North State Journal — Vol. 2., Issue 23

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VOLUME 2 ISSUE 23

WWW.NSJONLINE.COM |

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

Inside Valor Games offer veterans competition. Sports

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Lobbyists Anthony Roulette of the National Rifle Association and Dennis Allen of the N.C. Pistol and Rifle Association walk past a black bear mount at the Legislative Building in Raleigh on June 6. Outdoors, wildlife and sportsmen’s groups were on display inside the Legislative Building Tuesday for the annual wildlife-focused day for the General Assembly.

the Wednesday

NEWS BRIEFING

Cooper signs on to Paris climate change pact Raleigh Gov. Roy Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein have signed on to an open letter that says they will continue to support climate action that aligns with the Paris Accord, a global pact that President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from last week. The letter, which can be found on WeAreStillIn.com, lists North Carolina among eight other states who said Trump’s actions “undermine a key pillar in the fight against climate change and damages the world’s ability to avoid the most dangerous and costly effects of climate change.”

American Airlines jet makes emergency landing in Virginia Charlotte An American Airlines regional jet made an emergency landing in Norfolk, Va., Monday because of a cracked windshield, and no injuries were reported, an airport executive said. American Flight 5149 was en route from Charlotte to Newport News, Va., when the Bombardier CRJ700 landed at Norfolk International Airport, Steve Sterling, the airport’s deputy executive director, said.

Belgium detains 12 people in anti-terrorism raids Brussels Belgian police detained 12 people in connection with the Brussels bombings of March last year after a series of home searches, federal prosecutors said in a statement. Police carried out 14 house searches and a judge will decide whether the 12 people will be detained further, the statement said. The Islamic State-inspired bombings at Brussels Airport and on the city’s metro system in March 2016 killed 32 people.

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

Constitutional amendment to ensure the right to hunt and fish proposed

By Mollie Young North State Journal RALEIGH — North Carolina could soon be adding a new amendment to its state constitution. Sens.

Danny Britt (R-Robeson), Andrew Brock (R-Davie) and Norman Sanderson (R-Pamlico) filed legislation Tuesday that would let voters in the November 2018 election decide whether to amend the North Carolina Constitution to ensure citizens’ right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife. Twenty-one other states currently include this right in their constitutions.

“This constitutional amendment will protect for future generations the hunting and fishing rights that have always been part of our heritage and way of life — and it will ensure North Carolina remains a sportsman’s paradise,” said the Republican co-sponsors in a joint statement.

Hunting and fishing are integral parts of North Carolina’s heritage, economy and conservation efSee AMENDMENT, page A2

— Kevin Myers, North Carolina Trappers Association

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By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — The N.C. House of Representatives released details of energy policy reform legislation Monday that aims to reshape the relationship between traditional utilities and renewable energy providers after a decades-long arranged marriage through the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards (REPS) laws passed in 2007.

House Bill 589, Balanced Energy

Solutions for North Carolina, is being spearheaded by Rep. John Szoka (R-Cumberland) and Rep. Dean Arp (R-Union).

“House Bill 589 is a major step forward in energy policy to ensure North Carolina remains competitive in the global economy in which we live,” Joseph Kyzer, communications director for Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain) said in a statement. “This legislation represents agreement among a very diverse group of renewable energy, customer advocate and utility organizations after almost a year of stakeholders negotiations.”

Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) convened an energy stakeholders group in September 2016 to achieve a conSee ENERGY, page A3

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL FILE

H.B. 589 will reform energy regulations that shape the relationship between solar providers and electric utilities mandated to contract with them.

U.S. Supreme Court blocks urgent redraw of NC voting districts Justices affirm lower court that districts were “gerrymandered” but says special 2017 elections are not the solution

By Mollie Young North State Journal

NC General Assembly appoints conferees to reach a state budget compromise Jones & Blount

20177 52016

After months of negotiations among stakeholders representing utilities, renewable energy providers, and others, a consensus bill has emerged

“You can talk about all the PETA people, animal rights activists, but nobody loves wildlife more than hunters and fishers.”

INSIDE

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NC House members unveil major energy reform bill

AARON P. BERNSTEIN | REUTERS

The Supreme Court is seen ahead of the Senate voting to confirm Judge Neil Gorsuch as an associate justice in Washington, D.C. on April 7.

RALEIGH — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday reaffirmed a lower court’s ruling that N.C. Republicans mapped state legislative districts in a way that diluted the clout of black voters, but threw out a separate decision telling the state to urgently redraw them.

The high court, with no recorded dissents, left in place an August 2016 ruling by a three-judge federal

court panel that districts were racial “gerrymandered,” with boundaries drawn to diminish the voting power of minorities, and violated the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law.

The lower court found that the Republican-led state legislature had crammed black voters into a limited number of districts in order to lessen their statewide electoral power.

“The court has once again told North Carolina what I have long known to be true — that its history in making voting decisions is discriminatory,” said U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) on Monday. “The General Assembly must See SCOTUS, page A2

North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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Scotus from page A1

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

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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.

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Chrstine T. Nguyen | North State Journal file

Handguns are displayed at Springhill Outfitters in Selma.

House bill to expand gun rights gains committee approval House Bill 746 would allow for concealed carry without permit in places that currently allow open carry of firearms

By Jeff Moore North State Journal ALEIGH — A bill designed to bring more parity between R open carry and concealed carry

firearms laws gained the approval of a N.C. House committee last week, getting a favorable report along party lines. House Bill 746 would allow lawful gun owners to carry concealed in those places that already allow open carry of firearms.

“The main element of the bill, of course, is the aspect of putting open carry and concealed carry on the same playing field,” said primary sponsor of the legislation Rep. Chris Millis (R-Onslow). “Currently individuals who have a firearm holstered on them openly in the summertime, and then when the wintertime comes and they put on their jacket and it’s not open to plain sight, those individuals are considered lawbreakers if they not have traversed the government-mandated permit process.”

The proposal earned rebuke from gun control advocates such as Moms Demand Action (For Gun Sense in America), who gave public comment last Wednesday urging lawmakers to reject the bill. The group stated they worry the change would put more guns in the hands of those who shouldn’t have them and thereby add more to what they described as an escalating gun violence crisis.

Also offering public comment on the bill were representatives from the National Rifle Associa-

“It doesn’t change ... the purchase aspect of firearms; it doesn’t change where you can carry; it doesn’t change who can carry. We keep all of the same language in the bill regarding who now can qualify for concealed carry handgun permits and who now can open carry.”

— Rep. Chris Millis (R-Onslow) tion, who lauded the effort to further protect the Second Amendment rights of North Carolina citizens, adding that gun violence has been in a steady downtrend since the 1990s and more than a dozen other states with similar laws have seen no ill effects.

Sponsors of the bill have grown increasingly frustrated with what they describe as inaccurate reporting as to what the legislation actually does.

“One of the biggest misconceptions that is currently being pushed is that the legislation gets rid of the concealed handgun permit or the need for it — that is not the case whatsoever,” said Millis.

“The bill only allows that everywhere that you can currently open carry a firearm, only those individuals that can legally possess and carry that firearm openly, it allows that same individual to be able to carry concealed in those same places, without having to traverse a government-mandated permit process. But everywhere else that one desires a law-abiding citizen to conceal a handgun,

one must still have the concealed handgun permit.”

Another aspect of the bill heavily emphasized in recent media reports is a perceived change in the age requirements to carry concealed from 21 to 18 years old.

“One misconception, as well, is that there’s this whole thing about allowing 18-year-olds to be able to carry these loaded handguns,” said Millis. “What people have to understand is that right now current law is that if you’re 18 years old you can currently open carry in this state, but at the point where you want to be able to carry in places where you must have a concealed handgun permit the age [in H.B. 746] is the same and that’s 21. Everywhere you can’t currently open carry, we’re still requiring a concealed handgun permit.”

Millis said he has had many conversations with people who were concerned about the law after seeing media reports, but were reassured when he explained exactly what H.B. 746 does and doesn’t do. Others, including fellow lawmakers, Millis said, simply disagree with gun rights in general and oppose the measure outright.

“More times than not, they admitted that they are opposed to current law,” said Millis. “That they believe that anyone who wants to carry by any method — even consistent with existing law where you can currently open carry — they disagree with that.”

Millis, however, is not deterred by the opposition as he feels it is an issue of safety and the liberty for individuals to protect themselves enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.

“We’re not talking about a privilege; this is a right,” asserted Millis. “And that’s a big difference in the eyes of the law.”

Amendment from page A1 forts. According to the most recent data available, sportsmen and women spent $2.3 billion on hunting and fishing in North Carolina in 2011, generating $249 million in revenue and supporting more than 35,000 local jobs. The state issued 1.87 million hunting and fishing licenses last year.

However, advocates say that the heritage industry is slowly declining due to overregulation and a lack of awareness; most worrisome being that children are glued to electronics instead of getting outside.

“Hunting, by any means, introduces kids to the outdoors,” said Kevin Myers with the North Carolina Trappers Association. “I’m introducing my grandkids to the outdoors. Hunting, fishing and trapping is part of our life. It keeps us grounded.”

Frank Rowher, president and chief scientist for Delta Waterfowl, said some N.C. laws hinder access to the sport, including the state’s current Sunday hunting law that prohibits hunting on public lands and restricts hunting on private lands before 12:30 p.m. on the first day of the week.

“Let’s face it, there are an awful lot of folks who work and kids who go to school Monday through Friday, and then you take away a whole day on the weekend — it’s a tough thing,” said Rowher, who works with lawmakers across the U.S. and Canada to help conserve

Vice President of the Core Sound Decoy Carvers Guild, Jerry Talton, left, of Stella, N.C., talks with Sen. Bill Rabon who brought his own tools, as they carve duck decoy together at the Legislative Building in Raleigh on June 6.

Eamon Queeney | North State Journal

waterfowl populations and promote public hunting rights.

The amendment is also supported by the National Rifle Association, East Carolina Houndsmen Alliance and the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, among others.

“Safeguarding North Carolina’s outdoor heritage for future generations is of the utmost importance,” said NASCAR owner and sportsman activist Richard Childress.

“This measure will ensure that the economic, cultural and conservation benefits of our time-honored traditions of hunting and angling

are protected in perpetuity.”

Brock, who introduced a similar bill last session, said he thinks there is enough grassroots support and attention to the issue this year to help pass it out of both legislative chambers. He also believes putting the issue in front of voters in 2018 is the best timing.

“It’s a blue moon election, there isn’t much going on that you’ll have to go through pages and pages to find the amendment at the bottom of the ballot,” said Brock, who began hunting with his father when he was a child.

Lawmakers say that enshrin-

ing the right into the constitution would restrict future legislative bodies from going too far on proposed legislation that affects hunters, fishers and trappers — a community they say are both enjoying their 2nd Amendment rights and taking part in the conservation of wildlife.

“There is no greater love for wildlife than an outdoorsman,” said Myers, a trapper and fur tradesman from Salisbury. “You can talk about all the PETA people, animal rights activists, but nobody loves wildlife more than hunters and fishers.”

fairly redraw legislative boundaries to protect the interests of minority voters.”

At issue are nine state Senate districts and 19 state House districts, as carved out in a plan adopted by the legislature in 2011. The lower court went as far as calling one House district, “bizarre and sprawling.”

“The people should be able to choose their representatives in competitive districts instead of the representatives being able to choose the people in lopsided, partisan districts,” said Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper in a statement.

Packing minorities into a limited number of legislative districts would reduce their influence in electing a larger number of lawmakers, increasing the sway of white voters.

The Supreme Court sent the case back to the same court that in late November had ordered N.C. to conduct a new round of elections this year for the 28 problem seats.

The Supreme Court in January put that ruling on hold while it decided whether to hear the state’s appeal.

On Monday, the justices outlined a number of legal issues that should have been addressed prior to mandating a special election. “We cannot have confidence that the court adequately grappled with” the ramifications of a special election, read the opinion.

The November ruling required state lawmakers to redraw maps

by March 2017 and hold a special election by the end of the year. Lawmakers argued, among other things, that the ruling overlooked the state’s constitutional requirement that legislators are to serve two-year terms.

A special election this fall would result in a one-year term.

“We are encouraged the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the lower court’s politically motivated attempt to force a special legislative election in 2017 and its efforts to ‘suspend provisions of the North Carolina Constitution,’ ignore voters’ constitutional right to elect representatives to two-year terms, and effectively nullify their votes from 2016,” said head legislative map creators Rep. David Lewis (R-Harnett) and Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell) in a joint statement on Monday.

Monday’s decision ultimately gives the lower court the final say, with some officials still calling for an emergency special election.

“The people of North Carolina should not be required to wait until 2018 to live in a constitutionally drawn district and be represented by a legislator who is lawfully elected,” said Butterfield, who represents a deep blue district that stretches from south Durham, along the Virginia border, ending in the northeast inner-coastal. “The legislative elections should take place in the fall of 2017.”

Legal experts say it is highly unlikely the lower court will decide to move forward with elections this year or rule on the timeline at all before the end of the fiscal year.

“Whether the election is November 2018 or earlier, redrawing the districts is good for our democracy by leveling the playing field for free and fair elections,” Cooper said.

Regardless, new legislative maps will only stand for the 2018 and 2020 election cycles. The state is required to redraw state and federal district lines after every Census, meaning lawmakers will need to return to mapmaking in 2021.

The process is likely to mirror, in part, the actions taken by legislators while redrawing congressional maps in February 2016: forming a Joint Select Committee to draw and review maps and criteria, and hosting public hearings across the state.

Whether the General Assembly can conduct this business during a regular session or need to call a special session will largely depend on the timeline the federal District Court mandates.

The Supreme Court’s action on Monday marks its latest foray into an N.C. voting rights case.

The justices on May 22 ruled that N.C. Republicans unlawfully took race into consideration when drawing two majority-black U.S. House of Representatives districts, concentrating black voters in an improper bid to hold down their statewide influence.

On May 15, the justices rebuffed a Republican bid to revive the North Carolina voter identification law that a lower court argued discriminated against black voters. The law required that all voters present a valid ID at the voting booth or sign an affidavit that they are who they say they are.

Democrats have accused Republicans over the years of taking a variety of steps at the state level to disenfranchise black and other minority voters, who tend to back Democratic candidates. Republicans have consistently defended their actions, saying their voter ID laws help combat voter fraud, and that redistricting tactics have taken advantage of partisan but not racial lines.

North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

UNC system weighs development of an online bachelor’s degree program The UNC board of governors heard details on developing an online program that reaches more students who cannot come to campus every day

By Donna King North State Journal HAPEL HILL — Chairman of the UNC Board of Governors Louis BisC sette and Vice Chairman Roger Aiken

were having dinner in Davidson, N.C., earlier this year and got to know their waiter. He was a veteran with a family and a full-time job and was finishing his undergraduate degree in his limited spare time. He told them that he was studying at ASU. Bissette assumed that meant Appalachian State University, but Christine T. Nguyen | North State Journal photo illustration the waiter said, “No, Arizona State University online.”

With the cost of a college education a growing concern for students , along with In a meeting last week, Bissette re- finding space and facilities for everyone who wants to attend, online college is layed the interaction to the UNC Board looking like a viable option in N.C. of Governors because it highlighted why there is a growing interest among the members to study the possibility of an — well, we know who they are, we know willing to change their thinking earlier all-online bachelor’s program within the how many there are, and how they are to get a competitive edge in the future.

UNC system. The challenge is to make it coming, and the ratios of how many we We are now, surprisingly, playing catch a deliberate and coordinated online pro- can serve and deliver education,” said up,” said Hanes.

Ultimately ASU decided to partner gram so they can reach more students Sannier during his presentation. “We arwho perhaps cannot come to campus en’t addressing those students who can’t with Pearson, an online education procome to campus, and they are missing vider, to help with their online offerings. every day.

Sannier emphasized one primary piece “UNC system’s online strategy re- out on the education.

“We all know the nontraditional stu- of advice they emphasized is to ensure mains undefined,” Bissette told members. “We have neither the data nor gov- dents now outnumber the tradition- that UNC retains control over the acaernance structure in place to drive truly al students, and getting that group of demics.

“No one designs your programs but transformational change when it comes students to come down to campus and to enhancing digital pathways through move into the senior dorm, that’s not go- you, no one does anything from the academic perspective but your faculty,” he higher education to more broadly reach ing to happen.”

ASU launched its program in 2005 said to the members of the UNC Board new groups of learners.”

Adrian Sannier, chief academic tech- and saw it through several incarnations. of Governors. “Your faculty are what nology officer for ASU Online, present- It started with 1,500 students and this your asset is. In essence building an oned the board with an overview and the year brought in 35,000 students and line presence like this is about projecting learning lessons of developing their nearly $200 million for the universi- your faculty to a greater audience.”

Building the UNC system’s online successful online bachelor’s program, a ty system, a figure that is expected to program that earned Arizona State Sys- double within the decade. ASU’s online presence has been a priority for system tem more that $200 million last year. system is not only lucrative for the uni- president Margaret Spellings since she The UNC system’s 17 campuses offer in- versity system, it is regarded as one of took office last year. The presentation dividual online classes, but none at the the most well-developed and reputable at the Board of Governors meeting put moment offer a bachelor’s degree com- programs in the nation. Rep. Ed Hanes more people in her camp on the idea. pletely online. With the cost of a college (D-Forsyth), who has worked to broaden The challenges ahead are determining education a growing concern for stu- access to higher education within N.C., how the program would be designed and dents, along with finding space and fa- was there to listen in on the presentation. how profits would be distributed.

“There are all kinds of granular issues “How have UNC Chapel Hill, NC cilities for everyone who wants to attend, online college is looking like a viable op- State, our system more generally, al- that are real but manageable but it’s an lowed a school in Arizona to jump so far exciting time for the university system, tion in N.C. “This business model that we current- out in front if them in this area? They and I think the General Assembly would ly have, where students come to campus jumped out far ahead because they were be for it,” said Hanes.

Top-level trauma care coming to eastern NC Tillis praises pilot program, along with electronic records for VA

By Donna King North State Journal WASHINGTON, D.C. — Health care for veterans in N.C. is showing signs of improvement according to Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel. Tillis toured Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune last week to meet with health care providers about a new pilot program there. A joint military-civilian trauma care system kicks off soon at the Naval hospital which will bring some

much needed trauma care experience to civilians and veterans in eastern N.C. “In addition to enhancing trauma training for military medics, this upgrade will also have a major impact for Marines, sailors, military families, veterans and civilians in the area, providing many citizens with more timely and accessible trauma care,” said Tillis.

The program is the first of its kind in the nation and will host medical professionals with combat trauma care experience to provide trauma care for service members, veterans and civilians in the area. Doctors say central location of the hospital means patients will receive trauma care more quickly, within the “golden hour” after a major injury, saving lives.

Tracking medical records electroni-

cally is another way military and veteran hospitals are hoping to improve care. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced it will adopt the same Electronic Health Record system as the Department of Defense for veterans’ medical records. Electronic data problems have plagued the VA for years.

According to VA Secretary David Kulkin, the old system was outdated and this move will speed care for veterans.

“This decision will present an opportunity to achieve a stronger partnership between DOD & VA health information systems, moving us one step closer to streamlining the transition period for veterans entering the VA’s medical system and providing VA providers with a full clinical picture of the veteran’s medical history,” said Tillis.

The N.C. senator also announced this week that he has hired Ted Lehman as his next chief of staff. Lehman is currently the chief counsel for nominations and senior counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee under Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

A3 ENERGY from page A1 sensus reform package that mitigated energy costs to customers and introduced a more competitive bidding process to satisfy renewable energy requirements.

“I appreciate the tireless efforts of Reps. Arp and Szoka finding a path forward to revolutionizing North Carolina’s energy policies with the support of power providers and utilities to control costs for customers and encourage a diverse, competitive marketplace that attracts new businesses and jobs into our economy,” said Moore.

The bill would amend various laws related to energy policy, including reform of the State implementation of the Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA), the creation of a competitive bidding process for new renewable energy resources, and the enactment of the Distributed Resources Access Act to authorize leasing of third-party-owned solar development.

The proposal would require utilities to offer standard contracts to small power production facilities for up to 10-year terms for facilities that have a capacity up to 1 megawatt. The standard contract for 1 MW facilities would be capped to a total aggregate of 100 MW per public utility.

It would also require that capacity payments be made only when capacity is needed by the utility based on need for that resource, as established by the utility’s statutorily required integrated resource plan, plans which are approved by the N.C. Utilities Commission.

Highlights of the bill include a competitive bidding process for solar developers that allows cost savings for electric customers and provides for favorable siting locations. These changes will reform elements of the existing PURPA rules that regulate contracts between renewable providers and the utilities that are mandated to purchase their energy.

Bill sponsors said the reforms are needed to ensure that electric customers across the state can take advantage of savings as solar energy becomes more cost-competitive. However, the legislation does not eliminate or reduce the mandate that utilities purchase a certain percentage of their energy from renewable sources.

The competitive bidding process would be overseen by an independent administrator that would be required to publish the methodology used to choose the projects. The public utility would also have to disclose any non-publicly available information concerning its own system in preparing its bid to other bidders.

The costs to of procurement would be eligible to be recovered by the utility through an annual rider. The annual costs recoverable, however, would not be allowed to exceed 1 percent of total revenues of the utility in the state for the prior calendar year.

In December 2013, the N.C. Utilities Commission approved a three-year Green Source Rider pilot program designed to give large energy customers the option of offsetting some or all of their energy consumption with renewable energy resources in the Duke Energy Carolinas service territory. The Green Source Rider Program is reinitiated under this proposal, allowing large utility customers to work directly with renewable energy developers to purchase the type of energy companies require to achieve their own sustainability goals.

House Bill 589 also creates a solar leasing program where energy customers can work with private third parties to install renewable energy features with little or no upfront cost. The bill also reforms purchase agreements between utilities and customers that have renewable energy installations on their homes or businesses. Currently, a utility is required to purchase excess customer-generated energy, from rooftop solar panels for instance, essentially at retail rates.

Under current law, electric public utilities in the state have the exclusive rights to sell electricity in a designated franchise area. Third-party financing models are not available because solar developers are not authorized to sell power back to the consumer unless they are the regulated public utility serving that franchise area.

However, retail customers can own a renewable energy systems for their own primary use and are compensated through bill credits under a net metering rate. H.B. 589 would enact the Distributed Resources Access Act to allow third parties to offer leasing of solar energy facilities in the service area of an offering utility or a municipality that offers electric service and to create a community solar energy program to be implemented by the offering utility.

The bill also includes a study of energy storage and a path for swine and poultry waste-to-energy development and connection to the North Carolina electric grid.

H.B. 589 is expected to be heard in House committee Tuesday and reach the floor of the House for initial votes later this week.

In North Carolina public power communities, we are exploring the future of renewable energy, with investments in wind, solar, hydro and biomass.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Murphy to Manteo

New River French Broad River Known as an antecedence, the French Broad formed before the Appalachian Mountains. For that reason, it flows up and through as opposed to down.

The French Broad is also home to the mysterious legend of the siren. With accounts dating back to the 1800s, this mountain monster in disguise is rumored to lure hikers and explorers to their death.

Jones & Blount jonesandblount.com @JonesandBlount

Dan River

Considered by some geologists as one of the oldest rivers in the world, the New River forms in Ashe County and flows through Virginia and West Virginia.

NCGOP Chairman Robin Hayes retains post to lead party

Roanoke River

By Jeff Moore North State Journal

Neuse River Catawba River Yadkin River Nantahala River Known for its class II-IV rapids, the Nantahala River is one of the most popular destinations in North Carolina for whitewater rafting.

By way of water

— Emory Rakestraw for the North State Journal

Brevard woman featured on ‘The 700 Club’ show Transylvania County Charlotte Baxley’s story of overcoming obstacles through Christ will be featured on Christian Broadcasting Network’s “The 700 Club” June 7.

Baxley at age 2 lost her father in an automobile incident, suffered a dog attack as a child, watched her house burn down and experienced painful health conditions throughout her life.

“The 700 Club” contacted Baxley to share her story after her autobiography, “I Still Have It All,” was published in 2016.

Dan’l Boone Inn arsonist arrested Watauga County On Monday, Boone Police arrested Peter Spencer Horn, 31, who was allegedly caught on June 1 surveillance footage attempting to set fire to the the Dan’l Boone Inn. Horn has been charged with felonious burning other buildings in violation of North Carolina General Statute 14-67.1. Horn will appear in court July 2.

Watauga Democrat

Jury debates in gay beating trial

Buncombe County A famous downtown Asheville piece of real estate, a long-empty vacant lot near the U.S. Cellular Center known as “The Pit of Despair,” has gotten a new name. City officials are now asking residents to call it “68 Haywood St.” Long-term plans are underway to turn the collection of city-owned lots into a park featuring some shops and other structures. For now, efforts are underway to temporarily revive the area. The property will be available for pop-up uses starting in August.

Rutherford County Jurors in the case against Brooke Covington, longtime minister at Word of Faith Fellowship, debated for an hour and 15 minutes Monday before asking the judge if they could go home for the day. Covington is accused of leading the two-hour beating of former church member Matthew Fenner to expel his “homosexual demons.”

Covington’s lawyer had earlier ended the defense without calling any witnesses to the stand. Prosecutor Garland Byers argued people should not be beaten or mistreated in the name of religion, and that Fenner was held against his will and attacked.

Covington pleaded not guilty and is the first of five members set to face trial in the alleged attack.

Asheville Citizen-Times

WLOS

Hendersonville Times-News

‘Pit of Despair’ gets new name

As one of the state’s longest rivers, it flows a total of 215 miles, rising in the northwest portion of the state near Thunder Hill Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Eno River The Eno River spans a total of 40 miles in Durham and Orange Counties and is known for its pristine water conditions. A great way to follow the riverbank is visiting the 4,200-acre Eno River State Park.

Long before early European settlers arrived, the Neuse River was home for hundreds of indigenous people with ancient artifacts unearthed relating to prehistoric Native American settlements. Early Sir Walter Raleigh expeditions made contact with the Neusiok Tribe who called the river home then colonists named it the Neuse River. Today, it is one of the three longest surviving place names in the U.S.

Cape Fear River

North Carolina is home to historic rivers that have guided early explorers, traders and pirates, created a home base for settlers, and connected mountain to sea and everything in between. Home to one of the oldest rivers in the world, the New River, it’s amazing to think what the ancient, powerful waters of the Tarheel State have seen and witnessed.

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Indicates tubing

The first documentation of the blackwater river dates to 1662 when English explorer, William Hilton Jr. went on a journey through the lower Cape Fear regions. At 202 miles long, the basin of the river is the largest in the state flowing through 27 counties. Wilmington’s popular Riverwalk is a beautiful way to explore the Cape Fear as well as tracing back the centuries of history that helped establish the Port City and backwater towns of North Carolina.

Indicates rafting

PIEDMONT

EAST

Sheriff’s deputy gets DUI

Car crashes into flea market Surry County A nice afternoon at Mayberry Flea Market in Mount Airy turned scary after a car drove through several tables and hit a woman. Thomas Collins was leaving the flea market when he said his gas pedal jammed. Witnesses report the car ran through a few tables then hit a woman and a road sign before heading across the highway and crashing into the median. The woman hit was taken to the hospital, but no serious injuries were reported.

Randolph County Randolph County Sheriff’s Deputy Joel Coe was charged with driving while impaired early Sunday morning.

Coe was stopped on the side of the road in the wrong travel lane of Sand Creek Church Road. Coe was arrested on suspicion of DUI and blew a 0.15 on a breathalyzer test. He was given a $25,000 unsecured bond at the Randolph County jail.

Fox8 WGHP

Hickory Record

Charlotte reaches 38 homicides Card skimmers found at Carrboro gas station Orange County For the third time this year, Carrboro police officers discovered credit card skimmers at the Circle K on 102 N.C. Highway 54. The skimmers were found inside the pumps and only detectable after a physical inspection. Authorities are working with the business and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture in search of a solution.

For now, officers warn those who pay by debit or credit card at gas pumps to monitor their bank account for suspicious activity.

WRAL

Mecklenburg County Two shootings in two days have now brought North Carolina’s largest city to 38 homicides for 2017. Lucas Lorenzo Baldwin, 34, was shot and killed Sunday afternoon, and William Weddington, 24, was shot and killed the next morning. Last year there were a recorded 67 homicides, the highest number since 2008. On average, Charlotte sees about 61 homicides per year. At the current rate, Charlotte is on pace to reach 89 homicides by the end of 2017.

Charlotte Observer

3 injured after a boat explodes at Ocean Isle Beach Brunswick County Three people were injured Friday afternoon after a boat exploded at Ocean Isle Fishing Center. Two people fueling the boat had placed the gas pump into a rod holder, accidentally leaking 28 gallons of fuel down the edge of the boat into the bilge. Upon realization of the mistake, the owner called Sea Tow, a boat towing service.

As a Sea Tow worker was preparing the boat, a spark from the battery ignited the fuel in the bilge, blowing both the owner and passenger toward the front of the boat. Two people were transported by helicopter to North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Health Care in Chapel Hill and another was transported by ambulance to Grand Strand Regional Medical Center in Myrtle Beach.

Wilmington Star News

Harnett commissioners awarded $7.7 million Harnett County Harnett County Board of Commissioners awarded a $7.7 million construction contract Monday for expansion of water and waste operations. The contract awarded to Garney Companies of Cary is part of an $8.5 million project that includes installation of 16- and 20-inch pipe, pump valves and hydrants. Remaining funding will come from public utlity reserves.

Fayetteville Observer

Unnamed retailer eyeing city for $100 million distribution center Cumberland County Fayetteville is the finalist in a competition to land a project that includes a “well-known” retailer building a large distribution center that would employee more than 400 fulltime workers. Robert Van Geons, the president and CEO of the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation, said the project, called “Fulfillment Center,” would cost at least $100 million to build and occupy 1 million square feet of space. Several other sites in the southeast are being considered for the project.

Fayetteville Observer

WILMINGTON — Robin Hayes was elected to a third term as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party on Saturday, defeating challenger Jim Womack, chairman of the Lee County GOP, 62 percent to 38 percent at the party’s state convention at the Wilmington Convention Center. Hayes and vice chair Michele Nix both won new two-year terms.

Hayes, 71, was first elected chairman of the NCGOP in 2011 but opted to not run for re-election in 2013. Hayes returned last year after the state party removed Hasan Harnett, who had won the position in 2015 with the help of tea party supporters, from the post.

“I’m proud to have received overwhelming support & enthusiastically look forward to serving the @ncgop. We’ll build on our success for 2018!” Hayes said on his Twitter account (@ChairmanHayes) shortly after winning re-election.

Womack, a supporter of Harnett who opposed his removal from his post in 2016, challenged Hayes on a platform of running the state party as a business rather than “like a country club.”

Hayes pointed to his success in returning financial stability to the party, and he also led the party to supermajorities in last fall’s

elections — though Republicans did lose a key race for a N.C. Supreme Court seat, and the governorship when Attorney General Roy Cooper unseated Gov. Pat McCrory, who spoke at the event.

Hayes praised Womack in another tweet Saturday evening.

“And thank you to @James_K_Womack for a hard fought and spirited campaign.

Your involvement, ideas and enthusiasm is welcome anytime! #RedNC” Hayes The weekend was highlighted by two female guest speakers with close ties to President Donald Trump.

Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser to Trump who, at times, has been front and center in delivering the president’s messages to the media, was the event’s keynote speaker.

Also speaking was Lara Trump, a native of Wilmington, NC State alumna and wife of Eric Trump, the president’s middle-born son.

Lara Trump was named a senior consultant to the Trump campaign in late March and was charged with the campaign to win North Carolina as a critical swing state.

McCrory took some jabs at Cooper during his speech, criticizing his replacement for the handling of Hurricane Matthew recovery and also calling on the North Carolina General Assembly to revisit attempts at establishing voter ID laws. That echoes what Hayes said the president told him last month during a meeting in Washington, D.C.

State leaders name head budget negotiators, begin meeting privately

By Mollie Young North State Journal RALEIGH — State House and Senate leaders have named their respective budget conferees, as senior legislators were seen entering closed door meetings Monday morning to begin working out the differences between their $22.9 billion budgets.

House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) appointed 47 members, including seven Democrats, to their conference committee with Reps. Nelson Dollar, Dean Arp, Justin Burr, John Faircloth, Linda Johnson, Donny Lambeth and Chuck McGrady heading negotiations.

Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) named Sens. Harry Brown, Kathy Harrington, and Brent Jackson to lead 25 conferees.

The speaker and president pro tempore also participate in negotiations, which can span from weeks to months. However, lawmakers from both chambers have consistently stated their desire to send a final budget to Gov. Roy Cooper (D), who could potentially veto their spending plan, ahead of the June 30 fiscal year deadline.

Full List of Conferees: House • Rep. Nelson Dollar, House Senior Chair • Rep. Dean Arp, House Chair • Rep. Justin P. Burr, House Chair • Rep. John Faircloth, House Chair • Rep. Linda P. Johnson, House Chair • Rep. Donny Lambeth, House Chair

• Rep. Chuck McGrady, House Chair Rep. William Brawley, Rep. Jason Saine, Rep. Kelly E. Hastings, Rep. Susan Martin, Rep. Mitchell S. Setzer, Rep. John Szoka, Rep. Jimmy Dixon, Rep. Kyle Hall, Rep. Pat McElraft, Rep. Stephen M. Ross, Rep. Jon Hardister, Rep. Hugh Blackwell, Rep. Jeffrey Elmore, Rep. John A. Fraley, Rep. D. Craig Horn, Rep. Pat B. Hurley, Rep. George G. Cleveland, Rep. Dennis Riddell, Rep. William D. Brisson, Rep. Josh Dobson, Rep. Chris Malone, Rep. Gregory F. Murphy, MD, Rep. James L. Boles, Jr., Rep. Ted Davis, Jr., Rep. Allen McNeill, Rep. Rena W. Turner, Rep. Frank Iler, Rep. Michele D. Presnell, Rep. Phil Shepard, Rep. John A. Torbett, Rep. Sarah Stevens, Rep. David R. Lewis, Rep. John R. Bell, IV, Rep. Ken Goodman, Rep. Edward Hanes, Jr., Rep. Michael H. Wray, Rep. Elmer Floyd, Rep. Becky Carney, Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield, Rep. Marvin W. Lucas Senate • Sen. Harry Brown, Senate Chair • Sen. Kathy Harrington, Senate Chair • Sen. Brent Jackson, Senate Chair Sen. Bill Rabon, Sen. Bill Cook, Sen. Rick Gun, Sen. Trudy Wade, Sen. Jim Davis, Sen. Tom McInnis, Sen. Wesley Meredith, Sen. Chad Barefoot, Sen. David L. Curtis, Sen. Michael V. Lee, Sen. John M. Alexander, Jr., Sen. Tamara Barringer, Sen. Jeff Tarte, Sen. Ralph Hise, Sen. Joyce Krawiec, Sen. Louis Pate, Sen. Warren Daniel, Sen. Shirley B. Randleman, Sen. Norman W. Sanderson, Sen. Tommy Tucker, Sen. Andrew C. Brock, Sen. Jerry W. Tillman

100 YEARS OF MAKING MEMORIES.

TIMELESS WONDER

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

North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | DREW ELLIOT

LETTERS

Choosing Pitt over Paris Jacking up the cost of doing business in big blue cities would accelerate the flow of capital and jobs from blue areas to red ones.

As I listened to President Donald Trump’s explanation of his decision to pull the United States out of the Paris Accord on climate change, I began to realize what a political master stroke it was for him. Besieged by the (albeit evidence-free) Russia collusion claims and bewildered by his own party’s inability to deliver any major legislation for him to sign, Trump needed a domestic win.

The Paris Accord was the perfect field of play for Trump to score on, and he knew it. In the days leading up to the announcement, his team laid the groundwork: a June 1 Rose Garden ceremony was announced, and then “leaks” started about what Trump would, in fact, announce. “He’ll pull us out,” some assured. “He may change his mind at the last minute,” others warned. Although he had promised to exit the pact during the campaign, as late as May 27, CNN. com reported that “according to a top aide,” Trump was “evolving” on the issue.

After all this buildup, the stakes were high for an errorfree performance, and for once, Trump complied. He set the sides of the debate perfectly: “The Paris Climate Accord is simply the latest example of Washington entering into an agreement that disadvantages the United States to the exclusive benefit of other countries, leaving American workers — who I love — and taxpayers to absorb the cost in terms of lost jobs, lower wages, shuttered factories, and vastly diminished economic production.”

Having done my research heading into the announcement, I thought to myself: That’s brilliant. He’s pitting American workers now against 1.7 degrees Celsius 100 years from now. But then Trump out-pitted my comparison with his now-famous line: “I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.”

Apparently not catching the figurative nature of the line — is Donald Trump becoming too subtle? — Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto shot back that “Pittsburgh stands with the world & will follow Paris Agreement,” tagging Hillary Clinton on the tweet. Clinton, you may recall, is a former senator from New York and a 2016 candidate for president.

She ran on a platform of insulting anyone outside of blue-bubble cities, and was surprised to find out she lost the Electoral College — especially since her advisers had assured her that all the college towns were easy wins for her.

Perhaps Trump should have chosen Pittsboro or Pitt County instead of Pittsburgh. Sure, it would have sent the

D.C. press corps running for a North Carolina gazetteer, but the alliteration would have been maintained. (Plus they’re all named for William Pitt, the 1st Earl of Chatham, a chief advocate for America’s right to self-governance.)

Joking aside, the left’s reaction to Trump’s decision to disentangle from Paris may well end up being quite beneficial for medium-sized cities such as Pitt County’s Greenville. Peduto wasn’t the only big-city mayor tweeting about Paris. By one count, 10 governors and more than 60 mayors have stated that they would implement the accord, with or without Washington’s help.

What will they do? It’s hard to say, and it may end up being just symbolic gestures. But if the mayors follow through, and especially if whole states get in on the game, then jacking up the cost of doing business there will make cities that keep energy costs low look that much better by comparison. There are already plenty of capital and jobs flowing from blue states to red, so these moves would just accelerate an existing pattern.

So did Trump just announce the Rural Reinvigoration Act of 2017? Maybe that’s going a little far, but the left’s predictable reaction to the news (sample headline: “TRUMP TO WORLD: DROP DEAD”) only serves to further the divide between the elites who can worry about 0.17 degrees, a lifetime away; and those who worry about dinner, tomorrow.

The fact that the decision was a great move politically should not mask the fact that it was the right policy move, too. Paris was a horrible deal. Even if — perhaps especially if — you believe that climate change is made substantially worse by emitting carbon dioxide and that the effects will be catastrophic, you should oppose it.

Paris would have imposed massive, immediate costs on the United States — but not on the world’s largest CO2 emitter, China. And that 0.17 degree Celsius by 2100?

That’s if all countries lived up to their self-developed targets, an assumption that is laughable.

Trump was right to pull the U.S. out. It was good politics, good policy, and another campaign pledge realized.

Let’s talk about people as well as climate RECENTLY, there has been much talk about global climate change and how Trump ended America’s participation in the Paris Climate Accord. While I do not dispute that climate change is a large problem, what I am not hearing people discuss is global poverty. Yes, the climate is important, but so are people.

The United States is the most powerful nation on earth and it should be preventing 25,000 children from dying each day because it can. I am a strong believer in helping others whenever possible, which is why I am working with The Borgen Project.

The Borgen Project is an innovative, national campaign that is working to make global poverty a focus of U.S. foreign policy. The Borgen Project contacts members of Congress in order to get them to support poverty-reduction bills.

It is my belief that many people do not donate to organizations such as The Borgen Project because they do not think that their small contribution is helping. From 1990 to 2015, the number of people living in extreme poverty has diminished from 1.9 billion to 836 million.

With your support, The Borgen Project will be able to eliminate global poverty.

Sabrina Cera Raleigh

The writer is an intern at The Borgen Project.

EDITORIAL | RAY NOTHSTINE

Are we serfs of the regulatory state?

Meadows is bullish on Trump’s efforts to tackle regulatory reform, but time will tell if Trump and Congress can deliver.

IF FAMILIES WERE ASKED to list their largest household expenses, it’s hard to imagine anybody responding with “the regulatory state.”

Perhaps a few quirky libertarians dispersed across the American landscape might accurately note that regulations account for the secondlargest household expense. “Regulatory costs amount to up to 27 percent of the typical household’s expenditure budget,” per the freemarket Competitive Enterprise Institute. Many may find it shocking, but only housing is a bigger budget item for the average family. At the end of May, CEI released its annual “Ten Thousand Commandments” report, and it paints a depressing picture of the enormous cost and crippling effects of the regulatory state.

Regulations can be beneficial, particularly some that protect worker safety or those that have helped to drastically reduce commercial air disasters. But according to CEI, regulatory costs in the United States now add up to $1.9 trillion and 10 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. The number of pages in the Federal Register grew to a record 95,894 by the end of 2015, a 19 percent jump from 2014. That same publication was once 2,620 pages at the height of the Great Depression in 1936.

More important than abysmal facts and figures is the cost to consumers and families trying to manage a household budget. Especially since the cost of doing business in the regulatory state is passed along to the consumer. Looking

to buy a new car? According to some estimates a new car could easily cost you $5,000 less without the stringent fuel economy regulations.

In fact, virtually every product or physical structure one encounters is dramatically shaped by the regulatory state. The Food and Drug Administration’s cosmetic warning regulation guide is 12,532 words.

Unfortunately, many big businesses relish and even lobby for stricter regulations too. Complex regulations work to reduce market competition by deterring start-ups and entrepreneurial endeavors. Small business, which is still America’s largest employer, suffers the most. Regulatory costs and compliance for each employee at small firms or businesses can be 29 percent higher than larger ones.

At a deeper level, the regulatory state is a threat to democracy. Since many laws are passed with an aspirational intent, it is up to the bureaucratic administrative agencies to implement the policy side of legislation. “In 2015, 114 laws were enacted

by Congress during the calendar year, while 3,410 rules were issued by agencies,” per the CEI report. Some agencies bypass Congress altogether, like the Department of Education’s 2014 “Dear Colleague” letter that restructured Title IX for transgender students, or that very same year mandating local school districts to improve their equity for discipline in regards to race, which often had the effect of exacerbating disciplinary issues.

Trump’s promise to “drain the swamp” was a direct appeal to curb the increasing reality of Americans being governed by unaccountable agencies full of hidden faces. The growth of the administrative state fuels the lobbyist– industrial complex, which in turn promotes the concentration of more power in our nation’s capital.

Last month, North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows penned an important opinion piece on Trump’s efforts to curtail the regulatory state. His main point is that power needs to be transferred back from Washington’s agencies to Main Street. Meadows is bullish on Trump’s efforts to tackle regulatory reform, but time will tell if Trump and Congress can deliver.

The CEI report will only reinforce the notion of failure by Trump and a GOP-led Congress without significant regulatory curtailment. It is not only vital to the economic health of the nation, but essential for the notion of self-government.

“Unless bureaucracy is constantly resisted it breaks down representative government and overwhelms democracy,” declared former president Calvin Coolidge. Without reform, as the classical liberal economist Friedrich Hayek reminds, “the road to serfdom” continues.

North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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GUEST OPINION | ROBERT BIXBY

CLARENCE PAGE

Why cut HUD programs that combat poverty?

ET’S GET ONE THING STRAIGHT at the outset: Housing and Urban L Development Secretary Ben Carson did not

JIM BOURG | REUTERS

Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney holds a briefing on President Trump’s proposed budget in the press briefing room at the White House in Washington, May 23.

Social Security and Medicare dominate Trump spending plan Pledging not to touch Social Security and Medicare leaves both programs on an unsustainable path.

IN PRESENTING PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s first budget to the House Budget Committee last week, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said that it “keeps the president’s promise to balance the budget within the next decade and reduce our debt without affecting beneficiaries of Social Security and Medicare retirement programs, and without raising taxes.”

Unfortunately, the budget relies on improbable assertions of higher economic growth and unrealistic assumptions about future spending cuts to achieve its goal. However, even taking the budget at face value, one little-noticed effect of the president’s budget is the extent to which his pledge to leave Social Security and Medicare largely alone, while imposing deep cuts elsewhere in the budget, results in those two programs consuming an escalating share of the budget.

To be sure, Social Security and Medicare would consume a growing share of the budget regardless, due to an aging population and the fact that the cost of health care services tends to grow faster than the economy.

Trump’s budget policies, however, would take this trend and make it more pronounced. Social Security and Medicare would grow from 41 percent of primary (non-interest) spending in 2017 to 49 percent in 2027.

Under the president’s budget policies, however, those two programs would consume 57 percent of primary spending by 2027.

Budget analysts have long warned that attempting to bring federal deficits under control without touching Social Security and Medicare or raising taxes would require dramatic cuts in other programs.

As far back as 1994, the Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement and Tax Reform, chaired by then-senators Bob Kerrey and Jack Danforth, who now are co-chairs of The Concord Coalition, warned: “To ensure that funds are available for essential and appropriate government programs, the nation cannot continue to allow entitlements to consume an increasing share of the federal budget.”

The Trump budget validates this warning. Social Security and Medicare, the two largest “entitlement” programs, are the only two spending categories that grow faster than the economy. Appropriations for defense and nondefense programs would both be cut to the lowest level as a share of the economy since this statistic was first recorded in 1962. Other entitlement programs, including Medicaid, would also be cut relative to current law.

In total, primary spending other than Social Security and Medicare would be reduced from 11.7 percent of

GDP in 2017 to 7 percent in 2027, a precipitous and unprecedented decline.

Two questions arise from this scenario: Is it politically feasible to count on cuts of this magnitude being enacted, and even assuming that it could be done would it be wise policy?

The answer to both questions is: probably not.

Hollowing out the rest of the budget to wall off the two fastest-growing programs would put a disproportionate burden on all other priorities. Defense, domestic investments and safety-net programs will all feel the pinch.

If the point of the president’s budget is to “make America great again,” it should be noted that in the presumably greater days of 30 or 50 years ago, much more of the budget went to discretionary programs and much less of it went to Social Security and Medicare.

That doesn’t mean that Social Security and Medicare should be cut back to prior times when the demographic picture and health care costs looked much different. It does mean, however, that as circumstances change no part of the budget should be exempt from scrutiny.

It is true that unlike most programs, Social Security and Medicare have dedicated revenue sources. These resources, however, are not enough to cover current expenses, and the gap will only deepen. Thus as the programs consume a greater share of federal spending, they will also consume a greater share of general revenues.

Under the Trump budget, Social Security and Medicare would rise in cost from 8 percent of GDP this year to 9.4 percent in 2027. Combined payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare Part A would remain flat at 5.8 percent of GDP. Premiums for Medicare Parts B and D are set by law to cover just 25 percent of program costs.

Pledging not to touch Social Security and Medicare leaves both programs on an unsustainable path.

Oddly enough, in putting a rosy glow on its own budget, the administration concedes an important downside to the long-term outlook: “Despite all the progress the budget proposals make toward fiscal goals, some longterm challenges remain, particularly in Social Security and Medicare.”

In other words, the administration acknowledges the problem while proudly proclaiming its intention to do nothing about it.

unwound or reversed by the new administration; his ban against the construction of the Keystone Pipeline has been lifted; his fuzzy “red line” drawn against Syria has been obliterated, and now his unilateral acceptance of the terms of Paris has been reversed.

The only major thing that has not been reversed yet, for those who supported Obama and his term in office? The Affordable Care Act. Obamacare. Why? Because it was duly passed through both the House of Representatives and the Senate and signed into law by Obama in compliance with the Constitution.

Until a majority of the House and Senate can pass something either to repeal it in its entirety or replace it with something else, the ACA will remain the law of the land.

We have a Constitution for a reason. Read it every now and then to remind yourself of the incredible foresight our first generation of elected leaders had to look far into the future and implement ways to limit the powers of one person in this country to run things without the consent of the majority of citizens as expressed through elected representatives, not public opinion polls.

Frank Hill is the director of The Institute for the Public Trust in Raleigh.

Clarence Page is a syndicated columnist and a member of The Chicago Tribune’s editorial board.

Robert Bixby is executive director of The Concord Coalition, a nonpartisan organization that helps educate the public about the federal budget.

The non-treaty of Paris Obama chose not to do the “dirty work” of passing such a controversial piece of legislation, this time in the form of a binding treaty, to ratify the Paris Accord.

to the Constitution to abolish slavery. The process started in the Senate in 1864 before the elections that fall, when it looked like Lincoln might lose because of the duration of the Civil War. Lincoln lobbied, cajoled, and persuaded enough House and Senate members to get to the two-thirds majorities necessary to send the proposed amendment to the states for ratification. In the Steven Spielberg movie “Lincoln,” passage of such controversial legislation was not based solely on lofty philosophical musings and speeches, but on cold hard deal-making, job offers, and political jockeying. That is the real world of politics and legislation.

It does not operate in a vacuum or in some sterilized laboratory.

It happens on Capitol Hill, state legislatures, and municipal councils and commissions every day.

Obama chose not to do the “dirty work” of passing such a controversial piece of legislation, this time in the form of a binding treaty, to ratify the Paris Accord that only he signed, not the U.S. government as a whole.

So far into the 5½ months of Obama’s retirement, thousands of his unilateral executive actions have been reversed or canceled in their entirety; thousands of pages of regulations put forth by his administration are now being

Poverty can be either a cause or an effect of a miserable mindset — or both at the same time.

Yet a wide variety of experts say the question that Carson raises — Does the “wrong mind-set” cause poverty? — works better when applied to certain individuals than to broad groups of people. Poverty can be either a cause or an effect of a miserable mindset — or both at the same time. It’s stressful to be poor — and more stress can lead to more poverty.

Like me, Ben Carson didn’t have wealth growing up, but he did have the most valuable resource: a stable, supportive and encouraging home life provided by parents and other elders who were willing to sacrifice for the sake of our upbringing. I understand why he wants other families to have those advantages.

But what do you do for the poor kids in families that don’t have even those basic resources? Carson in his first interview offered three major steps of self-help that could lift almost all of the nation’s poor out of poverty: Finish high school, get married and delay childbirth until after marriage.

Fine. But as Donald Trump’s campaign illustrated, social and economic turbulence has left millions of working-class people of all races adrift in job loss, marriage breakups, income inequality, and drug addictions.

Those troubled households need more than pep talks. Robert Woodson, a black conservative like Carson and president of the Woodson Center (formerly the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise) in Washington, outlined in a telephone interview the “four different types of poor people” he has encountered in more than 2,000 community organizations that the center has assisted with technical and organizational help.

At one end are those who are “poor because they’re just broke,” he said. They include a lot of hardworking people whose jobs moved away or who were hit by some other calamity. “They turn to government support temporarily,” said Woodson, “as an ambulance service, not as a transportation system.”

At the other end are the people about whom Ben Carson was talking, “a group that is poor because of the chances that they take and the choices that they make,” Woodson said. “This is the group we work with the most.”

This group requires more elaborate services, ideally run by neighborhood-based organizations enlisting volunteers from the local community. It may sound far-fetched, but I’ve been out with Woodson on site visits and been amazed at how tirelessly and how well local residents take charge of community improvement, assisted by publicprivate partnerships, to produce remedies that work.

That’s what makes the new administration’s proposed cuts to the HUD budget troubling. They’re asking for cuts before taking a thorough look at what they’re cutting. We may not know everything about what causes poverty, but when you build programs that work to fight poverty, you should try to build more of them.

COLUMN | FRANK HILL

SEVERAL TIMES over the past couple of years, I have asked this question of supporters of Barack Obama’s executive actions, accomplished without the cooperation of Congress: “Will you be as happy to see a Republican president in the White House use those same executive, unilateral powers to a) unwind all of Obama’s executive, unilateral actions and/or b) bind the U.S. to policies that only he and his political party want to see passed?”

The Paris Accord is the latest casualty of that failure to adhere to the U.S. Constitution as currently written. What was written and signed essentially by one man in the three-part governing system of the United States has now been upended by another man with the stroke of a pen and one press conference.

Setting aside all the arguments for and against controlling carbon emissions, what should Obama have done to make sure the U.S. would abide by and adhere to the Paris climate accord: Submit it to the U.S. Senate for ratification as a treaty.

No doubt it would have been difficult to get it through the Senate with the two-thirds votes necessary for ratification. Consider the enormous challenge faced by President Abraham Lincoln when he wanted to pass the 13th Amendment

intend to blame poor people for their poverty.

He only sounded like he did.

“Poverty to a large extent is also a state of mind,” the retired neurosurgeon said during a recent interview on Sirius XM radio.

“You take somebody that has the right mindset,” he continued. “You can take everything from them and put them on the street, and I guarantee in a little while they’ll be right back up there.”

But if you take somebody with the “wrong mindset,” he said, “you can give them everything in the world, they’ll work their way back to the bottom.”

It didn’t take long for a blizzard of sarcastic tweets to explode on Twitter: “Next month,” tweeted Zerlina Maxwell, Sirius XM director of progressive programming, “I’m going to tell my landlord that I paid my rent with positive thinking!”

“You know what else is a state of mind?”

Tweeted Star Trek’s George Takei. “Always being a blithering idiot.”

Nor did the timing of Carson’s argument help. It was broadcast right after the Trump administration had asked Congress to cut billions of dollars from housing programs for the poor. At a time when cabinet officers usually fight for more money, Carson seemed ready to surrender.

Still, in a follow-up interview with NPR’s Pam Fessler Thursday, Carson softened his earlier comments a bit. State of mind “is a factor,” he said. “A part of poverty can be the state of mind — poor in spirit.”

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North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Nation & WORLD

week in images

the BRIEF Head of Moscow’s Ukrainian library convicted of incitement against Russians Moscow The head of Russia’s only state-run Ukrainian library was convicted on Monday of inciting hatred against Russians in a case that she compared to a Stalin-era political show trial.

Armed, masked police arrested Natalya Sharina in October 2015, confiscating books that the authorities called illegal antiRussian propaganda.

Macron factor set to leap from presidency to parliament AMIT DAVE | reuters

Vishnu Limbachiya, a hair artist, styles the hair of a man while wearing a blindfold at a park in Ahmedabad, India, May 31.

JON NAZCA | reuters

Women look on as pilgrims from the Sanlucar de Barrameda brotherhood ride their horses during a pilgrimage as they arrive at the shrine of El Rocio in Almonte, southern Spain, June 2.

Paris Bastions are crumbling and loyalties shifting ahead of France’s parliamentary elections.

Emmanuel Macron, fresh from becoming the youngest French leader since Napoleon, now looks set to redraw the political map with a party he only formed a year ago. The ballots take place on June 11 and 18 and opinion polls predict Macron’s centrist Republic On the Move party will comfortably win the majority that will be crucial to his ability to push through his ambitious reform agenda.

Big oil, small U.S. towns see new reward in old production technique DAMIR SAGOLJ | reuters

Muslims pray before breaking fast at the historic Niujie Mosque on the first Friday of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Beijing, China, June 2.

Trump lays out plan to privatize air traffic control system Proposed move requires congressional approval

By Donna King North State Journal WASHINGTON, D.C./RALEIGH — President Donald Trump outlined a plan on Monday to privatize the U.S. air traffic control system to modernize it and lower flying costs, but his proposal drew immediate criticism from Democrats who said it would hand control of a key asset to special interests and big airlines.

Trump’s proposal to spin off air traffic control from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was part of a week-long White House focus on infrastructure.

“We’re proposing reduced wait times, increased route efficiency and far fewer delays,” Trump said in comments Monday. “Our plan will get you where you need to go quickly, more reliably, more affordably, and yes, for the first time in a long time, on time.”

Executives from United Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, all represented by the Airlines for America lobbying group, attended the Trump speech.

The group praised the Trump plan which is backed by most airlines, but opposed by many Democrats on Capitol Hill and some Republicans.

“Our nation’s infrastructure in the sky is a vital part of our economy, and the demand for air services in the United States is growing,” said A4A

The FAA spends nearly $10 billion a year on air traffic control funded largely through passenger user fees, and has spent more than $7.5 billion on next-generation air traffic control reforms in recent years.

President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio. “The president’s leadership means that we can look forward to legislation that gets government out of the way so we can modernize for the future and maintain our global leadership in aviation. Today’s White House announcement puts consumers first — ahead of the status quo.”

Trump said current air traffic reform efforts have failed and were a “total waste of money.”

Congress would have to approve privatization, but proponents say it would speed up the rollout of new aircraft tracking technology, replacing current ground radar dating back to World War II. Supporters of the plan also say a private entity could sign contracts with vendors more quickly than if deals are put through the FAA’s procurement process, which also is subject to budget instability.

Opponents, including Delta Air Lines, say the U.S. system is so large that privatization would not save money, and would drive up ticket costs and could create a na-

RONEN ZVULUN | reuters

People take part in the Midburn, the Israeli version of Nevada’s Burning Man festival, at southern Israel, May 31.

tional security risk. Opponents also say technology upgrades would be sidetracked while the private entity was set up, potentially adding years to awarding contracts.

The new systems would represent major wins for U.S. companies that have been working on new technology for years. Harris Corporation is a leading candidate to supply the FAA with real-time aircraft tracking data in partnership with satellite operator Iridium Communications. The pair are already working in air traffic surveillance with authorities in Canada, Italy, Ireland and Denmark.

Under Trump’s proposal, a board made up of airline, union and airport officials would oversee the nonprofit entity that would assume oversight after a three-year transition.

House of Representatives Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement that Trump was recycling “a tired Republican plan that both sides of the aisle have rejected” and would “hand control of one of our nation’s most important public assets to special interests and the big airlines.”

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association worry that technology upgrades and privatization will mean new fees on small plane owners.

“The U.S. has a very safe air traffic system today and we don’t hear complaints from our nearly 350,000 members about it,” said Mark Baker, the group’s president.

The infrastructure push from the White House is not unexpected as Trump seeks to refocus attention on core campaign promises to boost jobs and the economy.

On Wednesday, Trump will travel to Cincinnati to talk about improvements to the 12,000 miles of inland waterways, dams, locks and ports critical for shipping farm products.

Reuters News Service contributed to this report.

A view of the control tower at RaleighDurham International Airport, May 19.

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Justice Gorsuch says he does not share ‘cynicism’ about government

By Nate Raymond Reuters CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — President Donald Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court appointee Neil Gorsuch said on Friday that he does not share what he acknowledged was currently “a lot of cynicism about government and the rule of law.”

Gorsuch, the newest member to the nation’s top court, spoke about the value of an independent judiciary during an evening event at Harvard Gorsuch University that also featured fellow Justice Stephen Breyer.

Gorsuch reflected on how the “government can lose in its own courts and accept the judgment of those courts without an army to back it up.”

He said 95 percent of all U.S. cases are resolved at the trial court level, with few reaching the appellate level or Supreme Court, a fact that he said indicated that litigants were satisfied that justice had been done.

“I know a lot of cynicism about government and the rule of law, but I don’t share it,” he said.

Gorsuch, whose confirmation to the lifetime job restored the court’s conservative majority following Justice Antonin Scalia’s death in February 2016, formally joined the Supreme Court on April 10.

Gorsuch served on the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals before Trump nominated him in January. Trump was able to fill the vacancy after Senate Republicans last year refused to consider President Barack Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland.

Breyer, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and is a member of the liberal wing of the nine-member court, stressed during his comments the value of international values.

“The values you are talking about are very widespread across the world,” he said. “Interest in democracy, human rights and so forth and rule of law.”

Hobbs, N.M. Occidental Petroleum Corporation and a few other oil producers with wells near Hobbs on New Mexico’s border with Texas steadily pumped lowcost oil through the downturn, using a technique that has been heralded worldwide as a way to reduce carbon emissions and boost oil output. The drilling method harnesses the carbon dioxide produced during the extraction of oil or from power plants, and forces it back into the fields. That boosts the pressure underground and drives more oil to the surface.

‘We don’t scare,’ Mattis says after London attack Washington, D.C. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Monday the United States and its allies would continue to fight against Islamist extremists and would not be scared by attacks against the West by the Islamic State group.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has said Britain must be tougher in stamping out Islamist extremism after attackers killed at least seven people by ramming a van into pedestrians on London Bridge and stabbing revelers in nearby bars.

‘Pink Slime’ case against ABC a challenge to press in era of ‘fake news’ Elk Point, S.D. A South Dakota meat processor’s $5.7 billion defamation lawsuit against ABC, which opens Monday, pits big agriculture against big media, and is a first major court challenge against a media company since accusations of “fake news” by President Donald Trump and his supporters have become part of the American vernacular. In the closely watched case, Beef Products Inc. claims ABC, a unit of the Walt Disney Co., and its reporter Jim Avila, defamed the company by calling its groundbeef product “pink slime” and making errors and omissions in its reporting.

Sources: Contractor charged with leaking classified document about U.S. election hacking Washington, D.C. The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday charged a federal contractor with sending classified material to a news organization that sources identified as The Intercept, marking one of the first concrete efforts by the Trump administration to crack down on leaks to the media. Reality Leigh Winner, 25, was charged with removing classified material from a government facility located in Georgia. She was arrested on June 3, the Justice Department said.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

Cats on the prowl Davidson junior Alec Acosta (4), right, slides safely into third base as North Carolina sophomore Kyle Datres (3), left, calls for the ball during regional play of the College World Series at Boshamer Stadium on June 2. The Davidson Wildcats defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 8 - 4.

the Wednesday SIDELINE REPORT

SPORTS

NFL

Panthers CB Bradberry breaks wrist in OTAs

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal

NFL

Newton throwing at OTAs, ahead of schedule

NBA

Fultz reportedly will only work out for Celtics Former Washington star Markelle Fultz, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, will only hold a private workout for the Boston Celtics ahead of the selection process in June, according to a report from the Philadelphia Inquirer. Fultz has previously told ESPN that being the No. 1 overall pick is a “dream of mine.” “I want to be the No. 1 pick really badly,” Fultz said. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid, and I feel I would fit well in Boston.” The Celtics hold the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

MLB

Verlander gets good results on MRI exam An MRI exam on former American League MVP and Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander’s groin injury showed no evidence of structural damage, the Detroit Tigers announced on Monday.

The Tigers said the 34-year-old right-hander will be evaluated as the week progresses. The team is expected to wait until Verlander throws his bullpen session this week to determine if he’ll make his next scheduled start, which would be Saturday against the Red Sox in Boston if all goes well. Verlander left his start Sunday against the White Sox in the third inning.

Could Davidson be this year’s Coastal Carolina?

The Wildcats’ success in Chapel Hill this weekend has earned them a Super Regional date against Texas A&M and evoked comparisons with last season’s unlikely college baseball national champions

The Carolina Panthers will lose second-year cornerback James Bradberry for the remainder of offseason training activities after fracturing his wrist during OTAs this week.

Bradberry, who emerged down the stretch last year as a potential breakout candidate in 2017, is expected to miss about six weeks, which would put him on track to return to the Panthers for training camp.

The Carolina Panthers got great news on the recovery front for quarterback Cam Newton, as coach Ron Rivera told the press Newton is expected to start throwing during next week’s three-day minicamp. “He is ahead of schedule,” Rivera said during his press conference following OTAs. “We’re not putting him ahead of schedule.” Newton suffered a rotator cuff injury during Week 14 against the Chargers and underwent offseason shoulder surgery.

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Erik Jones, right, and his crew chief Chris Gayle, left, share a laugh on pit road before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 28.

Erik Jones presses on a year after dad’s death One year after the death of his father, Erik Jones is hoping to take him back to Victory Lane as a rookie in the Cup Series

By R. Cory Smith North State Journal CHARLOTTE — Erik Jones has been blazing his own trail as one of NASCAR’s top young drivers for years. He just never imagined he’d finally achieve his dreams without his biggest supporter in his corner.

After an arduous month of May, Jones capped it off with his best finish in the Monster Energy Cup Series just two nights prior to his 21st birthday. In a way, finishing inside the top 10 in the Coca-Cola 600 — NASCAR’s longest race — was a rite of passage for the rookie driver.

“I think everybody looks forward to turning 21,” Jones said. “... You want to be able to hang out with [other drivers] and do the stuff they’re doing, so I definitely feel like that’s big, for sure.”

It was a positive note prior to what promises to be yet another difficult month for different reasons entirely. At 21, Jones has already endured more triumph and

tragedy than most drivers will in their entire career.

Now a full-time driver at the Monster Energy Cup Series, he took on a massive challenge with a brand new crew and rookie crew chief. He’s also still trying to figure out his life after losing his father exactly one year ago.

CHAPEL HILL — Davidson was seeded sixth in its eight-team conference tournament and had to rally from four runs down in the final three innings to escape elimination in a loser’s bracket game against St. Louis.

Two weeks later, the Wildcats are one of the 16 teams left with a chance at winning college baseball’s national championship.

Coach Dick Cooke’s team stunned top-seeded and second-ranked North Carolina twice in three days, punctuated by a dramatic 2-1 victory Sunday, to win the first NCAA regional in school history.

The Wildcats’ success in Chapel Hill has earned them a Super Regional date against Texas A&M next week and has begun to evoke at least a few audible whispers about their chances of becoming this year’s version of unlikely 2016 national champ Coastal Carolina.

“It’s a far-reaching concept.” Cooke said shortly after watching his players dogpile on the infield at UNC’s Boshamer Stadium. “There aren’t a lot of programs in the country who say if we don’t get to the Super it’s a disappointing year. There’s some who say if we don’t get deep into Omaha it’s a disappointing year. We’re not in that boat.”

Davidson had never been to a regional, let alone won one, before arriving at UNC on Friday. But they rode some sterling starting pitching of Durin O’Linger, Evan Roberts and Josh Hudson, spotless defense and some unexpected offensive contributions from the bottom of its order to breeze through the double-elimination tournament without a loss.

The Wildcats (35-24) sandwiched a win against second-seeded Florida Gulf Coast between their two upsets of the Tar Heels.

It’s an accomplishment that still hadn’t completely sunk in for Cooke as he addressed the me-

“There’s some who say if we don’t get deep into Omaha it’s a [down] year.

We’re not in that boat.”

Davidson baseball coach Dick Cooke

See DAVIDSON, page B8

INSIDE

One-year anniversary While so much has changed in the last year for Jones, it’s impossible for him to forget about the past.

One year ago on Wednesday, Dave Jones, Erik’s father, lost his battle with lung cancer. Dave was given one year to live when he learned the diagnosis, but he didn’t even make it halfway through his prognosis, passing away just three months later.

“It changes the way you look at everything,” Jones said. “Going to the racetrack is different. Living my life is different. Not having that guy to ask questions and lean on, I’ve had to learn a lot of things in the last year that I didn’t think I’d have to for a long time. Whether it be on the business side or personal side of life.

“It’s been a learning experience, See JONES, page B8

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

The 2017 Valor Games are underway on Duke’s campus and, as it does every year, the event is highlighting achievements from disabled veterans and members of the Armed Forces. The highlights are often good and the news you hear is positive from them, but the reality is that for these former soldiers, life can oftentimes be a struggle. Shawn Krest writes about one veteran’s attempt to work through both the good and bad days. B4

North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

B2 Wednesday

06.07.17

Trending

Thad Matta: Former Ohio State basketball coach was forced to resign by athletic director Gene Smith after 13 years and 337 wins. Smith said spring recruiting losses led to the school deciding to make a change, but clearly Ohio State is behind in the search for a new coach to fill the role.

Justin Bieber: Singer was spotted wearing random athletic gear, including a pair of NC State basketball shorts, and after receiving criticism about his choices, went on a tweet-storm saying that if you give him “any jersey that looks cool I’ll throw it on” and that he supports “all sports” and “any high-level sports game.”

Al Pacino: Legendary actor will reportedly play the role of Joe Paterno in a movie about the Penn State scandal involving Jerry Sandusky and the Nittany Lions football team, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The film does not yet have a title but will be directed

by Barry Levinson.

Charles Barkley: NBA on TNT analyst and Basketball Hall of Famer spread his wings on Monday night to become an NHL commentator. Barkley crashed an interview with Wayne Gretzky and also appeared on NBC in between the second and third periods of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Austin Davis: Seahawks signed the free agent quarterback on Monday, prompting a torrent of outrage from supporters of Colin Kaepernick. Davis, who last won a football game in 2014 (ironically beating Kaepernick’s 49ers), has 13 career interceptions and 12 career touchdown passes in three seasons.

beyond the box score POTENT QUOTABLES

nhl

Nashville mayor Megan Barry is drawing rave reviews from her constituents after continuing to show support for the Predators during their Stanley Cup Finals run. She has appeared at games in a jersey holding a catfish and released a “tardy excuse” note for any citizens who need to show up late for work after partying following Game 4’s win.

Troy Taormina | USA TODAY SPORTS Images

“I played three games ... this list is a joke.”

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt tweeting on Tuesday night about the NFL Network’s “Top 100” list, which compiles votes from players to decide the best 100 players in the NFL. Watt, whose season ended very early, was ranked No. 35 overall on the list.

via twitter | @mayormeganbarry

nfl

nhl

Steve Mitchell | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

“Are you a smart guy? If we don’t defend home court what happens?”

LeBron James responding to a reporter’s asinine question about the Cavaliers, down 2-0 in the NBA Finals, needing to win at home.

mlb

42 Number of wins the Houston Astros have in their first 58 games so far during the 2017 Major League Baseball season.

The Astros have won 11 in a row as of Monday night, as well as 22 out of their last 27 games. They hold a 14-game lead over the Mariners in the AL West, the largest in club history and are ahead of the Chicago Cubs win total pace from last season.

via instagram

Former Bills coaches Rex Ryan and Rob Ryan were spotted hanging out at a Margaritaville bar in Nashville ahead of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals, posing for pictures with bachelorette parties and getting in scuffles with other patrons at the bar.

soccer

Christopher Hanewinckel | USATSI

Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban and Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby are in a weird war of words, with Subban claiming Crosby told him he had bad breath.

Crosby has vigorously denied that he said any comments about Subban.

Real Madrid and Portugal soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo was announced as the cover star for FIFA 18 when EA Sports revealed the first new trailer for the popular soccer game this past week.

Fans are torn about the appearance of Ronaldo on the cover, although not for any jinx reasons. Ronaldo helped to take Real Madrid to a 4-1 victory in the UEFA Champions League final over Juventas.

Ronaldo detractors simply do not want to purchase the game. via twitter | @easportsfifa

North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

B3

SPLITTER TO SPOILER

Johnson makes more history in anticlimactic Dover finish T’S BECOMING EASIER to name the records Jimmie IJohnson hasn’t broken than the

BRUCE BENNETT | USA TODAY SPORTS IMAGES

Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Patric Hornqvist (72) collides with goalie Matt Murray (30) during play against the Nashville Predators in the third period in game four of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final at Bridgestone Arena on Monday in Nashville.

Preds hold serve to even Stanley Cup Finals at 2-2 Nashville stormed back in to tie the Stanley Cup with a 4-1 Game 4 victory.

By John Glennon The Sports Xchange NASHVILLE — Rookie Frederick Gaudreau has no problem performing on hockey’s biggest stage.

The Nashville Predators’ 23-year-old undrafted center had not scored an NHL goal before the start of the Stanley Cup Final. However, Gaudreau scored his second straight game-winning goal — and third goal of the Final — on Monday to pace the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4.

Nashville won its second consecutive game to send the bestof-seven series back to Pittsburgh tied 2-2. Game 5 is Thursday.

“He’s been unbelievable for us, just the way he’s come in and he’s been so good with the timely goals and so composed,” Predators captain Mike Fisher said of Gaudreau, who has played just nine career regular-season NHL games. “He definitely belongs, and he’s been a huge part of our success. It’s good to see for sure.”

The defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins were outshot for the fourth straight game, but Pittsburgh was outscored 9-2 in the two losses at Bridgestone Arena.

“Well, obviously it’s hard to win when you score one goal,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “I thought tonight, of all the games, we generated the most chances and the highest quality.

It didn’t go in the net for us. We had a number of grade-A opportunities — a couple of breakaways, flurries around the net.”

Predators goalie Pekka Rinne was spectacular in the victory, making a handful of close-range saves among his 23 stops. He and the Predators improved to 9-1 at home in the postseason.

Rinne had come under plenty of scrutiny after sub-par performances in Games 1 and 2, when

Stanley Cup Final Schedule Game 1 Pittsburgh 5, Nashville 3 Pittsburgh leads series 1-0 Game 2 Pittsburgh 4, Nashville 1 Pittsburgh leads series 2-0 Game 3 Nashville 5, Pittsburgh 1 Pittsburgh leads series 2-1 Game 4 Nashville 4, Pittsburgh 1 Series tied 2-2 Game 5 Nashville at Pittsburgh* June 8, 8 p.m., NBC Game 6 Pittsburgh at Nashville* June 11, 8 p.m., NBC Game 7 Nashville at Pittsburgh* June 14, 8 p.m., NBC * if necessary

veteran netminder allowed eight goals on 36 shots.

“You always have ups and downs, and you try to stay evenkeeled,” Rinne said. “I’m sure at the end of the day when you look back, (the season) is a roller coaster. It’s an emotional ride. It’s no different in these Finals.”

The Predators scored twice in the second period, taking a 3-1 lead on goals by Gaudreau and Viktor Arvidsson.

Gaudreau’s tally came 3:45 into the period on a wraparound, but there was no goal signal on the ice at the time.

The NHL stopped play shortly thereafter, awarding Gaudreau the score after a review clearly showed the puck crossed the line.

Gaudreau didn’t score a goal during the regular season this year.

Rinne made a tremendous diving save midway through the second period to keep the score 2-1, foiling Jake Guentzel by knocking the puck out of the crease just before it crossed the goal line.

“Somehow he managed to keep it out,” said Guentzel, who scored four goals in the series’ first three games. “I had how many chances, just myself. I’ve got to put one of

Roster flexibility key for Panthers during OTAs The Panthers are trying to ensure they have a versatile group of players on the roster for 2017 The Sports XChange CHARLOTTE — The Carolina Panthers’ coaching staff is looking for versatility among players, supplying something that leads to flexibility on the roster.

With the final week of organized team activities beginning Monday, it’s one of the areas of evaluation for coach Ron Rivera and his staff. The Panthers know there are pockets of concern along the offensive line and other positions that might warrant retooling.

So while OTA drills provide only partial glimpses of what players are capable of doing, it’s also a view into the potential.

Rivera said the energy level has remained high, but the retention level is something he’s more than curious about. With the young players, particularly the newcomers, that’s something that is critical at this time of the year.

“Some of them were still hesitant,” Rivera said. “Some of them were a little hesitant. ... We’ve got young guys who really need a lot of reps.”

It’s also about refining fundamentals, and in this regard the coach said there’s good feedback available after the sessions.

“I like how they’re really working on their individual techniques,” Rivera said.

With this in mind, the plans for some of the players can start to be formulated.

For instance, rookie offensive tackle Taylor Moton is among the players displaying solid skills in

those away.”

Arvidsson doubled the Predators’ lead with 6:52 left in the second period, scoring on a breakaway after Fisher’s diving pass in neutral ice sent him in alone.

It was the first goal for Arvidsson since Game 4 of the first playoff round, and it put Nashville up 3-1.

Filip Forsberg’s empty-net goal at 16:37 of the third period completed the scoring.

The Predators had jumped out to a 1-0 lead with 5:09 left in the first period when center Calle Jarnkrok knocked home a rebound as he went sailing into the crease. Matt Murray (22 saves) had stopped Craig Smith’s initial deflection of Austin Watson’s shot, but Jarnkrok’s follow gave him five points — one goal and four assists — in the past five games.

Minutes later, just as the Nashville crowd was getting revved up — giving the team its first standing ovation of the contest — the Penguins struck back.

Sidney Crosby, who was held without a shot on goal in Game 2, jumped on a loose puck and cruised in on a breakaway. He deked Rinne, then slid a backhand shot that tapped the post before settling behind the goalie at 15:57.

NOTES: The Predators used the same lineup as they did in Game 2, scratching LW Cody McLeod as well as C Vern Fiddler ... Nashville’s four centers — Frederick Gaudreau, Calle Jarnkrok, Mike Fisher and Colton Sissons — have 13 points in the four Final games ... Dierks Bentley became the latest in a long line of star musicians to sing the national anthem at a Predators home playoff game ... The Penguins made one change to their lineup, as RW Josh Archibald replaced C Scott Wilson ... Pittsburgh C Nick Bonino missed his second consecutive contest with a foot injury ... Penguins C Sidney Crosby now has 17 career points in Cup Final games, two behind franchise leader Mario Lemieux.

certain drills. This will give the coaching staff a chance to visualize how Moton, a second-round draft pick, might be used and if he would be suitable for multiple spots along the line depending on needs and injuries.

“We have to find out if they have position flexibility,” Rivera said. “We’ve got a number of young guys that have got to fit in with what we’re trying to do.

Those young guys have opportunities.”

Rookie wide receiver Curtis Samuel is among the younger players who said he senses progress and the ability to make an impact.

“Very excited to come out here and showcase my talents,” Samuel said. “There’s more to come. I want to get faster. Push myself.”

Samuel’s speed easily draws attention. But he wants to make sure it’s clear that there’s more to what he can provide than just a bolt of speed, so that makes the OTAs valuable to him for multiple reasons.

“Not just speed, but learning all aspects,” Samuel said.

ones he has. On Sunday in Dover, Johnson joined two more exclusive lists with a come-from-behind victory on the final restart.

The win was Johnson’s 83rd, tying him with childhood idol Cale Yarborough for sixth on the all-time wins list at the Cup level.

It was also his 11th win at Dover, topping his own record at the track and grouping him with Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip as the only driver to win 11 or more times at a single track.

“This win means a lot to me,” said Johnson in Victory Lane.

“When I was growing up in southern California racing dirt bikes I was a big Cale Yarborough fan.

“It was a huge honor to tie him with three consecutive championships a few years back, and then to be here at 83 wins and a day where things played out in such an awkward and weird fashion, I’m just very happy that we’ve got it done.”

The “awkward and weird fashion” Johnson alluded to was a restart at the end of the race that saw him pass Kyle Larson for the win. Despite a massive crash in the back of the field, Johnson and the leaders had already passed the overtime line to nullify any greenwhite-checkered finish.

We’ll get to that later, though.

Any questions about the validity of his win were emphatically answered by Johnson following the race.

“I did everything I could to beat him, laid back, went forward,” Johnson said. “I laid back early, went forward late. He jumped — he’s the leader, he’s supposed to jump first. I just made sure I didn’t jump before him. But when it mattered, I was actually ahead of him by a couple inches.

“They can protest all they want.

I got the trophy. I did everything I could to beat him, and I did it.”

Much like Austin Dillon’s win the previous week when Johnson ran out of gas, it all comes down to being at the right place at the right time. Johnson remained in the top five most of the afternoon, passed Larson on the final lap and crossed the overtime line in first place.

38 other drivers were unable to accomplish that feat. Larson, who led 241 of the 406 laps, wasn’t in the group that believes Johnson just lucked into win No. 83 on Sunday.

“Jimmie is the best of our time, probably the best of all time,” Larson said. “He just has a lot more experience than I do out on the front row late in races and executed a lot better than I did.

I’ve got to get better at that and maybe get some more wins.”

Hitting restart on overtime rules?

NASCAR has tried nearly everything to make the end of races exciting. Most fans do not want to see a driver win under caution. Most fans don’t want to see cars crashing in the back of the field as a driver claims the checkered flag.

Nobody wants to see what happened on Sunday in Dover.

After one of the most exhilarating races of the season at the Monster Mile, Johnson won a race that would have been restarted in regulation essentially under caution. Granted, he won the race under the rules, but several drivers, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., questioned whether the overtime line should remain in place.

“I kind of helped come up with that idea, so this is going to be kind of strange,” Earnhardt explained in a post-race Periscope,

R. CORY SMITH “but I think they should get rid of the overtime line at all the racetracks except for Daytona and Talladega.”

Earnhardt is accurate on all accounts here. It is extremely strange that he suddenly wants to nullify a rule he helped create, but it’s also not working. Well, except for at Daytona and Talladega, where it is actually a safety precaution for restrictor-plate tracks that would otherwise see multiple huge crashes if forced to restart several times.

Had a crash occurred during the final lap of the race in regulation, a caution would have taken place and a restart would have ensued. Instead, Johnson passed the start-finish line with a caution and checkered flag waving for his 11th win at Dover. That’s far from ideal.

“I think we should race it out everywhere,” Earnhardt said.

“And no overtime line, just keep on doing green-white-checkereds until you get it right everywhere.

And then at Daytona and Talladega, you probably can do something different.”

Talladega and Daytona are completely different beasts. But the maximum speed at a track like Dover is less than 160 mph, not the 200-plus mph that makes superspeedways so dangerous.

There’s no need for an overtime line at short or intermediate tracks.

Let them race for the checkered flag, it’s that simple.

Suarez on fire NASCAR’s first full-time Mexican-born driver is no fluke.

Coming off an Xfinity Series championship in his second full season at that level, Daniel Suarez was unexpectedly moved up to the No. 19 car when Carl Edwards retired before the season. Despite a slow start that saw him finish 20th or worse in the first three races, Suarez posted two top-10 finishes at Phoenix and California before a quiet April.

Since Talladega, Suarez has spent the last month becoming a a well-oiled machine behind the wheel.

The rookie grabbed his third seventh-place finish in Kansas before racing his way into the All-Star Race during the Monster Energy Open. He then survived his first 600-mile race in the CocaCola 600 and finished just outside of the top 10 in 11th place.

His weekend in Dover, however, was his best of the entire season.

Suarez posted a career-high thirdbest time in qualifying before putting together a career-high sixth-place result on Sunday after dodging the carnage on the final lap.

Suarez is still around 20 points outside of a spot in the playoffs, but has clearly turned a corner at the halfway point in the regular season. He also has the backing of Joe Gibbs Racing, a team that despite its struggles this year can turn it on at any point and run roughshod on NASCAR. Even thoug he is behind fellow Toyota driver Erik Jones in the overall standings, Suarez is ahead of Jones in the Rookie of the Year race thanks to slightly more consistent finishes. And with the recent driving of Ty Dillon for Germain Racing, this battle could be one that’s fought all the way into Homestead.

MATTHEW O’HAREN | USA TODAY SPORTS

NASCAR Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (48) races alongside of driver Kyle Larson (42) during the AAA 400 Drive For Autism at Dover International Speedway in Dover, De. on June 4.

North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

B4

North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

B5 Army veteran Gordon Jeans, of Apex, stretches between shots as he competes in the air rifle event of the Valor Games Southeast at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill with support from his service dog Angel-A and John Book, right, of the Durham Pistol & Rifle Club on May 23.

Army veteran Gordon Jeans, of Apex, smokes a cigar after the archery event of the Valor Games Southeast at Duke University on May 24.

Valor Games give disabled veterans chance to compete

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

T

he first few events didn’t go Gordon Jeans’ way.

So the 59-year-old Apex resident knew what he needed to do.

“I’m just gonna find a corner, smoke a cigar and do a crossword puzzle,” Jeans said. “See if my brain’s working today.”

Jeans, a veteran of the Army’s armored division, was spending the day on the campus of Duke University, competing in the Valor Games Southeast, the three-day adaptive sports competition for disabled veterans and members of the Armed Forces.

So far, the first three events of the day had produced nothing but frustration. He finished eighth in air rifle, a competition he’s won at other veteran’s competitions in the past.

“The boccia fell apart in the afternoon,” Jeans said of event two.

“They didn’t even have medals for it. The problem they run into with this kind of stuff is that people are doing more than one thing in a day. So, if they’re all on the volleyball court, they can’t come to boccia. And since boccia was a team competition, the whole team has to be there.”

Then it was on to table tennis.

“I couldn’t do it,” Jeans said. “I guess I got up on the wrong side of the bed. But I said, ‘I’m not going to get frustrated.’”

That’s when Jeans found a secluded spot for his cigar and crossword.

“Literally every morning, I do them,” he said. “The outlook for the day depends on how far I get.

If I mess up on a Monday, I’m toast. Monday are the easy ones.”

Like most of the other Valor games competitors, that’s the way things go for Jeans. There are good days and bad days. Confined to a wheelchair due to a degenerative spinal injury that resulted from a 10-year career spent in tank battalions, there are some things Jeans can’t do on certain days, and it’s best not to get frustrated.

The final event of the day was archery, and Jeans was filled with nervous energy as he waited for his heat. On his lap, Angel-A, his blue-eyed dappled dachshund service dog gave him a concerned glance.

“She keeps track of my heart rate,” Jeans explained. “When it gets going too fast, she gives me a little warning that it’s time to settle down.”

When it was his turn to shoot, Jeans set Angel-A’s blanket on a folding chair, then placed the dachshund atop it. She didn’t seem happy to be separated from him, but, a mere arm’s reach away, she finally settled down and kept an eye on him.

“They told me I get six arrows to figure out how the bow’s working,” Jeans said, “but I guarantee there’s going to be more in the ground than in the target. I haven’t shot a bow since the 80s, and I don’t even know how it’s going to work with the chair yet. I’ve never

actually shot sitting down.”

The idea of training for the Valor Games, something that would be a given for most athletes preparing for a major competition, is complicated at best. Practice has to be evaluated not just for its ability to build up skill and expertise but also for the potential of breaking down a body that can only do so much in a day.

Jeans hit the target with his first practice arrow, at about 2:00, a couple rings from the outside.

Still, it’s a far cry from his dire “more in the ground” prediction.

He second shot pierced the bullseye at the center.

photos by eamon queeney | North State Journal

Like most of the other Valor games competitors, that’s the way things go for Jeans. There are good days and bad days.

“Accidents can happen to anyone,” he groused. “I’m just glad I got something I was supposed to be shooting at.”

Then it was time to shoot for real, and Jeans was again on target. He found the bullseye twice, and his other three arrows in the first set were all close to the middle.

With Jeans relaxed after finding his rhythm, Angel-A curled up to rest on the chair next to him.

Jeans got another bullseye on his second set and racked up points with his other four arrows as well.

Still, a competitor at the far end of the range was consistently clustering his arrows at the center of his target, leaving Jeans in second place. Considering this is just the first of several heats of shooters, it means that a medal is unlikely at best.

“I’d like to see what bow he’s using,” Jeans said. “I bet he’s got his own bow. When you use your own equipment—and you train—it makes a difference. Otherwise, it’s like borrowing clubs every time you go out to golf.”

Jeans tired in his final two sets, getting just one more bullseye in his final 10 shots. The effort of the day clearly wore him down, but, while enjoying one more cigar, Jeans was content with the outcome.

“It went well,” he said. “I didn’t know how it was going to go, but I was able to hit the target.”

“It’s just good to be able to get out here and do this,” he added.

“It’s a great thing for all of us.”

If there were sponsors, perhaps Jeans would be able to show up with his own rifle and bow. Maybe he’d be able to do some training, at his own pace, to prepare.

Until then, there will be good days and bad days.

Cradling his service dog Angel-A, Army veteran Gordon Jeans, of Apex, salutes for the playing of the national anthem during the opening ceremony of the Valor Games Southeast at the DoubleTree hotel near RTP on May 22, 2017. Jeans spent ten years in the Army’s armored division serving in tanks around the world, but now has a degenerative spinal injury that confines him to a wheelchair.

Looking to VA Recreation Therapy for help, Jeans learned about the three-day adaptive sports competition hosted by Bridge II Sports and was hooked after competing against fellow disabled veterans and members of the Armed Forces. Jeans competes in other events out of state but sees the Valor Games as a vacation in his backyard with a healthy dose of camaraderie mixed in.

With his service dog Angel-A on his lap, Army veteran Gordon Jeans, of Apex, looks over the results of his air rifle practice for the Valor Games Southeast at the Durham Pistol & Rifle Club on April 27.

Army veteran Gordon Jeans, third from bottom, of Apex, competes in the air rifle event of the Valor Games Southeast at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill on May 23, 2017.

B6

North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

PK80 brackets unveiled: Duke, UNC learn opponents

By Shawn Krest North State Journal The brackets for the PK80 Invitational Tournament were released on Wednesday. As expected, although both North Carolina and Duke will be participating in the tournament, honoring Nike founder Phil Knight’s 80th birthday, the two archrivals will not meet.

Sixteen of the top Nike schools in the country will take part in the Thanksgiving tournament in Portland, Oregon. A pair of champions will be crowned in two separate eight-team brackets.

North Carolina was placed in the Victory Bracket. The defending national champions will open play the afternoon of Thursday, Nov. 23, against Portland. Assuming the Tar Heels get past the hometown team, they’ll play the winner of Arkansas and Oklahoma in the second round Nov. 24.

The teams don’t play on Saturday, and the championship game will take place on Sunday, Nov. 26.

North Carolina has never played Portland in men’s basketball. The Tar Heels last met Arkansas in March, in a second-round NCAA game. Carolina last met Oklahoma in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

The bottom half of the Victo-

ry Bracket features Georgetown, Michigan State, UConn and Oregon.

Duke was assigned to the Motion Bracket and will also open against a local team—Portland State—the afternoon of Nov. 23. If the Blue Devils win, they’ll face the winner of Butler and Texas.

Florida, Stanford, Gonzaga and Ohio State round out the bottom half of Duke’s bracket.

Duke beat Portland State by 50 points in the only previous meeting between the two teams, in 1997.

The Blue Devils last played Butler in the 2010 NCAA Championship Game and last met Texas in 2009.

“It’s a great event for a great man,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “In the history of sport, the Mount Rushmore, Phil Knight would be there. There’s nobody who has elevated the athlete more than Phil. In celebration of his 80th birthday, we feel honored.

We’re looking forward to it. He’s still so enthusiastic and passionate about it. I love him. He’s a great, great friend.”

10 of the 16 teams in the field have won a total of 23 NCAA titles, including nine of the last 13 national champions. 13 of the teams have been to a Final Four, including three of last season’s Final Four participants.

Mark J. Rebilas | Usa Today Sports Images

North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams reacts during the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the championship game of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona on April 3, 2017.

State teams to get an ‘early’ start Kerr return adds gloss to big win for to 2017 football season Damontay Rhem (28) tries to find a way through the NC State defense during the spring football game on April 1, 2017.

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal Here’s a helpful tip for fans of North Carolina’s college football teams as they start looking ahead to the 2017 season: Stock up on sunscreen.

It’s going to be needed, given the abundance of early afternoon games on the schedule of kickoff times announced by the ACC and its broadcast partners on Wednesday.

North Carolina’s first two games, both at Kenan Stadium, will be played in the heat of the day with its opener against California on Sept. 2 scheduled for 12:20 p.m. on the ACC Network and its conference opener a week later against Louisville at noon on either ABC or one of the ESPN platforms.

The starting time for the Tar Heels’ first road game, on Sept. 16 at Old Dominion, will be announced at a later date by Conference USA. Duke will also play two early games.

After opening the season on the ACC Network Extra against neighboring rival NC Central at 6 p.m. on Sept. 2, the Blue Devils drew a noon start for their home game against Northwestern on Sept. 9 on ESPNU and a 12;30 p.m. kickoff. Coach David Cutcliffe’s team will be back at Wallace Wade Stadium on Sept. 16 to play Baylor in a 12:30 p.m. kickoff on Fox Sports Carolinas.

Thursday, August 31 Presbyterian at Wake Forest, ACC Network Extra, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, September 1 Central Connecticut State at Syracuse, ACC Network Extra, 7 p.m.

Boston College at Northern Illinois, CBSSN, 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 2 Kent State at Clemson, ESPN, Noon (previously announced) Cal at North Carolina, ACC Network, 12:20 p.m.

Bethune-Cookman at Miami, RSN, 12:30 p.m.

Youngstown State at Pitt, ACC Network Extra, 1 p.m.

NC State vs. South Carolina, ESPN, 3 p.m. (previously announced) Belk College Kickoff Game, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C. William & Mary at Virginia, ACC Network Extra, 3:30 p.m.

NC Central at Duke, ACC Network Extra, 6 p.m.

Louisville vs. Purdue, FOX, 7:30 p.m.

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind. Florida State vs. Alabama, ABC, 8 p.m. (previously announced) Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga. Sunday, September 3 West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech, ABC, 7:30 p.m. (previously announced) FedEx Field, Landover, Md.

madeline gray | North State Journal

NC State’s only early game will be played in Week 3 against Furman, a 12:30 p.m. start on the ACC Network.

The Wolfpack will open the season with a nationally televised matchup with South Carolina at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium in a previously announced 3 p.m. game on ESPN. Its Sept.

9 game against Marshall at Carter-Finley Stadium will be played at 6 p.m. on the ACC Network Extra.

Wake Forest’s first three games will be at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31 against Presbyterian on ACC Network Extra, Saturday Sept. 9 at Boston College at 1 p.m. and Sept. 16 at home against Utah State at 3 p.m. The latter two games will be televised online by ACC Network Extra.

East Carolina’s second season under coach Scottie Montgomery will kick off on Sept. 2 in Greenville with a 6 p.m. game against defending FCS champion James Madison in a game streamed live on ESPN3. The Pirates will then travel to West Virginia for a noon game on Fox Sports 2 before returning home to take on Virginia Tech at 3:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

The remainder of games on each team’s schedules will be announced once other television broadcast schedules have been finalized, likely within traditional 12-day window selections during the season.

Here is the ACC schedule with starting times and television network assignments as announced thus far:

Monday, September 4 Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech, ESPN, 8 p.m. (previously announced) Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.

or ESPN2, 3:30 p.m.

Central Michigan at Syracuse, ACC Network Extra, 3:30 p.m.

Virginia Tech at East Carolina, CBSSN, 3:30 p.m.

Utah State at Wake Forest, ACC Network Extra, 3 p.m.

Georgia Tech at UCF, ESPNews, 7:30 p.m.

Miami at Florida State, ABC, 8 p.m. (previously announced) North Carolina at Old Dominion, TBD by Conference USA

Saturday, September 9 Louisville at North Carolina, ABC, ESPN or ESPN2, Noon Northwestern at Duke, ESPNU, Noon Jacksonville State at Georgia Tech, RSN, 12:30 p.m.

Wake Forest at Boston College, ACC Network Extra, 1 p.m.

Pitt at Penn State, ABC, 3:30 p.m.

Miami at Arkansas State, ESPNU, 3:30 p.m.

Middle Tennessee at Syracuse, ACC Network Extra, 3:30 p.m.

Indiana at Virginia, ACC Network Extra, 3:30 p.m.

Delaware at Virginia Tech, ACC Network Extra, 3:30 p.m.

Marshall at NC State, ACC Network Extra, 6 p.m.

Auburn at Clemson, ESPN, 7 p.m.

Louisiana-Monroe at Florida State, ACC Network, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 16 Notre Dame at Boston College, ABC or ESPN, Noon Oklahoma State at Pitt, ABC/ ESPN2 (reverse mirror), Noon Connecticut at Virginia, ESPNU, Noon Furman at NC State, ACC Network, 12:20 p.m.

Baylor at Duke, RSN, 12:30 p.m.

Clemson at Louisville, ABC, ESPN

Friday, September 22 Virginia at Boise State, ESPN or ESPN2, 8 p.m.

unstoppable Warriors

By Rory Caroll Reuters

ronn Lue and Cavaliers forward LeBron James.

OAKLAND — Golden State coach Steve Kerr shook off a long-term back ailment to return to the bench and help his Warriors win a record 14th straight postseason contest with a 132113 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Two of the NBA Finals on Sunday.

Kerr has been sidelined by persistent back pain since April.

He has attended team meetings but watched all but three playoff games from the locker room as his team swatted aside Portland, Utah and San Antonio.

Despite rumors of his return swirling around Warriors practice on Saturday, Kerr’s status remained a mystery until just hours before Game Two. The 51-year-old said before the game that he had managed to string together a few “good days” and felt he would be able to return to the sidelines for the remainder of the best-of-seven series.

“I’m feeling better,” Kerr told reporters after the Warriors eased to a 2-0 series lead against the defending champion Cavaliers in a repeat of the last two NBA Finals.

“The last couple weeks have been good in terms of running practice, film sessions, coaches meetings,” he said.It is a remarkable turnaround for the coach, who has suffered from persistent back pain following two surgeries. The discomfort was so severe that some had wondered whether he would ever coach again.

The Warriors have not exactly suffered without him, posting an unblemished 11-0 record under interim head coach Mike Brown during the playoffs.

As Kerr walked onto the court, he was met with a standing ovation from the fans and hugs from Cleveland coach Ty-

In a good place “It was a great moment for him and for the crowd, everybody showing their appreciation for all he’s been through,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry told reporters after the game.

“And to see him back on the bench was huge. And for him the whole priority was his health, and I think he’s in a good place right now.”

Kerr had his hands full with the game, which featured physical play, eight sloppy turnovers

by Curry and early foul calls on passionate forward Draymond Green, whose protestations could have triggered at least one technical.

After the game, Green said Kerr’s return was a positive for the team but added that he coached them so well through 82 regular season games that they could implement his plans without his physical presence.

“It didn’t feel any different as far as play calls and things we need to do,” Green said when asked about how Kerr’s return impacted the game.

“That’s why he prepared the staff the way he did in his absence, and he came back and we just wanted to keep the ball rolling. But it’s definitely great to see him over there and have him talking in the timeouts and out there leading us.”

News that the pain and headaches that kept the coach away from the team for the first 43 games of last season had returned in April shocked fans in the Bay Area, where Kerr is a beloved figure.

Kerr initially hurt his back during the 2015 NBA championship series. He did not immediately miss any time and went on to lead the Warriors to their first NBA title in 40 years.

Friday, September 29 Miami at Duke, ESPN, 7 p.m.

Thursday, October 5 Louisville at NC State, ESPN, 8 p.m.

Thursday, October 12 Georgia Tech at Miami, ESPN, 8 p.m.

Friday, October 13 Clemson at Syracuse, ESPN, 7 p.m.

Friday, October 27 Florida State at Boston College, ESPN, 8 p.m.

Thursday, November 9 North Carolina at Pitt, ESPN, 8 p.m.

Saturday, December 2 13th Annual Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C., 7:45 p.m.

(ESPN) or 8 p.m. (ABC)

Kyle Terada | Usa today sports images

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr reacts against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half in game two of the 2017 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena in Oakland on June 4.

North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

B7

Williams Jr. back on MNF, Chiefs release wideout Maclin

By NSJ Staff

Williams Jr. returns to ‘MNF’ with updated intro Country star Hank Williams Jr. will be bringing his iconic song back to “Monday Night Football” this fall, six years after ESPN parted ways with him following controversial remarks about President Barack Obama.

Williams will debut a new version of “All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night” — including his trademark opening, “Are you ready for some football?”

— before the first MNF game of the season on Sept. 11 between the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings.

“I think it’s a return to our past in that it’s such an iconic song associated with football,” ESPN VP of events and studio production Stephanie Druley told USA Today. “It was the original. It belongs to ‘Monday Night Football.’ It really is about returning to what fans know.

“It’s a Monday night party, and that’s what we’re all hoping to get back to.”

Chiefs part with WR Maclin, QB Smith ‘stunned’ The Kansas City Chiefs released wide receiver Jeremy Maclin on Friday the team announced.

Maclin spent the past two seasons in Kansas City under head coach Andy Reid, who also was on the sideline during the wideout’s time with the Eagles.

Maclin signed a $55 million contract with Kansas City in 2015.

“These decisions are never easy, especially with a player like Jeremy who I’ve grown close with on and off the football field over the years,” Reid said in a statement. “I have a lot of respect for the way he goes about his business and how he handles himself as a professional. I wish him the best of luck moving forward.”

The move saved the Chiefs $10 million in cap space. Chiefs

helley Mays | The Tennessean via USA TODAY NETWORK

Dec 13, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Hank Williams Jr. performs at the pre-taping for the “Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund”.

quarterback Alex Smith said he was “shocked” when he heard the news of Maclin’s release.

“Jeremy is a really good friend, an amazing teammate, so still kind of just processing that he’s not going to be in there with us, a guy that’s done a lot for us the last two years, a guy I’ve grown really close to,” Smith told the Kansas City Star on Friday.

by Twitter user Gunnerpunner, as he was leaving the event on Randall’s Island early Sunday morning.

In the footage, the 6-foot-5, 300-pound Williams forcibly removed the man, who was thought to be Lee. Lee, who appeared to be involved in an altercation, was pushed several feet away from the woman.

Videos show Jets’ Williams defusing dispute

Lions OL Decker out with shoulder surgery

New York Jets defensive lineman Leonard Williams was shown appearing to break up a dispute between a man thought to be teammate Darron Lee and an unidentified woman in two videos that surfaced over the weekend.

The incident occurred at the Governors Ball Music Festival in New York on Saturday. The two 10-second videos were posted

Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker is out indefinitely after undergoing shoulder surgery Monday as a result of an injury he sustained last week during organized team activities, the team announced Tuesday.

Lions coach Jim Caldwell will provide an update on the 23-year-old Decker’s status at the start of training camp. Caldwell does not anticipate that the surgery will sidelined Decker for

the entire 2017 season.

“Sometimes they are noncontact injuries,” said Caldwell, who did not know how the injury occurred. “It doesn’t require that there’s any force contact for that to happen.”

Decker was selected by the Lions with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He started all 16 games and played every snap during his rookie season and was accountable for 4 1/2 of the team’s 37 sacks allowed.

Ricky Wagner is expected to stay at right tackle despit the injury to Decker.

Seahawks take issue with reported rift Head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Russell Wilson attempted to downplay discussions of turmoil within the Seattle Seahawks’ locker room after a recent article described infighting and friction between

Mickelson opts out of U.S. Open for daughter’s graduation “But (my daughter’s graduation) is one of those moments where you look back on life and you just don’t want to miss it. I’ll be really glad that I was there and present.”

Phil Mickelson

Giants WR Lewis arrested on charge of driving impaired New York Giants wide receiver Roger Lewis was arrested over the weekend in Ohio and charged with operating a vehicle while impaired, police confirmed Monday.

Police said Lewis was pulled over for speeding and tinted windows early Sunday morning in Reynoldsburg, which is just outside Columbus. Officers smelled marijuana and said Lewis demonstrated signs of intoxication, according to media reports.

A Giants spokesman said the team is aware of the incident but will have no further comment.

Durham Bulls announcer holding camp for aspiring broadcasters

Lefty won’t get a shot at the title after deciding to put family first

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

By Tom LaMarre The Sports Xchange When Phil Mickelson was asked if he would make any early trips to Erin Hills, site of the U.S. Open next week even though he is playing this week in the FedEx St. Jude Classic, Lefty played it coy.

Mickelson was scheduled to make his fourth bid to complete the Career Grand Slam by winning our national championship, but he said he was altering his approach to major preparation, hoping to change his luck in the tournament.

“I’m taking a whole different approach to Erin Hills, and that is, I’m not going to do anything,” said Mickelson, who has finished second in the U.S. Open on six occasions and hasn’t won anywhere since claiming the third leg of the Grand Slam in the 2013 Open Championship at Muirfield in Scotland.

“I haven’t been to Erin Hills.”

Turns out, he’s probably not going to Erin Hills in Hartford, Wis., at all. He announced on Saturday that he doesn’t plan to play because the first round of the U.S. Open is on the same day his daughter, Amanda, graduates from Pacific Ridge High School in Carlsbad, Calif.

And he’s known it for quite some time, but kept it to himself.

Mickelson, a five-time major champion, informed Executive Director Mike Davis of the United States Golf Association on Saturday that he probably won’t play in the U.S. Open, but he has not officially withdrawn.

Lefty said there still is a chance he could play, if for instance, rain comes into play in the first round at Erin Hills.

“I mean, obviously it’s a tournament that I want to win the most, and ... the only way to win is if you play and have a chance,” Mickelson said after the third round of the Memorial Tournament.

members of the offense and defense.

An ESPN The Magazine story noted in detail the friction between cornerback Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson over perceived favoritism of the quarterback.

Sherman said publicly last season that the interception Wilson threw at the goal line in Super Bowl XLIX was still an issue with him as he criticized the offense for throwing from the 1-yard line in a game against the Los Angeles Rams in December.

Sherman was made available for trade by the team this offseason, but it didn’t appear that Seattle got anywhere close to receiving an offer considered reasonable in exchange for the All-Pro cornerback.

While the article detailed some of the issues that led to Sherman’s multiple blowups at members of the coaching staff last year and the root of some of the friction, Carroll insisted that most of what was chronicled stemmed from situations long since past.

“We’re kind of living as a family in this situation,” Carroll said. “These guys have grown up with us as football players and in that, we go through a lot of changes. There’s a lot of things that happen, there’s a lot of challenges in all directions, not just for one but for all of our guys.

Erich Schlegel | USa today sports images

Phil Mickelson gets direction from his caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay before teeing off on the 9th hole during the second round of the Dean & Deluca Invitational golf tournament at Colonial Country Club in Forth Worth, T.X. on May 26.

“But [Amanda’s graduation] is one of those moments where you look back on life and you just don’t want to miss it. I’ll be really glad that I was there and present.”

While Mickelson probably will not be in the field for the second major of the year, he will keep his commitment to play this week for the seventh time in Memphis, Tenn.

Even though he has never won the FedEx St. Jude Classic, TPC Southwind has become one of Mickelson’s favorite stops on the PGA Tour.

Lefty has finished no worse than a tie for 11th in the tournament in the last four years, closing with a 3-under-par 67 in 2013 to wind up two strokes behind Harris English in tie for second, and finishing with another 67 last year to again tie for second, three shots behind Daniel Berger.

“I just think it’s a wonderful, fair test,” said Mickelson, who also tied for third with a final-round 65 two years ago, and tied for 11th in 2014. “That’s why we have just a discrepancy in scores. We have a lot of guys going low, also a lot of guys going high.

“Aesthetically it might look kind of plain. The greens are very small, small targets. The course challenges you with precision as opposed to overwhelming length and so you really have to be precise off the tee to maneuver around trees in the right spots so you have shots into the greens.

“You can hit fairways because out of the rough hitting these

small greens is extremely difficult and it just ... rewards great shots with a putt that is not a ridiculous breaking putt. You can really get it going on the greens.”

Even though Mickelson is a combined 34-under in the last four years at TPC Southwind, the course was something of an acquired taste for him He shot 70-71 — 141 in his first appearance in the 2001 St. Jude Classic to miss the cut by two strokes, and tied for 59th in 2001, when he shot 75 in the final round.

To the fans in Memphis, it doesn’t matter what he shoots.

“Phil Mickelson’s been huge for the FedEx St. Jude Classic,” tournament director Darrell Smith said. “He’s played four straight years. He’s played well. He was right in the hunt the last two years.

To be able to say Phil Mickelson is coming to Memphis every single year is just great for the event, for the city and St. Jude.

“I think Memphis and the whole region, they like the superstars and for a superstar and a true legend of the game to constantly have Memphis in his plans is refreshing. The city itself is a little bit of an underdog city and when you get a guy like Mickelson who likes Memphis, it makes Memphians proud. They’re always pulling for him and they want him to succeed.

“To have Mickelson back for the fifth straight year, it’s really, really special.”

Lefty has something more special than a golf tournament the following week.

With school ending for many children in North Carolina, parents have begun looking for ways to keep their youngsters busy and engaged over the summer months.

Sports camps are always popular options. College, high school and even middle school coaches offer the chance to learn from experts, regardless of the child’s skill level.

What about kids who would rather describe the action on the field or court, instead of participating? Most sports play-by-play broadcasters knew from a very young age that their path to glory would most likely come on the airwaves.

For those aspiring Jim Nantzs and Jones Angels in the area, the kids who practice their home run calls in the shower, there’s an option.

Durham Bulls radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster Patrick Kinas is holding the Ninth Annual Triangle Sportscaster Camp, July 10-12 in Durham, NC. Kinas is a veteran of the microphone and a longtime fixture to Triangle sports fans. Over his 24-year (and counting) broadcasting career, Kinas has been the voice of the Carolina Mudcats for 12 years and the Bulls for the last six.

Kinas has also been the radio voice of NC State’s women’s basketball team for 15 years.

Nationally, Kinas has done play-by-play for college football’s East-West Shrine game, and last summer, he covered the Olympics for the Westwood One radio network, where he was the voice of swimming, among other events.

Kinas will have plenty of help for the Triangle Sportscaster Camp. He’ll be joined by several of the Triangle’s most esteemed sportscasters to provide hands-on instruction in the areas of play-byplay, color, prep, research, TV anchoring, writing copy, interviewing and more.

The full slate of instructors hasn’t been released yet, but it will include the voices of the Hurricanes, Blue Devils, Wolfpack, Tar Heels and Bulls, as well as talent from WRAL TV and News 14 Carolina. The instructors have combined for more than 400 years of experience calling games.

Like college and pro athletes, who honed their skills at camps while still developing as youngsters, alumni of the previous eight camps have gone on to great success. Kinas said that Triangle Sportscaster Camp attendees have gone on to land internships in television and radio as well as college and pro play-by-play jobs.

The camp only selects 16 students each year, and it’s in the final stages of enrollment. Cost is $425, with breakfast and lunch included.

For information and to register, call (919) 2917918 or visit www.trianglesportscastercamp.com.

B8 JONES from page B1

but it has truly made me a stronger person.”

Prior to his father’s passing, Jones made sure to prove how much his support meant to his career. Erik tracked down and purchased a 1965 Corvette that Dave sold when he was “10 or 11 years old” to fund that same fledgling career.

While he has driven countless stock cars over the years, no car means as much to him as that 52-year-old Corvette.

“That car meant a lot to me and him,” Jones said. “Just getting in it, it had the same smell that it had when I remember being a kid and riding in it. So when you get in and fire it up, it brings back a lot of good memories and good times I had with him.

“It’s definitely something I hope to never lose.”

Dave’s passing came in Jones’ first full-time season with Joe Gibbs Racing at the Xfinity Series level. When Erik needed it the most, Gibbs was there to help him every step of the way as he battled for a championship and his father battled for his life.

Gibbs was not just helpful from afar, though. He was at the hospital with Erik and Dave throughout the entire process The week after Dave’s passing, Erik was due to race at Michigan — his home track — but was told

by Joe Gibbs he didn’t have to start the race. Erik not only traveled to Michigan, but finished fourth with 18 laps led with his father’s name stenciled above the door of his car.

“They were definitely there for all of it and supportive of everything,” Jones said of JGR. “They were 100 percent OK with me not running [in Michigan]. If I didn’t want to race, I didn’t have to .… They were there for the whole ride and helped me with anything I need.”

‘He didn’t take the easy road here’ For years, Furniture Row Racing was looking to add to its single-car program based in Denver. Erik Jones was looking to make the next step, but the JGR stable was full with veteran drivers nearing the end of the 2016 season.

Last August, the two teams took on a massive challenge.

A new car. A new team. A new driver. A new crew chief. None of it would be easy, but both sides were ready to build from the ground up.

It hasn’t been a seamless transition. Jones and crew chief Chris Gayle have struggled to put together complete races, but still have two top-10 finishes and seven top-15 results in the first 13 races.

“He’s in a position right now that, if he wanted to be, he could be very upset,” Gayle said. “This hasn’t been the easiest road for him. Think about the situation he’s gotten himself into. A brand new race team, rookie crew chief, rookie team members and he’s a rookie.

“He didn’t take the easy road here. … But it’s going to be twice as easy for him later.”

While there have been some bumps in the road thus far, Gayle has no doubts about his young driver. After working with drivers like Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin at the Xfinity Series level in recent years, the rookie Cup Series crew chief sees a bright future for Jones.

“Just having conversations with him, you understand that he’s way wise beyond his years,” Gayle said. “I’ve had plenty of conversations with 24 or

North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017 25-year-old drivers that I walked away from there going, ‘This guy doesn’t get it.’ I think it’s come from racing at a very young age and a lot of it is instilled from his dad. Just a calmness and a quiet confidence from him.”

That quiet confidence was evident during the Coca-Cola 600, as Gayle and Jones were involved with a dispute with Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus. Despite the war of words on pit road, he still captured his second top-10 finish of the year.

A huge part of that is landing with a team in Furniture Row that has a partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing. That combination of speed and experience from both FRR and Gibbs has made for a perfect proving ground for the newly minted 21-year-old driver.

“You hope to be in this spot, but you never know how it’s going to work out,” Jones said. “It’s definitely went a little quicker than probably what I even imagined. I’ve been fortunate to — every step of the way — be with good teams, good crew chiefs and just good people.

“It’s really no different in the Cup series. ... I’m just lucky to be in a fast car here right off the bat.”

‘I just wish he was going to be there forever’ Erik’s first Cup Series race in Charlotte was spent with family and friends, including his mom Carol and sister Lindsey. With the family relocating to Charlotte for his racing career and Lindsey now at High Point University, the Coca-Cola 600 was like a reunion prior to the green flag.

The only person missing, of course, was Dave. Had it not been for his faith and assistance in everything from funding his early career to helping pay bills over the previous 19 years, Erik might not have been sitting on the grid for one of NASCAR’s crown jewels.

“He wasn’t the one who necessarily got me into [racing], but he was always the one who supported me and helped me,” Jones said. “I think as we got into it more, he kind of got to live vicariously through me. Just going to the track and seeing me enjoy it and have success was really exciting for him and really thrilling for him because he loved to go to the track and go to Victory Lane.”

Prior to his father’s passing, Erik took his car to Victory Lane 11 times. Dave was able to be there for the first nine — seven in the Trucks Series and twice in the Xfinity Series — along with the rest of the family during the 2014 and 2015 seasons, including the 2015 Trucks Series championship.

After he was diagnosed, Dave was unable to make it to the track with Erik and missed the final two victories before his death. Erik announced the news to the public after his win at Bristol. He then won again at Dover and fell one position short of a victory at Pocono three days prior to his father’s passing.

Prior to his death, Dave Jones knew before his son that Erik would climb into the No. 77 machine this season. While he won’t be there when Erik eventually earns his first win at the Cup Series level — and he will, soon — he knows it will be thanks to his father’s sacrifices.

“He got to go to Victory Lane a lot of times in not a lot of years, so that was pretty awesome,” Jones said. “I just wish he was going to be there forever. I don’t know when that first Cup one will be, but I know he’ll be riding along.”

CHRISTOPHER HANEWINCKEL | USA TODAY SPORTS

NHL Centennial Ambassador Wayne Gretzky speaks during a press conference prior to game four of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final at Bridgestone Arena between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Nashville Predators in Nashville on June 5.

1984-85 Oilers voted greatest team NHL team of all time Wayne Gretzky and the 8485 Oilers were named the greatest team of all time.

The SportsXchange The greatest team in NHL history is ... the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers captained by the legendary Wayne Gretzky.

The Oilers emerged from more than 3.6 million votes through interactive digital and mobile programs from April 13 to May 25 as the greatest team of all time.

Led by Gretzky, the Oilers won their second consecutive championship that season, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup Final in five games. Gretzky matched a modern record achieved by Jean Beliveau in 1956 and Mike Bossy in 1982 with sev-

en goals in five games.

Gretzky also established playoff records for assists (30) and points (47) as the Penguins rolled to sweeps over the Los Angeles Kings and the Winnipeg Jets before dispatching the Chicago Blackhawks in six games in the 1985 conference finals.

Others record-breaking performances were Jari Kurri’s 19 goals in 18 games to tie an NHL mark for playoff goals in one season, and Paul Coffey’s 12 goals and 25 assists to become the highest scoring defenseman in one playoff season.

“We had a love for the game,” Gretzky said. “All of us loved being at the rink. We loved playing and we loved practicing. I think from (Mark) Messier to (Glenn) Anderson to (Coffey) to Kevin Lowe to Kurri, we showed up for practice.

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Davidson sophomore Justin Lebek (7) hits the ball during the game against North Carolina in regional play of the College World Series at Boshamer Stadium on June 2 as seen through the dugout. The Davidson Wildcats defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 8 - 4.

DAVIDSON from page B1

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Erik Jones, right, and his crew hang out on pit road before the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sunday, May 28, 2017. It came down to a gas mileage gamble as Austin Dillon in the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet passed Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet on the final lap to secure his spot in Victory Lane.

We practiced hard.”

During a media interview at the announcement before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final in Nashville, NBA broadcaster and former player Charles Barkley snuck in a question for Gretzky at the podium.

“Wayne, I just always wondered, who is your favorite black athlete of all time?” the basketball Hall of Famer asked.

Gretzky immediately answered, “Grant Fuhr,” his former Oilers teammate.

Barkley, a big hockey fan, respects the game.

“There is nothing more nerve-wracking than Stanley Cup overtime hockey,” Charles Barkley said. “It’s the craziest thing you’re ever going to see.”

Gretzky called Barkley the biggest hockey fan in North American.

“Literally,” Barkley said jokingly. “But I’m going on a diet.”

Other top 10 teams in the voting were the 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins, 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens, 1987-88 Oilers, 198687 Oilers, 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings, 1982-83 New York Islanders, 1977-78 Canadiens, 1983-84 Oilers and 2001-02 Red Wings.

dia Sunday night following the most important win of a career that has spanned 27 seasons, 566 wins and survived a near-fatal car accident in 2013.

“It will take a little bit of time,” he said. “ It took a little bit of time to regroup from (beating UNC) Friday in the first one. When we get back home and start practicing, it’s probably going to hit again when we take BP in the place where we’re headed. That in itself is a strange comment for me to make on June 4.”

Davidson will again be a decided underdog when it travels to take on the Aggies in a best-of-three series that will determine which teams goes to Omaha. But it won’t lack for confidence, especially after going to UNC and doing “something pretty special,” as Tar Heels coach Mike Fox described it.

The Wildcats can also take encouragement from the championship run put together a year ago by fellow “little guy” Coastal Carolina — which knocked off LSU in the Super Regional before taking out fellow blue bloods Florida, TCU

“When we get back home and start practicing, it’s probably going to hit again when we take BP in the place where we’re headed.

That in itself is a strange comment for me to make on June 4.”

Davidson baseball coach Dick Cooke and Arizona on the way to the title in Omaha.

At the same time, though, it would be a reach to suggest anything more than just a marginal parallel between this Davidson team and those Chanticleers.

Though both come from non-power conferences, Coastal was a frequent NCAA tournament participant that had hosted and won multiple regionals before catching lightning in a bottle and winning it all last June. The Wildcats, by contrast, are in their first NCAA tournament and their 34

wins this season are the most in the 115-year history of their program.

But like the Chanticleers, Davidson features a roster built around a core of talented seniors, including first-team All-Atlantic 10 right fielder Will Robertson, first baseman Brian Fortier and pitching ace O’Linger. It’s a group that clearly isn’t intimidated by either its surrounding or the moment.

And they’re not ready to start patting themselves on the back just yet.

“Everyone is a daydreamer, but if you daydream too much you get lost in the reality of what’s going on,” said O’Linger, who picked up the win in Davidson’s 8-4 win against the Tar Heels on Friday and the save in Sunday’s clincher.

“Like Coach Cooke said, you don’t look too far ahead. It really is cliché, but you take one pitch at a time, one inning at a time. You build off that. Obviously this team has a lot of potential. I’ve been here for five years and this is by far the most potential we’ve had as a team.

It’s been a lot of fun watching these guys play.”

the BRIEF

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017

NC company named among top workplaces in U.S.

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Founder and CEO, Afreen Allam, center, of SiNON Therapeutics, reacts as fellow startup founders congratulate her on being named the winner of the InnovateHER Pitch Competition at the Pink Ceiling’s Pinkubator in Raleigh’s North Hills.

BUSINESS Apple debuts HomePod speaker to bring Siri into the living room New hardware will compete with Amazon’s Alexa devices

By Stephen Nellis Reuters SAN JOSE, Calif. — Apple on Monday introduced the HomePod, a voice-controlled speaker that can make music suggestions and adjust home temperatures, taking aim at Amazon’s Alexa feature and Echo devices.

The move is the first into a completely new area by Apple for more than two years as the world’s most valuable technology company looks to make up for a dip in iPhone sales and new ways to get customers to use more of its money-making apps and services.

Apple’s Siri assistant will be integrated into the $349 speaker, and can make music recommendations that pair with the company’s Apple Music service, send text messages, check news and sports scores and control compatible home gadgets like lightbulbs and thermostats.

HomePod users may initially be constrained by Siri’s lack of capabilities as compared to Alexa, which also boasts the ability to order millions of Amazon products as well as food from restaurants like Domino’s.

Apple is expected to announce plans this week to make its Siri voice assistant work with a larger variety of apps, but initial changes were expected to add just a small number of capabilities.

The HomePod speaker stands just under seven inches tall and is covered in fabric mesh that will come in white or gray. A computer processor will tune sound to the room and beam specific parts of music, like a singer’s voice, toward the listener.

Apple will begin shipping the HomePod

to the United States, Britain and Australia in December.

The speaker, while expected by some industry watchers, marked Apple’s first new product announcement since the Apple Watch in September 2014. As a music-playing device, it will also be a challenger to Sonos, whose Wi-Fi-controlled speakers are used by many smartphone users for home entertainment.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company said Siri, which also competes with Alphabet’s Google Assistant, will now work across devices.

A new Siri interface on the Apple Watch will also blend users’ calendar information with other useful details, like airline tickets they may have booked, the company said.

Apple shares closed down 1 percent at $153.93, not far below the all-time high set last month.

Apple also used its annual developer meeting in San Jose — its largest ever with some 5,000 people attending — to offer hints about so-called augmented reality technology.

The technology, a feature of the wildly successfully smartphone game Pokemon Go, overlays digital information on real-world images and is seen as an area in which the keenly awaited 10th-anniversary iPhone can stand out from competitors.

New indoor maps of areas like malls and airports indicated that Apple might be laying groundwork to display information over images of those places in the future.

The company also rolled out tools for developers to create augmented reality applications for iPhones and iPads. To show the tools off, Apple invited Wingnut AR, the company formed by “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson, on stage.

Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing announces the new Apple HomePod during the annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Jose, Calif. stephen lam | reuters

PINK PITCHES

Women entrepreneurs get a chance at big startup money Part of the SBA’s InnovateHer contest, the Pink Ceiling in Raleigh welcomes investors and judges to meet young women looking to make a difference and a business in health care

By Donna King North State Journal ALEIGH — At the Pink Ceiling in Raleigh, five women nervously waited their turn to pitch R a million-dollar idea to a room full of investors, health care experts, business owners and media.

Young entrepreneurs with a strong start funding and developing their product, the five were part of the Small Business Administration’s InnovateHER contest. The event was hosted by Cindy Whitehead, founder of Pink Ceiling and its Pinkubator, a startup support system for women-led ventures.

“I know our national winner is here tonight,” said Whitehead in introducing the business owners.

The products all focused on the health care industry and judges listened and asked pointed questions from giant hot pink chairs while guests filled the pink and white office space to capacity, sipping Rose wine. The winner they chose advances to the semifinal round of the national SBA’s pitch contest that awards $40,000 for the first place winner, $20,000 for second and $10,000 for third place.

At the Pinkubator, a monthly fee gets entrepreneurs’ expert guidance, office space and a shot at funding for their product. None of the candidates were a part of the Pinkubator based on the rules of the contest, but they all represented a new generation of business owners that Whitehead has embraced. Whitehead sold her Sprout Pharmaceuticals company for $1 billion in 2015 after creating the first drug for women that helps boost sex drive.

She then turned to helping more women make their business dream a reality.

“The competitions are important because you really have to learn how to pitch,” said Regina Vatterott, founder of EllieGrid. Vatterott is from Houston and created a “smart” pill box that creates a modern system of alarms and mobile reminders to take medication. Its aimed at an aging, but not elderly, population who take multiple medicines a day but are tech savvy enough to want an updated and lower cost product to manage their medications.

After the Raleigh pitch event Vatterott was on her way to another one in New York.

“I didn’t get to see any of this growing up,” she said. “It’s nice to have an example, someone to look up to. If something weird happens I can always go to them. Especially because they are women; like See PINK CEILING, page C3

with duplin

duplinwinery.com • 800.774.9634 505 n. sycamore street • rose hill, nc 28458

Emerald Isle Transportation Impact of Emerald Isle has been ranked among the top companies to work for in 2017 by Inc. magazine. Founded in 2008 by shipping industry veterans Keith Byrd and Travis Burt, TI helps companies save money on small package and freight shipping costs. Thousands of employees from more than 1,600 companies were surveyed about their workplaces, according to a report from Greg Harris, president and CEO of Quantum Workplace, the company that conducted the surveys on Inc.’s behalf.

Transportation Impact was one of just seven honorees from North Carolina and was the only company in the state to make the cut from the logistics and transportation industry. “Our findings show that honored companies had a set of baseline employee benefits,” Harris wrote. “Health insurance, dental insurance, and retirement plans aren’t extras. They’re table stakes.”

Kellogg’s announces statewide closings, layoffs Charlotte/Greensboro Kellogg’s alerted the North Carolina Department of Commerce that it is closing plants in Charlotte and Greensboro and will lay off nearly 500 workers. The effective date for the closures is July 29, according to the WARN report filed with the state. The company also announced layoffs in Ohio, Texas and its home state of Michigan. Kellogg’s, which makes cereal and snack foods, announced in February it planned to close 39 distribution centers. Nearly 1,200 fulltime Kellogg employees could be impacted by the moves, which are being made after the company decided to abandon direct-store delivery in favor of a warehouse model of distribution. In all, 483 employees are affected by the N.C. closures (250 in Greensboro, 233 in Charlotte), the filing said.“While this is the right move for the company to achieve our long-term objectives, it was a difficult decision because of its impact on employees,” Kris Charles, senior vice president of global corporate affairs, said in a statement earlier this year.

North Carolina’s unemployment rate drops in 97 counties Raleigh Unemployment rates (not seasonally adjusted) decreased in 97 of North Carolina’s counties in April and increased in three. Hyde County had the highest unemployment rate at 8.8 percent, while Buncombe County had the lowest at 3.2 percent. Fourteen of the state’s metro areas experienced rate decreases and one increased.

Among the metro areas, Rocky Mount at 6.8 percent had the highest rate and Asheville had the lowest rate at 3.3 percent.

The April not seasonally adjusted statewide rate was 4.3 percent. When compared to the same month last year, not seasonally adjusted unemployment rates decreased in 98 counties and increased in two. All 15 metro areas experienced rate decreases over the year. Since April 2016, the number of workers employed statewide increased 77,932, while those unemployed decreased 19,513.

MIKE BLAKE | REUTERS

North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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n.c.

community spotlight Sponsored by

What do a deep-fried hot dog with a secret chili recipe, journalist Charles Kuralt and the world’s largest aluminum truck body manufacturer have in common? They all call Washington, North Carolina, home.

A few things you might not know about Washington: • Located at the junction of the Tar and Pamlico rivers.

• America’s first city named after General George Washington.

• Often called the “Original Washington.”

• Rebuilt twice after fires in 1864 and 1900.

• Home to Bill’s Hot Dogs, where they’ve been making deep-fried hot dogs with a secret white bean chili recipe since 1928.

• Famous residents include film producer Cecil B. DeMille, NBA All-Star Dominique Wilkins, and, yes, journalist Charles Kuralt.

• Home to Hackney Industries, the world’s largest aluminum truck body manufacturer.

• This weekend, June 10-11, the 34th annual Washington Summer Festival takes place.

Learn more at www.littlewashingtonnc.com.

U.S. housing recovery intact despite drop in new home sales Sales dip from April’s impressive high but forecast remains bullish due to strong labor market, need for housing

MIKE BLAKE | REUTERS

30-year fixed mortgage rate hovering just above 4.0 percent. Luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers Inc on Tuesday reported a 40 percent rise in quarterly profit, boosted by an increase in home sales.

A survey last week showed homebuilder sentiment rising in May, with builders upbeat about sales over the next six months as well as current sales conditions.

But rising costs for building materials and shortages of lots and labor have left builders struggling to meet demand, keeping house prices elevated. A report last week showed homebuilding fell for a second straight month in April, hitting its lowest level in five months.

The dollar was trading firmer against a basket of currencies on Tuesday, while prices of U.S. Treasuries fell.

U.S. stocks were modestly higher. The PHLX housing index was little changed, with shares in the nation’s largest homebuilder, D.R. Horton, falling 0.85 percent and Toll Brothers gaining 0.84 percent.

The number of new homes completed last month was unchanged, while houses under construction increased 0.6 percent.

“Builders are running up against shortages of developed lots and having increasing difficulty finding skilled construction workers,” said Mark Vitner, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sales fell in all four regions, plunging 26.3 percent in the West to their lowest level since October 2015. As a result of the drop in the West, which is considered an expensive market, the median new home price fell 3.8 percent to $309,200 in April from a year ago.

The inventory of new homes on the market increased 1.5 percent to 268,000 units last month, the highest level since July 2009 but still less than half of what it was at its peak during the housing boom in 2006.

At April’s sales pace it would take 5.7 months to clear the supply of houses on the market, up from 4.9 months in March.

NC economic index slips from prior reading

weekly earnings of all North Carolina employees in manufacturing.

As noted by Walden, building permits can be volatile and subject to significant seasonal changes.

The national headwinds to accelerations in economic growth persist as much of President Donald Trump’s economic agenda — repealing the Affordable Care Act, tax cuts and infrastructure spending — has been subject to setbacks and timidity among Republican majorities in the United States Congress.

Still, U.S. equity indices have continued to post record closing highs in recent trading sessions as markets shrug off geopolitical risks and continue to find comfort in the support and liquidity provided by the world’s central banks.

By Lucia Mutikani Reuters ASHINGTON — New U.S. single-family home sales tumW bled from near a 9-1/2-year high in April, but the housing recovery likely remains intact amid a tightening labor market.

The Commerce Department said on Tuesday new home sales declined 11.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 569,00 units last month, with sales in the West region plunging to their lowest level in nearly 1-1/2 years.

March’s new home sales pace was revised up to 642,000 units, which was the highest level since October 2007.

New home sales, which are derived from building permits and

The index, comprised of five economic activity inputs, is composed by NC State University

By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — The latest NC State University leading economic indicators index was released by economist Dr. Michael Walden last week, reporting a slight drop from the prior months reading as the stat and national economy continue to fall short of escape velocity.

According to the report, the

account for 9.8 percent of overall home sales, are volatile on a monthto-month basis. Economists believe that unseasonably mild weather pulled forward sales into the first quarter.

“Demand for housing remains strong and the usual list of support factors hasn’t changed, with the key items being job growth and wage gains,” said Jennifer Lee, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets in Toronto.

Economists had forecast sales decreasing 1.5 percent to a pace of 610,000 units last month from the previously reported rate of 621,000 units. Sales increased 0.5 percent on an annual basis last month. Sales for the first three months of 2017 were revised sharply higher.

Shrinking labor market slack, marked by a 4.4 percent unemployment rate, is improving employment opportunities for young Americans, underpinning demand for housing.

The housing market also continues to be supported by historically low mortgage rates, with the

major reason for the decline was a double-digit drop in volatile building permits. However, among the other components, only initial claims for unemployment improved by declining more than 6 percent.

“While these results are not positive, it is too early for concern as a downward trend in the Index has not been established,” said Walden of the index reading. “Still, as the nation struggles with modest growth and as the Trump Administration economic stimulus plans are currently stalled, both private and public decision-makers should approach the future with caution.”

The index is also below where

it was one year ago. While North Carolina economic policies have bolstered the Old North State’s performance versus its peers, it has become increasingly difficult to insulate local economic activity from regional, national, and global trends as business and capital become ever more interdependent.

The index itself is comprised of five input components that yield a final reading: the Economic Cycle Research Institute (ECRI)’s Weekly Leading Index, North Carolina initial claims for unemployment benefits, North Carolina building permits, average weekly hours of work of all North Carolina employees in manufacturing, and average

North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

U.S. services, factory data point to moderate economic growth

C3 An oil drilling rig, owned by ScanDrill Ltd, is seen drilling an oil well near Fort Stockton, TX. Recovery in the energy sector has led to demand for oil and gas drilling equipment.

By Lucia Mutikani Reuters

ISM services sector index falls in May Factory orders slip 0.2 percent in April First-quarter productivity revised up to show it unchanged

Sponsored by

The summer travel season is upon us, and May ushered in Travel and Tourism Week in North Carolina, which is part of National Travel and Tourism Week. The state’s nine Welcome Centers hosted activities throughout the week. North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Anthony M. Copeland announced that North Carolina tourism generated record visitor spending in 2016 with a total of $22.9 billion, a 4.3 percent increase from 2015. Additionally, tourism industry-supported employment topped 218,000 jobs to set another record for the state.

ASHINGTON — U.S. services sector activity slowed in May as new W orders tumbled, but a jump in employ-

ment to a near two-year high pointed to sustained labor market strength despite a deceleration in job growth last month.

The moderation in services industries production, together with other data on Monday showing orders for manufactured goods falling in April for the first time in five months and worker productivity unchanged in the first quarter, suggest limited scope for faster economic growth.

“The economy is neither accelerating nor slowing, but the labor market is looking up,” said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors in Holland, Pennsylvania.

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said its non-manufacturing activity index fell six-tenths of a percentage point to a reading of 56.9. A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the sector, which accounts for more than twothirds of U.S. economic activity.

Services industries reported a 5.5 percentage points dive in new orders last month. Prices paid by non-manufacturing industries for materials and services declined after increasing for 13 straight months.

But a measure of services sector employment surged 6.4 percentage points to its highest level since July 2015, suggesting labor market strength even as nonfarm payrolls increased 138,000 in May after rising 174,000 in April.

The drop in prices paid by services industries could attract attention from some Federal Reserve officials when they meet on June 13-14 to deliberate on monetary policy.

The U.S. central bank is expected to raise its benchmark overnight interest

n.c.

FAST FACTS

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ERNEST SCHEYDER | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

rate by 25 basis points at that meeting after a similar increase in March.

“Most inflation comes from services rather than goods sitting on store shelves, so if services prices are in decline, the Fed has little hope of achieving its 2 percent inflation objective,” said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at MFUG in New York.

“We will see if this alters their gradual pace of rate hikes later on this year when they provide their latest interest rate forecasts at the upcoming meeting.”

U.S. stocks were trading lower, while the dollar rose against a basket of currencies. Prices for U.S. Treasuries fell.

In a separate report on Monday, the Commerce Department said factory goods orders dropped 0.2 percent in April after jumping 1.0 percent in March.

Orders rose 4.4 percent from a year ago.

Manufacturing, which accounts for about 12 percent of the U.S. economy, is being supported by a recovery in the energy sector that has led to demand for oil and gas drilling equipment.

“The slow growth narrative for the manufacturing sector and business

spending outlook remains intact,” said Tim Quinlan, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina.

A third report from the Labor Department showed nonfarm productivity, which measures hourly output per worker, was unchanged in the last quarter. It was previously reported to have declined at a 0.6 percent annualized pace.

Productivity has increased at an average annual rate of 0.6 percent over the last five years, below its long-term rate of 2.1 percent from 1947 to 2016, indicating that the economy’s potential rate of growth has declined.

Economists blame low capital expenditure, which they say has resulted in a sharp drop in the capital-to-labor ratio, for the weakness in productivity. There are also perceptions that productivity is being inaccurately measured, especially on the information technology side.

“The result is an economy that is still stuck on a shallow growth track,” said Steven Ricchiuto, chief U.S. economist at Mizuho in New York.

“Nearly 50 million people from across the United States visited North Carolina destinations last year,” Secretary Copeland said.

“The money they spent supported 218,340 jobs and more than 45,000 businesses.”

Secretary Copeland applauded the growth in direct tourism employment, which was up 3.2 percent from 2015. Payroll income grew even more, increasing 5.9 percent to top $5.5 billion.

N.C. Tourism Facts • Domestic travelers spent a record $22.91 billion in 2016, up from $21.96 billion in 2015. That’s an increase of 4.3 percent.

• Visitors to North Carolina generated about $3.6 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2016. That total represents a 4.8 percent increase from 2015.

• State tax receipts as a result of visitor spending rose 5.2 percent to nearly $1.2 billion in 2016.

PINK CEILING from page C1 to them. Especially because they are women; like if you get hit on during a pitch, or if someone disregards what you are saying and is only making eye contact with your male founders, it’s great to be able to ask them for input and find out how they got through that.”

Afreen Allam, founder of SiNON Therapeutics and recent graduate of Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, was selected as the winner of the event. Her team will move on to the semifinal round of the Small Business Administration contest, to be held in Washington, D.C., in the fall. SiNON has already completed some animal trials and filed some patents on a carbon-based material that encapsulates medications so they can more easily pass through the blood-brain barrier. Called the Carbon Dot, the patented nanoparticle essentially disguises any drugs used to treat neurological diseases so the body’s natural defenses don’t reject

Allam and SiNON impressed the four judge panel with the biotech’s novel method to moving therapies through the blood brain barrier to combat neurological diseases. The startup will now move on to the semifinal round.

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

them and stop them from getting to the brain. Getting through the blood-brain barrier is a big hurdle in developing therapies for neurological conditions including Alzheimer’s disease and cancers.

“Only 2 percent of drugs on

the market are able to penetrate through that barrier and be used for target drug delivery,” said Allam. ”[This] opens up more applications and potentially to use drugs that have been shelved because of their high toxicity level.

If they can be encapsulated there

would be a lot more drugs that can be used.”

Allam and her team plan to use the winnings to file more patents and build their materials to get the word of their product out to pharmaceutical companies and more investors.

• Local tax receipts from visitor spending grew 4.8 percent to $692.8 million.

• Direct tourism employment in North Carolina increased 3.2 percent to 218,340.

• Direct tourism payroll increased 5.9 percent to nearly $5.6 billion.

• Visitors spend more than $62.7 million per day in North Carolina.

That spending adds $5.14 million per day to state and local tax revenues (about $3.2 million in state taxes and $1.9 million in local taxes).

• Each North Carolina household saves $497 in state and local taxes as a direct result of visitor spending in the state.

• More than 45,000 businesses in North Carolina directly provide products and services to travelers, with travelers directly contributing more than 26 percent to their total products and services.

Source: NC Commerce

Want to learn more about North Carolina Agriculture?

The First Furrow www.FirstFurrow.com

North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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father’s day gift guide

By Parker King For the North State Journal s we enter into the second week of June, the pressure is on for finding A that perfect Father’s Day gift. Father’s Day

is June 18 this year.

Father’s Day is celebrated from Murphy to Manteo with cookouts and hugs, but gifts are usually on the table so the shopping struggle is real and has been for generations.In 1909, Washington state made an official recognition of Father’s Day on June 19, 1910, after lobbying work from the YMCA and local churches. Slowly the holiday spread across the country but was not a national holiday until President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972.

During the Great Depression retailers advertised it as a “second Christmas” for dads, advertising tobacco and neckties.

Today, it is still a welcome summer boost for retailers.

From statewide retailers like Charlotte-based Belk and Mooresville-based Lowe’s Home Improvement to locally-owned shops, Father’s Day stands alone as a retail holiday between Mother’s Day and back to school. Hardware stores are popular destinations for dad’s singular day in the gift spotlight. “In 2015, Seaboard Ace Hardware had a spike of 4.2 percent in sales on Father’s Day as compared to the other three Saturdays in June,” said Bob King, owner of that Ace Hardware.

“In 2016 that spike was 8.7 percent.”

Americans are expected to spend more than ever on gifts for Father’s Day this year with the biggest share going to special outings like ballgames, concerts and meals, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey. Total spending is expected to reach $15.5 billion — the highest in the survey’s 15-year history, topping last year’s previous record of $14.3 billion.

Most dads give little if any direction to help with gift ideas so North State Journal is stepping in to give you a hand. Every dad is unique but here are a few gifts that will make your dad smile. Whether it’s a new grill, a round of golf, or something more spiritous, this guide will help ease the stress of Father’s Day shopping and get your dad’s summer off on the right foot.

Stihl MS 180 C-BE Chainsaw While dad might not strive to be the next Paul Bunyan, he is likely the person tasked with overall yard responsibilities. A lightweight, easyto-start, reliable chainsaw should be at the core of dad’s yard working technology. The Stihl MS 180 C-BE is where handy meets high tech.

This lightweight, easy-to-maneuver chainsaw’s first order of business is fast, easy starting with the STIHL Easy2Start system. Just a light pull on the cord does it. The quick chain adjuster makes it possible to adjust the saw chain without tools.

North Carolina Bourbon Bow ties and neckties Neckties might be a cliched Father’s Day gift, but Southern haberdashery High Cotton offers neckties, bow ties, and cummerbunds that are perfect for a North Carolina dad. From the yachting stripe bow tie to the Kelly Maybank stripe necktie, High Cotton’s summer offerings will add some color to your father’s closet.

Available at retailers from Asheville to Duck and at highcottonties.com

Available at ACE Hardware and stihl.com

If you are searching for a low-key gift for your dad, replenishing his bourbon stock may be the way to go. Seventeen Twelve Bourbon is distilled in Conover, N.C., and is made with corn, rye and malted barley from Catawba County and Buncombe County farmers.

Seventeen Twelve is the first Bourbon grown, distilled and aged in North Carolina since prohibition.

Big Green Egg The ever-popular Big Green Egg promises to be a conversation piece both before you cook and after your favorite protein hits the plate. The cooker, which is based on an ancient clay cooking device known as a kamado, comes in seven sizes. The manufacturer bills the Egg as a grill, oven and smoker. Whether dad is a diehard charcoal steak chef or a hand-tossed pizza master, the Big Green Egg is a triedand-true cooking tool.

Available at N.C. ABC stores and more information at seventeentwelvespirits.com

Available at ACE Hardware and biggreenegg.com

Replace his old blazer The Peter Millar Travel Blazer is perfect for the business executive dad who needs to get from point A to point B without a wrinkle. Maybe your dad just needs a new blazer after years of wear and tear from dance recitals, Sunday School, and award ceremonies. Millar’s blazer is made from soft wool that resists creases and hostile environments of overhead compartments. It is partially lined for the humidity and heat of the Carolina summer. It’s a classic two-button style that eschews the more traditional gold buttons in favor of lighter, more casual style.

Available at fine men’s clothiers and at petermillar.com

Golf Outing Dad may have a home course or a series of favorite tracks, but allowing dad to explore the golf heritage of North Carolina is always a great gift. Pinehurst Resort in the sandhills is home to North Carolina’s most famous course — Pinehurst No. 2. Why not book dad a round to see if can best the PGA players who compete here in the U.S. Open? If the mountains are more your speed, Linville Golf Club in Linville, N.C., is home to the top western public course according to the N.C. Golf Panel. If your dad supports the Wolfpack, Blue Devils or Tar Heels, let him play a round at his alma mater, NC State’s Lonnie Poole Golf Course, Duke University Golf Club and UNC’s Finley Golf Course are all N.C. Golf Panel Top 100 courses.

YETI Tundra 35 The YETI Tundra 35 is portable enough for one person to haul while still having an impressive carrying capacity. According to the manufacturer, the Tundra 35 fits nicely in an inner tube, making it a great option for floating down the Dan River. Wherever you decide to take it, this portable cooler’s sturdy construction will stand up to the rigors of the journey.

Available at ACE Hardware and yeti.com

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TOP 2 EASTERN NC GOLF COURSES 888.285.4171 www.RiverLanding.com

Award-winning amenities that can be enjoyed today.

North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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NeCessities! how sweet it is

history marked June 3, 1905 Lumina Pavilion opens Known as the ‘Fun Spot of the South,’ the Lumina Pavilion opened on Wrightsville Beach on June 3, 1905. The ground floor had dressing rooms and refreshment stands, the second floor featured a dance floor with balcony and band shell for orchestra, the third floor had a 15-foot-wide promenade overlooking the dance floor. Lumina became a mecca for excursions and dancing. Writer Lewis Philip Hall claims the shag was invented at the Lumina in 1928. The Pavilion was condemned in 1972 and demolished a year later.

June 5, 1910 O. Henry dies On June 5, 1910, William Sidney Porter, known by the pseudonym O. Henry, died from cirrhosis of the liver. He was born in Greensboro in 1862 and left North Carolina for Texas in 1882 to work as a rancher, a piece of his life that would later influence his writing. While being incarcerated for embezzlement in the 1890s, he had time to seriously engage in writing. By the time he was released in 1901 for good behavior, Porter had several works published. In 1902, he moved to New York and wrote more than 100 stories in less than two years. Porter’s stories are known for their surprise endings with some of his most famous being “The Gift of the Magi” and “The Ransom of Red Chief.” Porter moved to Asheville in 1907 and stayed there until his death.

War I. U-140 claimed four more ships, including the Diamond Shoals lightship, which sank in early August. U-117 arrived off the North Carolina coast a few weeks later and laid mines north of Cape Hatteras that would result in the sinking of the British steamship Mirlo. It sank another ship before returning home. The submarine raids finally ended when an armistice was signed in November 1918.

June 7, 1973 N.C. Zoo gets first residents Two Galapagos tortoises became the first residents of the N.C. Zoo which was slated to open the following year. Native to the Galapagos Islands off Ecuador, the two tortoises were purchased for $5,000 by the North Carolina Zoological Society from Evelia Burr of Concord. In the “Name the Tortoises Contest” more than 2,000 entries were submitted with the winning names going to Tort and Retort. The idea for the Asheboro zoo was originally pitched by the Raleigh Jaycees in 1967 with statewide fundraising campaigns to convince North Carolinians of the need for a zoo. Opening with temporary exhibits in 1974, the zoo moved to its permanent home in 1979. Today it is the largest natural habitat zoo in the world and attracts 700,000 visitors annually.

June 9, 1953 Texas Pete registered

June 5, 1918 U-boats attack off N.C. Coast Attacks by German U-boats were the first against the state by a foreign government since the War of 1812, and the initial assault lasted four days. During that time one German submarine, U-151, sank four Allied ships. Two other German ships launched attacks off the Outer Banks during World

The legendary Texas Pete was registered to T.W. Garner Company of Winston-Salem. Used as hot sauce on prepared foods, Texas Pete is made from hot red peppers, vinegar and salt. It was first used commercially in 1936 as a spicier version of the family’s BBQ sauce recipe. The name “Texas Pete” was chosen to invoke the spiciness of Mexican dishes found in Texas while “Pete” was Harold Garner’s nickname.

While originally the trademark only applied to the hot sauce, the family later expanded to produce multiple Texas Pete products including hot dog chili, honey mustard, green pepper sauce and seafood cocktail.

Source: North Carolina Department of Cultural and Natural Resources

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

national iced tea day June 10 is National Iced Tea Day. Folks in the Old North State know that all iced tea is sweet tea. We won’t delve into the minutia of a sweet tea recipe because your grandmother knows best, but we hope everyone can agree that water, tea and sugar are the essential ingredients needed to celebrate National Iced Tea Day in the Tarheel State. If you need a fix and don’t have time to steep, North Carolina is home to Bojangles and Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q, two purveyors of fine sweet tea.

Bojangles – Based in Charlotte.

Locations throughout North Carolina.

Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q – Based in Smithfield. Thirty-two locations throughout the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.

Big Rock drops lines on June 9

By Clayton Abernathy North State Journal tarted by Morehead City’s Fabulous Fishermen Club, the S Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament

dates back to 1957 when local businesses put up a cash prize of a few hundred dollars to encourage the local charter boats to prove that blue marlin populated the waters off North Carolina’s coast. Those intrepid fishermen found the blue marlin near a series of ledges and cliffs on the continental shelf called “Big Rock.” On Sept. 14, 1957, angler Jimmy Croy of Raleigh landed a 143-pound blue marlin. Croy was aboard the “Mary Z” with Capt.

K.W. “Bill” Olsen.

From humble beginnings — an early account of the tournament listed a quart of varnish as a winner’s prize — the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament is a world-

class event and the crown jewel of North Carolina’s eight-event Governor’s Cup Billfish Tournament.

This year’s 59th tournament kicks off on June 9 with the 20th Annual Big Rock Keli Wagner Lady Angler Tournament. The Big Rock Tournament begins in earnest at 9 a.m. on June 12 and ends at 2 p.m. on June 17. Boats may fish four of the six days.

The 2016 winning boat — Ashley Lauren — took home a grand prize of $662,995 from the Big Rock’s record $1,914,100 purse. The winning fish was a 621.4-pound blue marlin.

The boat’s victory came eight days after the Keli Wagner Lady Angler Tournament, which the Ashley Lauren also won. It marked the first time in the history of the two tourneys any boat has accomplished the double victory.

More information on the Big Rock at thebigrock.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF @BigRockFishing

The Ashley Lauren crew poses with their tournament-winning 621.4-pound blue marlin in 2016.

Always Dry. Always Comfortable.

introducing the NEW 29 Express

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North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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ENTERTAINMENT Wonder Woman lassos critics and the box office

play list June 8-10

By Seth Kelly Variety

Cherokee Bluegrass Festival Cherokee

LOS ANGELES — “Wonder Woman” is officially a box office hero.

The Warner Bros. and DC Comics film has delivered on massively high expectations by earning $100 million at the domestic box office in its opening weekend. The film also yielded more than $120 million internationally.

“Globally this property has just resonated with fans,” said Warner Bros. distribution chief Jeff Goldstein. “There’s something iconic about Diana and the story of Wonder Woman that’s hitting the zeitgeist perfectly.”

Patty Jenkins now holds the banner for the best domestic opening for a female director, topping Sam Taylor-Johnson’s “Fifty Shades of Grey” ($85.1 million).

Before “Wonder Woman,” Jenkins’ only feature was “Monster” — an Academy Award winner that she made more than a decade ago with an $8 million budget.

Gal Gadot stars in the film as the titular hero. The Israeli actress – also known for her role in the Fast and Furious franchise – made her debut as Diana Prince in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” and will also appear at least twice more in both “Justice League” movies if she doesn’t get a sequel of her own.

While the opening weekend for “Wonder Woman” is impressive, DC Comics movies have scored more in the past — recently “Batman v Superman” and “Suicide Squad” rocketed to $166 million and $134 million openings, respectively. But “Wonder Woman” had something those movies didn’t — critical support. Prerelease reviews of “Wonder Woman” were overwhelmingly positive during a time when early reviews have tanked summer blockbusters like “Baywatch.” Goldstein said the studio knew they had “some-

The festival features nearly two dozen bluegrass artists from across the Southeast.

This year’s featured artists include Dailey & Vincent, Gene Watson & Rhonda Vincent, and Mike Snider (of the Grand Ole Opry). This is an outdoor festival under a tent at the campground, so bring your chairs and stay a while.

June 9-11 Taste of Charlotte Charlotte

Wonder Woman steps into No Man’s Land.

thing special” after the reception to Gadot in “Batman v Superman.”

“While the story was critically tough, she emerged as a real bright spot,” Goldstein said.

“Wonder Woman” offers yet another origin story, but at least it’s one we haven’t already seen several times onscreen. And perhaps more importantly, it’s almost entirely free of the distracting cameos and seeding of future films’ plotlines that so often keep modern comic-book films from functioning as satisfying standalone stories. This origin story provides the backstory of Diana’s mythical, tropical homeland of Themyscira and her development as an Amazon warrior. That introduction gives way to the origin of Wonder Woman on the battlefield of World War I as Diana crosses No Man’s Land to become Wonder Woman.

The No Man’s Land scene shows

Diana climbing onto a World War I battlefield between Allied and German forces. She crosses the field, blocking machine gun fire with her cuffs and shield.

“It’s my favorite scene in the movie and it’s the most important scene in the movie,” Jenkins told Fandango during an interview prior to the film’s release. “It’s also the scene that made the least sense to other people going in, which is why it’s a wonderful victory for me.”

Jenkins added that “there were a couple people who were deeply confused, wondering, like, ‘Well, what is she going to do? How many bullets can she fight?’ And I kept saying, ‘It’s not about that.

This is a different scene than that.

This is a scene about her becoming Wonder Woman.’”

Where this film takes the tone and focus of the expanding DC

PHOTOS COURTESY OFWARNER BROS. PICTURES

Comics cinematic universe is unclear. But, there seems to be a building camaraderie and consultation among the different film teams.

“Aquaman” director James Wan, who will bring the king of the Atlanteans to the silver screen on Dec. 21, 2018, heaped praise on Jenkins, Gadot, and the entire film. Wan revealed on Twitter that the “Aquaman” production team rented out a whole theater to screen “Wonder Woman” for the entire crew. Wan also said that “Chris Pine is full of charm and charisma. What great chemistry with Gal Gadot.”

Wonder Woman will appear next in DC’s “Justice League” alongside golden era heroes Superman, Batman, The Flash and Aquaman. “Justice League” is directed by Zack Snyder and will premier Nov. 17, 2017.

All eyes on Cosby accuser as sexual assault trial begins

June 9-17 Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament Morehead City The Big Rock is one of the oldest and largest sportfishing tournaments in the country. Throughout tournament week there are various ticketed events open to the public as well as daily weigh-ins on the Morehead City waterfront.

June 14 Exhibit Opening: Miss North Carolina North Carolina Museum of History Raleigh

Reuters NORRISTOWN, PA. — While dozens of women have leveled sexual assault allegations at comedian Bill Cosby, destroying his reputation as “America’s dad,” the question of whether he will be imprisoned will hang on the words of a single woman when his trial starts this week. The outcome, taken together with the treatment of accuser Andrea Constand on the witness stand, may well affect whether women who have been sexually assaulted by powerful men seek prosecution, according to experts who study sex crimes.

The Taste of Charlotte has developed into an extensive food and wine festival that celebrates local businesses.

The festival is held every year in June and spans over five city blocks, taking over the city for three days as various eateries, cafes, restaurants, mobile food trucks and chefs all congregate to provide an unforgettable culinary experience. With a diverse array of local restaurants displaying their signature dishes, guests can sample from a massive array of flavors and dishes.

BRENDAN MCDERMID | REUTERS

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby leaves with lawyers Fortunato N. Perri, Jr. and Brian McMonagle after the first day of his sexual assault trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa.

An official steppingstone to the Miss America pageant, the Miss North Carolina Scholarship Pageant celebrates its 80th anniversary this year. Items in the lobby case will discuss the state organization’s history.

Source: Visit NC

North State Journal for Wednesday, June 7, 2017

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