North State Journal — Vol. 2., Issue 2 by North State Journal

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 2

www.NSJONLINE.com |

SATURDAY, MARCH 4, 2017

the good life Celebrating Mardi Gras in Durham

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Adam Dipert, left, of Durham, and Irene Krohn, right, of Raleigh, perform on stilts during the Mardi Gras celebration in downtown Durham.

the weekend

News BRIEFing Flu deaths on the rise in N.C. Raleigh There have been 63 flu deaths in N.C. since the season started on Oct. 2, four more than died in last year’s entire flu season. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reports 16 deaths last week alone. The department urges vaccination even late in the season, frequent hand washing and covering coughs. The highest N.C. death rate in recent history was in 2014-2015 flu season which claimed 218 lives.

Cooper appoints mayor, former convicted felon, to head ABC Raleigh Governor Roy Cooper appointed former Surf City Mayor Zander Guy to replace Jim Garner at the head of the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Commission. The choice drew fire from Republicans because Guy was convicted in 1990 of fraudulently billing clients of his insurance company. He served three months of his three year sentence before his sentence was commuted and he was pardoned by then-Governor Jim Martin, a Republican. Gov. Beverly Purdue, a Democrat, later appointed him to the ABC commission in 2009. Guy starts his new post in the Cooper administration on Monday, March 6.

Snap’s shares continue to defy doubts New York Snap’s stock jumping nearly 50 percent in their first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The owner of the Snapchat messaging app raised $3.4 billion in its initial public offering on Wednesday night, and saw its market capitalization bubble up to as much as $29.1 billion. The IPO has tested investor appetite for a social media app that is popular among people under 30 for applying bunny faces and vomiting rainbows onto selfies, but has yet to convert “cool” into cash. Despite a nearly sevenfold increase in revenue, Los Angeles-based Snap’s net loss widened 38 percent last year.

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

Cooper unveils budget recommendations to lawmakers The $23.5 billion budget represents a 5-percent increase in spending, sparking criticism from Republican legislative leaders By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — Gov. Roy Cooper announced his administration’s first two-year budget proposal Wednesday morning, presenting suggested spending priorities to the N.C. General Assembly as lawmakers commence biennial budget negotiations. “This is a fiscally sound budget,” said Cooper at a press conference. “All of these investments ... contribute to a robust

economy.” Totaling nearly $23.5 billion in the first year, and eclipsing $24 billion in the second, Cooper’s budget emphasizes teacher and state employee pay raises, expands Medicaid to cover more than 600,000 additional state residents, and allocates $100 million for additional disaster relief related to Hurricane Matthew and Western North Carolina wildfires. “Gov. Cooper’s plan makes sound investments in our schools, our students and our work force, and creates opportunities to bring quality jobs to North Carolina again,” said Senate Minority Whip Terry Van Duyn (D-Buncombe). “We believe in our people; I’m hoping Republicans will give the See BUDGET, page A2

20177 52016 $2.00

Secretary Ryan Zinke arrived for his first day of work on horseback, signaling a new take on the agency that manages 75 percent of federal land By Valerie Volcovici Reuters WASHINGTON, D.C. — New Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke plans to review Obama-era measures that limited energy development on some federal land and undertake a “bold” reorganization of his 70,000-employee agency, he said on Friday. The former U.S. congressman from Montana addressed employees at the Department of Interior’s headquarters on his second full day on the job, assuring them he would not sell off federal lands — as some had feared — but also promising change. “You can hear it from my lips: We will not sell or transfer public lands,” he said. The Interior Department, which is in charge of conserving fish, wildlife and their habitat, manages one-fifth of the land in the United States. It employs more than 70,000 people across the country.

“Fishing, hunting and other outdoor recreation generate thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity.” — Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke

See ZINKE, page A8

TAMI HEILEMANN | REUTERS

New Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke rides on horseback with a U.S. Park Police horse mounted unit while reporting for his first day of work at the Interior Department in Washington.

Opioid bill proposed to fight widespread drug addiction According to the CDC, opioids were involved in 28,647 deaths in the United States in 2014, with 1,358 of those overdose deaths in N.C. alone By Donna King North State Journal

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

New Interior chief promises ‘bold’ agency restructuring

(L to R) Attorney General Josh Stein, Rep. Gregory Murphy (R-Pitt) and Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck discuss the STOP Act, which will aim to help prevent opioid misuse, following a press conference at the General Assembly on Thursday.

RALEIGH — A bipartisan group of lawmakers filed a bill Thursday designed to tackle N.C.’s widespread opioid abuse crisis. The Strengthen Opioid Misuse Prevention Act, or STOP Act, puts new reporting requirements and stricter controls on the distribution of opioid medications, usually prescribed for pain.

Opioid pain relievers are generally safe when taken for a short time and as prescribed by a doctor, but they are frequently misused. N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reports that there are four deaths a day in N.C. due to medication or drug overdose. The state has also seen a more than 800 percent increase in the use of prescription pain pills over the past five years. Reps. Greg Murphy (R-Pitt), Ted Davis (R-New Hanover), Chris Malone (R-Wake) and Craig Horn (R-Union) sponsored the bill saying that it is overdue and takes needed action toward a long road to recovery for the state’s opioid addiction. The companion bill, S.B. See OPIOIDS, page A2

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

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“Elevate the conversation” Visit North State Journal online! nsjonline.com jonesandblount.com nsjsports.com carolinabrewreview.com chickenbonealley.com We stand corrected To report an error or a suspected error, please email: corrections@nsjonline.com with “Correction request” in the subject line.

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

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

The Velvet Cloak Inn in Raleigh is in the process of being torn down.

The capital city loses another landmark The Velvet Cloak Inn, once a home away from home for legislators and celebrities, was torn down this week By Donna King North State Journal RALEIGH — In the course of five days this week, a capital city landmark became a pile of rubble as the Velvet Cloak Inn, once Raleigh’s top-notch hotel, was razed to make way for what is to become student housing for NC State University. Last week, before the wrecking equipment set up shop, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office used the hotel for practice in search and rescue, using battering rams to break down doors and shatter windows. The practice was the first step to-

ward what this week has become a pile of smoking debris and twisted New Orleans-style wrought iron along the 1500 block of Hillsborough Street. The Velvet Cloak Inn was built in 1962 and had 147 rooms. It was the go-to destination for legislators from the far corners of the state in town for sessions of deal-making over laws at the State Capitol. The hotel also saw its fair share of celebrities through the 1960s and 1970s. The hotel was designed by Raleigh architect Leif Valand, the same designer of Raleigh’s Cameron Village shopping center and numerous other Raleigh landmarks. It was designed is an Old South style and the name of the hotel was taken from a famous story about the city of Raleigh’s namesake. In the book The Story of Sir Walter Raleigh by Margaret Duncan Kelly, she tells

North Carolina Sen. Tom McInnis (R-Anson) discusses losing his son to opioid addiction during a press conference at the General Assembly to introduce the STOP Act, which will aim to help prevent opioid misuse.

at Raleigh’s downtown churches, sweet bridal luncheons and wedding receptions. The property was purchased in 2004 by David Smoot, selling the units as condos. However in 2008, the city of Raleigh shut the property down citing safety reasons, it continued to fall into disrepair and was finally put back on the market in 2015. It was purchased last year by a company in Atlanta, Peak Campus, that builds multi-use student housing. The plan is to put approximately 150 units that would house 500 students with amenities, a pool and a parking deck. Peak Campus has 30 other similar other properties across the southeast and six in N.C. Their holdings include two Student Quarters complexes at UNC Greensboro, Spring Place at UNC Greensboro and 901 Place and UNC Charlotte.

BUDGET from pageA1

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

OPIOIDS from page A1 175, in the Senate is sponsored by Sens. Bill Rabon (R-Bladen), Tom McInnis (R-Anson), and Jim Davis (R-Cherokee). Attorney General Josh Stein joined the members for a press conference at the N.C. General Assembly on Thursday to present the bill to the public. “I am here today to say enough is enough and it’s time to turn the tables on this scourge,” said Murphy, who is also a physician. Among other items, the measure allows physicians to issue standing orders, or prescriptions, to health centers and other groups for naloxone hydrochloride, which is approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of a drug overdose. It also required that supervising physicians consult with physician assistants who prescribe opioids, and it limits the number of pills that can be initially prescribed for pain. The bill also expands the use of the state’s Controlled Substance Reporting System (CSRS). If passed the law would now require prescribing physicians, including veterinarians, to check the CSRS for a patient’s other prescriptions before the write a new one. They must also report opioid prescriptions and the penalties for improper reporting would increase. Lawmakers said the requirement is intended to crack down on “doctor shopping” in which patients go from one doctor to another looking for more pain killers.

the story of Raleigh dramatically stretching out his velvet cloak over a mud puddle on the banks of the River Thames in London for Queen Elizabeth I as she disembarked from her boat. Queen Elizabeth thanked him, giving him a diamond ring and bringing him into her close circle of attendants. As they came to know each other, Raleigh became a trusted confidante of the queen, and was knighted in 1585. The name of the hotel was taken from this famous story. In its heyday, the Velvet Cloak Inn had rooms on three sides of the two-and-a-half acre property containing a glassroofed atrium, a nightclub and a restaurant. Not just visitors have memories of the historic property. Raleigh natives remember it well as the place to be seen for brunch after services

Fast facts Drug overdose is now the No. 1 cause of accidental death, beating car crashes 82 percent of heroin users report using prescription painkillers before heroin 1 in 100 babies is born addicted in N.C., suffering from seizures, fevers and vomiting Source: N.C. Department of Health and Human Services

Scott Hughes did just that after becoming addicted to painkillers following a bad accident in 2010. When Hughes lost his job in 2011, the former Vance county commissioner, paramedic and deputy sheriff turned to getting opioids on the black market and then to heroin to feed his addiction. “There are a lot of facilities that don’t check the system,” said Hughes. “Anyone who takes opioids will become dependent, but they cross that line into addiction when their tolerance is so high they have to go to multiple doctors to get enough. Sometimes people will get multiple kinds of prescriptions so they can sell them and buy the drug they need... if this reporting

was mandated they could never get to that point in the first place.” The reporting collection computer system database contains every controlled substance prescription that’s filled in any pharmacy in the state. It’s accessible to pharmacists, doctors, dentists and the State Bureau of Investigation. However, pharmacists say that currently few use the system because of the sheer volume of prescriptions they fill per day doesn’t allow them the time to research each one. Under the bill, the practitioner is required to check the database before writing a prescription. The bill also requires practitioners to pay a fee toward supporting the CSRS database and appropriates $10 million for community-based opioid recovery programs. For Sen. Tom McInnis (R-Anson) it’s a personal quest to get this bill passed. He will shepherd it through the Senate if it passes the House and indicated that there is support for it. “I come with a different perspective than everyone who has spoken here this morning,” said McInnis. “This epidemic has personally affected my family. We lost a beautiful, vibrant, absolutely wonderful son to this epidemic.” The measure was filed on Thursday. The lawmakers said that they know that the road to recovery will be long in the battle with widespread opioid addiction. “This is not the end game, but a first step,” said Horn.

governor’s plan serious consideration and join us in investing in our state again.” The welcome was not quite as warm from those in the legislature’s Republican majority, as N.C. Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) slammed the budget proposal for its sizable spending increases. “If the news reports are true, Gov. Cooper is clearly growing nostalgic for the Easley-Perdue days of runaway spending — and his reckless $1 billion spending spree would surely return us to the days of high taxes and multi-billion dollar deficits,” said Berger in a press release Wednesday. “We believe a more prudent approach is investing generously in public education and other priorities while still saving for a rainy day and returning hard-earned tax dollars to our taxpayers.” Under the proposal, all state employees would receive a pay increase of either 2 percent or $800, whichever is greater, at a cost of more than $350 million over the two-year period, augmented further by a one-time $500 bonus. A plan to raise teacher pay to the highest in the Southeast within three years spends approximately $800 million over two years, while also also proposing a 6.5 percent salary increase for school administrators. “We just have to make education a priority,” said Cooper. In total, the governor’s recommended “investments in human capital” approaches $2 billion in spending over the budget cycle, including a one-time 1.5 percent cost-of-living-adjustment for state retirees, and targeted raises for the state highway patrol. In the health care space, Cooper recommends expanding Medicaid to cover 624,000 additional individuals who currently make too much money to qualify for the entitlement program. The expansion is described as “cost-neutral” to the state, projecting $4 billion in annual federal injections while relying on hospitals to pay for additional state obligations resulting from expansion. “I think [hospitals] are willing, ready and able to step up for this expansion,” said Cooper of his proposal to grow the entitlement program. Cooper previously tried to ex-

“The governor’s proposal is a step backward from this successful approach that has led to a booming North Carolina economy.” — N.C. Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham)

pand the program without the sanction of the legislature via an amendment to the state’s Medicaid plan, but was blocked by the courts as a result of legal action taken by the General Assembly, which asserted Cooper did not have the authority to change eligibility thresholds unilaterally. The governor’s budget also includes a $10 million reintroduction of film tax credit incentives that Republican lawmakers recently eliminated. Including the appropriation of federal funds, health care makes up the largest portion of the recommended budget both years, representing more than 35 percent of the total outlays, while education comes in at a close second with just under 35 percent over the cycle. The governor’s recommended budget is just that — a recommendation. The General Assembly holds the purse strings and can choose to run with key executive spending priorities if they choose, but under Republican control the legislature is unlikely to offer support for much of the fiscal suggestions from Cooper. However, in those areas of basic alignment, such as teacher pay and adding to savings reserves, both branches could move closer to the goals presented to voters during the most recent campaigns. The next steps will involve the legislature forming their own working budget as they balance myriad fiscal obligations with an expressed interest in continuing tax and regulatory reforms.

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

Boy Scouts council holds fundraiser, honors CBC’s Jim Goodmon By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Current North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein takes part in a debate against state Sen. Buck Newton during the campaign for the position in Asheboro on Sept.20.

Stein accused of ethics violations Legislators filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court this week saying the N.C. Attorney General’s request to dismiss Voter ID appeal was “politically motivated” and a conflict of interest By Donna King North State Journal WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week lawmakers in the N.C. General Assembly filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court asking the court to throw out N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein’s request to dismiss their appeal over the Voter ID law. The filing accuses Stein of ethics violations. “The attorney general’s motion is nothing less than a politically motivated attempt to hijack a certiorari petition in a major Voting Rights Act case, in violation of the plain terms of North Carolina law and the canons of professional ethics,” the pleading reads. “When general Stein was a state senator he testified at the trial in this case, for the plaintiffs, and against the validity of the very laws the state’s certiorari petition seeks to vindicate. “That thicket of conflicts of interest ought to prevent general Stein from participating as an attorney in this case at all. Much less should he be allowed to override the authority of his own client and deprive this court of the opportunity to review the 4th Circuit’s decision invalidating North Carolina’s sensible election reform laws.” The accusations come after Stein requested last week that the U.S. Supreme Court dismiss the General Assembly’s appeal of a lower court ruling that overturned the state’s 2013 Voter ID law. The appeal had actually been filed by N.C. lawmakers’ private counsel after then-Attorney General Roy Cooper said he would not defend the law in appeal. Lawmakers say Stein did not consult with them before filing the request and that he does not represent them in the case. During the trial portion of

70 percent of registered voters in N.C. supported the Voter ID law 96 percent of Republicans approve 75 percent of Independents 45 percent of Democrats Source: Elon University Poll, 2013

the lawsuit Stein testified for the plaintiffs as a “fact witness” in opposition of the law. According to state law, an attorney cannot act as witness and lawyer in the same case. “It is wrong for lawyers to switch from one client side to another client’s side arbitrarily and without consent of the first client. It is a violation of the Code of Ethics — it is unethical conduct to do so,” said Gene Boyce, a Wake County attorney who has been in a long-running legal scuffle with Cooper over his 2000 election to attorney general. Boyce’s son, Dan Boyce, won a libel suit against Cooper for his conduct during the campaign and received a public apology from the now-governor in 2014. The case has made Boyce a recognized name in the fight over ethics in the legal profession. The legislature’s petition before the high court states that on Feb. 21, 2017, lawmakers received a letter from Stein’s office informing them that the Department of Justice would be representing them in this case. That is the same date on the petition to dismiss the case Stein filed with the U.S. Supreme Court. In a public statement after filing the request Stein said it

was in the interest of the state to dismiss the case because the plaintiffs have agreed to waive $12 million in legal fees if the petition is dismissed. “The attorney general disagrees with the arguments and believes they are without merit,” said Sarah Brewer, communications director for the N.C. Department of Justice in an email to NSJ. “Our office will wait for further direction from the Supreme Court.” After the N.C. Voter ID law in question was passed into law in 2013, opponent groups sued over the law saying it unfairly makes it harder for the poor and minorities to vote by requiring photo ID when casting a ballot, garnering national media attention. In August 2016, a federal district court upheld the law saying it did not violate the Constitution or the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). However, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision and found VIVA to be in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution and the VRA. Legislators then asked the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in. Sen. Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) and Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) argue that Stein’s actions reflect Cooper’s priorities when he was attorney general. “It is no surprise that Roy Cooper is again attempting to pick and choose which laws he has to follow, but this latest maneuver to undermine the clients in this case and leave the defense of voter ID to an attorney general with a conflict of interest and a personal and political bias against it is a step too far. ... That’s why we’ve asked the Supreme Court to reject their unethical stunt,” said Berger and Moore in a statement Thursday. The high court was initially scheduled to review the NCGA’s petition on Friday, March 3, but it was rescheduled after the flurry of legal filings over the past week.

RALEIGH — The Occoneechee Council of the Boy Scouts of America held their annual Friends of Scouting Breakfast on March 3 at the Hilton in North Raleigh. The Occoneechee Council — which spans 12 counties in North Carolina — has more than 20,000 youth and adult members. In 2016, 527 members earned the rank of Eagle Scout. The council dedicated more than $3.1 million in community service, and for every dollar donated the council contributed the equivalent of $1.62 to the community. At the breakfast the Boy Scouts gave their highest local honor, the North Carolina “Good Scout” Lifetime Achievement Award, to Capitol Broadcasting Company president and CEO Jim Goodmon. In his nearly 50 years with CBC, Goodmon has grown the broadcasting company exponentially and also been a real estate leader and added professional sports to the company’s portfolio. In the 1990s, CBC bought the Durham Bulls and later pushed for the team’s new stadium, the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, which opened in 1995. Under Goodmon’s leadership, CBC further boosted Durham’s profile with the renovation of the American Tobacco District, turning old tobacco warehouses into business space, restaurants and housing. The 12 counties that make up the Occoneechee Council are in central North Carolina and span as far south as Cumberland County to the Virginia border. They are: Chatham, Cumberland, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Lee, Moore, Orange, Vance, Wake and Warren.

Boy Scouts and adults who used the Occoneechee Council’s properties and facilities in 2016

Note: North State Journal was one of the sponsors of the breakfast

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

John Sloop, 15, of Boy Scout Troop 395 salutes during the Pledge of Allegiance before the Friends of Scouting Breakfast.

North Carolina is back in business, and business is good!

ncchamber.net

17,077

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

Murphy

Hot Springs

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

Blowing Rock

With the Appalachian Trail running straight through the town, all walks of life traverse through the small mountain town of Hot Springs. There’s a bit of everything here, from taking a dip in the naturally rejuvenating Hot Springs, to enjoying some creature comforts before spending a weeklong vacation backpacking on the Appalachian Trail.

Jones & Blount

Manteo

jonesandblount.com @JonesandBlount

Hanging Rock State Park

Blowing Rock offers family attractions like Grandfather Mountain and Tweetsie Railroad.

Winston-Salem

Bryson City Home to both the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad and National Park for plenty of family fun adventure. Outfitters along the Nantahala River also offer family raft trips.

“For your spring break trips, Winston-Salem is a great option because you have city amenities and boutique lodging, great restaurants, Old Salem and Reynolda House.”

Pisgah National Forest Linville Gorge Wilderness Area offers primitive camping for backpackers.

Durham Durham is great for an adult getaway. A recent Southern Living Poll voted it the Tastiest Town in the South.

– Suzanne Brown of VisitNC

Mount Pisgah Campgrounds

Tryon

Milepost 408 is the highest campground on the Parkway reaching almost 5,000 feet. There’s 64 tent sites and 64 RV sites, toilets, drinking water, showers and a store.

Asheville

A vacation you might’ve never thought of, Rutherford County and the surrounding areas offers the state-of-the-art Tryon Equestrian Center. You’re also in close proximity to Chimney Rock and Lake Lure.

madeline gray | North State Journal

Hatteras Island

Spring break

Emerald Isle

From the mountains to the coast, throughout March college students taking a midterm break and school-age students enjoying a weeklong trip with their families can make the most of everything North Carolina has to offer. North Carolina is the sixth-most visited state in the nation, and many natives prefer to stay home for spring break. Suzanne Brown of Visit NC noted, “Many people

think spring break as mountains or coast, but the thing about North Carolina is there are a lot of great places in the Piedmont that include outdoor places.” Even aside from the Piedmont, small cities on the rise also offer their own flair for a long weekend or impromptu trip. Here are some of the best statewide spots for making the most of spring break in the Ol’ North State.

Both Hatteras Island and Carolina Beach offer beachside camping, a unique experience perfect for a family or couples vacation.

Topsail Island

Gladys Knight and husband announce community center

Wrightsville Beach Wilmington

Man pleads guilty to starting wildfires Macon County A 49-year-old Franklin man pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to setting wildfires in October. From October to December North Carolina experienced its largest recorded string of wildfires, many due to careless human activity or set by arsonists. In November, Keith Mann admitted to setting the fires on Board Tree Road and Jones Creek Road. In court documents he claims his wife had recently left him and he didn’t “have much to live for.” While not sentenced yet, Mann is facing five to 20 years in prison. Asheville Citizen-Times

Trooper struck by car while responding to wreck

Haywood County Entrepreneur and Canton native William McDowell, who is married to Motown legend Gladys Knight, announced plans this week to transform the dilapidated Reynolds High School into the Canton Community Center. By 2019, the segregation-era high school will transform into a $5 million community haven if Reynolds High School Community Foundation can reach its fundraising goals. McDowell and Knight purchased the 20,000 square-foot building and adjoining six-and-a-half acres at auction for $80,000 in 2013. RHSCF executive director Mike Finton said plans for fundraising could include Knight performing charity concerts in the Asheville area as well as community members contributing to the renovation. Smoky Mountain News

Catawba County While responding to a weather-related wreck Wednesday night, a North Carolina Highway patrolman was hit by a car. The driver of the car that hit trooper Terry Neal was heading to church for Ash Wednesday and said he did not see the patrolman. Storms brought strong winds and rain to the area and the highway patrol had to block off 321 for nearly an hour while investigating the incident. Neal was taken to the hospital and suffered a concussion, bruised leg and cut above his eye that required stitches. It has not been determined if charges will be filed. WSOC9

2016 Airbnb sales pass $13 million Buncombe County Numbers released Thursday by Airbnb showed Asheville rentals were reported at 104,500 guests with $13.1 million in sales. Asheville beat out both Charlotte and Raleigh and Airbnb reported it made up more than a quarter of all Airbnb sales in the state. Airbnb allows homeowners to rent their homes or properties to tourists. Airbnb noted the North Carolina host community earned a total of $51.1 million with 404,000 guest arrivals to the state in 2016. Asheville Citizen-Times

PIEDMONT

Record $1.2 billion purchase for Charlotte office park

Schools closed for a Day Without Women March Orange County Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools will be closed March 8 for a planned nationwide women’s strike. Superintendent Jim Causby expected high teacher absences and has made the day an optional teacher work day. The event coincides with National Women’s Day, and Jeff Nash with Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools said while they respect their female employees they also chose to cancel class so students wouldn’t arrive to school without adequate staff. FOX8 WGHP

Oak Hollow Mall to close doors officially Davidson County Oak Hollow Mall will officially close its doors after March 10. Built in 1995 in High Point, the number of stores occupying the space has decreased significantly throughout the years. In 2011, High Point University purchased the mall and, despite low rent prices for tenants, couldn’t keep the mall or retailers afloat. Mall walkers, people who walk around the building and property for exercise, are also sad about the closure and are searching for other indoor alternatives. FOX8 WGHP

Mecklenburg County Northwood Investors just completed the biggest deal in Charlotte history by paying $1.2 billion to purchase Ballantyne Corporate Park. The New York-based investment firm purchased 4 million square feet of office space, four hotels and the Ballantyne Golf Club. Northwood has not stated what changes will be made. The sale closed Wednesday.

EAST Lucky lotto ticket was a gift Halifax County Nieve Caballero of Roanoke Rapids was gifted a $20 dollar Ruby Red 7’s lotto ticket from her godmother that ended up being worth $1 million dollars. Caballero chose to receive the money in lump sum, and after federal and state taxes she received $417,000. WITN

The Charlotte Observer

Researchers mishandle radioactive material Durham County A federal agency report claims Duke researchers mishandled radioactive material during an experiment last month. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said a sample of Uranium-235 was “compromised and assumed to be leaking.” Traces of Uranium-235 were found on one physicist’s toilet and quickly decontaminated. Jim Jones, spokesman for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, said the incident is under investigation and the material leaked from a sealed capsule in the laboratory. Uranium-235 is used as fuel for nuclear power plants, nuclear reactors that run ships and submarines, as well as nuclear weapons.

Public input sought on hunting permit Carteret County The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve will hold a public meeting March 9 at 6 p.m. to receive input on a proposal for a public hunting permit system for the Rachel Carson Reserve. The proposed permit will ensure hunting can continue while achieving a better balance of overall visitors. The meeting will take place at the Beaufort Train Depot at 614 Broad St. North Carolina Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources

Senate committee recommends Cooper cabinet pick for confirmation By Jeff Moore North State Journal

Carolina Beach

west

Larry Hall is congratulated by supporters after a Senate committee voted to recommend him for confirmation as secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs at the General Assembly on Thursday.

Police say no charges for livestreaming death Cumberland County Fayetteville Police said they will not charge the person who recorded the 10-minute livestream of Calvin Louis Blackshire Jr.‘s death to Facebook because no laws were broken. Blackshire was shot and killed at a Fayetteville motel on Jan. 19. His mother, Pamela Blackshire, is upset no charges will be filed and said the video showed people standing over her son taking pictures while he died. Facebook removed the video and Facebook officials helped identify who recorded and posted the video. The Fayetteville Observer

School closes for flu outbreak Martin County A school in Eastern N.C. is closed because of the high number of students with the flu. Bear Grass Charter School in Martin County is closed for students until Tuesday while staff, armed with disinfectant spray and wipes, clean the campus from top to bottom. Principal Donna Moore says about 30% of their students have the flu. Students were instructed to study from home on Monday and Friday.

The Duke Chronicle

WITN-TV

RALEIGH — After three false starts the confirmations of Gov. Roy Cooper’s cabinet picks by the N.C. Senate started in earnest Thursday. Subsequent to a legislative subpoena, former state legislator Larry Hall, now serving as Cooper’s secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs, appeared before the Senate Commerce and Insurance Committee to answer questions related to his qualifications for the post and potential conflicts of interest. “I am honored and privileged to be entrusted with this responsibility to serve the needs of these great military members represented in this room, and their families who also served,” said Hall before the committee Thursday. “It is my greatest honor and I thank you for the consideration.” While a court case challenging the Senate’s confirmation authority is still undecided, the judicial panel declined halting this week’s proceeding. Hall, a Marine veteran and attorney, served in the N.C. House of Representatives for a decade and was serving as the House Minority Leader when he resigned to serve in Cooper’s cabinet. His military experience, he said, gives him a passionate interest in serving veterans and protecting the state’s military installations. “Every veteran has had a contract with our country and they’ve fulfilled that contract if they’ve been honorably discharged,” said Hall. “What we fail to do is to engage them and ensure they took advantage of every right and privilege they have already earned, and as a result some of our communities and families do not get the benefits of their service.” Hall indicated his focus as secretary is to double the number of veteran-owned businesses, improve education of the relevant services the state offers, and improve the infrastructure related to military bases in order to ameliorate their status during the U.S. Department of Defense’s Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) reviews.

After describing his experiences and qualifications for the committee, Hall was asked questions about the political battle over the confirmation process. “I was in the legislative branch, so I understand the legislative branch trying to assert its authority and power,” admitted Hall. “And I’m now in the executive branch and I understand that dilemma on that side as well. And so I don’t prefer to be a pawn in the process, but I certainly understand that all bodies do what they do, and that keeps the Constitution strong.” While Cooper contests the Senate’s authority court, a recent poll from High Point University found that 54 percent of North Carolinians believe the Senate should play a role in confirming the governor’s nominees. Only 29 percent felt it should not play role. Much of the obfuscation of the issue results from Cooper’s assertion that he has not officially submitted his nominees to the legislature for consideration and feels he is not required to until May 15. The question of whether Hall was in fact the governor’s nominee for secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs was raised at the hearing. “I’m currently executing duties that would normally be carried out by the secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs so I feel I am serving in that capacity,” said Hall when asked if he was officially serving in the role. Pressed on why he failed to show up for the previous three meetings and whether Cooper instructed him to do so, Hall said he was not directly told by the governor to skip the meetings. “It was my understanding that the proceeding would not be appropriate at that time.” said Hall, adding that based on the subpoena he did not want to be held in contempt of the court by not attending Thursday’s meeting. When questions concluded the committee voted to recommend Hall for confirmation to the Senate Committee on Nominations. The next court ruling on the matter is scheduled for March 7. Seven more appointments are scheduled for confirmation hearings in coming weeks.

100 YEARS OF MAKING MEMORIES.

TIMELESS WONDER

For more information visit ncparks.gov or call 919-707-9300.

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

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

Visual Voices

EDITORIAL | Ray Nothstine

The depressing part of Trump’s agenda The proposed “great, great wall” sounds pricier than merely a “great wall.”

If this nation ever needed just one more law, it would be a requirement to display the federal debt clock during a president’s joint session address to Congress. Instead, most every modern president uses that grand stage to announce lavish giveaways. This usually involves overly optimistic decrees calling for large transfers of wealth from the productive segments of society to the far less productive. Bill Clinton, more frugal by today’s standards, was well known for listing out line by line virtually every new program and initiative. A scrolling debt clock plastered across the screen might not dissuade the more brazen profligate spenders, but it might provide comic relief or tragic irony. Trump’s address Tuesday no doubt raised his political stock, but it was yet another reminder he needs to be desperately challenged on federal spending and the debt crisis. To his credit — sort of —Trump at least mentioned the debt explosion under his predecessor. “In the last eight years, the past administration has put on more new debt than nearly all other presidents combined,” Trump declared. Still, besting Obama’s irresponsibility on that issue is the lowest of bars. Early in his presidency, Obama liked to say “the debt keeps him up at night,” so it’s unclear how doubling it alleviated his insomnia. The new president asked Congress for $1 trillion for infrastructure spending. In comparison, Obama’s stimulus boondoggle was $831 billion. Trump asked too for a much-needed increase in Veterans Affairs spending but tacked on massive increases for defense appropriations as well. The proposed “great, great wall” sounds pricier than merely a “great wall.” Trump is in

favor of tax cuts as well, but more protectionist-minded trade policies may curve the rate of economic growth going forward, making it even harder to slow down a debt which is about to surpass $20 trillion. While he campaigned against changes to costly entitlements like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, a president must close the leadership deficit by reforming those costly programs. The federal deficit will balloon to over $400 billion in 2018 and will only continue to surge without real spending reform. The status quo means increased wealth confiscation through taxes, decreasing entitlements, diminishing liberties, and possibly future cultural unrest. It’s time to find out if citizens in North Carolina can count on Mark Meadows and the Freedom Caucus. They have been the biggest proponents of fiscal responsibility and we should soon find out if they are worth their salt. Paul Ryan is known as a budget hawk in theory only, having done little in his leadership role as speaker to stem the spending debacle. For many, Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday made his presidency a reality. Yet a large segment of the left still refuses to engage the substance of his policies, entrapped by endless bickering over his persona and rhetoric. This leaves true limitedgovernment conservatives with the opportunity to drive the discussion and convince Trump and the nation that kicking the can down the road is no longer an option.

EDITORIAL | Drew Elliot

Two thoughts on the Cooper budget Cooper is the beneficiary of years of good fiscal management by a General Assembly whose fiscal management discipline is not his own.

Gov. Roy Cooper unveiled his budget proposal this week, giving North Carolinians a glimpse into what Cooper would do if he held the purse strings. Ultimately, the document will not matter much. With veto-proof majorities in both houses of the General Assembly, Republicans won’t give Cooper’s calculations much more than a sniff. Most people have probably seen the headline numbers by now: $23.48 billion in first-year spending; prioritizing healthcare over education; expanding Medicaid; and continuing to add to the state’s rainy-day fund. Some of the details are important, but for now, allow me to offer two observations — one specific and one general. The specific observation is that Cooper is the beneficiary of years of good fiscal management by a General Assembly whose fiscal management discipline is not his own. Repeatedly, Cooper opposed the conservative budgets that have led to perennial surpluses. He said we were not “investing” enough (that sounds better than “we need more government spending”). But because of conservative budgeting, Cooper has the luxury of increasing spending without raising taxes. That’s not because he won’t raise taxes, it’s because with a $550 million surplus, he doesn’t need to. After all, Cooper is not averse to tax hikes; when he was a member of the General Assembly he voted for multiple “investment generators” (if that is the right euphemism). In sum, North Carolinians can be thankful that conservatives in the General Assembly remain a barrier to the budgets of Democratic leaders, where the false promises in glorious winter budgets made for summer shortfalls of discontent, with all the

painful cuts, furloughs, and budget gimmicks that the powerful use to trick the gullible, time and time again. The second, general observation is about budgeting. Vice President Joe Biden famously said: ““Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.” That’s true, to a point. But like all simplistic slogans, it works better as a rhetorical grenade than as a practical principle. Consider Cooper’s budget proposal for 2017-2018. It spends almost nothing on defense. So should we be concerned that, according to Biden’s rule, Cooper values defense with only 0.013 percent of his budget? Of course not. Defense is the primary responsibility of the federal government, not the states. North Carolinians contribute plenty to national defense, just not through state-level taxes. Biden’s pithy saw fails to account for the fact that one budget document does encompass all spending — even all government spending, much less spending by families, charities, churches, and businesses. Budgets are important documents. But for a government budget to tell you everything you need to know about what a society values necessarily means that you accept that 1) the government should be in charge of everything we value, and 2) more government spending on something means more value is attached to it. Liberals may think that way about budgets, but most Americans do not.

LETters The value of Clarence Page I am a recent subscriber, and your newspaper is under evaluation as a supplier of factual non-biased information, particularly that of political bent. You are to be complimented for appearing to be head-andshoulders above the larger North Carolina cities’ newspapers. In my opinion, the editorial pages are the “soul” of a newspaper and in general set the tone of the staff writers, reporters, guest columnist selected, etc., and readers’ letters to the editor. In that vein, please consider the column by Clarence Page in your Feb. 22 issue. My guess? This was an effort by the North State Journal to be “fair and balanced” and offering a mainstream media point of view. Page takes a quarter of a page to mock President Donald Trump’s success and his refusal to cower before the all-powerful media. What has Page achieved? He worked “freelance” while earning a degree in journalism. As a mainstream reporter I would call that unemployed. Hired by the Chicago Tribune, he was drafted into the army around 1970 and served his military obligation as an army journalist at Fort Lewis. Wow! Bet the army really needed those guys! And with Vietnam still pretty hot, too! Back to the Tribune and he has been there since. Yeah about 25 years ago he won a Pulitzer Prize for something. Makes me think of President Obama and Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize. And Page has appeared on MSNBC on Chris Matthews’ “Hardball.” Perhaps a more objective opinion of the value of Page’s thoughts can be made on Trump’s “slamming” the media. Thanks for your contribution to our state in your efforts to truly improve the quality of news reporting. Art Wilson Fuquay-Varina, N.C.

BE IN TOUCH Letters addressed to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or 819 W. Hargett St. Raleigh, N.C. 27603. Letters must be signed; include the writer’s phone number, city and state; and be no longer than 300 words. Letters may be edited for style, length or clarity when necessary. Ideas for op-eds should be sent to opinion@nsjonline.com.

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

Guest Opinion | Tim Kent

Michael Barone

Facts moving immigration in Trump’s direction he afternoon before President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress, Twitter T watchers were treated to a flurry of tweets that

Photo courtesy of Gavran

A handful of brewers seek special legislative treatment N.C. beer distributors provide full-time employment to 4,000 individuals, creating a $1.9 billion total economic impact in our state.

In a highly-competitive beer industry with more than 5,000 U.S. beer companies, a handful of N.C. brewers now want to stack the deck in their favor at the expense of everyone else. Their legislative initiative to radically increase self-distribution is unfair, anti-competitive and creates an unlevel playing field when it comes to interstate commerce. We already have the most permissive craft beer laws of any state from Virginia to Texas. Those laws were created in the last decade to encourage startup breweries a chance to have access to market. Among those is the privilege to self-distribute 25,000 barrels of beer, an amount equal to 8.26 million bottles. Why is it unfair to increase that number from 25,000 to 60,000, 100,000 or more? More than 90 percent of the N.C. craft brewers produce 7,000 barrels or less. They can already self-distribute. On the other end of the spectrum, every regional or national brewer in America already has a network of distributors. This is “self-interest” legislation being championed primarily by two Charlotte breweries. They were among the first brewers in Charlotte seven years ago. Today, there are 30 in the Charlotte area plus there is now increased competition from regional and national brands. The proponents of increased self-distribution now want to change the rules that helped make them successful while they squeeze out their competitors. Independent beer distributors provide a pathway to market for dozens of N.C. startup craft brewers under North Carolina’s three-tier distribution system of brewers, distributors and retailers. In sharp contrast to assertions made in a recent North State Journal opinion piece (“Mandated middlemen hurt local breweries,” Feb. 25), the current distribution system is a big success. Six years ago, we had 59 breweries in North Carolina. Today, that number is 179 with more on the way. Western N.C. is the East Coast home for three of the largest craft brewers in the U.S. Independent beer distributors have helped fuel the craft beer explosion. “The current open structure of the three-tier

distribution system has been a fundamental enabler of growth in the craft beer segment,” according to the Boston Consulting Group, a business research and analysis firm. Independent beer distributors invest millions of dollars in specialized warehousing, storage, handling and transportation — not to mention state-of-the-art, data-driven logistics, dispatch and order management to maximize efficiency and save costs — saving both brewers and consumers money. N.C. beer distributors provide full-time employment to 4,000 individuals in solid-paying jobs with benefits, creating a $1.9 billion total economic impact in our state. Independent distributors also have devoted years and years to building — and maintaining — relationships with retailers and establishments in their local communities. Those hard-won relationships mean distributors can introduce craft brewers’ products into a brutally competitive market with limited space on shelves and taps — not to mention offering support to new brands with cutting-edge marketing, promotion and public relations. Independent beer distributors and the three-tier system are the small brewers’ protection against giant producers, who would otherwise be in a position to strong-arm retailers not to sell other beers, or to select certain outlets for their products at the expense of others. The U.S. Department of Justice agrees, recently writing that, “[e]ffective distribution is important for a brewer to be competitive in the U.S. beer industry.” It’s easy to talk about being in favor of a “freemarket” but alcohol is different. It is a regulated and highly taxed substance which can cause great harm if not handled responsibly. The proponents of increased self-distribution are being highly selective when it comes to “freedom.” They like it most when it works to their advantage and excludes others. Tim Kent is executive director of the N.C. Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, a Raleigh-based trade organization representing 28 family-owned member companies and 5,600 employees.

Guest Opinion | Martin Pritikin

Options in NC law school crisis

An online law school enables all residents, regardless of their zip code, to get a legal education without leaving their communities.

The ongoing crisis at Charlotte School of Law (CSL) has put hundreds of students in a difficult position. Almost daily, there are conflicting reports that CSL will close, remain open, or engage in a “teachout” with another law school (perhaps Charlotte’s sister school, Florida Coastal, based in Jacksonville, Florida). There have even been calls for UNC-Charlotte to reconsider opening a law school, plans for which were previously shuttered due to construction costs. About one-third of the class at CSL has reportedly transferred out, which has undoubtedly caused significant disruption to their lives given that the state’s other six law schools are, door-to-door, between 85 and 165 miles from Charlotte. Few people realize that there is another option. In September, the North Carolina State Bar changed its rules for bar admission, so that an attorney licensed in another state may sit for the North Carolina bar exam immediately, regardless of whether they graduated from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). Enter online law schools. While a fully online law school is not currently eligible for accreditation by the ABA (which caps distance learning at about one-third of the curriculum), graduates of online law schools registered with the State Bar of California may sit for California’s bar exam. Since my own online institution, Concord Law School, graduated its first class in 2002, over 550 graduates have become California licensed attorneys. The bottom line: CSL students could complete their education at an online law school like Concord and take the North Carolina bar exam immediately after passing California’s exam — all without having to commute, let alone move cities. This is especially beneficial for law school students who are working and in careers, raising their families while pursuing a legal education. They are hard pressed to pick up stakes and move to a community that is closer to a brick-and-

mortar law school. This is important not just for current CSL students, but for access to affordable legal education — and thus affordable legal services — throughout the entire state. Consider the following. Two-thirds of North Carolina’s roughly 10 million residents live in one of its 94 of 100 counties that lacks a law school. And if CSL closes, all of the remaining law schools in North Carolina will be concentrated in the state’s northcentral region. Where law schools are located matters, as lawyers also tend to stay in the metropolitan areas where they went to law school. The six counties with law schools have one-third of the state’s population but twothirds of the state’s lawyers, and are among the state’s most affluent communities. Conversely, more remote counties, which North Carolina’s Department of Commerce has classified as “economically distressed,” have far fewer lawyers (on average by a factor of 6 to 1). Residents in these counties are hard pressed to either find attorneys or be able to afford them. An online law school enables all residents, regardless of their zip code, to get a legal education without leaving their communities. They will be more likely to remain in and serve those communities after graduation. And, because online law school tends to be far more affordable — program tuition for Concord’s J.D. program is under $47,750, as compared to an average resident tuition of $112,552 for the state’s ABA schools — they can graduate with less debt and afford to charge more reasonable rates. North Carolinians deserve to know about all their options, particularly those that benefit law students and simultaneously address barriers to access to justice. Martin Pritikin is the dean of Concord Law School at Kaplan University.

the president was going to endorse something very much like the “comprehensive” immigration bills that foundered in Congress in 2006, 2007, and 2013. That was wishful thinking by people discounting Trump’s constant promises and stuck in the mindset that spawned the “comprehensive” legislation, which in Trump’s view would have legalized the presence of undocumented immigrants immediately in return for promises, never to be fulfilled, of tough enforcement later. In the House chamber, Trump made that clear. He began not by calling for new legislation — the usual subject matter of such addresses — but by describing what he is doing and what is happening now. His unstated subtext: Facts on the ground have made the “comprehensive” model irrelevant. Those facts are being affected by the orders he has issued, orders requiring stricter enforcement of current laws that previous administrations didn’t choose to enforce. The Trump Department of Homeland Security widened considerably the number of criminal offenses for which undocumented immigrants can be deported. It abolished the Obama administration catch-and-release procedure. It ended the procedure of sending unaccompanied asylum-claiming teens to distant towns with summonses — seldom obeyed — to appear for hearings later. These changes are bound to have the practical effect of deterring illegal border crossings and altering the plans of people here illegally. Even those who have never had a brush with law enforcement may calculate that relatively innocent behavior — e.g., having someone crash into your car after you’ve had a couple of beers — could trigger a sudden deportation. The result is likely to be attrition of the undocumented population, or what Mitt Romney called self-deportation. That’s what apparently has happened in Arizona since the state began requiring E-Verify checks on job applicants in 2008. The Trump order specifically excluded

Trump’s changes are bound to have the practical effect of deterring illegal border crossings and altering the plans of people here illegally.

“dreamers” — people brought here illegally as children — from threat of deportation, effectively continuing Obama’s 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals exception. That’s widely popular; Americans don’t like punishing children for the sins of their parents. Trump has long said he’s not eager to deport dreamers, and perhaps he’ll offer them legal status or even citizenship in any immigration legislation. If so, it’ll be a bargaining chip for “comprehensive”-supporting Democrats who’ve sought legal status for almost all immigrants. In return, Trump would seek what he called for when he got around to talking about possible legislation in his speech: “switching away from this current system of lower-skilled immigration and instead adopting a merit-based system.” This was the 10th point in Trump’s 10-point plan in his Aug. 31 speech in Phoenix, delivered just after he met with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City. It’s the major feature of legislation recently introduced by Republican Sens. Tom Cotton and David Perdue. It’s based, as Trump noted Tuesday, on the point systems of the immigration laws of Canada and Australia. In those countries, immigrants have incomes and education levels that are above average, not below average as they are here. In seeking a shift to high-skilled immigration, Trump is moving with the grain. Net migration to the U.S. from Mexico, which the Pew Research Center says has produced the lowestskilled immigrants on average, fell to zero between 2007 and 2014 and has not bounced back to anywhere close to previous levels. Meanwhile, immigration from Asia has been increasing. China and India together have accounted for more immigrants than Mexico since at least 2012. Asian immigrants are not all high-skilled. But their education and skill levels are, on average, significantly higher than those from south of the border. So America is already moving toward an inflow of high-skilled immigrants, and requiring E-Verify for job applicants and establishing a visa-tracking system — which might require legislation but might be partly accomplished by regulation — would move us further toward a higher-skilled and legally sanctioned immigrant population. That’d be a positive result, whatever you think of Trump’s “great, great wall.” Michael Barone is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime coauthor of The Almanac of American Politics.

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

Nation & WORLD

JIM LO SCALZO | REUTERS

YURI GRAPAS | REUTERS

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is the latest target of Congressional Democrats as they question his public meetings with a Russian ambassador during the presidential campaign.

President Donald Trump and the entire chamber react toward Carryn Owens, widow of Navy SEAL Ryan Owens, as Trump delivers his first address to a joint session of Congress.

JASON LEE | REUTERS

A security personnel is seen at the opening session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Reports: Drone strike on al Qaeda in Yemen kills four

Judge approves release of Florida nightclub shooter’s widow

U.S. senators draft bill to boost employee private stock ownership

Seven Baltimore police officers arrested on racketeering charges

Yemen Four suspected al Qaeda members were killed in a drone strike on a building in southern Yemen on Thursday, residents and local officials said. The attack was in al-Saeed, an area of Shabwa province home to the al-Awaleq tribe, the extended clan of Anwar al-Awlaki, a militant cleric and U.S. citizen killed in 2011 by a U.S. drone strike.

Orlando A judge cleared the way on Wednesday for the widow of the gunman who killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., to be released from jail and also appeared to throw doubt on the strength of the government’s case against her. Noor Salman, 30, was arrested in California in January on federal charges she knew before the June 2016 shootings that her husband, Omar Mateen, was planning the attack and concocted a cover story for him.

Washington, D.C. A bipartisan pair of lawmakers on the U.S. Senate Banking Committee are planning to introduce a bill that aims to entice private corporations to give their employees larger equity stakes in their companies and promote longerterm investing. The draft bill, titled the “Encouraging Employee Ownership Act,” is being rolled out by Virginia Democrat Mark Warner and Pennsylvania Republican Pat Toomey and will be made public as soon as Thursday, according to a spokeswoman for Warner’s office.

Baltimore Seven Baltimore police officers were arrested on Wednesday on federal racketeering charges for robbing and extorting up to $200,000 from victims, along with stealing guns and drugs, prosecutors said. Many of the alleged shakedowns took place while the Baltimore Police Department was under intense media scrutiny and facing a U.S. Justice Department civil rights investigation for the 2015 police-involved death of a black man that plunged the largely AfricanAmerican city into turmoil.

Ex-CIA agent freed in Portugal, avoids extradition over kidnapping Former CIA agent Sabrina de Sousa with her lawyer Manuel Magalhaes e Silva leaving Judiciary Police headquarters in Lisbon, Portugal, on Wednesday.

Only minutes before she was to board a plane for extradition to Italy, de Sousa’s reprieve came through

By Andre Khalip and Jonathan Landay Reuters LISBON — A former CIA officer convicted of involvement in the 2003 kidnapping of an Egyptian cleric in Italy was released by authorities in Lisbon, Portugal, this week after winning a last-minute reprieve from extradition. Sabrina de Sousa, a dual U.S.-Portuguese citizen, was waiting at Lisbon airport to be flown to Italy early on Wednesday when word came that Italy’s president granted her a partial pardon. De Sousa told reporters that she had repeatedly requested assistance over the past several years from President Barack Obama but his administration refused to assert diplomatic immunity protection on her behalf — for which she qualified through her cover as a U.S. diplomat — and fight the Italian charges. At the same time, the Obama administration protected the senior agency officers who approved and oversaw the “ill-thought out” Abu Omar operation, de Sousa said. De Sousa praised the new Trump administration, thanking officials for doing “an excellent job” of negotiating her partial pardon with Italy. “Any government should fight tooth and nail on our behalf because once you start convicting diplomats, you will head down that road again,” she said. “The U.S. allowed this to go forward.” In a later telephone interview with Reuters, de Sousa said her Italian lawyer had applied for her to perform three years of community service in Italy as an alternative to jail. “I’m happy with how this worked out here after two years of having this troubling my mind,” a smiling de Sousa told reporters as she left the Judiciary Police headquarters. “But this is not over yet, as I still have the process in Italy, and we have to see how it goes.”

ZINKE from pageA1 Zinke said he wanted to change the structure of the department, which includes the National Parks Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to give more authority to rangers and land managers outside the District of Columbia. “The last time the Department of Interior has been reorganized was about 100 years ago, so the reorganization is going to be bold,” he said. On Thursday, Zinke issued an order overturning an Obama administration ban on the controversial use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle used on federal lands and waters, in a nod to hunters and fishermen on his first day

Pedro Nunes | reuters

She noted that she still spent 10 days in a Portuguese prison, the only current or former CIA officer to be jailed in connection with the agency’s now defunct rendition and interrogation program. She said she would remain dogged for life by her conviction of participating in an operation in which she insisted she played no role. “Even a pardon means I’m still guilty of something and I don’t think many people realize — unless you are in my shoes — how difficult it is to live life when you have to check off the boxes [on employment applications] that ask if you are a convicted felon,” she said. “I need the rest to go away so I can proceed with my life.” The partial pardon by Italian President Sergio Mattarella reduced her sentence to three years from four. That means she can apply for alternatives to a prison sentence. “We will now await the Italian court’s decision on alternative sanctions to prison, which is likely to be community service,” her lawyer,

on the job. President Barack Obama’s Fish and Wildlife Service had issued the lead ban on Jan. 19, one day before the inauguration of President Donald Trump, to protect birds and fish from lead poisoning. The move was met with sharp criticism from the National Rifle Association (NRA), which called it Obama’s “final assault on gun owners’ and sportsmen’s rights.” Zinke also signed an order on Thursday that would direct federal agencies to identify areas where recreation and fishing can be expanded and sought recommendations for expanding access to public lands and improving fishing and wildlife habitat. “This package of secretarial or-

Manuel Magalhaes e Silva, who accompanied de Sousa out of the police building, told Reuters. “The Milan prosecutor revoked the detention order. The Italian Interpol agents who are here to ex-

tradite her have been informed and the extradition is no longer happening,” he had explained earlier. After the Italian prosecutor’s decision, a court in Lisbon ordered that she be released. De Sousa is one of 26 people convicted in absentia over the abduction of Hassan Mustafa Osama Nasr, also known as Abu Omar, from a Milan street in 2003. He was taken to Egypt for questioning under the U.S. “extraordinary rendition” program put in place by the administration of then-President George W. Bush. De Sousa has maintained her innocence, saying she was not in Milan on the day of the abduction. She had been optimistic that the extradition would be halted after she asked the new U.S. administration for help, her lawyer said. The lawyer said de Sousa was likely to be allowed to serve three years of community service which, under European Union rules, she can do in Portugal. He said earlier that de Sousa wanted to clear her name and would

probably appeal at some point, but upon her release he said: “We will just wait for the community service authorization to come through now, and then see.” De Sousa, who left the CIA in 2009, was held in Portugal in October 2015 at the request of Italian prosecutors. Her passports were confiscated, but she was quickly released then. Several of her appeals against extradition failed last year. The CIA and the office of the Director of National Intelligence in the United States declined to comment. In the Reuters interview, de Sousa said she was grateful that she would be able to travel freely to visit family members around the world. But the partial pardon and the lifting of the extradition warrant came too late for her to pay a final visit to her aging mother, who lived in the Indian state of Goa, before she died on Dec. 4. Her case, de Sousa said, could hurt U.S. intelligence operations by discouraging young CIA officers from going under official U.S. cover.

ders will expand access for outdoor enthusiasts and also make sure the community’s voice is heard,” he said. Zinke, who was a first-term Montana Congressman and a former Navy SEAL, arrived for his first day at work at the Interior Department in Washington on a horse named Tonto escorted by mounted U.S. Park Police officers. Zinke, an avid angler and hunter, lifted the lead ammunition ban in one of two secretarial orders, which he said were meant to “expand access to public lands and increase hunting, fishing and recreation opportunities nationwide.” The NRA, as well as hunting and fishing groups including the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foun-

dation, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Ducks Unlimited and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, attended the signing of the orders. Zinke’s home state of Montana is one-third federal land. In his comments Friday he addressed career employees who face an uncertain future under Trump. Some worry that Trump’s platform would open the door to selling off public land and more mining and drilling. Others fear deep cuts to the agency’s budget. Zinke told staff he was “unhappy” about preliminary budget figures and would “fight” to secure more money. Zinke has advocated for mining and drilling on federal land. He told reporters after his speech

that he would review some executive actions from the waning days of the Obama administration that had placed more federal land off-limits to development. Those orders include limits to drilling in sensitive offshore areas like the Atlantic coast and Arctic, as well as a ban on new federal coal mining leases. “I think I am going to review everything that didn’t go through Congress,” Zinke said. However, he said the department would continue Obama’s effort to study whether coal leases had been properly valued to ensure taxpayers receive their fair value. “I think we all benefit from that rather than buying a junk bond,” he said.

“Even a pardon means I’m still guilty of something and I don’t think many people realize — unless you are in my shoes — how difficult it is to live life when you have to check off the boxes (on employment applications) that ask if you are a convicted felon. I need the rest to go away so I can proceed with my life.” — Sabrina de Sousa

SATURDAY, MARCH 4, 2017

Blue vs. blue North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams and Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski shake hands before a college basketball game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, Feb. 17, 2016. The Duke Blue Devils defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 74 - 73.

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

the Weekend Sideline report

SPORTS

NfL

Browns ‘strongly considering’ Trubisky at No. 1

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal HAPEL HILL — There was a palpable sense of deja vu on Monday as North Carolina’s team bus C pulled away from John Paul Jones Arena after suf-

The Cleveland Browns were terrible (again) last year, leaving them with the top overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Mitch Trubisky happens to be one of the most sought after quarterbacks in the draft process. According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland PlainDealer, league sources informed her the Browns are considering drafting the UNC product No. 1 overall. Read more about Trubisky and NFL Combine players from N.C. on B3. MLB

MLB announces rules changes for 2017 The intentional walk will look entirely different starting this season after a new set of rules changes were announced by the MLB this week. With pace of play in mind, the MLB did away with pitchers having to throw four straight pitches for an intentional walk and replaced it with a signal from the team’s manager to the home plate umpire. A 30-second clock for coach’s challenges and two-minute guideline for replay officials were two other rules on the list of additions for this season. WBB

NC State’s Moore wins ACC Coach of the Year After leading NC State women’s basketball to a 22-7 regular season and the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament, head coach Wes Moore was awarded with ACC Coach of the Year. The team celebrated with Moore before it was officially announced on Wednesday with a cake that read “Coach of the Year” at Reynolds Coliseum. A year after struggling to find their footing at Broughton, it was a fitting way to end the first regular season in the new Reynolds. CBB

Campbell’s Clemons scores 51 against Asheville Thursday was upset city in the Big South Tournament as No. 7 Campbell and No. 6 Radford ousted two top-three opponents. Campbell’s 81-79 victory over No. 2 Asheville was almost single-handedly won by sophomore Chris Clemons, who finished with a conferencerecord 51 points. Clemons joined former BYU guard Jimmer Fredette as the only player in the last 20 years to surpass 50 points in a conference tournament game.

Familiar motivation fuels Tar Heels in Duke rematch

bob donnan | usa today sports images

North Carolina forward Justin Jackson (44) shoots as Louisville forwards Anas Mahmoud (14) and Ray Spalding (13) defend in the second half. The Tar Heels defeated the Cardinals 74-63 at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill on Feb. 22, 2017.

Is this year’s ACC the best college basketball conference ever? The ACC stands a realistic chance of tying the old Big East’s record of 11 NCAA tournament bids set in 2011 By Brett Friedlander North State Journal orth Carolina had just beaten Pittsburgh by 20 N points on the road, a win that

combined with No. 1 Gonzaga’s loss later in the evening Saturday, prompting all the national talking heads to anoint the Tar Heels as the new favorite to win college basketball’s national title. Coach Roy Williams’ veteran team, they said, was the most experienced, balanced and explosive in all the land. So what did UNC do to solidify that claim? It went to Virginia two days later and managed only 43 points against an opponent that came into the game having lost four of its previous five — including a 24-point humiliation to the very

same Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. When asked to make sense of the surprising result and the dramatic turnaround, Williams offered up an an explanation that was as simple and accurate as an uncontested layup. “It’s the ACC,” he said. “This is a pretty doggone tough league.” On that, there is no debate. With less than a week remaining in the regular season, the ACC boasts nine teams in the top 50 of the RPI and 13 in the top 90, making it the highest-rated conference in the country. Its eight 20-win teams are three more than the league with the next highest total, the Big Ten. Barring a rash of upsets in the so-called one-bid conferences or a bad loss to a double-digit seed in the opening round of postseason play next week in Brooklyn, the ACC stands a realistic chance of tying the old Big East’s record of 11 NCAA tournament bids set in 2011. So where does that put it in hisSee ACC, page B3

fering a disheartening loss to Virginia. Exactly one year ago to the day, last Feb. 27, the Tar Heels were also beaten by the Cavaliers. That night, coach Roy Williams got up in front of his players on the ride to the airport and told them to put the result behind them quickly because they still controlled their own destiny in the race for the ACC’s regular season title. UNC responded by beating Syracuse and Duke to clinch the crown and begin a winning streak that took it all the way to the national championship game a month later. The Hall of Fame coach can only hope that history repeats itself again as his Tar Heels look to bounce back from this latest loss and start another long postseason run. “I was disappointed last year at Virginia, but I think I was more disappointed in the way we played this year,” Williams said of the 53-43 loss in which UNC was held to its lowest scoring output of the shot clock era. “There are some similarities. But we’ll have to wait another week or two or three or four or five or six to see what happens.” It’s a familiar journey that begins on Saturday with the traditional season-ending rivalry matchup with Duke. Just as they did a year ago, the Tar Heels (25-6, 13-4 ACC) can wrap up the outright league crown with a win against the Blue Devils. That in itself should be motivation enough to bring out the best in UNC, especially since it’s also Senior Night at the Smith Center and the Tar Heels will be looking to avenge their loss to Duke the first time the teams met three weeks ago. But just in case, leading scorer Justin Jackson said that the egg he and his teammates laid in Charlottesville was an eye-opening reminder of the dangers associated with taking success for granted. “They just played harder and had more intensity,” Jackson said of the Cavaliers. “We realize that we had to come out and play each game as hard as we possibly could. I think last game kind of did that. I know it did for myself. I think it did for pretty much everybody on the team. We can use it as the same motivation as we did last year.” While UNC might have taken Virginia lightly after

“They just played harder and had more intensity. We realize that we had to come out and play each game as hard as we possibly could. I think last game kind of did that. I know it did for myself. I think it did for pretty much everybody on the team.” — UNC forward Justin Jackson

See UNC Vs. Duke, page B8

Inside

Greg M. Cooper | usa today sports images

The ACC Tournament tips off this Tuesday in Brooklyn with two in-state teams playing on the opening day. All three sportswriters for the North State Journal made their selections for different categories, including breakout player (Ky Bowman, above), Tuesday team will wreak havoc and which team will win it all. Page 4

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

B2 SATURDAY

03.04.17 Trending

Jerricho Cotchery: Former NC State, Carolina Panthers receiver hired by Panthers as an assistant wide receivers coach for upcoming season. Cotchery, who still stands as the top player in NC State history for career receptions (200) and eighth all-time for the New York Jets (358), is a firstyear coach. Game of Thrones: MLB joined forces with the HBO show to reach younger audiences. Nineteen different clubs, including the Red Sox, Dodgers, Royals, Cardinals and Nationals are involved in the promotional plans. If this includes Jon Snow or Khaleesi throwing out a first pitch, we’re totally in. Fernando Torres: Atletico Madrid striker in “stable, conscious and lucid” condition after suffering a scary head injury during an aerial challenge against Deportivo. Torres issued a statement on the injury, telling fans “I hope to come back very soon.” Nick Mangold: Former Jets offensive lineman found out he was cut from New York’s roster Thursday. The lineman tweeted a meme from Disney World that read, “The moment it sinks in that you were cut while in Disney World.” At least he still has his sense of humor. Minnesota Vikings: NFL franchise wins coin flip over Indianapolis Colts for 14th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. However, that pick goes to the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving the Vikes the 47th overall pick as their first selection. T.J. Logan: Former UNC running back made himself some money on Friday afternoon with a 4.37 40-yard dash. Logan’s time was the fastest for a running back at the combine, a position which typically tops the chart.

beyond the box score POTENT QUOTABLES

NBA

Kevin Durant suffered what appeared to be a potentially crippling injury for the Warriors against the Wizards. The former NBA MVP got somewhat positive news that he was diagnosed with a Grade 2 MCL sprain and tibial bone bruise and is out indefinitely. It’s all on the Splash Brothers’ shoulders for a while.

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

“I can give you a hundred things, cause there’s not one thing that I thought we did well.” Roy Williams on North Carolina's performance in 53-43 loss at Virginia

Steve Mitchell | Usa Today Sports images

NHL

NBA

Jasen Vinlove | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

“Had I known that all I had to do was retire, I would have retired 17 years ago if I knew that’s what it took to win the race.” Stewart-Haas Racing owner Tony Stewart on Kurt Busch’s Daytona 500 victory

Eric Bolte | Usatoday sports images

Greg M. Cooper | Usa today sports images

Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban moved to tears during video tribute prior to game against Montreal Canadiens. Subban was drafted by the Canadiens in 2007 and played in 434 total games with the franchise.

The trade deadline was mostly quiet in the NBA, but the rich got richer when Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut signed with the Cavaliers. Bogut was a member of the Warriors from 2012-16, contributing in the 2015 NBA Finals in which Golden State toppled Cleveland.

NFl

20 Number of Pro Bowls won by three players cut by Jets in the last week. Cornerback Darrelle Revis and o-lineman Nick Mangold have won seven apiece while wideout Brandon Marshall has six. Placekicker Nick Folk, who ranks second on the team in career points (729) and made the 2007 Pro Bowl, was also released from the team in late February.

NCAA WRESTLING

Two NC State wrestlers enter the ACC Wrestling Tournament with No. 1 seeds as Kevin Jack (141) and Michael Macchiavello (184) look to claim a second straight title for the Wolfpack. Jack is the defending ACC Champion in his weight class, has won 27 straight matches and is ranked No. 2 in the country. NC State, the defending ACC champions, will host the event on Saturday at the restored Reynolds Coliseum.

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North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

Christine t. Nguyen | North State Journal

East Carolina wide receiver Zay Jones (7) scores a touchdown in front of Western Carolina defensive back Tra Hardy (17) on Sept. 3, 2016, at Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium in Greenville.

Eamon Queeney | North State Journal

North Carolina wide receiver Ryan Switzer (3) leaps for a catch in the fourth quarter of the college football game against Pittsburgh at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill on Sept. 24, 2016.

Christine t. Nguyen | North State Journal

North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky (10) looks to pass during the college rivalry game against N.C. State at Kenan Stadium on Nov. 25, 2016.

Eamon Queeney | North State Journal

NC State running back Matthew Dayes (21) tries to fight off Wake Forest defensive lineman Willie Yarbary (48) as he runs the ball in the first quarter of the college football game at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on Oct. 1, 2016.

Multiple NC players making impact at NFL Combine By NSJ Staff North Carolina The Combine had the look and feel of a Tar Heels’ Pro Day, with seven of coach Larry Fedora’s players on hand to show off their physical skills. Six of those those UNC alums are from an offense that rolled up school record numbers of the past two seasons. Of the group, quarterback Mitch Trubisky will undoubtedly garner the most attention as NFL coaches, scouts and general managers in attendance get their first up-close-and-personal look at a player who is still something of a mystery because of his limited time as a starter. Trubisky is a virtual lock to be a first-round selection, but a strong performance in Indianapolis could make him the first quarterback taken. Ryan Switzer’s stock is also on the rise after a productive week of practice at the Senior Bowl last month, but he’ll still have to answer questions about his size and show the scouts that he’s quicker and more athletic than perceived. While Switzer is already something of a known quantity, his two fellow UNC wide receivers at the combine — Bug Howard and Mack Hollins — have a chance to open some eyes with strong performances. They were joined at the “underwear Olympics” by running backs Elijah Hood and T.J. Logan. Although Hood is the more highly

ACC from page B1 toric perspective? “I think this year it will go down as the best league in one single year in the history of college basketball,” Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams said. And he’s not alone in that thinking. Given the quality of depth in the league, especially in the middle and near the bottom of the standings, every game has the potential to be a struggle for survival. Louisville’s Rick Pitino, one of several current ACC coaches whose team was a member of the Big East in that record-setting 2011 season, said that the two leagues are comparable in their overall strength. But unlike that Big East, which had bottom-feeders DePaul, South Florida, Providence and Rutgers against whom teams could take a deep breath and get an easy win, there are few if any

regarded of the two, Logan could be the most intriguing former Tar Heel in Indy this week because of his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and run back kicks. NFL.com describes Logan as a “sleek athlete with excellent short area burst and the finishing speed to hit home runs in all three phases if the opportunity is right. While he lacks size to handle the heavy lifting as a running back, his play speed should not be discounted.” The only UNC defender at the Combine is Nazair Jones, a physical tackle projected to be a good fit as a run defender in a 3-4 scheme.

inside the top 10 at the position. After recording three interceptions and 109 tackles in 2016, Jones is a well-groomed player with plenty of upside heading into Indy. Jack Tocho brings up the rear for the Pack prospects with a seventh-round grade prior to the combine. He was exposed at times during his senior season, but went against the top wide receivers for nearly every ACC team. Heading into the combine last year, both Joe Thuney and Jacoby Brissett were slotted as seventh-round to free agent status. They just won a Super Bowl as third-rounders for the Patriots.

NC State

Linebacker Marquel Lee was the Deacons’ only representative at the Combine, but his invitation to the event validates a standout college career that flew well below the radar in the ACC because of his team’s lack of success. According to his breakdown on NFL.com, Lee scores high physically thanks to a 6-foot-3, 240-pound frame and long arms. He’s also praised for his leadership skills, disciplined approach and ability to deliver a hit. But in order to improve his NFL stock, he must still show the scouts that they’re wrong about his perceived lack of quickness as well as his pass coverage skills.

The Wolfpack sent a trio of impact players from last season to Indianapolis for the NFL Combine. Two were senior captains last year while Josh Jones departed early after a standout junior campaign in Raleigh. While two players are on the defensive side of the ball, the best overall prospect might actually be Matt Dayes. The running back was slotted as a fifth-round pick by CBS Sports, but had plenty of room to move up with a strong performance despite injury concerns from his junior season. Jones may be the youngest player entering from NC State, but he’s currently slotted as a fourth-round pick by CBS Sports. Currently the fifth overall free safety, Jones is the tallest player

soft touches in this year’s ACC. Thirteenth-place NC State has a win against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Fourteenth place Pittsburgh beat Florida State by 14 points and Georgia Tech upset a UNC team that is already assured of at least a share of the regular season league title. Even cellar-dwelling Boston College, which has won only two conference games all year, has a victory against Syracuse — a team that is all but assured of an NCAA tournament bid. “I think this is the most unique year of my 37 in the league as far as any team being able to beat the other,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “Over the years, coaches say that because they don’t want to mention anything bad about anybody. But this year everybody means it. Literally any team can beat another team in our conference, and I’ve never seen that. “It’s absolutely incredible. This is the most balanced the league

Wake Forest

ECU Zay Jones went to the Senior Bowl last month with an

has ever been from top to bottom.” While that might be the case, proclaiming this year’s ACC as the best conference in college basketball history is difficult because there’s so many more teams squeezed in between that top and bottom now than there used to be in what is considered the league’s golden era. That came between 1986 and 1991, a six-year span that saw the conference send six of its eight teams to the NCAA tournament four times while producing some of the greatest names ever to play the game. It’s a list that includes the likes of Len Bias, Johnny Dawkins, Mark Price, Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace, Rodney Monroe and Chris Corchiani. Most of those players stayed in school for three, and in some cases, four years, making the ACC a much more veteran league than it is today. But even with less experience and more quantity, Williams said that there’s still plenty

ambitious goal in mind. “To remove all doubt,” he said upon his arrival in Alabama. “A lot of people were talking about how my numbers were inflated, how I didn’t have many yards per catch and how I was just a product of the ECU system, but I feel like I’m overcoming that and showing that I can compete at a high level.” Jones did everything he could to win over his doubters during the week at practice and in the game itself, leading both teams with six catches for 68 yards and a touchdown. But even then, the single-season and career FBS leader in receptions still finds himself in the position of having to prove himself worthy of a high draft pick. For whatever physical shortcomings he might have — specifically, average speed and strength — Jones is a character youngster who catches everything thrown his way. The problem is those are traits that can’t be measured accurately by a stopwatch.

most effective defensive linemen in the country in Charlotte. He headed to Indy as one of the oldest players at the position following his redshirt senior season with a chance to put the 49ers on the map in NFL circles. Currently slotted as the No. 8 DT and 78th prospect overall according to CBS Sports, he’s viewed as a second to third-round pick. Despite being surrounded by Power Five players, Ogunjobi looked to prove his athleticism for scouts. NC A&T

Coming off a season of growth for the 49ers, one player who helped them realize those strides as a team was Larry Ogunjobi. An original member of the first Charlotte football team in 2013, the Greensboro native earned First-Team All-Conference USA as a senior. The 6-foot-2, 304-pound nose tackle has grown into one of the

Despite all of his accomplishments at North Carolina A&T, none of that matters when it comes to the NFL Draft process for Tarik Cohen. The record-breaking running back for the Aggies is simply seen as an unknown at this point in the process for NFL scouts. Slotted as a seventh-round to free agent prospect by CBS Sports, very little is known about what Cohen can actually bring to a team. He’s put up massive stats, but did so against MEAC competition and was bottled up by Tulsa early on last season. Undersized at 5-foot-6, 178 pounds, Cohen looked to prove he has the speed and the strength to keep up at the next level. Just outside the top 25 running backs heading into the combine, the NC A&T standout needs just one team to see his talent and potential as a change-of-pace back in the NFL.

of quality to go around. “The depth of the league (in the old days) may not have been quite as good as it is right now,” he said. “That’s the biggest difference from seven teams to 15 teams. Of those 15 teams, 10 or 11 of them think they’re going to play in the NCAA tournament and should play in the NCAA tournament, because that’s the quality of the league. “In the old days, we only played 12 league games, so it has changed drastically. The number of really good teams and the number of really good players far surpasses anything we’ve ever had.” But how do you measure the strength of the two eras when the circumstances are so different? If you go by percentage, ACC would fall short even if bubble teams Wake Forest and Georgia Tech both sneak into the field of 68. Eleven out of 15 teams is “only” 73.3 percent. As far as ESPN analyst Jay Bilas is concerned, the most accurate

measuring stick isn’t how many teams a conference gets into the tournament, but rather how those teams do once they get there. In that case, the standard this year’s ACC is chasing isn’t the 2011 Big East — which got only one other team besides eventual national champion UConn past the Sweet 16. It’s the 1985 version of that league, which produced three Final Four teams, including both that played for the title. “Being a great league is confirmed by how you do in the [NCAA] Tournament,” said Bilas, whose perspective is unique, having played on a Final Four team himself, at Duke in 1986. “It will be hard for the ACC to match what it did last year in the tournament when it put six in the Sweet 16, four in the Elite Eight and two in the Final Four. “I don’t know where all this ‘best conference ever’ got started. It’s certainly not the kind of league we saw in the ‘80s and ‘90s.”

Charlotte

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

ACC Tournament

Tuesday team I don’t want to see

Sleeper team to make a run

North State Journal picks

Brett Friedlander

Shawn Krest

UNC beat writer

R. Cory Smith

Duke beat writer

NC State beat writer

Eamon Queeney | North State Journal

NC State guard Markell Johnson (11) passes the ball as he collides with Wake Forest guard Brandon Childress (0) in the first half of the college basketball game at PNC Arena in Raleigh, Jan. 21, 2017.

Brett: Wake Forest

Shawn: Pitt

Cory: Wake Forest

Coach Danny Manning’s team might have a pedestrian record overall, but the Demon Deacons certainly pass the eye test. They gave Duke everything it could handle twice and made UNC work to the bitter end before putting them away. With perhaps the ACC’s best player in big man John Collins and an emerging perimeter scoring threat in Bryant Crawford, Wake Forest has the firepower to beat anyone in the league and get on a roll if it gains a little confidence with a win over a lower-seeded opponent Tuesday.

It’s hard to understand how the Panthers lost a dozen ACC games this season. Pitt has the ACC’s leading scorer in Michael Young and Jamal Artis is in the top four. The team also has two of the better rebounders in the league, in Young and Shelden Jeter. Every contributor on the floor is capable of knocking down an outside shot, and two Panthers — Cameron Johnson and Artis — have hit more than 40 percent of their threes this year. Pitt showed just how good it can be when everything clicks in a near loss to UNC at the Dean Dome.

I tried to stay away from repeating Brett's answer here, but have little to no trust in the remaining teams to pick from. The Deacs have struggled against some of the top teams in the conference — going 0-7 against Top 25 teams — but have found a winning formula: Feed John Collins. The ACC Player of the Year candidate is averaging a double-double along with 20 points per game since the win in Raleigh. Add Bryant Crawford at the point and Keyshawn Woods at the two and Wake has a threeheaded monster in Brooklyn.

Eamon Queeney | North State Journal

Virginia guard Ty Jerome (11) grabs a defensive rebound against NC State forward Abdul-Malik Abu (0) in the first half of the college basketball game at PNC Arena in Raleigh, Feb. 25, 2017.

Christine T. Nguyen | North State Journal

The North Carolina Tar Heels huddle before the first half of the NCAA college basketball game at the Smith Center on Jan. 26, 2017. Christine T. Nguyen | North State Journal

Who will win?

Duke guard Grayson Allen (3) is fouled by Pittsburgh forward Michael Young (2) during the second half of the college basketball game on Feb. 4, 2017 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham.

Shawn: Notre Dame

Cory: Notre Dame

Despite coming into the season as the top team in the country, Duke has been underwhelming at times this season. The Blue Devils have plenty of talent and have shown on occasion that they have the potential to to fulfill the high expectations they brought into the season. But they’ve also been wildly inconsistent, especially on offense, and their talented pieces don’t always seem to fit together.

The Irish are the anti-Pitt. It’s hard to understand how Notre Dame managed to get a doublebye in the tournament. One reason is that the Irish beat up on the bottom of the league. Notre Dame went 6-1 against the teams that will play on Tuesday in Brooklyn. Unfortunately, all of those teams will likely be gone by the time Mike Brey’s squad takes the floor.

The Irish finished the year strong, but it’s a four-game losing streak midway through the conference that creates room for concern. Those losses included convincing wins for Virginia and Duke, two teams that have struggled on their own right this year. Notre Dame is also 2-6 against AP Top 25 teams this year, which ranks the worst among top-nine seeds in the tourney. The Irish don’t have the resume for a run.

Shawn: Virginia

Cory: Virginia Tech

The Orange has a history of making unexpected runs in the postseason — both when it was in the Big East and more recently, last season when it came out of nowhere to get to the Final Four after barely sneaking into the NCAA Tournament field. Coach Jim Boeheim’s team is a tough squad to contain because of its matchup zone and the insideoutside versatility of sophomore Tyler Lydon.

Inexplicably, the Cavaliers are mired in the bottom half of the league standings. A late-season offensive slump dropped UVA out of contention, but March is a time for new beginnings. If Virginia gets hot, the Cavs will be a very tough out. The old cliché is that defense never has an off night. Neither does pace, and Tony Bennett’s squad has the most challenging pace and D of any team in the field.

Buzz Williams has quickly built the Hokies from a program that had four straight losing seasons to two consecutive 20-win campaigns. Only this time around, Virginia Tech has the fifth-best offense in the ACC heading into the Tournament with 79.2 points per game. The Hokies might not have the star power or even a FirstTeam All-ACC player, but a strong close to the season gives them confidence heading into Brooklyn.

Unexpected breakout player

High seed most likely to exit

Brett: Duke

Brett: Syracuse

Brett: North Carolina Even in a conference that’s as deep and competitive as the ACC has been this season, the Tar Heels still found a way to separate themselves from the crowd. There’s a reason for that. Besides being the most experienced team in the league, they’re also the most complete with an inside game that leads the nation in rebound margin and two legitimate perimeter threats in Justin Jackson and Joel Berry. UNC is motivated to get back to the national championship game

to make amends for last year’s disappointment and this is the first step in that journey. Shawn: Florida State The Seminoles have been up and down all season, but Leonard Hamilton has the deepest team in the league, which should help at tournament time. The Noles play a dozen players regularly, making it easy to withstand foul trouble or an off shooting night by a key player — two potentially fatal problems at tournament time. The

Noles are big, athletic and capable of playing strong defense. Dwayne Bacon and Jonathan Isaac can take over a game, and Xavier RathanMayes did exactly that in his first ACC Tourney game, scoring 30 as a freshman. Cory: Louisville The Cardinals may have recently lost to the Tar Heels, but have looked like the most complete team in recent weeks. Early losses to Virginia and Notre Dame hurt Louisville’s chances of entering as

Melina Vastola | usa today sports images

Boston College Eagles Ky Bowman (0) shoots against Florida State Seminoles center Christ Koumadje (21) during the second half of the game at the Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee on Feb. 20, 2017.

Brett: Seth Allen, Virginia Tech a No. 1 seed, but the UVA loss was the only one that came at home in conference play. Since that point, Donovan Mitchell has proved to be one of the most well-rounded players in the ACC. With 16.1 points per game on 42.8 percent shooting along with an ACC-leading 2.1 steals per game, Mitchell is a nobrainer for First-Team All-ACC honors. Couple that with Quentin Snider’s sharp shooting from behind the arc and plenty of size inside and the Cards have all the makings of a run at the title.

Allen’s stats are down this season, but that’s not because his play has slipped. Rather, it’s because the rest of his team is better. His shooting percentage is actually 150 points higher than it’s been in any of his three previous seasons. He’s a fifth-year senior who played in the ACC tournament with Maryland before transferring to Tech. Allen and his team have flown under the radar this season in Blacksburg. Both have the potential to make a major splash under the bright lights in New York.

Shawn: Ky Bowman, Boston College From Olivier Hanlan to Xavier Rathan-Mayes to Maverick Rowan, the ACC Tournament’s first day has become known for turning into the coming-out party for freshmen. Bowman has the explosive scoring ability to become that player this year. Bowman topped 30 points three times and scored 29 once. Those outbursts include a 7-for-8 shooting on three-pointers against Syracuse and 7-for-9 against UNC. Bowman scored 69 points in three games heading into the final week of the season, so he’s getting hot at just the right time.

Cory: John Gillon, Syracuse John Gillon may be one of the streakiest shooters in the ACC — nay, the country — but when he’s on, it can be dangerous for the Orange’s opponent. The senior transfer torched NC State for a PNC Arena-record nine 3-pointers and 43 points then followed it up with six points against UVA. With five games of 20 or more points and three double-doubles in ACC play, Gillon is a pick to click for a Syracuse that knows all about making late runs in March just four hours away from the Carrier Dome.

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

B6 Preseason MLB Power Rankings

It’s the Cubs and everyone else The Chicago Cubs are the substantial favorites to repeat as World Series champions

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

By Larry Fleisher The Sports XChange

Duke and North Carolina close out the regular season with round two of their annual rivalry series. Duke won the first game, 86-78 in Cameron. North Carolina will be looking to win sole possession of first place in the ACC and send its seniors out with a win in their final home game. Here are five things to know about the guys in darker blue.

or the first time since 1909, the Chicago Cubs are defending World Series champions. Just let the statement sink in. If you are a Cubs fan who spent any amount of time waiting for the championship trophy, savior it and get ready to experience life rooting for the team to beat. We are a little more than three months removed since the epic night in Cleveland that featured all sorts of dramatic twists and turns. Now as the Cubs head toward Arizona for the start of spring training, there is little reason to believe it will be another 108 years between titles. This is not to guarantee a title, and Cub fans should be warned repeating is tough. Nobody has done it since the New York Yankees from 1998 to 2000, and a repeat champion only occurred five times since divisional play was instituted in 1969. Even recent teams with multiple championships find it hard to repeat. The San Francisco Giants won titles in 2010, 2012 and 2104 but missed the playoffs in each season following a title. The Boston Red Sox won titles in 2004, 2007 and 2013. The only time they were close to repeating was reaching Game 7 of the 2008 American League Championship Series. Still, even with the numerous challenges of reaching the postseason and winning the required 11 games, the Cubs almost certainly will be in contention for the title again. Now the question is who joins them and who derails them. The Red Sox and Cleveland Indians appear to be the standouts in the AL, especially with the additions of Chris Sale and Edwin Encarnacion, respectively. In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers re-signed three key contributors, Justin Turner, Rich Hill and Kenley Jansen, after getting to the NL Championship Series. Other teams who could have a say in Chicago’s repeat attempt might be the Washington Nationals and New York Mets. Regardless for Cub fans, it is a nice feeling to know your team is the hunted and not the one doing the hoping and chasing.

Power Rankings No. 1 Chicago Cubs The frontline starting pitching remains, and Wade Davis is a suitable replacement for the departed Aroldis Chapman. And did we mention Anthony Rizzo is 27 and Kris Bryant just turned 25. Also, remember the Cubs won the title with Kyle Schwarber getting hurt in the first week and Jason Heyward struggling. No. 2 Boston Red Sox David Ortiz is happily retired, but a young core returns in Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr., who proved worth the patience. Chris Sale’s presence should help, especially taking the pressure off David Price, though perhaps it says something about Price that the Red Sox needed to add Sale. No. 3 Cleveland Indians Edwin Encarnacion didn’t hit much in the ALCS against the Indians, but now he does not have to face their pitching staff. Encarnacion is an effective replacement for Mike Napoli on a reasonable contract, the starting pitchers should get even better, and a full year of Andrew Miller enhances an already strong bullpen. No. 4 Los Angeles Dodgers The Dodgers were good even with Clayton Kershaw on the disabled list last year. Imagine how good they would be if he stays healthy. Plus they re-signed free agents they absolutely had to in closer Kenley Jansen, third baseman Justin Turner and lefthander Rich Hill. A fifth straight NL West title seems likely. No. 5 Washington Nationals One of these days, they will get past the Division Series, and if they did, it would provide the nation’s capital a nice diversion from politics. The Nationals cer-

5 things to know before DukeCarolina

1. Grayson’s Anatomy

Rick Scuteri | usa today sports images

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta (49) holds a meeting on the field during spring training camp at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona on Feb. 17, 2017.

tainly have the talent, especially if Bryce Harper’s numbers are better than .243, 24 and 86. The addition of Adam Eaton should help; at least Washington fans hope so considering the prospects surrendered to acquire him. No. 6 Texas Rangers The Rangers won the past two AL West titles and last year pulled it off despite one of the league’s worst ERAs. A combination of good fortune and productivity helped, and the Rangers will need it again, especially if Houston is as good as projected. No. 7 Houston Astros The young core of Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and George Springer has some help with the additions of vets Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran. Getting runs won’t be the issue, and if Dallas Keuchel is the 2015 version and the rest of the pitchers fall in line, preventing runs won’t be a problem either. No. 8 San Francisco Giants Maybe the Giants will finally be good in an odd-numbered year. At least they now have a closer, Mark Melancon, after the need for one was so glaring last season. This is a team predicated on pitching with just enough offense, and the combination seems to be present again. No. 9 St. Louis Cardinals If you are looking for a safe bet to be playoff contenders, pick the Cardinals. They are working on nine straight seasons with 86 wins and 12 playoff trips in the past 17. Of course, they might not have enough to keep pace with the Cubs. No. 10 New York Mets Health always is a big concern. Day-to-day often becomes a major injury. This is a team that reached the NL wild-card game with a patchwork rotation, but at the moment, Steven Matz, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Zach Wheeler are fully healthy. So are the position players who missed significant time last year. The Mets did little in the offseason, but retaining Yoenis Cespedes helps. No. 11 Toronto Blue Jays Losing Edwin Encarnacion hurts, but Toronto had the league’s top rotation, and it returns intact. Jose Bautista also is back in another contract year to help Josh Donaldson with the offense. Kendrys Morales will not be not as powerful as Encarnacion but somewhat cushions the blow. No. 12 Seattle Mariners Is this the year Jerry DiPoto’s aggressiveness pays off? He made numerous trades again this offseason to improve an 86-win team, and if those moves succeed, the Mariners could be playoff-bound for the first time since 2001. Runs won’t be an issue with Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz. A typical year from Felix Hernandez should keep Seattle in the mix. No. 13 Pittsburgh Pirates Every year, there is one team that is projected to be good yet fails. Last year, it was the Pirates thanks to a down year by Andrew McCutcheon and injuries to Gerrit Cole. Assuming both are back to normal and not

traded, the Pirates should be in contention, especially if Ivan Nova’s strong two months become a solid six months. No. 14 New York Yankees The rebuild is on, and the era of big spending is over for the time being. It is a sentence many Yankee fans are embracing. Gary Sanchez wowed observers last year in his two-month homer binge. The rotation is suspect with the questions of health and consistency (Michael Pineda, we’re looking in your direction). No. 15 Detroit Tigers The Tigers publicly talked about cutting payroll, but the plan has yet to be fully implemented. It will be interesting to see if the plan accelerates following the death of longtime owner Mike Ilitch. The Tigers still possess Miguel Cabrera’s bat and Justin Verlander’s arm, which makes things compelling. No. 16 Baltimore Orioles The Orioles would like to be in position to use their closer on the road in a playoff game. If they get the chance again, it will be based on how a powerful lineup of Adam Jones, Mark Trumbo and Manny Machado performs and whether they get production a suspect rotation beyond Chris Tillman. No. 17 Colorado Rockies The Rockies are an intriguing group, especially in the outfield and Ian Desmond at first base. As usual, it is about the pitching, but a young rotation seems to be giving cause for optimism, which should put the Rockies right behind the Giants and Dodgers. No. 18 Atlanta Braves You might not have noticed, but the Braves played well in the final month as their youngsters began showing they were ready. Atlanta also added some veteran experience in the rotation with Bartolo Colon and R.A. Dickey as well as veteran second baseman Brandon Phillips. No. 19 Kansas City Royals The core that helped Kansas City to the World Series title in 2015 is intact, but fiscal reality of pending free agency is starting to creep in. It was evident when the Royals traded closer Wade Davis to the Cubs, but Kelvin Herrera is capable. The Royals, who were 13 1/2 games out of first place last year, need better production and luck. No. 20 Tampa Bay Rays It is three straight losing seasons for the Rays, and another seems likely. While Evan Longoria remains productive, the rest of the lineup is questionable even with the additions of Colby Rasmus and Wilson Ramos. The Rays have a knack of developing young pitchers, and the next one up is Blake Snell. No. 21 Miami Marlins The Marlins added some decent names to their bullpen mix, but the rotation is suspect, especially since the Sept. 24 death of Jose Fernandez in a boating accident. The outfield of Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna and Giancarlo Stanton remains among the best defensively and offensively, but it might not be not enough for Miami to match last year’s 79-win total.

No. 22 Philadelphia Phillies The mini-dynasty of 20072011 is officially a thing of the past with all links to it elsewhere or retired. Instead, the Phillies are hoping their young players continue developing and the veterans are productive enough to get another young player at the trade deadline. No. 23 Chicago White Sox The White Sox were stuck in the holding pattern of rebuilding or going for it in recent years. This year, the trades of Chris Sale and Adam Eaton officially signal a rebuild. Jose Abreu remains a nice piece and Todd Frazier’s power figures to be coveted at the trade deadline. No. 24 Los Angeles Angels The Angels have MVP Mike Trout and an aging Albert Pujols but little else. The defense will be improved, and if the pitching holds up, perhaps .500 is possible. Still, it does not look promising for the Angels this season, especially if health is as big an issue as it was last season. No. 25 Milwaukee Brewers Year One of full-scale rebuilding resulted in 73 wins, and the young group is somewhat interesting. The Brewers will miss Chris Carter’s 41 home runs but maybe not so much if Eric Thames hits as he did in Korea and if Ryan Braun remains productive. The Brewers are not ready to contend, but they are slowly progressing. No. 26 Cincinnati Reds The Reds have not quite mastered the rebuild yet, and the gradual movement of veterans likely will continue at various points. At times the Reds were a disaster on the field with many shortcomings. While they might improve at the plate, the arms are lacking. No. 27 Arizona Diamondbacks Losing A.J. Pollack for most of the season set an ominous tone last year. The underwhelming showing by Zack Greinke and Shelby Miller did not help. There are some pieces with Paul Goldschmidt, David Peralta, Jake Lamb and Yasmany Tomas, but hardly enough to be serious contenders. No. 28 Minnesota Twins The 83 wins in 2015 proved fluky as the Twins lost 109 times last year. The Twins possess some nice pieces in Brian Dozier (if he is not traded), Miguel Sano and maybe finally Byron Buxton, but as with many bad teams, pitching is a significant issue. No. 29 Oakland Athletics Only two years ago, Oakland was coming off three straight playoff appearances. Then Billy Beane traded Josh Donaldson, and the rebuild was on. So far it hasn’t worked, and if Sonny Gray is not healthy, it will stunt the process even more since he figures to be coveted by contenders at the deadline. No. 30 San Diego Padres The Padres remain in oblivion despite their significant roster changes since the end of the 2014 season. San Diego did little in the offseason, and the team will continue footing the bill for shedding so many prospects early in general manager A.J. Preller’s tenure.

With 16 points, Allen will become the 50th Blue Devils player to score 100 points against the Tar Heels. The junior has had huge games in his last three outings against the Tar Heels, including 25 points in February. Since then, Allen has fallen on hard times. Battling a sprained ankle, Allen has missed one game and hobbled through the others. He’s scored just 34 points in the five games since. He hit 9-of-15 field goals against Carolina. Since then, he’s 10-for-42. In fact, the Carolina game was the only one in the last 11 in which Allen has hit more than half his shots. After lighting up the Heels with 7-of-12 3-pointers, Allen is 7-of-28 since. There’s a chance Allen won’t play against Carolina, as Coach K tries to give him rest before tournament play starts. If he does, look for him to continue torturing the Tar Heels. 2. Frankie goes Hollywood Freshman point guard Frank Jackson scored 11 points against the Tar Heels in the first game between the two schools. That was his only time scoring in double digits in a seven-game span and the most Jackson had scored since the third game of the ACC season. Jackson seems to have gotten past the freshman wall and found his second wind at the end of the season. He’s scored in double figures in three of his last four games, including a career-high 22 against Florida State in the last game. The freshman’s development gives Duke yet another scoring option from the perimeter, an area where the Tar Heels have struggled on defense this season. 3. Plenty to play for While Carolina has wrapped up the top seed in the ACC Tournament, Duke still has plenty of room for movement. The Blue Devils are part of a three-team logjam in third place, and a total of seven teams could swap places based on Saturday’s results. Taking tiebreaker scenarios into account, Duke could end up seeded anywhere from third to seventh, depending on what happens in Chapel Hill. 4. Familiarity breeds TV ratings UNC coach Roy Williams has complained about how close together the ACC scheduled the two Duke-Carolina games this year, saying he can barely get a workout in between the two games. This year isn’t appreciably different from recent seasons, however. There’s a 23-day gap between the games this year. That’s actually the first time there’s been at least three weeks between the games since 2013. In the three seasons since then, the rematch was 17, 19 and 16 days apart. Since Williams took over as head coach in 2003-04, only twice have the games been played more than four weeks apart. 5. Throw out the rankings UNC enters the game ranked No. 5 in the AP poll. Duke is No. 17. This will be the third time in the last four games that the Tar Heels are ranked at least 10 spots higher than the Blue Devils when the two teams play. Duke won the previous two meetings, upsetting the Heels in the Dean Dome last February and winning in Cameron last month. Carolina has won just one of the last four games in which the Tar Heels were ranked higher than the Blue Devils. Overall, Roy Williams is 1-2 against Duke when he has a 10 or more spot advantage in the AP poll. Coach K is 22-6 against Carolina when Duke is ranked at least 10 spots higher. Dean Smith was 32-6.

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

2017 NFL MOCK DRAFt

Panthers to land bruising back in first round Carolina beefed up its running game in the first round by nabbing a power back By Dan Brugler The Sports XChange he Panthers went from the top team in the NFC to cellar T dwellers in the NFC South. That’s

the exact opposite direction the team planned on heading, but it did lead to a top-10 overall pick. With a need at running back, Carolina will go with an SEC standout. Here’s a look at the entire mock draft at this point. 1. Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett, DE/OLB, Texas A&M The Browns have needs all over the roster and unless they fall in love with a quarterback, this pick needs to be the best talent in the draft, which is Garrett. 2. San Francisco 49ers: Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina San Francisco desperately needs to life at the quarterback position, regardless of the front office and coaching situations. Despite only one season of starting experience, Trubisky has all the traits to be a successful NFL starter. 3. Chicago Bears: DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame The Bears have some intriguing talent on the roster, but the quarterback depth chart is disheartening. Although his tape shows youthful mistakes, Kizer also shows the veteran poise and ideal physical traits to play the position at a high level. 4. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama Jacksonville has invested heavily in the defensive line, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Jaguars do so again if a talent like Allen is available for them. 5. Tennessee Titans (from LAR): Jamal Adams, SS, LSU With a top-five pick, the Titans need to first and foremost add a difference-maker and Adams has that type of ability patrolling the secondary. 6. New York Jets: Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State The Jets have no choice but to address the secondary this off-season with question marks at both cornerback and safety. Lattimore is a very gifted athlete for his size with sticky coverage skills. 7. Los Angeles Chargers: Solomon Thomas, DL, Stanford The Chargers hit a home run with Joey Bosa last year and could swing for the fences again with Thomas, who would be a great fit both inside and outside in Gus Bradley’s scheme. 8. Carolina Panthers: Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU Veteran Jonathan Stewart averaged only 3.8 yards per rush

Derick E. Hingle | usa today sports images

LSU Tigers running back Leonard Fournette (7) runs as Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson (54) and linebacker Reuben Foster (10) pursue during the third quarter of a game at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Nov. 5, 2016.

reached the 100-yard mark in only one game last season, his ninth in the NFL. Fournette is a freak talent who would instantly add juice to the Panthers’ offense. 9. Cincinnati Bengals: Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama Linebacker Rey Maualuga is a serviceable player, but Foster would be an instant upgrade with his combination of play speed, instincts and violence. 10. Buffalo Bills: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson The Tyrod Taylor situation in Buffalo will continue to play itself out the next few weeks, but if he’s out of the picture then Watson becomes an intriguing option with this pick. Not sure this would be the right move, but it is definitely plausible. 11. New Orleans Saints: Teez Tabor, CB, Florida The Saints ranked dead-last in the NFL last season in passing yards allowed and collected only nine interceptions (only three by cornerbacks). Tabor fits New Orleans’ scheme and would help from day one. 12. Cleveland Browns (from PHI): Malik Hooker, FS, Ohio State The Browns need an overhaul in the secondary and are missing a true ballhawk in the deep half of the field. Hooker would be a natural fit and his recent injuries could wind up being a blessing for Cleveland. 13. Arizona Cardinals: Mike Williams, WR, Clemson While wide receiver was a strength of Arizona not too long ago, Larry Fitzgerald is consider-

Panthers last 5 first-rounders 2016: Vernon Butler, DT, Louisiana Tech 2015: Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington 2014: Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Florida State 2013: Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah 2012: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

ing retirement and Michael Floyd is now in New England. Williams could develop into the new No. 1 pass catcher for the Cardinals. 14. Philadelphia Eagles (from MIN): Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama The Eagles are desperate for help at cornerback and there should be several options for the franchise in the mid-first round. Humphrey has given up several big plays this season, but NFL coaches will be salivating at his size and skill-set. 15. Indianapolis Colts: Takkarist McKinley, DE, UCLA Coming from Kansas City, new Colts general manager Chris Ballard understands the impact of speed rushing off the edge and McKinley is an ascending talent with plenty of juice. 16. Baltimore Ravens: Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State The Ravens have a stable of average backs on the roster, which is one of the reasons they ranked near last in the NFL in rushing in 2016. Cook would help change that and open up the offense. 17. Washington Redskins: Malik

McDowell, DL, Michigan State McDowell has an impressive blend of size, athleticism and power to be effective from multiple positions along the defensive line. 18. Tennessee Titans: Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan The Titans have plenty of bodies on the wide receiver depth chart, but no true difference-maker. Davis is one of the most prolific wideouts in college football history and is the complete package as a pass-catcher. 19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: John Ross, WR, Washington Mike Evans is the top target of Jameis Winston, but he needs help. Ross is dwarfed by Evans in size, but his explosive athleticism and savvy route-running will only improve the Tampa offensive attack. 20. Denver Broncos: David Njoku, TE, Miami (Fla.) The Broncos have plenty of names on the tight end depth chart, but no difference-makers. Njoku is only 20-years old and still raw in areas, but his potential is off the charts. 21. Detroit Lions: Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee Detroit needs to address the issues at cornerback, but upgrading the pass rush with an edge rusher like Barnett will impact the back seven as well. 22. Miami Dolphins: O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama There are glaring needs on defense for the Dolphins, but an athletic tight end like Howard would do wonders for Ryan Tannehill and the Miami offense. 23. New York Giants: Taco

Charlton, DE, Michigan With Jason Pierre-Paul not expected back, defensive end is a likely need this off-season. Charlton, who has some traits reminiscent of Justin Tuck out of Notre Dame, has all the ingredients of a NFL starter. 24. Oakland Raiders: Haason Reddick, LB, Temple A defensive back-turned-rusher in college, Reddick makes the move to linebacker in the NFL and has the athleticism to be a star. 25. Houston Texans: Ryan Ramcyzk, OT, Wisconsin With the question mark at right tackle moving forward, offensive tackle is one of the most pressing needs for the Texans this offseason. And Ramcyzk is a discount at this point in the draft due to his hip injury. 26. Seattle Seahawks: Forrest Lamp, OG, Western Kentucky The Seahawks are getting by with the bodies they have on the offensive line, but that doesn’t mean Seattle shouldn’t be looking for upgrades. Lamp can probably survive at tackle in the NFL, but he might be a Pro Bowl guard with his square-blocking skill-set and stubborn mentality. 27. Kansas City Chiefs: Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt With Derrick Johnson’s career in question due to injuries, inside linebacker is a position the Chiefs will look to address this off-season. Cunningham plays with the takeon strength and reaction quickness to fill and cover ground. 28. Dallas Cowboys: Carl Lawson, DE/OLB, Auburn The Cowboys have defensive needs at every level, but especially at pass rusher. Lawson does an outstanding job using his upper body strength and lower body quickness in unison to beat blockers. 29. Green Bay Packers: Sidney Jones, CB, Washington The Packers need help on the cornerback depth chart and Jones is well-versed in multiple coverages with the athleticism and ballskills to make plays. 30. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jabrill Peppers, LB/S, Michigan Pittsburgh hasn’t been able to properly replace the hole left by Troy Polamalu at strong safety and although Peppers isn’t on that level, he has intriguing blend of athleticism and physicality. 31. Atlanta Falcons: Charles Harris, DE, Missouri The Falcons’ pass rush was improved in 2016 and helped advance Atlanta to the Super Bowl. But more help is needed and Harris adds a different style of rusher to the arsenal. 32. New England Patriots: Tim Williams, DE, Alabama With his baggage, Williams will likely tumble on draft day, which could mean falling right into the laps of the World Champs.

Panthers offseason priorities concentrate on protecting Cam By NSJ Staff s they wade through free agency and prepare to evaluA ate draft prospects at the India-

napolis Scouting Combine (March 1-6), the Carolina Panthers must decide which players to keep as they seek to improve upon their 6-10 record from last season. The Sports Xchange and NFLDraftScout.com evaluated the Panthers’ roster and created a shopping list to use in free agency and to reference during the Combine. Getting quarterback Cam Newton right has to be the biggest task for the Panthers in the offseason. Of course, solidifying the line in front of him could be a big part of that. Tackle surely needs an infusion of talent as does running back thanks to Jonathan Stewart’s advancing age. The Panthers aren’t alone in being a team that needs passrush help. Here are their top three needs: Offensive tackle The Panthers can’t just depend on Michael Oher returning to man the left side, so they need to add a tackle. Or two — the lack of protection for Newton was one of the key problems for Carolina over the last year. The free agency market is an interesting one for Carolina, with some potential solu-

tions available to Dave Gettleman now that he’s got some money to spend. Andrew Whitworth, a 36-yearold free agent out of Cincinnati, wouldn’t require breaking the bank and wouldn’t require a long deal. He might be the ideal solution for the tackle issues. If not, younger options like Russell Okung (who negotiated with Denver sans agent, is just 29) and former top-five picks Luke Joeckel (26) and Matt Kalil (28) are also likely going to be available. Riley Reiff (29) is a former first-round pick who could hit the market. At guard, Kevin Zeitler and T.J. Lang would be high-end options to improve the line. The draft is much thinner. Ryan Ramcyzk out of Wisconsin is the top option, but probably not worthy of a top-10 pick for the Panthers. Cam Robinson (Alabama) and Garrett Bolles (Utah) will probably be gone before the Panthers pick in the second round. Taylor Moton (Western Michigan), Roderick Johnson (Florida State) and Antonio Garcia (Troy) could make sense near the top of the second round. Running back A run-first team needs more than just soon-to-be 30-year-old Jonathan Stewart. The backfield could really use a dynamic playmaker. Fortunately for the Panthers, this is a loaded year for run-

Jim Dedmon | usa today sports images

Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph (98) dives to tackle Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium on Sept. 25, 2016.

ning backs. It seems unlikely, but Carolina could target free agents. Adrian Peterson is the biggest name once he’s released by the Vikings. LeGarrette Blount (previously of New England), Latavius Murray (Oakland), Eddie Lacy (Green Bay) and Darren McFadden (Dallas) are all free agents but won’t be cost prohibitive like one of the many backs in this draft. Instead, the Panthers could look to go early with either Dalvin Cook (Florida State) or Leonard Fournette (LSU), as many mock drafts have them doing. Christian McCaffery (Stanford) and Alvin Kamara (Tennessee) would probably be second round targets. Joe

Mixon (Oklahoma) is a big name mentioned but probably not on the Panthers board because of character concerns. Matt Dayes (NC State) is a name to watch near the top of the third round. Defensive end Kony Ealy may never be the guy the world saw in the Super Bowl, so a defense that depends so much on edge rushers needs another. The Panthers brought back Mario Addison and Wes Horton before free agency opened, which probably means Charles Johnson will be headed elsewhere. Those lowkey signings will help a ton for depth and rotation, but they still

need more help. Jason Pierre-Paul was franchise tagged by the Giants and is off the board. Calais Campbell is a versatile stud but probably not in the price range for Carolina, or necessarily a schematic fit. The draft offers several options at No. 8 overall, including Solomon Thomas (Stanford), Derek Barnett (Tennessee), Jonathan Allen (Alabama) and Taco Charlton (Michigan). If Charles Harris (Missouri) fell to the second round he could be nice value. Coaching Changes DB coach Steve Wilks replaces Sean McDermott as DC.

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

UNCW heads into CAA Tournament as top dog after record-setting season The Seahawks are set to shock teams in March Madness, but has to win the CAA to get there By R. Cory Smith North State Journal hen discussing UNCW’s record-setting season, W one has to first ask: Which one?

The Seahawks have blazed a trail through the CAA yet again, winning the regular season title for a third straight season under coach Kevin Keatts. Prior to his arrival, UNCW had five total regular season titles in the previous three decades in the conference. It wasn’t just a conference-title winning season for the Hawks, though. Keatts’ squad already has 26 wins — 13 of which came at home — both records for the program. They’ve reached that mark with records in 3-pointers per game (21) and 3-pointers made in a season (296). That’s thanks, in large part, to this year’s senior class with Chris Flemmings and Denzel Ingram, who earned First Team and Second Team honors from the CAA, respectively. That was part of a record haul that saw C.J. Bryce also make First Team while Devontae Cacok made Third Team along with CAA Defensive Player of the Year — both of whom are sophomores. Coming into the season, it was no surprise that the Seahawks were ranked atop the CAA by the coaches and media. But to put together this type of season? That’s an omen to his players, Keatts noted. “When you’re ranked No. 1 by your peers during preseason, you know you’ve got a bullseye on your chest,” Keatts said. “I have to give our guys credit for staying the course and never wavering from

our goal. … I’m excited because we wanted to build something special here and we’re fortunate enough to win three CAA regular season titles in a row and follow through on those goals.” UNCW clearly has the talent with four of the top 15 players in the entire conference, but it’s more about the mentality the team took into the season. After being on the other side of the ball during Keatts’ first season in Wilmington, his team knows all about what to expect from other programs. “We get everybody’s best shot every night, so we’re prepared for what’s next,” Keatts said. “I remember my first year when we were picked ninth and we were on the other side playing the underdog card. Some of our guys remember that. They don’t let anything get to their heads.” A year after making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade, winning the CAA Tournament is likely the only way to get back in. The Seahawks got a few votes earlier this season from the AP Poll, but isn’t likely to earn an at-large bid after losing three CAA contests in a five-game stretch. That can create a tension-packed environment for a team like UNCW, which has made it clear all season it plans to make it back to March Madness. “I don’t think we feel any pressure,” Flemmings said. “Our goal going in was to win games and get back to the conference tournament and come out on top. If we come out and play as hard as we can, we don’t have [anything] to worry about.” While the CAA isn’t viewed as a strong mid-major conference like the West Coast or Missouri Valley, it still has two teams ranked inside the top 12 in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25. “It’s a very, very challenging conference,” Bryce said of the CAA. “Anybody can beat anybody on

any given night. You just have to keep your poise and stay focused every minute you’re on the court. That’s something I look forward to, though, because I feel like we’re prepared for the moment” The other team inside that top 12 is College of Charleston, which finished at 14-4 in the CAA — one game behind UNCW. Two of the Hawks three losses in conference play came by one point. That includes a home loss to Charleston when Flemmings’ free-throw attempt fell just short. The Cougars also happen to be playing 17 minutes away from their home stadium in the CAA Tournament in North Charleston Stadium. Despite taking the loss in Trask Coliseum, the Seahawks can rest on their laurels knowing they won one the road against the Cougars if they meet in the championship. “We beat them at their place, so we aren’t worried,” Bryce said. “We kind of see ourselves as rivals at this point and we both feel we can win it all. First we have to get there. And so do they.” Surprisingly, there was nearly as much talk about last year’s NCAA Tournament during the final press conference before the Hawks headed to Charleston. UNCW was handed a loss to Duke in its lone game in the Big Dance. Even with all the records set this season, it would all be for naught if the Hawks fall short in the CAA Tournament. Letting a win slip away last March still fuels this year’s team heading into this weekend. “We’ve drawn from it all year as motivation,” Flemmings said. “In practices, we practice hard to make every possession count. During games, if we feel a little bit tired we just use that as motivation to keep going. That’s what we’ve been preparing all year for and even over the summer.”

Hurricanes’ Francis says team headed in ‘right direction’ Despite an eighth-straight season out of the playoffs, GM believes in Carolina’s rebuild By Cory Lavalette North State Journal RALEIGH — Temperatures hovered near 80 degrees and 20mph gusts came through Raleigh on Wednesday, but the blasts of air that rippled and snapped the flags in front of PNC Arena did not bring with them more trade winds on the final day NHL teams could swap players during the 2016-17 season. Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis had a busy but ultimately quiet 54th birthday on March 1, opting to stand pat after previously trading away two players in anticipation of an eighthstraight season out of the postseason after Carolina stumbled in the weeks leading up to deadline day. “It’s very frustrating, very disheartening because, as I said, we win the game five weeks ago or five-and-a-half weeks ago we’re in that wild card spot and things are going in a different direction,” Francis told the media following Wednesday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline. “I do have to pause and still look at the big picture, and there’s a lot of positives in what we’re doing and the direction we’re going.” So while Francis and the Hurricanes hold out hope for a miracle run that will push them back into the playoff picture this year, his actions ahead of the deadline — trading veterans Ron Hainsey and Viktor Stalberg to Pittsburgh and Ottawa, respectively — served as a reluctant white flag on the season. Francis pointed to the team’s youth (just four players on the current roster are on the wrong side of 30, and two have expiring contracts), the number of draft picks (11 this summer, including seven in the first three rounds) and the salary cap space (more than $30 million, though the team is not likely to spend to the limit) as reasons the Hurricanes will enter the offseason with more momentum. “We’re growing, we’re growing in the right direction and I would ask them to continue to grow with us,” said Francis when asked what his message is to playoff-starved

Christine T. Nguyen | North State Journal

Duke guard Frank Jackson (15) and Augustana guard Austin Saugstad (1) go after a loose ball during a college basketball game Nov. 4, 2016, at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Frank Jackson steals Senior Night spotlight By Shawn Krest North State Journal It was senior day at Cameron Indoor Stadium, but a freshman stole the show. Frank Jackson hit Duke’s first five shots of the second half and scored a career-high 22 points to lead the Blue Devils to a 75-70 win over Florida State. The win snapped a two-game losing streak for Duke, but don’t tell coach Mike Krzyzewski that the Blue Devils were in a slump. “I don’t read a lot of papers, but there was something about us slumping,” Krzyzewski said. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Especially when we lost two games — we lost two one-possession games. We played our butts off. We won eight of our last ten. Our guys are playing great, fighting like crazy. Some days you don’t make that one-possession play, and our league is so unforgiving if you don’t make that play.” Jackson was the one making the plays against the Seminoles. Starting in place of Grayson Allen, who was limited to 16 minutes as he continues to recover from an ankle sprain, Jackson scored eight firsthalf points as the Blue Devils built an 11-point lead. Jackson then buried the Noles coming out of halftime. He outscored Florida State 13-5 in the first four and a half minutes of the second half, hitting a trio of 3-pointers, a jump shot and an acrobatic layup in a scoring explosion. “Well he is an attacker,” Krzyzewski said. “Frank is unbelievably talented and tough. Just the growth of a freshman, and you could see it at Miami. He just was different. He was better. Just like with Jayson (Tatum). I mean, Jayson has been good all year, but you could see in these last games, when we started

winning, he was at another level, and that’s what’s happening with Frank.” Tatum, a fellow freshman, added 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists. It was Jackson, often overshadowed this year by the rest of the high-profile freshman class, who was in the spotlight against FSU. “I try to stay aggressive,” Jackson said. “I try to look for the open guy. I try to get to the basket. The basket was open tonight and I was able to attack and my teammates, they give me all the confidence in the world. I try to stay as aggressive as I can. “That’s my game. I can get to the basket and [the coaches] just tell me to be myself.” The Blue Devils fans said goodbye to seniors Amile Jefferson, who had 14 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting, adding 11 rebounds, and Matt Jones, who finished with five points. Allen, a junior, may also leave for the NBA, and sophomore Luke Kennard, an ACC Player of the Year candidate, will also give strong consideration to leaving early. Allen scored just two points, while Kennard had 17 points with six rebounds. Freshmen Harry Giles, Marques Bolden and Tatum have been considered likely one-and-dones since arriving at Duke. That would leave Jackson as one of the few players on the floor for senior day who will be back next year. “Frank was unbelievable tonight,” Jefferson explained, “just playing so mature, being a veteran. Yes, it was Senior Night but we had guys play like seniors. That’s what we need. None of our guys are freshmen anymore. It’s February, so we’re all in together. We’re all players. Frank did that tonight and it was great.”

Duke guard Grayson Allen (3) reacts as he collides on a loose ball with North Carolina forward Kennedy Meeks (3) in the first half of the college basketball game at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill Feb. 17, 2016.

Eamon Queeney | North State Journal

Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward (30) goes to the ice to stop the puck from an attack by Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) in the first period of the NHL game at PNC Arena in Raleigh, Feb. 19, 2017.

fans. “You talk to other people and stuff and they say, ‘Stick to the plan, stick to the plan,’ and all of a sudden one day you’re going to wake up and these kids have turned the corner and there you go, and that’s what we’re trying to do here.” The plan, it seems, for this offseason is to use those assets — draft picks, a surplus of young prospects — to improve the team’s NHL roster. And the needs are many. Francis talked about how every NHL team is looking for a franchise center to “drive your team,” mentioning what Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews have done for Edmonton and Toronto, respectively. Of course, those players were the first overall picks in the last two drafts, and the 2017 draft doesn’t appear to have a player on that level — and Carolina would need to get some ping pong help to land the No. 1 selection. So while Francis said he would check the free agent market on July 1, he also said contracts “can get a little crazy” when 31 teams — Las Vegas joins the fray this summer — are jockeying for players. “But if there’s a guy there that we think is worthy — and I’ve said this all along — and we get him at the right term and the right number, then absolutely we would certainly look to fill a void that way,” Francis said of tipping his toe in the free agent waters.

On top of the need for a game-changing player, Francis didn’t give a ringing endorsement to his goaltending tandem when asked if the team would look to improve that position. “I think there’s a lot of areas we look at,” he said. “Certainly [goaltending is] one we would look at again. There is a risk that we lose one of those guys in the expansion draft as well.” Francis said the expansion draft, like the entry draft, could also provide an opportunity to strike a deal with a team trying to best position itself. “There’s a lot of things that I think will play out between the end of the season and the expansion draft with a lot of teams, whether they need guys to exposed or they’re worried about losing guy they expose,” Francis added. “So there may be some moves that happen in that time frame.” While Francis continues to look for ways to end the Hurricanes’ playoff drought while not drifting off course of his greater plan, he has questions about the coaching staff, team leadership and the team’s spending budget to consider — all things he said would be weighed following the season. “So there’s a lot of positives and we’ve got to continue to build it the right way and hopefully we can get over that hump sooner rather than later,” he said. “But it’s frustrating to be selling again when I was hoping to be in a different position.”

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

UNC Vs. Duke from page B1 having won at home by 24 points at home just nine days earlier, there’s little chance of that happening against Duke. That’s because the Tar Heels faltered down the stretch in an 86-78 loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Feb. 9 that saw them go the final three minutes without making a field goal. Adding to the frustration of the setback was the way the Blue Devils neutralized UNC’s height advantage inside. Not only did they hold usually reliable big man Kennedy Meeks to subpar totals of nine points and five boards, they also accomplished something only two other teams have done this season by outrebounding the nation’s top rebounding team. It’s an effort that was aided by the absence of power forward Isaiah Hicks, who missed the game with

a pulled hamstring suffered the day before in practice. Hicks is back for the rematch. Even though he hasn’t played nearly as well since returning from his injury as he did before it, in part because of his inability to stay out of foul trouble, Meeks is looking to his fellow big man to be the x-factor that prevents the Tar Heels from experiencing another case of deja vu. The senior center said that having Hicks back on the court will give Duke “two people they have to worry about” on offense. More importantly, he’ll be give his team another defensive option to try and stop the Blue Devils’ freshman star Jayson Tatum — who scored all 19 points in the decisive second half. “I think it will be a lot different,” Meeks said. “I just think Isaiah, of course, has to stay out of foul trouble and then he’ll be fine. But I don’t see it going like it did last time.”

Visit with author, teacher Zelda Lockhart. Page 3

SATURDAY

03.04.17

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL

play list

March 4-18 Outer Banks Community Quilt Show

the good life IN A NORTH STATE OF MIND

community | Central Carolina Community College

Teaching sustainability through agriculture, technology and the culinary arts

The Event Room at Roanoke Island Festival Park gets filled with vintage and antique quilts of all sizes for display during this event. The show will include quilts made or owned by quilters from the area as well as those with close ties to the Outer Banks. A wide range of quilting techniques including quilting, embroidery, applique, and other needlework and embellishments will be showcased. Knowledgeable quilters will be available to answer questions. roanokeisland.com

March 6 Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante Chapel Hill NC Symphony presents Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante at Memorial Hall. Featured compositions for the evening include Beethoven’s “Egmont Overture” Mozart’s “Sinfonia Concertante” and Sibelius’ “Symphony No. 5.” Karina Canellakis will be at the helm as conductor joined by Brian Reagin on violin and Samuel Gold on viola. ncsymphony.org

March 9 Falling in love with Thomas Wolfe, one story a time Asheville

Marta Haas, 40, of Seattle cuts fruit for a fruit plate during a culinary arts class at Central Carolina Community College in Pittsboro.

Many readers fall in love with Wolfe’s sprawling sentences, and his expansive view of American life, while others struggle with the enormousness of scale. Discussing Thomas Wolfe’s short stories is a wonderful way to discover Thomas Wolfe. On the second Thursday of each month, the Thomas Wolfe Memorial and the Wilma Dykeman Legacy presents a series of short story discussions. March 9, 2017, “The Child by Tiger” discussion will be led by Dr. Darin Waters. Just read the selected short story and be prepared for an informative conversation. wolfememorial.com

March 11 Arbor Day Apple Tree Sale at Horne Creek Farm Pinnacle This year, North Carolina celebrates Arbor Day on March 17. You can be ready by heading to Horne Creek Farm on Saturday, March 11 to buy some of their heirloom apple trees to plant at your house or in your community. A tree is a gift that grows and keeps on giving. Horne Creek’s Southern Heritage Apple Orchard has hundreds of varieties to choose from and the money generated from the sale of the trees will help with the upkeep of the Southern Heritage Apple Orchard. nchistoricsites.org Photos by christine t. nguyen | North State Journal

Shaquannah Faison, 30, of Fayetteville waters seedlings in the Central Carolina Community College sustainable agriculture greenhouse in Pittsboro. Faison, a culinary arts student, sees herself working in a farm-to-table environment after completing the program.

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal

ITTSBORO — Sustainability has a complex definition. It is in essence the theory that our health, well-being, and survival depend directly or indirectly on the natural environment. The three pillars of sustainability are economic, environmental, and social. Those are often shortened by scientists to people, planet, and profit. Practices

like farm-to-table food movements, building homes requiring less energy, or growing crops organically can all be forms of sustainability. Central Carolina Community College, with campuses in Chatham, Harnett, and Lee counties, is host to “Green Central,” a specially designed curriculum and continuing education program supporting sustainability through agriculture, technology, and the culinary arts.

“Food, housing, and energy, with energy having become part of a basic need, have become the three pillars essential to living,” said Andrew McMahan, department chair for sustainability. “Sustainable programs are helping students look at the world with a broader perspective by making the students more prepared and informed about the world around them.” See sustainability, page C6

coming wednesday We sit down for a conversation with Van Eure of the Angus Barn to talk about treating guests as friends and the art of lasting hospitality in the Triangle. savor & style

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

NeCessities y’ought to...

history marked

Dior sees blue, Issey Miyake looks to northern lights at Paris shows

March 4, 1825

Reuters PARIS — French fashion house Christian Dior is seeing blue for women’s wardrobes next winter, with artistic director Maria Grazia Chiuri turning to one of the preferred colors of the luxury label’s founding designer for her latest collection. At Dior’s autumn/winter 2017/2018 fashion show held at the Paris’ Musee Rodin, models strutted down the catwalk in a color palette of different shades of blue — navy, midnight, denim — as well as black and white. There were navy belted jackets worn with cropped culotte trousers as well as taffeta pleated dresses, tops and skirts. Chiuri paired blue chunky knits with see-through chiffon skirts, and also presented dark blue velvet dresses and trouser suits, loose denim trousers, dungarees and overalls. There were also some dark blue and black check outfits. For the evening, Chiuri, who joined Dior last year from Valentino, added sparkling sequins, floral embroidery and moon and star motifs on dark velvet and tulle dresses. “The collection is a sequence of pieces that reconnect emotions, feelings and memories,” show notes said, adding the color blue was “among Monsieur Dior’s great favorites.” A Christian Dior logo appeared on the bottom of jackets as well as on underwear seen underneath seethrough black dresses. For accessories, models wore berets, choker necklaces and bags slung over their bodies. There were also simple stiletto heels, flat and knee-high boots. Earlier, the northern lights, or aurora borealis, were the inspiration at the Issey Miyake show, with models wearing voluminous coats as well as plenty of the label’s signature pleats. The first looks nodded to the striking dancing green sky lights phenomenon, with the outfits’ fabric changing color depending on the angle it was viewed, according to show notes. There was also an array of eye-catching pleats in blue, orange, green, yellow, burgundy and black created with special baking and steam techniques, in billowy shapes. Paris holds the last leg of the womenswear autumn/winter 2017/2018 catwalk shows, after similar events in New York, London and Milan in the last few weeks.

The citizens of Fayetteville, North Carolina, were honored by a two-day visit from the famous French proponent of liberty and hero of the American Revolutionary War, the Marquis de Lafayette. In his speech of welcome, Judge Toomer proclaimed, “Never, never can we forget the youthful stranger who, in the darkest hour of adversity, so generously flew to our succor, and so gallantly fought the battle of freedom.” Fayetteville had been named for Lafayette by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1783. It was the very first city in America named for him and the only namesake city that he actually visited. In response to Judge Toomer’s speech, Lafayette said of Fayetteville “…upon entering the interesting and prosperous town which has done me the great honor to adopt my name, I can at once admire its actual progress and anticipate its future destinies…”

March 10, 1918 Edenton residents formed the Cupola House Association, the earliest community preservation effort in North Carolina. The association hoped to save the structure from further demise after the owners sold interior woodwork to the Brooklyn Museum. Originally built for Francis Corbin in 1758, the Cupola House is widely considered one of North Carolina’s most significant early dwellings. After the association was formed, funds were solicited from local residents, and they were able to buy back a portion of the woodwork the very next day. By April the association had acquired the house and most of its property. In time the association was able to restore the house, and in 1971 it became a National Historic Landmark.

Information courtesy of N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

turn the page March is the month spring officially begins, which has us thinking of heading out for a sail. We turned to Scuttlebutt Nautical Books and Bounty on the Beaufort waterfront for a few seaworthy recommendations. “Ocean Life in the Old Sailing Ship”

by John D. Whidden

“Sailing a Serious Ocean: Sailboats, Storms, Stories and Lessons Learned from 30 Years at Sea”

by John Kretschmer

“The Essentials of Living Aboard a Boat”

by Mark Nicholas

“Leap of Faith: Quit Your Job and Live on a Boat”

by Ed Robinson

“Sailing My Dream: A Voyage Around the World in a Small Sailing Boat”

by Dick Allan

Benoit Tessier | reuters

A model presents a creation from the Fall/Winter 2017-2018 women’s ready-to-wear collection by Italian designer Maria Grazia Chiuri for fashion house Dior during Fashion Week in Paris.

voices

Contributors to this section this week include: Samantha Gratton Laura Ashley Lamm Emory Rakestraw

tell us

Know a North Carolina story that needs telling? Drop us a line at features@nsjonline.com.

announcements North State Journal is thrilled to celebrate your engagements and wedded bliss! We will now be publishing engagement and wedding announcements in the features section for couples with ties to the state. Whether your proposal was public or private, your wedding big or small — this is the perfect way to share the news and create a keepsake of the beginning of your next chapter in life together. Submit your story (in 200-250 words) and your photo to weddings@nsjonline.com to include in an upcoming issue. When writing it up, here are some details you might want to include: • Date of engagement and details about how it happened

• Families and/or parents

• Date of wedding and where it will be or was held

• Where you attend or attended school

• How you met

• Occupations

• Shared interests

• Where you reside

For mountain climbers and hikers, injuries often include broken bones, sprains and skin wounds, but many don’t carry the right supplies for the injuries and illnesses they are most likely to face, a recent study found. Researchers analyzed data from 11 previous studies of injuries and illness among climbers, and came up with the list of medical supplies that should be in every mountaineer’s backpack. Then they surveyed climbers on 11 mountains in Colorado higher than 14,000 feet to see what medical supplies they carried. More than a third of the climbers weren’t carrying a medical kit at all. “It is hard to come up with a ‘one size fits all’ approach,” said Dr. Robert Quinn, a professor of

• For announcements including a photo the image must be at least 2 megapixels

thrive | nutrition North Carolina Research Campus hosts nutrition events for National Nutrition Month By NSJ Staff North State Journal “Put Your Best Fork Forward” is the theme of this year’s National Nutrition Month celebration. Sponsored annually in March by The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, this year’s theme is designed to encourage people to adopt “small changes” in their eating habits that will lead to better health. Experts from the North Carolina Research Campus are offering classes and seminars throughout the month focused on making healthy food choices. They are also giving away healthy recipes, holding cooking demonstrations, and leading grocery store tours. At Johnson & Wales University, Chef Megan Lambert and Stephanie Saullo, a registered dietitian from the Nutrition Research Institute, will come together to demonstrate delicious, healthy cooking while sharing tips for consuming a balanced, nutritious diet on March 16. Aubrey Mast, extension associate in nutrition with the NC State Plants for Human Health Institute is leading three differ-

What belongs in medical kits for climbers and hikers? By Madeline Kennedy Reuters

• Future plans

• Special elements of your story

orthopedics at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, who studies mountain injuries and preparedness. “Experienced climbers will learn over time what is essential and what just takes up space and weight,” Quinn, who was not inaHealth. Dr. William Brandenburg of the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver and a colleague write in the Journal of Travel Medicine that people hiking, climbing, backpacking and doing other sporting activities in mountain areas run the risk of injury or illness with little medical care available nearby. To identify the most common difficulties experienced while mountaineering, the study team searched a medical database for studies of injuries and illnesses among climbers and hikers. Based on those studies, the

madeline gray | North State Journal

Cameron Cobb, 5, of Garner, samples peaches at Michele’s Fresh Fruits stand at the North Carolina State Farmers Market.

ent cooking demonstrations in March that relay research-based insight into the health-promoting benefits of fruits and vegetables. Cabarrus Health Alliance is offering several “Beyond the Comfort Zone” cooking classes throughout the month in their Wellness Kitchen as well as two different grocery store tours led by a trained guide that teaches

most common problems needing medical care resulted from falls or other accidents, which made up 58 percent to 76 percent of all injuries. Strains and sprains, which made up 25 percent to 29 percent of injuries, were more common among people involved in events or trips. Stomach upset and flu-like sickness were the most commonly reported illnesses, but were less likely to need formal care than dizziness or light-headedness. Of the 355 individuals surveyed on the mountains, only 212 carried a medical kit. Among the 158 people who provided descriptions of their medical kits, the most commonly carried medical supply was Band-Aids or other types of bandages. The most common medications carried were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs like ibuprofen. Some mountaineers also carried ointments, including Vaseline and antibiotic creams. The research team offered new recommendations for hikers’ and climbers’ medical kits, including

skills for buying healthy foods on a budget. Participants will learn how to read food labels, receive a gift card for groceries and a free book of recipes and grocery shopping tips. For more details and dates about these events, visit the North Carolina Research Campus website at www.ncresearchcampus.net.

wound care supplies such as medical gloves and medical tape, bandages and splinting materials. The researchers also advise carrying syringes, tweezers, skin glue, Vaseline and blister treatments. In addition, bring NSAIDs, fever reducers, anti-diarrheal medicines and rehydration packets. For climbers who have proper training, opioid painkillers and anti-vomiting drugs may be carried as well, they suggest. Quinn noted that the recommendations for what climbers will need are likely true across the world, though outside of North America, mountain-goers may need to be more concerned with water treatment and antibiotics. “BE PREPARED! Don’t underestimate the outdoors, particularly the mountain environment,” Quinn said by email. “Become educated about the potential dangers before you go and bring the proper equipment,” he said, adding that in addition to medical kits, this includes proper clothing, water, navigation and communication equipment.

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

perspective | literature

Books belonging to Zelda Lockhart line the shelf at her studio in Hillsborough.

Writing from the home and heart

Photos by madeline gray | North State Journal

Zelda Lockhart, an Endowed Professor of Language and Literature at North Carolina Central University and Director at LaVenson Press Studios: Inspiring Women to Self-Define Through Writing & Publishing, sits at her desk at her studio in Hillsborough.

By Emory Rakestraw For the North State Journal ILLSBOROUGH — On three acres of land, award-winning H author Zelda Lockhart has craft-

ed her own refuge for creation, education, and inspiration. When entering her home, warm colors of deep orange and bright greens with large windows invite the senses. For many, simply letting go and letting the creative influence take hold proves the most difficult. This is something Lockhart has been working on with writers from the start of her workshops. “We usually start with a quote from [Dr. Clarissa Pinkola] Estés’ “Women Who Run With the Wolves.” Then we’ll have a discussion that will sink us into a deeper space, then they write for four hours. When the write-ins are happening, prompts are laying around the space. It’s to teach them how to be in a writing community but getting deeper and deeper with themselves...we just get quiet. It’s sort of a beautiful thing.” Lockhart’s first novel, “Fifth Born” (2003) was published with critical acclaim and received a nomination from the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Legacy Foundation for a debut novel. In 2008, her second novel “Cold Running Creek” (2006) won the Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s Honor Book award for fiction. When it comes to writing, Lockhart said, “One of the hardest jobs is the courage to be vulnerable.” For the past 14 years unofficially, and four as a business, Lockhart has hosted a variety of

writing workshops at her Hillsborough home which also serves as the headquarters for LaVenson Press Studios. Her workshops range from the women’s writing intensive, a five week workshop that meets once a week, to a nine month workshop where writers walk away with a completed piece of long-form work. There’s even a workshop on the art of self-publishing, an emerging trend among writers seeking to move away from traditional methods of publishing with agents and publishing houses. Lockhart stressed that her workshops don’t allow critiques, instead a safe space where any “blockage” writers carry prior to their work can be released through the art of creation. As a vegan, she also loves combining writing with food. Come spring and summer her small garden in the backyard is bursting with fresh herbs, berries, melons, kale, lettuce, and broccoli. She says, “Eat well so you can do well.” Aside from her busy schedule with workshops and writing, Lockhart is also currently pursuing her doctorate in art therapy from Lesley University. The prompts that Lockhart has been working on for twenty years lay the foundation for her forthcoming works, “The Soul of the Full-Length Manuscript” and “Write it & Publish it.” Both focus on writing as a mode of transformation and healing within personal life. Lockhart notes, “The byproduct of the journey you go on is the piece of literature you have in the end...If what you’re leaving behind is a blueprint of how smart you are, what’s the point? If who you are isn’t in your work, people forget.”

Lockhart stands in a bamboo patch outside of her studio in Hillsborough.

“When the write-ins are happening, prompts are laying around the space. It’s to teach them how to be in a writing community but getting deeper and deeper with themselves...we just get quiet. It’s sort of a beautiful thing.” Zelda Lockhart, author and teacher

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

Julius Bartell, of Durham, holds beads to pass out.

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

Lori Glenn, of Durham, wears purple eyelashes to complete her outfit as queen of the Mardi Gras celebration.

Shirley Bartee, of the Bulltown Strutters band, attends the Mardi Gras celebration.

Cathy Kielar, of the Bulltown Strutters band, passes out streamers.

gather | Bull City Mardi Gras

‘Laissez les bull temps rouler’

Performers with Raleigh’s Imagine Circus walk through the crowd on stilts during the Mardi Gras celebration.

By Jennifer Wood North State Journal

DURHAM — “Laissez les bons temps rouler” has been “laissez les bull temps rouler” on the streets of Durham for the past six years. “We are a grass-roots community organization that encourages free expression and creativity,” said Rhiannon Kincaid, Durham Mardi Gras vice president. The event started in 2011 as a small gathering of neighbors and friends for Fat Tuesday and has grown into a party for the community. The idea behind a Durham Fat Tuesday celebration was to bring the vibe of the New Orleans revelry to the Tar Heel state, making sure to infuse just the right amount of North Carolina into the evening while introducing folks to the concept of gathering a krewe together and hosting themed floats for the parade. “Individuals are encouraged to dress up, show up, and enjoy the free entertainment,” said Kincaid. The event has been free throughout its six-year run and is able to remain that way because of sponsorship. Kincaid said, “Because of the generous support from our host venues, sponsors, and individual donations, we were able to provide free entertainment on five stages this year, including seven bands, a drag show, and a break dancing act.”

Photos by madeline gray | North State Journal

The Durham bull is adorned with beads.

Lori Glenn, of Durham, adjusts her headpiece before being named queen of the Mardi Gras celebration.

A tuba rests on the grass before the Mardi Gras parade.

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

From left, Sam Hanks, 22, of Chapel Hill and Marta Haas, 40, of Seattle cut fruit for a fruit plate during a culinary arts class at Central Carolina Community College in Pittsboro.

sustainability from page C1

Sustainable Agriculture Central Carolina owns approximately five acres of land which is entirely student-farmed. Students survey the soil, create a crop rotation plan, dig in the dirt, plant their crops, and watch them grow to harvest — all the while using sustainable methods. “This is a student-run farm where our students use their hands to apply what they are learning in the classroom by taking care of the soil, planting crops, and harvesting them,” said James Fry, agricultural instructor and farm manager. “We are giving students the knowledge and experience needed to plan out a farm with a good crop rotation, to make a decision on whether to farm organically, to know how to grow products that are good for people, good for the environment, and a good profit for themselves.” The farm includes crops such as peas, beets, onions, carrots, turnips, radishes, strawberries, blackberries, herbs, broccoli, cabbage, kale, tomatoes, and eggplants. Students are examining what crops are harvestable, the problems of pests, the value of crop rotation, the nourishment of soil, the marketing strategies for farms, how to understand government policy and farming regulations, and holistic approaches, to name a few. The food grown on the farm is then used for a dual-purpose of providing food for the culinary program and for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes for faculty, staff, and students. For $20 a week, CSA members are given certified and organically grown produce from the college’s farm. The profits from the sales are returned to the farm as the cycle of growing and giving continues. “We are integrating our programs. The food we give the culinary program allows for them to create seasonal menus of various items to prepare and serve in our cafes. The food scraps from preparation are given back to us, and we turn those into compost, the worms feed on the compost, and we continue the growth cycle,” Fry added.

Sustainable Culinary Arts Using the food straight from the farm on campus, students in the culinary program are preparing dishes to feed their neighbors. The culinary arts program of-

Christine t. nguyen | North State Journal

fers continuing education and curriculum classes which cover teaching culinary terms and skill sets, emphasis on the farm-to-table movement and sustainability, supporting local farms and the community, nutrition, wellness, and cuisine. “We are a classic culinary program with a more modern focus. We’re teaching the natural, farmto-table movement, with a focus on sustainable methods and menu designs,” said Gregg Hamm, chef and executive director of the college’s culinary institute. Students get hands-on experience in the kitchen as they cook, serve, and operate the college’s three cafes — Cougar Cafe in Lee County, Dunn Center in Harnett County, and the Natural Chef Cafe in Chatham County — which are also open to the public. “The cafes are completely student-operated from the purchasing of foods to menu selection to cooking and serving,” said Hamm. “Students are learning dining room skills, table setting, catering, event planning and management, and how to be short order and line cooks,” said Hamm.

“Sustainable programs are helping students look at the world with a broader perspective by making the students more prepared and informed about the world around them.” Andrew McMahan, department chair for sustainability

Students in the curriculum program are obtaining 120 hours of live culinary experiences while using sustainable practices. “For example, you can have a bucket of scraps in the kitchen and in turn can use those scraps to feed the goats on the farm,” said Hamm. “Little things can make a big difference in sustainability. From feeding the animals to prospering planning of seasonal ingredients to supporting the environment wherever you go.” Sustainable culinary skills also include understanding nutri-

tion, animal rights and welfare, and making quality purchases in selecting ingredients. Program classes include learning how to cook dishes for those with cancer and diabetes, or gluten and dairyfree needs. “Your choices make a huge difference on the health and wellness of you and the environment,” Hamm added.

Sustainable Building Construction and Technologies Efficiency in heating and cooling a home, heat-reflecting roofs, and the use of natural woods are a few parts that can be found in sustainable building construction and technologies. Students within this program are given the opportunity to build and construct a small house from the ground to the roof that is later auctioned off to the highest bidder. “Small houses are an alternate to more traditional housing scenarios. Students love it as it ups the learning bar as students are building a house someone will actually live in,” said Jeff Gannon,

green building instructor. The 550-square-foot house contains one bedroom and bath, and comes with a kitchenette, washer and dryer nook, closet, loft, and 160-square-foot porch. The high-tech and energy efficient home features natural wood from local suppliers, polyisoprene rigged insulation, and a galvalume metal roof with a 4-foot overhang. “Students are completing 90 percent of the house by doing everything from framing, wiring, and plumbing to roof and design work,” said Gannon. “Students are leaving the program with a solid foundation in construction technology.” After the completion of the small house, the college hosts an auction with the proceeds going back into the program to fund the building of the next house. Students have completed four houses thus far with the last house being sold at an auction for $50,000. People. Planet. Profit. Those are essentially the three pillars needed for sustainability, and Central Carolina Community College is ensuring students are adapting and supporting those pillars.

“We must take people where they are and carry them as far as they can go...”

Dr. W. Dallas Herring

...we are waiting for you... #WeAre58Strong @NCCommColl www.nccommunitycolleges.edu

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; home newspaper Games, rhymes and riddles for children and their parents, too!

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

pen & Paper pursuits

Creators syndiCate JANRIC CLASSIC SUDOKU

SOLUTIONS FROM 2.25.17

DIAN FOSSEY (23 Across) began her African study of mountain gorillas with the encouragement and financial assistance of anthropologist Louis Leakey. In the novel and film adaptation of Gone With the Wind, the first two husbands of Scarlett O’Hara (11 Down) were Charles Hamilton and Frank Kennedy. Specifically, a NEAR GALE (96/97 Down) on the Beaufort scale is a wind of 32 to 38 miles per hour.

You can contact puzzle editor Stanley Newman at www. StanXwords.com. Or write him at P.O. Box 69, Massapequa Park, NY 11762. Please send a selfaddressed, stamped envelope if you’d like a reply. 2/26/17

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tel. (310) 337-7003

FaX (310) 337-7625

the BRIEF

SATURDAY, MARCH 4, 2017

BUSINESS

Richfield, N.C.

Local family wins top regional cotton industry award

‘Brunch bill’ aims to gin up business on Sundays

The Burleson family were the first farmers to bring cotton back to Stanly County, N.C., in 1991. Since then, cotton production in that part of the state has been increasingly successful and profitable as farmers committed to soil conservation and new technologies have produced high yields of high quality cotton. For their efforts and their commitment to the industry, father and son team Ronnie and Andrew Burleson have been awarded the Farm Press/ Cotton Foundation 2017 High Cotton Award for the Southeast states. “Ronnie epitomizes every virtue for which this prestigious award was founded,” wrote David Ruppenicker, CEO of Southern Cotton Growers, Inc.

Bill to legalize restaurant alcohol sales after 10am on Sundays garners bipartisan sponsorship in N.C. Senate By Emily Roberson and Jeff Moore North State Journal ocal governments could soon grant restaurants the L opportunity to serve alcohol on

Sundays starting at 10 a.m.. Filed Wednesday, Senate Bill 155, nicknamed “the brunch bill,” would potentially allow establishments to offer Bloody Marys, mimosas and other alcoholic beverages before noon on Sundays, which has until now been the standard for nearly 25 years in most non-dry counties in N.C. (with the exception of the Bank of America Charlotte Panther stadium, the only place in the state alcohol may be sold starting at 11 a.m. on Sundays, thanks to a 2014 law). The bill’s primary sponsor, Sen. Rick Gunn (R-Burlington), sees the business opportunities that could come with a larger window of brunch-time alcohol sales, as well as with some provisions in the bill that relax restrictions on distilleries, breweries and wineries regarding on-site sales. “We have rapidly growing local distilleries, craft brewers, and wineries in our state. it has become a multi-million dollar business. Additionally, relative to our restaurants and hotels, this should be a big boost for travel and tourism and offer local restaurants and hotels throughout the state to provide a service to the individuals and companies that our visiting their respective areas.” The bill’s sponsors have been working closely with the N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association, who have helped craft language similar to recent successful bills in other states. “This ‘brunch

“This ‘brunch bill’ will allow our North Carolina restaurants and hotels to meet their guests’ needs. With 55 million visitors to our state every year, this bill will be good for tourism and hospitality. The local ‘opt in’ provision is a new approach. We believe a number of counties will want this new option for their citizens and guests.”

Tuolumne County, CA

Recent storm clouds on West Coast have gold lining

— Lynn Minges, chief executive of N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Bartender Tanner Morita pours a Copperhead, a twist on a Manhattan, at Kindred in Davidson, N.C.

bill’ will allow our North Carolina restaurants and hotels to meet their guests’ needs,” said Lynn Minges, chief executive of the NCRLA. “With 55 million visitors to our state every year, this bill will be good for tourism and hospitality. The local ‘opt in’ provision is a new approach. We believe a number of counties will want this new option for their citizens and guests.” Industry reports note that several states have recently intro-

duced “brunch bills” to allow Sunday morning alcohol sales, and some have become law. In Georgia, where a “brunch bill” was introduced in March 2015, its sponsors estimated that passing the bill would create an extra $100 million in taxable sales of food and beverages. While the Georgia bill did not pass, similar bills in New York and West Virginia have been successful. Gunn is optimistic about the

bill’s chances as it clears procedural hurdles in both chambers. “It certainly appears that this will have bipartisan support and the feedback that I have received in just a day has been overwhelmingly in support of my effort due to it being such a good balance between growing our economy and our businesses while keeping good ABC control. So, I anticipate this to be received very favorably in both the Senate and the House.”

Business, unions ramp up campaign for U.S. infrastructure spending Administration’s push for infrastructure spending creates unlikely alliance between union leaders and pro-business groups By Luciana Lopez Reuters

Ross, speaking to reporters after the speech, said that Trump was merely pointing out an export tax inequity between the United States and many other countries, not specifying how it should be remedied. Trump said he was asking for a change in the way U.S. imports are taxed, saying that other countries “make us pay very high tariffs and taxes,” but the United States charges “nothing or almost nothing” on imports. Trump referred to tariffs of 100 percent by some countries on U.S.-

Business groups and unions are bulking up lobbying budgets and coordinating efforts to put pressure on Congress not to let President Donald Trump’s infrastructure spending plans fall through the cracks on Capitol Hill. “The more time goes on, the more frustration will build up if it doesn’t come around quick enough,” said Sean McGarvey, president of North America’s Building Trades Unions. McGarvey and Terry O’Sullivan, the president of laborers’ union LiUNA, met with Trump in January and spoke about infrastructure. However, while infrastructure spending is fighting for space on Congress’s agenda with immigration, taxes, overhaul of the Affordable Care Act and a Supreme Court nomination, it is one issue where Democratic union leaders, Republican business executives and the Trump administration share common ground. LiUNA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which represents business interests, are collaborating through a chamber-led group called Americans for Transportation Mobility. LiUNA also is working with a lobbying group for big construction employers through a group called the Transportation Construction Coalition. The Associated General Contractors of America has increased its budget for advocacy for new

See TRUMP, page D2

See SPENDING, page D2

YURI GRIPAS | REUTERS

New Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross addresses employees.

U.S. Commerce secretary says Trump did not endorse border tax plan “I didn’t hear him coming out clearly in favor of any one system.” — U.S. Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross

After president’s first speech to Congress, officials seek to clarify proposed changes in import taxes By David Lauder Reuters WASHINGTON — New U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said President Donald Trump did not endorse a proposed border tax system on Tuesday in his first speech to Congress on Tuesday, despite a vow to level the tax playing field for U.S. companies that export.

Get your homemade Blowin’ Smoke BBQ Sauce www.blowinsmokebbqsauce.com Salisbury, N.C. | 704.200.8274

Weeks of rainy weather in the hills of Northern California have produced what many are referring to as a “new gold rush.” Officials from the Bureau of Land Management say the erosion “concentrates” the gold by removing the lighter rock and soil. “Miner Gary” Thomas runs tour groups through his property and said now is the optimum time for gold hunting because the storms have just finished churning the landscape. Thomas said one hot spot this year will be below the Oroville Dam, because the huge water releases from the spillway could reveal some new pockets of gold. Washington, D.C.

Trump welcomes stock market surge, consumer confidence on Twitter U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed a record surge in the stock market after the Dow blasted through the 21,000 mark for the first time after his speech to Congress. “Since November 8th, Election Day, the Stock Market has posted $3.2 trillion in GAINS and consumer confidence is at a 15 year high. Jobs!” the Republican president wrote on Twitter. In an address to Congress on Tuesday night, Trump said he wanted to boost the U.S. economy with a “massive” tax relief and make a $1 trillion push on infrastructure, bets that have helped Wall Street scale fresh records since the election. CHICAGO

U.S. authorities raid Caterpillar’s Illinois facilities Federal law enforcement officials conducting a criminal probe of heavy machinery manufacturer Caterpillar Inc searched three of its facilities on Thursday, prompting a sharp sell-off in the company’s stock. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney Office for the Central District of Illinois, Sharon Paul, confirmed that federal law enforcement officials conducted searches at locations in Peoria, East Peoria and Morton, Illinois, but did not say why agents raided the three facilities.

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

n.c. FAST FACTS Sponsored by

Once known for a traditional economy built on tobacco, furniture and textiles, North Carolina has evolved to a global economy driven by knowledge-based industries. Biotechnology, energy, finance and information technology are just a few of the many business sectors that are rapidly growing and succeeding here, and a range of leading companies call our state home to their corporate headquarters. This week, we focus on the Business/Financial Services, Energy, and Food Processing industries, and highlight a few of our corporate headquarters: Approved Logos

Business and Financial Services North Carolina is the second-largest financial center in the nation because we invest in global connectivity and developing top-quality talent. Companies focused on business and financial services that have major operations here include AT&T, Bank of America, Microsoft, TIAA, Wells Fargo and many more. Energy The energy sector here is wide-ranging, from nuclear energy to smart grids, the state ranks second in growth in turbine manufacturing, third in fossil fuel power generation and fifth in semiconductor manufacturing. Food Processing North Carolina’s food and beverage manufacturing industry includes a variety of thriving clusters, including agriculture, the second-largest animal processing and manufacturing cluster, and the sixth-fastest growing confectionary production cluster. Corporate Headquarters The lowest corporate income tax rate in the Southeast, a low cost of living and four international airports are just a few of the reasons Bank of America, Lowe’s, Nucor, Sealed Air and many others are headquartered here. Source: Economic Development Partnership of N.C.

Competition for shoppers increase grocery store expansions Food Lion, Lidl and WalMart making additional investments in North Carolina By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal RALEIGH — Supermarkets and grocery store chains are taking notice that customers are looking for convenience in shopping, quality products at affordable prices, and a variety in the selection of goods. As 2017 gets underway, Food Lion and Wal-Mart have released plans to expand while European grocery chain, Lidl, is preparing to open sites across the state. Food Lion announced this week a plan to remodel 93 stores in the greater Greensboro market in 2017. The Salisbury based grocer has a goal of making shopping easier and more affordable for its customers, and thus will make a $178 million investment in its stores. This includes remodeling the stores, additional price investments throughout the year, and investments in associates and the community through their flagship program, Food Lion Feeds. “We’re proud to have been a part of the greater Greensboro community since 1968, and are excited to bring our newest format to this market,” said Food Lion President Meg Ham. “We look forward to making significant investments in our stores, our customers, our associates and our communities to offer a new grocery shopping experience. We want to ensure our customers can easily find fresh, quality products to nourish their families at affordable prices every day, delivered with car-

Food Lion is investing $178 million in Greensboro market expansions while Lidl prepares to open 13 stores across North Carolina this summer. ing, friendly service every time they shop,” she added. The Greensboro stores have already experienced product expansion, new registers, price investments and enhanced service. When the additional remodels are complete, customers will have stores designed for easier navigation and shopping to shorten the time spent in the store as well as an expanded variety of local products, natural and organic selections and healthier snack options. Greensboro is the fifth market to be remodeled since Food Lion launched its “Easy, Fresh and Affordable...You Can Count on Food Lion Every Day!” strategy. The stores are expected to be completed on a rolling basis between March and August 2017. Food Lion will continue to launch enhancements across its more than 1,000 stores in 2017, as well as remodel additional markets over time. The company has previously completed 142 stores in greater Charlotte, N.C., in 2016, 162 stores in the greater Raleigh, N.C., area in 2015, along with 76 stores in the greater Wilmington, N.C., and Greenville, N.C., markets in 2014. European grocer, Lidl, will be making its North Carolina debut this summer. A household named in Europe, the company operates

TRUMP from page D1 made Harley-Davidson Inc motorcycles, saying that the company was used to being “mistreated” in foreign markets. “They weren’t even asking for a change, but I am,” Trump told the joint session of Congress. Asked if Trump’s remarks on the topic effectively endorsed a plan by House of Representatives Republicans to levy a border tax of about 20 percent on imports into the United States, Ross said, “No, he did not.” “What he addressed was the issue that needs to be solved, which is there’s inequitable treatment of the U.S. Other countries have a value-added tax which they rebate on exports,” Ross said. He said the World Trade Organization has turned down past U.S. requests to allow American companies to deduct income taxes paid on exports. The proposed border tax is under attack from import-heavy businesses but is supported by large exporters, such as manufacturers. “Border advisability, other programs are possible ways of solving that. But I didn’t hear him coming out clearly in favor of any one system,” said Ross, who was sworn in earlier on Tuesday. Trump has not clearly endorse or opposed the border tax proposal, although he spoke favorably of it in a Reuters interview. He has also called the proposal “too complicated.” Asked if WTO compliance was a crucial factor in the solution, Ross, a billionaire investor and corporate turnaround expert, said that the first negotiation over export tax would be with Congress.

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Lidl grocery store is under construction in Wake Forest

about 10,000 stores in 27 countries. As it expands operations into the Eastern United States, the company already announced last year its investment of $125 million in Alamance County to build and operate a new regional headquarters and distribution center. With 13 stores opening across North Carolina in a few short months, the company is looking to fill 800 store positions which are among the 4,000 new associate positions the company plans to create by summer 2018. Store are finishing construction and currently hiring in the towns of Charlotte, Gastonia, Greenville, Havelock, Kinston, Morehead City, Rockingham, Rocky Mount, Sanford, Shelby, Wake Forest, Wilson and Winston-Salem. Salary for associate positions begin at $12 an hour plus benefits including: health, dental and vision, and a 401K retirement plan. Wal-Mart Stores Inc is running

spending from page D1

“The more time goes on, the more frustration will build up if it doesn’t come around quick enough.” — Sean McGarvey, president of North America’s Building Trades Unions

infrastructure measures by 25 percent, from $800,000 last year to $1 million this year. When O’Sullivan and McGarvey met with Trump in January, the conversation included specific projects such as the Keystone XL and the Dakota access pipelines, bridges, schools, hospitals and a wide variety of other projects, McGarvey said in a press call at the time. “We’ve had pretty regular communications since our meeting,” including top policy aide Stephen Miller and his staff, about twice a week, McGarvey told Reuters. Still, the administration has not put forward a specific plan, and congressional leaders have not committed to action this year. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, told reporters recently that he expects “some kind of recommendation on an infrastructure bill,” though he gave no other details. A Trump administration offi-

a new price-comparison test in at least 1,200 U.S. stores and squeezing packaged goods suppliers in a bid to close a pricing gap with German-based discount grocery chain Aldi and other U.S. rivals like Kroger Co, according to four sources familiar with the moves. Wal-Mart launched the price test across 11 Midwest and Southeastern states including North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois and Florida, focusing on price competition in the grocery business that accounts for 56 percent of the company’s revenue, said vendor sources with direct knowledge of the matter who did not wish to be identified for fear of disrupting business relations with Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart’s tests are aimed at finding the right price point across a range of products that will attract more shoppers, and then adjusting prices as needed.

cial said the White House is still weighing how infrastructure can best add economic capacity, as well as how to measure that. “Initially what we’re trying to do is make sure we’re thinking expansively and creatively,” an administration official said, including identifying how new technology such as drones and autonomous vehicles can help go beyond merely replacing aging infrastructure. The pro-infrastructure groups are adapting their traditional tactics to the Trump White House. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is redirecting more of its efforts to social media, hiring more staff to send messages through Facebook and Twitter. “Even five years ago it used to be you bought an ad in the Washington Post or the New York Times and that’s how you get your message across,” said Ed Mortimer, the executive director of transportation infrastructure at the chamber. “I did a Facebook live a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t even know what Facebook live was.”

98% of ALL Farms are Family Farms

ncfb.org

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

Biofuels could cut transport emissions — but food may be at risk Obstacles and opportunity lie ahead for emerging biofuels applications in global transport By Maina Waruru Reuters ABU DHABI - Growing use of electric vehicles around the world is helping lower climate changing emissions, but some means of transport will be hard to electrify, particularly air travel and shipping, energy experts say. To “decarbonise” those, the world will need to rapidly develop and bring to market biofuels – while trying to ensure they don’t crowd out food production, say the authors of a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). With “the right selection of the right raw material” about 12 percent of transport fuel could come from renewable sources by 2030, said Francisco Boshell, a technology analyst at IRENA and one of the report’s authors. The “right” materials might include forest waste such as sawdust, fast-growing trees, agricultural residue, algae and “high-energy” crops, such as grasses grown on degraded parcels of land around the world, Boshell said. “Biofuels have a vital role to play in the global transition to sustainable, renewable energy and, together with electric vehicles and the increase of renewables in the power mix, they can help us move away from petroleum use in passenger transport,” the report noted. Today biofuels are relatively expensive compared to fossil fuels such as oil and gas, but investing in innovation in their production and use could potentially reduce their costs by a third over the next three decades, the report said. To overcome cost problems countries need to come up with innovative technologies, craft favorable policies and develop business models to incentivise production and drive down prices, it said. Care however needs to be taken to ensure that biofuel expansion doesn’t result in farmland being turned from food production to biofuel production, Boshell said. Transport currently accounts for about a third the world’s energy use, half its oil consumption, and a fifth of its greenhouse gas emissions, the IRENA report said. Those numbers could rise with the number of vehicles on the roads estimated to grow from about 1.2 billion currently to as many

as 2 billion by 2030, it said. Aviation alone contributes nearly 3 percent of global carbon emissions, a share that is likely to grow in the future as economies develop, the report said. Existing biofuel production stands at 1 billion liters a year, or just 0.004 percent of current global fuel demand, IRENA experts said. Production plants at planning stage or under construction could potentially add another 2 billion liters per year of ethanol, methanol, mixed alcohol and jet fuels, the report’s authors noted. “The pace of production and investment will have to increase exponentially, and projects develop further afield, if advanced liquid biofuels are to fulfill their practical and economic potential for displacing fossil fuels,” they said. They attribute slow growth in investment in biofuels partly to low oil prices in recent years. European, North American and Latin American countries lead in alternative fuels production, the report said, noting that there is little production in African and Asian countries, except for Japan, China and South Korea. According to Rachel Kyte, chief executive of Sustainable Energy for All, an organization working to achieve 100 percent global access to sustainable energy by 2030, the best way to cut transport emissions is to focus on electrifying transport as much as possible. But shipping, aviation, mass transport systems and long haul transport – all significant contributors to global emissions – may need to rely on biofuels in order to meet carbon-cutting targets, she said. “The long-term future to decarbonising the transport sector lies in use of biofuels that have twice the efficiency of ordinary fuels,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Other ways to cut transport emissions could come from designing cities so that public transport is more efficient and by encouraging non-motorized forms of transport, Kyte said. One worry is that few new technologies are in the pipeline to reduce emissions from aviation, even as air travel expands as economies grow around the world, said Deger Saygin, a program officer at IRENA’s Innovation and Technology Centre. Projections also suggest that a third of the growth in demand for oil over the next 10 to 15 years will come from the trucking industry in Asia, he said.

TAKE NOTICE WAYNE

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE  16 SP 146

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 442

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Norlan Thomas Holcomb and Gladys P. Holcomb, (Gladys P. Holcomb, deceased) to Greg Fisher, Trustee(s), dated the 28th day of March, 2005, and recorded in Book 0718, Page 0478, in Yadkin 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 Yadkin 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 Yadkinville, Yadkin County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:30 AM on March 14, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of Knobs, in the County of Yadkin, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: All that certain lot or parcel of land situated in the City of Jonesville, Knobs Township, Yadkin County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows: Tract One: Adjoining T.M. Luffman on the South and running North 25 feet; thence West to the Old J.O. Pinnix Line ______ feet; thence South 25 feet to T.M. Luffmans’ A line, thence East with the said T.M. Luffman’s line, to the beginning.   Tract Two: Beginning at J.C. Talley’s corner on West side of Mineral Springs Alley runs South 17 degrees East 50 feet to an iron stake thence South 29.50 degrees West to a point, J.C. Pinnix’s line, thence with Pinnix’s line Westwardly about 50 feet to Talley’s back corner; thence North 50.30 degrees East 185 feet to the beginning.   Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 234 North Mineral Springs Drive, Jonesville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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.

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Anton Norvell and Larie Carlice Norvell to National Title Network, Trustee(s), dated the 16th day of November, 2012, and recorded in Book 2973, Page 19, in Wayne 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 Wayne 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 Goldsboro, Wayne County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 14, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Wayne, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: The land referred to herein below is situated in the County of Wayne, State of North Carolina, and is described as follows: Being all of Lot No. 84 of Sunridge, Section VI, as recorded in Plat Cabinet M, Slide 63-A, of the Wayne County Registry and being the identical property conveyed by deed recorded in Book 2427 at Page 602 in the Wayne County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 215 Starcrest Drive, Pikeville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1200056 (FC.FAY)

YADKIN NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 82

THomas Peter | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

A ship passes a petro-industrial complex in Kawasaki near Tokyo.

American Express escalates high-fee card competition Credit giant fending off advances by JPMorgan and Citigroup with bigger, bolder high-end user perks By David Henry Reuters NEW YORK — American Express Co will begin to offer this month $200 a year in Uber rides, plus other new perks, on its Platinum charge cards as it fights to protect its high-end market from JPMorgan Chase & Co and Citigroup Inc. The new Platinum benefits will include richer credits for spending, access to more airport lounges, special dining and entertainment options and free use by family members of an American Express Gold card, according to Janey Whiteside, general manager of Global Charge Products, Benefits & Services for American Express. The changes, which will start on March 30, will also raise the annual account fee for card holders to $550 from $450. Both JPMorgan and Citigroup, which has a $450-per-year Prestige card with its own mix of spending credits and perks, are using cards to try to eat away at American Express profit margins, which have long been higher than their own. The banks have also acted because banking regulations imposed after the financial crisis generally favor investing in card businesses over capital markets.

In August, JPMorgan stirred up the high-end card market when it introduced its $450-per-year Chase Sapphire Reserve card with an initial sign-up bonus worth as much as $1,500, plus $300 in annual travel credits and high credits for spending. The bank started making the cards out of metal to give them a luxurious feel. American Express will now start using metal for its Platinum cards. Since 1999 it has been using metal for its Centurion card which carries an annual fee of $2,500 on top of an initiation fee of $7,500. The new Platinum benefits include up to $200 of payments for Uber rides within the United States. The card already offers $200 in annual credits for airline fees. The increased competition has been a boon to websites such as NerdWallet.com and ThePointsGuy.com, which compare card costs and benefits from a consumer viewpoint. American Express began working on the changes in the Platinum card before JPMorgan brought out its Sapphire Reserve card, Whiteside said in an interview on Wednesday. “This is a response to listening to our customers,” she said. “We are always looking at ways to bring value to our card members.” American Express kicked off the premium card market in 1966 when it introduced its Gold card, Whiteside said. It brought out the Platinum card in 1984.

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Debra B. Frye to Scott A. Korbin, Trustee(s), dated the 7th day of August, 2003, and recorded in Book 621, Page 22, in Yadkin 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 Yadkin 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 Yadkinville, Yadkin County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:00 AM on March 14, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Yadkin, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: That 1.027 acre tract as shown on plat of survey for Jerry R. Sheets recorded in Plat Book 8, page 395, Yadkin County Registry to which reference is hereby made for a more complete description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 3021 Spillman Frye Lane, East Bend, North Carolina. Also conveyed herewith is all right, title, and interest the Grantor has in that road easement described in Deed Book 428, Page 691 and easement for access road described in Book 520, Page 459, to which reference is hereby made for am ore complete description. This is, in all respects, the same property as described in Deed Book 542, Page 552, Yadkin County Registry. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1185970 (FC.FAY)

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: 1199807 (FC.FAY)

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

TAKE NOTICE CATAWBA AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 14 SP 146 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Jason C. Cline and Amy M. Cline (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Jason Charles Cline and Amy Laura Martines) to Frances Jones, Trustee(s), dated the 3rd day of June, 2009, and recorded in Book 2975, Page 1196, in Catawba 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 Catawba 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 Newton, Catawba County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on March 7, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Catawba, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all and the full contents of Lot Number Four (4) of Joe Stamey Property, as shown on plat thereof recorded in Plat Book 32, Page 177, Catawba County Public Registry, and as described in Deed recorded in Book 2072, Page 917, Catawba County Public Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 2068 Hermit Trail, Newton, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1130812 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Matthew J. Lahtela, (Matthew J. Lahtela, deceased)(Heir of Matthew J. Lahtela: Rachele Anne Thompson Lahtela) to Richard H. Lester or G. Robert Turner, III, Trustee(s), dated the 6th day of January, 2006, and recorded in Book 2720, Page 1268, in Catawba 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 Catawba 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 Newton, Catawba County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on March 7, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Catawba, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lots Nos. 29 and 30 of the T.W. Isenhour lands as surveyed and platted by G. Sam Rowe, C.E., said plat being recorded in Plat Book 8, Page 71, Catawba County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 2115 49th Avenue Place North East, Hickory, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1190701 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 438 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Crystal L. Stallings AKA Crystal Stallings (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Crystal L. Stallings) to PBRE, Inc., Trustee(s), dated the 6th day of March, 2008, and recorded in Book 2897, Page 1378, and Modification in Book 3291, Page 1105, in Catawba 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 Catawba 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 Newton, Catawba County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on March 7, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of Caldwell, in the County of Catawba, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all that certain tract or parcel of land situated in Caldwell Township, Catawba County, North Carolina, and more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 1, containing 1.044 acres, according to a plat entitled “Family Subdivision of Carl C. and Paula T. Longacre, Caldwell Township, Catawba County, N.C.”, said plat being recorded in Plat Book 66, Page 80, Catawba County Registry, to which plat reference is made for a more complete description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 3780 Davis Road, Maiden, North Carolina. For Title Reference see Book 2859 at Page 838 in the Catawba County Public Registry. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1191346 (FC.FAY)

FORSYTH NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 1366 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by John A. Conrad, Jr., (John A. Conrad, Jr., deceased) (Heirs of John A. Conrad, Jr.: Lisa Graham Conrad, Paris Conrad, Anthony Conrad, Lytonya Murphy aka LaTonya Murray and Unknown Heirs of John A. Conrad, Jr.) (Paris Conrad, deceased) (Heirs of Paris Conrad: Linda Conrad and Unknown Heirs of Paris Conrad) to Philip R. Mahoney, Trustee(s), dated the 22nd day of November, 2010, and recorded in Book RE 2980, Page 4238, in Forsyth 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 Forsyth 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 Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 1:15 PM on March 8, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Forsyth, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 2, containing 1.099 acres, more or less, as shown on plat recorded in Plat Book 56, Page 87, in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Forsyth County, North Carolina, reference to which is hereby made for a more particular description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1242 Lyndale Drive, Winston Salem, North Carolina. TOGETHER WITH that 25 foot non-exclusive easement for ingress, egress and regress as described in Book 2709, Page 927, Forsyth County Registry. ALSO TOGETHER WITH a new 25 foot easement for ingress, egress and regress with full right of maintenance, as shown on the above reference plat. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1194873 (FC.FAY)

Johnston NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 706 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Carl J. Capps and Mary A. Capps, (Carl J. Capps and Mary A. Capps, both deceased) (Heirs of Mary A. Capps and Carl J. Capps) Stacey Carl Capps, William Lonnie Capps, Shawn Jackson Capps, Shannon Gay Capps Dupree and Angela Rene Capps) (Angela Rene Capps, deceased) (Heirs of Angela Rene Capps: Unknown Heirs of Angela Rene Capps) to William R. Echols, Trustee(s), dated the 18th day of July, 2005, and recorded in Book 2938, Page 314, in Johnston 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 Johnston 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 Smithfield, Johnston County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:00 AM on March 14, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of Pine Level, in the County of Johnston, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: LYING in Pine Level Township, Johnston County, NC, bounded on the north by a canal and Tract #5. Bounded on the south by the center of NCSR #1001 and bounded on the west by Tract 7A and portion of NCSR #2388 and being more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at an existing nail a corner of Tract 7A - Fannie Capps Division (unrecorded plat) which is located at the intersection of NCSR #1001 and NCSR #2368; thence the line runs along the east side of Tract 7A within the right of way line of NCSR #2338 to a point in the east edge of pavement over culverts a direction of North 15 degrees 41 minutes 32 seconds East and total distance of 551.70 feet to the common corner of Tract 6B, 40 and Tract #6; thence the line runs along a canal and with the line of Tract #5; South 24 degrees 36 minutes 51 seconds East 205.36 feet and South 56 degrees 23 minutes and 04 seconds East 295.99 feet to a point in the centerline of NCSR #1001; thence as centerline of NCSR #1001 a new line of Tract 6A now owned by Peggy Capps Bryant, South 63 degrees 17 minutes 35 seconds West 231.95 feet, South 64 degrees 21 minutes 58 seconds west 76.18 feet, South 68 degrees 43 minutes 38 seconds West 66.18 feet, South 77 degrees 53 minutes 29 seconds West 72.76 feet and South 66 degrees 38 minutes 37 seconds West 72.00 feet to the BEGINNING point end containing 2.482 acres, more or less, according to a survey and plat captioned SURVEY FOR PEGGY BRYANT, dated November 30, 1992, prepared by Dennis R. Blackmon, Registered Land Surveyed. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 2833 Lizzie Mill Road, Selma, North Carolina. See Book 2831, Page 130 and Book 1047, Page 299, both of the Johnston County Registry. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1198080 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 693 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Haley Nicole Fullerton and Chance Michael Mizzell, (Chance Michael Mizzell, deceased) to Allan B. Polunsky, Trustee(s), dated the 5th day of January, 2016, and recorded in Book 4703, Page 909, in Johnston 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 Johnston 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 Smithfield, Johnston County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:00 AM on March 14, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Johnston, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 50, Golden Lake Subdivision, as shown on a map recorded in Plat Book 48, Page 56, Johnston County Registry, to which plat reference is hereby made for a full and complete description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 308 Amber Lane, Willow Spring, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1196605 (FC.FAY)

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 157 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Steven R. Myers and Debora A. Myers to PRLAP, Inc., Trustee(s), dated the 7th day of May, 2007, and recorded in Book 3340, Page 395, in Johnston 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 Johnston 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 Smithfield, Johnston County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:00 AM on March 7, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Johnston, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 1, Millard & Millard Property as recorded in Plat Book 44, Page 305, Johnston County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1278 Campground Road, Selma, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1174090 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 747 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Robert Smith and Deborah Smith, (Robert Smith, deceased) (Heirs of Robert Smith: Deborah Smith and Unknown Heirs of Robert Smith) to PRC Division of Placer Title Company, Trustee(s), dated the 28th day of May, 2013, and recorded in Book 4304, Page 220, in Johnston 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 Johnston 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 Smithfield, Johnston County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 11:00 AM on March 14, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Johnston, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: The land described herein is situated in the State of North Carolina, County of Johnston, and is described as follows: Being all of that parcel on the Northern side of Happy Trails Drive, said parcel being described in a deed to Deborah Smith and Robert Smith, married, said deed dated 09-29-2005 and recorded in Book 2990, Page 340, Johnston County Registry. Reference to said instrument is hereby made for a more perfect description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 159 Happy Trails Drive, Angier, North Carolina. Parcel Number(s): 13-C-04-039-B Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1199319 (FC.FAY)

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

MECKLENBURG AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 15 SP 4795 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Jonathan Ford to Joan H. Anderson, Trustee(s), dated the 9th day of March, 2007, and recorded in Book 21922, Page 654, and Modification in Book 30047, Page 272, in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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 Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:30 PM on March 7, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Condominium Unit #60 Village Glen Condominium, Phase 1, Map 4 as described and designated in the Declaration of Condominium for Village Glen Condominium under the North Carolina Condominium Act (the “Declaration”) recorded in Book 15569 at Page 714 in the Plans of Village Glen Condominium set forth in Unit Ownership File No. 651; Together with the Currently Effective undivided percentage interest in and to said Common Areas and Facilities as set forth in said Declaration. Including the Unit located thereon; said Unit being located at 3127 Village Glen Lane, Unit #60, Charlotte, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1170959 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE Under and by virtue of the power and authority contained in a judgment bearing the caption “Bank of America, N.A., Plaintiff vs. Chad M. Richard; Spouse of Chad M. Richard; Dianna Queen; Spouse of Dianna Queen; Berewick Homeowners Association, Inc. and Substitute Trustee Services, Inc., Substitute Trustee Defendants” 16 CVS 17588 Mecklenburg 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 Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at the courthouse door and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 181 of Berewick, Phase 5B, Map 1 (Village of Evanton, Phase 2), same is shown on a map in Map Book 43, at Page 117 in the Office of the Register of Deeds of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. 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 2nd day of February, 2017. Susan R. Benoit, Commissioner Post Office Box 2505 Fayetteville, NC 28302 (910) 864-6888

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 15 SP 3604 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Bonnie B. Kegeris, Who Acquired Title as Bonnie L. Beal (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Bonnie L. Beal) to Scott R. Valby, Trustee(s), dated the 15th day of January, 2004, and recorded in Book 16738, Page 759, in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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 Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:30 PM on March 7, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot(s) 14, Phase I, Creekside Subdivision, recorded in Map Book(s) 22 Page(s) 370, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 7001 Streamside Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1165499 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 4756 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Christopher B. Marcy and Dwana M. Marcy (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Christopher B. Marcy and Dwana Marcy) to Donald P. Eggleston, Trustee(s), dated the 3rd day of July, 2013, and recorded in Book 28499, Page 980, in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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 Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:30 PM on March 14, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING known and designated as all of Lot 26 in Block 3 of the subdivision known as Steele Oaks, Phase II, Map 2, as same is shown on a map thereof recorded in the Mecklenburg County Public Registry in Map Book 21 at Page 845, reference to which is made for a more particular description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 4100 Coopersdale Road, Charlotte, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1199282 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 2361 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Terrence D. Noel and Cassandra Y. Noel to Holmsley, Jones, Gaines, Trustee(s), dated the 4th day of May, 2001, and recorded in Book 12216, Page 476, and Modification in Book 27639, Page 901, and Modification in Book 28445, Page 626, and Modification in Book 29937, Page 158, in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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 Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:30 PM on March 7, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 85 of Fox Glen, Map 5, as shown on a Map thereof recorded in Map Book 28 at Page 556, in the Mecklenburg County Public Registry; reference to which map is hereby made for a more particular description. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 11306 Glenstone Court, Charlotte, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1169987 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 3783 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Billie H. Owen to Trste, Inc., Trustee(s), dated the 25th day of May, 2005, and recorded in Book 18877, Page 206, in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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 Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:30 PM on March 14, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of unit No. 408, Phase 3 of BRANDYWINE CONDOMINIUMS (the “Unit”), as described in the Declaration and as shown on the Plan of condominium which is recorded in Unit Ownership File No. 144 of the Mecklenburg County Public Registry. Including the Unit located thereon; said Unit being located at 7230 Winery Lane, Charlotte, North Carolina. Together with a 2.09436% undivided interest in the common areas and facilities as described in the declaration. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1193128 (FC.FAY)

D5 NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 4702 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by David W. Henderson and Margie L. Henderson, (David W. Henderson, deceased) (Heirs of David W. Henderson: Margie L. Henderson and Unknown Heirs of David W. Henderson) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): David W. Henderson) to R. Dale Fussell, Trustee(s), dated the 9th day of April, 2004, and recorded in Book 17026, Page 721, in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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 Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:30 PM on March 7, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: All that certain lot or parcel of land situated in the city of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 26 in Block “L” of “University Park” further deed ref see Deed Book 13250 at Page 198 Meck County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 2013 Syracuse Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1196662 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 4666 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Trevor Lloyd Thomas, (Trevor Lloyd Thomas, deceased) (Heirs of Trevor Lloyd Thomas: Victoria Price, Harold Thomas and Unknown Heirs of Trevor Lloyd Thomas) to Leslie M. Webb, Trustee(s), dated the 21st day of April, 2014, and recorded in Book 29122, Page 541, in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg 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 Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:30 PM on March 14, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 295, MALLARD LAKE, Phase 1, Map 11, as the same is shown on a map thereof, recorded in Map Book 56, Page 1, Mecklenburg County Public Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 14314 Drake Watch Lane, Charlotte, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1198889 (FC.FAY)

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

D6 NEW HANOVER

ONSLOW

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 749

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 17 SP 7

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by William D. Cothren and Judy G. Cothren, (Judy D. Cothren, Deceased) (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): William D. Cothren) to Frederick Willets, III, Trustee(s), dated the 11th day of December, 2008, and recorded in Book 5363, Page 1837, in New Hanover 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 New Hanover 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 Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on March 7, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of New Hanover, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at a point in the southern right of way line of Bavarian Lane (Secondary Road (#1332) (30 feet from the center line thereof), said point being located South 78 degrees 34 minutes West 156.7 feet, South 87 degrees 05 minutes West 129.95 feet, South 86 degrees 41 minutes 45 seconds West 68 64 feet, North 89 degrees 58 minutes 30 seconds West 45 84 feet and North 88 degrees 22 minutes 30 seconds West 514 76 feet from the point of intersection of the southern right of way line of Bavarian Lane with the western right of way line of Secondary Road #1327 (30 feet from the center line thereof), running thence from said beginning point South 01 degree 37 minutes 30 seconds West 255 0 feet to a point, running thence North 27 degrees 54 minutes 45 seconds West 172 41 feet to a point, running thence North 01 degree 37 minutes 30 seconds East 105 0 feet to a point in the southern right of way line of Bavarian Lane, and running thence with the southern right of way line of Bavarian Lane, South 88 degrees 22 minutes 30 seconds East 85 0 feet to the point of beginning. Including the Unit located thereon; said Unit being located at 5520 and 5522 Bavarian Lane, Wilmington, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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.

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Kevin G. Cochran and Paige L. Kowatch to Pamela S. Cox, Trustee(s), dated the 14th day of October, 2010, and recorded in Book 3488, Page 227, in Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 16, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of Jacksonville, in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot Number 8 as shown on map entitled, “Final Plat, Eveyln’s Ridge, Jacksonville Township, Onslow County, NC” dated 01/04/10, surveyed by Quadrant Surveying, Inc. PA and recorded in Map Book 59, Page 98, Onslow County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1271 Murrill Hill Road, Jacksonville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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.

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 567 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Everett E. Divers and Debra B. Divers to John Cuomo, Trustee(s), dated the 27th day of March, 1998, and recorded in Book 2339, Page 503, in New Hanover 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 New Hanover 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 Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on March 14, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of New Hanover, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 274, Section 6, Monterey Heights, as shown on a map of same duly recorded in Map Book 18, Page 95 of the New Hanover County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 317 Santa Ana Drive, Wilmington, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1201897 (FC.FAY)

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 559 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Barbara A. Dease w/a/t/a Barbara Dease and Lance Dease (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Barbara A. Dease) to William R. Echols, Trustee(s), dated the 8th day of October, 2012, and recorded in Book 3866, Page 778, in Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 9, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of White Oak, in the City of Jacksonville, in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: The following described property: All that certain lot or parcel of land situated in the City of Jacksonville, White Oak Township, Onslow County, North Carolina, and more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 226 on that certain Plat entitled, “Final Plat, Aragona Village, Section XI-A, White Oak Township, Onslow County, North Carolina” dated 03/03/2009 prepared by Parker and Associates, Inc. for Piney Green Construction Company, Inc. and recorded in Map Book 58, Page 83, Onslow County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 301 Mulberry Lane, Jacksonville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1183312 (FC.FAY)

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 836

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 17 SP 14

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Gregorio Diaz to Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, Trustee(s), dated the 24th day of May, 2010, and recorded in Book 3408, Page 831, in Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 16, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Lying and being in Onslow County, North Carolina, and more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot2 as shown on that plat entitled “Final Plat Hill Farms, Section I” as recorded in Map Book 57, Page 102, Onslow County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 303 Combine Court, Richlands, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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.

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Aaron M. Hernandez (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Aaron Michael Hernandez) to Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, Trustee(s), dated the 1st day of December, 2006, and recorded in Book 2781, Page 724, in Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 16, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 9 a shown on that map entitled “Revision Map Showing Lot 9 Rocky Ridge Prepared for Randolph Thomas and Roland Humphrey”, prepared by John L. Pierce & Associates, P.A. and recorded in Map Book 39, Page 213, Slide K-679, Onslow County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 117 Kayla Court, Jacksonville, North Carolina. BEING THE SAME TRACT DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK PAGE Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1200760 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 17 SP 16 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Todd D. Evans and Michelle N. Evans to David W. Allred, Trustee(s), dated the 18th day of June, 1999, and recorded in Book 1557, Page 52, in Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 16, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 412C, Foxtrace Subdivision, Section 4, Phase 1, as will appear of record in Book of Maps 36, at Page 134, Slide J-881, Onslow County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 208 Parnell Road, Hubert, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1201304 (FC.FAY)

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 281 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Joseph L. Leal and Amber N. Leal (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Joseph L. Leal) to David W. Allred, Trustee(s), dated the 20th day of February, 2009, and recorded in Book 3184, Page 485, in Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 16, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of White Oak, in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEING all of Lot 2 as shown on that certain map entitled, “Final Plat Showing Cross Creek, Section I, White Oak Township, Onslow County, NC” prepared for Quality Land Investors, Inc , prepared by John L Pierce & Associates, P A , dated October 4, 2007 and recorded in Map Book 54, Page 90, Slide M-204, Onslow County Registry Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 345 Hadley Collins Road, Maysville, North Carolina. Subject to Restrictive and Protective Covenants recorded in Book 2989, Page 211, Onslow County Registry Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1176557 (FC.FAY)

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

ONSLOW AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 739 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Richard A. Maxwell to A. Grant Whitney, Trustee(s), dated the 26th day of May, 2011, and recorded in Book 3599, Page 885, and Modification in Book 4086, Page 411, in Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 16, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Lying and being on the Northern side of US Highway No. 17 about 2.5 miles Northeast of the city of Jacksonville and being all of Lot No. 18 as shown on that certain plat entitled, “Sunset Acres, Section II” dated May 1962 and prepared by LT Mercer, Registered Surveyor, a photostatic copy of which is recorded in Map Book No. 7 at Page No. 60 in the office of the Register of Deeds of Onslow County, North Carolina, and which is by this reference incorporated herein and made a part hereof for the purpose of providing a more complete and particular description: Being part of that certain tract of parcel of land conveyed to Delmar E. Houston by Deed dated February 12, 1962 and recorded in Book No. 310 at Page No. 444 in said registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 339 Sunset Road, Jacksonville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1179265 (FC.FAY)

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 858 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by William R. McAnelly, Jr. and Teresa C. McAnelly aka Teresa McAnelly (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): William McAnelly and Teresa McAnelly) to Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, Trustee(s), dated the 12th day of February, 2010, and recorded in Book 3360, Page 860, in Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 16, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of Jacksonville, in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: State of North Carolina, County of Onslow and describes as follows: Being all of Lot 78 as shown on that certain plat entitled, “Final Plat, Gateway, Section III-A, Jacksonville Township, Onslow County, North Carolina,” dated May 21, 1985 and recorded June 3, 1985 in Map Book 23 at Page 212, Onslow County Register. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 214 Pollard Drive, Jacksonville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1178961 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 1180

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 17 SP 13

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 17 SP 25

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Juan X. Pabon to Trustee Services of Carolina, LLC, Trustee(s), dated the 25th day of April, 2007, and recorded in Book 2862, Page 595, in Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 9, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 8A, Block C, as shown on a plat entitled “Section I, The Glen of Hunters Creek” as recorded in Map Book 22, Page 153, Onslow County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 1941 Rolling Ridge Drive, Jacksonville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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.

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Joshua M. Newton and Lakeisha C. Newton (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Joshua Malcolm Newton and Lakeisha Churlie Newton) to Stuart Clarke at Thorpe & Clark, Trustee(s), dated the 27th day of October, 2010, and recorded in Book 3494, Page 756, and Modification in Book 4140, Page 858, in Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 16, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of Richlands, in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 1 as depicted on a map entitled, “Final Plat showing Eagle Chase Richlands Twp., Onslow Co., NC” prepared by John L. Pierce & Associates, P.A., and recorded in Map Book 59, Page 133, Onslow County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 101 Eagle Ridge Drive, Beulaville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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.

Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by James A. Steen and Virginia S. Steen, (James A. Steen, deceased) to William R. Echols, Trustee(s), dated the 11th day of April, 2011, and recorded in Book 3579, Page 136, in Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 16, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at an iron stake in the eastern right of way of a 50foot road which is North 04 degrees 00 minutes East 453.58 feet from a point in the centerline of State Road 1107; said point located 858.15 feet measured in a southwest direction along the centerline of State Road 1107 from a nail and cap in the centerline intersection of the northern extension of State Road 1119; thence said beginning and following the eastern right of way of the 50-feet road North 04 degrees 00 minutes East; 196.01 to a point; thence South 87 degrees 35 minutes East 232.65 feet to a point in L. Williams line; thence following said line South 10 degrees 00 minutes West 197.67 feet to a point; thence leaving said line North 87 degrees 35 minutes West 211.98 feet to the point of beginning, containing 1.0 acre. ALSO included herewith is a joint access for purposes of ingress, egress and regress to the above-described lot over a 50-foot right of way lying along the western edge of said lot, the eastern right of way line of said right of way being a line that runs from a point in the centerline of NCSR No. 1107, which said point is located 858.15 feet as measured in a southwestwardly direction along the centerline of State Road No. 1107 from a nail and cap in the centerline intersection of the northern extension of NCSR No. 1119; thence the beginning point in the centerline of State Road No. 1107 above referred to along the eastern right of way line of said 50-foot right of way North 4 degrees 0 minutes East 1,105.02 feet to a point in the Southwestern right of way line of NCSR No. 1119, said right of way being the 50 feet adjacent to and west of said eastern right of way line running from NCSR No. 1107 to NCSR No. 1119, all as surveyed by James E. Stewart, P.E., November 27, 1973. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 120 Williams Road, Jacksonville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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.

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 1366 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by John Ricks aka John N. Ricks, a married man and Rejeana Ricks (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): John N. Ricks and Rejeana L. Ricks) to Stuart Clarke at Thorpe & Clark, Trustee(s), dated the 27th day of January, 2012, and recorded in Book 3719, Page 659, in Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 9, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: All that certain Lot or Parcel of land situated in the Onslow County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows: Beginning at an iron stake in the northern right of way line of Imperial Lane, a 50 foot ingress and egress easement as shown on a plat recorded in Map Book 27, Page 166, Onslow County Registry; said iron stake being located South 77 degrees 11 minutes 48 seconds West 87.22 feet from another iron stake in said northern right of way line of Imperial Lane, said iron stake being located South 83 degrees 25 minutes 08 seconds West 344.03 feet from another iron stake in said right of way line, said iron stake being located North 32 degrees 40 minutes 34 seconds West 39.38 feet from a fet mag nail located in the intersection of the centerline of NCSR 1105 with the centerline of Imperial Lane as shown on the aforesaid Map Book 27 , Page 166, Onslow County Registry; said fet mag nail being located approximately 0.9 miles from the intersection of NCSR 1105 with NC 53 when measured in a southerly direction; thence from said point of beginning and leaving the northern right of way of Imperial Lane and along and with the line of property now or formerly owned by Sharon Matteson as described in Deed Book 2176, Page 484, Onslow County Registry North 31 degrees 23 minutes 06 seconds West 4.38 feet to an iron stake in the said Matteson line; thence continuing along and with said Matteson line North 27 degrees 02 minutes 27 seconds West 242.42 feet to an iron stake, a common corner between the property now or formerly owned by Sharon Matteson and property either now or formerly owned by Michael Caley as described in Deed Book 1758, Page 973, Onslow County Registry; thence cornering and running South 52 degrees 28 minutes 06 seconds West 139.32 feet to an iron stake; thence cornering and running South 17 degrees 27 minutes 58 seconds East 181.27 feet to an iron stake in the northern right of way line of Imperial Lane; thence along and with the northern right of way line of Imperial Lane North 77 degrees 15 minutes 22 seconds East 172.83 feet to an iron stake in the northern right of way line of Imperial Lane, the point and place of beginning, containing 0.75 acres, more or less as shown on a survey by Gairy Canady Surveying dated August 14, 2008, and being the same property as described in Deed Book 1320, Page 826, Onslow County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 122 Imperial Lane, Jacksonville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1200010 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 1368 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Patricia M. Sonner to Dennis F. Hardiman of Bristol County, RI, Trustee(s), dated the 16th day of May, 2005, and recorded in Book 2451, Page 265, in Onslow 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 Onslow 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 Jacksonville, Onslow County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 9, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of Swansboro, in the County of Onslow, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: All that certain lot or parcel of land situated in Swansboro Township, Onslow County, North Carolina, and more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 9, Quail Point, Part II, as recorded in Map Book 14, Page 61, Onslow County Registry, North Carolina. Together with improvements thereon located; said property being located at 131 Youpon Drive, Hubert, North Carolina. Subject to Restrictive Covenants of record. Being the same property conveyed to Patricia M. Sonner, surviving Spouse of William L. Sonner, who acquired title as tenants by the entirety by Deed from Pen Properties, Inc., recorded 08/27/1984 in Deed Book 707 Page 83, in the Register of Deeds Office of Onslow County, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1192936 (FC.FAY)

PENDER NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 14 SP 38 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by James Michael Gore, II to W.J. Kellam, Jr., Trustee(s), dated the 14th day of September, 2007, and recorded in Book 3316, Page 87-101, in Pender 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 Pender 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 Burgaw, Pender County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 2:00 PM on March 14, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Pender, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: In Pender County: Being all of Lot 41 of Green Acres, as shown upon that map of said Subdivision recorded in the Pender County Registry in Map Book 23 at Page 84. Which is affixed and attached to the Real Property and is part of the Real Property Together with improvements thereon said property located at 519 Green Acres Drive, Hampstead, NC 28443 Parcel ID: 3283-24-3483-0000 Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1119300 (FC.FAY)

North State Journal for Saturday, March 4, 2017

D8 PENDER AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 139 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by George Richard Thompson III and Linda K. Thompson (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): George Richard Thompson, III and Linda Kay Thompson) to Kellam and Pettit, Trustee(s), dated the 13th day of May, 2015, and recorded in Book 4581, Page 0079, in Pender 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 Pender 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 Burgaw, Pender County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 2:00 PM on March 14, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of Topsail, in the County of Pender, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Lying and being in Topsail Township, Pender County, North Carolina, and more particularly described as follows: Beginning at a new iron pipe at the intersection of the eastern right of way line of Blue Jay Lane with the northern right of way line of Center Drive, as shown on a map entitled Map of Survey, Washington Acres, Road Dedications for Section 11 (eleven) as recorded in Map Book 28 at Page 21 of the Pender County Registry; running thence from said beginning point with the eastern right of way line of Blue Jay Lane, North 9 degrees 00 minutes 32 seconds East 180.30 feet to a new iron pipe at the northern end of Blue Jay Lane as shown on said map; running thence a new line South 76 degrees 34 minutes 00 seconds East 115.35 feet to a new iron pipe; running thence another new line, parallel to Blue Jay Lane, South 9 degrees 00 minutes 32 Seconds West 180.30 feet to a new iron pipe in the northern right of way line of Center Drive; running thence with the northern right of way line of Center Drive, North 76 degrees 34 minutes 00 seconds West 115.35 feet to the beginning point and containing 20,735.6 square feet and being known as Lot 8 Rev. of Section 11B (eleven B) of Washington Acres as resurveyed, revised, and described by Johnie C. Garrason, Professional Land Surveyor on August 20, 2001. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 610 Center Drive, Hampstead, North Carolina. The above lot was revised to bring the parcel into compliance with county zoning and subdivision regulations and revises the lot indicated as Lot 8 in a deed from Washington Acres, Inc. to Carolina Properties, Unlimited, Inc. recorded in Book 1078 at Page C46, Pender County Registry. Togetherwithaneasementforegressandingressoverandacrossboth BlueJayLaneandCenterDriveasshownontheabovementionedmap. The above described lot is subject to the restrictions recorded in Book 481 at Page 49 of the Pender County Registry, with the set backs required to be in accordance with the Pender County Zoning Restrictions in effect on September 18, 1995, if more restrictive. And subject, further, to the following additional restrictions: 1. The enclosed dwelling area of the house constructed on the hereinabove described lot shall be a minimum of 1800 square feet, The term “enclosed dwelling area” as used in the minimum requirements shall be the total enclosed area within a dwelling; provided, however, that such term does not include garages, terraces, decks, open porches, and like areas; provided, further, that shed type porches, even though attached to the house, are specifically excluded from the definition of the aforesaid term “enclosed dwelling area”. 2. The house constructed on the hereinabove described lot may have a stucco exterior provided, however, that an stucco shall be on a masonry wall only. 3. No animals, livestock or poultry of any kind shall be raised, bred or kept on any lot in the subdivision, except that dogs, cats or other household pets may be kept for the purpose of providing companionship for the private family. Animals are not to be raised, bred or kept for commercial purposes or for food. It is the purpose of these prevision to restrict the use of any lot so that no person shall quarter on said lot cows, horses, bees, hogs, sheep, goats, guinea fowls, chicks, geese, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, skunks, snakes, or any other animals that may interfere with the quietude, health or safety of the community. No more than two (2) household pets will be permitted on any lot. Pets must be restrained or confined on the homeowner’s back lot inside a fenced area or within the house, except for cats. It is the pet owner’s responsibility to keep the lot clean and free of pet debris. All animals must be properly tagged for identification. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1185965 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 17 SP 4 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Bethlyn J. Head to PRLAP, Inc., Trustee(s), dated the 27th day of April, 2005, and recorded in Book 2647, Page 006, in Pender 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 Pender 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 Burgaw, Pender County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 2:00 PM on March 14, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Pender, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lots 13 & 14, of Bridgegate Subdivision, Section 1, revised as the same is shown by plat recorded in Plat Book 25, Page 24, Pender County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 110 Shelly Road, Hamptsead, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1201792 (FC.FAY)

WILSON NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 245 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Danny M. Phenix and Jacqueline R. Phenix to Louis W. Jennings and Latisa M. Head, Trustee(s), dated the 28th day of July, 2000, and recorded in Book 1773, Page 137, in Wilson 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 Wilson 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 Wilson, Wilson County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 12:00 PM on March 14, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Wilson, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot 29 as shown upon a Plat entitled “Airport Park, Section 4” of record in Plat Book 27, Page 169, Wilson County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 3406 Appleberry Court, Wilson, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1188166 (FC.FAY)

RANDOLPH NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 15 SP 503 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by George K. Caesar and Dorothy L. Caesar to Radey and Layton, Trustee(s), dated the 1st day of April, 2005, and recorded in Book RE 1917, Page 2605, 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 23, 2016 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Randolph, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot no. 10 of the BEAVER DAM SUBDIVISION, as shown on plat thereof recorded at Plat Book 35, Page 49, Randolph County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 527 Beaver Dam Road, Liberty, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1172566 (FC.FAY)

AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 292 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Andrew J. Valko and Leah Brooke Valko (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Andrew J. Valko) to Vance C. Dalton, Jr., Trustee(s), dated the 15th day of January, 2013, and recorded in Book RE2321, Page 114, 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 March 14, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of Liberty, in the County of Randolph, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: Liberty Township, Randolph County, North Carolina: Being all of Lot Nos. 3 and 4, Section 1, Butler Acres, filed in Plat Book 15, Page 94, recorded 3/1/1973. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 8175 Old Liberty Road, Liberty, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1186915 (FC.FAY)

NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 17 SP 18 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by David Aaron White to John C. Warren, Trustee(s), dated the 21st day of December, 2006, and recorded in Book RE2004, Page 2825, and Modification in Book 2482, Page 1173, 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 March 7, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the County of Randolph, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: BEGINNING at an existing iron pipe in the 60 foot right of way of NCSR 1411 (Jarvis Miller Road), said point being located 389.12 feet from the centerline of SR 1412; thence from said beginning point and with the right of way of NC SR 1411 the following courses and distances: South 61 degrees 18 minutes 30 seconds West 58 20 feet to a point; South 54 degrees 09 minutes 38 seconds West 84.04 feet to a point, South 39 degrees 08 minutes 29 seconds West 77 32 feet to a point; and South 30 degrees 49 minutes 17 seconds West 80.24 feet to an existing iron pipe; thence leaving the said right of way and cutting through the Warren C. and Evelyn Wall property North 03 degrees 45 minutes 35 seconds East 698.07 feet to a new iron pipe in the original Wall line, said point also being located in the line of Lacy J. Walker; thence with the Walker line South 65 degrees 20 minutes 00 seconds East 127.40 feet to a new iron pipe; thence leaving the Walker line and through the Wall property South 6 degrees 12 minutes 17 seconds East 439.95 feet to the point and place of the BEGINNING and containing 2.000 acres, more or less. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 811 Jarvis Miller Road, Asheboro, North Carolina. See survey by Henley Surveying and Mapping Services dated October 20, 1992 and entitled “Warren C. and Evelyn Wall”. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1201267 (FC.FAY)

WAYNE AMENDED NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE 16 SP 254 Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in a certain Deed of Trust made by Steven C. Davidson and Michelle D. Davidson (PRESENT RECORD OWNER(S): Steven Davidson and Michelle Davidson) to William R. Echols, Trustee(s), dated the 13th day of April, 2012, and recorded in Book 2924, Page 303, in Wayne 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 Wayne 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 Goldsboro, Wayne County, North Carolina, or the customary location designated for foreclosure sales, at 10:00 AM on March 7, 2017 and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following real estate situated in the Township of Saulston, in the County of Wayne, North Carolina, and being more particularly described as follows: The land referred to in the Commitment is described as follows: All the certain lot or parcel of land situated in the Saulston Township Wayne County, North Carolina and more particularly described as follows: Being all of Lot No. 19 Section II Sunridge Subdivision as depicted in Plat Cabinet L. Slide 61-B, Wayne County Registry. Together with improvements located thereon; said property being located at 206 Sunridge Lane, Pikeville, North Carolina. Trustee may, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, delay the sale for up to one hour as provided in NCGS §45-21.23. 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 Hundred 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: 1187689 (FC.FAY)