North State Journal — Vol. 2., Issue 58

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 58

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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM |

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2018

Inside NC well-represented in Pyeongchang, Sports

MICHAEL MADRID | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

Members of Team USA Short Track Speedskating skate during a training session at Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 5. For more Olympic news, see page 8.

the Wednesday

NEWS BRIEFING

Super Bowl audience dips from last year, data shows Raleigh The U.S. television audience for Sunday’s Super Bowl on NBC dropped nearly 3 percent from last year, according to preliminary Nielsen data released by the network on Monday. About 47.4 percent of households in 56 major markets tuned in to watch the underdog Philadelphia Eagles defeat the New England Patriots, NBC said, down from 48.8 percent a year earlier. Controversy over some players’ decisions to kneel in protest during the national anthem led to boycotts of the NFL’s broadcasts and merchandise. No players kneeled during singer Pink’s performance of the national anthem at the Super Bowl.

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

Team USA rolls into South Korea ahead of games Pyeongchang, South Korea With the 2018 Winter Olympics on Friday, Team USA athletes are arriving in Pyeongchang, South Korea, for processing and settling into the Olympic Village. Five USA athletes are hoping to defend their titles with another gold medal: Jamie Anderson (slopestyle snowboarding), Maddie Bowman (halfpipe skiing), Ted Ligety (alpine skiing), Mikaela Shiffrin (alpine skiing) and David Wise (halfpipe skiing). Of the 243 members of Team USA, 103 are returning Olympians and three have been to five Olympic Games or more.

JOSHUA ROBERTS | REUTERS

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) departs with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) ahead of an expected vote in the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives on a short-term budget measure that would avert a rerun of last month’s three-day partial government shutdown, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Feb. 6.

Cooper’s pipeline fund draws scrutiny $57.8 million from Duke Energy and Dominion Energy will be controlled by executive branch

The deal was outlined in a Memo of Understanding (MOU) from Cooper’s office last week, released along with an announcement that the administration’s Division of Environmental Quality had issued permits for conBy Donna King struction of the pipeline to begin North State Journal across eight counties in N.C. The RALEIGH — Gov. Roy Coo- project is drawing fire from enviper now says the $57.8 million ronmental groups who are traditionally allies of Cooper. deal he struck for the Last week, 60 people proapproving the Atlantic tested at Cooper’s office Coast Pipeline permits for 10 hours, leading to 15 is actually a “voluntary “During the arrests. contribution.” However, “We are here to deliver the General Assembly’s time it takes a message of deep disapfiscal research divisions to get us to is looking into its legal- a full renew- pointment about the actions of the Cooper adminity and how the money istration last Friday. It’s in the fund would be able energy future, we exactly the wrong thing controlled. for North Carolina, and we In a memo to law- will still are going to be in the way makers, Mark Trogdon, from now on,” said one director of the nonpar- need to rely protester with the N.C. Altisan Fiscal Research on other liance to Protect the PeoDivision, said he isn’t fuels.” ple and Places We Live. getting all the answers The Fiscal Research to his questions on Division said it did not money that Duke En- — Gov. Roy find any law addressing ergy and Dominion Cooper the creation of a multimilEnergy will put into lion-dollar fund specifian escrow account for cally for the governor’s use Cooper, or those he appoints, to spend on mitigation and without the legislative budgeting economic development in areas impacted by the pipeline.

See PIPELINE, page A2

Lawmakers nearing budget deal to avoid another shutdown

A decade after recession, a jump in U.S. states with wage gains

By Richard Cowan and Steve Holland Reuters

Washington, D.C. The kind of pay raises for which American workers have waited years are here for a broadening swath of the country, according to a Reuters analysis of state-bystate data that suggests falling unemployment has finally begun boosting wages. Average pay rose by more than 3 percent in at least half of U.S. states last year, up sharply from previous years. The data also shows a jump in 2017 in the number of states where the jobless rate zeroed in on record lows, 10 years after the financial crisis knocked the economy into a historic recession.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Republican and Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill say they are closing in on an agreement to expand spending levels for both military and domestic programs and ensure that the government will keep operating when temporary spending expires on Thursday.

President Donald Trump said that he would accept a shutdown if a spending deal did not include changes to immigration laws, challenging Democrats on the issue that led to a three-day partial closure of government agencies last month.

The deal could potentially put an end to the brinkmanship over

spending that has periodically roiled Washington and that resulted in funds running out for the government in January.

"I'm optimistic that very soon we'll be able to reach an agreement," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the agreement would include an increase for domestic programs like drug treatment and broadband infrastructure that Democrats have sought, as well as a military spending increase championed

by Republicans.

"We're making real progress on a spending deal," he told reporters.

See BUDGET DEAL, page A8

NORTH STATE JOURNAL | FILE

Roy Cooper speaks during a news conference in 2016.

INSIDE Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke meets with governor, lawmakers in Raleigh.

Jones & Blount

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20177 52016 $2.00

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North State Journal for Wednesday, February 7, 2018

A2 WEDNESDAY

02.07.18 #114

State leaders come together to talk out of school NCSU’s Emerging Issues Forum brought together teacher, lawmakers and policy leaders to figure out how to help parents get their kids ready for school

By Donna King North State Journal

“The whole state.

The whole story.”

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RALEIGH — Business leaders and policymakers, Democrats and Republicans, gathered in downtown Raleigh on Monday to hammer out some common ground on education. All agreed that early childhood development played a critical part in the formula for success, but how to reach every family, and how to pay for it, was a topic of much discussion.

“The goal is to simply get a child out of 8 (years old) that is physically healthy, has a good attitude and can read,” said Rep. Craig Horn (R-Union), “If we can get a child at 8 who has those, their chances for success in life are exponential; miss one of those and the floor falls out.”

Chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees, Horn (R-Union) and Sen. Chad Barefoot (R-Wake), were on a panel with Secretary Mandy Cohen, head of the Department of Health and Human Services, and Superintendent Mark Johnson, head of the Department of Public Instruction.

The moderated discussion centered around the new B3 Interagency Council, created by the General Assembly for DHHS an DPI to run a council of multiple stakeholders to develop a vision and accountability for the birthto-age 8 system.

“We are really trying to think very comprehensively about early childhood,” said Cohen. “We’ve been thinking around health, around safety and nurturing, and around ready to learn for success in school; and we need measurements across all of those.”

The need to get kids ready to start kindergarten was a key point of agreement among the policy leaders, despite party affiliation.

“Ask any parent, ‘Is your child ready for kindergarten?’ and they are probably going to say yes — not knowing what we in this room consider to be ready for kindergarten,” said Johnson. “Knowing how to hold a pencil, recognizing all your letters, count to 20, or spell your name. … I’d love for part of the action plan for the B3

PIPELINE from page A1 process, but they didn’t find one prohibiting it either. Its questions to the governor’s Office of State Budget and Management included: “1. Who “owns” the $57.8 million?

2. Are these state funds?

3. Where the funds will be deposited (State treasury?)?

4. Who will administer the fund?

5. Legal authority to enter into such an MOA? The legislative analysts aren’t

COURTESY PHOTO

Elementary school students learn in a Fayetteville classroom.

Interagency Council to talk about how to reach these parents before kindergarten.”

Cohen said the agency is working on a holistic approach to identify student stumbling blocks. She said trauma or an unstable home life plays a critical role in later academic success.

“Are we measuring maternal depression? Are we measuring substance abuse in moms and dads?” said Cohen. “How do we link that back to some of the things we are doing in the health care space, and how does it impact our young children and their ability to be ready for kindergarten?

“I don’t think it’s going to be, unfortunately, just about, ‘Here’s this checklist,’” she added. “It’s about really digging to the next level … the health, the nurturing and safety piece.”

Horn said universal pre-K should be available to every child in N.C., whether it is in for-profit child care facilities, church preschools, or at home with parents or grandparents.

“I think that’s absolutely critical to the future of the state and the future of the nation,” said Horn. “Whether or not it should be government-funded is a separate issue.”

Johnson said he sees promise in new technologies to work kindergarten readiness into existing

environments, so kids can hit the ground running once they get to kindergarten.

“One of the exciting things that’s happening in education right now is personalized learning,” said Johnson. “All this disruptive technology that is invading our lives, personalizing our news, our entertainment, you can even personalize your fast food order. … All that disruptive technology can be a very powerful tool for our educators.

“At DPI, we are looking at some really exciting programs that aren’t focused as much on traditional pre-k ideas, but more kindergarten readiness,” he added.

“Can you give a 4-year-old access to this technology for just 15 minutes a day, five days a week and have them kindergarten-ready by the time they walk into kindergarten?”

In an earlier panel, SAS CEO Jim Goodnight also talked about a future for technology in pre-K, saying that mining the data from the pre-K programs could help agencies more effectively pinpoint and predict trouble spots.

Lawmakers say that engaging business leaders, private philanthropies and different agencies will play a key role in ensuring kindergarten readiness.

The state’s Blue Ribbon Commission, chaired by Barefoot, issued recommendations in a re-

port released at the forum that outlined financing options for smaller-scale, local early childhood education initiatives. Some of the suggestions offered included child care as an employee benefit, funding from local taxes, private donations and grants.

From the report, Barefoot said that improving the transition process into kindergarten is “low-hanging fruit,” ensuring that kids have proper assessments early in kindergarten, and that information and advocacy don’t fall off once the student is in school.

Tackling some of the social issues, before preschool, should be a priority, according to Barefoot.

“When I think of what the state can do, on a statewide basis, and where we should be directing our funding, it is helping with some of the (birth-to-age 3) issues,” he said.

The B3 Interagency Council is forming and has held initial meetings to set goals and processes. The policymakers on the panel thought that bipartisanship was a priority for the members, so far.

“There is a diverse group of people on this commission, and that’s important because we can talk about these issues,” said Johnson. “But then we walk out those doors and the partisan realities come back into the conversations. We have to work hard not to let them.”

alone in asking those questions.

Critics have called the deal a “slush fund” for Cooper to dole out at his discretion to projects by environmental groups with ruffled feathers over his administration’s decision to grant permits for the pipeline.

Cooper says the deal is a “voluntary contribution” to pay for “environmental mitigation initiatives such as reducing the carbon footprint and expansion of renewable energy sources.”

Trogdon’s memo to lawmakers says it “does not appear that the MOU is a legally binding con-

tract but is more in the nature of a statement of intent.” A point of concern for some is that the MOU makes clear that if, for any reason, ACP fails to get or keep a permit or approval of some kind or finish the project, Governor Cooper has to return the remainder of the funds to ACP. Trogdon completed his memo saying Cooper’s budget office was “not responsive to the questions asked.” The response was, “Once the fund is established, a board of directors, as yet to be named, will oversee its operation through a designated administrator. Be-

cause the fund will be established after the company’s voluntary contribution toward the above-mentioned goals, it is not a fine, penalty, or forfeiture.”

In the meantime, the N.C. General Assembly is studying the fund and how it will be distributed and used while the fiscal researchers look for input from the Federal Energy Commission.

Virginia inked a similar $58 million deal to create an environmental mitigation fund. Virginia’s newly-elected governor, Democrat Ralph Northam, called it “a good deal.”

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North State Journal for Wednesday, February 7, 2018

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BUSINESS

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FAST FACTS Sponsored by

This month, Gov. Roy Cooper is launching a new initiative, dubbed Hometown Strong, that focuses on partnering with local leaders to stimulate economies in rural communities and help businesses thrive in those areas.

“Small communities like the one I grew up in have a special character and so much to offer,” Cooper said.

“They deserve a real partner in state government and a chance to thrive.”

Hometown Strong will work with local governments by focusing on projects such as infrastructure improvements, broadband access, and workforce training.

Through existing and new partnerships with local leaders from government, business, non-profit organizations, the philanthropic community and others, Hometown Strong will seek to leverage state and local resources to help complete local development projects, convene conversations between state and local agencies, and identify long-term projects that can encourage prosperity in rural communities.

“Helping rural North Carolina thrive is one of my top priorities,” Cooper said. “Families in rural communities aren’t looking for mandates from Raleigh – they want state government to listen and help when asked. We’ll listen to local leaders to make sure they’re getting the support they need to help their communities prosper.”

Cooper has appointed Pryor Gibson and Mary Penny Kelley to lead Hometown Strong. Initial partnerships between rural counties and Hometown Strong will be announced this spring.

As NC grows, realtors adapt in booming housing market North Carolina continues to top lists as one of the nation’s hottest markets for retirees, military and tech industry relocations, and 2018 looks to be one of the best yet for local realtors

Approved Logos

SOURCE: NC DEPT. OF COMMERCE

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal RALEIGH — North Carolina is continuing to see an influx in new residents and a climb in the housing market as 2018 rolls into its second month. Judging by the housing markets, job growth and population increase in 2017, this year is predicted to be even better.

Nationally, North Carolina earned the No. 6 ranking by USA Today’s content partner, Credit.com, in an announcement on Monday of the “Ten State Predicted to Have Strong Housing Markets in 2018.”

From military to retirees and more, the housing market is being driven by those relocating to the state, especially the metropolitan cities of Raleigh and Charlotte. The extensive report predicts home sales will grow 6 percent this year, and the median home market price averages

NC real estate by the numbers

$325,000

$325,000.

Zillow, an online national database for real estate and rental properties, placed Raleigh in the No. 2 spot and Charlotte in the No. 4 spot on its annual prediction of the Hottest Housing Markets in 2018. Zillow predicts home values across North Carolina will rise 3.1 percent this year compared to the 6.2 percent raise in home values last year as reported by the organization.

Realtors across the state are readying themselves for continued growth and sales. NC Realtors, the non-profit trade association representing more than 42,000 members and 48 local associations throughout the state of North Carolina, recently launched their new NC Realtors Global Network.

The Global Network is a one-stop shop for organization members working in the international market in addition to organizations seeking to relocate to North Carolina and the United States.

With tech companies, manufacturing plants and an influx of job seekers moving to the state, this network is designed to make the global real estate market more accessible, profitable and ethical for NC Realtors.

"We are excited to launch NC

Home values on the rise

REALTORS® Global Network as a resource for our commercial and residential brokers. We look forward to providing networking opportunities and new business to our NC REALTOR® members through state and local connections, education opportunities, and supporting community-based efforts to reach the global marketplace,” said Tony Harrington, vice chair of the Economic Development Committee and head of the NC REALTORS® Global Task Force.

The Global Network stemmed from the association’s Economic Development Committee, which wanted to further the organization’s mission to support economic development and members’ opportunities to increase professional prospects, while providing vehicles for members to keep their finger on the pulse of potential investors and international partners.

The Global Network will assist and provide access to international branding reinforcement, foreign investment into North Carolina markets and growing communities, virtual and face-to-face networking opportunities, education and specialized credential opportunities for NC REALTORS® among others.

Nationally ranked housing market

medium home price (of homes currently listed)

3.1 percent

No. 2

predicted increase of N.C. home values in 2018

Raleigh

6 percent

$166,000

predicted increase of home sales in 2018

current median home value in N.C.

SOURCE: CREDIT.COM

SOURCE: ZILLOW

No. 4 Charlotte

SOURCE: ZILLOW

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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT Sponsored by

Nostalgic Confections with a Modern Twist North Carolina public power communities are home to all kinds of hidden gems, like Buttermilk Boutique, a small pastry company in Clayton. Owner Tie Whittaker began baking with her grandmother and great-grandmother before she could even reach the stove. But on the path to launching Buttermilk Boutique in 2013, she ventured far from that Southern kitchen—to places like Boston, India and Germany, learning from top chefs and running professional kitchens along the way.

It’s that combination of experiences that makes her creations so much more than your average pa sstry—creations like red velvet croissants with cream cheese custard. Whittaker says, “Those are beautiful to me because they’re flavors from my childhood that can be transformed into something modern.

It’s a little bit of nostalgia, with a little bit of modern technique.”

Learn more about Buttermilk Boutique at www. buttermilkboutique.com and in the inspiring story and video

by Our State magazine at http://bit.ly/OS-Buttermilk.

North State Journal for Wednesday, February 7, 2018

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Hitting the Rails

North State Journal for Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Murphy to Manteo

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N.C.’s largest ever rail improvement project was completed in January, after seven years of work. Launched in 2010, the Piedmont Improvement Program (PIP) was designed to improve safety, efficiency and reliability for freight and passenger rail service between Charlotte and Raleigh.

More than 40 comprehensive rail projects were completed including 13 new bridges over or under highways to prevent train/vehicle collisions, 27 miles of double track between Greensboro and Charlotte, closing nearly 40 street-level roadway crossings, and refurbishing and adding passenger railcars.

Former mayor of Aberdeen to challenge Hudson

By NSJ Staff

Visit ncbytrain.org for information on riding the rails!

COURTESY PHOTO

Feb. 6 marks the anniversary of the first time the N.C. General Assembly met in the current Legislative building.

Legislative building hits a milestone

By NSJ Staff

SOURCE: N.C. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Figure 1-1 WEST Todd Fire Department reopens after 5 months Ashe and Watauga counties Todd Fire and Rescue Department announced it will be answering fire and first responder calls after five months of being out of service. The department closed due to address problems in insurance and operations last year.

In December, the department began testing its equipment to ensure they were up to standard. The Watauga fire marshal conducted an inspection and gave them the OK. WATAUGA DEMOCRAT

Henderson County school district Augustdays 2015 considers snow makeup Henderson County Henderson County Public Schools decided to cancel school due to inclement weather, which has put them behind on instructional hours required by the state. The school district has canceled school seven times this year due to snow and ice and Hurricane Irma in September. Administrators say they will need to make up one day, but will decide when after the winter weather passes. Some options are Saturday school, spring break or adding days to the end of the year.

BLUE RIDGE NOW

North Carolina’s Rail System PIEDMONT

N.C. State Parks attendance increases in 2017 Avery County The North Carolina State Parks system saw an increase of more than 19 million visitors to their parks, which is a 3 percent increase compared to 2016.

According to the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, 27 of the 39 state parks saw an increase in visitation, included Grandfather Mountain State Park, which saw more than 87,000 visitors. Lake James State Park saw an uptick of 8 percent. The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources secretary said an extra 2,075 acres of land was acquired for the state parks system in 2017.

HIGH COUNTRY PRESS

Reidsville officials investigating 6 ‘suspicious’ fires

Knightdale father, daughter charged with incest Wake County A Knightsdale man and his daughter were charged with incest after his estranged wife told the police the two were having a baby together. Steven Pladl and Katie Pladl were arrested in their home on Jan. 27. According to arrest warrants, Katie, 20, was legally adopted out of the state at birth, and when she turned 18, she reached out to Steven and her mother. Warrants say Katie and Steven’s baby was born in September 2017 and was with them at the time of the arrest. They were charged with incest with adult, adultery, contributing to delinquency.

ABC11

Police searching for Pisgah Forest armed robbery suspect

Woman shot in University City apartment with 6-month-old baby inside

Transylvania County Sheriff deputies continue to search for a suspect who robbed a Triangle Stop on Hendersonville Highway Sunday night. Police say a white male entered the store with a firearm, demanded money from the clerk and took off with an undisclosed amount of money.

The suspect was wearing dark colored pants, a reflective yellow jacket and a face mask. Deputies recovered a jacket and a pair of tennis shoes on Crab Creek Road, which they believe belonged to the suspect.

Mecklenburg County A woman was shot in an apartment in University City on Monday morning while a 6-month-old baby was inside. Police responded to Wexford Apartments on Wexford Meadows Lane for a home invasion call. The woman was shot multiple times in the upper body. The woman was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The baby was not hurt.

CITIZEN-TIMES

WSOC TV

Rockingham County Law enforcement are investigating six fires that happened in a span of three hours on Sunday morning. The fires were started between 12:12 a.m. and 2:53 on Vance, Poplar, Elm and Hillsdale streets and Linville Drive.

Officials are calling the set of fires “suspicious.” It’s unknown whether the fires were residential or businesses or is anyone was hurt.

GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD

EAST

New Eastern NC School for the Deaf director to arrive next month

“Selfie Kid” from Super Bowl born in Greenville Pitt County Ryan McKenna, the 13-year-old teenager who gained Internet fame and memes from nabbing a selfie with Justin Timberlake during the Super Bowl was born in eastern N.C. McKenna, who now lives in Boston, was born in Greenville and his family moved to New Bern shortly after. He attended Arendell Parrott Academy in Kinston before moving north.

WITN

UNC claims right to shield names of students displaced for sexual misconduct cases Orange County UNC-Chapel Hill lawyers said judges should shield the university from having to release the names of students disciplined for on-campus sexual misconduct cases. Federal laws give the university discretion to release the names of students found responsible for crimes of violence and “non-forcible sex offense.” UNC Chancellor Carol Folt decided to go against the disclosure.

UNC is attempting to prevent a group of media organizations to force disclosure of students’ names it has disciplined in sexual misconduct cases.

HERALD SUN

Wilson County The Eastern N.C. School for the Deaf has named Michele Handley its new director following the resignation of Carter Bearden in mid-2017. Handley currently works for the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, where she has been since 2007. In addition to administrative roles, Handley has been a parent adviser, teacher and interpreter at schools in Colorado and Georgia since getting a bachelor’s degree in 1996. She also holds master’s and doctorate degrees.

Governor, state House leaders meet with Zinke

By NSJ Staff

WILSON TIMES

Nash UNC Heath Care names cancer center for Danny Talbot Nash County The recently opened 16,100-squarefoot Danny Talbott Cancer Center on the campus of Nash UNC Health Care has been named for Danny Talbott, a star athlete from the twin counties.

Talbott was a three-sport standout at Rocky Mount High School leading the football team to the 1962 4A state championship. He was also a linchpin on Rocky Mount’s basketball and baseball state championship teams.

Talbott later started at quarterback for three years for North Carolina’s football team. Talbott also earned allconference honors at UNC as a baseball player and was inducted in the 2003 North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

ROCKY MOUNT TELEGRAM

Reward offered for information on escaped inmates Duplin County Authorities say two inmates scaled a fence at Duplic County Jail Annex and escaped on Monday night. Frankie Maurice Williams, 22, and Adam Bell, 24, were last seen in black and white striped jumpsuits. Williams is from Sampson County and Bell is from Magnolia. The county sheriff says they are offering $2,500 rewards each for the two men and reminded the public that it is a felony to harbor a fugitive.

ON FEB. 6, 1963, the General Assembly met in the Legislative Building on Jones Street for the first time. The General Assembly had previously met in the State Capitol — now a state historic site —o n Union Square since 1840.

As space became increasingly crowded in the State Capitol, a commission was formed in 1957 to acquire land, create plans and expend funds for the construction of a new building for North Carolina’s legislative branch. Architects Edward D. Stone, John Holloway and Ralph Reeves drew up plans for the building, and bids were received by the end of 1960.

Construction began in early 1961 and was finished by early 1963. The building required more than 10,000 cubic yards of concrete and nearly 150,000 masonry blocks to complete. The 206,000-square-foot building also has nearly two miles of water piping and more than 51 miles of electrical wire. The building cost about $5.5 million to construct, which translates to about $1.24 for each citizen of North Carolina at the time.

RALEIGH — Democrat Frank McNeill announced over the weekend that he will run for Congress to represent North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District. Currently, Republican Congressman Richard Hudson holds that seat and has for three terms. McNeill is the former mayor of Aberdeen and owns McNeill Oil and Propane, a third generation family business.

“My opponent, Richard Hudson, has served only the agenda of Speaker Paul Ryan and special interests in Washington, who are lining their pockets at the expense of ordinary working families here in my district,” McNeill said in a press release announcing his candidacy.

“He has voted for a Washington tax bill that hurts our neighbors, voted to take healthcare away from folks who cannot afford it, and failed to hold our President accountable to his promises to our families.”

McNeill graduated from Appalachian State University and has spent 17 years in politics, serving on the town council, as mayor of Aberdeen and on the Moore County School Board.

District 8 encompasses a large section of N.C.’s piedmont region, from Concord to Spring Lake, including the area surrounding Fort Bragg. Congressman Richard Hudson won the seat in 2012, defeating incumbent Democrat Larry Kissell.

Hudson has been an advocate for the tax cut package recently signed into law

by President Donald Trump and veteran’s care issues including co-sponsoring the VA Care in the Community Act, legislation to improve and expand veteran access to community care.

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FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER

RALEIGH — Over the weekend, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke was in Raleigh to meet with Governor Roy Cooper, and separately with N.C. Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) and members of his House leadership in a roundtable discussion on Saturday. The policymakers talked about the impact of energy development on the economy, agriculture and national security within the state and the nation.

“We expressed to Secretary Zinke that the North Carolina House will maintain a collaborative approach to our state’s energy policy,” Moore said, “and are confident from today’s discussion that we can continue working with his department to positively affect our citizens’ lives.”

The group also talked about last year’s Competitive Energy Solutions, passed by the General Assembly that implements a competitive bidding process for solar developers.

Cooper said he expressed his repeated opposition to energy exploration off N.C.’s coast in his meeting with Zinke and that he appreciated the interior secretary’s visit.

The

98 % of ALL Farms Truth are Family Farms

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COURTESY PHOTO

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke was in Raleigh this weekend to meet with N.C. Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland).

North State Journal for Wednesday, February 7, 2018

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

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

The magical job creation machine of the U.S. economy “30 million jobs have been created under President Trump!”

The “unemployment rate” is an easily manipulated and misunderstood statistic that should be retired forever.

The headline above could have been written with a straight-face by any media outlet and been technically “true” about the American economy in the last year since President Trump took office.

The only problem is that the following sub-headline would have to have been published below it stating this other “inconvenient truth” about the dynamic American economy: “27.8 million jobs also have been destroyed under President Trump, too!”

The net difference though is a solid increase of more than 2.2 million in net new jobs created since Election Day 2016. The key to any understanding of employment numbers under any U.S. president or political party controlling Congress and the U.S. Senate is to look at the net difference in jobs created versus jobs lost during any particular term in office.

Presidents get way too much credit for economic job growth when it is good and way too much blame when the numbers are bad. Except for Presidents Herbert Hoover and Martin van Buren, both of whom made perhaps the exact wrong policy decisions at the exact wrong time when faced with economic downturns and only made bad situations devastatingly worse.

The American economy is a thoroughly dynamic jobs machine that sees roughly 10 percent of all jobs change during any particular quarter of the year. Five percent of total employed positions are created and 5 percent of existing jobs are eliminated.

The potency of the American economy would make the author of the “creative destruction” theory of employment in 1942, Joseph Schumpeter, blush with pride.

Businesses are either hiring people for new companies, expanding older ones to meet business demand, or they are shedding workers because of loss of business and revenue regardless of who is sitting in the White House or on Capitol Hill every day.

Economic cycles come and go. Political leaders, however, can make decisions and set policies that allow recessions to go away rather quickly and enter into another round of growth and economic

expansion. Or they can throw wet blankets on the economy such as we saw under President Obama where super-excessive numbers of federal regulations were loaded up on business and higher taxes imposed on individuals that essentially forced much of the American business community to “go on strike” for most of his eight years in office.

The fact that President Obama is the first, and only, president in recorded modern history to have never presided over a single year where GDP annual growth rates exceeded 3 percent should tell everyone something about his economic policies. The average annual GDP growth rate during his entire eight years as president was only about 1.6 percent.

The key thing to remember whenever you see news reports about “unemployment rates” is that the only true barometer of such things is the absolute number of people who are currently working in a full-time job, not the unemployment rate.

The “unemployment rate” is an easily manipulated and misunderstood statistic that should be retired forever. It is based on the number of people who are “actively looking” for a job which can distort the unemployment rate if people get discouraged and leave the workforce altogether.

The much more meaningful statistic is the absolute number of people who are working full-time, which at the end of 2017 was 153,337,000 people. If you follow the monthly reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and chart it like you would a baseball game, you would very clearly see the relative health or sickness of the U.S. economy due to the total number of people working full-time.

If the U.S. economy is allowed to function without excessive regulation and taxation, 200,000 or more Americans each month might be able to find that great job that has eluded them for the past decade.

EDITORIAL | TROY KICKLER

Optics can still get in the way of substance

People seem to warm up to what some call a “hair and teeth” candidate (think Justin Trudeau of Canada).

WHAT DO YOU THINK was memorable about Congressman Joe Kennedy III’s response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address?

The 45th president’s address—a surprisingly well-delivered speech that stirred patriotic pride in many—was a tough act to follow.

Kennedy had a tall order, when delivering the Democratic opposition’s response.

An opposition’s response, to be candid, is never an easy task, no matter the political party. Even so, rising political stars typically seem to accept the challenge. This time was no different.

The stage was set in Fall River, Mass. An enthusiastic crowd was present. A muscle car and an American flag were behind the stage. A sense of hometown pride filled the room. A rising star took the stage. The very sight of him on the television screen reminded me of John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy.

Ironically, the one chosen, in part, to reach out to millennials reminded me more of yesteryear. I’m no political strategist, but I wondered if the Congressman was the best choice.

Nevertheless, I sat up in my chair and prepared myself to hear some memorable quotes—something that would be read by American high school students in history books decades from now. Something similar to JFK’s admonishment: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Or something like what Bobby Kennedy once observed: “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve

greatly.”

The Congressman’s SOTU response began.

People watching it with me soon remarked: “What’s on his lips?” or “What’s on his chin?” His mouth was moving, and words were spoken and thoughts expressed. But nobody was paying full attention. They were distracted.

America learned later that it wasn’t drool.

What they were seeing was Kennedy’s liberal application of ChapStick.

Kennedy is not alone. Others have made optic mistakes. Who can forget Marco Rubio awkwardly lunging for a bottle of water during his response? Gotta’ hate dry mouth!

Saturday Night Live spoofed the incident in a genuinely funny skit. And later during the 2016 presidential campaign, a candidate Trump, with some artistic license, recalled and reenacted the gaffe at a rally.

Who can forget Governor Bobby Jindal’s awkward SOTU response, as he stared nervously into the camera? The performance made me feel awkward and nervous for him.

Hardly anyone remembers what Rubio or Jindal said, but they do remember what they saw.

Appearances mattered during the 1988 presidential campaign. During the debate with George H.W. Bush, a shorter Michael Dukakis stood on a sloped platform behind the lectern. Also, he unsuccessfully tried to strengthen his pro-military image with a photo-op in a tank. To many, he looked more like Beetle Bailey than George Patton. People forgot about his views regarding the military.

Since the 1950s, television appearances have influenced public opinion and election results. Richard Nixon initially used TV to his advantage. His “Checkers Speech,” North Carolina-born columnist Robert Ruark wrote, “came closer to humanizing the Republican Party than any thing that has happened in my memory . . . this time the common man was the Republican for a change . . .[who] suddenly placed the burden of old-style aloofness on the Democrats.”

The screen, however, was not kind to Nixon during the 1960 election. Although radio listeners enjoyed Nixon’s comments, television viewers preferred a younger, charming, polished, and photogenic JFK rather than the fidgety and sweating Nixon with a 5 o’clock shadow.

People seem to warm up to what some call a “hair and teeth” candidate (think Justin Trudeau of Canada). One elected official once jokingly told me that he opposes politicians with a full head of hair and good teeth— mainly because he has neither.

To make a long story short: appearances and gaffes on screen do matter in politics. A lot of times that’s all people will remember.

North State Journal for Wednesday, February 7, 2018 GUEST OPINION | JARRETT STEPMAN

The inspiring faith of the Eagles’ comeback quarterback Despite calls to switch to Kaepernick, the Eagles had faith in Foles and were rewarded with the first Super Bowl in the history of their franchise.

THE NATIONAL Football League has had a tumultuous season to say the least. Politics and sliding ratings have dogged the sport all year.

Despite the fact that this year’s Super Bowl was the lowest-rated game since 2010, it ended up being a great, high-scoring contest in which the underdog Philadelphia Eagles stunningly defeated the New England Patriots.

Perhaps just as surprising as the Eagles’ victory was a statement by Super Bowl MVP and Philadelphia quarterback Nick Foles. Before the game, Foles announced that he wanted to become a pastor after he retired from the NFL. “I want to be a pastor in a high school,” Foles said at a news conference, according to The Associated Press. “It’s on my heart. I took a leap of faith last year and signed up to take classes at seminary. I wanted to continue to learn and challenge my faith. It’s a challenge because you are writing papers that are biblically correct. You want to impact people’s hearts.”

Foles is one of many vocal Christians in the Eagles locker room. In fact, after their Super Bowl victory, players and coaches knelt in prayer.

Not everyone has been happy about such public displays of religion from athletes.

University of Pennsylvania professor Jonathan Zimmerman wrote of what he sees as the troubling nature of Foles’ public religiosity at Philly.com: “We’re a hugely diverse country, composed of people who follow different faiths (or, increasingly, no faith at all). When it comes to sports, however, we tend to equate ‘religion’ with ‘Christian’ — and with a born-again version of it, at that.”

Nevertheless, some fans have found this public expression of religious conviction to be refreshing.

Many took to Twitter to celebrate this after Foles’ Super Bowl victory.

“Loved the game, loved the halftime show, and loved the Olympic ads, but the highlight of the #SuperBowl is Nick Foles” — Sarah Sanders @PressSec “A higher calling than the #SuperBowl? Definitely.

Philadelphia @Eagles’ quarterback @NFoles_9 wants to be a high school pastor after football! He said it’s a leap of faith.” — Franklin Graham @Franklin_Graham “@Eagles QB Nick Foles plans to become a pastor after football” — Jesse Lee Peterson @JLPtalk

“Serving something greater than self, this Eagle’s going to soar!” — Sarah Palin @SarahPalinUSA “Nick Foles wants to be a pastor. Love this!” — Jason Romano @JasonRomano It’s worth noting the remarkable story — and unusual path — that brought Foles to the height of sports achievement.

In fact, he nearly considered hanging up his cleats after the St. Louis Rams (now the Los Angeles Rams) cut him in 2016.

“I wanted to retire from the NFL, and I really struggled,” he said, according to The Washington Post. “I couldn’t pick up a football for about eight months. I had no love for the game, and it was tough.”

Foles explained that his faith led him to keep playing through hardship. He caught on with the Eagles as a backup to star quarterback Carson Wentz. When Wentz went down with a season-ending injury, Foles stepped into the starting role.

Many doubted that Foles could successfully lead a talented Eagles team through the playoffs, and some even called for the team to sign unemployed quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Of course, Kaepernick sparked the NFL’s national anthem controversy in 2015 over what he said was the racism of the police in America. Kaepernick’s latest venture has been raising $20,000 for the daughters of Assata Shakur, who became renowned for killing a New Jersey police officer in the 1970s.

One Philadelphia columnist wrote after Wentz’s injury in December, “If, in this moment, you don’t want Kaepernick to wear an Eagles uniform because he kneels during the anthem, then you prefer hollow, misdirected patriotism to winning.”

Oops. It turns out Foles was a revelation as Kaepernick remained without a job.

Despite calls to switch to Kaepernick, the Eagles had faith in Foles and were rewarded with the first Super Bowl in the history of their franchise. And with all that’s happened in the NFL this season, it was a nice story to end with.

Jarrett Stepman is an editor for The Daily Signal. This column was originally published in The Daily Signal.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9) celebrates with his daughter Lily after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium.

WINSLOW TOWNSEN | USA TODAY SPORTS

COLUMN | WALTER E. WILLIAMS

Let’s limit spending

The nation needs a constitutional amendment that limits congressional spending to a fixed fraction, say 20 percent, of the GDP.

SOME PEOPLE have called for a balanced budget amendment to our Constitution as a means of reining in a big-spending Congress. That’s a misguided vision, for the simple reason that in any real economic sense, as opposed to an accounting sense, the federal budget is always balanced. The value of what we produced in 2017 — our gross domestic product — totaled about $19 trillion. If the Congress spent $4 trillion of the $19 trillion that we produced, unless you believe in Santa Claus, you know that Congress must force us to spend $4 trillion less privately.

Taxing us is one way that Congress can do that. But federal revenue estimates for 2017 are about $3.5 trillion, leaving an accounting deficit of about $500 billion.

So taxes are not enough to cover Congress’ spending.

Another way Congress can get us to spend less privately is to enter the bond market. It can borrow. Borrowing forces us to spend less privately, and it drives up interest rates and crowds out private investment. Finally, the most dishonest way to get us to spend less is to inflate our currency. Higher prices for goods and services reduce our real spending.

The bottom line is the federal budget is always balanced in any real economic sense. For those enamored of a balanced budget amendment, think about the following: Would we have greater personal liberty under a balanced federal budget with Congress spending $4 trillion and taxing us $4 trillion, or would we be freer under an unbalanced federal budget with Congress spending $2 trillion and taxing us $1 trillion? I’d prefer the unbalanced budget. The true measure of government’s impact on our lives is government spending, not government taxing.

Tax revenue is not our problem. The federal government has collected nearly 20 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product almost every year since 1960. Federal spending has exceeded 20 percent of the GDP for most of that period. Because federal spending is the problem, that’s where our focus should be. Cutting spending is politically challenging. Every spending constituency sees what it gets from government as vital, whether it be Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid

recipients or farmers, poor people, educators or the military. It’s easy for members of Congress to say yes to these spending constituencies, because whether it’s Democrats or Republicans in control, they don’t face a hard-and-fast bottom line.

The nation needs a constitutional amendment that limits congressional spending to a fixed fraction, say 20 percent, of the GDP. It might stipulate that the limit could be exceeded only if the president declared a state of emergency and two-thirds of both houses of Congress voted to approve the spending. By the way, the Founding Fathers would be horrified by today’s congressional spending. From 1787 to the 1920s, except in wartime, federal government spending never exceeded 4 percent of our GDP. During the early ’80s, I was a member of the National Tax Limitation Committee. Our distinguished blueribbon drafting committee included its founder, Lew Uhler, plus notables such as Milton Friedman, James Buchanan, Paul McCracken, Bill Niskanen, Craig Stubblebine, Robert Bork, Aaron Wildavsky, Robert Nisbet and Robert Carleson. The U.S. Senate passed our proposed balanced budget/spending limitation amendment to the U.S. Constitution on Aug. 4, 1982, by a bipartisan vote of 69-31, surpassing the twothirds requirement by two votes. In the House of Representatives, the amendment was approved by a bipartisan majority (236-187), but it did not meet the twothirds vote required by Article 5 of the Constitution. The amendment can be found in Milton and Rose Friedman’s “Tyranny of the Status Quo” or the appendix of their “Free to Choose.”

During an interview about the proposed amendment, a reporter asked why I disagreed with the committee and called for a limit of 10 percent of GDP on federal spending. I told him that if 10 percent is good enough for the Baptist Church, it ought to be good enough for the U.S. Congress.

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

A7 COLUMN L. BRENT BOZELL III AND TIME GRAHAM

The media’s free pass for bitter Democrats VEN BEFORE President Trump gave his first State of the Union, E the left was complaining that he was

going to look “presidential.” It still can’t accept that he is president and gets to give presidential speeches. But Trump took that opportunity and fully exploited it.

The Trump speech was beautiful, at some points even poetic, and delivered well (for him). Maybe it was in the pronouns. Former President Clinton could never stop talking about himself. Former President Obama was worse, once using the first person singular 199 times in a 2014 speech in Austin, Texas.

Trump is a narcissist, to be sure.

But not on this night. He went Reagan. “We” was used an astounding 129 times. Couple that with an extraordinary string of first-year accomplishments and it was a homer both in style and content.

Even The New York Times editorial page acknowledged through gritted teeth that Trump was “right to observe” that the economy and the stock market look great and “deserved to take a bow for the degradation of the Islamic State.”

But the Democrats sitting in the chamber weren’t conceding a thing.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer scowled throughout.

Democrats failed to stand and applaud even obvious lines, like the one about record-low AfricanAmerican unemployment. Rep. Luis Gutierrez even walked out.

This was the best-perceived speech in Trump’s short political career. A CBS News-YouGov poll found that a whopping 75 percent approved of the speech, and 43 percent of Democrats liked it! People watching the speech at home saw the Democrats for who they are: bitter, insulting radicals incapable of being joyful for America.

An objective press would have reported the above as objective analysis because what we just wrote is indisputable, except to those who would defend bitter radicals filled with such hatred.

So when the speech was over, what happened? Nobody in the media focused on the Democrats’ refusal to stand or clap, their puckered mouths and their walkouts. All the “divisive” demerits were handed out to Trump.

On ABC, Cokie Roberts actually blamed Trump for talking about the national anthem: “There were many African-Americans, members of Congress, there wearing kente cloth — African cloth. The president never mentioned Africa, never said anything like that, so there was not anything there for them to relate to.”

Read that again: AfricanAmericans can’t relate to the national anthem or record-low AfricanAmerican unemployment, only to Africa.

On NBC, Chuck Todd declared that Trump failed to be “conciliatory” to Democrats on immigration and claimed that the president painted a picture of “this mythical immigrant criminal here that I want everybody to get fired up about.”

NBC also proclaimed that the “fact-checkers” would crawl all over Trump’s speech, but maybe they should check Todd’s facts. Since when is the fact that some immigrants commit crimes “mythical”?

Even almost 24 hours later, ABC merely repeated Democratic statements and refused to question Democrat behavior. Cecilia Vega quoted Pelosi in full screech against Trump: “‘He brings tears to the eyes of the Statue of Liberty and instills fear in the hearts of people who are concerned about the Dreamers.’ The White House may have been hoping, David, that speech would unite Congress, but those reviews from the Democrats are in: They are not on board.”

Inside the media bubble, the Democrats can do no wrong. Nothing they said around this speech was too extreme. No one questions whether their behavior might turn voters against them.

The public sees through this, too.

The media are upset their approval ratings are so low and blame Trump. They never seem to take any responsibility and evaluate the craven partisanship of their own “news.”

The public saw a side of Donald Trump it heartily liked. It saw the Democrats in Washington for what they are. It saw the media as an extension of that party.

That’s three home runs for Donald Trump in one night.

L. Brent Bozell III is the president of the Media Research Center.

Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org.

A8

North State Journal for Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Nation & WORLD

NEWS IN IMAGES

ADNAN ABIDI | REUTERS

A mahout bathes his elephant in the polluted water of river Yamuna in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 6.

U.S. forces begin reducing numbers in Iraq Iraq U.S. forces have begun reducing their numbers in Iraq after Iraqi authorities declared victory over Islamic State, an Iraqi government spokesman said on Monday.

Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led international coalition last year captured all the territory that fell under Islamic State control in 2014 and 2015, including the northern city of Mosul, which served as the militants' de facto capital.

Locked track switch blamed in fatal South Carolina Amtrak crash Columbia, S.C. A locked track switch was blamed for the collision of an Amtrak passenger train with a freight train that killed two people and injured more than 100 in South Carolina on Sunday, raising questions about the delayed rollout of a system to prevent such crashes. The head of the National Transportation Safety Board said a switch on the tracks, which the freight hauler CSX Corp owns and operates, was padlocked in a position that steered the Amtrak train onto a siding near South Carolina's state capital Columbia, where it crashed into a stationary unoccupied CSX train.

Puerto Rico governor announces public education overhaul San Juan Puerto Rico's governor said his administration will unveil a broad education reform bill on Tuesday aimed at incorporating school vouchers and charter schools into the bankrupt U.S. territory's education system. Speaking in a televised address on Monday, Governor Ricardo Rossello also said every public school teacher in Puerto Rico would receive a $1,500 annual salary increase beginning next school year.

Seattle says Facebook is violating city campaign finance law Seattle Seattle's election authority said on Monday that Facebook Inc is in violation of a city law that requires disclosure of who buys election ads, the first attempt of its kind to regulate U.S. political ads on the internet. Facebook must disclose details about spending in last year's Seattle city elections or face penalties, Wayne Barnett, executive director of the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission, said in a statement.

High blood pressure in pregnancy may not disappear afterward New York Women who develop high blood pressure during pregnancy may have the condition reappear within a year of delivery, and many of them may go undiagnosed because the problem only surfaces at night, a new study suggests.

Preeclampsia, or high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy, is common. In severe cases, it can become fatal or result in serious complications for babies like organ damage or stunted growth.

ILYA NAYMUSHIN | REUTERS

Siberian Husky dogs of the Royev Ruchey Park team pull a rig during a practice session for the Karadag Sled Dog Rally on the frozen Mana River, with the air temperature at -5.8 degrees, in the Siberian Taiga area outside Krasnoyarsk, Russia, on Feb. 6.

PETER NICHOLLS | REUTERS

Julian Assange’s cat sits behind a window at Ecuador’s embassy in London, on Feb. 6.

Olympians face below freezing temperatures and virus outbreak as they settle into villages Pence to attend opening ceremonies with the father of Otto Warmbier as his guest

By Joseph Ax Reuters

By Mark Trevelyan, Tim Kelly and Hyonhee Shin Reuters PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — With sub-zero temperatures and a virus sidelining 1,200 staff, the 2018 Winter Olympics is facing some challenges ahead of Friday’s opening ceremonies.

Two days ahead of the first downhill training run, the temperature in Pyeongchang was minus 19 Fahrenheit.

However, American skiers are hoping the cold plays to their advantage on the South Korean slopes, because they are accustomed to brutal conditions at home, men's head coach Sasha Rearick said on Tuesday.

"Most of these guys grew up skiing Lake Louise when they were kids, the east coast boys all had to ski Sugarloaf (Maine) and Lake Placid — very cold places, brutal humidity. I know my boys are tougher, so I'm just going, like, 'I hope it's cold," Rearick told reporters when asked how the weather would affect the team at the Feb. 9-25 Games.

Rearick also said the team was taking no chances with health and hygiene in the runup to competition after organizers moved to combat a norovirus outbreak among private security staff.

"We're disinfecting rooms, hand sanitizer everywhere, making sure hydration's taken care of, and as soon as someone's sick, isolate them and quarantine them, basically," he said.

"Here at the Games we don't stay in the (athletes') village, we stay in our own compound where we have our own chefs and our own food.

"One part of that is to try to keep the home feeling. We cook American food that the guys like, that's also healthy -- and then controlling the environ-

BUDGET DEAL from page A1 the deal to include increases to border security and concretmeasures to "take care of our military."

"I'd love to see a shutdown if we don't get this stuff taken care of," he said at a White House discussion on immigration.

January's shutdown came about after Democrats insisted that any spending bill must also include protections for DACA recipients, illegal immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children.

While polling has shown that a majority of Americans want to see a solution for DACA recipients, public opinion turned against Democrats during the last shutdown, as voters took their stance on DACA as a preferential treatment for non-citizens.

Democrats are not taking that approach this time around, and some of Trump's fellow Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, are eager to keep spending and immigration separate.

"We don't need a government

U.S. Supreme Court allows revamp of Pennsylvania electoral map

ERIC SEALS | REUTERS

Athletes from Team France get their belongings off the bus and into the PyeongChang Olympic Athletes Village complex on Feb. 6.

ment, where we try to minimize our exposure (to illness)."

Games chief Lee Hee-beom said on Tuesday that preparations for the first winter Olympics in Asia outside Japan were complete, but facing some unexpected issues.

He said some 1,200 private security staff have been sidelined as fear of a norovirus among some of them has forced organizers to replace them with military personnel pending medical tests.

"As a president of POCOG (organizing committee), I would like to apologize for this," Lee said.

"Our disease control center other related government agencies here are now discussing countermeasures and will come up with proper measures and will be announced soon."

Virus aside, the cold weather, could be another issue for organizers with the opening ceremony in the open-air Olympic stadium expected to be freezing. Spectators already canceling their plans to attend despite having purchased tickets.

Lee said a special bag with hot packs, seatwarmers, a blanket, a hat and a windbreaker would be distributed to spectators in an effort to keep them warm at the

start of what could turn out to be the coldest winter Olympics in decades.

Vice President Mike Pence will attend the opening ceremonies, bringing as his guest the father of Otto Warmbier, an American student who was imprisoned in North Korea for 17 months and died in June 2017 from lack of oxygen and blood to the brain.

"The vice president will be there with Mr. Warmbier at the opening ceremony ... to remind the world of the atrocities that happen in North Korea," a White House official said on Monday.

The United States believes North Korea, which has sent a team to the Games, is using the event for crude propaganda.

Pence will also visit a memorial for 46 South Korean sailors killed in 2010 in the sinking of a warship that Seoul blamed on a North Korean torpedo attack.

A North Korean ferry arrived in South Korea on Tuesday carrying a 140-strong orchestra to perform during the Winter Olympics, taking advantage of a rare sanctions exemption from Seoul 16 years after its previous visit but greeted by hundreds of angry South Korean protesters.

shutdown on this," Republican Representative Barbara Comstock told Trump at the White House.

The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives passed rules of debate Tuesday evening, with debate to commence on a stop-gap spending bill that would fund much of the government through March 23 and fund the military through Sept.

30, the end of the fiscal year.

That measure is not likely to survive unscathed in the Senate, where Republicans cannot pass spending bills without some Democratic support. McConnell and Schumer could incorporate their agreement on domestic and military spending into the stopgap measure, which then would have to win passage in the House.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Tuesday that any bill that comes up for a vote in the House must have Trump's backing.

The debate over a spending bill comes as an ongoing fight over competing memos stemming from the FBI investigation of the Trump Administration and where the information

came from that sparked the probe. Last week House Intelligence Chairman Devin Muenes’ memo outlining how a Clinton campaign-funded opposition research “dossier” on Trump made it into the toplines of the FBI’s FIDA request to surveil American citizen and Trump staffer Carter Page.

The memo was released earlier in the week sparking criticism that the FBI and Department of Justice abused its power and became involved in influencing a political campaign.

Democrats called the memo “misleading” and wrote their own version to counter it. On Tuesday a U.S. House of Representatives committee voted unanimously on Monday to approve the release of the Democrats’ classified 10-page memo.

The vote will send the 10-page Democratic memo to the White House as soon as Monday night, giving Trump until Friday to decide whether to allow its release.

The White House said it was open to releasing the Democratic memo once it goes through a security review.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to block a lower court ruling requiring Republican-drawn congressional districts in Pennsylvania to be reworked immediately.

Justice Samuel Alito denied an emergency application filed by Republicans to stop the immediate reworking of the electoral district boundaries, preserving a ruling by the state’s top court that they had unlawfully sought partisan advantage over the Democrats in drawing the maps.

The Jan. 22 Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling gives Republican legislators until Friday to submit a revised map to Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, who would have until Feb. 15 to sign off on the changes.

If those deadlines pass without an agreement, the state court said it would rewrite the map itself.

The state’s top Republican lawmakers, Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and House Speaker Mike Turzai, stated they still believe the Pennsylvania Supreme Court exceeded its authority and violated the state constitution by stripping the legislature of its power to draw its own voting maps.

“We will do our best to comply with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Jan. 22 order, but may be compelled to pursue further legal action in federal court,” they said.

Democrats hope that a new map potentially could give their candidates a chance to pick up several Republican-held seats in Pennsylvania alone.

Democrats, who hold only five of Pennsylvania’s 18 congressional districts, must capture at least two dozen seats currently held by Republicans in the Nov. 6 congressional midterm elections to wrest control of the U.S. House.

The Pennsylvania fight is one of several across the United States focusing on what is known as partisan gerrymandering, drawing legislative districts to amplify the voting power of one party over another.

In a 5-2 vote along party lines, the Democratic-controlled Pennsylvania court ruled that Republicans crafted the map to deprive Democratic voters of meaningful ballots, violating the state constitution’s guarantees of equal protection and free speech.

Republicans, including members of the state legislature, potential candidates and voters, asked the Supreme Court to put the ruling on hold, saying redrawing the district lines this month would cause chaos ahead of the House races.

The legal challenge was brought by the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania and several Democratic voters. The League of Woman Voters of North Carolina is also the group suing over N.C.’s congressional maps.

In an action that could help Republicans keep control of the House, the high court on Jan. 18 put on hold a Jan. 9 federal court ruling that had ordered Republican-draw congressional districts in N.C. be redrawn because of partisan gerrymandering.

The U.S. Supreme Court is also weighing whether to set for the first time a legal standard for partisan gerrymandering in two cases out of Wisconsin and Maryland. The court is expected to rule by the end of June in both cases.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2018

ROB GOLDBERG | EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

Emma Bowman (32) is congratulated by her ECU teammates after scoring a goal during a fall scrimmage.

the Wednesday SIDELINE REPORT

SPORTS

NFL

Philly plans Thursday parade for Eagles Philadelphia The City of Brotherly Love will host a victory parade Thursday for the Eagles, who defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 on Sunday night to capture the franchise’s first Super Bowl championship. City officials confirmed Monday that the parade would start at 11 a.m. at Broad and Pattison in south Philadelphia, then head north to the Art Museum. The original plan was for the parade to be held on Wednesday, but the forecast is calling for rain and snow throughout the day, with 1 to 3 inches of snow. The forecast on Thursday calls for sunshine and a high of 32 degrees.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Duke falls to 9th, UNC No. 21 in latest poll New York The Blue Devils slid five spots, from fourth to ninth, in this week’s AP Top 25 poll following their stunning loss to Big East bottom-feeder St. John’s, while Villanova held on to the top spot for the fifth consecutive week. Virginia, undefeated in the ACC, is still No. 2, while Clemson (16th), North Carolina (19th) and Miami (25th) were the other conference schools in the poll. NC State, which has wins over four teams in the most recent rankings, received 12 votes.

Colorado State’s coach placed on leave Fort Collins, Colo.

Colorado State men’s basketball coach Larry Eustachy has been placed on administrative leave amid an internal investigation regarding his conduct with players and other staff members, the school announced Saturday. Assistant coach Steve Barnes will take over in Eustachy’s stead. Eustachy, 62, was investigated in 2013‑14 and it was concluded he created a “culture of fear and intimidation” and emotionally abused players. The school mandated anger management sessions and an apology to the team while giving Eustachy a zero-tolerance policy concerning his behavior toward players moving forward.

ECU women’s lacrosse launches this weekend Coach Amanda Barnes, a former UNC goalie and Duke assistant, is trying to build a winning culture with the new program

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLINA HURRICANES

Team USA’s Bobby Sanguinetti, who played 40 of his 45 career NHL games with the Carolina Hurricanes, now lives in Wilmington and plays professionally in Switzerland.

Five North Carolinians go for Olympic gold Team USA features four Olympians from N.C., plus one on Team Korea

By Shawn Krest North State Journal THE WINTER Olympics start on Thursday in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Four members of the 243 athletes that make up Team USA have North Carolina connections, and at least one North Carolinian will be competing for another nation.

Here’s a quick look at the state’s home-grown Olympians: Bobby Sanguinetti The 29-yearold defenseman is a member of the U.S. Men’s Hockey team.

Sanguinetti grew up in New Jersey but currently lives in Wilmington. He was selected in the first round of the 2006 draft by the Rangers, but 40 of Sanguinetti’s 45 NHL games came with the Carolina Hurricanes.

He had two goals and four assists for the Canes in 2012-13.

Most recently, he’s been playing in Switzerland, for HC Lugano.

This will be Sanguinetti’s first time competing in the Olympics.

His only international experience was in the 2008 World Junior Championships, when he had three points and two assists as the U.S. team finished fourth.

Team USA plays in Group B, opening with Slovenia Feb. 14 at 7:10 a.m. (Eastern). They play Slovakia Feb. 15 at 10:10 p.m. and the team of Russian athletes Feb. 17 at 7:10 a.m. The qualifiers start Feb. 19, quarters Feb. 20, semis Feb. 23 and the two medal games Feb. 24.

GREENVILLE — No coach truly knows what to expect from his or her team at the start of any season. That mystery is even more amplified at the start of this season for Amanda Barnes and her new East Carolina women’s lacrosse team.

Not only will the Pirates be playing for the first time in program history when they take the field against George Washington on Saturday, but it will also be Barnes’ debut as a head coach and the first college game for all but two players on the team’s roster.

It’s a step into the unknown that has elicited an array of feelings from the youthful rookie coach with a championship pedigree as both a player at North Carolina and assistant at Duke.

“There’s a lot of anticipation, a lot of excitement and a lot in the back of my mind of all the

things we still have to work on,” said Barnes, a former goalie who helped the Tar Heels to the NCAA tournament quarterfinals in each of her four college seasons. “That’s exciting to me, not anxious because of how much we’ve grown as a team so much since we started as a team in August.

“Imagine what we’ll look like a week from now and a week after that after more playing and more teaching and working together.”

Barnes and assistants Emily Parros and Lexi Cross have already accomplished a lot in a short amount of time just to have a team ready to play Saturday.

They hit the road recruiting immediately after coming on board in July 2016 and cast an incredibly large net in an effort to fill a roster with no returning veterans.

Barnes estimates that she and her staff have hosted more than 100 players in their 18 months on the job, though there’s been so many, she admits that she “could not do that math.”

The staff succeeded in attracting 27 program pioneers, most of which are from the women’s lacrosse hotbeds of Maryland, Northern Virginia and New JerSee LACROSSE, page B4

INSIDE

Randi Griffin A North Carolinian will also be competing in Women’s Hockey, but don’t look for her on Team USA. Griffin, an Apex native and Duke grad student, will compete for the Korean team. Her mother is Korean, which qualified her to play for the host nation.

The Korean team features a mixture of North and South Korean players, competing under a unified flag, a significant development between the two nations.

After playing youth hockey in North Carolina, Griffin was a four-year starter at forward for Harvard, graduating in 2010.

Team Korea takes the ice against Switzerland Feb. 10 at 7:10 a.m., Sweden Feb. 12 at 7:10 a.m. and Japan Feb. 14 at 2:40 a.m.

The quarterfinals will be Feb. 16, the semis Feb. 19 and the medal games Feb. 21.

See OLYMPIANS, page B4

ROB KINNAN | USA TODAY SPORTS

NC State is not the main attraction this week on Tobacco Road with Duke and Carolina meeting for the first time this season on Thursday night in Chapel Hill.

The Wolfpack, however, will get a chance to further bolster their NCAA resume when they host the Tar Heels on Saturday afternoon at PNC Arena. It’s a pivotal stretch for the Triangle’s three ACC teams, with the Blue Devils looking to shake off a disappointing loss to St. John’s, UNC trying to re-establish its place in the conference, and the Pack attempting to keep riding its hot play into the postseason conversation.

North State Journal for Wednesday, February 7, 2018

B2 WEDNESDAY

2.7.18

TRENDING

Deshaun Watson: The Houston Texans quarterback, recovering from a torn right ACL, tweeted a video of him running for the first time since suffering his season-ending injury. Watson tore his ACL on Nov. 2 on a noncontact play at practice. The knee injury ended a possible Rookie of the Year run for the exciting Texans QB after he accounted for 21 touchdowns overall in his seven games played (19 passing, two rushing). The former national champion at Clemson threw for 1,699 yards in 2017 (averaging 242.7 per game) while also rushing for 269 yards (38.4 per game) while sitting as the team’s healthy backup QB for just one half of the season opener.

Tom Brady: The 40-year-old quarterback was named the oldest MVP in NFL history, but fell short in his attempt to win his sixth Super Bowl. Moments after a stunning loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Brady said he was not ready to retire and would look to reach a ninth title game in 2019.

Shawn Williams: The East Carolina guard was been named the American Athletic Conference’s Rookie of the Week for the third time this season.

The redshirt freshman earned his latest award by scoring a career-high 30 points in the Pirates’ overtime win against Memphis on Saturday.

Williams went 6 of 10 on 3-pointers in the game and scored 10 of his team’s 11 points in overtime to help secure the victory. For the week, Williams averaged 22.5 points in two games.

ECU lost to Tulane in overtime on Wednesday.

beyond the box score POTENT QUOTABLES

NFL

The Philadelphia Eagles limped into the postseason following an injury to starting quarterback Carson Wentz in December, but backup Nick Foles proved more than ready to shine on the game’s biggest stage. Foles, who nearly retired after the 2015 season, showed no nerves playing in his first Super Bowl, going toe-to-toe with Patriots counterpart Tom Brady, a five-time Super Bowl champion, in the Eagles’ 41-33 win in Super Bowl LII.

MARK J. REBILAS | USA TODAY SPORTS

“I could have changed that game.”

Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler after being benched in New England’s 41-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII.

KEVIN LAMARQUE | REUTERS

NBA

NFL

ERIC BOLTE | USA TODAY SPORTS

“If your game’s no good, it’s tough to get on guys and tell them to pick up theirs.”

Hurricanes co-captain Justin Faulk when asked how Carolina’s leadership group can hold the team accountable.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

0 Big East wins for St. John’s this season, a conference record that didn’t keep the Red Storm from beating No. 4 Duke on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. St. John’s, now 11-13 overall, got 33 points from Shamorie Ponds to snap the team’s 11-game losing streak.

Following the loss, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said that the Blue Devils “were a very frustrating group to coach today.”

MATTHEW EMMONS | USA TODAY SPORTS

BRACE HEMMELGARN | USA TODAY SPORTS

Matt Patricia was officially named head coach of the Detroit Lions on Monday. The 43-year-old former Patriots defensive coordinator replaces Jim Caldwell, who was fired Jan. 1. Patricia has been a member of the New England coaching staff since 2004 and the team’s defensive coordinator for the last six seasons.

The Milwaukee Bucks acquired center Tyler Zeller from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange Rashad Vaughn and a conditional second-round pick. The 7-foot Zeller, who is in his sixth NBA season and played college basketball at North Carolina, averaged 7.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in 42 games with the Nets this season.

PGA

Gary Woodland parred the first extra hole to beat Chez Reavie in a Phoenix Open sudden-death playoff on Sunday. Woodland needed two putts from the fringe at the parfour 18th to clinch victory after Reavie missed a 10-foot par putt at the PGA Tour at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. Woodland carded a closing 64 to set the pace on 18-under-par 266, while Reavie birdied the final hole for a 66.

ALLAN HENRY | USA TODAY SPORTS

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North State Journal for Wednesday, February 7, 2018

B3

Campbell’s Clemons proving doubter wrong with shooting range When the Camels’ prolific scorer “crosses half court, he’s in range”

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal

BOB DONNAN | USA TODAY SPORTS

North Carolina guard Cameron Johnson and the Tar Heels face both NC State and Duke in a span of 42 hours starting Thursday night against the Blue Devils in Chapel Hill.

NC State makes UNC-Duke week more crowded than usual State-Carolina follows Thursday’s Heels-Blue Devils showdown

By Shawn Krest North State Journal ON THE SURFACE, everything seems the same. Once again, the Super Bowl served as an appropriate opening act for Carolina-Duke week, and once again, on Thursday night, the sports world will stop and take notice as the best rivalry in athletics attempts to live up to its momentous hype, once again.

This year’s Duke-Carolina game has something different at stake than most years, however. Instead of bragging rights and a spot at the top of the ACC standings and national rankings, both teams are fighting for their seasons.

Duke enters the game No. 9 in the nation after a shocking loss to St. John’s, which is 0-11 in the Big East. Carolina beat winless Pitt over the weekend to snap a threegame losing streak and cling to a spot in the Top 25, at No. 21.

March 15, 2003, was the last time Duke and North Carolina played with neither team ranked in the top eight in the nation. Since then, at least one of the teams was in the top five for 25 of the 30 games.

The result of this game will result in smug looks at the water cooler from fans in a certain shade of blue, but more importantly, it will give one of the combatants a chance to break out of a season-threatening spiral.

Duke’s loss to St. John’s came without warning, as the team had won six of seven, with a two-point loss to Virginia the only blemish.

The Blue Devils came out flat and didn’t respond, however, in a performance that coach Mike Krzyzewski labeled “disgusting.”

“I can tell you that’s not the group I’ve coached all year, and they were a very frustrating group to coach today, because they didn’t respond to anything until the last eight minutes and that’s unacceptable. That’s unacceptable.”

The Carolina game brings up the possibility of back-to-back losses for Duke, which would put hopes of a No. 1 or 2 seed in the NCAA tournament in serious doubt. It could also mean some unexpected travel for the Blue Devils, who were hoping to start a March run in Charlotte. Should Duke slip from among the national contenders, it could be sent on the road instead of to the comfortable in-state venue for the first weekend.

Carolina, meanwhile, has been giving up 3-pointers at a record pace. The lack of perimeter defense led to road losses at Virginia Tech and Clemson, sandwiched around an overtime loss at home to NC State.

Even lowly Pitt managed to hit 10 treys against the Heels, becoming the ninth ACC foe in 11 games to reach the double-digit mark on made threes.

Coach Roy Williams admitted after the Clemson loss that he’s at a loss for explaining — or solving — the Heels problems on the perimeter.

Adding even more pressure on Williams and the Heels, Carolina’s rivalry week extends into the weekend, with a rematch against the Wolfpack at PNC Arena looming at high noon on Saturday.

Both the Blue Devils and the Pack are more than capable of putting a team away at the 3-point arc, and Carolina could be emerging from the two games embarrassed and nursing a 6-7 ACC mark. With nine losses on the season, the Heels would suddenly be facing the prospect of the NCAA bubble.

NC State is the lone rivalry week

179 Months since Duke and UNC played without one team ranked in the top eight. The last time was March 15, 2003. Duke is currently No. 9 and UNC is No. 21. school with a trendline pointed upward. The Pack have won three straight, including the upset of the Heels at the Dean Dome. They also already have a win over Duke this year, and Kevin Keatts has maneuvered the Wolfpack into a legitimate claim to an NCAA atlarge berth. Just as impressively as the marquee wins, State has followed up its wins over Duke and Carolina with wins in its following games, a refreshing change from the maddeningly up-and-down performance fans of the team have gotten used to in recent years.

Of course, momentum is a fragile thing, and the Pack has a tough game at Virginia Tech before the UNC rematch. Back-to-back losses would send State back to .500 in the ACC and likely off the NCAA bubble. It would also quell some of the good feeling around the program that the numerous upsets have generated.

It’s the first time in recent memory that the main stage for Carolina-Duke features some company, and NC State would like nothing better than to emerge from this week’s three-team collision as the team to watch.

Whatever happens in the 42hour span from Thursday night to Saturday afternoon, all three Triangle teams will be on remarkably different paths at this time

BUIES CREEK — Eleven minutes had passed in last week’s game against UNC Asheville and Campbell’s Chris Clemons, the fifth-leading scorer in all of college basketball, still hadn’t made his first basket.

Stymied by a twisted ankle that looked scarier than it was and a trapping defense effectively denying him the ball, Clemons decided to take matters in his own hands when his man gave him a little extra room off an inbounds pass.

Despite being some 28 feet from the basket, the junior guard caught the ball and shot in one fluid motion for a 3-pointer that got him off and running.

It was a shot many would consider a bad one. Then again, those who would say that probably haven’t seen Clemons play or realize how prolific a shooter he is.

“Whenever he gets the ball and crosses half court, he’s in range,” said UNCA’s Kevin Vannatta, who knows a little about the subject, having attempted to guard him for the past three seasons. “He’s talented enough that he can make shots from anywhere in tons of different ways.”

Clemons made history on Jan. 23 at Liberty when he and Marcus Burk became the first teammates ever to hit for 10 3-pointers each in the same game. Clemons went 10 of 14 from beyond the arc that night, as the Camels hit an incredible 69.7 percent of their longrange attempts in a 94-85 victory.

His shot wasn’t falling as frequently a week later at home against UNCA. But scorers usually find ways to score no matter what the circumstance, and he still ended up with 23 points — within an eyelash of his 24.4 point average.

Even on an off night, the threat of his shooting ability and range proved to be as much of a weapon as it would when everything was going in the basket.

That was illustrated late in the first half when he got Vannatta into the air on a pump fake 30 feet from the basket. He then used the extra space it bought him to create a driving lane directly to the rim.

“I’m just playing my game,” Clemons said. “I’m not forcing anything.”

At the same time, Clemons is being asked to take on a much bigger role for his team than most star players. That, combined with his fearless, attacking style, is a lot of weight to sit upon shoulders supported by only a 5-foot-9 frame.

The 2017 Big South Player of the Year regularly takes a beating, as was evident by his limp as he entered the postgame interview room following Campbell’s

65-57 loss to UNCA. He doesn’t always get rewarded for his effort with a whistle when he crashes to the floor, as he did on the play in which he injured his ankle.

But that doesn’t stop him from continuing to “just play his game.”

“He’s kind of superhuman in a lot of ways, physically,” Camels coach Kevin McGeehan said. “He plays so hard. He just goes in there aggressively and tries to make plays at the rim. Sometimes, maybe because of his size, he doesn’t (get the calls).”

Clemons’ size, or lack thereof, has been an issue since he was earning all-state honors at Millbrook High in Raleigh. Not even a one-handed dunk in which he passed the ball to himself off the backboard, a play that earned a spot on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10 highlights, was enough to capture the interest of major college recruiters.

He received just two other scholarship offers, both from mid-majors, coming out of high school. But he has long since proven his ability to overcome his small stature by putting up big numbers for the Camels.

Clemons has scored in double figures in 86 of his 87 college games. His current streak of 72 straight is the longest in Division I. With 26 points against High Point last Saturday, he moved into second place on his school’s alltime scoring list with 1,973 career points. He needs just 180 more to pass Jonathan Rodriguez for the record.

Though Clemons said he doesn’t get any real satisfaction from proving those who missed on him wrong with his play, he did admit that “it does feel great, if you can.”

“I’m pretty sure somebody’s thinking about it somewhere,” he said.

With Clemons only two semesters away from earning his bachelor’s degree, at least a few of those “somebodies” might be thinking about picking up the phone and asking for a second chance once this season is over.

He dismissed the idea of leaving as a graduate transfer, however, saying “I’m glad where I’m at.”

That doesn’t mean his sights aren’t set on bigger and better things once he leaves Buies Creek.

Last summer, he went through the NBA’s pre-draft evaluation process to gauge his stock and get advice on areas in which he needs improvement.

He’s used the feedback to get to the free-throw line more and improve his playmaking skills. The one thing he didn’t have to worry about was his shooting. Or his range — which really is anywhere over the half-court line, if not farther.

“I feel like if you leave me open, I’m going to shoot it and I’m going to make it,” Clemons said. “So wherever that is … I’m just trying to look for my shot and be aggressive.”

Basketball halftime show icon Red Panda copes with unicycle theft The performer, who has entertained college and NBA fans for years, is struggling to “understand how someone could be so cold-hearted”

By Shawn Krest North State Journal RED PANDA, perhaps the most successful halftime act in basketball, will have to grind out a long couple of months before the end of the college and NBA seasons.

Rong Niu, the Chinese-born, fourth-generation acrobat whose unique halftime show has enthralled fans around the world for more than a decade, will not be able to get a replacement for her custom-made 7-foot-tall unicycle until the summer.

Niu rides the cycle around the court, flipping bowls into the air and catching them on her head in an ever-growing stack. She’s able to flip and catch up to five bowls at a time — although she’s done six in practice sessions — and build a stand up to 16 bowls high.

The act hit a glitch this week, however, when her unicycle was stolen from the San Francisco airport after Niu, a resident of the Bay Area, returned from a gig.

She was already using her back-

up cycle.

“My favorite one was damaged last year by American Airlines,” she said. She was forced to cancel one gig while she cobbled together an emergency unicycle to use for the rest of the season.

“It’s not really a unicycle at all,” Niu said in an exclusive interview with North State Journal. “It’s put together with spare parts.”

The result has not been ideal. Niu had a disastrous outing at Clemson on Tuesday night, one that had ESPN announcer Seth Greenberg tweeting that clearly age had taken its toll and it may be time for Red Panda to hang them up.

“Clemson was not good at all,” she said. Since then, Red Panda has found some familiarity with the Frankensteined cycle and has had four relatively successful halftime shows, the most recent on Friday night, at Princeton.

“It went well,” she said, adding an ominous, “tonight.”

Niu blames her recent struggles, which include several dropped bowls, entirely on the missing cycle.

“It’s like a car,” she said. “You get used to driving your car, and a different one feels strange. It takes me a long time to get used to a new unicycle. I like to have at least a summer season to work with it.”

Police have released a photo of the suspected thief, a ponytailed, bearded man who took the bag containing the disassembled unicycle off the luggage return conveyer belt and wheeled it out of the airport, but Niu sounded skeptical that she’d ever see the cycle again.

“The picture is very fuzzy,” she said. “I just don’t understand how someone could be so cold-hearted.”

She wasn’t sure why someone would take her unicycle. “I don’t think he knew what he had,” she said. “He doesn’t even know how to put it together. I can promise you that.”

There is also the concern, which Niu was hesitant to discuss, that a strange man stealing such a personal item from a female performer may be a stalker.

“It’s scary,” she admitted, adding that the stress, on top of her shaky performances on the replacement cycle, have led to a difficult week for the performer.

In a bright spot from an otherwise tough week, the Golden State Warriors offered to pay for a re-

Rong Niu, known better as Red Panda, performs her acrobatic unicycle act during the halftime of a game between LSU Tigers and Alabama in Baton Rouge, La. Niu’s unicycle was stolen from San Francisco International Airport last week.

DEREK E. HINGLE | USA TODAY SPORTS

placement cycle to be custom-made for Niu in China. She was overwhelmed by the offer.

“They were so kind,” she said. “I was feeling so bad about how someone could do that, and then there was such an outpouring of kindness.”

The price tag on a new cycle will run between $25,000 and $30,000, so she is grateful to the Warriors. It won’t alleviate her struggles in the short term, however.

“I’m traveling,” she said, “so I can’t even contact (the company in China) until I get home. I don’t have the number with me.”

Then it will take time for the unicycle to be assembled, for her to travel to China to pick it up and for her to break it in. So it’s unlikely she’ll be able to debut the Warriors cycle at a halftime until sometime next season.

Until then? “It’s just going to be like this,” she said.

B4

North State Journal for Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Hurricanes need to be ‘desperate’ to seize a playoff spot Carolina entered Tuesday’s home game against Philadelphia still having a chance to snap an eight-year postseason drought

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal RALEIGH — The good news for the Carolina Hurricanes is that none of the five Metropolitan Division teams battling for the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference seem to want to seize control of the opportunity.

The bad news is the Hurricanes have been one of them, too.

Carolina’s eight-game home stand was supposed to be the team’s big chance to make a move and force its way into playoff position. Instead, the Hurricanes were 2-2 halfway through their residency at PNC Arena heading into Tuesday’s game against the Flyers.

After starting the stretch with wins over Ottawa and Montreal, Carolina stumbled against Detroit, and then laid an egg so big in a Sunday matinee against the Sharks that coach Bill Peters challenged his team following the game and again Monday afternoon with a rigorous practice.

“I would be desperate,” Peters said after Monday’s skate. “There’s a lot of different reasons to be desperate, but I would find a way to be a desperate hockey player.

There’s different reasons for different guys at different stages of their career, OK? But it’s also, for our team, it’s time to be desperate and put our best foot forward.”

The Eastern Conference playoff picture can best be described as a cluster. The top three teams

in both the Atlantic and Metro have cracked the 60-point barrier, and the struggles of the five Atlantic teams not named Tampa Bay, Boston and Toronto have the East’s other division in position to plan for five playoff teams.

Washignton (65 points), New Jersey (62) and Pittsburgh (61) hold the top three spots following Monday’s games. From there, the other five teams in the hunt for two wild card slots were within three points of each other heading into Tuesday — and all had skated off the ice as losers in at least half of their last 10 games.

Columbus has been stricken by injury and inconsistency with 58 points through 52 games. The Islanders blew a late lead Monday to Nashville and then lost in overtime, giving away a point and were also at 58, thought with two more games played than the Blue Jackets.

Philadelphia (57) and Carolina (56) entered Tuesday’s head-tohead, well, neck and neck — a regulation win for either had the potential to move them into a playoff spot.

And the Rangers’ 2-1 loss in Dallas on Monday kept them at 55 points with questions of whether it was time to sell off assets like Rick Nash ahead of the Feb. 26 trade deadline.

In the past four seasons, the final spot in the Eastern Conference has gone to a team with 95, 96, 98 and 93 points — an average of 95.5 points.

Even though the current pace for the final spot is right around 90, it’s fair to say the second wild card will need 96 points. That means the Hurricanes would need 40 points in their final 29 games, an average of 1.38 points per game. That could be 20-9-0,

OLYMPIANS from page B1 Heather Bergsma

JAMES GUILLORY | LINCOLN STARS

The Hurricanes and coach Bill Peters are still in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt, with five Metropolitan Division teams battling for two spots.

96 Points the Hurricanes can expect to need to make the playoffs. Carolina had 56 in its first 53 games 17-6-6, or 14-0-12 — the point is, they need to get to 40.

Entering the after press Flyers game, only 14 of Carolina’s final 29 games come against current playoff teams. Also on the slate in 14 of 29 games? Metro opponents.

So the opportunity is there for the Hurricanes to not only feast on nonplayoff teams (they’re 11-63 through 53 games against current teams not in the postseason picture, including winning seven of their last eight against those

teams), but also make up ground — or provide a cushion — quickly with wins over division foes that are in the race with them.

Against the Metro this season, Carolina was 6-5-3 entering the first game of the season against Philadelphia. The teams will play each other a total of four times this season, as will the yet-toplay-each-other Devils and Hurricanes. Those teams will meet Feb. 15 in Newark for the first of three games in 16 days, then one final time on March 27.

“So what are we? That’s the question I would ask,” Peters said Monday. “What are we? You’ve seen us play well. You’ve seen individuals play well. You’ve seen us play well collectively for stretches.

“You’ve seen us play to an identity last year on a consistent basis.

I don’t think this team’s got to an identity that they’re proud of on a consistent basis this year yet. And that’s what we have to do over the next 29 games.”

Cup series has old and new faces in different places Several drivers have changed rides for the upcoming 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and some incoming rookies will look to fill the void left by some retired drivers.

NASCAR’s top series has a new look with Speedweeks approaching

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal THE MONSTER Energy NASCAR Cup Series subtracted some star power with the retirement of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth and Danica Patrick, but a young crop of drivers will look to fill the void starting in 2018. On top of that, several drivers have jumped into new seats for the upcoming season. Here’s a primer as the Cup opener, the Feb. 18 Daytona 500, approaches.

9 — Chase Elliott: Entering his third full season in the Cup series, Elliott is staying with Hendrick Motorsports but moving from the No. 24 into his dad Bill’s old No. 9.

Elliott is still looking for his first Cup win, but a fifth-place finish in the standings last season is surely a sign of bigger and better things to come for the 22-year-old.

10 — Aric Almirola: Amirola takes Danica Patrick’s spot in the No. 10 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2018 after piloting Richard Petty Motorsports’ famed No. 43 for 212 races. Amirola, 33, has one career win — back in 2014 at the Coca-Cola 400 at Daytona.

12 — Ryan Blaney: Blaney joins Team Penske in the No. 12 after spending his first two years in the Wood Brothers’ No. 21. The 24-year-old High Point native finished ninth in the Cup series last year, getting his first career win on June 11 at Pocono, and is one of the sport’s rising stars.

20 — Erik Jones: Jones moves from the Furniture Row Racing

LACROSSE from page B1 sey. But there are also six homegrown products from high schools in North Carolina.

It’s a group that will have an opportunity to grow together since other than sophomore attacker Emma Bowman, a transfer from Oregon, and midfielder Morgan Cheripko, a senior who led the NCAA Division II in draw controls at the University of Tampa last season, the rest of the team is comprised of freshmen.

That was done by design, since Barnes is more interested in building a foundation with an eye toward long-term success rather than mak-

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL | FILE

No. 77 to Joe Gibbs’ No. 20 in 2018, replacing the retired Matt Kenseth. The 21-year-old had five top-fives in his first full season in the Cup series, finishing 19th in the standings.

21 — Paul Menard: Menard spent the past seven seasons in the Richard Childress Racing No. 33, winning once — in his first year with RCR at the 2011 Brickyard 400 — and finishing 23rd in the 2017 standings. He makes the move to the Wood Brothers’ No. 21 for the team’s 65th season in NASCAR’s top division.

24 — William Byron: With Dale Earnhardt Jr. retiring, North Carolina is looking for a new native to carry the baton. Enter Byron, who along with Blaney figures to head

the next wave of stars from the Old North State. The 20-year-old, coming off an Xfinity Series title last year, will jump into the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 in 2018.

34 — Michael McDowell: McDowell earned his first career top five at last season’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona racing for Leavine Family Racing, but was replaced for the 2018 season in the No. 95

by Kasey Kahne. The 33-year-old was then hired to pilot the Front Row Motorsports No. 34.

43 — Darrell Wallace Jr.: Wallace got his first taste of the Cup series last season, racing four times for Richard Petty Motorsports for an injured Almirola and had an 11th-place finish at Kentucky. He’ll take helm of the

No. 43 in 2018, becoming the first black driver to have a full-time ride since Wendell Scott in 1971.

88 — Alex Bowman: Bowman has big shoes to fill in taking over Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88. He spent the 2017 season bouncing around NASCAR’s lower series, including driving two races for Chip Ganassi Racing in the Xfinity Series, where he won in Charlotte and finished eighth in Phoenix.

95 — Kasey Kahne: Despite a win at last year’s Brickyard 400, Kahne lost his ride at Hendrick Motorsports to Byron. He landed in the Leavine Family Racing No. 95, taking over for McDowell.

Kahne has finished in the top 20 in the Cup standings in 12 of his 14 seasons, collecting 18 wins.

ing an immediate splash.

“My expectation for us as a program is to get better every game,” the coach said. “That is going to be our focus — that we’re getting better, that we’re competing, that we’re hustling.”

While the Pirates’ immediate focus will be on small victories, they still plan on chasing the more tangible kind just as hard.

To that end, Barnes has put together a 17-game schedule that includes a group of lesser opponents such as Gardner-Webb, Longwood, Delaware State and George Washington — which went 3-13 a year ago — along with several more challenging tests against the likes

of Duke, Temple, Oregon and Michigan.

“I think we’re going to be a very scrappy team,” Bowman said.

“We’re going to be underdogs, but I think we’re going to upset some people.”

Though Bowman played in only two games as a freshman at Oregon, recording an assist and a ground ball, the experience she gained last year has helped her become one of the Pirates’ leaders — especially when it comes to helping her younger teammates with what to expect once the games begin.

Among the freshmen Barnes is counting on most are two-way midfielder Megan Pallozzi, defender Ca-

sey Sullivan and twins Trinity and Mika Mapp.

“Coming from high school to college is a huge step,” Bowman said.

“Last year when I was playing for the first time, the intensity level was so much higher. Being here, I can let everyone know what the pace of the game is like and how hard we have to go at practice. We’re not going to be able to compete if we don’t go 100 percent at practice.”

It’s advice Trinity Mapp, a native of Greensboro, said her team has heeded in its preseason preparations.

“We worked really hard in the offseason and we had 16 practices in the fall,” Mapp said. “We’ve been

The longtrack speedskater from High Point returns to the Olympics for the third time. She’s competed in four different events at the Olympics. She finished sixth in the 500-meters at the 2010 Vancouver Games and eighth in the 2014 Sochi Games. She finished ninth in the 1,000 in 2010, then improved to seventh in 2014. Bergsma also had significant improvement in the 1,500, going from 16th in 2010 to seventh in 2014.

Bergsma also added a fourth event in 2014, finishing sixth in the team pursuit.

Since her last Olympics, Bergsma has improved in each event, and the 28-year-old may contend for medals this year.

She holds the world records in the 500 and 1,500 and had the 1,000 record as well in 2015, before it was broken. Bergsma won the 1,000 and the Mass Start — which will become her fifth Olympic event — at the Olympic trials and finished second in the 500 and 1,500.

Bergsma will have a busy schedule. The 1,500 will be held at 7:30 a.m., Feb. 12. The 1,000 goes Feb. 14, 5 a.m..

The 500, Feb. 18, 6:56 a.m.

The three rounds of the Team Pursuit will be held Feb. 19 and 21, and the two rounds of the Mass Start will both go Feb. 24.

Kimani Griffin The WinstonSalem native will represent the U.S. on the men’s speedskating team. The 27-year-old is a classically trained guitarist who performed at Carnegie Hall at age 17.

Griffin qualified for the U.S. team in the 500-meter long-track event after finishing third in the Olympic Trials.

It will be his first trip to the Olympics.

The medal for the 500-meter will go up for grabs on Feb. 19 at 6:53 a.m.

The U.S. hasn’t medaled in that event since another North Carolinian took the ice.

Greensboro’s Joey Cheek won the event in 2006 at Turin.

Lowell Bailey The 36-yearold Bailey was born in Siler City but currently lives in Lake Placid, N.Y. He’ll compete in men’s biathlon.

This will be Bailey’s fourth Olympics. In the 2006 Torino Games, he placed 27th in individual, 46th in sprint, 48th in pursuit and ninth in relay. In 2010, he was 46th in individual, 38th in both sprint and pursuit, and 13th in relay.

Four years later, he was eighth in individual, 35th in sprint, 38th in pursuit, 16th in relay, eighth in mixed relay and 23rd in mass start.

Bailey is the reigning world champion in the individual race, becoming the first American to ever win gold in the event at the world championships.

The sprint will be Feb. 11 at 6:15 a.m. The pursuit, Feb. 12, 7 a.m.; individual, Feb. 15, 6 a.m.; mass start Feb. 18, 6:15 a.m.; mixed relay Feb 20, 6:15 a.m.; and relay Feb 23, 6:15 a.m.

UNC Charlotte’s Briauna Jones is also in South Korea as an alternate on the US Women’s Bobsled team.

working long days and meshing together, but everyone’s a phenomenal player. We just have to get that mesh and that team environment.”

Ready or not, the Pirates’ growth process shifts into high gear starting Saturday.

And Barnes can’t wait to get started.

“The opportunity to start a program, while it does have unique challenges, is a huge advantage in my mind because it gives you a chance to create a culture, create a team,” she said. “You’re not inheriting anything that may have been problematic or already successful.

You get to start from scratch. To me, that was an attractive opportunity.”

Ratings dip for Super Bowl, Page 7

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WINSLOW TOWNSON | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

the good life IN A NORTH STATE OF MIND FILM REVIEW: ‘BLACK PANTHER’

Feb. 7 The Temptations and the Four Tops Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham Discover Motown sensation The Temptations at DPAC for an incredible performance by Otis Williams, Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks, Larry Braggs and Willie Greene Jr. The Temptations have entertained audiences for more than 50 years with favorites like “My Girl,” Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.”

Feb. 9 African American Music Series Emerge Gallery & Art Center, Greenville The African American Music Series continues with musical guest Christie Dashiell.

Dashiell is a contemporary jazz vocalist and has performed before audiences in Kennedy Center and Washington, D.C.’s Lincoln Theater.

Feb. 9-10 PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARVEL STUDIOS

Chadwick Boseman stars in Marvel Studios’ Black Panther.

By Peter Debruge Reuters LOS ANGELES — Until now, whether they hail from the DC or Marvel cinematic universes, big-screen superheroes have traditionally been white dudes put on this earth (e.g. Superman and Thor, who each came from other planets) or fashioned by the U.S. military (a la Captain America and War Machine) to defend America from its enemies.

Co-written and directed by Ryan Coogler, “Black Panther” is a radically different kind of comic-book movie, one with a proud Afrocentric twist, featuring a nearly all-black cast, that largely ignores the United States and focuses instead on the fictional nation of Wakanda. And guess what?

Virtually everything that distinguishes “Black Panther” from past Marvel pics works to this standalone entry’s advantage.

Before we get carried away, let’s be clear: “Black Panther” is still a superhero movie, which means that it’s effectively conceived for 10-year-olds and all those who wish a film like this had existed when they were 10. Except that the latter category is potentially bigger than ever this time around (for a Marvel movie, at least), since there has never in the history of cinema been a film that allows an ensemble of black characters to take charge on a global scale quite like this — and many have waited their entire lives to witness just such a feat (the way that “Wonder Woman” was a hugely empowering game changer for women).

That alone would be reason to get excited, and Coogler makes good on the landmark project’s potential by featuring a predominantly black ensemble, casting some of the best young actors around as well as such legends as Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett. But historical significance aside, what superhero fans want to know is how “Black Panther” compares with other Marvel movies. Simply put, it not only holds its own, but improves on the formula in several key respects, from a politically engaged villain to an emotionally grounded final showdown.

Opening in the mythical kingdom of Wakanda, “Black Panther” effectively anticipates President Donald Trump’s alleged comments about “shithole countries” whose refugees prefer the American way of life “to their huts.” Without disparaging the rest of Africa,

Coogler and his crew suggest what the continent might have become had it never been stripped of its resources — and had those resources included highly advanced alien technology and ultra-efficient energy sources. Hidden from the world, Wakanda is home to the world’s most technologically advanced city, protected by a ruler with special powers (never fully defined, all-too-easily revoked) and a fearsome black panther costume.

Wakanda doesn’t really exist, but then, Europeans so exploited the continent that we’ll never truly know the full extent of what Africa could have taught the world. (No wonder Wakandans pejoratively refer to white people as “colonizers,” a not-unreasonable epithet that’s virtually certain to enter the national vocabulary from here.) As Prince T’Challa, Boseman plays the latest Wakandan leader to don the catsuit, a matte-black onesie that receives a nice upgrade courtesy of his tech-savvy sister, Shuri (scene-stealer Letitia Wright, whose irreverent delivery makes a welcome counterbalance to Boseman’s dead-serious attitude).

Truth be told, T’Challa is kind of a bore, even if the movie that surrounds him seldom fails to thrill: He’s prince of a utopian city with little interest in the fate of the world beyond his borders — until his father, King T’Chaka (John Kani), is assassinated during a bombing at the Vienna International Centre. Though the Black Panther who made his impressive, hyper-acrobatic debut in that film is one and the same as the character seen here, Coogler humanizes him to such a degree that T’Challa doesn’t feel like a superhero so much as a deeply conflicted world leader — albeit one who must defend his title via brutal hand-tohand bloodmatches.

Wakanda owes its utopian status to a precious extraterrestrial resource called Vibranium that the rest of the world covets. Halfway around the world, an MIT-educated former black-ops soldier named Erik Killmonger (Jordan, sporting a modified Basquiat haircut) waltzes into a museum and steals a misidentified Wakandan relic.

Because Black Panther’s skills seem to rely more on gadgets than fantastical powers, his standalone Marvel outing actually feels more like a James Bond adventure than a conventional superhero movie at times — as in the subsequent

22nd Annual East Carolina Wildlife Arts Festival West Main Street, Washington The 22nd Annual East Carolina Wildlife Arts Festival is an event the whole family will enjoy. Daytime exhibits feature kids’ programs, and evening events include a silent auction and live entertainment.

Letitia Wright portrays Shuri in Black Panther.

set piece, which was clearly inspired by the Macau casino scene in “Skyfall.” Accompanied by two spear-wielding warriors (Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong’o play members of the Dora Milaje, Wakanda’s elite female fighting force), a tuxedo-clad T’Challa attempts to go incognito while South African gunrunner Ulysses Klaue (a suitably thuggish Andy Serkis, ever the chameleon) makes ready to pass the pilfered treasure to a CIA agent (Martin Freeman, who may as well be playing 007 ally Felix Leiter).

An elaborate shootout ensues, conspicuously choreographed as a single-take “oner.” Unlike “Atomic Blonde” (the best use yet of that approach), the device calls a bit too much attention to itself here, cartoonishly inflating the action, rather than making it more realistic and relatable. Still, if it’s the cool factor Coogler is going for, the scene delivers, segueing into a stunning car chase across Busan, South Korea.

“Black Panther” may not have the most impressive action sequences or visual effects of any Marvel movie, but it boasts the best villains. As an arms dealer whose arm doubles as a Vibranium super-cannon, Klaue makes for a nasty henchman, while Killmonger keeps his cards up his sleeve until relatively late in the film but emerges as the most satisfying comic-book adversary since Heath Ledger’s Joker.

It’s a compelling idea, and a reminder that throughout the African diaspora, the black-white power balance remains as it is courtesy of Jim Crow practices designed to keep minorities in check: persistent segregation, broken drug laws, racially targeted policing, disproportionately high incarceration rates — all of which are identified and indicted by Coogler’s truth-to-power script. Arm the op-

pressed, Killmonger passionately argues, and it won’t take a century for the system that produced “The Birth of a Nation” to grant a black artist the right to tell this kind of story — not that Coogler endorses the character’s lunatic ideas.

But he’s not about to waste the opportunity either. Rather than simply concocting another generic plan to save the world from annihilation, Coogler revives the ageold debate between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X — between passive resistance and the call for militant black activism. Think of it as “Black Panther vs. the Black Panthers,” except you can’t have a nonviolent action hero, which puts T’Challa in a strange position. It’s not quite clear what he stands for, whereas his independent-minded ex-girlfriend Nakia (Nyong’o’s character) has ambitious ideas about how Wakanda could help the world — which means it’s up to her to spark his engagement with the outside world.

While far more mainstream — and by extension, kid-friendly — than such blaxploitation classics as “Foxy Brown” and “Cleopatra Jones,” “Black Panther” upholds the same tradition of celebrating strong, assertive black women.

In their print form, comic books have led the way in terms of representation and inclusivity, long empowering non-white, non-male characters in their pages. Although previous big-screen examples certainly exist — among them Wesley Snipes’ “Blade” and Will Smith’s “Hancock” — “Black Panther” celebrates its hero’s heritage while delivering one of Marvel’s most all-around appealing standalone installments to date. Going forward, Black Panther will join the ranks of the Avengers, further diversifying their ranks. In the meantime, it’s awesome to see Black Power celebrated in such a mainstream fashion.

Feb. 9-11 “Handcrafted with Love” Downtown Seagrove, Seagrove Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the first annual Gallery Crawl & Open House in downtown Seagrove will have the perfect gift for that special someone. The “Handcrafted with Love” event features romantic gifts from America’s Pottery Capital.

Feb. 10 Hands-On History Bentonville Battlefield, Four Oaks Explore the 19th century at Bentonville Battlefield — home to the largest Civil War battle fought in North Carolina. Guests can interact with Colonial interpreters during live demonstrations and learn about life from centuries ago.

Barbara & Frank: The Concert That Never Was Brock Performing Arts Center, Mocksville Join Sharon Owens and Sebastian Anzaldo for an unforgettable tribute concert to Barbara Streisand and Frank Sinatra. Owens and Anzaldo are world-class celebrity impersonators and are sure to deliver a spectacular performance.

North State Journal for Wednesday, February 7, 2018

B6

NeCessities! history marked

Atlantic Beach Causeway at night. The Chanel Marker Restaurant was one of the first stops as travelers crossed the causeway.

Feb. 7, 1862

Battle of Roanoke Island commenced in 1862 Federal ships bombarded Fort Bartow, part of the Confederate defenses on Roanoke Island. One of three Confederate earthen forts on the west side of the island, Fort Bartow mounted nine guns. The other two garrisons were Fort Huger and Fort Blanchard.

The three forts were designed to protect the mainland from federal invasion and to complement obstructions placed in the channel. Of the three forts, Bartow was the only one actively engaged in what would become known as the Battle of Roanoke Island. The first shot of the battle was fired from Bartow’s guns, and the fort was subsequently bombarded by the federal fleet for seven hours. The Confederate fleet, under Capt. W. F. Lynch, waited to engage the federals behind a line of obstructions placed in the Croatan Sound to delay the federal advance. However, the Confederates, after a sharp engagement ended only by darkness, were forced to retire due to a lack of ammunition.

Feb. 7, 1978

The power of flour, Graham’s Biscuitville The Graham-based fast-food chain Biscuitville filed to register a trademark for the first time. Now based in Greensboro, the chain got its start as Pizzaville in 1966 when former flour salesman Maurice Jennings began selling takeout pizzas from two bread and milk stores that he owned in Burlington. The chain expanded to six stores across the Triad region and southern Virginia.

The chain first started selling biscuits to supplement its income and drive more traffic in the morning, and the first biscuit-only store opened in Danville, Va., in 1975. Eventually, all the chain’s Pizzaville locations were converted to Biscuitville stores. Biscuitville moved its headquarters from Graham to Greensboro in 2007, and today operates more than 50 stores in North Carolina and Virginia. It is still owned by the Jennings family.

Feb. 9, 1956

At point guard, from Rocky Mount, Phil Ford Basketball legend Phil Ford was born in Kannapolis. Ford was raised in Rocky Mount, where he graduated from high school in 1974. As a point guard at UNC Chapel Hill, he led the basketball team to four NCAA tournaments.

Ford’s accolades during his college career were many.

In 1978, he capped off his senior year by winning the coveted John R. Wooden Award, given annually to the country’s most outstanding college basketball player.

He graduated with a degree in business administration.

Ford was the No. 2 pick in the 1978 NBA draft, going to the Kansas City Kings. The following year, he was named NBA rookie of the year. During the course of his career, Ford played professionally for the New Jersey Nets, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Houston Rockets.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEREMY TAYLOR

Atlantic Beach beach restaurant will not reopen

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal ATLANTIC BEACH — Down on the coast, a favorite marker of many visitors to Atlantic Beach is up for sale. The Channel Marker restaurant, which sits at the base of the Atlantic Causeway Bridge, will not open this spring and the building is up for sale.

While details on the sale of the waterfront property have yet to be released, the arrangements are being handled by Trademark Properties of Raleigh.

Established in 1981, the Channel Marker became a landmark for locals and summertime visitors. Offering picturesque views of the waterfront and delectable meals of fresh seafood and steak, many chose the establishment to host parties and wedding events, or for the off-site catering.

The location of the restaurant was originally home to a local lunch and breakfast eatery known as Flemming’s, a popular spot during the 1950s until its closing in the late

1970s. At the beginning of the 1980s, Bob Griffith took over the property and developed the Channel Marker.

As the restaurant grew in popularity, additional owners joined Griffith as business partners. Ownership grew to include Billy Hayes, Roger Crowe, Bill Downey, and the families of Griffith and Hayes. Over the years, the ownership team has annually donated a portion of the earnings from the Channel Marker to community projects in Carteret County and Atlantic Beach.

Closed during the winter season, the Channel Marker is just one of the many businesses that cater to tourists during the peak seasons of spring and summer. According to the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce, the tourism industry provides approximately 3,200 jobs in Carteret County with an economic impact of close to $325 million.

The reasons behind the Channel Marker’s closing remain a mystery as the only official announcement released was posted to the company’s Facebook page on Jan. 31: “The partners have elected not to re-open the restaurant in the spring. We are for sale.”

cheers on Valentine’s Day While Valentine’s Day gift buying can be difficult, the perfect cocktail to celebrate the day of love can be made from ingredients made right here in the Old North State. This colorful and tasty Rose Sangria pairs strawberry-infused N.C. brandy with a luxurious Dry Rose from Biltmore Estate.

Rosé Sangria Ingredients:

Feb. 12, 1795

1 bottle Biltmore Estate Dry Rosé 1/4 cup Carolina Distillery Carriage House Strawberry Brandy 2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur 1 cup raspberries 1 cup strawberries (quartered) 1 1/2 cup seltzer

Hinton James: First student at Chapel Hill Hinton James became the first student to enter the University of North Carolina. James, who had walked to Chapel Hill from his home in New Hanover County, was the only student for the first two weeks of the school year. James helped organize the first literary club and debating society on campus. He was awarded a bachelor’s degree as one of the seven students in the university’s first graduating class in July 1798. After graduation, James became an assistant to Hamilton Fulton, a Scottish engineer hired by the state to make navigation improvements on the eastern rivers. He was put in charge of operations along the Cape Fear River, but left in 1807 upon his election to the state legislature.

He served three terms in Raleigh before serving as mayor and treasurer of Wilmington and as a magistrate of New Hanover County. James died in 1847. A dormitory at the University of North Carolina is named in his honor.

Mix wine, brand, liqueur and sugar in pitcher to dissolve the sugar completely.

Add fruit and refrigerator for 1 hour.

Add seltzer just before serving.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, February 7, 2018

ENTERTAINMENT Tarantino says Thurman ‘Kill Bill’ car crash among ‘biggest regrets’

By Jill Serjeant Reuters

KIRBY LEE | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

General overall view of mannequins with the uniforms of New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox with the Super Bowl LII logo and words “Who You With” projected on the ceiling at the Nike store at the Mall of America.

Super Bowl ratings down 7 percent from 2017 103.4 million tuned in to see the Eagles top the Patriots

By Lisa Richwine Reuters NEW YORK — Sunday’s historic Super Bowl victory by the Philadelphia Eagles averaged 103.4 million viewers on NBC, a 7 percent drop from last year’s football championship game, according to Nielsen ratings data released on Monday.

The viewership on NBC ranked as the lowest for television’s premiere event since 2009. Still, the decline was smaller than the 10 percent falloff for National Football League games during the regular season.

The underdog Eagles upset the New England Patriots 41-33 to win their first Super Bowl title in franchise history. NBC said the contest was the 10th-biggest television broadcast in history.

New England won last year’s Super Bowl in a thrilling overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons, drawing 111.3 million viewers on Fox. About 3 million more people watched this year’s Super Bowl live on digital platforms such

as NFL.com or apps from NBC Sports, Verizon and Yahoo Sports, NBC said. That made the game the most live-streamed Super Bowl ever.

Ratings for NFL games have been closely watched after two straight years of declines during the regular season. Among factors cited by analysts are an overall drop in television viewing and divisive player protests over racial inequality.

Advertisers including Anheuser Busch InBev, Amazon and Toyota spent more than $5 million on average for each 30-second commercial spot during Sunday’s game.

Total spending by brands during the broadcast hit $414 million, the second-highest amount in history, according to a preliminary estimate from research firm Kantar Media. Commercials took up more than 49 minutes, or 22 percent, of the game, Kantar said.

NBC said 106.6 million people on average watched Sunday’s halftime show featuring singer Justin Timberlake. A new episode of family drama “This is Us,” which followed the Super Bowl, brought in 27 million viewers, the mostwatched scripted show on NBC in more than 13 years.

LOS ANGELES — Director Quentin Tarantino said a car crash that seriously injured Uma Thurman on the set of “Kill Bill” was one of “the biggest regrets of his life,” but denied that he forced the actress to carry it out.

Thurman, who appeared in three Tarantino movies, told the New York Times in a Saturday article that she felt Tarantino had tried to kill her in the 2003 crash, which crushed her knees and left her with a concussion.

Thurman also released video of the crash from the set of the martial arts movie, leading to harsh criticism of Tarantino on social and mainstream media.

Tarantino, responding in an interview with Hollywood website Deadline.com on Monday, said Thurman’s car crashed because there was an unseen curve in the road.

“Watching her fight for the wheel. ... remembering me hammering about how it was safe and she could do it. Emphasizing that it was a straight road, a straight road. ... the fact that she believed me, and I literally watched this little S curve pop up. And it spins her like a top,” Tarantino said.

“It was heartbreaking. Beyond one of the biggest regrets of my career, it is one of the biggest regrets of my life,” he added.

Tarantino denied ignoring Thurman’s anxiety about driving but acknowledged he had been mistaken about the safety of the road.

“I didn’t force her into the car. She got into it because she trusted me,” he said.

Tarantino said he and Thurman reconciled years ago and had talked since the New York Times story was published.

“Uma was in turmoil about the uprising against me this weekend. ... She never meant this to roll over onto me,” he told Deadline.

The Oscar-winning director also said that incidents when he spat on Thurman and choked her with a chain were part of the filming process for “Kill Bill” and were carried out with her consent to make the scenes realistic.

Thurman said on her Instagram account on Monday that she was proud of Tarantino for making the crash video available to her after 15 years, saying he did so “with full knowledge it could cause him personal harm.”

Thurman’s account of the car crash overshadowed her accusations of sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein, who produced “Kill Bill” and “Pulp Fiction.”

Weinstein’s lawyer on Saturday acknowledged the producer “making an awkward pass” in 1994 but said Thurman’s accusations of an attempted physical assault were false.

B7

Apple Music U.S. subscriber growth outpacing Spotify Apple Music is on track to overtake Spotify by number of U.S. subscribers, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people in the music business familiar with figures reported by the two services. Spotify is currently the largest music streaming service globally, with Apple Music coming in second.

Lady Gaga, citing pain, cancels 10 European shows on ‘Joanne’ tour Severe pain has forced Lady Gaga to cancel 10 shows on the European leg of her “Joanne” concert tour, the singer and her team said on Saturday, several months after she had postponed those performances in Europe due to her ailment. Lady Gaga, whose hit songs include “Bad Romance” and “Born This Way,” has previously said she suffers from fibromyalgia, a musculoskeletal pain disorder often accompanied by fatigue and cognitive difficulties.

Box office: ‘Jumanji’ regains top spot for modest Super Bowl weekend Sony’s resilient “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” has returned to the top of the North American box office, leading a modest Super Bowl weekend with $11 million at 3,553 sites. The session caps a remarkable run for the Dwayne Johnson-Kevin Hart action comedy, which also won the box office on its third, fourth and fifth weekends. “Jumanji” has become the 42nd highest domestic grosser of all time with $352.6 million, less than $500,000 behind Johnson’s “Furious 7” for the 41st spot.

Celebrity Kylie Jenner announces birth of baby girl

REGIS DUVIGNAU | REUTERS

Director Quentin Tarantino and actress Uma Thurman pose on the red carpet they arrive for a screening in 2014.

Reality TV star Kylie Jenner announced on Sunday the birth of her child with rapper Travis Scott, after months of rumors surrounding her pregnancy. The 20-year-old Jenner said in a post on Instagram that her “beautiful, healthy baby girl” arrived on Feb. 1 and apologized to fans for keeping her pregnancy a secret.

TAKE NOTICE RANDOLPH NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 17 SP 455 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Richard Dale Culbreth and Emily P. Culbreth, (Richard Dale Culbreth, Deceased) (Heirs of Richard Dale Culbreth: Emily P. Culbreth, Leigh Moser, Janie Truelove and Unknown Heirs of Richard Dale Culbreth) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Richard Dale Culbreth) to William R. Echols, Trustee(s), dated the 19th day of April, 2005, and recorded in Book RE 1918, Page 743, in Randolph County Registry, North Carolina, default having been made in the payment of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, Substitute Trustee Services, Inc. having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust by an instrument duly recorded in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Randolph County, North Carolina and the holder of the note evidencing said indebtedness having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door in the City of Asheboro, Randolph County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:30 PM on February 20, 2018 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of Asheboro, in the County of Randolph, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Asheboro Township, Randolph County, North Carolina: Beginning at an existing iron pipe in the eastern right of way line of Maple Avenue (now or formerly Dwain Curtis’ southwest corner); thence from said beginning point South 87 degrees 53 minutes 00 seconds East 148.59 feet to an existing iron pipe; thence South 01 degree 08 minutes 08 seconds East 126.32 feet to an existing iron pipe in the northern right of way line of Trollinger Road; thence along said right of way line, South 89 degrees 45 minutes 52 seconds West 140.88 feet; thence along the curve of the northeast intersection of Trollinger Road and Maple Avenue as it curves to the right, (said curve having a radius of 25.39 feet and a tangent of 35.74 feet) and arc distance 48.40 feet; thence along the eastern right of way line of Maple Avenue as it curves to the left (said curve having a radius of 237.78 feet and a chord distance of 76.56 feet) an arc distance of 76.89 feet; thence containing along said right of way line, North 00 degrees 45 minutes 00 seconds East 23.05 feet to the beginning. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 650 Maple Avenue, Asheboro, North Carolina.

Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §4521.23.

Should the property be purchased by a third party, that party must pay the excise tax, as well as the court costs of Forty-Five Cents ($0.45) per One Hun-

dred Dollars ($100.00) required by NCGS §7A-308(a) (1).

The property to be offered pursuant to this notice of sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS, WHERE IS.” Neither the Trustee nor the holder of the note secured by the deed of trust/ security agreement, or both, being foreclosed, nor the officers, directors, attorneys, employees, agents or authorized representative of either the Trustee or the holder of the note make any representation or warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at or relating to the property being offered for sale, and any and all responsibilities or liabilities arising out of or in any way relating to any such condition expressly are disclaimed. Also, this property is being sold subject to all taxes, special assessments, and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases.

Said property is also being sold subject to applicable Federal and State laws.

A deposit of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, is required and must be tendered in the form of certified funds at the time of the sale.

If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy.

Additional Notice for Residential Property with Less than 15 rental units, including Single-Family Residential Real Property An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties in possession by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold.

Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may after receiving the notice of foreclosure sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days but not more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in this notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination.

SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE SERVICES, INC. SUBSTITUTE TRUSTEE. c/o Hutchens Law Firm P.O. Box 1028 4317 Ramsey Street Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311 Phone No: (910) 864-3068

https://sales.hutchenslawfirm.com Case No: 1226603 (FC.FAY) PUBLICATION DATES: February 7, 2018 and February 14, 2018

17 CVS 479 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in a judgment bearing the caption “Violet Portfolio Alpha, LLC, Plaintiff vs. Alton Wayne Oldham d/b/a Oldham House Moving; and wife, Jeanette R. Oldham and Substitute Trustee Services, Inc., Substitute Trustee Defendants” 17 CVS 479 Chatham County and pursuant to the terms of the judgment, the undersigned Commissioner will offer for sale that certain property as described below. Said sale will be held in the City of Asheboro, Randolph County, North Carolina at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 22, 2018 at the courthouse door and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Counties of Chatham and Randolph North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: a.

921A, 921B, 923, 925 & 927 Cottage Grove Avenue, Siler City, North Carolina 27344 more specifically described as follows: Lying and Being in Matthews Township, Chatham County, North Carolina and BEING all of Parcel “B” containing 0.488 acres, more or less, as described on a Plat entitled “Survey for Apple & Smith,” dated January 6, 1994, prepared by James D. Hunter, RLS, and recorded in Plat Slide 94-18, Chatham County Registry, to which Plat reference is hereby made for greater certainty of description.

Lying and being in the Town of Siler City, Matthews Township, Chatham County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows: BEING at an iron stake located in the Western right-of-way of Cottage Grove Avenue in Kearney A. Smith’s Southeastern corner and running thence with Smith’s Southern line North 83 degrees 18 minutes West 154.22 feet to an iron stake, Smith’s corner, thence South 5 degrees 10 minutes East 197.38 feet to an iron stake located in Leonard Kelly’s Northeastern corner and Ernest T. Bottoms Northwestern corner; thence with Bottom’s Northern line South 85 degrees 12 minutes East 180.5 feet to an iron stake located in the Western right-of-way of Cottage Grove Avenue and Bottom’s Northeastern corner; thence with the Wester right-of-way of Cottage Grove Avenue North 12 degrees 50 minutes West 198.70 feet to an iron stake located in Smith’s Southeastern corner and being the point and place of BEGINNING, and being all of that lot contained between points 2, 1, 4, 5 and 2 as per Plat herein referenced.

Reference is hereby made to Plat dated December 12, 1973, drawn by James D. Hunter, RLS entitled “Portion of Town of Siler City”, recorded in Plat Book 15 at Page 76, Chatham County Registry for more accuracy and certainty of description

b. A sixteen acre tract of unimproved land located on Herring Path, Bear Creek North Carolina 27207 more specifically described as follows: BEING Tract 5, containing 16.001 acres, more or less, according to a survey entitled Survey & Division of property “Hancock-Phillips Tract” Division Map One, prepared by James L. Haines & Associates, RLS and recorded in Plat Book 2001, Page 353 Chatham County Registry.

There is also conveyed herewith a non-exclusive right of way from SR 1006 to the Northwest corner of the above referred Tract 6. The right of ways shall provide ingress, egress and regress and utility service.

The aforesaid right of way is 30 feet in width at SR 1006 and increases to a width of 60 feet as it passes the Southern line of the Alton Wayne Oldham property in Book 377, Page 508, Chatham County Registry and runs to the Northeast corner of Tract 5 and the Northwest corner of Tract 6 and benefits Tracts 5, 6 and 7.

Reference is made to Plat Book 2001, Page 354, Chatham County Registry. The above right of way shall be appurtenant to and run with the land. This conveyance is subject to the rights of others to use the right of way including the rights described in Book 396, Page 312 Chatham County Registry. By the acceptance and recordation of this deed the grantee and his successors and assigns agree to join the owners of Tract 6 and 7 to maintain the above described right of way in a safe and passable condition for all types of weather and in good state of repair. c. A ten acre tract of unimproved land located on Herring Path, Bear Creek, North Carolina 27207 more specifically described as follows: BEING Tract 6, containing 10.148 acres, more or less, according to a survey entitled, Survey & Division of property “Hancock-Phillips Tract” Division Map Two, prepared by James L. Haines & Associates, RLS, and recorded in Plat Book 2001, Page 354 Chatham County Registry.

There is also conveyed herewith a non-exclusive right of way from SR 1006 to the Northwest corner of the above referred Tract 6. The right of ways shall provide ingress, egress and regress and utility service.

The aforesaid right of way is 30 feet in width at SR 1006 and increases to a width of 60 feet as it passes the Southern line of the Alton Wayne Oldham property in Book 377, Page 508, Chatham County Registry and runs to the Northeast corner of Tract 5 and the Northwest corner of Tract 6 and benefits Tracts 5, 6 and 7.

Reference is made to Plat Book 2001, Page 354 Chatham County Registry.

This conveyance is subject to the rights of others to use the right of way including the rights described in Book 396, Page 312 Chatham County Registry.

By the acceptance and recordation of this deed the grantee and his successors and assigns agree to join the owners of Tract 5&7 to maintain the above described right of way in a safe and passable condition for all types of weather and in good state of repair. d. 12585 Siler City-Glendon Road, Bear Creek, North Carolina 27207 more specifically described as follows: Lying and Being in Bear Creek Township, Cha-

tham County North Carolina and being all of Lot #1, containing 22.836 acres, as shown on Plat dated September 18, 2001, recorded in Plat Slide 2001-353 Chatham County Registry drawn by James K. Haines and Associates, RLS, entitled “Survey and Division of Property: Edward Land & Timber, LLC Property, Hancock-Phillips Tract Division, Map I”. Reference is hereby made to said Plat for more accuracy and certainty of description. e. 2022 Brooklyn Avenue, Ramseur, North Carolina 27316 more specifically described as follows: LYING and BEING in Colombia township, Ramsuer, Randolph County, North Carolina and BEGINNING at a new iron rod in the Northern right of way line of State Road 2615, and running thence N 11 degrees 05 minutes East 390.92 feet to an existing iron rod, a common line with the Ramsuer Wesleyan Church property thence South 88 degrees 10 minutes East 157.97 feet to a new iron rod; thence South 11 degrees 05 minutes West 361.50 feet to a new iron rod in the Northern right of way line of said State Road 2615; thence South 68 degrees 23 minutes West 178.26 feet to the point and place of the BEGINNING, comprising 1.369 acres more or less, as shown by survey dated 18 August 1982 by Roger Clarence Cagle RLS for Jeffrey Schwarz.

The property is being sold “as is”, without warranties, subject to all taxes, special assessments and prior liens or encumbrances of record and any recorded releases. Any assessments, costs or fees resulting from the sale will be due and payable from the purchaser at the sale.

A cash deposit or certified check (no personal check) in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the high bid will be required at the time of the sale.

The sale will be held open for ten days for upset bids as required by law.

THIS IS A COMMUNICATION FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR. THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMUNICATION IS TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE, EXCEPT AS STATED BELOW IN THE INSTANCE OF BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION. IF YOU ARE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF THE BANKRUPTCY COURT OR HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED AS A RESULT OF A BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDING, THIS NOTICE IS GIVEN TO YOU PURSUANT TO STATUTORY REQUIREMENT AND FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES AND IS NOT INTENDED AS AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT OR AS AN ACT TO COLLECT, ASSESS, OR RECOVER ALL OR ANY PORTION OF THE DEBT FROM YOU PERSONALLY. This the 17th day of January, 2018.

BY: _____________________________ Susan R. Benoit, Commissioner Post Office Box 2505 Fayetteville, NC 28302 (910) 864-6888 CMS# 1178504 PUBLICATION DATES: February 7, 2018 and February 14, 2018.

North State Journal for Wednesday, February 7, 2018

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JANRIC CLASSIC SUDOKU

SOLUTIONS FROM 01.31.18

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Happy New Year!

I wish you all the best in 2018 as you experience everything North Carolina has to offer.

Secretary Susi H. Hamilton

NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

NC DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES