, so we don’t want you to take one and break the bank.”

Haley Bohon, founder of Skillpop

play list April 19-23 2017 Carolina Cup Wrightsville Beach Five days of standup paddleboard clinics and expos entwine two days of some of the best standup paddleboard competitions in the world!

The 2017 Carolina Cup is the official start of SUP race season with four courses charted through the waters surrounding beautiful Wrightsville Beach.

Now in its seventh year, this competition has grown to be one of the largest and most competitive SUP races in the world with more than 800 athletes competing. wrightsvillebeachpaddleclub. com

April 20 An Evening with Bob Garner Asheboro Meet food writer and North Carolina Weekend commentator Bob Garner.

This television personality, restaurant reviewer, speaker, pit master, and North Carolina cuisine connoisseur is the author of several books. randolphlibrary.org

April 21-22

Eamon Queeney | North State Journal

Angie Tucker, center, one of the founders of Raleigh’s Southern Sugar Bakery, and Jessica Kicklighter, center right, teach a SkillPop class on cookie decorating at Loading Dock Raleigh on March 20. SkillPop is an in-person education community built around learning new skills from local experts. This session had students learning cookie icing 101 with a well-known Raleigh bakery, but topics can cover all sorts of ranges.

reach for | skillpop

Crafting a learning experience

By Samantha Gratton North State Journal hen learning a new craft, instruction might come from an art teacher, maybe a guest W speaker in class, summer camp, or even perhaps a

YouTube tutorial.

Just because you are no longer in school (or even if you are) doesn’t mean you have to stop learning and trying new skills. Introducing Skillpop — accessible and affordable in-person education.

Founder Haley Bohon made it her mission to make in-person learning easy and more accessible.

Her background started in engineering and product development, but after moving to a new city she saw a need for more activities that took people offline.

Yoga studios, breweries and networking meetups were all encouraging face-to-face interactions, so she felt the possibility for educational classes could work as well.

“It just struck me that there were a lot of opportunities to do things in person but not in the education space,” said Bohon.

In September 2015, Skillpop held its first class in Charlotte. With its success, classes in Raleigh followed a year later. Skillpop is still running strong in both cities to this day. Due to its popularity and requests across the country for Skillpop, it is being expanded through pop-up classes in additional cities, both in the state and throughout the region.

Pop-up classes will be held in places like Greensboro and Winston-Salem as well as Charleston and Greenville, S.C., with a few more locations yet to be announced.

The low price point, which typically ranges from $20-$45 for a two-hour class, is intentional. When deciding what the price would be, Bohon asked, “What would I want to pay for a two-hour class and what feels like a good deal for me?” She added, “We want students to come back more and more, so we don’t want you to take one and break the bank.”

See SkillPop, page B6

29th Annual Mebane Dogwood Festival Mebane The Dogwood Festival has been a reoccurring festival for downtown Mebane since 1988. Street festival with many vendors’ wares, crafts and other items. Live entertainment of bands and performers from throughout our community are on multiple stages throughout the day. mbamebane.com Fairmont Heritage Days Festival Fairmont This event highlights the town’s treasured past and lifestyle to help remember and pay honor to the “good old days.” Friday offers a country-style, plus great entertainment. Saturday features dozens of craft and food vendors plus musical entertainment featuring bluegrass to country and cloggers to senior line dancers. fairmontnc.com

April 22 Rockyfest Hiddenite This family-friendly daylong event features 5K/10K/20K trail races, live music, free rock climbing and rappelling sessions, children’s activities, food, arts/crafts vendors and more. rockyfacepark.com

coming up

Eamon Queeney | North State Journal

Jessica Kicklighter, of Southern Sugar Bakery, demonstrates how to create the right consistency of icing.

Tapping that New New (Sarum) from Salisbury the good life

North State Journal for Saturday, April 15, 2017

B6

face value The click-it Bic pen all-in-one color flexibility has made its way to makeup this season.

Clarins introduced its color click-it pen featuring four retractable liners for eyes and lips.

Saving space in your makeup bag is always a must, and companies seem to be tapping in.

There are numerous multi-use options out there to choose from — blush and lip combos, blush and illuminators, and two-sided contour sticks. So pick, play and consolidate away.

faith and family

the trend vs. the staple staple | peeps Inside the Easter basket and often covered in plastic “grass” always seems to be at least one package of the neon-colored Peeps. These marshmallow candies come in the form of yellow chicks and pink bunnies around Easter time and have been beloved treats for more than 60 years.

trend | peeps oreo

What is Easter to you?

Take a favorite cookie and fill the inside with a favorite Easter treat, and you’ve got the Peeps Oreo. The vanilla shell with bright colored marshmallow cream on the inside will surely bring everyone around the table to try it out. The question is, will this trend become a staple in your Easter celebrations for years to come?

By Rev. Margaret Almeida For theNorth State Journal it … chocolate bunnies, decorated ribbon-rimmed baskets?

Iseggs, Is it … new spring clothes, hot cross

buns, sunrise service in a cemetery?

Is it … family going to worship together all sitting on the same pew?

Is it … singing your alleluias loud and long?

Is it … seeing Jesus everywhere, not just in the mirror?

When I was a young girl Easter meant something new! As one of five girls, hand-me-downs were the order of the day, but on Easter we got at least one thing new to wear. Maybe a dress or hat or gloves or ruffle rimmed socks. So my focus on Easter was always, “How do I look?” in whatever new thing I had been given.

But as I gazed in the mirror and asked the question my father always had a ready answer. He would say with a voiced filled with love, “Don’t worry about what people are thinking about you… they are not thinking about you.”

In our selfie-obsessed culture, his words of wisdom have never seemed truer. My father would add, “When I look at another person and talk with her or listen to him, I try to never ask myself what impression am I making on this person. But rather ask myself, ‘What can I do to be of the greatest help to this person?’”

Easter is a reminder that we are on Holy Ground every day when we act on that question.

The Christian faith is focused on a person. Jesus Christ is the essential fact of history — his life, his death, and his resurrection. His life appeals to everyone who has heard the story. His death demands of all who give it thought. But without the resurrection, without Easter, there would be no story. The evidence for the resurrection is not just the empty tomb. The real evidence is the women and men who meet the risen Christ and who witness to the resurrection with their lives. Holy Ground is anywhere we serve as the reconciling love of faith from the maternity ward to the hospice wing.

The Rev. Margaret Almeida is the pastor at Second Presbyterian Church in Salisbury, N.C.

Raleigh April 17 Intro to social media for business April 18 Photography basics Terrarium design April 19 Beginner’s hand embroidery April 20 Brush calligraphy basics April 24 Adobe Illustrator basics Modern calligraphy April 25 Cookie decorating basics Handlettering basics April 26 Monetizing your blog April 27 Watercolor florals

Charlotte April 17 Artisan breadmaking April 18 Blogging basics Conquering digital marketing Beginner hip-hop dance April 19 Intro to brush lettering April 20 Adobe Illustrator basics Gardening basics Tapestry weaving for beginners April 24 Modern cross stitch Squarespace masterclass April 25 Write your first book April 26 Thrifting for home decor April 27 Intro to brush lettering

the brew | brewgaloo

By R. Cory Smith North State Journal pril in North Carolina is known as Beer Month. Brewgaloo, one of the A largest annual events in N.C. centered

around craft beer, happens to fall on the same month in the middle of downtown Raleigh.

This year, the event is growing by leaps and bounds in myriad ways. Whether it’s the brand new sour and barrel-aged beer tent or the addition of at least 10 new breweries from last year, next Saturday’s event has a lot to offer for beer lovers.

Brewgaloo is huge for the city of Raleigh and the state, but it’s become an attraction for nearly every state across the country. For an event run by a nonprofit company in Shop Local Raleigh that puts the profits back into the community, Brewgaloo has exceeded their expectations every year.

“Last year, we saw people from 41 states come to this event,” Jennifer Martin, Shop Local Raleigh’s executive director, said. “We see that people are traveling here, booking hotels and making this a destination event. That speaks volumes about not only this event, but the breweries rooted here.”

One new addition to this year’s event will be the sours and barrel-aged tasting tent that is set to run from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The tickets to the private event — which is also set up on Fayetteville Street — will run from $10 for designated drivers to $25 for those wishing to partake in alcoholic beverages.

“We’re hoping to attract beer connoisseurs that love barrels or sours and want to explore something different,” Martin said. “This gives them a different tast-

Ben McKeown | For the North State Journal

ing experience and all for just $25. … It allows people the opportunity that want to do both to really enjoy themselves and not feel like they’re missing out with five hours left after the barrels and sours experience.”

While there is plenty to do at Saturday’s “main event,” as Martin calls it, Friday night offers another chance to delve into the world of craft breweries. A Friday night sampling event was started in 2016 and will make a comeback for those wanting to enjoy smaller crowds and a more intimate setting in City Plaza.

Some of the largest breweries from Raleigh, including Big Boss and Lonerider, are staples of the event. But as it has grown over the years, breweries have flocked to Raleigh in April with the

number now at 100 after attracting 90 in 2016, which was the former record.

“We now have more than 50 percent of legalized, registered breweries in the state at our event,” Martin said. “And it’s only North Carolina — they have to be rooted here — so we’re really proud of that. … We started with 4,500 people. Last year we were at 30,000. We’re expecting to exceed that this year. That wouldn’t be possible without the fantastic breweries we have in this state.”

Whether you’re looking to make an entire weekend out of it or just head to downtown for the main event, Brewgaloo truly has it all. And with the craft brewery scene still blossoming in North Carolina, there is always something new to explore at next weekend’s event.

Skillpop from page B5 While anyone is welcome, millennial women and young professionals, especially those new to the area, seem to be the most frequent attendees to the current classes offered. Once people come to a class, it’s common for them to return for another, even on a different topic. Before long, friendly faces are established and relationships are formed.

Every week brings a new course load of options, with everything from cookie decorating and embroidery to blogging basics and marketing to car maintenance or how to buy a house. When looking at the website it may seem like there are countless options, but they all fall under three primary categories: DIY (such as hand lettering, watercolor, knitting), business development (social media, marketing, graphic design), and personal growth/lifestyle (budgeting, buying a house, gardening).

A few classes are offered in a series that build off of each other, but most are one-off classes on a given topic. After gathering and signing in for a class, the class manager gives a brief introduction to Skillpop adding, “We meet in interesting spaces.”

The spaces are scattered throughout the area, but all provide a strong aesthetic. It might be in a co-working space or hotel banquet room. Following the in-

Top, Ann Garrett Stilley, right, and Sarah Sounders, second from right, both of Raleigh, practice new techniques as they ice cookies.

Bottom, Jessica Kicklighter, of Southern Sugar Bakery, demonstrates how to pipe icing.

troduction, the teacher begins the lesson of the night, often in an interactive and hands-on way.

Expert teachers lead each class, with experience varying by the topic. It might be the VP of marketing at a major corporation teaching your intro to marketing class, or it might be a stay-athome mom who is an artist with a successful Etsy shop. Either way, teachers are vetted professionals and are just who you want to learn from.

So now the question is, which class will you take?

Photos by EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

North State Journal for Saturday, April 15, 2017

B7

flawless Flattering on every skin tone, peach blush is a staple for your makeup bag, especially during

the upcoming spring and summer seasons. Just add mascara and a light lip for a minimal look to keep you looking fresh in the warmer weather.

state of style Ashley Ellis Carter knows being fashionable can also be affordable. With a knack for trends, thrifting and styling, Carter created the lifestyle brand and blog FabEllis in 2010, and has been helping women feel fabulous ever since.

We sat down with Carter to discuss those insider secrets to bargain hunting, thrifting and creating an affordable style.

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal North State Journal: When did you discover creating a stylish wardrobe can be affordable?

Ashley Ellis Carter: Growing up in the small town of Mt. Olive, I was always reading magazines and seeing how people were putting together fashionable wardrobes in bigger cities. It was my mother and me growing up and we didn’t have the money to purchase expensive pieces. I wanted to find a way to create those looks at a cheaper price. Today, I’m encouraging women to live and look fabulous on an affordable budget.

How do you define affordable style?

Affordable style for me means that my entire outfit is under $100 and I don’t spend more than $40 on one particular piece of clothing. I recently bought a jacket at a thrift store for $2.25 and a shirt for $1.75.

I’m the type of person that loves 50 percent off days at the thrift store.

What are your best tips and tricks for shopping in a thrift store?

Before walking in a thrift store, know your size and measurements, and be open-minded. Materials can make pieces stretch to a larger size than expected or seem smaller than the size they are labeled. Mondays are a good day for thrifting. Over the weekend, a lot of people will have donated clothing and several stores such a Goodwill offer discounts on Mondays.

What are the best pieces to find while thrifting?

Blazers, skirts and jackets.

Everyone should have a denim jacket in their closet as those never go out of style. You can find great, quality denim jackets at thrift stores.

What price ranges can shoppers expect to find?

Photos Courtesy of Tamara Torres

Leather & Lace: Mixing feminine and edgy looks is one of my all-time favorite fashion looks.

Not sure how to do it? Take faux leather and add it to a delicate piece in your wardrobe for an instant cool look.

Splash of color: A little known fact is that maxi dresses can be worn all year long! Throw on a moto jacket and it’s fall appropriate; take off the moto jacket and throw on sandals for a fun summer look.

Price ranges depend upon where you live in North Carolina. In Greensboro, we have the Value Village where prices start at $2.50.

Goodwill has a set price of $3.99 to $4.99. Genuine leather and suede pieces range from $12 to $13. Consignment stores will be considerably higher.

What pieces of clothing should every wardrobe have?

White T-shirts, good quality jeans,

Colorful prints: I’m a lover of color! I found this dress for only $6 at Mega Thrift in Winston Salem.

a blazer and great dress. I had at least 10 white T-shirts growing up and my mother would always ask me, “Why so many?” White T-shirts can go with anything.

Target often sells them two for $15.

Good quality jeans — Levi’s — can be found at a thrift store. A black blazer is a staple of every wardrobe, and a great dress, a fit and flare or shirt dress, can be dressed up or down for any occasion.

How about shoes and accessories?

A good pair of boots. Open-toed boots you can wear year-round with the addition of tights for the winter. A classic pair of diamond studs and a statement necklace will complete your outfit. I’m adamant about wearing a watch, so I’d tell you to find a good watch. Have a tote bag and clutch you love. The tote bag is perfect for work and travel, while the clutch is ideal for a girls’ night or a date night.

Any color combinations you suggest?

Neutrals — tan, brown and black — go well together. Mixing prints can be done. I love black and white combinations of polka dots and stripes. The goal is for you to feel good in what you are wearing. If you are afraid of patterns, then have a pop of color instead.

What are your favorite tricks for bargain hunting?

I love my “Retail Me Not” App on my phone. It’s strictly an application for coupons and clothing stores. No matter where you are, the application will help you find stores near you with available shopping coupons. I would also tell you to ask the associates in stores if there are specials, discounts or coupons you could benefit from. Of course, if you find a piece you love, that’s a classic and looks good on you, then go for it. It’s okay to treat yourself.”

Any last words of wisdom for women?

I want women to know they can look fabulous on a budget. There a plenty of apps, coupons and store discounts than can be applied in thrift stores or department stores.

Stores carry plus-size clothing sections. Everyone can go shopping, thrifting and bargain hunting.

To read more with FabEllis, visit www.fabellis.com or look for FabEllis on Facebook and Instagram.

Nude & Neutrals: Pieces that are multifunctional are always a win in your wardrobe. This poncho doubles as a scarf and I purchased it for only $10 during Black Friday.

North State Journal for Saturday, April 15, 2017

B8

pen & Paper pursuits Janric classic sudoku

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Solutions from 4.8.17

The award-winning television and Broadway performer comes to DPAC with his acclaimed cabaret that The New York Times cheered,

“An emotional firestorm.”

For best seats, buy now.

Seats start at $35 + fees

THU

The Best Experience, Life’s New Memories

APR 27 7:30PM