North State Journal — Vol. 2., Issue 21 by North State Journal

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 21

www.NSJONLINE.com |

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Inside Sons of MLB stars thriving in NC Sports, Page 4

Eamon Queeney | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Travelers come and go along the concourse of Terminal 2 at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

the Wednesday

News BRIEFing

Trump releases budget priorities Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump wants to cut $3.6 trillion in government spending over the next decade, according to his budget plan unveiled on Tuesday. Republicans say they see common ground in the plan which prioritizes infrastructure and military and cuts foreign aid. Drawing criticism from Democrats, the budget cuts more than $950 billion from Medicaid and food stamps, but does not cut Social Security and Medicare. The plan relies on three percent economic growth through Trump’s first term and is part of his plan to cut business taxes to 15 percent and reduce the number of personal tax brackets. , “Yes, you have to have compassion for folks who are receiving the federal funds, but also you have to have compassion for the folks who are pa`ying it,” said Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s budget office director.

Federal role in education may shrink with new executive order Washington, D.C. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said expanding school choice is high on her list of priorities, but it won’t come from Washington. She also said that choice opponents have “chilled creativity.” Her comments come a week after Trump issued an executive order for her to lead a 300day review of the federal role in school policy and make recommendations for change. DeVos is scheduled to testify before Congress on the education budget later this week.

INSIDE

Shipt moves grocery shopping online the good life

20177 52016 $2.00

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

Senate budget puts $90 million into regional airports With reduced funding from D.C. for airports and improvements needed, lawmakers say new cash streams are necessary to compete for jobs By Donna King North State Journal DURHAM — While the N.C. House prepares to release it’s budget later in the week, the one the N.C. Senate approved early Friday morning contained $90 million in state money for regional airports across the state. Senators say the funding is to bring infrastructure up to speed and keep the state’s economy moving. Part of the mon-

PETER NICHOLLS | North State Journal

People take part in a vigil for the victims of an attack on concert goers at Manchester Arena, in central Manchester, Britain.

Police name Manchester suicide bomber, security tightens worldwide Twitter accounts affiliated to jihadists have posted celebratory messages, with some users encouraging similar attacks By Julia Fioretti Reuters MANCHESTER, England — British police on Tuesday identified the suicide bomber who killed 22 people, including children, in an attack on a crowded concert hall in Manchester, England, and said they were trying to establish whether he had acted alone or with help from others. The suspected attacker was identified as 22-year-old Salman Abedi. Two U.S. officials who have been in contact with British authorities said he was believed to have traveled to Manchester from London by train. “Our priority, along with the police counter-terrorism network and our security partners, is to continue to establish whether he was acting alone or working as part of a wider network,” Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said. Police raided houses in the northern English city and arrested a 23-year-old man after Monday evening’s attack, the deadliest in BritSee MANCHESTER, page A8

“This attack stands out for its appalling sickening cowardice, deliberately targeting innocent, defenseless children and young people who should have been enjoying one of the most memorable nights of their lives.” — Prime Minister Theresa May

ey is from taxes paid on rental cars that used to go into the state’s General Fund. Under the Senate’s budget it would go into the State Highway Fund for airports. It represents a big shift because for years airports in N.C. have been funded primarily through federal money collected by taxes on tickets. With ticket prices stagnating, federal funding is drying up. “We are talking about a serious economic driver and it hasn’t had to be a state priority because it’s been a federal funding issue,” said Ches McDowell, lobbyist for the N.C. Airport Association. “We have to fundamentally change how airports are funded; See AIRPORTS, page A3

82nd Airborne’s centennial the highlight of 2017 All American Week Fort Bragg celebrates paratroopers past and present By Cory Lavalette North State Journal FORT BRAGG — Started in 1986, All American Week honors the soldiers who have been part of the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division with a series of events, competitions and memorials that welcome back former military members and bring civilians to Fort Bragg for four days. This year’s event is special in that it’s the 100th anniversary of

the 82nd Airborne. The division is the U.S. Army’s quick-action force, able to mobilize, load and land anywhere in the world in less than 36 hours, making it an essential facet of the country’s military and humanitarian efforts. Formed after World War I in 1917, the 82nd Airborne has been part of operations in World War II (including the invasion of Normandy), Vietnam, Grenada, the Persian Gulf War, post-Sept. 11 operations in the Middle East, and countless others, along with relief efforts following catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina and See 82nd Airborne, page A2

PHOTO BY SGT. JESSE LEGER

Paratroopers assigned 2nd Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division participate in the Best Squad Competition at Fort Bragg.

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

A2 Wednesday

05.24.17 #77

“Elevate the conversation” Visit North State Journal online! nsjonline.com jonesandblount.com nsjsports.com carolinabrewreview.com chickenbonealley.com

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Catch your favorite NSJ editors on TV and radio regularly on these broadcasts: Front Row with Marc Rotterman and Donna King UNC-TV Friday at 8:30 p.m. NC Channel, Friday at 9:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. The Chad Adams Show Opinion Editor Drew Elliot Mondays at 10 a.m. chadadamsshow.com. 99.9 The Fan Sports Editor Will Brinson Reporter’s Roundtable, Time-Warner Cable News Capital Reporter, Jeff Moore Tuesdays at 7 p.m.

North State Journal (USPS PP 166) (ISSN 2471-1365) Neal Robbins Publisher Donna King Managing Editor Drew Elliot Opinion Editor Will Brinson Sports 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.

Observatory brings the night into focus “We hope this become a destination for visitors to our area. We are offering visitors the opportunity to see parts of the universe that they can’t see any other way.” — Dr. John C. Boyd, Mayland Community College president

Mayland CC opens IDA Star Park By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal URNSVILLE — Many who look up into the night sky are B searching for the beauty of shin-

ing stars, constellations such as the Big Dipper or glimpses of the rings around Saturn. The night sky illuminates the Earth below and telescopes provide a scientific tool for viewing the atmosphere beyond Earth. North Carolinians can view celestial objects and phenomena through a telescopic lens with the opening of the Bare Dark Sky Observatory at the Mayland Earth to Sky Park, the first International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) certified Star Park in the southeastern United States. Overseen by Mayland Community College in Yancy County, the Bare Dark Sky Observatory is named for Warren and Larissa Bare and will officially open June 1 at 4 p.m. The new observatory allows community members an opportunity to experience the wonders of the universe, while providing astronomy students with hands-on learning opportunities in addition to hosting classes, field trips, astronomer club events and viewings for the public. “This is important to Mayland Community College so we can invite others who live under light polluted skies to come and experience the difference in actually seeing the night sky,” said Jon Wilmesherr, director of Academic Support Services and Learning Resources Center. “This is the only IDA Star Park in the world that is run by an educational institution. Dark skies are a threatened natural resource. Most people living in the United States today have never even seen the Milky Way. If we do not reach this generation, it could be that soon people will not know to look for the stars.” The IDA is a nonprofit organization that advocates for the protection of the night sky, educates the public on astronomy and promotes environmentally responsible outdoor lighting, and empowers the

82ND AIRBORNE from page A1 the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Thousands of 82nd Airborne soldiers are serving overseas now, and in late April it was announced approximately 1,500 soldiers from the division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team would be deployed to Afghanistan in the U.S.’s ongoing efforts against the Taliban and Islamic State. All American Week has honored the soldiers both at Fort Bragg and abroad, past and present, for more than two decades, though the festivities were not held in four of the last 15 years (2003, 2006, 2010 and 2012) because of military conflicts.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAYLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE

A StarStructure Newtonian telescope sits inside the Bare Sky Park Observatory at the Mayland Earth to Sky Park. The telescope is the largest telescope in the Southeast United States.

public with tools and resources to help bring back the night. The organization reports that 13 percent of residential electricity use in the United States is from outdoor lighting. The organization works to guard against skyglow, the artificial brightness of the night sky that’s caused by light pollution. Annually, $3 billion worth of energy is lost to skyglow. “The IDA has a strict application process that requires objective and subjective evaluations of the night sky as well as numerous lightening restrictions,” said Wilmesherr. “We were the 15th Star Park in the world, and satisfied the lighting requirements by changing all of our outdoor lighting at the park to LED lights that are fully shielded and controlled by motion detectors. Many areas self-proclaim to be in dark skies, but the IDA certification means that the park has been verified to indeed be a dark sky area.” The Bare Dark Sky Observatory sits at an elevation of 2,736 feet and offers a 360-degree view. In addition, it houses the “Sam Scope” an f/3.6 StarStructure Newtonian telescope, with a 34-inch (0.86 meter) mirror, named in memory of Samuel Phillips. The telescope is the largest telescope in the Southeast as part of the IDA dedicated for public use for educational and public outreach activities. “We hope this become a destina-

The name of the event was born from the 82nd Airborne’s nickname, the All American Division, which came from the fact its first members came from 48 states (prior to Hawaii and Alaska becoming states). The nickname is reflected in the 82nd Airborne’s patch, the “AA” with “Airborne” arced above it. The 100th celebration of the 82nd Airborne kicked off Monday at 6:30 a.m. with the Division Run. Reports said about 15,000 participated in the four-mile run, which included helicopter formations flying overhead, artillery fire and 7,300 boots that represent all of the U.S. service members who have died since the Sept. 11, 2001,

tion for visitors to our area. We are offering visitors the opportunity to see parts of the universe that they can’t see any other way,” said Mayland Community College President Dr. John C. Boyd. “We invite North Carolinians to come see the Bare Dark Sky Observatory, our community, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the mountains. It’s a beautiful place to come live or visit, and this is a way we can share that with others.” The project totaled approximately $360,000 with funding for the telescope was provided by the Samuel L. Phillips Family Foundation. Mayland Community College also has a planetary telescope used for viewing the different planets. “MCC offers both curriculum classes in astronomy as well as continuing education courses in the proper use of telescopes,” added Wilmesherr. “Soon we will be offering astrophotography courses as well. Having world-class telescopes under genuine dark skies is wonderful combination for offering high-quality educational experiences.” The public is invited to tour the Bare Dark Sky Observatory and see the telescopes during the opening event on Thursday. Educational videos, outdoor games and tours of the Earth to Sky Park will be available. Of course, visitors are welcome throughout the year to come by and explore.

attacks. It was followed by the Paratrooper Breakfast where members of the 82nd Airborne and veterans meet and greet over mess hall cuisine. Several picnics and get-togethers throughout the week allow veterans and current soldiers to meet with their regiments. Tuesday’s events opened with a 9 a.m. prayer breakfast and ended with a 7 p.m. Fun Run, and people were also given the chance to try out the division’s 34-foot jump tower. All week the units and paratroopers compete in various “friendly” sporting events. A 10mile race, tug of war, softball, soccer and flag football games, and

Bare Dark Sky Observatory will officially open June 1 at 4 p.m.

combat fitness testing are some of the offerings, with boxing and combatives final matches coming Wednesday evening. Fallen soldiers were set to be honored Wednesday, with wreath layings for those lost in Vietnam and Operation Power Pack (part of the U.S.’s intervention into the Dominican Civil War in 1965). There is also a planned memorial service at the 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum. The highlight of the celebration will likely be Thursday’s Airborne Review, where transport aircraft will drop heavy equipment and countless paratroopers (more than 1,400 jumped last year) at the Sicily Drop Zone.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Lt. Gov. Forest presses ahead under new governor Forest talked with North State Journal about education, court decisions and 2020 aspirations

NC poised to ‘Raise the Age’ with details still unclear House passed legislation last week, Senate includes language in budget By Mollie Young North State Journal

By Jeff Moore North State Journal

ALEIGH — Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, fresh into his second term, sat down with North State Journal to discuss everything from education and recent court decisions, to the differing dynamic under a new governor and possible political aspirations come 2020. “It’s obviously different,” said Forest, a Republican, of his relationship with new Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper compared to Pat McCrory. “But it doesn’t change what we do on a daily basis. It certainly changes how we react and communicate with the governor’s office and the things the governor does and says obviously there’s going to be more reactionary commentary out there from us. It’s just the way it’s got to be. “We have a cordial relationship. We talk on occasion. We’ve had breakfast one time,” Forest added. “We agree to communicate on things and we do that; we both pick up the phone and call each other on things and then we just agree to disagree on policy issues for the most part.” One of disagreements is Cooper’s continued focus on LGBT issues that emanated from the House Bill 2 saga as the governor recently teased coming executive action on protected class status. “I think the interesting part of that is he ran a campaign on getting rid of H.B. 2 and getting that behind us, getting rid of the black eye of all that, that sort of thing,” said Forest. “And here he comes wanting to drag it all back out of the closet again and start another fight. It’s really kind of interesting that that would be the first big initiative that he wants to pull off.” Much like H.B. 2, other legislation, from voter ID to redistricting, has been subject to a torrent of court opinions. Forest believes state sovereignty is at risk as the judicial branch increasingly is at the center of legislative issues. "[Democrats] discovered a long time ago that they couldn’t win legislatively so they had to win in the courts, so they started stacking all their courts,” said Forest. “We used to have one of the most conservative federal district courts in the fourth circuit in Richmond [Va.], and now it’s the most liberal.” Forest thinks legislative bodies should do more to push back against an “over-activist judiciary in America” on issues like voter ID and redistricting. “It’s an opinion of the courts, it’s not the law of the land,” asserted Forest. “Any judicial body, whether it’s a local court, a federal district court or the Supreme Court, when they write an opinion it says at the bottom of that ‘this is an opinion of the court,’ it doesn’t say this is the law of the land. So when the legislature does their job, when the Congress does their

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Lt. Gov. Dan Forest poses for a portrait in his office in the Hawkins-Hartness House.

“This is not about building the kingdom of government. Government doesn’t have the solutions. It’s not going to have the solutions.” — Lt. Gov. Dan Forest

job, they can look at that opinion and say, ‘Thank you very much for your opinion, we’re going to go create the law.’ That’s really what should be happening in America and we’ve been abdicating our responsibilities to the courts, we’ve been kicking the can down the road and saying ‘let the courts decide.’ That is not what legislatures are hired to do, [to] let the courts decide.” However, Forest believes the N.C. General Assembly will have another crack at voter ID, and that, despite recent court opinions on redistricting, the current process is the most reasonable. “It’s done in the most efficacious way,” said Forest about redistricting. “The party that’s in

charge gets to be in charge of that process. You have to follow certain rules to be able to do that. ... Obviously you try to keep counties together, you try to keep ZIP codes together, and that’s what these maps generally look like. The Democrats were in charge for 140 years and they never said we need a bipartisan, unbiased panel of citizens to draw these — they weren’t saying that then.” On education, Forest hopes to continue his drive for sparking innovation instead of mere appropriations. “I’m a business guy, so outcomes are important to me, too,” stated Forest. “I feel that way about education. All we talk about are inputs in education ... we’re not talking about the results. We just ignore that year after year, decade after decade, and say, ‘Well, it’s just a poor community, just give them more money.’ That’s not the solution. It hasn’t worked for decades, it’s not going to work now, so we’re doing some innovative things.” Could Forest be looking forward to pursuing innovative educational initiatives in a higher role come 2020? ‘I’m term limited,” answered Forest coyly. “This is my last term as lieutenant governor and we’ll see what happens from there.”

RALEIGH — Given the broad support across state government, it is looking very likely that 16- and 17-year-olds will soon be classified as juveniles in the North Carolina criminal justice system. The change comes as N.C. is the last state not to have passed “raise the age” legislation; however, the timeline, method and cost to taxpayers is still not entirely clear. Last week the N.C. House passed House Bill 280, called the “Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act,” in an overwhelming 104-8 vote. The stand-alone raise the age bill would ensure that all 16- and 17-year-olds are handled by the juvenile courts by Dec. 1, 2019. A rough fiscal impact written by the General Assembly’s nonpartisan legislative staff estimates that the measure will cost the state $25.3 million this year, mostly to help break ground on “I still do not a new youth detention center. Costs are estimated to increase have an answer to $44 million by 2020. for where the During the floor debate last funding is Wednesday, a handful of conservative members voiced concerns coming from about passing a bill without a ... Why are we complete financial picture. “I still do not have an answer going to pass a for where the funding is coming bill if we can’t from,” said Rep. Beverly Boswell (R-Dare). “Why are we going to complete our pass a bill if we can’t complete task?” our task?” Rep. Chuck McGrady (R-Henderson), a primary sponsor of — Rep. Beverly the bill and one of the head state Boswell (R-Dare) budget writers, reassured her that the final numbers would be included in the final state budget. And while Senate leaders appear to support the advancement of the issue, they have indicated that they may not fully support the vehicle of House Bill 280. Instead, the Senate included a provision that would raise the age by 2020 — one year later than the House proposal — in their budget that passed the chamber late last week. “The fact that it is in our budget indicates there is broad support on this issue” said Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) at a press conference on May 9. “I think that when all is said and done with this General Assembly, something will be done about that.” The debate about initial costs of raising the age is largely related to the need for additional staff within the court system. The Senate has funded a total of 56 new deputy clerks of court and 37 new assistant district attorneys at a cost of about $5.4 million a year. House leaders, including McGrady, agree that more support is needed but have indicated that they believe the Senate has fallen short in their estimates. A final element of raising the age that will need to be clarified by the end of the budget process is whether or not the legislature will establish a new agency specific for adult and juvenile corrections. The Senate has included language and funding that will transfer jurisdiction over inmates from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to a new executive-level Department of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice by July 1, 2018. Currently, DPS manages inmates under either the Division of Adult Correction or the Division of Juvenile Justice. The House is expected to release their budget proposal within the next week, helping to fill in the funding differences between House and Senate leaders and potentially frame the final raise the age debate.

RDU from page A1 that’s what the legislature has made a priority to do,” McDowell added. “Sen. [Bill] Rabon, especially, believes that airports are a big part of transportation infrastructure and a part of creating jobs in manufacturing and other industries here.” Among the allocations would be more than $2 million for the Fayetteville Regional Airport, $14.3 million for Piedmont Triad International Airport, and $52.6 million for Raleigh-Durham International Airport toward runway improvements. The other airports say that they plan to improve taxiway lighting and make runway and ramp improvements. Wilmington International Airport would get nearly $12 million for their proposed $80 million improvement program that includes a terminal expansion and a parking garage. Charlotte Douglas International Airport was not listed among those airports to receive funds but could be in future allocations. At Raleigh-Durham International Airport, just outside the state’s capital city, airport officials say the money is critical to keep up with the increasing demands for international flights. They say that they will put the money toward a $300 million project to replace the main runway. RDU

“The federal funding system alone cannot be relied upon to help our state compete for jobs and business investment.” — Michael Landguth, RDU president and CEO

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

A United Airlines flight takes off while another Delta flight taxis on the runway at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The N.C. Senate has proposed a budget that contains $90 million in state money for regional airports across the state to improve infrastructure.

serves 11 million travelers a year and 30,000 a day. If the runway is not replaced, officials say, nonstop flights to the West Coast, London and Paris could be at risk. “This is welcome news to airports, communities and travelers around the state, who deserve a safe and efficient aviation system,” said Michael Landguth, president

and CEO of RDU. “The federal funding system alone cannot be relied upon to help our state compete for jobs and business investment.” McDowell says the funds are part of a long-term strategy to invest in key infrastructure to make N.C. more appealing to companies considering relocating to the state

and bringing high-paying jobs. According to site selectors, connectivity in airports is a critical factor. N.C.’s airports are also used for military housed in the state. “This indicates that N.C. absolutely does not play around when we are talking about our infrastructure,” said McDowell. “You can’t look at infrastructure as

one thing, like we should spend money on highways not airports, seaports, not rail. It’s all connected, and the legislature is making a serious investment in all these modes. It’s all a part of the puzzle.” The money would be distributed to airports over two years, $40 million next year and $50 million the following, and could be spent on improvements or to pay debt services or other finance costs. The Senate passed the measure as part of their budget, passing 32-15 vote taken Friday in the very early hours. The House has reportedly already completed their part of the transportation plan and is expected to release their full budget later in the week.

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Murphy to Manteo 17th Annual NC Wine Festival

Memorial Day at the Orchard

May 27 Clemmons

May 29 Spruce Pine

Memorial Day Weekend at Fontana Village

Garden Jubilee Festival May 27-28 Hendersonville

Memorial Day Parade and Celebration May 29 Thomasville

Multiple wrecks occur in one hour on U.S. 42 Watauga County Foggy conditions led to multiple wrecks on U.S. 421 Sunday afternoon in Boone. The first wreck occurred at 12:22 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 421 and Old U.S. 421, and one passenger was transported the hospital. A second accident occurred at 12:52 p.m. on U.S. 421 near the Pepsi plant and Ridgewood Road near Deep Gap. A third accident occurred around 1 p.m. on Hardin Road and U.S. 421. Watauga Democrat

By Donna King North State Journal

USO of NC, Remembrance Ruck March May 29 Raleigh

May 20-June 30 Fayetteville

May 29 Charlotte

Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall May 26-30 Morehead City

A Symphonic Salute to U.S. Armed Forces May 28 Fayetteville

No Politics,

PIEDMONT

Double homicide appears premeditated Rutherford County Forest City Police Chief Jay S. Jackson said the double homicide that occurred Saturday night in a Forest City home appears premeditated and the shooter knew his victims. The victims, Akir Samad Hooper, 34, and Stephanie Lynn Walker, 37, both lived at the residence. During the incident, two children fled the home and have since been placed with family members. The area is not known for violence and Jackson said there had not been a double homicide since he’s been police chief. Detectives are actively investigating and interviewing potential witnesses. ABC13 WLOS

Hickory welcomes new mayor Catawba County Hickory City Council unanimously voted to appoint Jeff Cline as new mayor on May 16. Mayor Rudy Wright died unexpectedly May 11, and Mayor Pro-Tempore Vernon Tarlton will continue all roles and responsibilities until Cline is sworn in June 6. Cline served on the city council from 1995 to 1999 and is president of the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce. He is a senior vice president for BB&T Insurance Services. Hickory Daily Record

While new lines have already been drawn, critics say the court’s changing rules cause confusion.

May 26-29 Fuquay Varina

While many treat Memorial Day as the official start of summer, this Just Patriotism Ride K9 Memorial Day Ceremony holiday exists to salute our fallen soldiers who served in the country’s May 28 May 29 Matthews armed forces. Each year, the holiday is observed on the last Monday Fayetteville of May. The origins of Memorial Day trace back to “Decoration Day” which started after the Civil War when the Grand Army of the Republic, Memorial Day Observance a group of Union army veterans, established it as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers and Parade who served in the Union army. Opposing Confederate and Union holidays later resulted in the establishment of May 29 a singular day to honor all Americans who died while in military service. Communities across N.C. are offering Southport unique and meaningful ways to recognize the day.

west

U.S. Supreme Court tosses N.C. congressional districts

May 28 Corolla

WRAL Freedom Balloon Fest

Field of Honor

Patriot Festival 5K “Go the Extra Mile”

A memorial salute

May 28 Greensboro

May 27 Bryson City

May 29 Flat Rock

jonesandblount.com @JonesandBlount

Guilford County Veterans Memorial

Carolina Fields of Honor Memorial

Darnell Farms Strawberry Jam Festival

Carl Sandburg Folk Music Festival

Jones & Blount Memorial Day Beach Blast

May 26-29 Fontana Dam

Missing Uber driver now homicide case Mecklenburg County Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are now treating the case for missing Uber driver Johnis Medina-Chevez, 44, as a homicide investigation. Medina-Chevez left for work Saturday night and his family reported him missing Sunday morning. Maj. Cam Selvey said the case had been transferred from the missing persons to homicide squad because the unit has more resources. Uber is being cooperative with the police but Selvey didn’t state if they knew the person Medina-Chevez was picking up Saturday night. For now, the search revolves around his vehicle, a blue 2008 Nissan Pathfinder with a North Carolina license plate PDV-4382. Associated Press

Woman falls to her death at Blue Ridge Parkway Overlook Haywood County Nancy Ann Martin, 83, of Richmond, Va., fell to her death Friday over the edge of East Fork Overlook at Milepost 418. Martin’s companion called 911 and National Park Service, law enforcement rangers and Haywood County rescue personnel responded to the scene. Martin’s body was found 150 feet below the overlook. The incident remains under investigation. Winston-Salem Journal

IBM issues ultimatum to employees Durham County IBM has issued a 30-day ultimatum to its employees who work from home: move into the company office space or find a new job. IBM was an early adopter of the practice of letting employees work from home. IBM spokeswoman Laurie Friedman said the practice is a shift to a new way of work, not a cost-saving measure. While the vast majority of employees have chosen to move into the office space, Friedman said there will be some exceptions to the new policy. The Wall Street Journal / Hickory Daily Record

Secretary Larry Hall of the NC Department of Military and Veterans Affairs regularly meets with NC Veterans and members of the US Military on NC Bases. For more information contact the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs at 984-204-8330 or https://www.milvets.nc.gov/

Battleship North Carolina Memorial Day Observance May 29 Wilmington

EAST

Biggest gang sweep in North Carolina history Multiple counties North Carolina’s largest crackdown ever on street gangs led to arrests Thursday in Charlotte and four other states. The 83 arrested are allegedly part of the United Blood Nation wing known as “Nine Trey Gangsters.” Of the 50 arrests made Thursday, half were in Charlotte with another 26 in rural Cleveland County, four in Anson County and one in Gaston. Alleged members of the UBN were charged with conspiracy of murder, assault and other violent crimes. Charlotte Observer

45 animals seized, 3 found dead in animal cruelty case Onslow County On May 15, Onslow County Animal Services officials responded to an anonymous tip and found two dead kittens inside a freezer and one dead dog. Another dog had to be euthanized and in total officials seized 29 dogs, 11 cats and one pig. Married couple Damien Irvin, 21, and Samantha Wesche, 19, were arrested Friday and charged Monday with two felony counts of killing an animal by starvation and face 45 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals. The Marine and his wife had been out of town since May 6 and the animals were found without proper food and water supplies.

Body found at Southern Pines identified Moore County Stephen Carl Walker, 52, of Southern Pines was identified as the man found floating in a pond Sunday morning beside a partially sunken Mazda at Knollwood Fairways and Driving Range. Officials believe the incident occurred overnight and no one spotted it until morning. Walker’s body will be sent to the N.C. Medical Examiner’s office to rule cause of death. Capt. Charles Campbell with Southern Pines police believes the incident to be a motor vehicle accident with no foul play involved. Why Walker was was on the golf course is still under investigation. WNCN

Deputy shoots suspect during home break-in Pitt County A Pitt County deputy shot a suspect in a home break-in Tuesday morning after an altercation occurred between authorities and three suspects. Deputies were called to a break-in happening on Abbott Farm Road between Ayden and Winterville. A suspect began fighting with an officer, and when the deputy called for backup the suspect raised a gun at second officer, who then shot the suspect. The injured suspect was transported to Vidant Medical Center and is expected to recover, and the other two suspects are in custody. The SBI was asked to investigate the incident, the second deputy-involved shooting in Pitt County in less than a month. WITN

WITN

Coast guard helps five on boat off North Carolina coast New Hanover County Sunday morning around 8 a.m. the Wilmington Coast Guard was called to help a boat taking on water near Carolina Beach. A boat from the Coast Guard station at Wrightsville Beach arrived at the scene a half hour later and gave those on the boat a pump, then escorted the boat to Carolina Beach inlet where it was towed to Carolina Beach Boat Yard. Five people were on board, no one was hurt. US News & World Report

Southern Shores sees surge in thefts Dare County Southern Shores police are warning of recent thefts involving unlocked vehicles throughout the town. Thefts have occurred along along South, East and North Dogwood Trails and Bayberry Trail. While the crime rate is relatively low most crimes are crimes of opportunity. Police ask residents and visitors to keep their vehicles locked. The Outer Banks Voice

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled that Republicans in N.C. unlawfully took race too much into consideration when drawing congressional district boundaries, concentrating black voters and diminishing their overall political clout. The justices upheld a lower court’s February 2016 ruling that threw out two majority-black U.S. House of Representatives districts. The court was unanimous in rejecting District 1 and split 5-3 on District 12, with three conservatives dissenting. Justice Clarence Thomas sided with the more liberal Justices Kagan, Ginsburg, Breyer and Sotomayor. “Although states enjoy leeway to take racebased actions reasonably judged necessary under a proper interpretation of the Voting Rights Act, that latitude cannot rescue District 1,” Kagan said in the opinion of the court. Chief Justice John Roberts, and Justices Kennedy and Alito dissented, agreeing with N.C. officials that the districts lines were not racially motivated but rather to benefit Republicans, something that the court has never said lawmakers could not do. Alito said the challengers did not prove the lines weren’t part of a partisan strategy and that the court disregarded a precedent set in 2001 in a similar District 12 case. In that case the challengers lost because they did not produce an alternative map. One was not produced in this case either. “A precedent of this court should not be treated like a disposable household item — say, a paper plate or napkin— to be used once and then tossed in the trash,” Alito wrote. “The court junks a rule adopted in a prior, remarkably similar challenge to this very same congressional district.” “We have the utmost respect for the Supreme Court, but it is challenging for our lawmakers

to draw congressional districts that the courts will accept when the courts regularly change the rules state legislatures must follow when drawing them,” said Amy Auth, a spokeswoman for Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham). Critics accused Republicans of cramming black voters into what the NAACP civil rights group called “apartheid voting districts” to diminish their voting power and make surrounding districts more white and more likely to support Republicans. Democrat Rep. G.K. Butterfield represents the 1st District, while Rep. Alma Adams, also a Democrat, represents the 12th District. “North Carolina voters deserve a level playing field and fair elections and I’m glad the Supreme Court agrees,” said Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, in a statement released Monday. However, race can be considered in redrawing boundaries of voting districts in certain instances, such as when states are seeking to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act. That law protects minority voters and was enacted to address a history of racial discrimination in voting, especially in Southern states. Republican lawmakers have repeatedly argued from the beginning that District 12 was drawn to comply with the Voting Rights Act. They redrew the maps in 2016. “North Carolina’s congressional maps — despite being approved by President [Barack] Obama’s Justice Department — have already been redrawn and voted in to elect new federal representatives statewide,” said N.C. House Rules Chairman David Lewis (R-Harnett) in a statement Monday. “While we prefer consistent rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court...we are satisfied today’s decision brings certainty to North Carolina voters that the current congressional districts (drawn in 2016) will remain in place for upcoming elections.” The Supreme Court has also never said legislative districts cannot be mapped based on plainly partisan aims like maximizing one party’s election chances. Now legal analysts say that the decision has likely thrown the door wide open for more lawsuits over partisan congressional district lines.

Trump wants to see NC try again on voter ID By Mollie Young North State Journal WASHINGTON, D.C. — The head of the North Carolina Republican Party met with President Donald Trump at the White House last week to discuss an increased role of state parties and future moves pertaining to voter ID laws, among other issues. Robin Hayes, chairman of the NCGOP, said he met with staff in the Eisenhower Executive Building before joining the president and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus in the Oval Office to discuss political issues. “He asked us: ‘What are people saying in the counties, in the precincts?’” Hayes said. “I told him: Republicans in North Carolina aren’t buying into all this Russia-FBI stuff, and the things the media is turning up — they are very supportive. Stay the course.” Hayes said that when the president asked him about pressing issues in the

Tarheel state, concerns about the recent Supreme Court decision on the state’s voter ID law were raised. Last week the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the appeal of a lower court’s decision that N.C.’s voter ID law was discriminatory, citing confusion over who had the right to represented the state. The court said the ruling should not be interpreted as an indicator of the court’s opinion on the merits of the case. “The president is very much in favor of fair elections, making sure every vote counts,” said Hayes, who added that Trump was keenly interested in if state leaders would try again on the issue. “He was very much aware, very much interested, and is very much a believer.” Hayes said he told the president that voter ID would continue to be a legislative priority because “it is in the best interest of the people of North Carolina.”

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

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

Visual Voices

LETters

EDITORIAL | Drew Elliot

Shale oil and geopolitics There may be no greater testament to the dramatic scale of the shale-energy revolution than projects such as the Jordan Cove terminal and pipeline. Jordan Cove, in Oregon, has been in the news recently after a local referendum to kill the project failed. But the more remarkable aspect is that Veresen, the Canadian company pursuing the pipeline project, is still considering it at all. Jordan Cove is one of a number of projects on both coasts that was first conceived as a way to get liquefied natural gas (LNG) into America. The North American supply OPEC can still turn the of hydrocarbons had peaked, we were all told, and importing was the only short-term screws of answer to America’s energy needs. production Then hydraulic fracturing opened up the nation’s vast shale deposits, and U.S. to affect production of both oil and gas has increased prices. But dramatically. The pipeline projects are where it must turn the revolution of America’s energy fortunes harder, and is literal: first planned to get LNG into the country, projects designers flipped the plans wait longer, over so that they can now export the resource than ever to other parts of the globe. before. The 180-degree shift is affecting more than prices at the pump and the domestic economy. It is also beginning to affect longstanding geopolitical realities. If these supposed realities haven’t exactly been turned around as the pipelines have, they have at least been turned from sureties into questions, and will increase American bargaining power in the process. The member nations of OPEC are the biggest losers. For half a century, the oil cartel has had the ability to bring the western powers to their knees. But Mohammad Barkindo, OPEC’s secretary-general, admitted this week that those days are over. “What we did is history,” Barkindo told the Wall Street Journal when asked about OPEC’s ability to control prices on its own. “It’s a complete turnaround, a new chapter.” While OPEC’s oil production has been flat over the past decade, in the United States it has jumped 75 percent. Oil from Russia, Brazil, and Canada has also lightened OPEC’s hand in the market. And while Russia and others often go along with OPEC supply decisions, adding more countries and regions to the mix means new partners with different cultures and priorities (the five original OPEC countries were Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela).

OPEC can still turn the screws of production to affect prices. But it must turn harder, and wait longer, than ever before. Nearly six months ago, the 13 members of OPEC and 11 other oil-producing nations agreed to a 2 percent production cut. Oil futures jumped on the news, but half a year later, the price per barrel is around $50, up only slightly from the autumn and nowhere near the $60-a-barrel target that OPEC wanted. The reason is partly production gains in non-agreement countries, but also the amount of oil in storage, a supply that can immediately flood the market when production slumps. Historically, the long lead time and consistent production over time of oil-drilling projects meant that price was the only way markets could respond to drops in production. But shale oil drillers can ramp up and down much more quickly than traditional producers, and most are outside the cartel’s control. How is all of this affecting geopolitics? Witness President Donald Trump — the same Trump whom Western media tries its best to portray as an anti-Muslim crusader on par with Pope Urban II — being hailed as a state hero in the land of Saud and sand. To be sure, this welcome is mostly due to the threat of Iran and terrorism. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia need each other to keep peace in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia needs to sell its oil to the U.S., and we need to buy it. None of that is new. But there has been a change. Saudi Arabia recognizes that the relationship is growing slowly toward a mutual agreement rather than a trade-induced pact where one side usually had the upper hand. Eventually, that new dynamic will manifest in ways that will benefit America’s interests. It is possible that even — and I shudder just to suggest it — the Iran-terrorist threat and the changing relationship with Arab nations will produce some détente and a way forward for Israel and its neighbors in the Middle East. All this is good news for the United States, which is why it is no surprise that you won’t read about it much. Oil, Trump, and America keeping the peace? That’s a recipe for — changing the subject.

Time to declare war on poachers Last year, 36,000 endangered elephants were slaughtered by ivory poachers equipped with semiautomatics and helicopters. These poachers raise money through this practice to contribute to terrorism and organized crime. Wildlife rescue groups warn that the only way possible to save the elephants, rhinos, lions, and other threatened animals from imminent extinction would be for President Donald Trump to declare war on poachers the way he did against the Islamic State, and send the military in to parts of Africa and India. If that is what it would take to save African elephants, rhinos, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and India’s tigers, then that is what Trump should do! America must do whatever it takes to insure that God’s creation does not vanish from the earth. Richard Pope Hendersonville

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.

EDITORIAL | Ray Nothstine

In Memoriam: North Carolinians on the Wall Staff Sgt. Donald D. Stewart of Harnett County never had the opportunity to hold his daughter. His remains returned home from Vietnam in late 2015, 50 years after his death. He was the first Vietnam combat casualty from Harnett County. “I always felt like there was a part of me missing and now I kind of feel like its come full circle,” Dona Stewart told WNCN in 2015. “He never got to hold me, I got Before being to hold him,” Stewart declared. The relentless effort to find and identify killed in his remains eventually took Stewart’s action in widow and daughter to Vietnam. Vietnam, he Most people pay little attention to never let the the fact that soldiers, sailors, airmen, secret of his and Marines are still trickling home from Vietnam. The commitment to actual age bring their remains home has been get out. a daunting and costly task, but an essential one for our country and their families. Their remains go to Hawaii first for identification, where DNA technology and reorganization efforts have improved what has been a painfully slow process for too many. There are just over 1,600 killed or missing in action from the Vietnam conflict who hail from North Carolina. Thirty-nine names are still unaccounted for from that war.

Perhaps one of the more heartbreaking stories occurred at the very end of the conflict, when Denning C. Johnson was killed in a C-5 Galaxy crash in 1975. Johnson was part of the medical team that flew evacuation flights for the Air Force. In one of the cruelest tragedies before the fall of Saigon, and still the deadliest military crash in American history, 155 perished, including 78 Vietnamese orphans headed to the United States for adoption. The crash, which included 173 survivors, was part of Operation Babylift. Johnson, who has two daughters, is on panel 01W, line 121 on the Veitnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. and is buried in Greenwood Cemetary in Dunn. The story of Pfc. Dan Bullock is one of the more surreal accounts of North Carolinians on the Wall. Bullock, who was born in Goldsboro, lied about his age and possibly had help fabricating his birth certificate when he enlisted in the Marines at 14. Before being killed in action in Vietnam, he never let the secret of his actual age get out. He was the youngest American killed in the Vietnam conflict, dead at 15 in June 1969. Bullock’s dream was to serve in the Marines. Even though he was mature for his age, many who served with Bullock said he kept to himself and some didn’t feel like he was supposed to be in Vietnam. A reporter broke the sensational story after his death. Franklin D. MacArthur, who befriended Bullock in Marine Corps boot camp in 1968, spent decades after the war trying to find Bullock’s parents and his burial

site. MacArthur found out that Bullock had been buried without a headstone for 31 years. MacArthur helped organize a military and police escort of the headstone from Brooklyn, New York to Goldsboro. After his mother died, Bullock moved to Brooklyn at the age of 12 to live with his father and his wife. Sen. Charles Schumer was instrumental in helping to rename the street he lived on in Brooklyn after the young Marine. You can visit Bullock’s resting place and headstone at Elmwood Cemetery in Goldsboro. Eugene Ashley High School in Wilmington carries the name of one of the most heroic men to serve from North Carolina in Vietnam. Ashley, born in Wilmington, is a recipient of the highest military award – the Medal of Honor (posthumously) after leading five intense assaults against superior forces. Ashley gave his life freeing trapped Americans at Camp Lange Vei. Ashley is on panel 37E, line 77. He is buried in Rockfish Memorial Park in Fayetteville. The war in Vietnam, like all wars, still haunt. But Vietnam, especially. Many of the victims are still living among us. Children grew up without fathers. Parents without a son, or wives without a husband. Their stories and sacrifices are worth learning, especially this and every Memorial Day.

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Guest Opinion | Sam Adolphsen

MICHAEL BARONE

The demotic politics of May and Trump hen I first visited England to cover a British election 20 years W ago this month, there were striking

Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture via Flickr

NC kids protected by welfare reform

These popular reforms protect children by preserving dollars for the truly needy, like children, the disabled, and the elderly.

Big government advocates in North Carolina are at it again, employing despicable tactics in their quest to grow government, trap individuals in an endless cycle of dependency, and expand the welfare state. The most egregious aspect of their latest round of attacks? Using children as a shield to cover up massive welfare fraud, waste, and abuse, manipulating the public with false claims that welfare reform will “steal” free and reduced lunches from 50,000 North Carolina children. The reality is that North Carolina’s food stamp eligibility criteria are the most expansive in the nation. While federal law limits eligibility to ensure those with financial resources aren’t stealing from the most vulnerable, North Carolina uses loopholes to allow individuals with unlimited countable assets (bank accounts, cash, and other liquid assets) to qualify. In fact, under the current rules, someone with millions of dollars in the bank can still receive taxpayer-funded benefits. North Carolina uses a similar loophole to expand eligibility to individuals with higher incomes, allowing individuals with incomes four times as high as the eligibility for single mothers receiving cash assistance to qualify. The measure opposed by critics, included in the state Senate’s budget bill, would end these loopholes and restore asset and income limits back to the federal baseline where they belong. It would also implement systematic checks of income, assets, and other factors using advanced technology to identify individuals who no longer qualify, flagging them for removal and ensuring valuable taxpayer resources are preserved for the truly needy. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 80 percent of those affected by ending the loopholes will be adults and only those individuals with higher incomes and assets than the federal limit. These changes affect just 2 percent of all

food stamps benefits provided in North Carolina. But what about all those missing lunches? Nearly 500,000 children on food stamps are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches in North Carolina. This bill would affect fewer than 2,800 of them, meaning that 99.4 percent of all children currently eligible for free or reduced-priced lunches would remain eligible for them. The bill takes the protection of children a step further by disqualifying parents who fail to cooperate with child support agencies or owe unpaid courtordered child support from receiving assistance. While more than 200,000 single-parent families receive food stamps in North Carolina, less than 1 in 4 receive any kind of child support. Child support is critical to lifting families out of poverty and moving them out of dependency. Data shows that when single-parent families on food stamps receive the support they are owed, their incomes increase by more than 50 percent. Based on experiences in other states, this bill would give those families an extra $12 million in child support annually. A recent poll conducted by Opportunity Solutions Project found that 86 percent of North Carolina voters support checking an individual’s financial assets when they apply for welfare to preserve limited resources for the truly needy, 69 percent want to return welfare eligibility back to traditional federal income levels, and 88 percent support checking edibility more frequently with better technology to ensure those receiving taxpayer-funded welfare benefits are actually eligible. Contrary to big government rhetoric, these popular reforms protect children by preserving dollars for the truly needy, like children, the disabled, and the elderly. Critics should be ashamed. Sam Adolphsen is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Government Accountability. He previously served as chief operating officer at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services for three years.

column | sameul son

Ascension over American exceptionalism

The danger of exceptionalism is that it leads to exceptions from criticism. Preservation becomes petrification.

Whether you go to church or not, everyone knows Christmas and Easter and its Christian roots: Christmas remembers Jesus’ birth and r esurrection is self-explanatory. You don’t have to believe the stories to be part of the festivity. Daniel Dennet, an atheist philosopher, has little tolerance for religion but sings “O Come All Ye Faithful” by heart in Latin on Christmas Eve. But there is another important holy day in the Christian calendar which has not made the same leap into the secular world. Ascension day. Actually, May 25 is Ascension day and the fact that most are clueless about it, including Christians, is evidence of its cultural irrelevance. Which is ironic because in the Apostle’s Creed, a basic statement of faith for Christianity, talks about ascension right smack in the middle with the Christmas and Easter story. In fact, the ascension story gives Christianity its unique texture, its missional energy and amazing adaptability, because it became an antidote to exceptionalism, the inward pressure of all institutions, and it might be the antidote for our day. The basic story of ascension is that Jesus, after resurrection and spending 40 days with his closest friends, said farewell and disappeared. It sounds fishy to secularists, as it did to me when I was working through the Christian story for myself. It seems so convenient for the first followers to reply, “Well Jesus disappeared,” when seekers asked to see the resurrected Jesus with their own eyes. But here is a historical anomaly: It was only after this story that the first followers

became missionaries, going out sharing the story of Jesus as a story that mattered to everyone they met. This is because the story of ascension rapidly scattered this new movement, for it neither had a tomb or a body to point to and say this is ground zero. With Jesus disappearing, Jerusalem could not claim for itself an exceptional status. Whether you believe or not. You’ve got to appreciate this brilliant move. Lamin Sanneh, a professor of world Christianity at Yale Divinity School and an expert on Christian and Muslim history, credits this quality of non-exceptionalism that allowed Christianity to grow, adapt, and express itself within an ever-changing array of cultural and historical contexts. This non-exceptionalism is appreciated when contrasted to Islam, which remains a faith rooted in specific geographical places, Mecca and Medina, and to a single language, Arabic. Translations of the Quran into other languages are not considered genuine. Every institution gravitates towards exceptionalism because institutions think survival relies on special status. The danger of exceptionalism is that it leads to exceptions from criticism. Preservation becomes petrification. James Comey, the recently fired FBI director, wrote his senior thesis contrasting the Christian political philosophy between Reinhold Niebuhr and Jerry Falwell. Falwell, creator of the Moral Majority in 1979, believed in American exceptionalism, the City on a Hill with Manifest Destiny to spread democracy

as its divine prerogative. John L. O’Sullivan coined it in his column in the New York Morning News on Dec. 27, 1845, to argue for the right for America to take Oregon saying America’s “claim is by the right of our manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us.” Exceptionalism is uncritical. Comey sides with Niebuhr who says Christians have the obligation to love their country but always with a critical eyes because a society left to itself is “immoral.” There is no exceptionalism to Niebuhr’s thinking of America or any society. Only that critical perspective can save an organization from crumbling on itself. Comey, when he was the director, kept a document from the bureau’s archives on his desk, an application by his predecessor, J. Edgar Hoover, to the Justice Department to wiretap Martin Luther King, Jr. Why? “The entire application is five sentences long, it is without fact or substance, and it is predicated on the naked assertion that ‘there is Communist influence in the racial situation,” he explained in a speech at Georgetown University in February of 2015. He required FBI agents to study this history with King then visit the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial in Washington, D.C. “The reason I do those things,” he said, “is to insure that we remember our mistakes and that we learn from them.” Samuel Son is a teaching pastor in Raleigh.

similarities between British and American politics. In Britain, Tony Blair’s Labour Party was about to sweep to a landslide victory after 18 years of Conservative Party government, promising a third way between the free market policies of Margaret Thatcher and the socialist policies of traditional Labour. There were echoes of what was going on across the Atlantic. Bill Clinton was re-elected at age 50 in 1996, promising a third way between Reagan conservatism and dogmatic liberalism. As Blair did with his New Labour movement, Clinton made deep inroads in affluent suburbs in big metropolitan areas even while maintaining traditional party strengths. Clinton’s articulate optimism remained exhilarating even as he was hammering out balanced budget and Medicare reform deals with congressional Republican majorities led by House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Today there are again parallels between the two nations’ politics, as interviews with British voters and politicians and frequent iPad updates on American headlines show. But the mood in May 2017 on both sides of the Atlantic is 180 degrees away from that of May 1997. Disillusion and scorn have replaced exhilaration and hope. New Labour has utterly vanished, just as Hillary Clinton’s leftish identity politics replaced her husband’s New Democratic appeals to the kind of voters she labeled deplorable. Labour was narrowly defeated in 2010 by David Cameron’s Conservatives. After the Tories won again decisively (and unexpectedly) in 2015, Labour chose left-wing backbencher Jeremy Corbyn as party leader. Cameron resigned after losing the Brexit referendum on leaving the European Union last June and was replaced, after frantic maneuvering, by Home Secretary Theresa May, who promptly declared, “Brexit means Brexit.” The new political divide in the United States and the United Kingdom is between capital (plus ethnic fringes) and countryside — between Washington/ New York/Los Angeles/San Francisco and interior America in the States, and between London/Scotland and the great bulk of England in the U.K. Those lines held last year in the victories of Brexit in June and Donald Trump in November. Now polls show May’s Conservatives running about 20 points ahead of Labour — and running about even with the working class in the Midlands and the north of England, which has historically been Labour’s base but voted heavily for Brexit. The party has already lost all but one of its seats in Scotland. The only traditional Labour bloc the London-based Corbyn retains is left-wing intellectuals and immigrants in the capital. May’s appeal to “people who are just about managing” and her continual calls for “strong and stable” government have made her appeal personal and not party-based — like Blair in 1997 and Trump in 2016. On the street in industrial Wolverhampton and Bishop Auckland, former Labour supporters told me they’re “voting for Theresa May,” as opposed to “voting for the Tories.” There are obvious echoes here with Trump’s poaching of traditionally Democratic non-college-educated whites in swing states, which netted Republicans 100 new electoral votes. The result is that America’s Republicans and Britain’s Conservatives have more demotic constituencies than they did under George W. Bush and David Cameron. Trump has forsworn any cuts in Social Security or Medicare entitlements. May has promised to cap utility bills and to target tax cuts toward low earners. So much for the policy thrusts of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. Trump’s narrow victory and May’s impending landslide — the only real question is about its magnitude — suggest that these demotic appeals are more effective than Mitt Romney’s or David Cameron’s. There are many more movable votes in the countryside than in the capitals. There may be prices to pay for these victories. If you believe that entitlements are on a trajectory to squeeze out other public spending or strangle the privatesector economy, the Trump and May policies will most likely do nothing to stop them. Clinton and Blair seemed at least open to stopping them 20 years ago. A reason, perhaps, for the trans-Atlantic glum mood. Michael Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and longtime co-author of The Almanac of American Politics.

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Nation & WORLD

week in images

ANDREW RINGUETTE | reuters

STRINGER | reuters

A rider rides a motorcycle in the air during a competition at Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.

Trump says concerns about Iran driving Israel, Arab states closer Trump takes aim at Iran support for “terrorists and militias” and pays historic visit to Judaism’s Western Wall

2 Tel Aviv 3 Jerusalem 4 Bethlehem

By Jeff Mason and Steve Holland Reuters ERUSALEM — President Donald Trump said on Monday that J shared concern about Iran was

MANCHESTER from page A1 ain for 12 years. Prime Minister Theresa May called it an act of “sickening cowardice” targeting “defenseless children and young people.” ISIS, now being driven from territories in Syria and Iraq by Western-backed armed forces, claimed responsibility for what it called a revenge attack against “Crusaders,” but there appeared to be contradictions in its account of the operation. It suggested explosive devices were placed “in the midst of the gatherings of the Crusaders.” “What comes next will be more severe on the worshippers of the cross,” the posting said. It did not name the bomber, which it usually does in attacks it has ordered, and appeared also to contradict a posting on another Islamic State account, Amaq, which

Motorist who ran amok in Times Square says he tried ‘to get help’ New York The U.S. Navy veteran charged with killing a young woman and injuring 20 others by speeding down a crowded Times Square sidewalk in his car said in published remarks on Saturday that he had sought psychiatric care beforehand, to no avail. “I was trying to get help,” Richard Rojas, 26, was quoted as telling the New York Post in a tearful jailhouse interview two days after the carnage in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. “I wanted to fix my life. I wanted to get a job. Get a girlfriend.”

William Nylander and goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist of Sweden celebrate the 2017 IIHF World Championship victory.

driving Israel and many Arab states closer and demanded that Tehran immediately cease military and financial backing of “terrorists and militias.” In stressing threats from Iran, Trump echoed a theme laid out during weekend meetings in Saudi Arabia with Muslim leaders from around the world, many wary of the Islamic Republic’s growing regional influence and financial muscle. Trump has vowed to do whatever necessary to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians, dubbing a peace accord “the ultimate deal.” But ahead of his Holy Land visit, he gave little indication of how he could revive talks that collapsed in 2014. Trump met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Tuesday and the Abbas said he hoped the meeting could be “useful and fruitful ... (and) will bring results.” But in the Gaza Strip, dozens of Palestinians rallied against Trump and burned his picture and an effigy of him. Trump received a warm welcome in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from Arab leaders, especially over his tough line on Tehran, which many Sunni Muslim Arab states regard as seeking regional control. In Jerusalem, in public remarks after talks with Israeli leaders on the first day of his two-day visit, Trump again focused on Iran, pledging he would never let Tehran acquire nuclear arms. “What’s happened with Iran has brought many of the parts of the Middle East toward Israel,” Trump said at a meeting with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. In his comments to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump mentioned a growing Iranian influence in conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, where it either backs Shi’ite fighters or has sent its own forces.

the BRIEF

1 Riyadh

Trump’s first visit to Middle East May 20-21 1

Rayidh

May 22-23 2

Tel Aviv

Jerusalem

Bethlehem SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES

Trump said there were opportunities for cooperation across the Middle East: “That includes advancing prosperity, defeating the evils of terrorism and facing the threat of an Iranian regime that is threatening the region and causing so much violence and suffering,” he said. He also welcomed what he said was Netanyahu’s commitment to pursuing peace and renewed his pledge to achieve a deal. Netanyahu, in his remarks, did not mention the word “Palestinians,” but spoke of advancing “peace in our region” with Arab partners helping to deliver it. Israel shares the antipathy many Arab states have toward Iran, seeing the Islamic republic as a threat to its existence. “I want you to know how much we appreciate the change in American policy on Iran which you enunciated so clearly,” Netanyahu, who had an acrimonious relationship with former President Barack Obama, told Trump at his official residence. Trump, who is on his maiden foreign trip since taking office in Janu-

ary, urged Iran to cease “its deadly funding, training and equipping of terrorists and militias.” Iran’s newly re-elected, pragmatist president, Hassan Rouhani, said regional stability could not be achieved without Iranian help, and accused Washington of supporting terrorism with its backing for rebels in Syria. He said the summit in Saudi Arabia “had no political value, and will bear no results.” “Who can say the region will experience total stability without Iran? Who fought against the terrorists? It was Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Syria. But who funded the terrorists?” Rouhani noted the contrast between young Iranians dancing in the streets to mark the re-election of a leader seeking detente with the West, and images of Trump meeting with a galaxy of Arab autocrats, some of whose countries have spawned the Sunni militants hostile to Washington and Tehran alike. He also said Iran would continue a ballistic missile program that has already triggered U.S. sanctions,

saying it was for defensive purposes only. Trump’s foreign tour comes in the shadow of difficulties at home, where he is struggling to contain a scandal after firing James Comey as FBI director nearly two weeks ago. The trip ends on Saturday after visits to the Vatican, Brussels and Sicily. In Jerusalem’s walled Old City, Trump toured the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and became the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest place where Israel allows Jews to pray in a city sacred to three religions. Trump will have visited significant centers of Islam, Judaism and Christianity by the end of his trip, a point that his aides say bolsters his argument that the fight against Islamist militancy is a battle between “good and evil.” On Wednesday Trump is scheduled to meet at the Vatican with Pope Francis and Italian leaders. He then heads to Brussels for talks with European Union and NATO chiefs. He will return to Italy Thursday for a summit of major industrialized nations.

spoke of “a group of attackers.” That reference, however, was later removed. “This attack stands out for its appalling sickening cowardice, deliberately targeting innocent, defenseless children and young people who should have been enjoying one of the most memorable nights of their lives,” May said in a statement outside her Downing Street office after a meeting with British security and intelligence chiefs. She said security services were working to see if a wider group was involved in the attack, which fell less than three weeks before a national election. The election campaign has been suspended for now as a mark of respect.

indoor arena, full to its capacity of 21,000. “We ran and people were screaming around us and pushing on the stairs to go outside and people were falling down, girls were crying, and we saw these women being treated by paramedics having open wounds on their legs ... it was just chaos,” said Sebastian Diaz, 19. “It was literally just a minute after it ended, the lights came on and the bomb went off.” Desperate parents and friends posted heart-wrenching messages and pictures on social media in the search for their loved ones who had been at the concert by Ariana Grande. “Please...please retweet. Looking for my daughter and her friend,” Michael MacIntyre wrote on Twitter, alongside an image of his daughter Laura and her friend Eilidh. Police raided a property in the

Manchester district of Fallowfield where they carried out a controlled explosion. Witnesses in another area, Whalley Range, said armed police had surrounded a newly built apartment block on a usually quiet tree-lined street.

“Please retweet” Witnesses related the horror of the Manchester blast, which unleashed a stampede just as the concert ended at Europe’s largest

Security stepped up Monday’s attack was the deadliest in Britain since four British Muslims killed 52 people in suicide bombings on London’s transport system in 2005. But it will have reverberations far beyond British shores. Attacks in cities including Paris, Nice, Brussels, St. Petersburg, Berlin and London have shocked Europeans already anxious over security challenges from mass immigration and pockets of domestic Islamist radicalism. Islamic State has repeatedly called for attacks on western targets. The U.S. Department of Home-

New York governor urges Trump to provide emergency funds for Penn Station Albany, N.Y. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday urged President Donald Trump to treat disruptions in train service at Manhattan’s Pennsylvania Station as an emergency and provide federal assistance to fix “deplorable” conditions at the transit hub. Cuomo said 600,000 daily commuters who use rail service at Penn faced a “summer of agony” if essential track repairs were left under the control of Amtrak, which operatesthe nation’s busiest train station. In addition to Amtrak’s intercity service, trains operated by New Jersey Transit and the Long Island Rail Road run into and out of the station.

Astronauts make emergency fix during space walk on International Space Station Cape Canaveral, Fla. Two U.S. astronauts completed a hastily planned spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Tuesday to replace a computer that failed on Saturday, NASA said. Station commander Peggy Whitson assembled a new computer from spare parts aboard the station and installed it during a 2.5-hour spacewalk as the orbiting outpost sailed 250 miles over Earth. The 50-pound computer, which is about the size of a microwave oven, is one of two that control equipment, including solar power panels, cooling loops, radiators and robotics gear, on the U.S. side of the station.

American climber dies on Everest Kathmandu, Nepal An American climber on Mount Everest died on Sunday, officials said, one of six deaths on the world’s highest mountain in the past month and raising safety concerns for climbers. Roland Yearwood, 50, from Alabama, perished at an altitude of about 27,500 feet in an area called “death zone” which is known for thin air, Murari Sharma of the Everest Parivas trekking company that sponsored his climb said.

land Security warned that the public may experience increased delays at public events as countries across the world tighten security ahead of major cultural and sports events. New measures are continuing with each attack, raising the costs and the impact to the public. “You can bring back the perimeter, add security gates and as many controls as you want, but that will not change the fact that a determined individual will carry out his act if he is not caught before,” said Jean-Charles Brisard, president of the Centre for the Analysis of Terrorism. “It’s a problem of means, but also a political choice,” said Brisard. “You have to continue living your life despite the attacks and not enter into the terrorists’ game. They want you to change your system so that our society is entirely dependent on a security plan,” he said.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 2017

Early Media Darling The Hurricanes new goaltender Scott Darling talks with press on May 10.

the Wednesday SIDELINE REPORT

SPORTS

NFL

NFL moves 2020 Super Bowl, shortens overtime Gathering in Chicago for the 2017 spring meetings, the NFL owners voted Tuesday to move the 2020 Super Bowl from Los Angeles to Tampa Bay. The stadium designed to house the Rams and Chargers was delayed in opening for a full year following a surprisingly large amount of rainfall in Los Angeles that delayed construction. NFL owners also voted to shorten the length of overtime in NFL games from 15 minutes to 10 minutes, the league announced. The rule change is designed to improve player safety but many people are concerned it will result in additional games ending in ties. The owners also voted to approve a 30-year lease for the Raiders on their new stadium in Las Vegas.

Five Hurricanes medal for teams during 2017 WHC

HORSES

2017 Preakness champ might skip Belmont race 2017 Preakness Stakes champion Cloud Computing, the first horse to win the Preakness after not racing in the Kentucky Derby since 2009, might miss the last leg of the Triple Crown as well. Trainer Chad Brown said that Cloud Computing has “never really struck me” as the type of horse to run the 1.5-mile track the Belmont offers. NBA

Manu mulls retirement after Spurs are swept Spurs guard Manu Ginobili admitted he is considering retirement after the Spurs were swept out of the Western Conference Finals by the Warriors on Monday. Ginobili, 39, said he is “closer and closer” to the end of his career and playing is getting “harder and harder” at his age. Ginobili has spent all 15 years of his NBA career with the Spurs.

Ex-goalie Weekes knows both sides of Canes net situation By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

HOCKEY

The 2017 IIHF World Hockey Championship wrapped up on Sunday afternoon, with Sweden defeating Canada 2-1 in the shootout in the gold medal game in Cologne, Germany. Five Carolina Hurricanes players earned medals at the tournament: forwards Victor Rask, Elias Lindholm and Joakim Nordstrom, along with goalie Eddie Lack picked up golds with Sweden, while forward Jeff Skinner the Canes’ leading score in 2016-17, earned a silver as part of Canada.

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

SOOBUM IM | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles the ball as San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili (left) defends during the second half in game four of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center in San Antonio on May 22.

Curry, Warriors sweep Spurs, head to third straight NBA Finals The Warriors remain undefeated in the postseason so far at 12-0 as they enter their third consecutive NBA Finals By Steve Habel The Sports XChange SAN ANTONIO — The celebration was subdued on Monday after Golden State made history in its four-game sweep of the San Antonio Spurs in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals. That’s because the Warriors refuse to be deterred from their ultimate goal: a second NBA title in the past three years. Stephen Curry scored 36 points and Kevin Durant added 29 points and 12 rebounds as the Warriors strolled to a 129-115 win over the short-handed San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center, in the process earning the right to play either the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. The Warriors will have nine days to rest for that series, which begins in Oakland, Calif., on

June 1. The Warriors have swept all three of their playoff series and are the first team in NBA history to start the postseason 12-0, eclipsing the record established by the 1989 and 2001 Los Angeles Lakers. Golden State has won 27 of its past 28 overall games (including the regular season) and has won six straight road playoff games, a franchise record. “It’s a great run, and we had an opportunity to get it done tonight, but more importantly, it was obviously just a closeout kind of mentality and trying to take care of our business and play a good 48-minute game,” Curry said. “For the most part, we did. “We had some slip-ups and some mental errors, but for the most part it was a solid night. Contributions from everybody. “Going 12-0 is great, but it doesn’t mean anything going into the next series, and we have to understand that.” The Spurs announced about 90 minutes before tipoff that both injured star forward Kawhi See WARRIORS page B8

ALEIGH — Goaltender Scott Darling said during his first visit to Raleigh as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes on May 10 that being a No. 1 goalie requires a different mindset than being a backup. “When you don’t play every couple weeks, there’s a lot of pressure — it’s your one game, you gotta show your stuff,” said Darling, who signed a four-year, $16.6 million contract with the Hurricanes one week after being acquired by trade from Chicago on April 28. “I actually found it more fun when I got the reins to know you’re going to play and just kind of relax and have fun.” “Have fun” is a familiar refrain in the Carolina net. Longtime goalie Cam Ward has famously made the phrase his motto, writing it on his sticks or having it on his masks as a reminder that his job is, at the end of the day, still a game. Darling is now poised to end Ward’s 11-season run as the Hurricanes’ No. 1 goalie. It’s a position former Carolina goalie and current NHL Network and former “Hockey Night In Canada” analyst Kevin Weekes is familiar with. “I’m sure Scott’s going to be sensitive and appreciative of that and understanding of that history, that organizational history,” Weekes said of Darling taking over for Ward — the team’s leader in just about every career goaltender statistic — as the team’s top netminder. Weekes, a native of Toronto, did the same thing when he replaced Arturs Irbe — the man Ward surpassed for several of those aforementioned records — as Carolina’s No. 1 goalie back in 200203. Weekes and Irbe had led the Hurricanes to the 2002 Stanley Cup Final, with the veteran Latvian carrying the bulk of the load but Weekes playing in more than a third of Carolina’s 23 playoff games to help the team survive and advance through the postseason.

“I’m sure Scott’s going to be sensitive and appreciative of that and understand -ing of that history.” — Ex-goalie Kevin Weekes

See WEEKES, page B8

INSIDE

RANDY SARTIN | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

North Carolina NASCAR drivers are not a big crowd these days, and the ranks are only getting thinner with Dale Earnhardt, Jr., announcing his retirement following the current NASCAR season. But there are some names on the horizon, including Charlotte native William Byron, who has flourished while racing under the JR Motorsports brand. Byron, who returns home as a full-time Xfinity Series driver for the first time, spoke about his ride. B6

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

B2 WEDNESDAY

05.24.17

TRENDING

Thom Brennaman: FOX Sports play-by-play man for the Cincinnati Reds found himself in one of the strangest interviews of his career, having to check in with a bird who flew into the announcing booth during a Reds-Rockies game and landed on Brennaman’s seat. Naturally he had to inquire about the bird’s decision and plans. Nicky Hayden: Former MotoGP racing champion died at the age of 35 five days after being involved in a serious crash while cycling in Italy after spending the weekend in critical condition. Cortez Kennedy: Hall of Fame defensive tackled died at the age of 48, Orlando Police confirmed on Tuesday. Kennedy, who spent all 11 of his NFL seasons with the Seahawks, registered 58 sacks and 11 forced fumbles. He went to eight Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro three times. Scott Dixon: Indianapolis 500 pole sitter was robbed at a Taco Bell drive-thru on Sunday night. Dixon was with former driver Dario Franchitti and his wife around 10 p.m. ET driving through the fast-food restaurant just a mile from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Bill White: Former Blackhawks defenseman died at the age of 77, the team confirmed this week. White, who played in six consecutive NHL All-Star Games in his career, also coached the Blackhawks for the final 46 games of the 1976-77 season. Emmanuel Akot: Five-star prospect announced he will graduate high school early and enroll in Arizona for the 2017-18 season.

beyond the box score POTENT QUOTABLES

HORSE RACING

The 2017 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course did not provide an opportunity to extend the Triple Crown hopes of Always Dreaming, but it did provide an incredible photo finish. Kentucky Derby favorite Classic Empire stormed out to a big lead, but Cloud Computing, a perfectlynamed champion in 2017, came flying down the stretch to steal the title.

MARK KONEZNY | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

“If I got a shot again to be a GM in this league, I would make sure I secured a franchise QB, quickly.” Ex-Bills GM Doug Whaley, who used a second-round pick to draft EJ Manuel.

GEOFF BURKE | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

NFL

DON WRIGHT | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

“When the coach tells you to come out or go in, you do as you’re told.” Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson, with the only possible response to being constantly shifted on and off the ice during the team’s 7-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

NBA

12-0 Record of the Warriors as they head into their third consecutive NBA Finals appearance. Golden State, led by Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, looked unstoppable in becoming the first team to ever sweep its way through the Western Conference. No team has ever pulled off 16-0; the Warriors are waiting on the Celtics and Cavs to finish up for their shot at history.

JASON GETZ | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

INSTAGRAM | @MYRONLROLLE

Many men have walked away from a life playing NFL football, but few did it for the same reason former Florida State safety Myron Rolle. Rolle, also known for his academic ability, graduated medical school and became a neurosurgeon this past week.

The Atlanta Hawks could be losing at least one critical piece to the starting lineup, as forward Paul Millsap has reportedly opted out of his contract. Millsap, 32, averaged a career-high 18.1 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game during the 2017-18 season.

NBA

The Eastern Conference Finals were supposed to be over before Game 3 ever began, and the series certainly looked finished by halftime of the third game, with the Cleveland Cavaliers jumping out a double-digit lead over the Boston Celtics. Credit Boston for not giving up and refusing to let the series slide away, and credit Avery Bradley for drilling a 3-pointer with less than a second remaining to give the Celtics a 111-108 stunner of a victory in Cleveland. RICK OSENTOSKI | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

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North State Journal for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

New ACC baseball tournament format suits second-seeded Tar Heels The Tar Heels, the No. 2 seed at 44-11 overall and a school-record 23 ACC wins, will begin play on Wednesday against 11thseeded Boston College By Brett Friedlander North State Journal Having already put itself in position to host an NCAA regional and earn one of the tournament’s coveted top eight seeds, the North Carolina baseball team doesn’t have a lot to gain at this week’s ACC tournament. Except, of course, a championship trophy. That’s why coach Mike Fox is such a big fan of the new format being tried at this year’s event, which begins on Tuesday at Louisville Slugger Field. The 12 teams involved have been broken into four pools of three, with each playing two games during the open segment of play. After that, the top team in each group will advance to a single-elimination knockout round, meaning that no one will have to play more than four games during the course of the week. Under previous pool and straight double elimination formats, teams would often have to play as many as five or six games to win the title, systems that threatened to wear out pitching staffs for the more important NCAA tournament a week later. “Yeah, it is a different format,” Fox said Monday during a pre-tournament teleconference. “I think I’ve said before, it does two or three things that I think most of our league and coaches wanted, which was to expand the field, not tax your pitching and not have to play five games to win it. Things of that nature. So, you know, it sets up pretty well for us.” The Tar Heels, the No. 2 seed at 44-11 overall and a school-record 23 ACC wins, will begin play on Wednesday at 3 p.m. against 11th-seeded Boston College. They won’t play again until facing rival

Photo courtesy of North Carolina Athletics

North Carolina baseball coach Mike Fox celebrates as his team scores a run in a game earlier this year.

NC State on Friday night at 7 p.m. The semifinals are scheduled for Saturday with the nationally televised title game on Sunday afternoon. Because of the spacing of the games, Fox plans to keep his pitching rotation on its normal schedule, with weekday starter Tyler Baum drawing the opening game assignment and newly named ACC Pitcher of the Year J.B. Bukauskas fitting into his regular Friday slot for the showdown with the Wolfpack. As if the pitching setup wasn’t enough of an advantage in chasing its 11th conference baseball title and first since 2013, UNC will also benefit from a rule that will automatically send the highest seed in the pool to the semifinals in the event that all three teams end up with 1-1 records. “We’re excited to be where we are at this point in the season,” Fox said. As important as winning an ACC championship is to the Tar Heels, staying healthy and keeping its regular season momentum going into next week’s regional is just as much a priority for Fox and his team. “(We) had a good run through the league, so now here comes the bigger picture, so we’re excited to be going to the tournament,” the veteran coach said. “We played pretty consistently all season. The

biggest difference, I think, for us from the past couple years is we’ve been much better defensively. We’ve won more close games than we’ve done in the past.” UNC has also gotten big lifts from freshmen such as bullpen closer Josh Hiatt, one of four firstteam All-ACC selections named Monday, along with Saturday starter Gianluca Dalatri and DH Ashton McGee, the ACC’s Rookie of the Year who led the team with a .339 batting average. For all that the Tar Heels will have going for them this week, the one thing they won’t have is the home-field advantage they would have enjoyed had the tournament not been moved away from the Durham Bulls Athletic Park because of the fallout from the now-repealed House Bill 2. Instead, top-seeded Louisville will get the benefit of the supportive crowd. But that will only come into play for UNC should both teams advance to Sunday’s championship game. So Fox isn’t going to spend a lot of time worrying about it. “That’s always an advantage playing close to home and not having to travel and kind of keeping your normal routine,” he said. “I would expect Louisville to have [a] great crowd. You know, when they play, certainly, a great program, and I think they get tremendous support. So we’ll see.”

UNC’s Bukauskas named ACC Pitcher of Year, McGee top freshman UNC and Wake Forest accounted for seven of the 16 players honored as the conference’s best By Brett Friedlander North State Journal J.B. Bukauskas continued North Carolina’s tradition of strong starting pitching Monday by becoming the fourth Tar Heel to be named the ACC’s Pitcher of the Year since the award was instituted in 2005. The junior right-hander was a perfect 8-0 during the regular season while helping UNC to a school-record 23 conference victories and the No. 2 seed in this week’s ACC tournament in Louisville. He joins Andrew Miller (2006), Alex White (2008) and Kent Emanuel (2013) as the Tar Heels named as the league’s top pitcher. UNC also boasts the ACC’s top freshman this season in designated hitter Ashton McGee, who was voted as the conference Rookie of the Year after hitting a team-leading .339 with six homers and 39 RBI in his first college season. In addition to the individual awards, the Tar Heels placed four players on the All-ACC first team. Combined with Wake Forest, which got three selections, the two state schools accounted for seven of the 16 players honored as the conference’s best. UNC’s first-team representatives are Bukauskas, shortstop Logan Warmoth, outfielder Brian Miller and relief pitcher Josh Hiatt. The three Deacons are first baseman Gavin Sheets, outfielder Stuart Fairchild and catcher Ben Breazeale. Wake, which set a school record for ACC wins in a season with 19 and will be the No. 3 seed in the upcoming conference tourney, also had five players voted onto the All-ACC second team — second baseman Jake Mueller, third baseman Johnny Aiello, starting pitchers Parker Dunshee and Connor Johnstone and reliever Griffin Roberts. Outfielder Jonathan Pryor was named to the third team. The only other Tar Heel to gain

All-ACC designation was thirdteam pick Gianluca Dalatri, a freshman starting pitcher. NC State’s All-ACC picks are second team shortstop Joe Dunand and third team DH Brad Debo. Griffin Conine, a second team outfielder, was Duke’s only selection. UNC and State also had multiple players chosen to the ACC’s All-Freshman team, with McGee and Dalatri earning recognition from the Tar Heels along with the Wolfpack trio of Debo, second baseman Will Wilson and starting pitcher Michael Bienlein. Louisville’s two-way star Brendan McKay, who hit .361 with 15 home runs while going 8-3 with a 2.22 ERA on the mound, is the ACC’s Player of the Year. Cardinals’ coach Dan McDonnell was named the league’s Coach of the Year -- an award he’s won in each of the three seasons his team has been a member of the conference. Here is the full list of postseason ACC baseball honors: Player of the Year Brendan McKay, Louisville Pitcher of the Year J.B. Bukauskas, North Carolina Defensive Player of the Year Devin Hairston, Louisville Freshman of the Year Ashton McGee, North Carolina Coach of the Year Dan McDonnell, Louisville 2017 All-ACC Baseball Teams First Team C - Ben Breazeale, Wake Forest 1B - Pavin Smith, Virginia 1B - Gavin Sheets, Wake Forest 2B - Wade Bailey, Georgia Tech 3B - Drew Ellis, Louisville SS - Logan Warmoth, North Carolina OF - Brian Miller, North Carolina OF - Adam Haseley, Virginia OF - Stuart Fairchild, Wake OF - Reed Rohlman, Clemson DH - Brendan McKay, Louisville SP - Tyler Holton, Florida State SP - Brendan McKay, Louisville SP - J.B. Bukauskas, North Carolina RP - Lincoln Henzman, Louisville

RP - Josh Hiatt, North Carolina Second Team C - Joey Bart, Georgia Tech C - Colby Fitch, Louisville 1B - Sam Fragale, Virginia Tech 2B - Jake Mueller, Wake Forest 3B - Johnny Aiello, Wake Forest SS - Joe Dunand, NC State OF - Seth Beer, Clemson OF - Griffin Conine, Duke OF - Cameron Simmons, Virginia OF - Tom Stoffel, Virginia Tech DH/UT - Quincy Nieporte, Florida State SP - Pat Krall, Clemson SP - Jeb Bargfeldt, Miami SP - Parker Dunshee, Wake Forest SP - Connor Johnstone, Wake Forest RP - Griffin Roberts, Wake Forest Third Team C - Robbie Coman, Virginia 1B - Andrew Cox, Clemson 2B - Jack Owens, Virginia Tech 3B - Dylan Busby, Florida State 3B - Trevor Craport, Georgia Tech SS - Devin Hairston, Louisville SS - Ernie Clement, Virginia OF - Chase Pinder, Clemson OF - Matt Vierling, Notre Dame OF - Jonathan Pryor, Wake Forest DH/UT - Brad Debo, NC State SP - Charlie Barnes, Clemson SP - Kade McClure, Louisville SP - Nick Bennett, Louisville SP - Gianluca Dalatri, North Carolina RP - Tommy Doyle, Virginia All-Freshman Team SS - Logan Davidson, Clemson OF - J.C. Flowers, Florida State 1B - Drew Mendoza, Florida State SS - Austin Wilhite, Georgia Tech SP - Nick Bennett, Louisville SP - Gianluca Dalatri, North Carolina DH - Ashton McGee, North Carolina SP - Michael Bienlien, NC State DH/UT - Brad Debo, NC State 2B - Will Wilson, NC State 2B - Alex Amos, Pittsburgh SP - Noah Murdock, Virginia

Madeline Gray | North State Journal

Wake Forest outfielder Stuart Fairchild (4) sprints towards home to score a run against Duke during the first round of the ACC Baseball Championship at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on May 24, 2016.

Wake Forest looking to continue record-setting season in tourney play Equipped with stellar starting pitching and a powerful lineup, the Demon Deacons are poised for a long run in the postseason By R. Cory Smith North State Journal Fifteen years. That’s how long it’s been since the Wake Forest baseball team has hosted an NCAA Regional. It’s also the last time the program has amassed more than 35 wins in a single season. Until this year, of course. After already accomplishing one of those goals with a 38-17 mark heading into the ACC Tournament, head coach Tom Walter hopes to seal up a Regional hosting spot in Louisville. “It’s been a great season so far, but the second season hasn’t even started,” Walter said. “We are in the discussion as a regional host; that’s what you strive for as a team. With just a few games left before getting to that point, it would be a huge step forward for our program to get that done.” On the heels of its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2009 last year, the 2017 team was mostly discounted in the ACC. After the loss of Will Craig, the 22nd overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft, the Demon Deacons were not one of eight teams listed in several preseason polls. That hasn’t stopped the Demon Deacons from shocking the college baseball world behind a stellar rotation and one of the best offenses in the country. Heading into the ACC Tournament, the Deacs come in at No. 12 in the Baseball America standings released Monday after a series win over Pittsburgh. That marked the program-record 18th conference win of the season. Michael Lananna of Baseball America, one of Wake’s earliest proponents, believed the Deacs would make a regional for a second straight year. But even he didn’t see this season coming. “I’m sure some people who watched them casually last year probably thought, ‘OK, they’re going to lose Will Craig, so they’re done,’” Lananna said. “But from my perspective, having watched this team closely over the last several years, you could tell they were building toward something special. “I just don’t think anyone expected this.” On the mound, Walter’s club has one of the best 1-2 punches in the ACC. Parker Dunshee, who returned to Wake after being a 14thround selection by the Cubs, has fit the bill as the team’s ace with an ACC-leading nine wins. Fellow senior Connor Johnstone is not far behind with a 7-0 mark and 3.46 ERA behind two complete games. Dunshee recently set a record for career strikeouts at 313 for

his career heading into the ACC Tournament. While the potential for injury or decline was there when Dunshee returned, Walter believes he has been one of the biggest reasons for the program’s complete turnaround. “It’s made all the difference for this club,” Walter said. “He should be 13-1 at this point, but had some tough luck against teams like Florida State, Georgia Tech and Clemson where he pitched well enough to win and we couldn’t finish for him. ... I don’t know that anybody else in the country can say that. We don’t get to this point without him on the mound for us every weekend.” What Wake has done on the mound is remarkable, but what it has accomplished at the plate is historic for the Deacs. Stuart Fairchild, Johnny Aiello and Gavin Sheets have played in all 55 games this season with a combined 49 home runs and 183 RBI. Sheets and Aiello rank seventh and eighth overall in the country, respectively, with 19 and 18 homers. Fairchild’s 13 dingers rank third on the team, helping the Deacs reach a program-record 93 longballs, surpassing the previous mark of 90 set in 1999. Five of the Deacs’ regular starting nine have 12 homers or more, with sophomore Bruce Steel (12) and junior Keegan Maronpot (12) also on that list. Along with Fairchild, Aiello and Sheets, Wake also has three more players in Jake Mueller, Jonathan Pryor and Ben Breazeale who are batting .320 or higher with at least a .412 on-base percentage. “Stuart Fairchild and Gavin Sheets were the known commodities coming into the season with their power,” Lananna said. “But the guy who jumps out is Johnny Aiello, who stopped switch hitting and made a massive leap. Then you throw in Pryor and Breazeale and you have a deep lineup that’s ready for a deep postseason run.” Given the ridiculous wealth of talent, it’s no wonder the Deacs head into the ACC Tournament as the No. 3 seed. Wake earned that seed over traditional baseball powers like Virginia and Clemson, but will have to topple No. 6 Miami and No. 10 Georgia Tech — who have a combined three ACC Tournament titles in the last decade — to advance out of its own pool. The ultimate goal is to win the ACC Championship, but earning hosting duties for the first time since 2002 would prove where the program is at overall. However, Walter hopes his team’s season ends in Omaha, a place Wake hasn’t seen since 1955. “The expectation for this club is, ‘Let’s get to Omaha,’” Walter said. “That’s what these kids want. That’s what they’ve worked for all year. I know there’s 300 other teams out there who want the same thing, but we’ve got a realistic shot at it with this team.”

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Major League sons making names for themselves at state schools Following in the footsteps of their famous fathers, Duke’s Griffin Conine, Wake Forest’s Gavin Sheets, UNC’s Bo Weiss and ECU’s T.J. Riles are thriving on the diamond for their respective college teams

Griffin Conine | Duke

Bo Weiss | North Carolina

COURTESY DUKE ATHLETICS

VIA NORTH CAROLINA ATHLETICS

Gavin Sheets | Wake Forest

COURTESY DUKE ATHLETICS

RIFFIN CONINE knows as well as anyone that the most important name on his baseball jersey is the one printed on the front. That hasn’t always been easy to remember, though, as much as he’s been reminded of the name he wears on his back. It’s the same name his father Jeff made famous for eight seasons as perhaps the most popular player in Miami Marlins history. “Playing baseball anywhere in Florida, people would see the name on my jersey and they’d be like ‘are you any relation?” the younger Conine recalls. “There was always talk. They’d always say ‘son of Jeff’ whenever I was mentioned in any kind of report or interview. I just try not to let it get to me.” Conine is doing his best to escape his dad’s shadow and make a name for himself by putting together a breakout season as a hard-hitting right fielder for Duke. But he is not the only one battling a last name: there are currently four in-state college players who grew up as the sons of Major Leaguers. Like Conine, Wake Forest’s Gavin Sheets, North Carolina’s Bo Weiss and East Carolina’s T.J. Riles are well-acquainted with the frequent comparisons to their famous fathers and the higher expectations that go along with them. But they’ve also benefitted from some of the unique advantages provided by their familial relationship with baseball, above and beyond the instruction they received from parents that played the game at its highest level. As an eight-year-old Little Leaguer, Conine got to shag fly balls in the outfield while the Marlins took batting practice. As an up-and-coming high school player, Sheets got hitting tips from Baltimore Orioles Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., while Weiss spent his formative

years hanging around the clubhouse and taking road trips with the Colorado Rockies. “There’s a give-and-take for what they’ve been able to experience,” said Walt Weiss, a former All-American at UNC who spent 14 seasons as a shortstop with four Major League teams — including one as Jeff Conine’s teammate in Miami. “The expectations are sometimes not realistic and their failures are usually magnified. At the same time, there’s opportunity that comes along with it, like being around the club and for Bo, throwing bullpen sessions with a Major League pitching coach. Ninety-nine point nine percent of the population doesn’t get to experience things like that.” Those advantages were not without a cost. It came in the form of the added scrutiny the four local legacies received as they began the process of following in their fathers’ footsteps around the bases. The pressure was especially heavy on the shoulders of Conine, Weiss and Sheets because they grew up playing ball in the same cities that made their names famous. Sheets, in particular, had a hard time escaping the connection to his dad in Baltimore. In addition to having knocked out 86 homers over six seasons for the Orioles, Larry Sheets was also Gavin’s high school coach at Gilman School. The attention paid to their situation only increased when the elder Sheets hired his old Orioles teammate Ripken as his assistant. “It was something I had to deal with in high school,” Gavin Sheets said. “I knew it was there, but it was never too much of a burden.” Gavin’s laid back disposition had a lot to do with making the dynamic between father/coach and son work so well. “The terrific thing about him and the reason he’s

a psychology major is that he walks to the beat of his own drum,” Larry Sheets said. It also didn’t hurt that Larry went out of his way to differentiate his dual roles at home and at the ballpark. “It was a relationship of coach and father,” Larry Sheets said. “He would ask questions about the team and I told him that was off limits to him. We never really had any tough moments. He actually made it easy for me to keep him as a freshman because he stepped right in and started doing well.” Gavin was good enough to be selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 37th round of the MLB draft following his senior season at Gilman. By that time, though, the decision had already been made that he would go to college before giving pro ball a try. Conine was also drafted out of high school, in the 31st round by Miami. But he considered the pick to be nothing more than a courtesy to his father, who is known around the organization as “Mr. Marlin.” So, like Sheets, he also decided to continue his career in college, one far enough away from home that the name on the back of his jersey wouldn’t be as recognizable. Weiss also packed his bags and went elsewhere. But instead of distancing himself from his dad’s legacy in Denver — where in addition to playing for the Rockies, he also managed the team for four seasons — the youngster did the opposite by signing to play at Walt’s alma mater. He’s reminded of his father’s success at UNC everytime he walks into the team lounge at Boshamer Stadium, where his father’s picture adorns the wall with the other former Tar Heel stars that made it to the Major Leagues. “Maybe there’s a little pressure that comes along with that, but playing two different positions is pretty helpful,” said Bo, who became a pitcher during his

BRIAN WESTERHOLT | FOUR SEAM IMAGES

sophomore season in high school, in part because his lateral movement on the infield was hampered by a club foot. A hard-throwing right-hander, Weiss has made 11 relief appearances and one start for the third-ranked Tar Heels, striking out 11 with a 2.70 ERA. “I can’t really be compared to my dad because he was a shortstop and I’m a pitcher,” he said. “It’s actually kind of cool to go to the same college and have some of the same experiences he had.” It’s something he’s wanted to do for as long as he can remember. “We had all the Carolina stuff in our house and he’s grown up watching me watch Carolina basketball, so he really bleeds Carolina Blue,” Walt Weiss said of his son. “It’s always been his dream school, but we never thought it would happen. It was kind of a pipe dream until we got him on the mound and he really took off.” Bo grew six inches to his current 6-foot-3 and in the words of his father “began to look and throw like a pitcher.” By the time he was a high school senior he was being recruited by major schools from coast to coast. The final choice came down to UNC and Stanford. “His mom is from the West Coast and her eyes lit up when Stanford came calling,” Walt said. “But going to Carolina was a dream come true. I didn’t nudge him either way, but I always figured this is where he’d end up.” Riles’ path to ECU, by contrast, wasn’t nearly as preordained. Or direct. Brought up in Atlanta after his father had retired following a nine-year career as an infielder with Milwaukee, San Francisco, Oakland and others, T.J. was able to pursue his own athletic pursuits in relative anonymity compared to his fellow Major League sons. In fact, the only one of his current Pirate teammates who remembers anything about Ernest Riles as a play-

er is Wisconsin native and lifelong Brewers fan Evan Kruczynski. T.J., whose given name is Ernest Thomas Joseph Riles, was also a standout football and basketball player, which is probably why he was so lightly recruited out of high school for baseball. He went to two different junior colleges before landing at ECU this season. Despite missing fall practice with an injury, he stepped right into the lineup as the Pirates’ starting right fielder. He’s hitting .259 with four homers and 20 RBI. “I never pushed him into baseball because he played all sports, but I think he wanted to follow in my footsteps,” said Ernest Sr., who has travelled to Greenville several times to see his son play. “I’m very proud of him no matter how far he goes in the game. Every time I see him out on the field it puts a big smile on my face. He’s my favorite player to watch.” The father’s joy is manifested in the passion with which his son plays. “He’s both a father and a role model to me,” T.J. said. “He’s always told me not to worry about getting to the next level or what might happen in the future, but to just try to win a ballgame and have fun every time I go out on the field. That’s what it’s all about. “My father isn’t just my father, he’s a role model which is pretty cool. Sometimes people expect me to live up to his name and it’s kind of hard sometimes and I’ve got the potential to do it. But right now I’m just playing the game, trying to help my team win.” That’s a trait Riles shares with Conine, Sheets and Weiss. As motivated as they all are to become Major Leaguers in their own right, their coaches have described each of them as unselfish players that have put team success ahead of their individual goals. “My theory has always been that if you bring a kid in under these circumstances, he better be a no-brain-

er — and by that I mean not only a good player, but also a very high-character kid who’s very selfless,” UNC coach Mike Fox said of players with Major League dads. “There can be positives and negatives because of the father’s big league history. You have to be careful more than anything else.” While Riles is still adjusting to Division I pitching and Weiss’ college career is just starting, Sheets and Conine appear to be the best bets to follow their fathers’ path into professional baseball. Sheets has taken advantage of his three years at Wake Forest to gain added weight and strength to his 6-foot-5 frame to become even more powerful a hitter than Larry was. His 18 homers and 73 RBI were the best in the ACC heading into the final weekend of the regular season, a performance that has established him as a potential first round pick in next month’s draft. Conine, meanwhile, has made a quantum leap after spending a productive summer with the La Crosse Loggers of the wood bat Northwoods League. Although he still has a year to go before becoming draft eligible, the son of Mr. Marlin has turned himself into more than just a courtesy pick by leading Duke in average (.320), homers (13), RBI (55) and slugging percentage (.598). “The only way I can describe it with him is an it factor,” Blue Devils coach Chris Pollard said of Conine — and by extension the other Major League sons playing college ball in North Carolina. “There’s just that something you have to assume comes from being immersed in the game growing up. “There’s kind of a pro ball mentality to playing the game when you’re a field rat. You have a consistent personality, you enjoy the competition and being at the field, the everyday grind of it. “That’s something you see in guys at the professional level.” And apparently, in their sons as well.

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

William Byron continuing rapid ascension Sun Belt Conference to add football in NASCAR with JR Motorsports championship game in 2018

Charlotte-born driver has only been in the sport for five years, but is already looking ahead to a bright future with Hendrick Motorsports

Appalachian State, which tied for the conference title last season, will play in the East Division, along with Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Troy and Coastal Carolina

By R. Cory Smith North State Journal HARLOTTE — William Byron has enjoyed more success in racing C in the last five years than many racers

see in their entire careers. On Saturday, he’ll return home for his first opportunity to race in Charlotte as a full-time Xfinity Series driver. Byron got his start in racing in Legends cars when he was 14 years old at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Concord Speedway. Racing around the fifth-mile oval in front of the flag stand, Byron quickly made a name for himself and climbed up the racing ladder. Three years later, he won the K&N East title before moving to the Trucks Series and eventually the Xfinity Series at 19 years old. That big of a leap doesn’t happen for a lot of drivers, with several starting in Elementary School and likely never making it to the K&N or even Trucks Series level. “I was pretty late for a racer,” Byron said. “It’s something that’s come quicker and faster than I ever could have expected. I didn’t always race, but it was something I always wanted to do. So being here, at this level, with Hendrick Motorsports is something I could’ve never imagined.” He may have been a late bloomer as a driver, but the Charlotte native grew up with a love for the sport. Throughout his childhood, Byron said he remembers going to Charlotte Motor Speedway for both races every year and often attending the All-Star Race as well. So when he was tapped by Rick Hendrick last Fall to take over the No. 9 car as a development driver for Hendrick Motorsports, Byron knew the full history behind the team and the opportunity he was stepping into. “It was really special to have that support and recognition for what I’ve done in the last year,” Byron said of signing with Hendrick. “It’s a huge blessing, huge opportunity and something I’m still really excited about. I have no idea what the future holds, but being with a team like this is not something I will ever take for granted.” Byron may be climbing up the NASCAR ladder at a rapid pace, but he has done so in rare fashion. Currently in his sophomore year at Liberty University — the main sponsor for his No. 9 Chevrolet — Byron is looking to become one of the very few NASCAR drivers with a college degree. The only current Monster Energy Cup Series driver with a college degree is Ryan Newman. He may not be at the top level yet, but Byron said balancing a full-time schedule as a driver and student is well worth the payoff he will re-

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal

MARK J. REBILAS | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver William Byron celebrates after winning the Ford Ecoboost 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Homestead, Fla. on Nov. 18, 2016.

ceive later in his career. “It’s not too, too difficult scheduling-wise like it used to be when I was on campus, but I’m able to balance it out better now,” Byron said. “A college education is a great thing for me to have and helps me become independent in case this racing thing didn’t end up working out.” The grades are good, by the way. Byron said he made A’s and B’s both semesters despite driving a full season with Kyle Busch Motorsports last year and taking on a more challenging schedule with JRM in 2017. Byron didn’t just race a full season with KBM last year in the Trucks Series, he broke a record for wins by a rookie with seven. Coming off a championship season at the K&N Pro Series East level in which he won four races in 2015, Byron won Rookie of the Year honors in the Trucks Series. While Byron’s first season at one of the top three NASCAR Series was a massive success, it didn’t end with a championship. Byron was racing up front for 112 of the first 141 laps, but suffered an engine failure that caused him to drop to 27th and out of the NASCAR playoffs with just one race remaining. Byron couldn’t win the championship at Homestead-Miami, but still had something to prove. He did just that with a win in the final race of the season. “It was really difficult to watch another team celebrate a championship I felt I should’ve won,” Byron said. “It was still a great feeling to win that race and prove our strength and what we had done all season. You always want to rebound after a tough race like that, but

it was still tough to know we were that close to a title.” Now with JR Motorsports, Byron currently sits third in the Xfinity Series standings heading into Charlotte this Saturday. Ironically enough, he’s also third in the JRM stable behind Elliott Sadler and Justin Allgaier, who are currently first and second in the standings. Byron may be looking up to both Sadler and Allgaier in the standings, but he’s considered a frontrunner for something much more coveted. With Dale Earnhardt Jr. retiring after this season, Byron has been tabbed as a possible replacement in the No. 88 for next year. Despite being just 20 years old at that point, Hendrick has taken risks on young drivers before. Just two years ago, Hendrick called upon Chase Elliott to take over the No. 24 ride and rolled the dice on Jeff Gordon at 22 in the same car. Byron is elated to be in the No. 9 car for JR Motorsports — a team owned by Earnhardt himself — but said getting to the next level as soon as possible is the ultimate goal. “Any time I can have a chance to get into the Cup Series would be an incredible opportunity,” Byron said. “But I leave those decisions up to Rick. I put full confidence in him and the team because they always make the right decisions. They are championship proven. “I would love to be in the Cup Series, whether that’s next year or a few years down the road. I definitely feel like I’m ready. I don’t know when it will be, but I trust that the right decision will be made.”

APPALACHIAN STATE had to share the Sun Belt Conference football championship with Arkansas State last season after both teams finished with 7-1 league records. Starting in 2018, the top two teams will be able to decide the title on the field. The conference announced Tuesday at its annual spring meetings in Point Clear, Ala., that it will begin holding a football championship game with the winners of two five-team divisions playing one another at a campus site of the higher-ranked team. Appalachian State will play in the East Division, along with Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Troy and Coastal Carolina — which is currently transitioning from the FCS level to the FBS. The West Division will consist of Arkansas State, Louisiana, Louisiana-Monroe, South Alabama and Texas State. Current Sun Belt members Idaho and New Mexico State will be leaving the conference after the 2017 academic year. Led by coach Scott Satterfield’s Mountaineers, who beat Toledo 31-28 in the Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., the Sun Belt sent four teams to bowls in 2016. Its 4-2 record gave it the highest winning percentage among the so-called “Group of Five” conferences. “Empirical evidence exists that clearly shows the Sun Belt’s upward trends,” Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson said in a statement. “Our on-field success can be documented, but it is also worth thinking about how much perception of the Sun Belt has changed. We’ve caught the attention of the nation on a number of occasions and that has helped shift public opinion. People recognize our conference and our member institutions — and most importantly they associate them with success. “There is a universal sense that the Sun Belt is where it needs to be — strong and successful, but always willing to push the boundaries in order to find greater levels of achievement.” The conference also announced that it plans to adopt a centralized replay system for football similar to the one used by the ACC and other Power Five leagues. The Southeastern Conference has specifically utilized the setup, including having officials in a centralized area to look at replays from games and assist officials in the stadium making decisions.

RANDY SARTIN | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

Coach Scott Satterfield led Appalachian to its second straight 10-win season and a share of the Sun Belt Conference championship in 2016.

CLOSE SHAVE AT THE BALLPARK

Bulls offer haircuts in the owners box A hidden gem of the DBAP is the fullylicensed and operational barber shop in the owner’s suite

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack. Take a little off the ear, and taper the back. It’s easy for fans at the DBAP to miss. Seeing it would require them turning away from the field and looking at the top of the seating bowl. But it’s there, looking so out of place that, once seen, it’s impossible to imagine having missed it for all this time. On the first-base side of the stadium, hanging from the wall, between the radio/PA booths and the first luxury box, is a red and white striped barber’s pole. “When Mr. Goodmon was a boy,” Danielle Broughton explains, “every Saturday, his grandfather would take him to the barber shop.” Years later, when Jim Goodmon became owner of the Durham Bulls — and namesake of Goodmon Field, the playing surface at the DBAP — he decided to bring along a piece of his childhood. “It was a social thing,” Broughton says. “He wanted to create a place where guys could get together.” Behind the wall where the barber pole hangs is the owner’s suite, where Goodmon and his guests can watch his team play. And, should anyone need a trim or a shave, there’s a licensed barber that works every Bulls home game. “There are three of us,” Broughton says. “We each take turns working games.” Broughton, who worked for 30 years at a mall hair salon before hanging up the scissors at her day job, has worked in Goodmon’s suite for the last decade. She used to be the only barber on staff, un-

til she decided a few years ago that she needed to lighten her schedule. “That’s a lot,” she said, “working every game.” The chair doesn’t make the job any easier. It’s an old-fashioned model, similar to the ones of the owner’s youth. That means it doesn’t adjust up or down easily, leaving Broughton scrambling to find the proper angle. “I’ve gotten pretty good at this over the years,” she says, while kicking a plastic step stool in front of her as she walks around the customer. The corner of the suite dedicated to hair care is an inspected and approved barber shop, with paperwork from the North Carolina Board of Barber Examiners displayed on the wall, along with the establishment’s sanitation grade (a 100 percent). It’s decorated with photos and memorabilia, but it’s not baseball-related. No photos of former Giants pitcher Sal “The Barber” Maglie or even Hall of Famer Joe “The Yankee Clipper” DiMaggio. Instead, the antique signs and pictures are from barber shops of yore. Customers in the chair will have to settle for getting their baseball fix from the spot in one of the best seats in the house, with the field on display in front of them through the suite’s large picture windows. During the game, haircuts are limited to owner’s box guests, but frequently, walk-ins will show up at the chair during pregame. Over the years, Broughton has cut the hair of several Bulls players, who will pop into the owner’s box between batting practice and first pitch. Legendary manager Bill Evers, one of just five Bulls to have his number retired, was a regular. Now the minor league field coordinator for the Tampa Bay Rays, Evers was in Durham last month and made sure to stop by Broughton’s chair to get the usual. It’s a service that few people would expect to see offered at a minor league ballpark. As a result, business is fairly sporadic.

SHAWN KREST | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

The Bulls Stadium hosts a barber shop where fans can get a pregame haircut.

“Some nights are busier than others,” Broughton says. “I think I did three last night.” It’s no surprise that Mr. Goodmon is also a regular. “A lot of times, he’ll just want a quick neck trim,” she says. “He hates having hair on his neck.” There’s no price list posted or payment demanded, although the standard reimbursement appears to be about $10. “That’s what I’ve always paid,” says longtime Bulls employee Ken Tanner, who makes the trip over from the press box several times a season. The barbers tend to start work about an hour before game time. Most nights, the owner’s suite is empty at that time, but, in addition to allowing other members of the Bulls community to get a

pregame haircut, it ensures that they’ll be ready to go when the suite’s tenants arrive. “I usually stay until about the third or fourth inning,” Broughton says. “The way I see it, this is their space. It’s their party. I’m just here in case anyone wants my services. Once they’ve had the opportunity, then I should leave them to their evening.” A few hours later, at the end of their evening, many of the guests will head home, looking fresh and clean. “It’s kind of fun,” Broughton tells one customer as she finishes the trim. “When you go home, people will look at you and ask, ‘Did you get your hair cut?’ And you can say, ‘What are you talking about? I was at the ballpark!’”

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

B7 Rory McIlroy plays his shot from the fourth tee box during the final round of The Players Championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass - Stadium Course Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. on May 14.

NFL NOTEBOOK

Zimmer out for OTAs, Brady's agent denies QB concussion rumors By NSJ Staff Vikings’ Zimmer to miss OTAs after eighth eye surgery Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer will miss OTAs to take a “few weeks” away from the team after undergoing an eighth eye surgery last week. General manager Rick Spielman announced Monday that Zimmer will take the time to focus on his health while organized team activities begin this week. “As the Vikings begin OTA practices, Coach Zimmer will be taking time away from the team to dedicate to recovering from eye surgery and restoring his health,” Spielman said in a statement. “We all agree Mike’s health is the priority and we believe rest and recovery are in his best interest for the long term. We anticipate Mike back on the field in a few weeks.” Zimmer, 60, has undergone eight procedures since scratching his right eye in a game against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 31. Brady’s agent denies QB had concussion The agent for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said Friday his client did not suffer a concussion in 2016. “Tom was not diagnosed with a concussion last year,” agent Don Yee said in a statement to ESPN, NFL Network and other media outlets. “Many of the protocols and safeguards still are evolving, and it’s obviously a good thing the organization and everyone close to him is vigilant and always looking out for his health.” The statement came two days after Brady’s wife, Gisele Bundchen, appeared on “CBS This Morning” and said her husband “had a concussion last year” and alluded to more concussions during his career. The supermodel was asked by CBS’ Charlie Rose of her thoughts on Brady’s plans to play into his mid-40s and whether she wants him to retire from football. “I just have to say, as a wife, as you know (the NFL) is not the most, let’s say, unaggressive sport. Football, he had a concussion last year,” she said in the interview. “He has concussions pretty much every -- I mean we don’t talk about it. Chargers WR Inman undergoes core muscle surgery Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Dontrelle Inman un-

derwent recent surgery to repair an injured core muscle and will be out until the start of training camp. The Chargers’ second-leading receiver in 2016 is expected to be out six weeks and miss the rest of the offseason work, according to multiple reports Saturday. Inman signed a one-year, $2.7 million restricted free agent tender this offseason. He will become an unrestricted free agent next year. The 28-year-old Inman started all 16 games last season and recorded career-highs with 58 catches for 810 yards and four touchdowns. Browns ink No. 1 overall pick Garrett Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, the top overall pick of the 2017 draft, signed his four-year rookie contract on Friday. The deal is worth an estimated $30.4 million with a $20.25 million signing bonus. The contract comes with a team option for the fifth season in 2021. The Browns posted a video on Twitter of Garrett filling out the contract while Seal’s “Kiss From A Rose” played in the background. Garrett collected 141 tackles (47 for loss), 31 sacks and forced seven fumbles during his threeyear career at Texas A&M. The 6-foot-4 1/2, 272-pound Aggies standout was held to 8 1/2 sacks last season while he dealt with a high-ankle sprain. Las Vegas approves Raiders’ lease deal The Oakland Raiders took an important step toward having a Las Vegas stadium ready for the 2020 season when the Las Vegas Stadium Authority unanimously approved a conditional lease agreement for the team on Thursday, multiple media outlets reported. It was important to get the approval this week because Raiders president Marc Badain had said recently that appearing at the NFL owners meetings, which begin Monday in Chicago, without a lease could delay the team’s move to Las Vegas by a year. The next opportunity to present a lease would not be until the following owners meeting in October. The Raiders would like to begin construction of the $1.9 billion, 65,000-seat domed stadium this summer.

MICHAEL MADRID | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

GOLF NOTEBOOK

McIlroy MRI negative, U.S. Open details revealed By Tom LaMarre The Sports XChange MRI on ribs negative for McIlroy Rory McIlroy underwent an MRI exam that revealed that he had not sustained a new injury to his ribs. However, McIlroy withdrew from the BMW PGA Championship, the flagship event of the European Tour, this week at Wentworth outside London. He won the title in 2014. “Having had a reaction to my earlier rib injury, I have been advised to take a conservative approach to my recovery which unfortunately means I have to withdraw from the BMW PGA Championship,” McIlroy said. “It’s a disappointing decision to have to make, but I have to ensure I make a full recovery. I will now continue the process of preparing my game for the U.S. Open (next month) and the rest of the season.” McIlroy, who is No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking, missed seven weeks earlier this year because of a stress fracture in his ribs he sustained while finishing second in the BMW South African Open in January “No new injury, rather a lowgrade response to the rib joint I injured earlier this year,” McIlroy of the MRI results. McIlroy felt discomfort as he prepared for the Players Championship two weeks ago after taking several weeks off following the Masters last month, during which time he was married to American Erica Stoll at Ashford Castle in Ireland. Playing through the pain, which he said was not as acute as

it was earlier in the year, McIlroy failed to post a score better than 1-under-par 71 on his way to a tie for 35th in the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. USGA confirms scorecard details for 2017 U.S. Open Mike Davis, executive director of the United States Golf Association, confirmed that Erin Hills in Hartford, Wis., will measure 7,693 yards on the scorecard for the 117th U.S. Open from June 15-18. Davis also noted that the actual yardage will vary on a daily basis. “We won’t play that yardage on any one of the four days, I’m quite certain,” Davis said. “It may be slightly more than that, it may be slightly less than that. But we really don’t figure out exactly what we’re going to do until really the day before or even the day of, once we know what the wind conditions and the firmness is going to be.” Erin Hills can play as long as long as 7,800 yards from the Black tees. From those tees, each of the four par-5 holes on the course measures at least 607 yards, including the 663-yard 18th hole. Davis also said the fairways at Erin Hills will feature more bounce than a traditional U.S. Open venue, and as a result, the landing areas will be at least 50 percent wider than the fairways players encounter at venues such as Winged Foot or Oakmont. “You’re going to see balls hit and move, and because of that and because of the wind out here, the fairways are most certainly wider than most U.S.

Opens,” Davis said. “But we think that works architecturally and that’s really the way the three architects designed it to be, and we’re excited.” This will be the first time the U.S. Open will be played on a course with a par of 72 since Tom Kite won at Pebble Beach in 1982. LPGA star Thompson parachutes with Navy SEALs LPGA Tour star Lexi Thompson parachuted with a Navy SEAL at her back from 10,000 feet onto the first tee of the River Course at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va., for the start of the Kingsmill Championship pro-am. Thompson’s Lexi Legacy Challenge charity raises funds and awareness for families of United States Navy SEALs who have been killed or wounded in action. “A dream come true is all I can say,” said the 22-year-old Thompson, who would up winning the Kingsmill event for her eighth victory on the LPGA Tour. “Not only did I get to skydive, but I got to jump with Navy SEALs, who are the most elite members of our military. “We all get to compete each week on the LPGA Tour because of the sacrifices of the SEALs and their families, so giving back is the least I can do.” It was the first parachute jump by Thompson, who was accompanied on the dive by three other Navy SEALs and a skydiver from Thompson’s sponsor, Red Bull, who videotaped the plunge. Thompson wears pink clothing on Saturdays during tournament play to show her support of the fight against breast cancer, and she announced after the parachute jump that she would wear blue camouflage on Sundays to reflect her support of the SEAL Legacy Foundation.

Spieth heads back to Colonial to defend title By Tom LaMarre The Sports XChange SOME PEOPLE probably are still wondering exactly what the Dean & DeLuca Invitational is. For the first time since the tournament’s inception in 1946 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, the word Colonial was not in the title last year. From 1946 through 1988, it was the Colonial National Invitational, then became the Southwestern Bell Colonial, the MasterCard Colonial, the Bank of American Colonial and the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. In case you were wondering, the Dean & DeLuca Invitational will be played for the second time this week at Colonial. No matter the name, Dallas native Jordan Spieth was excited to claim his first PGA Tour victory in Texas last year, when he played venerable Colonial in 67-66-65-65 to win by three strokes over Harris English. “It’s very cool,” said Spieth, who was an All-American at the University of Texas. “I mean, it’s been since college (that he won in Texas). But you know, you only have a few events a year to give it a go. “Especially in (Dallas-Fort Worth) growing up, coming to this tournament, this tournament gave me an exemption when I needed it in 2013. It’s very special to me and really nice to kind of grab the win at Colonial.” What makes Colonial special to Texans, and golfers everywhere, is

the lingering aura of the great Ben Hogan. Hogan, another Texan, won the tournament the first two years it was played and a record five times in all, the last in 1959 at the age of 46. Nobody else has won it more than twice. Riviera Country Club near Los Angeles already was nicknamed “Hogan’s Alley,” because he won three times there including the 1948 U.S. Open in a little more a year, but that didn’t stop Texans from giving Colonial the same moniker. Hogan, considered by many to be the greatest ball-striker of all-time, once said: “A straight ball will get you in more trouble at Colonial than any course I know.” Another time, Hogan made a double bogey on the first hole in the Colonial and said: “Well, that’s why they make 18 holes.” Hogan’s heroics were only some of the memorable moments in the legacy of Colonial, where Craig Wood captured the U.S. Open by three strokes over Denny Shute in 1941. Tom Watson finally won the Colonial in his 22nd attempt in 1998 at the age of 48, supplanting Hogan as the oldest winner in tournament history when he beat Jim Furyk by two strokes with a final-round 66. “I wasn’t sure if I would ever win another tournament,” said Watson, who like Hogan made the Colonial his last victory on the PGA Tour. Phil Mickelson, a two-time Colonial winner, hit a wild drive into the rough on the 72nd hole of the 2008 Colonial. Then he hit

Jordan Spieth hits his third tee shot on the 16th hole after hitting his first two shots out of bounds during the second round of the AT&T Byron Nelson golf tournament at TPC Four Seasons Resort - Las Colinas in Irving, TX on May 19. Spieth scored a 9 on the par 5 and missed the cut by one stroke. RAYMOND CARLIN III | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

his 141-yard approach shot with a 51-degree sand wedge under one tree, over another, around a giant scoreboard to within 9 feet of the hole. Lefty sank the birdie putt to win by one stroke over Tim Clark and Rod Pampling, and the shot is known in Colonial lore as “Mickelson’s Miracle.” “It wasn’t an easy shot, but it came off,” said Mickelson, who rates the play as one of the top five in his career. Adam Scott took over the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking by winning the 2014 Colonial with a birdie on the third playoff hole to beat Jason Dufner, but Texans were more excited that the Aussie became the first golfer to complete the “Texas Slam.” Scott already had won the Byron Nelson, the Houston Open and the Texas Open, and officials from all four events presented Scott with a framed Texas flag to mark the

milestone later that season. “The Texas Slam, that’s a good slam to start with,” said Scott, whose only major title came in the 2013 Masters. “I’ll see if I can find some kind of other slam eventually in my career.” In 2003, LPGA Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam of Sweden became the first woman to play on the PGA Tour in 58 years, since Babe Zaharias made three cuts as an amateur in 1945. Sorenstam’s participation in the Colonial drew high media attention, but she shot 71-74—145 and missed the cut by four strokes. “It’s one of the highlights of my career,” said Sorenstam, who won 72 times on the LPGA Tour, including 10 major titles. “I still hear new stories surfacing from people who drove from everywhere to be a part of it, who say they were inspired by it. “I hear from parents with daughters who say it really showed

them that if they have a dream, they need to follow it.” Ian Baker-Finch of Australia, who won the 1989 Colonial, made more of a splash, make that a flash, when he stripped down to a pair of blue boxer shorts to hit a shot out of a water hazard on the 13th hole in 1993. The incident made all the TV news shows that night and the newspapers the next day. “It’s lucky I had my good ones on,” Baker-Finch quipped after the round. Said Nick Price, his playing partner: “Ian just turned golf into a PG-13 sport.” The champion of the Colonial is awarded a plaid jacket, but BakerFinch is the only one who has a matching pair of boxer shorts, given to him by tournament officials at the Champions Dinner the next year. Baker-Finch resisted calls to recreate the incident.

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Predators players waive to the fans in celebration after a 6-3 win against the Anaheim Ducks in game six of the Western Conference Final of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on May 22.

WARRIORS from page B1

CHRISTOPHER HANEWINCKEL | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

Predators take down Ducks to advance to first Stanley Cup Nashville is the darling city of the hockey-watching world all of a sudden By Bucky Dent The Sports XChange ASHVILLE, Tenn. — No matter the shot margin, no matter N how dire the situation looked for a

stretch of the third period, the Nashville Predators were determined to keep their date with history Monday night. Their veteran goalie and a young forward who was a healthy scratch for some key late-season games pushed them over the Western Conference finish line. Pekka Rinne’s 38 saves and Colton Sissons’ first playoff hat trick carried Nashville to a 6-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks at raucous Bridgestone Arena, giving the Predators a 4-2 series win and their first Stanley Cup finals berth. The Predators will meet the Eastern Conference champion — either the Ottawa Senators or Pittsburgh Penguins — in Game 1 of the Cup finals on May 29 on the road. The Penguins own a 3-2 advantage in the Eastern finals and can clinch their series Tuesday night in Ottawa. With the score 3-3 and the Predators being outshot 39-15 at the time, Nashville regained the lead with a stunning one-timer from Sissons at 14:00 of the third period, three seconds after killing Roman Josi’s minor for delay of game. Calle Jarnkrok’s saucer pass teed up Sissons in the left circle, and Sissons beat Jonathan Bernier for his third goal of the night and fifth of the postseason. “We let them back in the game in the third, but thank God we have Colton Sissons,” Rinne said. Sissons scored three of his eight regular-season goals in a 6-1 win

Jan. 5 at Tampa Bay. He became the Predators’ first-line center before Game 5 against Anaheim after Ryan Johansen was ruled out of the playoffs following emergency surgery on his thigh. Coach Peter Laviolette picked the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Sissons to center Filip Forsberg and Pontus Aberg because he wanted someone who could match up physically with Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf. Over the last two games, Sissons was a plus-7 and collected four points, none more important than the goal which for now is the biggest in franchise history. “There was a turnover and I got lost on the back side,” he said of his tiebreaking goal. “Calle made a beautiful pass, and fortunately I put it away.” The Ducks pulled Bernier at the last TV timeout with 2:38 left, but Forsberg fired in an empty-netter from the Nashville defensive zone 16 seconds later for his eighth playoff goal. Austin Watson followed suit at 18:26 for his second goal of the night and fourth of the postseason. The final 94 seconds was a celebration for the sellout crowd, some of whom could be seen crying after Forsberg’s marker. Towels, hats and catfish littered the ice as the game crawled to its conclusion and the building shook in delight as the final horn sounded. It is the third different team Laviolette will take to the Cup finals. He won the title with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and lost with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010. “It probably means I got fired a lot,” Laviolette joked about his accomplishment. Anaheim outshot Nashville 4118, controlling play for most of the last 50 minutes. The Ducks erased a 3-1 deficit after Sissons’ second goal off a rebound at 3:00 of the third period, tying the game on Chris Wagner’s second marker in as many

"Country-less" Kanter receiving death threats By The Sports XChange OKLAHOMA CITY Thunder center Enes Kanter, who was detained in Romania over the weekend after his passport was revoked apparently stemming from his political views regarding his native Turkey, said he wants to become an American citizen and revealed he is receiving death threats. The United States “is my home now,” Kanter said Monday. He plans to take steps toward becoming a U.S. citizen. “Right now I am country-less,” Kanter said at a news conference at the National Basketball Players Association headquarters in New York. “I am open to adoption definitely. I am going to try to become an American citizen. I have a green card. We will see if they can speed up the process a little bit. It would definitely be nice. Right now my next move is becoming an American citizen.” Kanter has been an outspoken critic of Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Kanter said Turkey canceled his passport in retaliation for his political views. “It was of course scary,” Kanter said of his whirlwind trip, returning to the U.S. on Sunday. “It was scary because there was a chance they might send me back to Turkey. And if they send me back to Turkey, probably you guys wouldn’t hear a word from me the second day. It would have definitely gotten really ugly.” Kanter said he is receiving death threats “every day” on social media,

including two on Monday. Kanter previously called the Turkey president “the Hitler of our century” in a video he posted on Twitter while being detained in Romania on Saturday. Kanter said Monday that Erdogan and the Turkish government have tried to silence anyone who speaks out against their power. Erdogan, who met with President Trump last week at the White House, has declared a new state of emergency in Turkey — arresting 120 journalists, closing more than 150 news outlets and jailing 140,000 people, according to news reports. Kanter said he was “shocked” Erdogan was in Washington D.C. While there, Erdogan’s bodyguards were captured on video attacking protesters outside the Turkish ambassador’s home on Embassy Row. “He’s a terrible man,” Kanter said Monday. “I hope the world does something about it. ... I hope the whole world is watching. Once these people get to jail, it’s not over for them. “People are getting kidnapped, murdered, tortured, and raped. I love my country, but I’m just trying to speak up for innocent people. ... There are thousands of people out there with situations worse than mine.” Kanter said his family’s life in Turkey is in danger and he can’t communicate with them. “If they contact me, they’ll be put in jail,” Kanter said. “The jails are not fun.”

games at 5:00 and Cam Fowler’s point blast at 8:52. At that point, and particularly when Josi went off to serve his minor, it seemed like a matter of time before the Ducks grabbed the lead for good. Instead, the Predators displayed their resilience one more time, by putting Anaheim away. “This is the worst feeling in hockey,” Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said. “We worked so hard all year — and in the game — and it is incredibly frustrating.” Bernier, making his first playoff start because John Gibson (lower-body injury) couldn’t go, gave up goals on two of the first three shots. Watson’s wrister deflected off the stick of Anaheim center Ryan Kesler at 1:21, and Sissons wired home a wrister at 8:47 from the high slot. The Ducks got within 2-1 on Ondrej Kase’s point-blank wrister from Getzlaf at 4:45 of the second period. They kept owning possession and pumping shots at Rinne. But Rinne never cracked, and the league’s lowest playoff seed — Nashville’s 94 points were the fewest of all 16 postseason participants — completed its improbable run to franchise history. “Our guys know the big picture, what we are trying to do here,” Laviolette said. “But tonight, they are going to enjoy it.” NOTES: Anaheim RWs Rickard Rakell and Patrick Eaves (lower-body injuries) didn’t make the trip east for Game 6. Rakell had seven goals in 15 playoff matches. ... Nashville captain Mike Fisher and RW Craig Smith also missed Game 6 with undisclosed injuries. Smith skated in warmups but hasn’t played since Game 6 of the St. Louis series ... The Ducks’ other notable scratches were D Korbinian Holzer, D Clayton Stoner and D Shea Theodore. ... Other Predators scratches included RW PA Parenteau and LW Harry Zolnierczyk.

Appearing on “CBS This Morning” on Monday, Kanter described his road back to the U.S. Kanter said the trouble began in Indonesia when his manager knocked at his door and said Secret Service and the Indonesian army were looking for him because the Turkish government had called him a “dangerous man.” “I was sleeping around 2:30 or something and my manager knocked on my door,” Kanter said on the CBS show. “He said the Secret Service and the Indonesian army were looking for me because the Turkish government told them I was a dangerous man. “We didn’t know what we had to do. We escaped the country and went to Singapore, then we came to Romania.” Kanter said later at the news conference that he will not travel internationally and hopes the Thunder and the NBA will be able to help him gain clearance to travel to Canada next season when the Thunder play the Toronto Raptors. “I have my green card (from) last year,” Kanter said of gaining U.S. citizenship. “The process takes five years. I think I have another three and a half, four more years but I am going to try to speed up the process. “When I am back in Oklahoma, a lot of people say, ‘Oh welcome home.’ I feel like this is my home now. I see all this support, teammates, senators and everybody was supporting (me). I feel like this is my home now, definitely.” The 6-foot-11, 245-pound Kanter averaged 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in 72 games this season for the Thunder. He was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz before getting traded to the Thunder in February 2015.

Leonard (left ankle) and reserve forward David Lee (left knee) would miss the game, likely dooming any chance San Antonio had to extend the series. But even with a full complement of players, the Spurs — or any opponent — would have been hard-pressed to beat Golden State the way the Warriors are playing. Despite the fact that the Warriors have cruised to their spot in the Finals, they are adamant that they can play better. “There are things on both sides of the ball that we can clean up, and that’s what’s, I guess, got our guys’ attention or focus,” Warriors acting head coach Mike Brown said. “We’ve been preaching certain things, and for the most part, they’ve been doing it, but to get to our ultimate goal of winning the whole thing, we’ve got to be better on both ends of the floor.” Draymond Green contributed 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for Golden State. Ian Clark tallied 12 points, and Klay Thompson scored 10 points (on 3-of-13 shooting) for the Warriors. Golden State outshot the Spurs 55.8 percent to 42.3 percent, had 53 rebounds to San Antonio’s 41 and dominated despite 17 turnovers that led to 22 San Antonio points. Kyle Anderson led the Spurs with 20 points, and Manu Ginobili added 15 in what might have been the final game of his 15-year NBA career. Ginobili left the game in the final minutes to chants of “Manu, Manu” and “one more year.” He has said he will take three or four weeks off before deciding whether he wants to return to the league next season, when he will be 40 years old. “The opponent was, in this case, way better than us,” Ginobili said of the Warriors’ domination in the series. “When you lose by an average of 20 points per game in the last three games, you look at them in the eyes and say, ‘Congratulations, man, you beat us fair and square. You were better than us.’ It’s the easiest thing to do.” San Antonio’s Patty Mills and Pau Gasol hit for 14 points each, and Jonathon Simmons scored 13. LaMarcus Aldridge, arguably the Spurs’ most important player after Leonard, scored just eight points and did not play in the fourth quarter. The Warriors shot 50 percent in the first quarter against San Antonio’s makeshift lineup, built as much as a 14-point advantage and led 31-19 after 12 minutes as Curry pumped in 13 points despite shooting just 1 of 6 from 3-point range. The Spurs hit just 9 of 31 shots

WEEKES from page B1 Ward had done the same in 2006, only he leapfrogged Martin Gerber for the top job during the playoffs en route to the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP and Carolina’s lone Stanley Cup. “I’ll tell you one thing: the Canes don’t get to the Stanley Cup Final either time without backups,” Weekes said. “It doesn’t happen. You look at a lot of teams — the Pittsburgh Penguins don’t win the Stanley Cup last year without the ‘quotation mark’ backup.” Now Ward, who along with fellow goalie Eddie Lack has one year left on his contract, seems the likely backup to Darling, depending on how the expansion draft and offseason pans out. “If it happens to be that role for Cam, and Cam wants to play that role, I think there’s no shame in that,” Weekes said. That’s because Weekes not only knows what it’s like to replace “the man,” but has also been on the other side of the equation. After signing with the Rangers in the summer of 2005, Weekes was supplanted as the No. 1 by a seventh-round pick from Sweden in his first season in North America. Weekes didn’t feel any shame in being overtaken by future Hall of Fame Henrik Lundqvist. “I know for me during that Lundqvist situation after I left Carolina, I was like, ‘I’m just going to be the best backup in the league,’” Weekes said. “That’s it. I’m going to support

in the first quarter and wasted the momentum and boost from the crowd that was provided by the ageless Ginobili’s first start in a playoff game since 2013. Golden State was even better from the floor in the second quarter, hitting 14 of 19 shots and leading by as many as 19 points before settling for a 65-51 advantage at halftime. Durant and Curry each had 18 points in the half to lead the Warriors, while Anderson led San Antonio with 10 points. The Warriors worked to finish off San Antonio in the early stages of the third quarter, moving to a 78-56 lead on two Green free throws at the 8:25 mark. But the Spurs would not quit, forging a 19-7 run to cut the lead back to 8575 on a jumper by Bryn Forbes with 2:49 to play in the period. Golden State responded with an 11-3 surge of its own to end the period and took a 96-78 cushion into the final period. The fourth quarter was mostly mop-up time for the Warriors, who never let San Antonio get within 13 points while closing out the victory. “Everybody tries to put together as much talent as they can, and that’s what (Golden State) did,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “Make no mistake — they’re really talented. But that’s not the whole equation. That’s not everything that describes them. "(Golden State is) maybe the best defensive team in the league on top of everything. So they don’t just play with talent. They execute at the defensive end of the floor. On offense, no team is more unselfish finding the open man and that sort of thing. Coaches are always trying to get their team to do that. But they’ve got a multitude of people who are unselfish in that regard and play a beautiful game. They’re way, way more than just their talent.” NOTES: Golden State has won at least one road game in each of its past 14 playoff series dating back to the first round in 2013, extending a franchise record. Gs Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and F Draymond Green have played with the Warriors for all 14 of those postseason series. ... Since the Spurs joined the NBA in 1976, they have made 10 conference finals appearances, which ranks as the most in the league in that time frame. San Antonio is also tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most NBA championships during that span (five). ... Spurs G Manu Ginobili is the only player in NBA history besides LeBron James to record at least 800 rebounds, 800 assists and 300 3-pointers in the postseason. ... The Spurs are now 0-3 under coach Gregg Popovich is series in which they lost the first three games.

this kid, this kid’s a rock star, and I’m going to be the best backup. … I was happy to be the veteran guy that was there to support him and there to share some of my expertise and some of my experiences with him and share a laugh with him and everything else.” Weekes is quick to point out that there are only 60 — soon to be 62, with the addition of the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017-18 — NHL goalies in the world, and sometimes you have to settle for what’s available. “That’s not a lot of seats, not a lot of chairs,” Weekes said. “And if you want to have a chair, you might not always be sitting where you want. … But if you want to have a seat sometimes it’s not always about the seat that’s most ideal for you personally.” Weekes said Darling has paid his dues to earn the shot to be a No. 1, and that he would expect Ward to slide into a new role without rocking the boat. “Does he play 25? I’m not sure,” Weekes said of Ward. “But either way, one thing I can say is the Canes have been really good — like really, really, really good — to Cam Ward, and I don’t see how there could be any bitterness.” Weekes said Carolina is “not far away” from returning to the postseason and making noise. And Darling is the guy poised to get them back there. “He’s gone through all of those progressions, and now this is a great opportunity,” Weekes said. “He certainly has the skillset, he’s got the talent, he’s got the size and the ability.”

10 NC beers to sip on this summer. Page C4

wednesday

05.24.17

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL

play list

May 26-29 Freedom Balloon Fest Fuquay-Varina

the good life

A truly unique, free event is coming to Fuquay-Varina this Memorial Day Weekend. Gather with friends and family for outdoor fun as dozens of hot air balloons fill the sky in celebration and remembrance. More than 30 balloon pilots and teams will compete. When the balloons aren’t flying, enjoy a wide variety of N.C.-based foods, take in live local and regional musicians, enjoy field games for all ages, visit the merchant arts and craft village, and more.

May 27-29

IN A NORTH STATE OF MIND

Lake Lure Arts & Crafts Festival Lake Lure

to market to market | shipt

One of the largest familyfriendly arts and crafts festivals held in Western North Carolina, this three-day spring festival celebrates the rich tradition of handmade Appalachian arts and crafts and features more than 80 artisans and crafters who personally exhibit and sell their handmade works to the public. There are food and beverage vendors, entertaining musicians all day, a creekside picnic area and a large kids’ activity zone.

May 28 Coca-Cola 600 Concord Charlotte Motor Speedway welcomes the biggest Memorial Day weekend party in the country with the CocaCola 600. The stars of the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series do battle in stock car racing’s true endurance test.

May 29 Emory rakestraw | for the North State Journal

Battleship North Carolina Memorial Day Observance

Shipt personal shopper Hannah Shreckengost picks out produce at the Whole Foods in Wilmington on May 17.

Wilmington

Sent with a personal touch

On Memorial Day, people of all generations from across the state will gather together on the deck of the USS North Carolina to pay their respects. This moving and meaningful ceremony includes military and patriotic musical arrangements featuring a military guest speaker, an allservice Color Guard, a 21-gun salute, and a memorial wreath cast into the water. Executive Director Cpt. Terry A. Bragg and members of the Battleship North Carolina Commission invite everyone to take part in this powerful Memorial Day observance ceremony.

By Emory Rakestraw For the North State Journal WILMINGTON — On a Thursday afternoon, Hannah Shreckengost, 21, arrives at Whole Foods market. While not a usual grocery trip for herself, Shreckengost is one of many personal, independent contract shoppers for Shipt. Her list is not her own but curated through the Shipt mobile application. Olive oil, produce, milk; all items she is shopping for today. Through the application, she scans the barcode label of a product, confirms it’s the correct brand for the customer and places it in her shopping cart. “I have seen all sorts of people, a lot of elderly people who are glad to be able to not go to the store themselves, busy stay at home moms,” Shreckengost said of the Shipt customer base she’s encountered. But she said it’s really about convenience for all ages. “I’ve delivered to a girl who is just about my age, a woman who lived in a townhouse at Carolina

Beach by herself, it’s all kinds of people, young and old,” she said. What one could describe as the Uber of grocery shopping, Shipt originally started as a same-day delivery service for online orders from big box retailers. While CEO Bill Smith received great feedback from the business model, he discovered what people really wanted delivered was their groceries. Launching in Birmingham, Ala., in May 2015, Shipt has continue to grow, said Julie Coop, outreach and events team lead for Shipt. “Since our first launch two years ago, Shipt has expanded to more than 40 cities across the nation,” Coop said. “We are fortunate to have wonderful regional and national partners who have contributed to an unprecedented amount of growth.” And it seems customers are happy, too. “We’ve found people nationwide are truly starved for time and we’re proud to give them that time See shipt, page C3

in business photo courtesy of shipt

Shipt delivers groceries directly to customers’ homes from local grocery stores.

A look at Trump’s Middle East tour and its impact on N.C. companies, and former Ambassador John Cain’s effort to hold social media accountable for its role in terrorism. C5

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

NeCessities! dig in

history marked May 22, 1926 Establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill establishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The idea to establish the park in North Carolina and Tennessee originated in the late 1890s with an original debate to make the land a national park or national forest. The main difference between the two is that timbering is allowed in national forests as opposed to a national park where land is preserved and protected. Although Coolidge had signed the bill, supporters had to raise funds to purchase the 150,000 acres before the Department of Interior would assume responsibility. By 1928, $10 million had been raised. The park was dedicated in 1940 and today is one of the most visited national parks.

May 22, 1939 Work begins on Outer Banks’ first fishing pier Seventy-eight years ago work began on Jennette’s Pier, the first fishing pier along the Outer Banks. That summer, the pier opened with a snack bar, bait stand, guest rooms and restrooms for the public. The pier helped establish the business district in south Nags Head. Jennette’s Pier suffered damage from hurricanes, nor’easters and sea worms, but met its final demise during Hurricane Isabel in 2003. In May 2011, a new 1,000-foot, state-of-the-art pier was opened. Today, the pier is a facility of North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and hosts nearly 200,000 anglers and visitors each year.

May 26, 1908 Prohibition approved North Carolina voters approved prohibition on the sale of alcoholic beverages statewide. Being the first in the nation to approve such a measure, the votes were a wide margin of 62 to 38 percent. Restrictions and regulations traced as far back as the 1700s but the temperance movement was not in full swing until the mid1800s. The federal government’s 18th Amendment to the Constitution went into effect in 1920, making it illegal to manufacture, sell or transport intoxicating liquors in the United States. Nationwide prohibition ended with the ratification of the 21st Amendment in 1933, with North Carolina refusing to hold a convention to consider ratification.

May 27, 1925 Worst mining disaster in North Carolina history The Carolina Coal Company experienced a massive explosion that ended up becoming the worst coal mining disaster in North Carolina history. Occurring in the small town of Farmville in Chatham County, the explosion was nationwide news and almost everyone in the town knew someone who perished in the disaster. The first boom of the explosion occurred in early morning that split the air as smoke filled the sky. Rescue efforts began immediately and by nightfall 5,000 people waited at the mouth of the mine for word of survivors. In total, 53 victims died in the explosion and it took a total of five days to remove the bodies from the mine.

Alamance County battle remembered

All the way By Clay Abernathy | North State Journal

May is National Beef Month and Sunday, May 28, is National Hamburger Day. While North Carolina is a world leader in poultry and hogs, it ranks in the middle of the pack (34th) for beef and cattle production with 363,000 head statewide. Texas leads the nation with more than 4 million head of beef cattle, according to the USDA. Randolph County leads the Old North State with more than 16,000 head, followed by Chatham, Wilkes, Duplin and Iredell. While the state might not lead in production, North Carolina has a hamburger tradition that distinguishes it from the pack. The traditional Carolina style burger is a staple at cookouts from Murphy to Manteo. The national burger chain Wendy’s even has a version called the Carolina Classic Burger. A traditional Carolina style burger consists of six simple ingredients: bun, beef, mustard, onion, chili and slaw. In many parts of the state you can order this burger by simply asking for a hamburger “all the way.” The order of those ingredients,

shipt from page C1

Madeline Gray | North State Journal file

On May 16, 1771, a group of rebellious backcountry farmers who called themselves “Regulators” met the loyalist militia of Gov. William Tryon in open battle in Alamance County. The spark for this conflict was growing resentment in the Carolina colony against the taxes, dishonest sheriffs and illegal fees imposed by the British Crown. In response, the Regulators were formed and began to fight back. Though the rebellion was crushed, a few years later their tactics became a model for the colonists fighting the British in the American Revolutionary War. Source: North Carolina Department of Cultural and Natural Resources

back so they can focus more on what’s most important to them,” Coop added. Students and those looking for some extra income can get involved and become shoppers. “It was simple. I did the initial application, they got back to me, I did a recorded interview and then there’s a background check and that’s all,” Shreckengost said of the process to become a personal shopper. “I try to go [grocery shopping] just about every day. I’m hoping to do it a lot over the summer, but also once school starts again because it’s so flexible.” For “pinging” the shoppers, they receive a text notification on their cellphone stating the store and items desired with 60 seconds to either accept or decline. Shipt aims to have a one-hour delivery window. Shreckengost said on av-

A traditional North Carolina hamburger with chili, onions, coleslaw and mustard.

and the addition of cheese is a matter of debate. While some purists go without cheese on their Carolina burger, Sherry Duncan of the Carolina Stockyard Restaurant in Siler CIty says “98 percent of my customers order theirs with cheese.” Duncan, who co-owns the Stockyard restaurant with Robert Crabb, said the order of the ingredients is more of a function of timing than taste. She said orders that will be eaten immediately are best with mustard, onions and slaw below the burger and the chili on the top. But, if the burger is going to be taken on the road, she recommends all of the condiments be on top of the burger to prevent a soggy bun. In contrast to the Stockyard, Snoopy’s in Raleigh always puts the mustard, onion and chili under the burger and the slaw on top. According to manager Dennis Phillips, Snoopy’s wraps all of its product to go and consistently puts

everything on the bottom bun except the cheese and the slaw. Both the Stockyard and Snoopy’s have their culinary reasons for their condiment ordering, but both admit the order comes from tradition and habit more than anything else. Duncan said she makes her burger them same way as the previous owner of the restaurant, and Dennis said their selection is “just the Snoopy’s way.” With respect to buns, there is not broad consensus on the question of bun toasting. Duncan said toasting prevents the bun from becoming soggy, but that the Stockyard toasts buns by request. At Raleigh’s Snoopy’s, they stick with a steamed bun. Whether you like your slaw on the top or the bottom, there’s no two ways about the fact that the Carolina burger is a tasty reminder of Down Home as you head into Memorial Day weekend and National Hamburger Day.

erage she is purchasing 15 to 20 items for her customers, but some shopping lists range from just a few pickups to an entire cart. While some companies like Blue Apron and Plated are focused on curating specific meals, Shipt is focused on the grocery shopping experience. For those who are particular about their groceries, customers are able to leave notes for the shoppers under items requested to avoid that overripe banana or to make sure the shopper picks up soon-to-be ripe mangoes. From providing a part-time job for college students to helping busy stay-at-home moms, Shipt has changed the landscape for traditional grocery shopping. Shipt customer Sandy Wheeler-Pelkey said she first came across the service through a web search and was intrigued by the signup bonus of a first free delivery. Like many, the convenience factor also played a role.

“The thought of not having to go the grocery store every time I needed something was appealing,” said Wheeler-Pelkey. “I have had nothing but pleasant experiences. I have also called Shipt when there was not an available slot open because I needed some small party platters delivered and they accommodated my needs and put up the time slot and it was filled within an hour.” Another bonus, she said, is it also helps decrease the all-too-often “impulse buy.” Shipt is expanding through the Southeast and assists shoppers and customers in cities like Asheville, Charlotte and Wilmington, and has plans to be even bigger. “We want to take Shipt nationwide,” said Coop. “With Shipt, you don’t have to compromise quality for convenience. We’re proud to offer a highly personalized and positive customer experience and we know that will take us very far.”

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

the plate | katie button

Photos Courtesy of Evan Sung

Chef Katie Button studied cooking in Spain which led her to open the Spanish-inspired Cúrate in Asheville along with her restaurant Nightbell which celebrates Appalachian cuisine.

Savoring the last drop By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal ASHEVILLE — A plate filled with fresh, seasoned and cooked to perfection ingredients leaves you relishing the taste and not wanting to waste a single piece. In the kitchen, culinary geniuses are crafting ways to bring you one-ofa-kind dishes through eco-friendly approaches. Everyone’s cooking and savoring till the very last drop. Culinary great and chef Katie Button is helping make Asheville the next food destination through her unique blend of Spanish and American cuisine in her restaurants, Cúrate and Nightbell, as well as for her ability to use foraged and local foods in a variety of ways. “Appalachian cuisine focuses on ingredients grown here and gives a nod to tradition,” said Button. “The history and the people who live in this area, where these dishes came from — such as dried apple stack cake — are all products made from preserving and saving something. “You have a whole pig for your family. You can’t eat all of it in one sitting and it might be the only pig your family has for the year, so you have to cure, smoke, freeze and save parts of it to use throughout the year,” she added. “It’s about reducing food waste and saving things. That is what drives our menu development. To me, that’s what Appalachian cuisine is.” Button comes from a long line of cooks: her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all helped forge a path for Button in developing an interest in food and preservation. “One of my strongest memories is cooking with my grandmother at her house. She used to have a wonderful vegetable garden,” said

“Appalachian cuisine focuses on ingredients grown here and gives a nod to tradition. The history and the people who live in this area, where these dishes came from — such as dried apple stack cake — are all products made from preserving and saving something.” Katie Button

Button. “I remember working with her and making zucchini brownies out of the zucchini that would grow in her garden. When you grow zucchini, you always have way more than you know what to do with and you end up with many dishes that include zucchini. “I always appreciated her desire to grow her own food, save it and make the most out of it and teach me how,” added Button. Button was born in the South, raised in the North and educated in Europe. She has a master’s degree in biomedical engineering in addition to a culinary resume that includes studying under legendary chefs José Andrés in the United States and Ferran Adrià at elBulli in Spain. “Spanish cuisine kind of found me,” said Button. “Meeting my husband, working in Spain and learning from Jose Andres, it kind of felt like fate that I spent most of my professional time studying Spanish food, which is one of the reasons we opened a restaurant fo-

Diners fill Cúrate, Chef Katie Button’s Spanish-inpsired restaurant, in Asheville. Button learned about Spanish cuisine while studying with renowned chef Ferran Adria at elBulli.

cused on Spanish cuisine.” Life in Spain served Button well. She met her husband, Félix Meana, and eventually the two brought the old-world traditions and sizzling tastes of the country to Asheville where they opened Cúrate in 2011. Cúrate, which translates to “cure yourself” in Spanish, centers around the ideologies of the curative effects of sharing food and wine on small plates with family and friends. “When you go to Spain, the big thing that strikes me about that cuisine is that they are focused on the products at hand and they pick the best products they can find and end up preparing it very simply and straight forward,” said Button. “It is all about showcasing the quality of the actual product you’re finding.” Eggs, dairy, produce and more come from regional farms with a few Spanish ingredients brought in from outside the area. Dishes to share include brandade de bacalao, traditional cod and potato puree served hot, and setas al jerez, sautéed mushrooms with a splash of sherry. Button’s second restaurant, Nightbell, which focuses on Appalachian cuisine, opened in 2014. Here you can plainly witness Button’s knack for creating the most from sustainable products while delivering unforgettable dishes to patrons. “We get in four quarters of cow. We can get a better product when we get four quarters, and then we can save everything for different uses,” said Button. “Our farmer can dry age the whole quarter for us for a longer period of time than if we ordered cuts. “We get all the bits and pieces. We can use the meat for tartare, pieces for steaks, use the fat to make a tart crust by using it in the dough,” she added. “We are making our own cultured butter with greens from ramps. We are pickling the bulbs and using the greens to be whipped into butter. When we make cultured butter, we are left with buttermilk and end up turning that into a sauce for a turnip dish.”

For dishes at both Cúrate and Nightbell, Chef Katie Button focuses on using local ingredients found in the Appalachian region.

And then there’s the turnips. She separates the greens from the tops and cooks the roots. Greens are turned into a sauteed greens dish with bacon fat that’s served with house-made vinegar. The vinegar is made from the ends of the wine left in opened bottles from “wine by the glass” pours. “I can’t think of anything more Appalachian than cooking with leftover bacon fat,” said Button. “When you look at our menu you can see the dishes weaving together one after the other through the ingredients when have in the restaurant.” The ability to conserve and use every piece of a vegetable, animal or plant can be an extraordinary concept for the novice cook or a brilliant challenge for the experienced chef. Button takes pine needles and

turns them into a delicate sauce perfect for topping on crème brulee. “We are using local pine needles in the area — Southern pines — as they are everywhere and easy to prepare,” she said. “When blended with water it turns bright green, and you’ll end up with a juice flavor. Add a little sugar and a little acidity such as grapefruit. The result is this wonderful puree sauce of a pure pine essence. Southern pines are soft in flavor and not super Christmas tree like. The sauce is delicious with an interesting flavor.” Whether you aim to cure yourself, ring a bell for tradition, or devour sweet, spicy, Spanish or Southern on a plate, there’s something for everyone. And you’ll join the vast array of people savoring each piece to the very last drop.

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

the BRIEF

ENTERTAINMENT

Clint Eastwood does not rule out a return to Westerns Clint Eastwood has not ruled out making another Western, he said Saturday as he presented a 25th anniversary restored copy of “Unforgiven” at the Cannes Film Festival. “When I read the [“Unforgiven”] script 25 years ago, I always thought that this would be a good last Western for me to do,” said the 86-year-old actor and director.

‘Alien: Covenant’ slides past ‘Guardians 2’ to win weekend with $36 million As this weekend approached, the question lingered if “Alien: Covenant” would be able to unseat “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” from the top spot at the domestic box office. Now, we have an answer. As of Sunday morning, “Covenant,” from 20th Century Fox and Scott Free Productions, looks to be the winner with a three-day estimate of $36 million from 3,761 locations. That’s just above Disney’s “Guardians” sequel which is raking in an additional $35.3 million from 4,347 spots. The superhero sequel is seeing only a 46 percent drop from last weekend, and its total domestic earnings now exceed $300 million.

Royal sister-in-law Pippa takes spotlight in starstudded British wedding Pippa Middleton, younger sister of Kate, Britain’s Duchess of Cambridge, was married in a small English country church on Saturday surrounded by royals and celebrities, but those hoping for a dash of Hollywood were left in the cold. The event had been at risk of being overshadowed by the most high-profile appearance yet of Prince Harry’s girlfriend, Meghan Markle. But the actress failed to appear before cameras.

Drake wins record 13 Billboard Music awards Rapper Drake grabbed a record 13 wins at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, eclipsing Adele’s previous record of 12 awards in 2012. “I want to say, hold tight Adele, because when a new thing drops you’ll be back to get the record back,” the Canadian recording artist said in accepting one of his awards at the starstudded event held in Las Vegas.

Meet the Meyerowitzs: Hoffman, Stiller and Sandler seek highbrow laughs Ben Stiller once again plays Dustin Hoffman’s son, this time alongside Adam Sandler in an intellectual comedy that Hoffman hopes audiences will find funny rather than just “interesting.” “The Meyerowitz Stories,” which screened at Cannes on Sunday, is written and directed by Noah Baumbach, whose dialog-heavy New York movies are often compared to mid-career Woody Allen. This is no “Meet the Fockers.”

Bourgeois art world skewered in Cannes movie ‘The Square’ A sumptuous Stockholm museum filled with grotesquely pretentious conceptual art is at the center of “The Square,” a Palme d’Or nominee at Cannes which switches between surrealism, comedy of manners, thriller and social commentary. As the museum’s handsome and successful but flawed curator searches for his stolen mobile phone, the story goes off into wild directions that even the director admitted he struggled to make jell.

Rovio aims to release Angry Birds movie sequel in 2019 Finnish mobile games and animation studio Rovio Entertainment has decided to proceed with plans for a sequel to its “Angry Birds” movie, it said on Monday, aiming for release in September 2019. “The Angry Birds Movie 2” will be produced with Columbia Pictures and distributed by Sony Pictures, Rovio said.

madeline gray | north state journal file

Crowds gather for Brewgaloo in downtown Raleigh on April 22.

Beer for the beach By R. Cory Smith and Will Brinson | North State Journal

With Memorial Day approaching, North Carolinians are quickly shifting their focus from the school year schedule to the summer schedule. AAA Carolinas projects that a record number of travelers will travel 50 miles or more away from home this Memorial Day. Many from across North Carolina will travel to their favorite beach, lake or river to observe the holiday that dates to the end of the Civil War and is now a national holiday specifically scheduled to create a long weekend. Whether you are heading to the beach, mountains or race track — hello, Coca-Cola 600 — there is a North Carolina craft beer for every situation. From Asheville to Kinston, we take a look below at some of the Old North State’s best summer offerings. Mother Earth Weeping Willow Wit The Kinston brewery has a history of hitting home runs with traditional beer styles and the Wit is no exception. The Wit dips into a European style of yore, channeling its inner Belgian to produce a light, drinkable beer that has just the right amount of zest and spice. With just a 5 percent ABV and minimal bitterness, it’s a beer that should appeal to a wide range of demographics. Park Day and the Berliner Weisse, all three of which are now available in cans, would also merit strong consideration here.

New Sarum Hurley Park Blood Orange Wheat Looking for a fruity, full-bodied beer that has a sweet and tarty taste? New Sarum Brewing,

a five-year-old brewery from Salisbury, has the perfect antidote. The Hurley Park Blood Orange Wheat offers a lemongrass taste and orange peel bite to make for a great beach beer that packs a surprising 6.0 ABV per can.

Raleigh Brewing Hell Yes Ma’am Speaking of high alcohol volume brews, Raleigh Brewing’s Hell Yes Ma’am is a Belgian Golden that measures in at 9.2 ABV. With notes of apple, pear and clove, Hell Yes Ma’am has every taste imaginable, from sweetness to spiciness, making this a perfect pairing for your next cookout.

NoDa Brewing CAVU There is no more ideal beer for a day with flawless conditions. CAVU was actually named for a

pilot term for “Clear and Visible Conditions” for its easy-to-drink taste and citrus notes. With all NoDa beers coming in a 16-ounce can, this is a crushable brew you can finish before the summer heat warms it up.

Bombshell Brewing Strawberries and Cream In its sixth year of production, Bombshell Brewing is producing a summer beer that offers a refreshing strawberry aftertaste. With a beer perfectly catered to nearly any beer drinker looking for something different this summer, Bombshell has a winner in the Strawberries & Cream Ale.

Highland Brewing Daycation IPA How can a beer more perfectly describe a quick trip to the beach? Highland Brewing’s Daycation IPA is up for anything with a fruity flavor and dry hops give this beer a perfect balance. Whether you’re an IPA enthusiast or looking for one you’ll finally enjoy — they’re an acquired taste for some — go on a Daycation with this Asheville brewery.

Wooden Robot Brewing Good Morning Vietnam The lone beer on this list that isn’t offered in a can is one that just had to be included. Good Morning Vietnam from Wooden Robot in Charlotte is a blonde ale that infuses Ethiopian coffee and Vanilla beans into this delectable beer. With a taste that reminds us of a cream soda from summers gone by, fill up a growler of Good Morning Vietnam, pack up some Solo cups

James Bond actor Roger Moore dies at 89 By Gareth Jones Reuters LONDON — British actor Roger Moore, who won international fame playing secret agent James Bond, died on Tuesday at age 89, his family said on the actor’s official Twitter account. His 12 years as James Bond, the British agent with a voracious appetite for danger and sex, made Moore a millionaire and a heartthrob the world over. “It is with a heavy heart that we must announce our loving father, Sir Roger Moore, has passed away today in Switzerland after a short but brave battle

Roger Moore, best known for his portrayal of secret agent James Bond in the ’70s and ’80s, died on Tuesday.

with cancer,” his three children announced in a statement on the Twitter account. The son of a London policeman, Moore once said the upper-crust image he portrayed both on and off the screen was a carefully nurtured cover for his shyness and timidity. He also

said he was terrified of playing the sex scenes which were a key part of the Bond movies. Moore’s big breakthrough as an actor came in 1962, when he won the part of “The Saint” in a popular television series of the same name. In this role, he honed his image of the urbane Englishman with a stream of damsels to rescue from distress. In 1973 came the coveted part of James Bond, writer Ian Fleming’s action man spy 007, who held cinemagoers across the world in thrall. The Bond films were said to have earned Moore $22 million. He moved to the United States

and slam this unique beer all summer.

Southern Pines Duck Hook Cream Ale The idea of “cream” coming through in the flavor of a beer might put some people off, but don’t be scared of this light, refreshing American answer to the Kolsch. Southern Pines cooked up a good one, too, and has made Duck Hook a staple of their lineup over the last few years. It’s clean, crisp and borderline sparkling with a lower ABV (4.3) that makes it imminently drinkable on a hot summer day.

Trophy Brewing Trophy Wife Session IPA With the recent expansion from just the pizza joint to their production facility near downtown Raleigh, the guys at Trophy are suddenly cooking with gas. And Trophy Wife, their signature beer and one of the best session IPAs you will ever sample, is rolling off the canning line frequently and in fresh fashion. An IPA is often too aggressive for a hot summer day in North Carolina, but Trophy Wife packs a punch in terms of hops without being overly malty. It has an abundance of fruit and might be the perfect summer beer for hopheads.

Birdsong Jalapeño Pale Ale Sweating off a bunch of heat from jalapeños is hardly what any beer drinker wants to do on a humid afternoon. But fans of the spicy pepper will love Birdsong’s offering because it appeals to the palette without wrecking the glands. Birdsong takes its Free Will Pale Ale (a good beer in its own right), cuts the seeds out of the jalapeños and piles the peppers into the beer during the brewing process. What results is a face full of flavor without the heat.

to become a tax exile. “I don’t see why a chap shouldn’t do what he likes and live where he wants on his money, and the British government, which allows talent to go abroad because of taxation, has only itself to blame,” he said in an interview in 1989. After handing over the role of Bond to Timothy Dalton, Moore went into semi-retirement, living a millionaire’s life and traveling between his homes in Los Angeles, Switzerland and the south of France. In 1991, he became an ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund. Moore is survived by his fourth wife, Scandinavian socialite Kristina “Kiki” Tholstrup, whom he married in 2002.

the BRIEF

WEDNESDAY, May 24, 2017

Ford names James Hackett CEO to shake up operations

Jonathan Ernst | reuters

President Donald Trump meets with Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman (center L) at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 20.

BUSINESS policing social media

middle east tour

Trump secures $200B for U.S. companies in deals with Saudi Arabia N.C. companies Boeing, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin benefit from lucrative contracts with Saudi Arabia By Andrew Torchia Reuters

ly, we have to disable the social media network that’s built and owned by America that these terrorists operate on,” said Cain. Disabling the terrorists’ use of social media was exactly what Cameron Cain aimed to do when she brought suit against Twitter in January 2017 for violating the Anti-Terrorism Act. Specifically, Cain’s suit argued that Twitter’s lack of safeguards against extremist accounts enabled ISIS to recruit members and plan attacks like the one that killed her husband. “ISIS has also used Twitter’s Direct Messaging capabilities for fundraising and operational purposes,” said Cain in the lawsuit. In the weeks following the suit Twitter stepped up its efforts to communicate just how much they were doing to interrupt the use of the social media platform by radical groups such as ISIS. It expanded its teams dedicated to the monitoring and removal of extremist accounts and announced the suspension

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — U.S. and Saudi Arabian companies signed tens of billions of dollars of business deals on Saturday as Riyadh sought help to develop its economy beyond oil during a visit by President Donald Trump. National oil firm Saudi Aramco said it signed $50 billion of agreements with U.S. firms. Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said deals involving all companies totalled over $200 billion. Some deals had been announced previously, while others were memorandums of understanding that would require further negotiations to materialize. Below are major announcements: • GE said it signed $15 billion of business deals with Saudi Arabia, involving almost $7 billion of goods and services from GE itself. They ranged from the power and healthcare sectors to the oil and gas industry and mining. Among projects, GE will help make power generation more efficient, provide digital technology to the operations of oil firm Saudi Aramco, and cooperate in medical research and training. • Exxon Mobil and Saudi Basic Industries agreed to conduct a study on a potential petrochemical project in San Patricio County, Texas. A final decision is expected sometime in 2018. The project would include an ethane cracker with a production capacity of 1.8 million metric tons of ethylene per year to feed a monoethylene glycol unit. • Raytheon will establish a Raytheon Arabia business unit and help to develop Saudi defense, aerospace and security capabilities. • Boeing will sell Chinook helicopters to Saudi Arabia, along with associated support services and guided weapons systems, and possibly a P-8 surveillance aircraft. Also, Boeing said it would negotiate the sale of up to 16 widebody airplanes to Saudi Gulf Airlines, which is based in the country’s east in Dammam. A Boeing statement confirmed a joint venture with Saudi Arabia to provide “sustainment services for a wide range of military platforms,” and a separate project will “provide support for both military and commercial helicopters.” • Lockheed Martin will support the final assembly and completion of an estimated 150 S-70 Black Hawk utility helicopters in Saudi Arabia. • General Dynamics will help to localize design, manufacturing and support of armored combat vehicles. • Begin the design and selection process for offshore drilling rigs as part of a $7 billion investment over 10

See cain, page C7

See saudi arabia, page C7

eamon queeney | North State Journal

Former Ambassador Jim Cain speaks during The Jesse Helms Center Foundation’s 30th Anniversary Lecture Dinner at the Sheraton in downtown Raleigh on May 12. Cain’s daughter Cameron is suing Twitter for violating the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Former Ambassador Jim Cain pushes social media to fight terrorism “To fight this threat effectively, we have to disable the social media network that’s built and owned by America that these terrorists operate on.” —Jim Cain

By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — Earlier this month former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Jim Cain was a featured speaker at the Jesse Helms Center 30th anniversary lecture series. The theme of the series of lectures that day was foreign policy and trade, but as speakers discussed the difficulties in combating terrorism Cain told of his personal loss at the hands of Islamists for only the second time in a public setting. On March 22, 2016, Cain’s son-in-law Alexander Pinczowski, husband to Cain’s daughter Cameron, and sister Sascha were killed by a jihadist’s blast at the Brussels airport along with 30 other people in a synchronized attack. While Cain described the agonizing moments of realizing what tragedy had befallen his family, he also described the motivation it provided to combat the tools radical Islamists use to recruit and indoctrinate followers. “To fight this threat effective-

Detroit Ford Motors on Monday named James Hackett as chief executive officer, responding to investors’ unease about the U.S. automaker’s stock price and ability to withstand threats from longtime industry rivals and Silicon Valley. Hackett, 62, who overhauled furniture maker Steelcase Inc and then turned around the ailing University of Michigan football program, for the past year has led the Ford unit developing self-driving cars and related services. Ford Chairman Bill Ford Jr. said he wanted Hackett to speed up decision-making and attack costs, but did not offer many specifics. Chairman Ford noted Hackett’s renowned success as the University of Michigan’s interim athletic director in 2015 while a member of the automaker’s board. Ford said at a news conference on Monday that Hackett hired Jim Harbaugh as head football coach and “left the department in much better shape than he found it.”

High Point University’s Nido Qubein to lead stadium effort High Point High Point University’s president will lead the city’s effort to build a minor-league baseball stadium and develop the surrounding area. Nido Qubein announced last week that by mid-September he will help raise $38 million from private donors to build projects that will bring visitors downtown year-round. Those projects could include an events center, a children’s museum and a park. Qubein also said he will lead efforts to secure naming rights for the stadium and attract a baseball team to play there. He said he agreed to lead the stadium effort after being asked by Forward High Point, the new nonprofit charged with revitalizing downtown. Qubein will remain in his role at the university. “High Point has been my chosen home for nearly 50 years. I am happy here, and I love my city,” Qubein said in a statement. “I have no financial interest or stake in this development project in any way. My sole interest is helping High Point thrive.”

EPA awards multi-million dollar grant to North Carolina to protect water quality Washington, D.C. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded $2,652,592 to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) to help protect human health and the environment. The amount is part of a Clean Water Act Section 106 grant, which is given to states to implement environmental programs. The grant will go toward NCDEQ’s administration of environmental management programs that monitor and control water pollution. “Providing funds directly to North Carolina is an excellent example of EPA partnering with states to help address their unique and critical environmental challenges,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “EPA is making investments like this grant to help empower states who know best how to protect resources, and grow their economy while solving real environmental problems in local communities.”

North State Journal for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

n.c. FAST FACTS

U.S. tax cut hopes sent state collections down in April By Karen Pierog Reuters